[right][sub][color=aquamarine][b]Cambria — The Cloud Forest — Waterfall Lake[/b][/color][/sub][/right]
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Calign sat very still. Its eyes were open. It couldn't see much, though, on account of the [url=https://www.abdn.ac.uk/rhynie/images/arthropods/trigs/trig5b.jpg]hooded tickspider[/url] covering one side of its face. The crawler's stout legs passed over Calign's left eye, and Cal kept its face as neutral as possible, an exercise in control and calm. By now, it came easily.

The rikinule, however, had none such poise. After slipping on Cal's forehead, it took a heavy tumble and landed with a faint [i]thud[/i] into its lap. With some effort, it began to flip itself right-side-up, and crawled out of Calign's robe, about as bear-like as a squat eight-legged arachnid could ever be. Cal cocked its head at it.

[color=orchid]"Have you seen my pipe?"[/color] it asked the rikinule.

The rikinule looked back, as if in shrug. Calign pursed its lips in some consternation. A lacewing the size of a small bird alighted on its shoulder. Cal turned its gaze, but not its head.

[colour=orchid]"...Already?"[/colour]

The lacewing shuffled. Calign closed its eyes and breathed. It stood up and turned from the lake of dark and quiet water, watching amphibians bask in the fog-filtered sunlight, and turned away into the moss forest, tying its dress around its waist as it left visibility. Unable to see what it was standing on, the lacewing departed.

[colour=orchid]"Keep an eye on them,"[/colour] it said to a giant [url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Blue-tailed_damselfly_%28Ischnura_elegans%29_male_adult.jpg/1200px-Blue-tailed_damselfly_%28Ischnura_elegans%29_male_adult.jpg]damselfly[/url] perched like an owl on an overhanging branch. The damsel cocked its head, stalked eyes glinting, looking for the demigod's voice. [colour=orchid]"They brought their flying buzzer."[/colour] Calign didn't know the word 'drone', but the object in the ATV was unmistakable.

The damselfly took off and Calign strode towards the hum of a hover engine. It was about time it met its guests.

Cal hoped it wouldn't do anything embarrassing.