SkyEarth Book 2: The Ethaerium Keys

Chapter 4: Nyx

Chapter 4

Nyx

Somewhere underground, Oliver was completely lost. Beyond his great-uncle's fallout shelter was a confusing maze of tunnels, built during the days of the Dogfight Wars. Unk Gruffin had explained to him that these tunnels lead to one of many secret underground Unity hangars, unused during the Dogfight Wars. The tunnels' labyrinthine corridors were designed to confuse intruders until they're captured or died of starvation or dehydration. That's why he'd carried weeks' worth of food and water, just in case.

"Now, there should be a secret tunnel here." he said, looking around the corridor. He took out a map of the tunnel his great-uncle gave him and tried to check his location. He had outlined his journey using a pencil. So far, it wasn't helping him in the slightest.

"Ugh, can't you draw ever more clearly, Unk?" Oliver groaned. He's right to comment that. The map was crudely drawn by what seemed to be black charcoal and there were smudges and what appeared to be sweat stains in some places, like the corridor he's in.

Then, his stomach rumbled.

"Getting hungry. A little thirsty too." he declared. He checked his watch and found out it was almost noon. "Time for lunch, I guess."

He plopped down on the dusty earthen floor and took out a piece of bread and cheese wrapped in a grease-stained cloth. He made a sandwich out of it and proceeded eating it. Filling, but with a hint of motor oil.

"Delicious." said Oliver after a few bites. He picked up a canteen, half-full of water left, but before it ever reached his lips-

Grunt grunt...

Oliver turned to the source of the grunts. He recognized it almost immediately whose grunts belonged to.

"Morpheus?"

Grunt.

Morpheus stood a fair distance away from the human, his bright fiery mane looked more groomed than last time he'd seen the baku. The blue/indigo/purple fur looked glossy and its eyes looked sharper too.

"Uh hey," Oliver waved at the baku.

Snort. Morpheus waved back.

The baku seemed to be eyeing the cheese sandwich. He looked a little hungry, Oliver guessed. Do bakus like cheese and bread? Or will they get sick from them like dogs to chocolate?

"Hey, you hungry there?" he asked the mysterious pachyderm creature, reaching out to him with bits of bread and cheese. Morpheus lifted his trunk and leaned in to smell the food in the human's hand. He grabbed the food bits with his trunk and took a precautionary taste. It didn't tasted bad, but not good either.

It seemed to ease the cautious tension in the baku because Morpheus approached Oliver little by little, until they're sitting almost a foot away from each other.

"So," Oliver started trying to break the ice. "Why are you here anyway? I thought you reunited with your owner. Luna's her name, right?"

Grunt. Morpheus nodded.

"Okay then. Uh..." he thought hard about what to ask the baku next. Obviously his skills in communicating with animals were next to non-existent. In fact, Oliver gets nervous whenever he's near animals, especially around dogs. One time, when he was a little boy, he was chased by a playful pitbull but he mistakenly took the dog's playful approach as a chase and assault. As a result, he had developed a fear of dogs.

"Um, want some more?" he asked the baku, ripping off a piece of the sandwich and giving it to Morpheus. He sniffed it a bit with his trunk and put the sandwich piece into his mouth. He made a few cheery muted trumpet toots from his trunk.