The Tales and Secrets of the Monster World

📖❗️-The Light at the End of the Tunnel-❗️📖

TW: Starvation and general themes that come with the aftermath of what was almost the apocalypse

This is set around a few weeks (like 4-6) after the Cataclysn. It's about the survivors of the Cave Island collapse.
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Thunder didn't know how long the survivors had been travelling.
All he'd been seeing for the melted period of time was endless, dark mazes tunnels, dimly lit by the occasional mushroom or lichen on the wall, and the survivors who happened to be Kaynas or Glowls.

He was the only Riff left after the entire roof above his home had collapsed. He didn't know if anyone else was left alive, or why the roof had come tumbling down, and he had just as little knowledge about what was going on outside the caves as anybody else.

At least he had hope. He may not have been a Fire Monster, but his hope was an endless flame yet to be put out. Not hope for himself, but hope for others.
He hadn't eaten in a while. They had very little food. If he ate, someone else would starve.

And at least he had his best friends. A Bisonorus supporting his hunger-weakened body. Both the emperor, Citrus, and the standard, Sage, had tried to convince him to stop denying his share of the supplies. They had yet to be successful.
Even with friends the trek was slow and silent. Nobody really spoke, apart from the occasional moments when they agreed to stop for a bit, or which discussed which direction to turn when the tunnels came to forks.

And a fork they did reach. At the end of the narrow corridor, one tunnel went left, and the other right, full of stalagmites and stalactites, hanging from the ceiling and jutting from the floor.
"Which way now?" Sage- the larger Bisnorus half- asked, breaking the empty silence.
"I believe we should have somebody scout out this time," said a voice from the centre of the group.
The voice belonged to Tephra, an older Kayna, who had become quite known among the survivors for her skills and knowledge, along with her angry, stern nature. Thunder had a lot of opinions on her. How would things be if it wasn't for her? But he didn't like her anger.

"Is that a good idea?" Thunder asked, his voice weak. "I don't know if it's safe,"

Tephra snarled impatiently, a puff of smoke realeasing from her head "Better to risk one of us than everyone,"

"No. It's better if we all stick together," He was about to raise his wings in an angry gesture, but was stopped by Citrus hopping off Sage and onto his arm.
"I hate to say this," the small Bisonorus whispered. "But Tephra is right. It's best if I go. I'll leave a trail. I won't go missing,"

Sage shot their twin with a look of concern.
"What if you die?"
"Do not worry. I'll be fine. I promise,"
"Please. Don't go. I don't want to lose my Emperor. Bisonorus... share their souls,"
"I'll be back, I promise! I hope we will find somewhere just like Cave Island with lots of space and light from the crystals and holes in the roof and room to live and things we can eat.
Or even get to the surface,"
There was a lengthy pause. Well, perhaps it was a few seconds, but it felt long.

"Please, Sage,"
Sage sighed.
"Ok. You can go. Please... don't get hurt,"
Thunder watched Citrus leap into one of the tunnels. He could see the very vague form of them leaving scratches in the stone, leaving a trail just as they had said, before they fully disappeared into the darkness.

"Meanwhile, we can get some rest," Tephra remarked.

Thunder didn't know if he could get rest. There was too much on his mind. Anyone would be stressed after living like this for who knows how long, after losing their home and knowing that so many monsters died.

I hope someone else out there survived. Maybe there's hope. Maybe others got into the tunnels on time too. Others like Cornflower. We know he survived. We know things like this happened on the surface too.