[H] Rescue (a Kerala story)

The rain fell lightly, making not so much a pattering sound, but a quiet rushing, a whispering. Giant trees high above covered so much of the sky that the water drifting down was a delicate mist. Grasses and leaves twitched with the tiny droplets coalescing, becoming heavy, and running earthward. The sparse forest seemed like a living, breathing thing.
In the greenish gloom, Kerala sat as a storm crow as she often did, watching. Perched on one of the many boulders outside her cavern, she watched the world, and the stone guardians milling about. There were no longer any invaders to upset them, but still they wandered the area. Seeking. Investigating, she supposed. Abandoned crates of supplies littered the area, but they did not take kindly to anyone tampering with them. Curiosity was strong enough within her to consider angering her gentle protectors.
A gentle rumbling reminded Kerala that her stomach was empty. She shook herself, feathers puffing out and sending water droplets in all directions away from herself. She launched from the rock, flapping twice, and then suddenly a Tauren woman stood where a bird had been.
Her fur resembled the feathers of the wet brown bird she had been, growing in all directions, swirling, chaotic. Her mane, even damp, was wild as well, the humidity causing curls to frizz and split to even worse effect than usual. The cropped mess was withheld from her face in the usual clumps, secured with thick leather ties. Kerala had no concept to care about her appearance, even now.
She walked slowly into the cavern considered to be her home. As always, she could not help but to admire the beauty around her. Not far into the cavern tunnel, a green crystal burst from the rocky ground. It's color was dazzling, a sort of glow lit the crystal from within, and it cast a calming green light on the area around it. Shortly after that, a mossy column and little alcove were illuminated by shards of a yellow crystal. The entryway of her home was littered in the beautiful glowing lights of crystal groups in yellow, green and blue. Stone guardians roamed everywhere, their huge feet surprisingly quiet on the rock floor. They never once stumbled into a crystal formation, though they had no discernible pattern to their ramblings. They paid Kerala no mind as she slipped quietly between and among them, heading deeper into the cave.
The tunnel twisted sharply to the left, and Kerala saw the first cluster of red crystals, planted into a wall with the other colors like decorative plants on a shelf. The path seemed to split here, high and low. A Guardian blocked the high path, so she waited patiently for him to continue on. The low path led down two steps and around a pillar, but ended suddenly in the wall which was the high path. Kerala was not skilled enough to scale that short stone wall, so she took her time and stepped carefully around the Guardian. It smelled of earth and cleanliness.
Continuing now the the right, the tunnel led down further into the earth. The crystals became gradually more numerous, the soothing light stronger, and she could hear them humming now. The larger clusters also gave off the barest amount of heat, making the air hazy around them if one cared to notice. The back of the cavern was slightly warm, and the echoing hum was a constant and pleasant sensation.
In the deepest section, Guardians could not go. Kerala had brought in bundles of ferns and sweet-smelling vines from outside. The collection filled the entire crevasse, forming both a mat and nest of sorts. It was springy and soft, and when she laid in it, every movement crushed the durable plants just enough to release a wonderful whiff of new scent. She replaced the collection every month or so when the vines began to wither.
There was also the little curve that Kerala considered hers- a sharp elbow tunnel behind a large boulder and another pillar. The Guardians were too unwieldy to venture there for the many crystals lining each end, but Kerala loved the private little flat space back there. She's piled up smaller stones into a fire circle, and it was here that she would roast her meals if she chose.
Chilled from the rain outside, she thought it would be rather nice to light a fire. She retrieved the dried remnants of previous bedding and carefully arranged it within the circle. It took several tries, but finally she struck a spark onto the pile, and quickly encouraged it to grow. She paused once the flame had come to life, staring into its harsh glare, reminiscing about a pair of eyes that burned similarly.
. . .
In the greenish gloom, Kerala sat as a storm crow as she often did, watching. Perched on one of the many boulders outside her cavern, she watched the world, and the stone guardians milling about. There were no longer any invaders to upset them, but still they wandered the area. Seeking. Investigating, she supposed. Abandoned crates of supplies littered the area, but they did not take kindly to anyone tampering with them. Curiosity was strong enough within her to consider angering her gentle protectors.
A gentle rumbling reminded Kerala that her stomach was empty. She shook herself, feathers puffing out and sending water droplets in all directions away from herself. She launched from the rock, flapping twice, and then suddenly a Tauren woman stood where a bird had been.
Her fur resembled the feathers of the wet brown bird she had been, growing in all directions, swirling, chaotic. Her mane, even damp, was wild as well, the humidity causing curls to frizz and split to even worse effect than usual. The cropped mess was withheld from her face in the usual clumps, secured with thick leather ties. Kerala had no concept to care about her appearance, even now.
She walked slowly into the cavern considered to be her home. As always, she could not help but to admire the beauty around her. Not far into the cavern tunnel, a green crystal burst from the rocky ground. It's color was dazzling, a sort of glow lit the crystal from within, and it cast a calming green light on the area around it. Shortly after that, a mossy column and little alcove were illuminated by shards of a yellow crystal. The entryway of her home was littered in the beautiful glowing lights of crystal groups in yellow, green and blue. Stone guardians roamed everywhere, their huge feet surprisingly quiet on the rock floor. They never once stumbled into a crystal formation, though they had no discernible pattern to their ramblings. They paid Kerala no mind as she slipped quietly between and among them, heading deeper into the cave.
The tunnel twisted sharply to the left, and Kerala saw the first cluster of red crystals, planted into a wall with the other colors like decorative plants on a shelf. The path seemed to split here, high and low. A Guardian blocked the high path, so she waited patiently for him to continue on. The low path led down two steps and around a pillar, but ended suddenly in the wall which was the high path. Kerala was not skilled enough to scale that short stone wall, so she took her time and stepped carefully around the Guardian. It smelled of earth and cleanliness.
Continuing now the the right, the tunnel led down further into the earth. The crystals became gradually more numerous, the soothing light stronger, and she could hear them humming now. The larger clusters also gave off the barest amount of heat, making the air hazy around them if one cared to notice. The back of the cavern was slightly warm, and the echoing hum was a constant and pleasant sensation.
In the deepest section, Guardians could not go. Kerala had brought in bundles of ferns and sweet-smelling vines from outside. The collection filled the entire crevasse, forming both a mat and nest of sorts. It was springy and soft, and when she laid in it, every movement crushed the durable plants just enough to release a wonderful whiff of new scent. She replaced the collection every month or so when the vines began to wither.
There was also the little curve that Kerala considered hers- a sharp elbow tunnel behind a large boulder and another pillar. The Guardians were too unwieldy to venture there for the many crystals lining each end, but Kerala loved the private little flat space back there. She's piled up smaller stones into a fire circle, and it was here that she would roast her meals if she chose.
Chilled from the rain outside, she thought it would be rather nice to light a fire. She retrieved the dried remnants of previous bedding and carefully arranged it within the circle. It took several tries, but finally she struck a spark onto the pile, and quickly encouraged it to grow. She paused once the flame had come to life, staring into its harsh glare, reminiscing about a pair of eyes that burned similarly.
. . .