Kevin's Nachos

About an hour out from sundown, and the party was stuck. Civilization was nowhere nearby. No place to take refuge after the long day spent following trails over wonky bridges, through grasslands, and listening to the strange, oversized aardwolf talk about a "Seb" and "Penny" some more.

Miguel squinted. "Mmmh. We should've hit an inn by now."

"You have no idea where we are, do you?"

Rocco growled at the flying squirrel hanging off his shoulder. "I do, I do, just—hold on." He yanked the map out of a side pocket of his satchel and scanned it frantically.

"...I have no idea where we are."

"Well, what do we do now?"

Kevin gasped, pointing into the distance. "There's a cave over there!"

Miguel and Marcela looked at each other with pulled faces. Nonetheless, options were few, and so, the weary trio set off for the relative safety of it. It was a big, wide opening over some rocks that descended into a space with an underground lake. It wasn't pretty—caves never are—but it was shelter.

Marcela glided down to the water's surface, and Rocco climbed down the rock facade after her, making sure things were stable and smooth for the others. It wasn't that steep of a decline, just enough to hurt greatly if you lost your balance.

"Um, guys..." Kevin said nervously. "It looks—dangerous..."

"It's not that far!" By the time he said it, Rocco's feet were back on solid ground. Of course, he was also busy backing away from the wall in case Kevin came tumbling. Miguel went next, and while capybaras weren't exactly known for their climbing ability, he made it down without error.

Kevin was frozen, anxious. He was used to fire escapes and maybe forests, not falling down craggy, fractured rock facades, and he wasn't exactly looking forward to the experience. Still, he gave it the old college try nonetheless, hugging the jagged stone as close as he could and only moving when he was sure nothing would crumble under his weight.

Getting back to the ground was a religious experience; Kevin would've preferred to never go through it again.

Most of the cave room was taken up by a huge underground lake, deep and mostly still aside from some waves and bubbles down below. The others didn't seem to mind it much, but Kevin kneeled close to the water's edge, trying to see what was stirring. For the most part, it wasn't much, and the lack of ambient lighting wasn't helping that, but then—something shifted.

"Whoa."

"What now?"

"Something's moving..."

Kevin leaned in closer, trying his best to see into the depths. Something inky came at him. A turtle-like beast, a sandy red aside from its dark, giant eyes and its slate-coloured, spiky shell, surfaced. Kevin only stared back at it.

"Mate, get away from it!" Miguel shouted. Plucking an arrow from his quiver with reflexes more fitting of a jaguar, he pulled it hard against his bowstring and fired it right at the beast, missing its flesh narrowly in the darkness. Rocco had his sabre pulled on instinct.

Kevin was unfazed. Despite Miguel's protests, he inched closer to it, reaching out a hand with which to touch its shell. It swam closer to the edge, over to Kevin before emerging from the water altogether and climbing onto his lap.

Kevin grabbed a worm from a small patch of dirt nearby and held it out for the turtle, who accepted it into its jaws.

"What the hell—"

Kevin smiled and held the side of the turtle's shell gently. "Guys, he's not dangerous."