The Bell Beast broke through the last shelf of earth with a triumphant BONG, showering sunlight and pine needles into the tunnel.
Nyxar climbed out first, cloth still tied around his eyes, and froze.
Bright & Noisy
Bug zipped up into the open air and promptly performed three mid-air somersaults.
"Whoa… so this is the surface. Okay, Bellhead—hmm, that name still doesn't suit you. I'll rename you later. Maybe Sir Bong the Brave. We'll workshop it."
The two Steel Bears lumbered out behind them, blinking against the light. The Mantises clacked their blades experimentally at the swaying trees. A forest stretched in every direction—sunlight dappled leaves, birds shrieked in excited gossip.
Nyxar tilted his head, blindfold rustling.
"Strange land. Bright light. Too much noise."
With a quiet command he dismissed the Bears and Mantises. Bell Beast gave a soft bong of disappointment before sinking obediently back into Nyxar's shadow.
Bug zipped to Nyxar's shoulder.
"Okay, just you and me again. Welcome to the outside. Try not to freak out."
Not a Bug's Home
They wandered through the green expanse, both instinctively ducking under every branch as if the ceiling might collapse.
A droning hum caught Nyxar's ear. He approached a low-hanging hive buzzing with bees and tapped it with one calloused finger. Nothing happened.
"This your home?" he asked.
Bug recoiled so hard he almost backflipped.
"WHAT? No! That thing's twice my size and full of tiny stabbers. Do I look like I come with a thousand roommates?"
Nearby, a small cloud of bees turned as if to glare at him. Bug hid behind Nyxar's ear.
The Mystery of Color
Nyxar soon spotted a bush speckled with bright red berries. He crouched, fascinated.
"What is this?"
Bug hovered warily.
"Looks like food. Or poison. Fifty-fifty."
Nyxar plucked a handful and, without warning, shoved one into Bug's mouth.
"Mmmph!—What the hell, man?!"
"Poisoned?" Nyxar asked calmly.
Bug spat the berry skin.
"Seriously? I'm not your personal poison detector. …But no, it's fine."
Satisfied, Nyxar popped a berry into his own mouth. His eyes widened under the cloth at the unexpected sweetness.
He held one up again, pointing insistently.
"What this?"
Bug shrugged.
"A berry?"
"No. This," Nyxar said, still pointing.
Bug tilted his head.
"You mean the color?"
The Grimwar appeared with a faint shimmer, words etching themselves across its pages:
He refers to the color.
Bug blinked.
"Wait, you understand him? Anyway, that's called color. This one's… blue?"
The book's ink shifted sharply.
Correction: purple.
Bug scowled.
"Fine, purple. You win, magic book."
Nyxar rolled the word on his tongue. "Color. Purple."
The sound was almost reverent.
Strange Voices
A sudden rustle. Nyxar vaulted upward with the grace of a shadow panther, landing silently on a high branch. Bug zipped after him.
Below, a small group of humans passed, carrying baskets and tools.
Nyxar looked at Bug expectantly.
Bug listened.
"Not sure… something about a village. Whatever that is."
Nyxar began leaping branch to branch, silently keeping pace.
"How are you so good at this?" Bug whispered.
Nyxar gave no answer—just the faintest shrug as he swung to the next tree.
Pond & First Meeting
They came upon a small pond where sunlight glittered across the water like molten silver. Bug darted down with relief.
"Finally, water!"
Nyxar crouched and—before Bug could protest—dunked him for a sip.
"Okay, please don't make this a habit!" Bug sputtered, dripping. "But no, not poisoned."
Nyxar drank deeply, tilting his head as if tasting something entirely new.
Then he froze.
Across the pond, half-hidden by reeds, a young woman slept, her robe shifting gently in the breeze.
Short, flame-tinted hair caught the light like living embers. A small satchel rested at her side, runes faintly glowing. Even asleep, a subtle aura of elemental energy pulsed around her.
Nyxar tightened his blindfold and crouched lower, muscles coiled. Bug hovered just above the water, whispering.
"Uh… that's a person. Definitely not a cave rat. Definitely not a bear."
Nyxar said nothing, only watching. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
The girl stirred slightly, a faint blush of light flickering over her fingers as if the elements themselves dreamed with her.
Bug lowered his voice to a nervous buzz.
"Sooo… what now, cave boy? Wake her? Run? Pretend we're trees?"
Nyxar stayed silent, shadow-still, the new world of light and color humming softly around them.
And that's where the surface adventure paused—a cave dweller and his ever-complaining insect, watching the mysterious Emberlyn Vale sleep by a pond, the forest alive with possibilities.