Neidr's back was laying against a wall of cool earth. He took a moment to breath.

'in' Neidr pulled his hands towards his chest,

'out' then he pushed them away, matching the movement with his breath. This was not any secret technique or martial art. It was Neidr doing his best at anger management. After repeating the exercise for ten minutes, Neidr gradually calmed down. Then he took a moment to feel, as he couldn't see in the dark, and to listen. The only sound aside from his breathing was the distant dripping of water. If he wanted to get out of here, it would be best to follow that sound. This earthen cage wasn't very wide. Neidr could not even lay down comfortably. Neither was it very tall, Neidr's hair would touch the ceiling if he stood up.

Why, then, is he not losing oxygen. It's the same reason he can hear water. There are small holes tunneled into the walls, just the right size for a snake, or a colossal earthworm. Neidr sighed, all he could do was start digging, however long that may take. Neither he, nor the original Neidr, had any attainments in magic. His acceptance to Neidr was based solely on his lineage, that too, though, was shaky at best. Neidr checked his pockets for anything he could use to dig. Neidr smiled awkwardly, the best he could do were the coins Cito had given him. Niedr sighed and began to chip away at the dirt.

Three hours of grueling work was rewarded with a light at the end of the tunnel. Breaking past the last of the dirt wall, Neidr found himself within a cave. Pink crystals lined the ceiling and water dripped off of them into a large pond. Beyond that there was nothing, but rocks. Neidr begrudgingly looked at the clear pond. He grabbed a rock and threw it in.

...

then another

"No reaction?"[Neidr]

...

then another

"Really?" [Neidr]Neidr believed there was a massive murderous beast dwelling within this quaint pond. Why did he believe this? Well, he didn't really have a reason. There was no excrement or bones around. No drag marks in or out of the pond. If something was there, it was purely aquatic. Neidr tried to get whatever it was to strike at the splashing stones, but to no avail. Hell, he could even see the rocks at the bottom. There was absolutely no evidence to suggest something was waiting to murder him.

It's just, Neidr was starting to become suspicious of life in general. Neidr slowly walked up to the pond and squatted in front of it. His whole body was tense, ready to leap away at any moment, but...

Nothing happened. Neidr rubbed his chin, then he stuck his pinky finger into the pond.

...

No response.

Neidr nodded and walked away from the pond and began to stretch out all of his muscles. Then, after taking a deep breath, he dived in. Looking around, he saw an underwater tunnel and started to barrel straight through it. Neidr swam at top speed, he burst out of the water nearly out of breath. Looking around, he saw several purple trees and bushes. The grass was blue, and there wasn't a thing in sight . Neidr crawled out of the water as quick as he could. Finally, back to land, Neidr let out a huge sigh of relief and relaxed.

A sharp pain assaulted his shoulder as a creature the size of a child leapt onto his back and stabbed him with its claws. Neidr threw his hands back to grab the thing's head, but was only met with pain. Neidr retracted his hands to see that they have been pierced. Fortunately it wasn't deep as Neidr retracted them soon. A claw caught his cheek, putting five gouges into his face. Another claw came for his throat, but he blocked it with his forearm. Neidr rushed backwards, slamming the creature into the trunk of a tree. A wretched screech sounded out, and black tendrils began to wrap around Neidr's waist and arms. Neidr struggled to keep his arms up, if they were removed, nothing stands between this creature and Neidr's life.

Neidr slammed the creature into the tree again, but it showed no sign of faltering. Its tendrils gripped him even tighter, more started to wrapped around his legs. Neidr was too scared to curse. This creature was stronger than him, and more resilient. It was only a matter of time before it would kill, Neidr started to despair. Then he heard it, a gargled laugh. The creature was mocking him, this would usually enrage people, but for Neidr...

He smiled. Neidr released the strength in his arm, instantly, his hands were drawn back, and a claw came slashing towards his throat. Neidr, the creature thinking it had won, relaxed its guard. There was less strength put into the tendrils. Neidr pushed his arms forward as fast as he could. A wretched scream of pain followed by the coursing of red blood. Neidr's arm was released as the creature sliced off its own tendril. Neidr didn't pause for a moment, he pulled the arm that was still wrapped up close to with face and bit through another tendril. The texture was chewy like squid, and his mouth was filled with the taste of iron. With his free arm he grabbed a hold of the creature's arm a pulled it forward furiously. The creature, although dazed, still held its grip. Its claws dug deep into Neidr's shoulder, but nonetheless it was thrown off balance. Neidr pulled the thing to his shoulder and smashed into the ground, using his entire body weight to deal the blow.

The creature released its grip and Neidr jumped away to make distance, now he could finally see who or what his aggressor was. What he was to meet with was a small creature, the size of a five-year-old. Its skin was like a frog, but it stood like a man. Black tendrils slithered through the air as they slid out of pores from its back. It didn't have a nose, and its eyes changed shaped and colors within the sockets. Its head was filled with holes and its hands were adorned with five silver one inch claws.