Tunnel traversal went as always, step by step through narrow stone corridors. The path forward was a rambling road of protruding stones, low ceilings and tricky ground. It provided a challenge for the clumsy skeleton but Naive found progress grew easier with every stumble. At least until the tunnel picked up a new quality: branching paths.

Overwhelmed by decision, Naive made a mental retreat. To go here or to go there? Walk a narrow path or a wide path, upwards or downwards, left or right? There were just so many questions Naive didn’t know the answer to. Resolving to evaluate each path and decide after learning more, Naive got to examining. That one had a left bend. That one dropped into a steep slope. That one had an approaching skeleton in it. New information smashed into Naives mind, goal of choosing a path immediately forgotten.

“Call me Naive. What’s your name?”

The unfamiliar skeleton raised an open hand next to its skull, palm facing Naive.

“Hello. I’m Cresco.”

Cresco stopped its approach an arms length from Naive, letting its arm go slack.

“What’d you just do with your hand?”

“It’s called a hello wave. You do it when you meet someone.”

Naive, eventually recognizing the situation as a meeting , raised its hand next to its head.

“That’s the way. Make sure you say hello too.”

“Hello.”

“Good work. You seem fresh. How old are you?”

Naive tried to consider the question and failed instantly. Lacking some understanding, it sought clarification as to the finer details.

“What?”

“Age is how you count your experiences, so for every place you’ve been to your age goes up. I’m 8 places old.”

Naive stumbled over that idea. How many places? Until now, the skeleton had considered everywhere as the same place. After some consideration Naive was able to identify the various caverns as seperate places. The cavern of coffins, the cavern where it got swallowed and the previous cavern. Naive shared this information with Cresco.

“Sounds like you came through the Baal Hall. Tell me, how did you get past the flame and its guard?”

Naive, presented with new names, did its best to connect them to their respective owners.

“I killed them.”

Remembering the duty you carry when you kill something, it sat on the rough ground and continued.

“I’ll tell you their story. Take a seat.”

Naive patted the hard stone next to it and Cresco sat as signalled. Both parties now , Naive told the tale of Flicker and Trip. With a couple interruptions to explain the concepts of light and shadow, the retelling ended at the climactic fall turned murder.

“You killing them makes things a bit difficult for me. It was a great way to practice to improve mobility.”

Cresco sighed and leaned back against the tunnel wall.

“Hopefully their coffins are nearby and they return to that room again. I don’t know any other caverns that challenge you to go in the air like Baal Hall did.”

Go in the air? Naive couldn’t do that. Highly confused, Naive asked for an explanation. After getting up, Cresco delivered in the form of demonstration.

“When I first reached Baal Hall I was stuck for a long time. Eventually I improved my walking to the point where I could do this.”

Cresco began to walk faster than Naive had ever seen. Arms bent at its side, they moved in tandem with their leg counter parts, left with right and right with left. After a few steps Cresco showed off the ability that let skeletons enter air space. It threw an extended leg forward, the other quickly following behind. Arms flew forward in a stance known to Naive as the stiff arm stance of opening and getting into things. Cresco flew through the air for a glorious moment before crashing back to the ground bottom first. Scraping the ground Cresco skidded to a sudden halt, feet colliding with stone wall. The skeleton got up and flashed the hello wave at Naive.

"Goodbye Naive. I'm going ahead."

Naive, returned the gesture.

As Cresco headed back to trudge the tunnels, Naive realized that it still had a conundrum on its hands.

“Which tunnel do I take?”

Looking back at its fellow skeleton for a moment, Cresco imparted one last piece of advice.

“You don’t know where they lead so it doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as you're moving forward.”

Alone again, Naive stepped on without a thought and moved forward to its next experience.