The familiar sound of bones against ground sounded through the cavern as Cognate learned to take its first steps. Naive found it impressive that Cognates wildly swaying form wasn’t falling over and in a moment of realization noticed that Naive hadn’t fallen in awhile. The ground here was easier to traverse than the tunnels. Was it always so simple? Naive shifted its thoughts as it arrived at the rock Natus and Cresco sat on. Three hands shot up before going back down.

“Hello. What's your name young skeleton?”

A skeleton stepped out from behind Naive and halted momentum getting the better of it, tumbled over. From the heap of bones came the answer.

“Cognate.”

The heap stood and addressed the newest characters in its life.

“What’s your name? What’s your name?”

“The names Cresco, this one here,” The owner of the energetic voice gestured to its side.

“Is named Natus.”

Cognate reached out and grabbed Natus’ hand, pulling it closer and staring at it. After a moment of examination the hand was released and Cresco’s hand was pulled up to Cognate’s face. Dropping the hand Cognate tried to climb up onto the stone, pulling a leg up and promptly falling to the ground. Naive, realizing there was more to the duty of welcomer, stole Cognate’s attention.

“Cognate, there are other things for me to tell you. Come with me.”

The two split off, one in a steady gait and the other a wobbling amble. As they left the faint sound of conversation could be heard. Naive came up to a familiar entrance to one of the many tunnels, ready to explain the nature of the world to the younger skeleton.

“If you leave through one of these exits you can arrive at new places. Go to new places and experience new things.”

Confident that Naive had completely and accurately shared its knowledge, it turned away to join the conversation of its seniors. Stopped by a hand around its arm, Naive looked back and heard Cognate’s request.

“Come.”

Naive, unaware of the skeletons intentions but seeing no reason to refuse, went along. Cognate’s hand held Naive’s as they walked together through the tunnels. Naive was forced to match the youngers pace as the terrain was a challenge for the still clumsy Cognate. Arriving before the entrance to the next area, Naive’s steps were halted as Cognate suddenly stopped. Aware of the wonder and confusion that this place inspires, Naive explained how to continue forward.

“You can pass through the film if you walk with a hand up.”

The pair of skeletons raised an arm and passed through the translucent barrier, entering the cavern of Naive’s first venture. The thick substance that substituted the air in the cavern resisted their movements, making their steps in sluggishly slow. Cognate, now able to see the creatures of the cavern with clarity, swept its gaze across the room. Naive spoke to its fellow skeleton, the words coming out distorted and sounding strange.

“Don’t stay still too long. Something big will come and eat us.”

Attention caught, Cognate responded to Naive’s words.

“Eat?”

“It’s what happens when something puts you in their mouth. It makes you die.”

“Die?”

“When you die you disappear and go back to your coffin.”

Cognate turned away and looked back to the room. Struggling to push through the strange air, Cognate approached a floating pondlet. Once close it reached its hands out towards the small translucent creature. Naive, recalling Cresco’s lament at death, warned Cognate.

“Don’t grab it, they’re soft and die easily.”

Cognate continued, unabated by Naive’s word. Skeletal fingers wrapped around the film but to Naive’s surprise, did not puncture through. Cognate turned back to Naive and spoke, sending a warbled incomprehensible sound to Naive. Weary to be stood still any longer, Naive approached its fellow and warbling turned to speech.

“Name?”

Cognate held up the pondlet in its hands, thrusting it up to Naive. Examining the small thing, Naive found some differences from the one it had killed. This one quivered in Cognate’s hands, the small colors within moving about frantically.

“They’re pondlets. They don’t have names until you give them one.”

Cognate peered down at the squirming pondlet in its hands for a moment before declaring,

“This one is named Shakey.”

Naive was a little shocked. You could name things that hadn't died? Lifting its head from staring at shakey, Cognate looked up and after a moment introduced itself.

“Hello. My name is Cognate.”

Cognate’s sudden introduction confused Naive. They already knew each other, why give its name? After a second pass, it noticed Cognate wasn’t looking at it, but past its shoulder. Joining as an over the shoulder beholder, Naive looked back to see a third party had approached. A small cerulean tube was slowly growing in size, an opening widening towards the two skeletons.

“Its trying to eat us, don’t let it suck you in.”

Hairs flicked up along the edge of the skull sized mouth as the spinning began. The force was weak and easy to resist, Naive could easily walk away it was so meager. Naive’s less mobility gifted skele-kin however, was slowly being toppled and pulled in by the force. Cognate’s hand drifted out towards Naive, followed by a word.

“Help.”

The word sparked something in Naive. A force that seemed to fill its bones with the need to move and move Naive did, with a speed it had never considered possible. Its hand shot out to grab hold of Cognate’s and pulled back with enough strength that Cognate crashed into Naive, sending the both of them floating back away from the blue maw. The two, now heaped on top of each other, pushed themselves off the cave floor.

“Let’s find the exit before something eats us.”

The two wandered aimlessly. Cognate followed Naive’s steps, cradling Shakey with an arm and holding Naive’s hand with the other. They avoided everything except the pondlets, which after a small lesson on greetings, they both waved at and said hello to before continuing on. Eventually they found an opening and pushed past the film into a stone tunnel.

The thick substance that was the caverns air stuck to their bodies as they left but quickly fell off in globs. Shaky’s movemements drifted to a halt as the content within it dripped out of its film casing. Eventually Shaky dried up, its outside film wrinkled and the colors inside went dark, a sign Naive was familiar with.

“Shaky’s dead.”

Cognate stared at the Shaky’s corpse. After a long while of silence, Cognate lifted a hand and slowly, gently, laid it on top of the wrinkled surface. With a crack the now hard film broke and collapsed in on itself. Naive put a hand on Cognate’s shoulder and shared the duty of a killer.

“Remember its name.”