Tom was idly running his fingers through his mane. “Can you change it back once we’re someplace warmer?”

Wave wrapped her forelegs about 'her' human, snuggling him gently. "Well not really… I don't think 'hey, let's do that thing', I just do it. So maybe?" She shrugged a bit. "Why would I? You look better with them, I wonder what kind of pony you are. Maybe a siren like me?" She pointed at herself, looking hopeful.

Footnote frowned. "I just said you're not supposed to do that." Wave ignored him entirely.

Eric chuckled a bit at Lost’s mention of ‘getting lucky’. “Pretty sure Wave’s the one that’s intent on getting lucky. I’m going to guess at this point that Tom is inevitably going to become a pony, I’m going to somehow or other figure out how to do some magic, hopefully without sprouting a horn on my head, and you two will at least earn some respect for your recent finds. Hope that’s not too optimistic.”

Tom snorted a bit at Eric’s words, rolling his eyes as he hugged the snuggling Siren. “What, Eric, you don’t think I can resist Wave’s offers of help if it means turning into a pony? Come on, I’ve got a bit more resistance than that!” Looking down, he frowned a bit, petting Wave’s neck with a hand. Okay, perhaps it might be a bit challenging to resist, but I can do it, no problem. “And Wave? I’m not a pony, I’m a human, silly… plus, Sirens don’t have rear legs, hooves, whatever, so I couldn’t be one anyways~” he teased her lightly, smiling a bit despite the recent change.

Wave frowned a little. "Oh, you're right. I guess siren's right out then. Still plenty of options though." She tilted her head. "It's alright. You can be a land pony, I'll still keep you." She pulled him closer, not hiding her possessive streak at all.

Footnote sighed and settled next to the fire, ignoring Wave in return for her snubbing.

Lost licked over her lips and perked an ear. "Snow's going strong out there. Maybe we should have a look at this cave? Make sure we're not going to be surprised if we go to sleep."

Eric hopped to his feet, setting his pack down. “That sounds like a good idea to me. Shall we? I’m sure Footnote can keep the fire going for us to return to. And Tom’s going to have to figure out how to walk on those things…”

Groaning a bit, Tom gently pried Wave from his side, petting her neck a bit more. “Okay, so it might be hard to resist, but so long as Wave keeps asking for permission, it’ll be easier? I mean, it might be a bit hard to completely resist against someone so adorable,” he questioned with a weak chuckle, looking at his boots. “Lemme see if these things still fit, otherwise it’ll be my legs getting cold instead,” he remarked, grabbing a boot and sliding a hoof into it, thankful that he had been wearing boots and not shoes now as he laced them up tightly.

Lost gestured to Footnote. "You, stay here and be warm by the fire. I'm going to go with, Eric was it? Eric here and see what's in this cave." She smiled a little. "Hopefully nothing but some crystals and rocks, and we'll be back with a boring story to share."

Wave was in no rush to join the scouting mission. Her attention was on the boots that concealed the hooves she had just crafted, even if indirectly. "Do you have to wear those?"

“Yeah, Eric,” the human confirmed as they started off into the cave. “I wonder how far back this cave goes?” Assuming it trivial, he focused on his new powers, trying to make it easier for him to see in the dark himself, as a dark magic user being snuck up on in the dark was too ironic of a way to die. The darkness seemed to draw back. It was still dark, but his eyesight penetrated it, casting everything with a gloomy shroud that held no secrets.

“Hey, wait up, Eric,” Tom called out before looking to Wave. “It helps keep the rest of my leg warm, but,” he paused, wriggling the boot, which even tightly laced up was rather loose without a foot to hold it in place, “I don’t think it’s going to work anymore,” he finished explaining to Wave. “I’m going to try and go with them, would you like to come along, Wave?” he asked, removing that boot and frowning a bit, adjusting the pant legs to cover as much skin as possible.

Wave shook her head a little. "As nice as it is to offer, if you do find something, you might want to not be carrying me around while you do it. Go on, I'll stay with these nice ponies and see if I can't pick their brain a little."

Footnote went stiff. "Not literally, I hope?" Wave's wicked grin didn't do much to calm him.

“Have fun,” Tom casually remarked as he got to his feet, no hooves, he had to remind himself, and after a few moments walked rather unsteadily after Eric and Lost. It was rather awkward, as he was always more of a toes person than heel, and it was with a bit of difficulty and struggle that he started after the two of them, clops following his every step.

Eric waited impatiently for Tom to catch up, talking to Lost as he waited. “Ever find anything dangerous in these caves before? I’m not sure what to even expect in a place like this.”

Lost shook her head. "Nothing too bad. Well, there was that polar bear once? He wasn't that bad once we offered him some food, come to think. Wolves can be very testy, and they like the taste of ponies, but they're not usually so quiet, so I'd think we would have heard wolves,"

Catching up to them, Tom jumped into the conversation. “I saw some wolves when I got here… they had creepy, red glowing eyes, too. They’re very vocal, yeah,” he chimed in, noisily walking alongside up alongside Eric’s free side.

Eric went ahead and lead the way, searching deeper and deeper into the cave. “Polar bear, huh? Is it winter here now? And for that matter, do polar bears hibernate? Ugh, I’m so unprepared for this sort of thing. Still, as you said, there’s probably nothing.” Eric took the time to focus his newfound vision into every dark crack and corner as they went.

Lost was the only one that needed light, and they were drawing too far away from the fire to rely on it. She produced a torch from her saddlebag and struck it against the stone briskly while held in her mouth, and it combusted like a match, sending out flickering orange-red light into the dark. "I don't know, but if we see one, say you're sorry and make friendly. It'll probably just want to go back to sleep."

“Yeah, let’s not anger a polar bear. I can barely walk, god forbid I have to try running,” Tom joked, sighing. “Wave is the only reason I’m alive right now, but… I’m not sure what to think,” he muttered, looking at them both. “Is it a bit wrong that I find it a bit… interesting?”

Eric glanced at Tom, then shook his head. “Nah. It’d be silly to come all this way and not experience something new, something that our world couldn’t offer. I dunno, it might seem boring to the locals to turn into some kind of perfectly ordinary pony, instead of something exotic like a human. But I’m not going to try to discourage you. And honestly, she’s going to ask nicely and you’re going to do it. I don’t see why you need to complicate things by pretending to hesitate.” With another glance he smirked and added, “besides, she’s obviously more attracted to ponies than humans, and you got to give your lady what she wants.~”

Lost glanced between the two, looking a little, well, lost. "I think it's an odd choice to stop being what you are, but I've never been somewhere where there's no way to find more of me, if that makes sense?" She sat down lightly, holding the torch high in her mouth. "Are you attracted to her?"

Tom hummed, tapping his fingers against his waist as he focused on walking, still somewhat unsteady on his new hooves. “She’s… extremely adorable and cute, but to me that’s ponies in general?” he offered up before continuing. “I mean, I understand what you’re saying, but back home, there’s nothing quite like this. It’s humans and zero magic. I’d be lying if something like this wasn’t something I’d thought about before, but nothing beyond a ‘what if’ capacity. Wave is… unique,” he finished, shrugging his shoulders with a slight blush.

“She seems pretty possessive of you,” Eric began. “No. She is possessive of you. I think you need to decide soon if you’re going to try and get her to back off or at least understand some boundaries, or at least try accepting her more fully into your life. The longer you drag things out, the messier it’s going to be if you try to stop her. And, uh, honestly she’s not someone who’s heart I would dare to break.”

Lost nodded in agreement with Eric. "He is speaking wisdom. If you want her behavior to change, you should say so, clearly, and early. Otherwise you are inviting her further, and she does not strike me as the kind to accept denial gracefully, and that will only grow worse the closer she feels when that happens." She rose to her hooves, and her tail swayed as she looked around the dark room. "Shall we?"

“Makes sense… Dropping into another world, and within two days I’ve already got female issues,” Tom weakly chuckled, shaking his head. “She is endearing, and I’ll give it some solid thought. Good thing I’ve got an open mind for stuff, I guess?” Tom looked around, nodding to Lost. “Sure. I’m getting the hang of this, but it’s really awkward. The human body wasn’t really meant to be walking around on hooves.”

Lost wobbled a hoof, then the next, and quickly went through all four. "It feels pretty normal to me." Of course it did. "If you need help, you don't look too heavy."

Tom quickly shook his head. “Nah, I need to learn how to walk on these things. And it’s just weird to me, because if you remember how my feet looked, we use our toes and front of our foot for balance… my entire balance has shifted now, it’s a bit weird to compensate for,” he explained. “If I slow you two down too much, I’ll just head back, no big deal.”

“He’ll be fine in the long run. The brain can compensate for all kinds of physical changes, in time. But he hasn’t had that time yet, and needs to spend it doing stuff like this. Walkin’ like a toddler~” Eric teased lightly. “So for now, we’re in no rush. Get used to it here before you have to tromp in snow with those things. Though… that might almost be easier.”

They proceeded down the tunnel, only to hear a soft something from up ahead. A new dread chill came towards them. Lost sank towards the ground, trembling suddenly and looking quite frightened indeed. "N-no! Not again! I won't go back!" She turned and fled without delay, taking the torch with her as she bolted back towards the entrance of the cave.

The shadow whispered gently to its servant, "One of our servants is close, a powerful one, but difficult to control. He will subdue and capture these 'friends' of yours if you but let him free of his prison"

“Shit,” Tom muttered under his breath, able to just barely make out their surroundings as Lost fled from something ahead. Glancing over to Eric, he grabbed his shoulder gently, for balance as well to help his friend see, or so he thought. “Sounds like we need to leave, now,” he whispered as quietly as he dared to. Next Chapter: 12 - It Hungers Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 4 Minutes