Beneath the Blue Veil

The distant call of something wild echoed through the cavernous dark. It melded with the sound of water, flowing in a stream from the surface above, catching the light like gems as it tumbled deeper into a root-choked chasm below. There, as if bursting from the depths, something magnificent grew. 

A spindly tree plunged up from the deep, reaching higher than even the tallest fungi dared. Though luminescent mushrooms sprouted like trees from the soil, emanating an eerie glow of their own, even they could only gaze in wonder upon its radiant majesty. Its lush canopy cast a soft, ethereal blue light that illuminated damp stalactites above. Glowing leaves muffled all sound throughout the hollow so that even magic itself fell into a reverent silence before the tree.

There, winding branches gave shelter to the fungi and foliage that thrive in the loamy soil. Blue-veined roots cascade like waves over rock before disappearing into the earth. The ground here was soft and comfortable - the perfect place for a resting drow.

She laid beneath the blue veil of the sussur tree. Soft glowing leaves drifted like feathers from above, kissing bloodied lilac skin.

Nearby, a small child teetered. Crouching close to the ground, tiny hands folded around a small purple frond and snapped its stem with a clumsy tug. She brought the leaves to her mouth and chewed. Turning the remainder of it over in her hand, she was admiring the shades of deep purple on its stalk when it hit her - the foul flavor coating her tongue.

Her tiny face twisted with disgust. Spitting its remnants onto the ground, the stem in her hand was carelessly discarded along with it. Yucky.

Instantly, the frond was forgotten. Taking a look around, a cluster of something blue caught her eye - a bushel of mushrooms, emerging from between the tree’s roots. She trodded over on clumsy feet and plopped down beside them. This time, as she plucked off a cap and bit into it, no toxic juices filled her mouth. The last of the bite was greedily devoured before she plucked a few more mushrooms from the soil.

Hobbling back over to the sleeping drow, she placed one of the mushrooms into her open mouth and sat beside her.

Maybe mother would wake up for food. She must be hungry - usually she doesn’t sleep for this long. Or was she only pretending to be asleep? Because her unflinching eyes were only half-lidded and cloudy.

The little drow patiently waited for the other to wake, eating the mushrooms in her hand one by one until only two remained. “Mama?” she muttered with a tilt of her head. The child gently prodded her mother and left the imprint of her tiny hand in the thick red that coated her skin. If she didn’t wake soon, there wouldn’t be any food left.

Slow and steady footsteps announced the approach of another creature. Wide-eyed, the child dropped her food and scrambled to hide among the roots of the sussur tree.

From a safe distance, she watched something tall sway between jutting rocks and gnarled roots. A creature approached on a pair of legs that creaked and sighed with every deliberate bend. The surface of its flesh was soft, with textured ridges that spread from its feet to the very top of its head where it fanned out into an extravagant crown. Like the fungi it passed by, a pale luminescence peeked through its skin and lined its gills.

Long arms reached for the red-stained drow. Her child staggered from her hiding place, mesmerized by the creature. It stopped and fixed its lumescent green eyes on her.

The two wordlessly regarded one another. The small drow tilted her head. Then, in a tiny voice, exclaimed,

“So-koa!”

Small feet propelled her forward until outstretched hands met with its sturdy leg. Smiling, she gazed upon its towering form without fear. As her eyes roamed with fascination, she noticed something else amusing - some of its pale luminescence transferred onto her sticky fingers. She pulled her hand away to inspect it. Smearing some on her opposite palm, she held both up to her new companion and laughed.

The creature observed her with an unreadable expression. Neither threatened nor bothered by the child, it knelt and lifted her mother with branch-like arms. On swaying limbs, it turned and carried her away.

Where was her new friend going?

She did not pause to wonder for long. Wiping bloodied and spore-covered hands on her grey chemise, the child followed, leaving the ghostly light of the tree behind.