My First Imp // Z [ 522 words ]

There was really no reason for Zian to crawl along the walls of the little cave they’d found, but they were doing it anyway. They were careful about it, too, watching their step, and they winced each time their crystalline leg made a scraping sound across the cave floor. They were trying to be careful. But their body, as little as it was, was still a little too awkward to move into, especially with their less-than-ideal shape when it came to movement.

Despite their best expectation, Zian could barely fit into the stalactites nicely. They were black and gleaming where they protruded out of the caves, their jagged shapes irregular, both textured and polished in turns. Some of them reminded Zian of themself, in some ways, and then again not really. Their crystallized limbs were flexible, not immovable like the stalactites.

But then again, Zian wasn’t in the cave because they wanted to compare their limbs to objects. They weren’t even interested in the spelunking, or whatever it was that some people did in the caves. Zian didn’t particularly dislike tight spaces, but the darkness, the dampness and the danger? No, thank you. They could do without any of that. They were here for a different reason.

After all, Zian had heard that there was a chirop dwelling in these caves, and they wanted to see it for themself.

Zian loved little critters — in theory. In practice, their experience was lacking, but they had the will to learn and the drive to get themself into some sort of trouble. Zian didn’t necessarily like trouble, but— Well, occasionally they enjoyed it. And this had seemed like an innocent bit of fun, too.

Zian didn’t expect to find anything on the first try, either, but well — they arrived at the cave, decided to go a little deeper and so one little nook led to another and there they were: eye to eye with a little… something.

It was cute, they had to admit that. It was all black, and if it hadn’t blinked, they would’ve never been able to gauge it in the darkness. Zian’s nose scrunched as they weighed their options. They didn’t know how to approach the little critter, because they honestly hadn’t thought they’d even get that far.

It’s a chirop, they thought. An actual one. And, well, Zian was a little out of it in their excitement, but they’d managed to remember — just barely — that they hadn’t come empty-handed. Quite literally too — clutched in their paw was a treat. Or, clutched in his paw were some sweets that the book Zian read claimed chirops liked, and that was well enough for them.

They stretched their hand out, then unclenched their paw. The chirop made an inquisitive sound, or something that Zian thought could count as a sound. Then, slowly, it approached them.

At that moment, Zian didn’t mind the cave — not the stalactites, not the darkness or the dampness or even potential danger. This little creature trusted them, and they trusted it too, and they felt it would be nice to have a friend.