Edison's fingers froze. The jerky slipped from his grip, landing silently in the snow at his feet. His breath fogged in the cold air as his eyes locked onto the darkness ahead.
The sound had been small. Too light to be a boulder, too deliberate to be falling ice. Something—or someone—had moved out there.
Slowly, carefully, he reached for the torch beside him. The flame flickered as he lifted it, casting long, wavering shadows across the cavern walls. His other hand found the hilt of his hunting knife, fingers tightening around the worn grip.
"Guide," he whispered. "You seeing this?"
Silence.
Great. Helpful as always.
Edison rose to his feet, every muscle coiled. The torchlight stretched forward, illuminating a thin stone pillar near the cavern wall—barely a foot wide.
Then—movement.
A shadow darted behind the pillar. Small. Quick. Too tiny to be an Ursine, too nimble to be some lumbering beast.
Edison's pulse hammered in his throat. His boots scuffed against the stone as he shifted his weight, ready to bolt back into the tunnel at the first sign of danger. Sweat prickled at his temples despite the cold.
Another skitter.
The thing—whatever it was—peeked out from behind the pillar.
Edison's grip on the knife tightened.
Then—
The torchlight caught it.
White fur. Fluffy. Round.
Two enormous, liquid-black eyes blinked up at him.
A tiny, puffball creature waddled into view, its stubby legs carrying it forward with surprising grace. It tilted its head, sniffed the air, and let out a soft, inquisitive.... squeak?
"A... poro?"
Edison stared.
The poro blinked again, then—with zero regard for possible danger—trotted right up to his boots and plopped down on his discarded jerky.
"That's mine," Edison said flatly.
The poro chewed happily, utterly unconcerned.
Edison sighed and slid his hunting knife back into its sheath, watching as the poro happily munched away at his precious jerky. The tension in his shoulders eased, replaced by exasperation.
"Truly terrifying," Guide remarked, voice dripping with amusement. "A vicious white beast, come to steal your rations. However will you survive?"
Edison rolled his eyes. "You knew it wasn't dangerous, didn't you?"
"I suspected," Guide admitted. "It was small. Non-predatory energy, harmless.. probably."
"Probably?"
Edison snorted and crouched down, examining the little creature. It barely reacted as he scooped it up—just kept chewing, its tiny paws clutching the jerky like a treasure. Up close, it was even more ridiculous: fluffy as a cloud, with a heart-shaped underbelly, perky little horns, and what he assumed was a tail—a nub that wiggled nonstop.
"You're basically a walking pillow," he muttered.
The poro blinked at him, then redoubled its efforts to devour the jerky.
Edison tugged on the strip of meat. "Hey. That's mine."
The poro dug in, yanking back with surprising strength for something so small. Its big, liquid eyes locked onto Edison's, as if to say, "Finders keepers."
"Look," Edison said, as if reasoning with a very stubborn toddler, "I get it. You're adorable. But I've got, like, seven pieces of jerky left. I can't just—"
"Fun fact," Guide interrupted. "Poros are considered good luck by some Freljordian tribes. Befriending one might be the only fortunate thing that happens to you here."
Edison paused. The poro, sensing weakness, took the opportunity to scarf down the rest of the jerky.
"You little—!"
The poro licked its chops, then nuzzled against Edison's arm with a soft contented cry.
Edison stared at it.
It stared back.
"...Fine," he grumbled. "You win."
The poro wagged its nub.
Edison set the poro down gently, watching as it immediately began sniffing around his boots for more food. He crossed his arms, staring at the fluffy creature with a mix of amusement and suspicion.
"Alright, Guide," he said. "What the hell is a poro doing down here?"
Guide hummed thoughtfully. "This could indicate that we're closer to the surface than we thought, and this little thing just wandered in."
Edison glanced up at the cavern ceiling, as if he could somehow see through solid rock to the world above.
Edison looked back down at the poro, which was now staring up at him with those big, innocent eyes.
There was something almost... knowing in its gaze.
"Guide," Edison said slowly. "How smart are these things, really?"
"Intelligence varies," Guide replied. "Some poros are clever enough to navigate blizzards, find hidden paths, even outwit predators. Others..." A pause. "Well, let's just say they have the survival instincts of a particularly optimistic rock."
Edison crouched to eye level with the poro. "Alright, fluffball. You understand me?"
The poro tilted its head, then gave a small, eager hop.
"Huh." Edison tried again. "Is there a way out of here?"
The poro blinked, then turned and took a few steps forward before looking back expectantly.
"I'll be damned," Edison muttered. "It actually—"
"Don't get too excited," Guide cut in. "It might just be leading you to its favorite napping spot."
Edison ignored him, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Hey, Guide. You got any... poro treats in that shop of yours?"
"Ah! Poro-Snax. 1 SP for a six-piece bag."
"Surprisingly cheap."
"It's basically dog food," Guide said dryly. "Frosted with Freljordian ice crystals. Poros go wild for them."
Edison hesitated for only a second before sighing. "Fine. One bag."
[Purchase confirmed: Poro-Snax (-1 SP)]
[Remaining SP: 7]
A small, crinkling pouch materialized in his hand. The moment the scent hit the air, the poro's ears perked up, its entire body vibrating with excitement.
"Yeah, yeah," Edison said, tearing open the pouch. "Here—"
He barely had time to pull out a single treat before the poro launched itself at the bag with a joyful squeak.
"Whoa! Easy!" Edison yanked the treats out of reach as the poro collided with his chest, its tiny paws batting at the air.
The poro plopped back onto the ground, staring up at him with the most devastatingly pathetic look imaginable.
Edison groaned. "...Fine." He tossed it a treat.
The poro caught it mid-air with surprising grace, swallowing it whole before immediately resuming its pleading stare.
"Nope. That's it," Edison said, tucking the remaining treats into his belt pouch. "You want more? You gotta earn it. Show me the way out of here."
The poro blinked. Then, with a determined wiggle of its nub-tail, it turned and began trotting down towards the darkness in a certain direction, pausing only to glance back and make sure Edison was following.
"This is either the smartest thing I've ever done," Edison muttered, "or the dumbest."
Edison patted his knees and stood, grabbing the torch before following the determined little poro into the darkness. The fluffy creature moved with surprising purpose, its nub-tail wagging as it led him deeper into the cavern.
Then Guide's voice cut through the quiet:
"So," it said, "what were you trying to ask before we were so rudely interrupted by this fluffball?"
Edison frowned, then remembered. "Oh, right." He stepped carefully over a patch of uneven stone. "I was gonna ask—can your shop give me information? Like, a detailed map of the Freljord? Or at least tell me what damn year it is here?"
Guide replied. "Ah, Yes, my shop does offer informational purchases. For example—"
Edison cut him off. "But I don't have enough SP for any of it right now, do I?"
"Correct," Guide admitted. "The most basic regional map alone costs 5 SP, and you've only got 7 SP left. Hardly worth blowing your entire budget when you might need emergency supplies later."
Edison exhaled through his nose, watching the poro trot ahead. "It's fine. Just knowing the option exists helps."
"Oh?"
"Means the situation isn't completely hopeless," Edison said, adjusting his grip on the torch as he followed the bouncing puffball deeper into the cavern. "If I live long enough to earn more points, I might actually figure out what the hell is going on in this world."
"Optimism. How novel." Guide mused.
Edison didn't reply. The poro had stopped at a fork in the tunnel, sniffing the air before choosing the left passage.
Wherever it led - escape or deeper into the frozen dark - at least now he had a path forward.