A Ring of Embers

Night brought a dense, familiar chill creeping back toward the cave mouth. I rolled inward, turning corner over edge along the descending limestone ramp until the dry outside wind faded behind me. In a low alcove, two small, translucent cave slimes were huddled together on a slab of dark slate, shivering faintly in the cold draft. I did not nudge them or crowd their space. Lowering my heavy flat base into the silt right beside them, I let my weight anchor into the cool stone. Inside my hollow shell, the amber core surged to a deep, steady hum. Warm golden light poured through each pixelated notch, bathing their slick bodies in a soft, quiet heat. They stopped trembling and nudged against my gray flank, resting secure.