"The upperworlders hunt my kind... They come down into the caves and slaughter everyone they can find, usually once a month," ne said sadly. "Even children and the eight-feet. To suddenly be brought out among them is..." Ne squeezed his hand, taking comfort from having someone nearby. "I don't understand..."

Ne shook nir head and tried to focus on addressing the more immediate issue of finding food. "Upperworld insects? Are they different? I have never surfaced before."