The darkness was cold, wet, and filled with the sound of water rushing. That's odd, Ebony thought. I thought I died on the Wastes. There's no water there. He ripped his eyelids open and stared around him. He could see nothing, no matter how hard he strained his eyes. The noise of water still filled his ears. Cautiously, he reached out a claw to find it. As he felt along the rough sand he lay on, his claw dropped over a lip and plunged into cool liquid.

Water? Where in the world am I? he wondered, delicately flicking out his forked tongue to drink. Did...did the gennyid do this? 

There was a rumbling, and smooth, hard plates rubbed up against his scales as ten glowing eyes peered curiously at him. 

"Good worm!!" Ebony praised, trying to pat its head in the dark. "You saved me, pal!"

He found its hard head and rubbed it roughly. The gennyid squeaked in what he hoped was pleasure, butting him playfully - which sent him against a wall. He sat up, rubbing his side. Ow, the creature packed a punch.

"How do I get out of here?" he asked the concerned worm prodding him. "Wherever 'here' is."

He turned, inspecting the wall he had been thrown against. It was smooth and gently curved, like the wall of a tunnel. A tunnel. Of course, he realized. The gennyid dug this. This may even be where it lives. All I have to do is follow the tunnel up to the surface. Sliding into the water, he waded the direction he felt tilting slightly upward. The gennyid sloshed along behind him. As he went, the tilt became more and more pronounced, making it harder to climb the slick, wet sand, but Ebony dug his claws in with every step. Honestly, he was just happy to be alive.