A Bird in the Turtle's Den

Noboru pushed a wooden beam into the collapsing hallway to stabilize the ceiling. It took him a lot of strength to wedge it in properly, but once inserted, the concrete no longer cracked. The Tengu sighed in relief. At least the routes to the general and matriarch bunkers were safe for now. Further behind, Sterre did the same in another corridor. 

"Phew, that was the last one," she said, dusting her hands. 

"I'd rather these tremors stop," Noboru muttered, eyeing the ceiling above him. A tiny earthquake dusted his dark hair with concrete debris. The elf chuckled, even though she was full of dust herself. 

"Aye. I can't recall ever havin' these shakes. Need ta check on me dad as soon as I can."

"Just call him?" 

Sterre shook her head. "He kinda… hates communication devices," she explained, avoiding direct eye contact. "He prefers talkin' face ta face."

"I'm sure Pride will-" 

Fzzzk. Creek.