Xerxes' new Journey chp2

Straef paced back and forth in midair, glancing periodically at the graceful being he had kidnapped.  This was so wrong…  It was against telluridyan code of honor!  He couldn't eat a sentient being.
Oh, but he was so hungry…so very hungry.  Ever since the Arsenians infected the water supply, there was less and less to eat.  He hadn't had a bite to eat in over a week…
It was a battle between his primal instincts and his conscious.  Straef argued with himself under his breath and dug his claws into the simple wooden table he had.
"You are a rather disturbed creature…I feel bad for you.  Have you considered finding help?  Group therapy, maybe?"
Straef shrieked and struck the cage with his claws.
"What do you know about my kind?!  You think I LIKE killing a sentient being?  That I LIKE being a cold blooded murderer??" in his anger, Straef tore open the cage.  He reached in to wring the life out of the little creature.
Xerxes lay on his side, holding one arm over himself.  This made Straef stop in his tracks.
It was the sign of giving up…the wayfarer looked so vulnerable.
Straef backed up and perched on his well worn hardwood perch.  He stared at the wayfarer for a bit, very happy that he could not see him tearing up.
"Just leave…" Straef growled.

Xerxes shakily got up, feeling the cage around him.  Part of it had been shredded…  That metal creature was awfully strong!  Still…Xerxes' sharpened hearing could bit up a hint of sadness in his voice.
The creature did not make any sound, but Xerxes knew he was still in the room.  He didn't know if he really wanted him to leave or if he was playing a trick on him.  He expected that when he left the cage, he would be pounced on and eaten.
The wayfarer contemplated the risks for a moment.  He decided that he would be doomed either way…  No other wayfarers were coming to help him in this treacherous new world.
Xerxes pulled himself from the  torn cage and felt his way along the wall toward the slightly warmer, fresher air.
He stopped periodically to listen…  He was listening for breathing or heartbeat…trying to tell if that metal monster was right behind him.  
No attack ever came…the odd creature let Xerxes go.
He couldn't see the sun, but he could feel the rays warming his cloak.  The sun felt so distant and faint here…  Xerxes was sure to concentrate on every rock he felt, every bump in the ground, ever slight variation in sound.  He wanted to remember where the cave was.
He could smell something familiar, but rarely encountered.  The earthy smell of mushrooms was carried on the breeze.  Xerxes followed the smell…feeling his way along.
When the scent was the strongest, Xerxes felt around the ground.  He felt he was in a little alcove, worn out by years of dripping water.  The soil was moist…and from it sprouted many soft mushrooms.
Xerxes cautiously picked one and nibbled at it.  The flavor of the mushroom was very similar to what he had eaten on his homeworld.  The wayfarer bit off a larger piece and held it in his mouth before spitting it out.  He waited very patiently for many minutes to see if his mouth swelled.  If it did, these were toxic.
Xerxes tasted no foul flavor and his mouth did not swell up or become numb.  He decided to eat one whole mushroom.  It was actually quite tasty…and he was getting hungry.  
Nothing bad happened, so he ate his fill.  Being a light eater, very few were actually gone.  
Xerxes thought for a moment and then gathered up a bunch of mushrooms using his cloak.  He held his find with one hand and felt his way back to the cave with the other.