After their ancestors safely brought their tribe to the underground lakes, new traditions began to emerge. A young axolotl has to prove his worth by traveling into the deepest darkness to catch the sun (it is actually a special kind of plankton). Upon returning this little sun becomes the heart of their new home and the brightness of it decides the new rank of the young axolotl.

Here we can see Chieftain Axo the XXI's son chasing the suns of the deep dark (photographed with a very powerful flash (?) :D - c’mon use your imagination!). Upon his arrival back to his homeland, he became a full member of the tribe. And since he brought two suns with him, he proved that not only he is a full member of the tribe but he is worthy enough to be the future chief.

This was an entry for a small contest some time ago with the title Axolotl Adventurer.
Made with graphite, later colored in ArtRage and with some Photoshop filters.

ArtRage is my favorite digital painting tool, with its beautiful brushes, and awesome color mixing.