(Scene one, the Fork)
Two sets of boots thundered down the rock-tile of the dungeon corridor as the two thieves approached a sudden fork. The wall in the middle of the path poured into view as the torch light grew close enough. Faint cries were echoing eerily off of the damp brick walls from the right hall while distant lights could barely be made out glowing safely down the left.
Without pausing, Dodgers instinctively shot down the right-hand path towards the cries of help when a hand suddenly closed upon the kid's tail causing the enthusiastic adventurer to halt, "Hey! Faris? What gives?"
Dodgers turned around annoyed and hurriedly, bright yellow slits glaring in the jumping torch light as the kid paused hurried footfalls to see what was up with the partner holding Dodgers back.
The slender thief clad in skintight leathers and flashy yet thin materials held the fox kid's tail tight, the other hand flagging the torch about as if this were an emergency, "Where are you going, kid? The map said the treasure was this way, look for yourself!" Faris dipped the torch towards the kid referring to the map crumbled up in Dodgers' gloved hand.
Two triangular ears curled backwards as Dodgers stamped an impatient foot into the floor, "Well of coarse the Treasure is down that'a'way, but can't you hear the distressed cries of an obvious damsel in dis dress?? And it is a Hero's obligation to oblige to such cries and protect all damsels, especially ones in dis dress, so let's go!!" Time was running short and they both knew it, so the anxious enchanted fox tried to pull forward once more.
Faris refused to budge, tugging at the child's tail in the direction of the treasure when a light suddenly lit the entire left hall and began rolling towards them with a great and mighty roar.
"Fire in the Hole!!"
The two immediately broke. Dodgers rolled forward to hide behind the right-hand corner while Faris pulled back kneeling, huddled against the wall and dragon-scale shield slung around from his shoulders to protect him from the ball of fire which scorched the passageway. Once the blast was over, the duo's torch was obsolete since the cobwebs lining the bricks were now aflame and the cracks in the ceiling glowed between the charred brick.
Dodgers remained ducked behind the wall a moment, a triangular ear swivelled to the side listening as a beast's claws scraped the floor, hurrying towards them from the treasure's hiding place, a protecting monster of some sort cursed to guard the treasure until some lucky team conquered it, the kid guessed. Dodg hid there a moment, eyes on Faris at the opposite end of the fork still ducked behind the dragon scale shield until the kid saw the thief fidget, pulling his ice sword from its sheath upon his back, "Fire Drake, Dodgers!"
With that, the beast's head could be seen in a flash, a huge gory jaw snapping at the thief until it was answered by the slice of the ice blade.
It was then that Dodgers made a move, leaping from around the corner and curling that limber body into a flip. Landing crouched upon the shoulders of the scorching hot monster, a shimmering saber was pulled from behind a big leather belt in midair. Thick leather boots muffled the heat radiating from the monster's scales as Dodgers slammed the sword between its shoulder blades while its teeth were distracted by Faris, "As I was saying, We gotta go save the damsel in dis dress from things like this, we can come back for the treasure later!"
The Fire Drake bucked from the sensation, the top of its skull smashing into the ceiling causing a slight quake while sparks and chunks of rock rained down in the hallway.
Faris used the shield as an umbrella and slapped at the creature's neck with his sword as it came down once more, "You don't understand, Fox, We're almost out of time here and my key only works once!"
"What?!?" Dodgers rolled backwards down the drake's spine only to slap into a wall beside it while whipping the blade forward which cut clean through one of the hind legs, "You didn't tell me that! All the more reason to rescue her now!" The kid leaned both shoulders back against the wall as flaming blood spilled upon the floor and the animal's torso quaked in agony, thrashing this way and that. Bulky leather boots reached out to push against the Fire Drake's rib cage holding Dodgers up against the wall to avoid stepping into the burning blood.
"Then how about this," Faris flung the shield aside a moment to grip the hilt with both hands and slash forward catching the creature with its mouth open in a pain-filled roar, the ice froze its jaw causing the lower half of the beast's face to simply shatter off its body in melting shards, "I'll go get the treasure, you go get the girl, and we meet back here in time to make it out the Gate before it closes, agreed?"
Dodgers leaned forward with both boots planted on top of the creature's back until the kid stood up atop its teetering body and proceeded to deliver the fatal blow, the enchanted rapier Ainaril glowing with a light of morning blue and sky gold until it disappeared as the fox kid plunged it hilt deep into the Fire Drake's burning heart, "Don't make me come save you too, Faris, I mean it! We don't have time for dilly dallying!"
Pulling the shield back upon one shoulder and sliding the ice blade into his belt, Faris nimbly leapt upon the Drake's corpse after it fell shaking to the ground and gave Dodgers a confident grin, his bright beady eyes glimmering in the trail of embers left behind the monster, "Trust me," with that, and a ruffling of the kid's hair and ears, the thief darted off towards the treasure.
"Hmph, hate it when he does that," Dodgers grumbled as those bulky leather boots skidded down the scaly rib cage of the beast to a patch of dry floor, fluffy tail swishing annoyed behind the child before whirling around, ears wiggling and stuck a defiant tongue out at the fleeing Faris, "Nyeahhhhh!! I'll get back first with the damsel in dis dress!"
So, with the kid's own challenge fresh in the air, Dodgers zoomed past the monster's still head and twirled around the dark corner, keen fox eyes peering threw the darkness ahead and ears curled forward to follow the faint calls for help.
To Be Continued . . .
