(Scene Three, The Guardian)
"Your greed is exceptional, Human. Your thirst for my gold is great. But my greed is greater then yours . . . and so is my thirst for your blood."
An unhuman voice boomed through out the air, easily picked up by the ears of Dodgers and the Princess before they even saw the door of the treasure chamber. But once they tore inside, their eyes were greeted by the light of fueless fires glittering off oceans of precious metals and jewels.
The Adventurer and the Princess had to stop in their tracks at the edge of the treasure to behold the sight spread out before them.
The Guardian, a great bird like beast, stood like a majestic tower in the centre of the cavern, its serpentine body spiralled downwards beginning with a razor-sharp beak on a feathered rooster's head, a tall crest of red fanned out from the base of its skull. A ways down its scaley spine, two great feathered wings were spread out like that of an angry fighting cock ready to strike its opponent, the feathers flame-like and bright with all the colours of the rainbow. Then the beast's body coiled down like a snake clad in gold-plated scales, its tail extended far past the taloned feet planted into the treasure. All in all, the Guardian would have had the appearance of an elegantly designed jewelled stature . . . had it not been holding Faris upside down by the tip of its tail, the jagged razor-sharp beak pointed threateningly at the thief's chest. "Oh my!" The princess held her free hand up to her mouth as her golden eyes widened in fear, "It seems we are too late to save your friend, Captain Dodgers!"
A thick, leather gloved hand released the small delicate royal hand as the fox-tailed adventurer stepped forth digging the soles of those thick leather boots into the ocean of jewels like sand, "Faris!" each triangular ear slid back, tail bristling to emphasis the harshness in each word, "I thought I told you not to make me rescue you! We don't have time for dilly-dallying! Hmph!"
The thief hung limp by one foot from the Guardian's tail, the thin silken folds of his cloths fluttered lightly as he swayed pathetically like a hung chicken, "Oh . . . you know me . . . just love hangin' around . . . "
Eyes like rubies set ablaze looked at the newcomers from behind the dangling thief in a threatening manner, "The intruders shall die!"
Two ragged green sleeves folded up as Dodgers comfortably tucked both arms behind that fuzzy head, tail swishing arrogantly, "Oh yeah . . . suppose I should just leave you to your fun, huh? Well, me and Princess Artemis have gotta go now! Play nice with the big monster!"
To Be Continued . . .
