Chapter15

'Send Snoopy... he'll do anything."

"No way, bub. I mean... you're right... I'll do just about anything... but to go and play 'Tickle the Terathan' or 'Offend the Ophidian' is a bit too far, methinks."

"Aw, come on, Snoopy... it's not like you have to touch em or anything. Just get their attention! Your bright colors are perfect for the job!" Vlad pleaded with the Neon Ninja.

Snoopy looked from Vlad to Derean to Slap who nodded, and back to Vlad. "Fine. But you owe me, bub."

"Not me... J and Axel will..." Vlad grinned. "Hurry... who knows what they're doing to them."

"Yeah, yeah... Wait for me here..." Snoopy dug his boots into his ethereal steed's side and took off for the keep, screaming at the top of his lungs. "YAAYAYAYAAYAA!!!"
The Neon Ninja was waving his arms about wildly, shooting off magical arrow spells at the keep's stony walls. As he came around the corner... he screeched to a halt. *blink*

"Hope he's ok in there..." Slap worried aloud as he heard Snoopy's war cry stop abruptly. Derean pulled out a spyglass, extended it, and peered through the lens, hoping to catch a glimpse of his brother thief.

"I don't see him, guys..." Derean was panning back and forth, scanning the road into the keep. Suddenly a flash of neon streaked into view... with a host of slithering and skittering creatures close behind.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Snoopy cried as he went shooting past the waiting men.

"Uh oh... let's roll, boys!" Vlad spun his horse about and took off after Snoopy.

Slap looked at Derean and shrugged, then paused. "What's that noise...?" Both men's heads snapped in the direction of the awful sound. It was as if a gigantic air elemental was tearing through the jungle. The source of the noise broke into view. "Dude... RUN!!" Hundreds of terathans and ophidians were rampaging through the forest, looking for the neon disturbance. Slap and Derean flew out of range on their mounts, pounding back the way they had come. It was as if the entire keep had erupted, spewing forth its contents of snake and spider people.

"Snoopy!! Slow down... you'll lose em!!" Vlad's horse was no match for the speed and stamina of the ethereal steed that Snoopy rode atop.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" Snoopy hollered over his shoulder.

"We need them!!" Vlad's voice cracked with desperation.

Snoopy half turned in his saddle. "I need spiders and snakes about as much as I need..." Snoopy's thought was cut off as his steed flew out of the heavy jungle and passed under a low hanging tree. The Neon Ninja never saw it coming.

"Ooof!!" Snoopy wheezed as he landed flat on his back. Vlad pulled up short next to the gasping thief. The ethereal steed skidded to a stop and went back to where its master lay.

"...branch in the face?" Vlad finished. He couldn't resist.

"When I get up... *gasp*... I'm gonna... *gasp*... wreck you..."

"INCOMING!!" Vlad looked up to see Slap and Derean storming out of the thick jungle, terathan and ophidian pursuers hot on their tails. "Heads up!!" Slap shouted.

"Let's go, bub..." Vlad yanked a breathless Snoopy to his feet and slung him over the ethereal steed's back. Vlad jumped atop his own mount and both men took off towards Minax's stronghold.

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