Scurrying in out of the Abyss

[Lewis and Simon]

To the casual eye, nothing was out of the ordinary. The vast hallways of the Mighty Pen Keep seemed to be as they always were. In truth, there was nothing any eye could find that bared even the slightest spec of strangeness. Unless that particular eye could also hear. Since such an extraordinary irregularity as a hearing eye is not a common occurence, it shall be discarded as a possibility in future discussion.

 

The reason why we pay particular attention to the issue of hearing, however, is because were anything in earshot of this particular hallway, he would most certainly find something out of the ordinary. This is because the two occupants of said hallway, a pair of tiny squirrels perched atop the helmet of a decorative suit of armor, were making a rather unordinary amount of noise. And from the direction of this conversation, these two squirrels were definitely lost.

 

(Rather, one of the squirrels was one of the source of the noise...)

 

"Oh where have all the giant, magnanimious guinea pigs gone!" whine Lewis, huffing. He leaned against the back of the suit's helmet and let out a loud sigh.

 

(While the other was quietly searching his fur for a small, squirrel-sized crowbar...)

 

"At least we're not carrying a shrubbery this time," Simon muttered, more to himself than to his long-time partner in crime. He was almost certain that Lewis wasn't listening; he never did when he got this indignant. He found himself wondering, for what must've been the hundredth time since they'd awakend from Winter Hibernation (OOC: Yeah, that's my excuse this time <_< ), just why the spork he'd stuck it out for this long.

 

Lewis was going off on just how rude Nuncio must be not to show them in this time. Simon sighed and hopped back down to the cold, stone floor. The layout was different... more elusive this time, if possible. He was beginning to think nothing at all was the same anymore, until he heard something in the distance that was very familiar. ...It chilled him to the bone.

 

Clink. Clink.

 

The sound of talons against stone. It couldn't be... But knowing their luck, it probably was. Simon exploded into action, scurrying back up the suit of armor

 

"Lewis...!" Simon yelled up to him.

 

"...and another thing, this helmet is chaffing my furry little..."

 

"Lewis!" he called out, firmly this time.

 

"What!"

 

"I think we'd better hide," Simon answered. "Now."

 

Much to his relief, Lewis did not press the issue. Lewis knew when not to kid at least. The two squirrels scurried inside the suit of armor they had been perching on. The clinking sound came closer. Only now, the clinking was accompanied a low, rasping voice singing the Money Song to itself. It was quite off-key.

 

"That couldn't be...," Lewis whimpered in disbelief.

 

"Shh."

 

Suddenly, both the clinking and the singing stopped. A new noise came then, almost like a deep sniffing. A very deep sniffing. Then for a time, all was quiet.

 

For a time.

 

"I smell squirrels...," something said at last. It was the same voice that had been singing in the corridor. Simon could almost imagine the wicked grin on his face. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! They weren't supposed to meet him until after they'd found some protection.

 

"Oh spoon..." Lewis muttered.

 

Suddenly a set of claws slashed cleanly through the suit of armor, shredding it. Lewis and Simon yelped in unison and covered their heads. When they finally looked up, they saw a huge, dragonic face staring down at them.

 

"Deadbeat squirrels..." the creature said.

 

"Heya Wyvy," Simon waved weakly, a nervous smile on his face. His eyes darted everywhere for a possible escape route.

 

Wyvern gave the two squirrels a toothy grin and waved back, his talons looking particularly sharp as they glinted in the lamplight. "As I recall, you two never did pay your entrance fees," he said, quite sadistically, if Simon did say so himself. "I think it's time we fixed that."

 

He imagined they'd just made Wyvern's day.

[Zadown]

Wyvern fixed the two squirrels with an expecting gaze and started tapping the floor in the beat of the Money Song with one of his taloned feet. The smile, very toothy and very yellow, remained fixed on his face.

 

"So, cough it up! It's 100 geld per squirrel .."

 

Lewis and Simon sighed - that didn't sound that bad.

 

".. for me to start processing your entry fees, that is."

 

If possible, Wyvern's smile grew wider. And both squirrels switched their attention from him to something behind him, their eyes widening in almost comic look of suprise. Dismissing it as the old oh-look-behind-you trick the almost draconic enterpriser kept on staring at the squirrels, determined to not to let such an easy prey flee. He did not turn even when he felt a wave of cold air hit his back or when he heard the sound of heavy boots right behind him. Then he heard something that made him forget Lewis and Simon in a blink of an eye: coins clinking against each other.

 

He turned so fast he half-stumbled on his own tail only to freeze in place by the vision before him. It was the Dreamer, drenched in blood and sweat and steaming gently, his weapon dripping something vile that ate little holes to the stone floor. The planewalker was wearing a mismatching set of plate and chain, silk and leather, and on his right hand he held a flail with three heads .. and on his left, few coins of platinium.

 

"Greetings, Wyvern. I trust you were here to show hospitality to our guests, neh? As for their entry fees, this should pay them in full. And I mean .. in full"

 

The Dreamer dropped four heavy coins depicting some god in shiny platearmor into Wyvern's waiting claw and nodded a curt greeting to the squirrels.

 

"Oh yes, this'll do for now!"

 

With those words still hanging in the air Wyvern was already running to weight and measure his newest profit, squirrels and the grim planewalker totally forgotten.

 

"Um, thanks ... Zadown?" said Simon, uncertainly. He had located a small hole in the roof he just might make it through but was feeling no more relaxed now. At least Wyvern wasn't much of a mage. And Zadown hadn't looked quite like this the last time. Lewis just whimpered softly and took a step backwards.

 

The Dreamer swing his gaze from the retreating scaly back of Wyvern to the squirrels. His astral-blue eyes seemed very deep and very distant, only partly here, when he studied the two squirrels.

 

"Say hi to yer master if ye see him, little ones. Good journeys."

 

He nodded again mostly to himself, and walked slowly away.

 

Lewis breathed a sigh of relief.

[Peredhil]

Peredhil came around the corner, hands clasped pensively behind himself, eyes lowered in thought.

 

Until he saw the Squirrel Duo, and his eyebrows raised in surprise.

 

Looking at the shredded armor, and the slightly pitted floor, he sighed before squatting down and addressing the duo.

 

Well met!

 

I'd begun to think you'd become lost!

 

Gathering the two up, he placed them on his shoulders and strode rapidly through the hallways.

 

I've taken the liberty of having Guido and Nuncio prepare a room for you. I hope you don't mind?