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Hunting Grounds: The Adventure Begins
After several months of writing, I've finally managed to bring out the first chapter of Hunting Grounds! I tried to be creative with the icon, but as you can see I'm not so good with MS Paint.
This is an idea that I'm extremely passionate about, and would love any form of criticism. I've sunk a ton of ideas into this, and would love feedback on how to make this idea great. While this first chapter doesn't involve expansion, I plan on writing about an inflation themed dungeon shortly, followed by a weight gain theme. You won't believe how difficult it is to venture into unknown territories when you can't even see your feet ;3
I hope you enjoyed the story!
Dracosake woods was well-renowned for its beautiful scenery, especially in the mornings. Today was no exception as sunlight streamed through the gorgeous trees, illuminating the colorful ground with a bright hue. Depending on one's perspective, it would appear as if the sunlight were the goddess herself, her long golden fingers stretching past the trees to gently stroke her creation: the Earth itself. Truly, a breathtaking sight indeed.
Unfortunately, that beauty was completely lost for Edwin, his eyes staring at the dusty trail before him as he solemnly ambled along. Normally, the teenage fox would turn his head this way and that to stare at what nature provided him, eyeing the multiple shades of green while trying to search for any wildlife, but today was not just an average day for him.
"Hoy! Keep your chin up, mate! You just might walk headfirst into a trap!"
Edwin gasped and instantly flicked his head upwards, his large eyes wide and vigilant for any sort of potential danger that his mentor could have been hinting at. Instead, the only trap he saw was a tree that had been planted inconspicuously in the middle of the path, his nose less than a foot away from bumping right into it. "W-woah! Where'd that come from?"
"From the ground, obviously. Ain't that where all plants come from?" Montague casually responded, without any hint of sarcasm present in his voice.
"Right… I figured." Edwin sighed as he started walking around the menacing tree, his eyes slowly shifting downwards again as he began reminiscing his life until this point. Born into the Gazdag family, the young fox had nearly his entire life laid out before him by his parents. Ever since the kit could speak, he was presented with a myriad of textbooks and scriptures; all while being sent to some of the finest boarding schools in the country. From there, he worked hard and studied harder into becoming the scholar his parents dreamed of, smart enough to take over the family business and elevate profits and other nonsensical industry terms. For the most part, he was a smart and obedient kid, quick to pick up on new concepts, advancing through primary school with stellar grades, even if he did have a bad habit of staring out the window when no one was watching. He was a quiet boy, someone who preferred to spend his time sitting back and observing his surroundings rather than participating in any big events, but at the time that was seen as a great sign by his parents. Why have their heir mingle around with the simpletons when he was destined to inherit a very important title?
Well, it turned out he was more like those "simpletons" than the rich couple thought. Overtime, Edwin's amazing grades started to steadily decline as he grew older, his once flawless record filling up with little blemishes once he had hit his early teens. He wasn't a dumb fox by any means, heck he wasn't even average; he just wasn't "special" enough for his teachers' liking. For years and years, the poor vulpine poured himself into his studies, dedicating most of his time into trying to fix his stagnating grades, but it was no use. His tutors scolded him for being so dangerously normal, his peers started teasing him and calling him a "commoner," even his parents began restricting their already brief visits with him. Try as he may, there was no way he could pull up his grades to satisfy his superiors.
Naturally, Edwin was finding it rather difficult to motivate himself to do anything anymore. Nearly his entire life was about doing well in scholastics, so seeing as how he was merely average, he felt rather unimportant. There were scholars out there who were several times more intelligent than he was, so what was he supposed to do? If he can't be a scholar, what else can he do? Sadly, his parents did a great job in convincing the frightened fox that there was no other option in his life, that excelling in his studies was the only option he had.
But he found another talent. Edwin was good at looking outside the window into the distance, so one day, he got up, exited his class, and began walking towards that distance.
"What'd I just tell you, mate? Keep yer chin up if ya wanna be a hunter!"
Edwin gasped and quickly stood straight up, just in time to smack his forehead against a low-hanging branch. "Yeowch! What was that for?" He whimpered, rubbing the small lump that was appearing on his forehead.
Montague smirked and shrugged his shoulders innocently, a playful smile spreading across his lips. "Hey, if you had kept yer head up, you would have noticed the branch, aye?"
"Yeah, and if I kept it low, I wouldn't have walked into it," the young fox mumbled, eyeing his mentor. Ever since they met, Edwin still had no idea of what to make the ferret/mongoose hybrid standing before him. The confident creature had a unique pelt to match his strange personality: while most of his fur was a reddish brown similar to a fox like Edwin, his belly was a very light shade of brown, almost grayish-white. His body was long and slender like a normal ferret's, while his abnormally long tail hovered above the ground. Montague's most distinguished look, however, was his face, marked with black rings, a few bruises, and his unwavering smile. Usually it was difficult to get a good look at the mustelids face, due to his patched hat covering up his brow and his unusual scarf draped across his neck and shoulders, but whenever Edwin got a glimpse at what was in between those two items, he saw nothing short of a confident and daring hybrid.
Currently, said hybrid was scratching the back of his head, grinning impishly. "Well, I suppose yer right, but had you kept your head down, you'd miss out on this awesome sight."
"Huh? What awesome sight?" Edwin frowned, tilting his head as he looked past his tea-
"Oooooh szar! W-what the hell is that?!" Edwin was certain there was nothing in his way before, just a seemingly never-ending dirt path. Apparently, he somehow made to the end of the path as he looked up at the cave entrance before him. He was expecting something a little simpler, like a large hole in the side of a grassy hole with rocks lined up around the outside.
Instead, the cave had to be in the shape of a freaking dragon's head.
"Sheeheehee, don't tell me that actually startled you!" Montague stood by the entrance, giggling as he leaned against the dragon's lower 'tooth.' "A lotta low-ranking dungeons try to make up for being low-ranking dungeons by havin' intimidating entrances. Some of the more dangerous ones try harder to actually hide their openings. Hell, I remember trying to find a 4-star dungeon on the beaches of Goldalga for nearly 2 hours before randomly stumbling upon some hole in the ground. This is nothin' more than a cheap scare tactic, bud."
"Yeah? Well it still worked on me," Edwin muttered as he stared at the entrance in bewilderment, marveling at the impressive composition on the rock face. The sheer detail put into the dragon's head, including the pointed snout, fanged teeth, and even the individual scales gave the fox the sinking feeling that the rest of the dungeon might be just as elaborate and dangerous. Just stepping into the literal mouth of the cave sent shivers down his spine, although that could be due to the sudden drop in temperature and rise in humidity.
Unlike the exterior of the cave, the inside was completely covered in stone tiles, many of their markings obscured by the slimy vines curling along the walls. Three large stone statues lined against each of the walls, each baring the body of a man but the head of a drake. The statues themselves were of a dull grey, save for their brilliant sapphire eyes. Edwin was certain those alone would fetch for a pretty penny on any market, but he wasn't too concerned with that at the moment. Instead, he was trying to shake off this feeling of dread as he stared into the dark chasm, his heart beating furiously in his chest. This may only be a two-star dungeons, but many well-equipped hunters have lost their lives searching in far less dangerous places. Who knows what kinds of horrible traps lay beyond the first room alone! Do the plates on the floor react with your weight? Do the vines pop out of the wall to strangle you to death?! Do the dragon statues come to life to pummel you with their stone fists?!
"Alrighty, let's get going," Montague said casually as he strolled inside.
"Yeah, let's… wait, what?!" The fox did a double take at Montague, reflexively reaching outward to yank on the cheeky mustelid's tail before he ventured too far inside. "W-what the hell's wrong with you?! You can't just waltz into a dungeon like you own the place! Y-you gotta scan the walls for hidden dart guns, o-or test the ground for any hidden traps, or…"
Before Edwin could continue, Montague waved his paw in front of the paranoid canid's face, grinning from to ear to ear. "C'mon, mate, dontcha know who yer talkin' too? I practically wrote the book on dungeon exploring, and let me tell you there's not a single trap in this room."
"But… but…"
"Listen, Eddy, us hunters have a nose for detecting danger, and I'm telling ya there's nothin' dangerous here, unless you trip and slam yer face against one of them statues. If yer still scared, just breathe deeply for a moment and take a big step forward, like this," the ferret/mongoose hybrid explained as he stepped right in front of the first dragon statue. He would have taken another step, but was halted as soon as he noticed the arrow embedded into his foot.
Montague looked at the arrow. Edwin looked at the arrow. Montague looked at Edwin. Edwin looked at Montague. Edwin looked at the arrow. Montague looked at the arrow. Montague looked at Edwin. Edwin glanced down at the arrow briefly before looking at Montague again. Montague's eyes flickered to the arrow, but continued to maintain eye contact with Edwin. Edwin looked at the arrow. The arrow looked back. Montague looked at the arrow-
"YEAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!" Montague let out a piercing shriek, falling onto his rump as his companion let out a similar wail. "AAAAAARGHAWDS! THERE'S AN ARRER IN ME FOOT!"
"AAAAAAAWGH! THERE'S AN ARROW IN YOUR FOOT!" Edwin echoed, stumbling backwards as he stared at his injured companion.
"YEEOOOOWCH! IT'S IN THERE DEEP!"
"AAAGH, IT LOOKS LIKE IT HURTS!"
"O' COURSE IT HURTS, THERE'S A BLOOMIN ARRER IN ME BLOOMIN FOOT!"
"Right, well I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot," Montague chuckled as he gripped the arrow in his paw, ignoring the throbbing pain in his bandaged foot. "Ah well, you won't be causing me any more little setbacks now, won'tcha?"
"Little setbacks? You were shot in the foot and we both screamed for nearly half an hour! I can still hear our echo's for crying out loud!" Edwin so desperately wanted to yell at the oblivious weasel, his heart still racing in his chest. Instead, the young fox heaved a huge sigh and walked up to his partner. "Any ideas on how to disarm the trap?"
Montague turned his head back to flash his signature smile. "Absolutely! Right before the arrow came, I noticed one o' the statue's eyes flash when I came into its field o' vision."
Edwin tilted his head. "Are you sure it wasn't just reflecting light from the sun?"
The weasel hybrid chuckled and shook his head. "I don't think blue stones reflect red light, mate. So tell me, young apprentice o' mine, how should we disarm this trap?"
Upon being called out, Edwin began searching through the various pockets on his clothes, eager to prove his resourcefulness. "That's an easy one, Montague. I think I have some spare cloth on me that we can refashion into temporary blindfolds to place on the statues. Is it here…? What about this pocket…? Ugh, damn it, I must have left my stuff back at the inn. I can still rip a piece off of my shirt and-"
CREAAAAAK!
Edwin flailed and bounced backwards, so preoccupied with his own rambling that he hadn't noticed his mentor unwind his grappling hook from his neck. The creaking sound the fox heard was the sound of Montague grappling the statue's face from a distance and giving it a good yank, breaking off the draconic head and sending it flying to his feet. "Whatever you were just saying, the answer's wrong," Montague explained as he silently whirled his hook yet again. "It's much safer and easier to remove the source o' the problem entirely than to cover it up. Problems that are covered up tend to resurface at the worst times, after all. This way, we don't hafta worry about it anymore, you know?"
"I see…" The young vulpine didn't know how else to respond, so he just stood there silently and watched his mentor rip off the heads of the statues one by one. What Montague just said had stirred up Edwin's memory of running away from home, causing the fox to feel a strong pang of guilt. Did his mentor secretly know about Edwin's past? Was he trying to obscurely lend the fox some advice? Could Montague's powers of perception extend beyond dungeons and traps?
"YEAAAAARGH!! Feckin' hell, I yanked the bloody statue onto me goddamned foot!"
Probably not…
"Hahaharr! This is considered a 2 star dungeon nowadays? I've eaten overcooked bread that was harder than that!" Montague chortled as he slid down the rope, his bright smile lighting up the dark chasm.
Unfortunately, said smile couldn't do much to lighten up Edwin's mood, the youth's teeth constantly chattering as he slid down after his mentor. "H-h-how is this not hard?" He stammered, struggling to continue sliding down the rope due to how clenched his paws were. It was astounding how the ferret/mongoose could smile, considering the numerous near-death situations they had found themselves in. Flying arrows, flamethrowers, electric spears, and more made pass at their lives, and it was only through quick reflexes and sheer luck did they somehow managed to make it this far unscathed. Well, Sort of.
The poor fox's coat was almost in tatters, the edges of it either ripped, burnt, or a sickly combination of the two. His face and arms also sported a few new cuts and bruises, some of which would most likely last a few days. Each new mark that found its way onto his body reminded Edwin of every time he was close to being impaled or barbequed, and yet somehow Montague managed to end up even more injured than the youth and yet still remain as chipper as ever. Even though Edwin was a runaway, right now he wanted nothing more than to just curl up in his bed for the rest of the day.
Edwin was so caught up in his self loathing that he failed to notice Montague suddenly halt beneath him, causing him to slide onto his mentor's shoulders. Instead of shaking the fox off, like anyone else would do after a surprise piggyback, Montague continued to gawk at the sight before him.
The room they were in was unlike anything the two adventurers had ever seen before. Strangely enough, at the end of the perilous dungeon was a small, peaceful room with not much in it other than moss, grass, and a large puddle. The only source of illumination were a few dozen Flareflies, buzzing around and filling up the room with their eerie gold light. Everything was just so calm and peaceful, even the rocks along the walls looked softer than usual. Of course, the real eye catcher of the room wasn't the grass, moss, or even the puddle; rather, it was what was inside the puddle that caused Montague to step forward.
"Ha, easy as pie!" The hybrid smirked as he shrugged off the fox on his shoulders, his eye focused on the massive gem lying in the center of it. It was a massive golden broach, nearly half as large as Edwin's head, studded with three large sapphires cut into perfect spheres along the edges, giving it a strange molecular shape. Just one of the sapphires could afford someone a month's rent at an esteemed hotel.
"W-wait!" Edwin shouted from the ground, leaping back up to grab at his mentor's tail. "Are you being serious right now?! We've nearly been impaled, skewered, and fried multiple times because something was 'easy as pie!' How the hell are you so certain this isn't another trap?" The young fox yelled, more than fed up with Montague's logic.
The mustelid hybrid turned back and looked at Edwin, tilting his head slightly. "What do you mean? We triggered this room's trap the moment we stepped foot in here."
"W-what…?" Edwin gaped in shock.
"Yeah! Don't tell me ya haven't noticed by now," Montague chuckled, looking alarmingly calm. "Dungeons like these are full of traps that no one can predict; sometimes the only way we can overcome them is to dive right in!"
It was then that Edwin understood what the ferret-mongoose was talking about. Behind Montague, the puddle began rippling softly; tiny tremors could be felt throughout the room. Small rocks and sediment rained down from the ceiling, one of which managed to land on Montague's bandaged paw, releasing another flurry of curses and swears. Even with the falling debris and flailing hybrid, however, Edwin quickly realized that there were larger problems at hand.
The small puddle before them began rising rapidly, filling up the small hole it occupied before spilling outwards. Just as the tide reached Edwin's feet, the liquid exploded upwards into a shimmering pillar, almost knocking the fox off his feet. With the golden broach in the middle of it all, the column of water began molding itself, forming what appeared to be a long, pointed snout, followed by the rest of the abhorrent head. Before any of them knew it, the two adventurers were face to face with a massive watery dragon, its form constantly shimmering and waving, with two dark eyes bearing down upon them.
Edwin was speechless. He wasn't expecting this at all. The fox was really hoping that the last of the dangers were behind them, but now yet another hazard had blocked the two from their one and only mission. The liquid dragon loomed before them, a watery tendril forming at the base of the puddle, rising above the teenage fox. Edwin saw it coming, but found himself unable to move, his body petrified with fear. There was no way they could get out of this one alive. There's just no way.
"Move!" Montague yelled as he slammed into Edwin, right as the tendril slammed down where the fox had been a moment ago. The force of the tackle, along with the sting of the spray helped knock some sense into the young vulpine as he rubbed his eyes and looked up, just in time to see a second tentacle poised before him. Edwin gasped and kicked at the ground, propelling himself out of the way just in time, the splash from the tendril stinging his face.
"Haharr! Finally a challenge!" Montague called out from across the room, running around the aqueous abomination while twirling his grappling hook. Turning its attention from Edwin, the dragon roared and spun around, swiveling it's appendage towards Montague. With amazing grace, the experienced hunter leapt over the tendril, swung his grappling hook and threw it straight at the monster's head. The metal claw managed to imbed itself into the drake's watery skull, the tip of it just barely unable to grasp the gem. Roaring with anger, the dragon swung his head around violently, pulling Montague straight from the ground and whirling him around. The hybrid hung on with all his might, despite being whipped this way and that, but even his strength had a limit as he flung off after a particularly sharp turn, flying straight into the wall.
"Montague!" Edwin found himself shouting out, pulling himself back onto his feet. Before he could even get a head start, the dragon had refocused its attention onto the fox, narrowing its eyes upon the helpless vulpine. Edwin's eyes shifted around rapidly, looking for any sort of cover to dive behind, but found himself hopelessly exposed. The monster struck with a tentacle, Edwin barely diving out of the way in time, the shockwave of the attack sending him sprawling onto his back, dazed.
"Oy! I'm th' one yew want, ya big ugly brute!" Montague called out, halting the dragon's attack. It turned around to face its new challenger just in time to find the same claw again imbedded into its cranium, attached to a bruised and battered ferret/mongoose who was miraculously back on his feet. Steeling himself against one of the dislodged rocks, Montague grunted and pulled with all his might, ready to rip off the water demon's head if it meant getting a hold of the treasure within. Unfortunately, Montague's strength was no match for the 20 foot drake, who quickly snapped its neck backwards, sending the hybrid on yet another trip.
At this point, Edwin managed to crawl back onto his feet, albeit barely. His face stung from the forceful splashes, his shoulder felt numb after colliding into the ground awkwardly, and he was certain he pulled something after clumsily hopping out of the way, and yet he knew the pain he felt was nothing in comparison to what Montague must be feeling right now. Even now, the hybrid was persistent in clinging to his grappling hook, his will unbroken even if a few of his ribs were.
"There has to be something we can do," Edwin muttered panting softly for breath. They were getting worn down way too quickly; it was only a matter of time before they would meet with a watery grave unless something was done. But how do you stop a massive watery dragon?
"Yeeeaaaaaaaarrrrgh!!"
Edwin winced as he watched his mentor flying into the ceiling. While it was fortunate there were no stalactites on the roof, Edwin's back felt sore just from watching the impact, the force of which was strong enough to dislodge a few sizable rocks from the ceiling. The fox wanted nothing more than to distract the monster long enough for Montague to slide down safely, but from the looks of things, he didn't have to!
The dragon's formed shifted and shimmered even more so than usual as the rocks fell through his body, temporarily stunning the creature long enough for Montague, who was somehow still conscious despite all this, to swing down his rope that was still attached to the dragon's head and slide towards the ground.
Time started to slow for Edwin as he discovered this interesting fact about their foe. With adrenaline pumping through his veins, the fox began searching this way and that, his scholarly brain hard at work. Dumping rocks onto the watery beast somehow stunned it, making them the key to victory, yet neither himself nor Montague were strong enough to throw boulders… but what if they didn't have to! Towards his right, Edwin noticed the wall was composed of loose boulders, all piled on top of each other. If they could find a way to pull those down, judging from their height and possible tragectory, they might be able to fall onto the watery dragon and defeat it!
"Hey, Montague!" Edwin called out after his sudden revelation, a hopeful spark reigniting in his eyes. However, that spark quickly flared up into panic as he watched Montague rocket towards him after a particularly powerful strike from the dragon, the hybrid tumbling onto the ground before him. "Oh gods, are you all right?! Your face is bleeding!"
"Grrrf," Montague grunted as he slowly pulled himself up, wiping the bloodied nose onto his bruised arm. "About time we've, uh, gotten a good challenge, eh? Wouldn't want yer first dungeon to be too, heh, easy now, right?" he muttered somewhat deliriously, wobbling somewhat once he stood up.
Honestly, Edwin had no idea how Montague was even alive after the beating he received, but right now he had more important things to think about. "Grapple onto those rocks over there and pull as hard as you can! We'll bury the damned thing!" The fox commanded, his adrenaline rush still going strong. In the back of his mind, he figured one of the boulders might land on top of them and crush them into a thin paste, but he knew this was their only chance. If they were gonna die, they were gonna die fighting!
"Haharr! Atta boy, Eddy!" Montague sprung back up, suddenly full of energy yet again. With a quick whirl, the hybrid flung his grapple and hooked the lowest moss-covered boulder. "Now pull!"
Together, the two explorers yanked as hard as they could on the rope, digging their feet as hard as they could into the slippery mossy ground. Panic began to well up inside Edwin as he found himself slipping again and again, unable to so much as budge the colossal boulders above him. Even worse, he could hear the dragon behind them roar behind them, most likely preparing to strike at them yet again. With the last of their combined strength, the pair gave it one last mighty tug, dirt falling from the rocks as they managed to slowly slide one out
but then they were struck by the dragon.
The bad news: Edwin nearly lost consciousness as pain flared up in his entire body, the fox bouncing along the ground like a skipping stone before sliding to a halt. Nearby, his mentor careened into the wall yet again, having taken the blunt of the attack himself. Edwin's vision was a complete blur, the world spinning around him uncontrollably as stars bounced around his line of sight. And yet, for some peculiar reason, his paws were throbbing, as if he had somehow burned them.
The good news: The combined force of Edwin, Montague, and the Dragon was enough to dislodge the boulders from the wall, each of them rolling one by one onto it. The aqueous atrocity let out a shriek of despair as the puddle from which it came from was boarded up by rock after rock, cutting off its supply of water. In its dying breath, the dragon collapsed upon itself, sending a wave across the entire room, before disappearing entirely.
For the next several minutes, the two adventurers continued to lay on their backs, gasping and sputtering. They were soaked, bruised, battered, injured, and… victorious. Montague was the first to chuckle as he slowly rolled into a sitting position, turning to face his fellow adventurer. "Bloody hell, that was a close call, wasn't it?"
Edwin tried to growl at the smug hybrid, yet couldn't bring himself to do it for some odd reason. Instead, he ended up joining Montague in laughter as he slowly heaved himself upward, grunting in pain. "So, does that mean you finally admit that was challenging?"
"Pfft, no! Of course not!" Montague waved his paw. "I totally had everything under control. I just, er, like a bit of drama and suspense here and there, ya know?"
"No, I don't know," Edwin teased as he looked down into his lap, finding the sapphire broach had miraculously washed there. "But if it was so easy for you, I suppose you wouldn't mind if I kept this treasure? You probably have a whole stash of these things, what with you being a seasoned hunter and all."
"Woah, hey now, just wait a sec!" The hybrid grunted, before coughing and regaining his composure. "Well, er, you know this has been, uh, a joint effort, right? Besides, I'm yer mentor after all, and my teachings come with a fine. How about we split the earning's 60/40?"
"Nope. 70/30, my way." The fox smirked, waving the broach around.
"Why, you double-crossin' little…" Montague couldn't keep a straight face as he broke into laughter yet again, collapsing onto his back. "Ohoho, yer already startin' to think like a hunter! Fine, you go yerself a deal, now help yer mentor back onto his feet. Otherwise, I'll be too sore to get us out of here!"
Despite their countless injuries, Edwin and Montague somehow managed to climb their way back up at a decent pace. Thanks to the hybrid's disarming all of the traps earlier, there were very little obstacles for the two adventurers to deal with. Even so, they relied on each other's help the entire way, limping and leaning against each other while promising themselves a warm meal and a nice bed. Once they saw sunlight, the two redoubled their efforts, hobbling quickly towards the cave entrance. "Mmm, I can taste the apple turnovers already," Montague mumbled, licking his lips. Similarly, Edwin's mind was also on the tasty treats he would reward himself with. Stepping outside for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Edwin and Montague with the soothing sights of the bright blue sky, beautiful green forest,
and a horde of bandits prepared to ambush.
The hunters froze as the troupe of thieves popped out from the bushes, brandishing sharp grins and even sharper knives. Neither Edwin nor Montague were prepared for this, considering they were still holding onto each other for support. Wincing in pain, the ferret/mongoose pried himself off of his subordinate and reached for the grappling hook draped around his neck, but a familiar voice stopped him dead in his tracks. "Now now, boys, let's not get wiled up here. We wouldn't want you more inured than you already are, now, would we?"
The gang of thieves stepped back to reveal the obvious leader: a white and grey arctic wolf. Unlike the other ruffians who carried tattered clothing and crude daggers, the presumptuous canine came draped in an elegant purple tunic, its coolness rivaling that of the wolf's softly accented voice. "How fortunate it is that I can sniff out your smelly hide, rodent. I would suggest taking a bath, but it appears you've already saved yourself the trouble," he remarked with a smirk.
"Yeah, well yer long overdue for one yourself, Wilhelm," Montague spat, eyeing the colorful canine maliciously. "What're ya doing here anyways? Shouldn't you be busy snatching purses somewhere in Arginus?"
"Everyone knows a proper business such as mine needs to expand in order to maintain profits." Wilhelm boasted, gesturing to his lackeys behind him. "But, I wouldn't expect a Splice like yourself to understand the complexity of economics."
Edwin had to suppress a gasp after hearing that accursed word, horrified that there are people who still use it. The term Splice, along with Stitch, stemmed from an ancient belief that hybrids such as Montague were made by the devil himself, who spliced and stitched together two different creatures and turning them into his own ungodly creations. In the past, there have even been lynching mobs who would commit horrible crimes to the innocent furs, such as tearing them into two and burning them. Fortunately, such beliefs were old and outdated, yet some people continue to retain their hatred towards hybrids to this day.
Impressively enough, Montague shrugged off the insult as if a clueless child muttered it. "I've studied enough economics to know that greedy fools such as yerself are willing to do anything for a quick buck, even if it means screwing over yer own comrades." He stated frothily, crossing his bruised arms.
"Don't kid yourself, Splice. You're too dense to find your way out of a plastic bag and you know it!" The wolf scowled, turning his attention to Edwin. "That boy must really be something else, if he managed to navigate the dungeon and find her treasure while dragging your useless self around."
This time, Edwin could hear Montague exhale a little louder, his fists clenching beside him. Sensing that he had struck a nerve, Wilhelm's grin returned as he stepped forward, eyeing the young fox analytically. "I do have to admit that I'm somewhat impressed. I didn't think the rodent could find his tail, let alone a talented youth such as yourself."
The arctic wolf grinned as he extended his arm. "You may call me Mr. Farkest, or perhaps Sir Farkest, although after we've been acquainted long enough, I may permit you to call me-
"Lord Fart-Sniffer?"
"Shut it, Stitch!" Wilhelm barked at Montague, a nearby bandit raising her dagger towards the hybrid. Clearing his throat, the wolf turned back to Edwin. "Let's just skip the formalities and move onto my proposition. I run a large business with several colleagues called the Hunters Association, where we register skilled hunters and label them as heroes, giving them a luxurious and prosperous life full of fame and fortune."
"Yeah, by swindling them of all their money and forcing them to work for you like slaves."
"I said shut it, pesky vermin!" Wilhelm roared, the same bandit from before (ironically a rat) stepping closer with her knife.
"As I was saying, you're still a little too young to register for us, but I wouldn't mind giving you a special deal. For that trinket alone, I'll assure you a good title under the Hunters Association. Surely, you deserve it after forging into that dangerous dungeon with that annoying hybrid following you around." The wolf quickly craned his head towards Montague, expecting another quip.
Instead, the ferret/mongoose sighed and nodded softly, looking at Edwin with admiration. "The boy's got talent, I'll give him that. It'd be a shame if he were to squander it by working for the likes of you."
"That's not your decision, now, is it?" Wilhelm growled, his arm still outstretched towards the fox. "Give me the broach, boy. I can assure you the benefits of compliance are much more comfortable than the consequences of refusing me."
Edwin frowned and looked at the jeweled broach in his paws, his arms trembling in a mixture of sadness and anger. After all that they had been through, it wasn't fair that the prize they risked their lives for was going to be taken away by a bully and his goons. The vulpine wanted nothing more than to kick Wilhelm in the shins and run off, but he knew the bandits had all escape routes blocked off.
"Do it," Montague sighed after some time, his own voice ladened with sadness. "It's suicide to fight them now. We'll get revenge somehow someday."
"Oh, perish the thought," the wolf chuckled, leaning his head towards Edwin in an incredibly obnoxious manner. With no other alternative, the teenage fox sighed and relinquished the broach, struggling to contain his anger.
Wilhelm wasted no time in snatching the gem, a triumphant smirk spread across his face. Checking for any blemishes or impurities, the wolf eyed the jewel carefully before pinning it to his belt. "You've made a wise decision." With a snap of his fingers, the other bandits lowered their weapons and rejoined their boss, leaving the two dejected hunters alone.
"Why the long faces, fellas? There'll always be more treasures to find. And when you do find more, let us know and we'll be on our way!" The cold wolf laughed cruelly, backed up by his posse of thieves. Reaching into his pocket, Wilhelm tossed a handful of coins onto Edwin's feet. "You did well today, boy. Treat yourself to a glass of juice or something, my treat!" And with that, the Hunters Association turned around and walked away, admiring the newest gem in their collection.
"This isn't fair…" Edwin sobbed, his voice shaking dramatically. "We worked so hard for that, we almost died like nine times, and he just comes in and takes it like he did all the work! What did we do to deserve this kind of luck." He would have continued with his lamentations had he not heard a distinctive whirl right next to him.
Turning around, Edwin gasped as he saw Montague twirl his grappling hook as fast as he could, the hybrid gritting his teeth from the pain. Once he had judged Wilhelm to be within his hook's maximum distance, Montague threw it and watched it soar towards its target. To Edwin's surprise, the hook managed to snag onto the gem perfectly. With a single tug, Montague managed to rip off not just the broach, but Wilhelm's belt along with it!
Wasting no time, the two made a mad dash towards the opposite direction, aiming for the cover of the trees. With adrenaline coursing through his veins yet again, Edwin managed to sneak a glance behind him once they made it under the foliage, just in time to see the wolf's pants fall to his ankles.
And so, the two hunters spent the rest of the day running madly through the forest, giggling nonstop like a pair of naughty schoolboys. They knew they had just made enemies with a rapidly-growing organization, one with enough money and power to pressure an entire nation into doing its bidding, yet all of that was lost on them. Their injuries forgotten for the time being, Edwin and Montague felt nothing but satisfaction as they scrambled towards the nearest town, their grins lighting up the village as they carried the broach and Wilhelm's belt between them, both of which were priceless items to the adventurous duo.
This is an idea that I'm extremely passionate about, and would love any form of criticism. I've sunk a ton of ideas into this, and would love feedback on how to make this idea great. While this first chapter doesn't involve expansion, I plan on writing about an inflation themed dungeon shortly, followed by a weight gain theme. You won't believe how difficult it is to venture into unknown territories when you can't even see your feet ;3
I hope you enjoyed the story!
Dracosake woods was well-renowned for its beautiful scenery, especially in the mornings. Today was no exception as sunlight streamed through the gorgeous trees, illuminating the colorful ground with a bright hue. Depending on one's perspective, it would appear as if the sunlight were the goddess herself, her long golden fingers stretching past the trees to gently stroke her creation: the Earth itself. Truly, a breathtaking sight indeed.
Unfortunately, that beauty was completely lost for Edwin, his eyes staring at the dusty trail before him as he solemnly ambled along. Normally, the teenage fox would turn his head this way and that to stare at what nature provided him, eyeing the multiple shades of green while trying to search for any wildlife, but today was not just an average day for him.
"Hoy! Keep your chin up, mate! You just might walk headfirst into a trap!"
Edwin gasped and instantly flicked his head upwards, his large eyes wide and vigilant for any sort of potential danger that his mentor could have been hinting at. Instead, the only trap he saw was a tree that had been planted inconspicuously in the middle of the path, his nose less than a foot away from bumping right into it. "W-woah! Where'd that come from?"
"From the ground, obviously. Ain't that where all plants come from?" Montague casually responded, without any hint of sarcasm present in his voice.
"Right… I figured." Edwin sighed as he started walking around the menacing tree, his eyes slowly shifting downwards again as he began reminiscing his life until this point. Born into the Gazdag family, the young fox had nearly his entire life laid out before him by his parents. Ever since the kit could speak, he was presented with a myriad of textbooks and scriptures; all while being sent to some of the finest boarding schools in the country. From there, he worked hard and studied harder into becoming the scholar his parents dreamed of, smart enough to take over the family business and elevate profits and other nonsensical industry terms. For the most part, he was a smart and obedient kid, quick to pick up on new concepts, advancing through primary school with stellar grades, even if he did have a bad habit of staring out the window when no one was watching. He was a quiet boy, someone who preferred to spend his time sitting back and observing his surroundings rather than participating in any big events, but at the time that was seen as a great sign by his parents. Why have their heir mingle around with the simpletons when he was destined to inherit a very important title?
Well, it turned out he was more like those "simpletons" than the rich couple thought. Overtime, Edwin's amazing grades started to steadily decline as he grew older, his once flawless record filling up with little blemishes once he had hit his early teens. He wasn't a dumb fox by any means, heck he wasn't even average; he just wasn't "special" enough for his teachers' liking. For years and years, the poor vulpine poured himself into his studies, dedicating most of his time into trying to fix his stagnating grades, but it was no use. His tutors scolded him for being so dangerously normal, his peers started teasing him and calling him a "commoner," even his parents began restricting their already brief visits with him. Try as he may, there was no way he could pull up his grades to satisfy his superiors.
Naturally, Edwin was finding it rather difficult to motivate himself to do anything anymore. Nearly his entire life was about doing well in scholastics, so seeing as how he was merely average, he felt rather unimportant. There were scholars out there who were several times more intelligent than he was, so what was he supposed to do? If he can't be a scholar, what else can he do? Sadly, his parents did a great job in convincing the frightened fox that there was no other option in his life, that excelling in his studies was the only option he had.
But he found another talent. Edwin was good at looking outside the window into the distance, so one day, he got up, exited his class, and began walking towards that distance.
"What'd I just tell you, mate? Keep yer chin up if ya wanna be a hunter!"
Edwin gasped and quickly stood straight up, just in time to smack his forehead against a low-hanging branch. "Yeowch! What was that for?" He whimpered, rubbing the small lump that was appearing on his forehead.
Montague smirked and shrugged his shoulders innocently, a playful smile spreading across his lips. "Hey, if you had kept yer head up, you would have noticed the branch, aye?"
"Yeah, and if I kept it low, I wouldn't have walked into it," the young fox mumbled, eyeing his mentor. Ever since they met, Edwin still had no idea of what to make the ferret/mongoose hybrid standing before him. The confident creature had a unique pelt to match his strange personality: while most of his fur was a reddish brown similar to a fox like Edwin, his belly was a very light shade of brown, almost grayish-white. His body was long and slender like a normal ferret's, while his abnormally long tail hovered above the ground. Montague's most distinguished look, however, was his face, marked with black rings, a few bruises, and his unwavering smile. Usually it was difficult to get a good look at the mustelids face, due to his patched hat covering up his brow and his unusual scarf draped across his neck and shoulders, but whenever Edwin got a glimpse at what was in between those two items, he saw nothing short of a confident and daring hybrid.
Currently, said hybrid was scratching the back of his head, grinning impishly. "Well, I suppose yer right, but had you kept your head down, you'd miss out on this awesome sight."
"Huh? What awesome sight?" Edwin frowned, tilting his head as he looked past his tea-
"Oooooh szar! W-what the hell is that?!" Edwin was certain there was nothing in his way before, just a seemingly never-ending dirt path. Apparently, he somehow made to the end of the path as he looked up at the cave entrance before him. He was expecting something a little simpler, like a large hole in the side of a grassy hole with rocks lined up around the outside.
Instead, the cave had to be in the shape of a freaking dragon's head.
"Sheeheehee, don't tell me that actually startled you!" Montague stood by the entrance, giggling as he leaned against the dragon's lower 'tooth.' "A lotta low-ranking dungeons try to make up for being low-ranking dungeons by havin' intimidating entrances. Some of the more dangerous ones try harder to actually hide their openings. Hell, I remember trying to find a 4-star dungeon on the beaches of Goldalga for nearly 2 hours before randomly stumbling upon some hole in the ground. This is nothin' more than a cheap scare tactic, bud."
"Yeah? Well it still worked on me," Edwin muttered as he stared at the entrance in bewilderment, marveling at the impressive composition on the rock face. The sheer detail put into the dragon's head, including the pointed snout, fanged teeth, and even the individual scales gave the fox the sinking feeling that the rest of the dungeon might be just as elaborate and dangerous. Just stepping into the literal mouth of the cave sent shivers down his spine, although that could be due to the sudden drop in temperature and rise in humidity.
Unlike the exterior of the cave, the inside was completely covered in stone tiles, many of their markings obscured by the slimy vines curling along the walls. Three large stone statues lined against each of the walls, each baring the body of a man but the head of a drake. The statues themselves were of a dull grey, save for their brilliant sapphire eyes. Edwin was certain those alone would fetch for a pretty penny on any market, but he wasn't too concerned with that at the moment. Instead, he was trying to shake off this feeling of dread as he stared into the dark chasm, his heart beating furiously in his chest. This may only be a two-star dungeons, but many well-equipped hunters have lost their lives searching in far less dangerous places. Who knows what kinds of horrible traps lay beyond the first room alone! Do the plates on the floor react with your weight? Do the vines pop out of the wall to strangle you to death?! Do the dragon statues come to life to pummel you with their stone fists?!
"Alrighty, let's get going," Montague said casually as he strolled inside.
"Yeah, let's… wait, what?!" The fox did a double take at Montague, reflexively reaching outward to yank on the cheeky mustelid's tail before he ventured too far inside. "W-what the hell's wrong with you?! You can't just waltz into a dungeon like you own the place! Y-you gotta scan the walls for hidden dart guns, o-or test the ground for any hidden traps, or…"
Before Edwin could continue, Montague waved his paw in front of the paranoid canid's face, grinning from to ear to ear. "C'mon, mate, dontcha know who yer talkin' too? I practically wrote the book on dungeon exploring, and let me tell you there's not a single trap in this room."
"But… but…"
"Listen, Eddy, us hunters have a nose for detecting danger, and I'm telling ya there's nothin' dangerous here, unless you trip and slam yer face against one of them statues. If yer still scared, just breathe deeply for a moment and take a big step forward, like this," the ferret/mongoose hybrid explained as he stepped right in front of the first dragon statue. He would have taken another step, but was halted as soon as he noticed the arrow embedded into his foot.
Montague looked at the arrow. Edwin looked at the arrow. Montague looked at Edwin. Edwin looked at Montague. Edwin looked at the arrow. Montague looked at the arrow. Montague looked at Edwin. Edwin glanced down at the arrow briefly before looking at Montague again. Montague's eyes flickered to the arrow, but continued to maintain eye contact with Edwin. Edwin looked at the arrow. The arrow looked back. Montague looked at the arrow-
"YEAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!" Montague let out a piercing shriek, falling onto his rump as his companion let out a similar wail. "AAAAAARGHAWDS! THERE'S AN ARRER IN ME FOOT!"
"AAAAAAAWGH! THERE'S AN ARROW IN YOUR FOOT!" Edwin echoed, stumbling backwards as he stared at his injured companion.
"YEEOOOOWCH! IT'S IN THERE DEEP!"
"AAAGH, IT LOOKS LIKE IT HURTS!"
"O' COURSE IT HURTS, THERE'S A BLOOMIN ARRER IN ME BLOOMIN FOOT!"
"Right, well I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot," Montague chuckled as he gripped the arrow in his paw, ignoring the throbbing pain in his bandaged foot. "Ah well, you won't be causing me any more little setbacks now, won'tcha?"
"Little setbacks? You were shot in the foot and we both screamed for nearly half an hour! I can still hear our echo's for crying out loud!" Edwin so desperately wanted to yell at the oblivious weasel, his heart still racing in his chest. Instead, the young fox heaved a huge sigh and walked up to his partner. "Any ideas on how to disarm the trap?"
Montague turned his head back to flash his signature smile. "Absolutely! Right before the arrow came, I noticed one o' the statue's eyes flash when I came into its field o' vision."
Edwin tilted his head. "Are you sure it wasn't just reflecting light from the sun?"
The weasel hybrid chuckled and shook his head. "I don't think blue stones reflect red light, mate. So tell me, young apprentice o' mine, how should we disarm this trap?"
Upon being called out, Edwin began searching through the various pockets on his clothes, eager to prove his resourcefulness. "That's an easy one, Montague. I think I have some spare cloth on me that we can refashion into temporary blindfolds to place on the statues. Is it here…? What about this pocket…? Ugh, damn it, I must have left my stuff back at the inn. I can still rip a piece off of my shirt and-"
CREAAAAAK!
Edwin flailed and bounced backwards, so preoccupied with his own rambling that he hadn't noticed his mentor unwind his grappling hook from his neck. The creaking sound the fox heard was the sound of Montague grappling the statue's face from a distance and giving it a good yank, breaking off the draconic head and sending it flying to his feet. "Whatever you were just saying, the answer's wrong," Montague explained as he silently whirled his hook yet again. "It's much safer and easier to remove the source o' the problem entirely than to cover it up. Problems that are covered up tend to resurface at the worst times, after all. This way, we don't hafta worry about it anymore, you know?"
"I see…" The young vulpine didn't know how else to respond, so he just stood there silently and watched his mentor rip off the heads of the statues one by one. What Montague just said had stirred up Edwin's memory of running away from home, causing the fox to feel a strong pang of guilt. Did his mentor secretly know about Edwin's past? Was he trying to obscurely lend the fox some advice? Could Montague's powers of perception extend beyond dungeons and traps?
"YEAAAAARGH!! Feckin' hell, I yanked the bloody statue onto me goddamned foot!"
Probably not…
"Hahaharr! This is considered a 2 star dungeon nowadays? I've eaten overcooked bread that was harder than that!" Montague chortled as he slid down the rope, his bright smile lighting up the dark chasm.
Unfortunately, said smile couldn't do much to lighten up Edwin's mood, the youth's teeth constantly chattering as he slid down after his mentor. "H-h-how is this not hard?" He stammered, struggling to continue sliding down the rope due to how clenched his paws were. It was astounding how the ferret/mongoose could smile, considering the numerous near-death situations they had found themselves in. Flying arrows, flamethrowers, electric spears, and more made pass at their lives, and it was only through quick reflexes and sheer luck did they somehow managed to make it this far unscathed. Well, Sort of.
The poor fox's coat was almost in tatters, the edges of it either ripped, burnt, or a sickly combination of the two. His face and arms also sported a few new cuts and bruises, some of which would most likely last a few days. Each new mark that found its way onto his body reminded Edwin of every time he was close to being impaled or barbequed, and yet somehow Montague managed to end up even more injured than the youth and yet still remain as chipper as ever. Even though Edwin was a runaway, right now he wanted nothing more than to just curl up in his bed for the rest of the day.
Edwin was so caught up in his self loathing that he failed to notice Montague suddenly halt beneath him, causing him to slide onto his mentor's shoulders. Instead of shaking the fox off, like anyone else would do after a surprise piggyback, Montague continued to gawk at the sight before him.
The room they were in was unlike anything the two adventurers had ever seen before. Strangely enough, at the end of the perilous dungeon was a small, peaceful room with not much in it other than moss, grass, and a large puddle. The only source of illumination were a few dozen Flareflies, buzzing around and filling up the room with their eerie gold light. Everything was just so calm and peaceful, even the rocks along the walls looked softer than usual. Of course, the real eye catcher of the room wasn't the grass, moss, or even the puddle; rather, it was what was inside the puddle that caused Montague to step forward.
"Ha, easy as pie!" The hybrid smirked as he shrugged off the fox on his shoulders, his eye focused on the massive gem lying in the center of it. It was a massive golden broach, nearly half as large as Edwin's head, studded with three large sapphires cut into perfect spheres along the edges, giving it a strange molecular shape. Just one of the sapphires could afford someone a month's rent at an esteemed hotel.
"W-wait!" Edwin shouted from the ground, leaping back up to grab at his mentor's tail. "Are you being serious right now?! We've nearly been impaled, skewered, and fried multiple times because something was 'easy as pie!' How the hell are you so certain this isn't another trap?" The young fox yelled, more than fed up with Montague's logic.
The mustelid hybrid turned back and looked at Edwin, tilting his head slightly. "What do you mean? We triggered this room's trap the moment we stepped foot in here."
"W-what…?" Edwin gaped in shock.
"Yeah! Don't tell me ya haven't noticed by now," Montague chuckled, looking alarmingly calm. "Dungeons like these are full of traps that no one can predict; sometimes the only way we can overcome them is to dive right in!"
It was then that Edwin understood what the ferret-mongoose was talking about. Behind Montague, the puddle began rippling softly; tiny tremors could be felt throughout the room. Small rocks and sediment rained down from the ceiling, one of which managed to land on Montague's bandaged paw, releasing another flurry of curses and swears. Even with the falling debris and flailing hybrid, however, Edwin quickly realized that there were larger problems at hand.
The small puddle before them began rising rapidly, filling up the small hole it occupied before spilling outwards. Just as the tide reached Edwin's feet, the liquid exploded upwards into a shimmering pillar, almost knocking the fox off his feet. With the golden broach in the middle of it all, the column of water began molding itself, forming what appeared to be a long, pointed snout, followed by the rest of the abhorrent head. Before any of them knew it, the two adventurers were face to face with a massive watery dragon, its form constantly shimmering and waving, with two dark eyes bearing down upon them.
Edwin was speechless. He wasn't expecting this at all. The fox was really hoping that the last of the dangers were behind them, but now yet another hazard had blocked the two from their one and only mission. The liquid dragon loomed before them, a watery tendril forming at the base of the puddle, rising above the teenage fox. Edwin saw it coming, but found himself unable to move, his body petrified with fear. There was no way they could get out of this one alive. There's just no way.
"Move!" Montague yelled as he slammed into Edwin, right as the tendril slammed down where the fox had been a moment ago. The force of the tackle, along with the sting of the spray helped knock some sense into the young vulpine as he rubbed his eyes and looked up, just in time to see a second tentacle poised before him. Edwin gasped and kicked at the ground, propelling himself out of the way just in time, the splash from the tendril stinging his face.
"Haharr! Finally a challenge!" Montague called out from across the room, running around the aqueous abomination while twirling his grappling hook. Turning its attention from Edwin, the dragon roared and spun around, swiveling it's appendage towards Montague. With amazing grace, the experienced hunter leapt over the tendril, swung his grappling hook and threw it straight at the monster's head. The metal claw managed to imbed itself into the drake's watery skull, the tip of it just barely unable to grasp the gem. Roaring with anger, the dragon swung his head around violently, pulling Montague straight from the ground and whirling him around. The hybrid hung on with all his might, despite being whipped this way and that, but even his strength had a limit as he flung off after a particularly sharp turn, flying straight into the wall.
"Montague!" Edwin found himself shouting out, pulling himself back onto his feet. Before he could even get a head start, the dragon had refocused its attention onto the fox, narrowing its eyes upon the helpless vulpine. Edwin's eyes shifted around rapidly, looking for any sort of cover to dive behind, but found himself hopelessly exposed. The monster struck with a tentacle, Edwin barely diving out of the way in time, the shockwave of the attack sending him sprawling onto his back, dazed.
"Oy! I'm th' one yew want, ya big ugly brute!" Montague called out, halting the dragon's attack. It turned around to face its new challenger just in time to find the same claw again imbedded into its cranium, attached to a bruised and battered ferret/mongoose who was miraculously back on his feet. Steeling himself against one of the dislodged rocks, Montague grunted and pulled with all his might, ready to rip off the water demon's head if it meant getting a hold of the treasure within. Unfortunately, Montague's strength was no match for the 20 foot drake, who quickly snapped its neck backwards, sending the hybrid on yet another trip.
At this point, Edwin managed to crawl back onto his feet, albeit barely. His face stung from the forceful splashes, his shoulder felt numb after colliding into the ground awkwardly, and he was certain he pulled something after clumsily hopping out of the way, and yet he knew the pain he felt was nothing in comparison to what Montague must be feeling right now. Even now, the hybrid was persistent in clinging to his grappling hook, his will unbroken even if a few of his ribs were.
"There has to be something we can do," Edwin muttered panting softly for breath. They were getting worn down way too quickly; it was only a matter of time before they would meet with a watery grave unless something was done. But how do you stop a massive watery dragon?
"Yeeeaaaaaaaarrrrgh!!"
Edwin winced as he watched his mentor flying into the ceiling. While it was fortunate there were no stalactites on the roof, Edwin's back felt sore just from watching the impact, the force of which was strong enough to dislodge a few sizable rocks from the ceiling. The fox wanted nothing more than to distract the monster long enough for Montague to slide down safely, but from the looks of things, he didn't have to!
The dragon's formed shifted and shimmered even more so than usual as the rocks fell through his body, temporarily stunning the creature long enough for Montague, who was somehow still conscious despite all this, to swing down his rope that was still attached to the dragon's head and slide towards the ground.
Time started to slow for Edwin as he discovered this interesting fact about their foe. With adrenaline pumping through his veins, the fox began searching this way and that, his scholarly brain hard at work. Dumping rocks onto the watery beast somehow stunned it, making them the key to victory, yet neither himself nor Montague were strong enough to throw boulders… but what if they didn't have to! Towards his right, Edwin noticed the wall was composed of loose boulders, all piled on top of each other. If they could find a way to pull those down, judging from their height and possible tragectory, they might be able to fall onto the watery dragon and defeat it!
"Hey, Montague!" Edwin called out after his sudden revelation, a hopeful spark reigniting in his eyes. However, that spark quickly flared up into panic as he watched Montague rocket towards him after a particularly powerful strike from the dragon, the hybrid tumbling onto the ground before him. "Oh gods, are you all right?! Your face is bleeding!"
"Grrrf," Montague grunted as he slowly pulled himself up, wiping the bloodied nose onto his bruised arm. "About time we've, uh, gotten a good challenge, eh? Wouldn't want yer first dungeon to be too, heh, easy now, right?" he muttered somewhat deliriously, wobbling somewhat once he stood up.
Honestly, Edwin had no idea how Montague was even alive after the beating he received, but right now he had more important things to think about. "Grapple onto those rocks over there and pull as hard as you can! We'll bury the damned thing!" The fox commanded, his adrenaline rush still going strong. In the back of his mind, he figured one of the boulders might land on top of them and crush them into a thin paste, but he knew this was their only chance. If they were gonna die, they were gonna die fighting!
"Haharr! Atta boy, Eddy!" Montague sprung back up, suddenly full of energy yet again. With a quick whirl, the hybrid flung his grapple and hooked the lowest moss-covered boulder. "Now pull!"
Together, the two explorers yanked as hard as they could on the rope, digging their feet as hard as they could into the slippery mossy ground. Panic began to well up inside Edwin as he found himself slipping again and again, unable to so much as budge the colossal boulders above him. Even worse, he could hear the dragon behind them roar behind them, most likely preparing to strike at them yet again. With the last of their combined strength, the pair gave it one last mighty tug, dirt falling from the rocks as they managed to slowly slide one out
but then they were struck by the dragon.
The bad news: Edwin nearly lost consciousness as pain flared up in his entire body, the fox bouncing along the ground like a skipping stone before sliding to a halt. Nearby, his mentor careened into the wall yet again, having taken the blunt of the attack himself. Edwin's vision was a complete blur, the world spinning around him uncontrollably as stars bounced around his line of sight. And yet, for some peculiar reason, his paws were throbbing, as if he had somehow burned them.
The good news: The combined force of Edwin, Montague, and the Dragon was enough to dislodge the boulders from the wall, each of them rolling one by one onto it. The aqueous atrocity let out a shriek of despair as the puddle from which it came from was boarded up by rock after rock, cutting off its supply of water. In its dying breath, the dragon collapsed upon itself, sending a wave across the entire room, before disappearing entirely.
For the next several minutes, the two adventurers continued to lay on their backs, gasping and sputtering. They were soaked, bruised, battered, injured, and… victorious. Montague was the first to chuckle as he slowly rolled into a sitting position, turning to face his fellow adventurer. "Bloody hell, that was a close call, wasn't it?"
Edwin tried to growl at the smug hybrid, yet couldn't bring himself to do it for some odd reason. Instead, he ended up joining Montague in laughter as he slowly heaved himself upward, grunting in pain. "So, does that mean you finally admit that was challenging?"
"Pfft, no! Of course not!" Montague waved his paw. "I totally had everything under control. I just, er, like a bit of drama and suspense here and there, ya know?"
"No, I don't know," Edwin teased as he looked down into his lap, finding the sapphire broach had miraculously washed there. "But if it was so easy for you, I suppose you wouldn't mind if I kept this treasure? You probably have a whole stash of these things, what with you being a seasoned hunter and all."
"Woah, hey now, just wait a sec!" The hybrid grunted, before coughing and regaining his composure. "Well, er, you know this has been, uh, a joint effort, right? Besides, I'm yer mentor after all, and my teachings come with a fine. How about we split the earning's 60/40?"
"Nope. 70/30, my way." The fox smirked, waving the broach around.
"Why, you double-crossin' little…" Montague couldn't keep a straight face as he broke into laughter yet again, collapsing onto his back. "Ohoho, yer already startin' to think like a hunter! Fine, you go yerself a deal, now help yer mentor back onto his feet. Otherwise, I'll be too sore to get us out of here!"
Despite their countless injuries, Edwin and Montague somehow managed to climb their way back up at a decent pace. Thanks to the hybrid's disarming all of the traps earlier, there were very little obstacles for the two adventurers to deal with. Even so, they relied on each other's help the entire way, limping and leaning against each other while promising themselves a warm meal and a nice bed. Once they saw sunlight, the two redoubled their efforts, hobbling quickly towards the cave entrance. "Mmm, I can taste the apple turnovers already," Montague mumbled, licking his lips. Similarly, Edwin's mind was also on the tasty treats he would reward himself with. Stepping outside for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Edwin and Montague with the soothing sights of the bright blue sky, beautiful green forest,
and a horde of bandits prepared to ambush.
The hunters froze as the troupe of thieves popped out from the bushes, brandishing sharp grins and even sharper knives. Neither Edwin nor Montague were prepared for this, considering they were still holding onto each other for support. Wincing in pain, the ferret/mongoose pried himself off of his subordinate and reached for the grappling hook draped around his neck, but a familiar voice stopped him dead in his tracks. "Now now, boys, let's not get wiled up here. We wouldn't want you more inured than you already are, now, would we?"
The gang of thieves stepped back to reveal the obvious leader: a white and grey arctic wolf. Unlike the other ruffians who carried tattered clothing and crude daggers, the presumptuous canine came draped in an elegant purple tunic, its coolness rivaling that of the wolf's softly accented voice. "How fortunate it is that I can sniff out your smelly hide, rodent. I would suggest taking a bath, but it appears you've already saved yourself the trouble," he remarked with a smirk.
"Yeah, well yer long overdue for one yourself, Wilhelm," Montague spat, eyeing the colorful canine maliciously. "What're ya doing here anyways? Shouldn't you be busy snatching purses somewhere in Arginus?"
"Everyone knows a proper business such as mine needs to expand in order to maintain profits." Wilhelm boasted, gesturing to his lackeys behind him. "But, I wouldn't expect a Splice like yourself to understand the complexity of economics."
Edwin had to suppress a gasp after hearing that accursed word, horrified that there are people who still use it. The term Splice, along with Stitch, stemmed from an ancient belief that hybrids such as Montague were made by the devil himself, who spliced and stitched together two different creatures and turning them into his own ungodly creations. In the past, there have even been lynching mobs who would commit horrible crimes to the innocent furs, such as tearing them into two and burning them. Fortunately, such beliefs were old and outdated, yet some people continue to retain their hatred towards hybrids to this day.
Impressively enough, Montague shrugged off the insult as if a clueless child muttered it. "I've studied enough economics to know that greedy fools such as yerself are willing to do anything for a quick buck, even if it means screwing over yer own comrades." He stated frothily, crossing his bruised arms.
"Don't kid yourself, Splice. You're too dense to find your way out of a plastic bag and you know it!" The wolf scowled, turning his attention to Edwin. "That boy must really be something else, if he managed to navigate the dungeon and find her treasure while dragging your useless self around."
This time, Edwin could hear Montague exhale a little louder, his fists clenching beside him. Sensing that he had struck a nerve, Wilhelm's grin returned as he stepped forward, eyeing the young fox analytically. "I do have to admit that I'm somewhat impressed. I didn't think the rodent could find his tail, let alone a talented youth such as yourself."
The arctic wolf grinned as he extended his arm. "You may call me Mr. Farkest, or perhaps Sir Farkest, although after we've been acquainted long enough, I may permit you to call me-
"Lord Fart-Sniffer?"
"Shut it, Stitch!" Wilhelm barked at Montague, a nearby bandit raising her dagger towards the hybrid. Clearing his throat, the wolf turned back to Edwin. "Let's just skip the formalities and move onto my proposition. I run a large business with several colleagues called the Hunters Association, where we register skilled hunters and label them as heroes, giving them a luxurious and prosperous life full of fame and fortune."
"Yeah, by swindling them of all their money and forcing them to work for you like slaves."
"I said shut it, pesky vermin!" Wilhelm roared, the same bandit from before (ironically a rat) stepping closer with her knife.
"As I was saying, you're still a little too young to register for us, but I wouldn't mind giving you a special deal. For that trinket alone, I'll assure you a good title under the Hunters Association. Surely, you deserve it after forging into that dangerous dungeon with that annoying hybrid following you around." The wolf quickly craned his head towards Montague, expecting another quip.
Instead, the ferret/mongoose sighed and nodded softly, looking at Edwin with admiration. "The boy's got talent, I'll give him that. It'd be a shame if he were to squander it by working for the likes of you."
"That's not your decision, now, is it?" Wilhelm growled, his arm still outstretched towards the fox. "Give me the broach, boy. I can assure you the benefits of compliance are much more comfortable than the consequences of refusing me."
Edwin frowned and looked at the jeweled broach in his paws, his arms trembling in a mixture of sadness and anger. After all that they had been through, it wasn't fair that the prize they risked their lives for was going to be taken away by a bully and his goons. The vulpine wanted nothing more than to kick Wilhelm in the shins and run off, but he knew the bandits had all escape routes blocked off.
"Do it," Montague sighed after some time, his own voice ladened with sadness. "It's suicide to fight them now. We'll get revenge somehow someday."
"Oh, perish the thought," the wolf chuckled, leaning his head towards Edwin in an incredibly obnoxious manner. With no other alternative, the teenage fox sighed and relinquished the broach, struggling to contain his anger.
Wilhelm wasted no time in snatching the gem, a triumphant smirk spread across his face. Checking for any blemishes or impurities, the wolf eyed the jewel carefully before pinning it to his belt. "You've made a wise decision." With a snap of his fingers, the other bandits lowered their weapons and rejoined their boss, leaving the two dejected hunters alone.
"Why the long faces, fellas? There'll always be more treasures to find. And when you do find more, let us know and we'll be on our way!" The cold wolf laughed cruelly, backed up by his posse of thieves. Reaching into his pocket, Wilhelm tossed a handful of coins onto Edwin's feet. "You did well today, boy. Treat yourself to a glass of juice or something, my treat!" And with that, the Hunters Association turned around and walked away, admiring the newest gem in their collection.
"This isn't fair…" Edwin sobbed, his voice shaking dramatically. "We worked so hard for that, we almost died like nine times, and he just comes in and takes it like he did all the work! What did we do to deserve this kind of luck." He would have continued with his lamentations had he not heard a distinctive whirl right next to him.
Turning around, Edwin gasped as he saw Montague twirl his grappling hook as fast as he could, the hybrid gritting his teeth from the pain. Once he had judged Wilhelm to be within his hook's maximum distance, Montague threw it and watched it soar towards its target. To Edwin's surprise, the hook managed to snag onto the gem perfectly. With a single tug, Montague managed to rip off not just the broach, but Wilhelm's belt along with it!
Wasting no time, the two made a mad dash towards the opposite direction, aiming for the cover of the trees. With adrenaline coursing through his veins yet again, Edwin managed to sneak a glance behind him once they made it under the foliage, just in time to see the wolf's pants fall to his ankles.
And so, the two hunters spent the rest of the day running madly through the forest, giggling nonstop like a pair of naughty schoolboys. They knew they had just made enemies with a rapidly-growing organization, one with enough money and power to pressure an entire nation into doing its bidding, yet all of that was lost on them. Their injuries forgotten for the time being, Edwin and Montague felt nothing but satisfaction as they scrambled towards the nearest town, their grins lighting up the village as they carried the broach and Wilhelm's belt between them, both of which were priceless items to the adventurous duo.
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 120 x 71px
File Size 34 kB
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