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", "writing": "Warning: Occasional acts of violence, threats of violence, some profanity, and dragon fights. That aside, feel free to enjoy the story.\n\n-Vet\n---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n[b][center]Ch. 4 – The Poison Dance[/center][/b]\n\nThe world shifted into form, voices blending together both familiar and unfamiliar.\n\n“Kiki.”\n\n“Wake up, sleepyhead. Your friends are worried.”\n\n“I told you, we’re-!”\n\n“Silence! No one said you could speak!” \n\nZikee felt a small throbbing on her skull, colors returning to her vision as she felt something cold and sturdy at the back of her head. What day was it? What hour? Thoughts began to return one after the other as she made out faint shapes in the sea of darkness. A fire was burning above her head, the cream-colored face of a human appearing in front of her. [i]Elanor? [/i]She reached out, but the image warped as she did, her hand instead touching that of a man.\n\nAndiz smiled down at her.\n\n“Kiki.”\n\nHer smile faded if only slightly.\n\n“Andiz?”\n\nHe immediately fell on her, hugging her as tightly as he could as she began to take in her surroundings.\n\nTorches. Walls lined with solid stone blocks. Ty standing a few feet away, the mask she’d worn cracked but still somehow intact. She seemed to relax slightly when she looked Zikee’s way.\n\n“Ah. She rejoins us.”\n\nZikee followed the other voice, finding a section of metal bars several feet above them. A room much brighter than their own stood on the other side, upon which she saw two halflings staring down at her. The same, she realized, that they’d come all this way to interrogate.\n\n“Welcome back, founder scum,” the male, who she remembered being referred to as Angel, said.\n\nUp close, his blue scales shined no less bright than they had when she’d seen them on stage. As was the case for his partner, who she remembered went by the name Sky. Her red scales seemed to match perfectly with the crimson gaze she cast down upon them all. And as Zikee took them both in, she realized just where it was they’d fallen into.\n\nIt was no mere empty room. Those didn’t typically have noxious gas seeping through the floor.\n\nAndiz was still squeezing her so she couldn’t investigate further. Zikee put a hand on his back, trying to console him. Her initial vision aside, she knew he’d start crying if she let him go on for too long.\n\n“I’m alright, Andiz,” she said, hugging him back. “I promise.”\n\nHe finally pulled away, the look of concern remaining, though he at least seemed a bit less strung out. Just how long had she been down for?\n\nWhen she tried to rise, the question became clear as her whole body trembled with the effort, Andiz catching her before she could fall completely. What was this sensation? It was as if she were learning to walk for the first time. It began to dissipate as she put more effort into rising but the feeling of unfamiliarity continued to permeate all throughout her body.\n\n“If you two are quite finished…”\n\nIt was Sky who spoke up this time, glowering down at them.\n\n“You. Big one. I take it, you’re the one in charge, hmm? Who sent you? How did you find us? Tell us and you may yet live.”\n\nFor a woman so small, she certainly didn’t appear the type to make threats lightly. Neither did her partner for that matter. Zikee opened her mouth to respond when the halfling Angel snapped loudly.\n\n“Don’t you dare lie, human! I could see it. You were about to tell another tale, weren’t you? Don’t think us so foolish.”\n\nZikee regarded them both with mild annoyance. One look to both Andiz and Ty told her this wasn’t anything incredibly shocking. Had they been doing this song and dance the entire time? It was no wonder they were relieved when she woke up. Andiz hated confrontations and Ty more than likely lacked enough volume.\n\n“I don’t-“\n\n“Stop lying to us!” Angel snapped. “We know you’re with them.”\n\n“Are you referring to-“\n\n“Don’t play coy, human,” Sky came in. “We know your kind. With your secrets and assassins and cattle prods and cages.”\n\nZikee looked to Ty, who didn’t seem to respond.\n\n“You won’t take us!” Sky shouted.\n\nIt was clear that negotiation was out of the question. All the same. Zikee preferred to do things the hard way anyhow. She unsheathed her sword, silently grateful the fools above hadn’t discarded their weaponry. An amateur mistake she’d make them pay dearly for as she planted a foot in the ground, letting waves of magic shoot through her being.\n\nBut just as soon as she began her incantation, the magic vanished all at once.\n\n“Uh-uh.”\n\nShe tried again, repeating the stance and gathering energy. No changes.\n\n“You take us for fools, human?”\n\nZikee finally looked up to the duet of dragons, Sky wagging a finger while Angel looked down with a smug look of superiority. His words were full of malice as he spoke.\n\n“Did you think all that gas was simply for show, human?”\n\nZikee jerked towards the green haze, none of it debilitating as she could still breathe freely in the room.\n\nAnd yet the moment she tried to apply her augmentations, the magic continued to dissipate uselessly. The gas. It was no mere poison. Anything of that sort would be easily counterable by Andiz’s magic healing her. But as she looked to the mage, she saw the reality of their situation clear from the concern etched across the man’s face.\n\nHe couldn’t use his magic either. They’d both been nullified completely.\n\n“We made that gas special for you humans,” Sky said mockingly. “Did you think you were the first to try and come after us?”\n\nAs she said those words, the room around them lit up with the fires of several torches. Zikee tensed at the sight.\n\nAll around them, she could see bodies. Skeletons melted into the floor. Skulls lying severed and crushed. Torsos split in half or impaled on rusty metal. The entire room was filled with deep pits and spike traps, a monument to the death of any intruders. Zikee cursed under her breath. They’d been careless. Too careless. This was no mere dancing duet. They were trained hunters well versed in killing their kind.\n\nBoth halflings grinned, hands rising in unison as their words seemed to echo through the chamber.\n\n“Let that room be your doom, founder scum.”\n\nAs their hands fell Zikee felt her senses scream in warning, all three prisoners jerking to a click from behind. As if the gods couldn’t be cruel enough. \n\nTubes appeared across the wall just under the bars, sounds of rattling being the only warning they had to what was soon to come. Zikee scooped up Andiz both her and Ty taking off in the opposite direction on instinct.\n\n“Take cover!”\n\nDarts came flying out moments later.\n\nZikee dove as fast as she could, finding what she thought was a large stone big enough to hide behind but finding the cruelty of fate dashing her hopes just as quickly. The ground caved right from under her. She reached out, barely managing to snag the edge in time and saving both her and Andiz a steep plummet.\n\n“Andy! Big one!”\n\nZikee cursed, pulling them both up with one arm, not that they’d have much time to rest afterwards.\n\nA second click sounded almost as soon as they were back topside. Zikee tried to dive again, but she was too late. Pain shot through her as several darts pierced her back.\n\n“Kiki!”\n\nShe bit down with all she had, forcing herself to run despite everything.\n\nShe couldn’t slow, not for a moment. Every second in this maze was another she could die. Andiz could die. She wanted to run as fast as she could, but even that seemed to fail her as the strength faded from her legs.\nAgainst her will, she found herself falling to the ground, dropping Andiz in the process.\n\n“Kiki!”\n\nShe could barely hear his voice. \n\nNow was no time to die. She knew that. She wouldn’t let herself. But as she tried to get up again, she found nothing responding well. She realized with frustration that the darts which struck her weren’t simply meant to pierce humans to death. A debilitating poison. She could barely move, let alone run. Andiz tried to pull her as best he could, but she knew it was futile. \n\nIn fact, she expected them to be skewered at any second given the frequency of the Dragon Duet’s traps. So why were they still alive? Zikee looked over, her eyes widened slightly as she saw the darts were indeed still firing upon them.\n\nA familiar halfling stood between the poisoned needles and the two humans, her mask having long since fallen from having to endure the rapid fire hitting her all at once.\n\n“H-hey,” Ty said, still rooting herself in place. “Would you two not just sit there? This really hurts, y’know.”\n\nZikee saw the darts bouncing off, unable to quite penetrate the halfling’s scales, but they certainly made up for that with how fast and numerous they came. Andiz pulled on her harder.\n\n“C’mon, Kiki! We have to move!”\n\nShe forced what little strength she had into leaning into her husband’s efforts, letting him pull her up enough that she could somewhat walk again. They wouldn’t get far, but they didn’t need to either. Andiz pulled her around a bend in the traps where it seemed the dangers ceased only for a moment.\n\nZikee waited for the ground to open or for something to drop from the ceiling but nothing happened. Whether as an oversight or to give their victims a false sense of security, the Dragon Duet had left them a place where they could rest for a time. She collapsed almost immediately, Andiz helping her to sit up despite the darts still lingering on her back.\n\n“Kiki. Kiki. Dammit.”\n\nHe’d already started crying, but there was little she could do to stop him this time around.\n\nThe nullifying gas was a constant all around the chamber and she’d just been poisoned by who knew what. Still, she preferred the darts to the many spiked pits and even acid traps she’d spotted while they were fleeing. Just how had two halflings from a secluded breeding facility amassed enough wealth to create a dungeon trap to kill intruders? Had they put all their performance earnings into home renovations? What was even the point?\n\nZikee cursed at the thought of dying to such cowardly fighters. \n\n“Petch.” Ty rubbed her body. “So annoying. Those two were always strange, but this is insane. Death traps? Poison pits? Just who do they think is coming after them?”\n\nZikee felt her breathing growing labored, Andiz holding her up as she could see him trying to think of something. Anything he could do. She tried to feign strength for his sake.\n\n“I take it they’re fearful of those founders,” Zikee said.\n\n“They have bombs in our neck! They’d kill us long before the traps could work!”\n\n“Then you tell them that, why don’t you?” Zikee put a hand on Andiz. “I’m alright, Andiz. Don’t fear for me.”\n\nHe took her hand, shaking his head.\n\n“Don’t lie to me, Kiki. Even you aren’t immune to poison. Magic or no.”\n\nHe was right about that.\n\nWhile it was true she could use her magic to augment herself, it didn’t do anything to make her any less human. She’d still be severed by a finely sharpened blade. She’d still be burned alive by fire. And yes, she’d still have her insides curdled by poison no matter how much magic she put in her muscles.\n\n“Maybe I could try and take ‘em,” Ty suggested. “It’s two on one, but if I turn dragon I might stand a chance. Or I could just simply burst us free. They said it themselves, this pit only truly works on humans.”\n\nThat much, Zikee could see as a solution. Given Ty could withstand the poisoned darts, it stood to reason she could get through the gauntlet of traps to free them all. She was their strongest asset at the moment, theoretically able to fly the three of them out to safety quite easily. There was one one issue.\n\n“Can you guarantee we won’t be crushed in the process?” Zikee asked.\n\nTy’s enthusiasm seemed to wane slightly at that.\n\n“If you break through the roof, the ceiling will collapse on top of us in the process,” Andiz came in. “You could attempt to act as a shield, but then you’d be at the mercy of the duet when they caught on. And it’s very likely they will if they see us escaping in your arms. You may be enough for both of them, but can you fight and protect us at the same time?”\n\nTy didn’t respond.\n\n“And let’s not forget the other key issue,” Zikee said. “You’re asking us to put our lives in your hands, halfling. That’s hardly a risk worth taking.”\n\nTy shrunk a bit at that. Andiz gave Zikee a look, but he seemed more concerned with her well-being than their new ally’s feelings. He offered what seemed to be his attempt at reassurance.\n\n“Maybe we can come up with another way. Surely we can think of something, Kiki.”\n\nZikee thought about their options. They were magical-less so any escape would just mean having to face two dragons with a sword and their wits anyhow. Not only that, but Zikee was poisoned so she wouldn’t be getting very far in a fight. If things did take a turn for the worst, it would be Andiz and Ty against the Dragon Duet. \n\nShe couldn’t let that happen. But what else could they do given they were trapped in a dungeon?\n\nGiving Ty free reign was out of the question. Nor was simply waiting for one of the traps to kill them if they could help it. So what did that leave them? Two magicless humans and a dragon against two fully energized dragons? It was suicide. No. If they wanted to survive this, as much as it pained Zikee to think as much, they had to lick their wounds first.\n\nAnd that meant getting rid of the duet. Zikee looked to Andiz.\n\n“What about your backup tools?”\n\nThe healer looked at her surprised a moment. Even as he tended to rely heavily on his magics, Andiz always carried around supplies for emergencies. Last-minute surgeries. Potion creation. Bandaging. Things that would assist with first aid but seldom worked as powerfully as his healing spells. Andiz dug through his pockets.\n\n“I have a few bandages, two vials, and a scalpel,” the healer admitted. “Perhaps I could try to dress your wounds?”\n\nZikee put up a hand. “No. Save the bandages. The scalpel and vials may come in handy.”\n\nAndiz looked at her confused, but she simply turned her attention to Ty.\n\n“Halfling,” she said. “How are your injuries?”\n\nTy seemed a bit surprised by that, still rubbing her arms.\n\n“They’ll heal. Why?”\n\nZikee noted the dragon’s relative health given their situation. Was she only resistant to the darts or had the Dragon Duet truly made this room specifically for humans? The latter was a risky assumption to make, but it might have been their strongest chance if they leaned into it.\n\n“Andiz. You have a background in alchemy, correct?”\n\nThe healer nodded. “Yes. I must have told you a thousand-“\n\nHis eyes widened. Zikee smiled, giving his cheek a gentle rub.\n\n“Then I’ll be counting on you, gentle wing.”\n\nShe looked to Ty, her smile faltering, though she knew she didn’t quite have a choice in the matter. If they were to survive this, it would take more than just her or Andiz. She’d need what only a dragon like her could provide.\nEspecially if they were to have a shot at getting rid of those two dancers.\n\n[i]***[/i]\n\nGiven the desperation of their situation, Zikee was a bit surprised at how little convincing Ty needed.\n\n“Oy! Dragonlings!”\n\nThe Dragon Duet were still perched on the other side of the bars when they returned, evidently having been expecting them all to die as they jumped up in surprise, not even bothering to reactivate the dart trap. That was short-lived. The halflings relaxed as their smug expressions returned.\n\n “Oh,” Sky said, “you lot are still alive. Pesky rats.”\n\n“We could always fix that,” Angel said.\n\nBefore either could send them running with more dart traps, Ty let her voice be heard above everything else in the room.\n\n“Ahem. Eric! Alexa!”\n\nBoth halflings halted, their smiles vanishing completely.\n\nZikee took up her place nearby, making sure Ty had everyone’s attention before she began to slowly gather stones. In the meantime, the halfling gave a bow, stepping backwards with a hand extended to the man who’d make or break their operation. \n\nAndiz swallowed stepping forward, though not before casting a sideways look Zikee’s way. She gave him a knowing smile, which seemed to give him the will to continue, taking a breath to steady himself.\n\n“Those are your names correct?” Andiz asked. “Your true names.”\n\nNeither Angel nor Sky responded though the fear was clear as day as they stared down at the healer. Using their actual names to get their attention had been Ty’s idea. But from that point forward, they were all relying on Andiz. The healer cleared his throat.\n\n“We’ve been watching you a while,” he said. “You were almost correct. We are with the founders of Project Ranger. But whereas you sought to destroy us, we were sent to evaluate whether you two would be worthy of destruction yourselves.”\n\nAndiz made a show of looking around the dungeon, gesturing to the many dead bodies and sprung traps.\n\n“Frankly. This has given us more than enough reason.” He shot them a look. “To end the both of you.”\n\nThe halflings visibly tensed. They were about as easily startled as Zikee had assumed. From their initial screaming to the accusations to the fact that they’d built this dungeon in the first place, it was clear the halflings were only afraid of a single thing. And if the trio were to escape, they’d have to play right into that fear. Andiz had to play into it.\n\n“Y-you’re truly with founders?” Sky finally managed to ask.\n\nAndiz put on a smile.\n\n“Yes. They paid many gold to get us here. But we didn’t come alone.”\n\n“So there are others then?”\n\n“More than you’d believe. In fact, I’d imagine our reinforcements are on their way as we speak.”\n\nAngel found his voice again. “You’re bluffing! You have to be.”\n\nTo Andiz’s credit, he didn’t back down from the challenge even as Zikee could see his façade cracking the longer he had to play the villainous part.\n\n“Am I? Am I really?” He pointed a finger in their direction. “Then let’s make a wager, shall we? Which will happen first? Will the reinforcements arrive? Or will we simply activate those bombs in your necks?”\n\nThat seemed to drain the color out of both halfling’s faces, Angel reaching for the spot as if it could protect him. Andiz was quick to keep up the pressure.\n\n“Shall we start the count at 5?”\n\nA thud smacked against the ceiling, both halflings jerking at the sound. It was Zikee’s own doing, trying her best to angle her throwing arm while all attention was on her husband.\n\n“4. Sounds like they just breached the front door.”\n\nA second thud, this time much closer to the bars. So close Zikee was worried they might have seen the stone she’d thrown, but was relieved to see them too busy looking at each other in panic.\n\n“3. Care to push your luck, further?”\n\nThe halflings were already starting to back away, terror in their eyes.\n\n“2-”\n\n“You’ll never take us again!”\n\nBefore Zikee could even attempt to throw, both halflings suddenly jumped away, screaming in unison. Their bodies were shimmering and glowing with magic.\n\nSky’s slender arms became sharp claws that grew in the span of seconds. Angel’s flat teeth became fangs as his head expanded. It had taken only moments for the two to not expand tenfold, taking on their draconic forms. But they didn’t rush to attack. No. They flew in the opposite direction, crashing through the ceiling on the other side of the bars.\n\n“We won’t go back!”\n\nAs the scream grew more and more distant, Andiz let his villainous façade falter, replaced instead with the gentle expression of a relieved healer. He turned to both Zikee and Ty with a grin.\n\n“And that’s victory, isn’t it?”", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Warning: Occasional acts of violence, threats of violence, some profanity, and dragon fights. That aside, feel free to enjoy the story.

-Vet
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ch. 4 – The Poison Dance


The world shifted into form, voices blending together both familiar and unfamiliar.

“Kiki.”

“Wake up, sleepyhead. Your friends are worried.”

“I told you, we’re-!”

“Silence! No one said you could speak!”

Zikee felt a small throbbing on her skull, colors returning to her vision as she felt something cold and sturdy at the back of her head. What day was it? What hour? Thoughts began to return one after the other as she made out faint shapes in the sea of darkness. A fire was burning above her head, the cream-colored face of a human appearing in front of her. Elanor? She reached out, but the image warped as she did, her hand instead touching that of a man.

Andiz smiled down at her.

“Kiki.”

Her smile faded if only slightly.

“Andiz?”

He immediately fell on her, hugging her as tightly as he could as she began to take in her surroundings.

Torches. Walls lined with solid stone blocks. Ty standing a few feet away, the mask she’d worn cracked but still somehow intact. She seemed to relax slightly when she looked Zikee’s way.

“Ah. She rejoins us.”

Zikee followed the other voice, finding a section of metal bars several feet above them. A room much brighter than their own stood on the other side, upon which she saw two halflings staring down at her. The same, she realized, that they’d come all this way to interrogate.

“Welcome back, founder scum,” the male, who she remembered being referred to as Angel, said.

Up close, his blue scales shined no less bright than they had when she’d seen them on stage. As was the case for his partner, who she remembered went by the name Sky. Her red scales seemed to match perfectly with the crimson gaze she cast down upon them all. And as Zikee took them both in, she realized just where it was they’d fallen into.

It was no mere empty room. Those didn’t typically have noxious gas seeping through the floor.

Andiz was still squeezing her so she couldn’t investigate further. Zikee put a hand on his back, trying to console him. Her initial vision aside, she knew he’d start crying if she let him go on for too long.

“I’m alright, Andiz,” she said, hugging him back. “I promise.”

He finally pulled away, the look of concern remaining, though he at least seemed a bit less strung out. Just how long had she been down for?

When she tried to rise, the question became clear as her whole body trembled with the effort, Andiz catching her before she could fall completely. What was this sensation? It was as if she were learning to walk for the first time. It began to dissipate as she put more effort into rising but the feeling of unfamiliarity continued to permeate all throughout her body.

“If you two are quite finished…”

It was Sky who spoke up this time, glowering down at them.

“You. Big one. I take it, you’re the one in charge, hmm? Who sent you? How did you find us? Tell us and you may yet live.”

For a woman so small, she certainly didn’t appear the type to make threats lightly. Neither did her partner for that matter. Zikee opened her mouth to respond when the halfling Angel snapped loudly.

“Don’t you dare lie, human! I could see it. You were about to tell another tale, weren’t you? Don’t think us so foolish.”

Zikee regarded them both with mild annoyance. One look to both Andiz and Ty told her this wasn’t anything incredibly shocking. Had they been doing this song and dance the entire time? It was no wonder they were relieved when she woke up. Andiz hated confrontations and Ty more than likely lacked enough volume.

“I don’t-“

“Stop lying to us!” Angel snapped. “We know you’re with them.”

“Are you referring to-“

“Don’t play coy, human,” Sky came in. “We know your kind. With your secrets and assassins and cattle prods and cages.”

Zikee looked to Ty, who didn’t seem to respond.

“You won’t take us!” Sky shouted.

It was clear that negotiation was out of the question. All the same. Zikee preferred to do things the hard way anyhow. She unsheathed her sword, silently grateful the fools above hadn’t discarded their weaponry. An amateur mistake she’d make them pay dearly for as she planted a foot in the ground, letting waves of magic shoot through her being.

But just as soon as she began her incantation, the magic vanished all at once.

“Uh-uh.”

She tried again, repeating the stance and gathering energy. No changes.

“You take us for fools, human?”

Zikee finally looked up to the duet of dragons, Sky wagging a finger while Angel looked down with a smug look of superiority. His words were full of malice as he spoke.

“Did you think all that gas was simply for show, human?”

Zikee jerked towards the green haze, none of it debilitating as she could still breathe freely in the room.

And yet the moment she tried to apply her augmentations, the magic continued to dissipate uselessly. The gas. It was no mere poison. Anything of that sort would be easily counterable by Andiz’s magic healing her. But as she looked to the mage, she saw the reality of their situation clear from the concern etched across the man’s face.

He couldn’t use his magic either. They’d both been nullified completely.

“We made that gas special for you humans,” Sky said mockingly. “Did you think you were the first to try and come after us?”

As she said those words, the room around them lit up with the fires of several torches. Zikee tensed at the sight.

All around them, she could see bodies. Skeletons melted into the floor. Skulls lying severed and crushed. Torsos split in half or impaled on rusty metal. The entire room was filled with deep pits and spike traps, a monument to the death of any intruders. Zikee cursed under her breath. They’d been careless. Too careless. This was no mere dancing duet. They were trained hunters well versed in killing their kind.

Both halflings grinned, hands rising in unison as their words seemed to echo through the chamber.

“Let that room be your doom, founder scum.”

As their hands fell Zikee felt her senses scream in warning, all three prisoners jerking to a click from behind. As if the gods couldn’t be cruel enough.

Tubes appeared across the wall just under the bars, sounds of rattling being the only warning they had to what was soon to come. Zikee scooped up Andiz both her and Ty taking off in the opposite direction on instinct.

“Take cover!”

Darts came flying out moments later.

Zikee dove as fast as she could, finding what she thought was a large stone big enough to hide behind but finding the cruelty of fate dashing her hopes just as quickly. The ground caved right from under her. She reached out, barely managing to snag the edge in time and saving both her and Andiz a steep plummet.

“Andy! Big one!”

Zikee cursed, pulling them both up with one arm, not that they’d have much time to rest afterwards.

A second click sounded almost as soon as they were back topside. Zikee tried to dive again, but she was too late. Pain shot through her as several darts pierced her back.

“Kiki!”

She bit down with all she had, forcing herself to run despite everything.

She couldn’t slow, not for a moment. Every second in this maze was another she could die. Andiz could die. She wanted to run as fast as she could, but even that seemed to fail her as the strength faded from her legs.
Against her will, she found herself falling to the ground, dropping Andiz in the process.

“Kiki!”

She could barely hear his voice.

Now was no time to die. She knew that. She wouldn’t let herself. But as she tried to get up again, she found nothing responding well. She realized with frustration that the darts which struck her weren’t simply meant to pierce humans to death. A debilitating poison. She could barely move, let alone run. Andiz tried to pull her as best he could, but she knew it was futile.

In fact, she expected them to be skewered at any second given the frequency of the Dragon Duet’s traps. So why were they still alive? Zikee looked over, her eyes widened slightly as she saw the darts were indeed still firing upon them.

A familiar halfling stood between the poisoned needles and the two humans, her mask having long since fallen from having to endure the rapid fire hitting her all at once.

“H-hey,” Ty said, still rooting herself in place. “Would you two not just sit there? This really hurts, y’know.”

Zikee saw the darts bouncing off, unable to quite penetrate the halfling’s scales, but they certainly made up for that with how fast and numerous they came. Andiz pulled on her harder.

“C’mon, Kiki! We have to move!”

She forced what little strength she had into leaning into her husband’s efforts, letting him pull her up enough that she could somewhat walk again. They wouldn’t get far, but they didn’t need to either. Andiz pulled her around a bend in the traps where it seemed the dangers ceased only for a moment.

Zikee waited for the ground to open or for something to drop from the ceiling but nothing happened. Whether as an oversight or to give their victims a false sense of security, the Dragon Duet had left them a place where they could rest for a time. She collapsed almost immediately, Andiz helping her to sit up despite the darts still lingering on her back.

“Kiki. Kiki. Dammit.”

He’d already started crying, but there was little she could do to stop him this time around.

The nullifying gas was a constant all around the chamber and she’d just been poisoned by who knew what. Still, she preferred the darts to the many spiked pits and even acid traps she’d spotted while they were fleeing. Just how had two halflings from a secluded breeding facility amassed enough wealth to create a dungeon trap to kill intruders? Had they put all their performance earnings into home renovations? What was even the point?

Zikee cursed at the thought of dying to such cowardly fighters.

“Petch.” Ty rubbed her body. “So annoying. Those two were always strange, but this is insane. Death traps? Poison pits? Just who do they think is coming after them?”

Zikee felt her breathing growing labored, Andiz holding her up as she could see him trying to think of something. Anything he could do. She tried to feign strength for his sake.

“I take it they’re fearful of those founders,” Zikee said.

“They have bombs in our neck! They’d kill us long before the traps could work!”

“Then you tell them that, why don’t you?” Zikee put a hand on Andiz. “I’m alright, Andiz. Don’t fear for me.”

He took her hand, shaking his head.

“Don’t lie to me, Kiki. Even you aren’t immune to poison. Magic or no.”

He was right about that.

While it was true she could use her magic to augment herself, it didn’t do anything to make her any less human. She’d still be severed by a finely sharpened blade. She’d still be burned alive by fire. And yes, she’d still have her insides curdled by poison no matter how much magic she put in her muscles.

“Maybe I could try and take ‘em,” Ty suggested. “It’s two on one, but if I turn dragon I might stand a chance. Or I could just simply burst us free. They said it themselves, this pit only truly works on humans.”

That much, Zikee could see as a solution. Given Ty could withstand the poisoned darts, it stood to reason she could get through the gauntlet of traps to free them all. She was their strongest asset at the moment, theoretically able to fly the three of them out to safety quite easily. There was one one issue.

“Can you guarantee we won’t be crushed in the process?” Zikee asked.

Ty’s enthusiasm seemed to wane slightly at that.

“If you break through the roof, the ceiling will collapse on top of us in the process,” Andiz came in. “You could attempt to act as a shield, but then you’d be at the mercy of the duet when they caught on. And it’s very likely they will if they see us escaping in your arms. You may be enough for both of them, but can you fight and protect us at the same time?”

Ty didn’t respond.

“And let’s not forget the other key issue,” Zikee said. “You’re asking us to put our lives in your hands, halfling. That’s hardly a risk worth taking.”

Ty shrunk a bit at that. Andiz gave Zikee a look, but he seemed more concerned with her well-being than their new ally’s feelings. He offered what seemed to be his attempt at reassurance.

“Maybe we can come up with another way. Surely we can think of something, Kiki.”

Zikee thought about their options. They were magical-less so any escape would just mean having to face two dragons with a sword and their wits anyhow. Not only that, but Zikee was poisoned so she wouldn’t be getting very far in a fight. If things did take a turn for the worst, it would be Andiz and Ty against the Dragon Duet.

She couldn’t let that happen. But what else could they do given they were trapped in a dungeon?

Giving Ty free reign was out of the question. Nor was simply waiting for one of the traps to kill them if they could help it. So what did that leave them? Two magicless humans and a dragon against two fully energized dragons? It was suicide. No. If they wanted to survive this, as much as it pained Zikee to think as much, they had to lick their wounds first.

And that meant getting rid of the duet. Zikee looked to Andiz.

“What about your backup tools?”

The healer looked at her surprised a moment. Even as he tended to rely heavily on his magics, Andiz always carried around supplies for emergencies. Last-minute surgeries. Potion creation. Bandaging. Things that would assist with first aid but seldom worked as powerfully as his healing spells. Andiz dug through his pockets.

“I have a few bandages, two vials, and a scalpel,” the healer admitted. “Perhaps I could try to dress your wounds?”

Zikee put up a hand. “No. Save the bandages. The scalpel and vials may come in handy.”

Andiz looked at her confused, but she simply turned her attention to Ty.

“Halfling,” she said. “How are your injuries?”

Ty seemed a bit surprised by that, still rubbing her arms.

“They’ll heal. Why?”

Zikee noted the dragon’s relative health given their situation. Was she only resistant to the darts or had the Dragon Duet truly made this room specifically for humans? The latter was a risky assumption to make, but it might have been their strongest chance if they leaned into it.

“Andiz. You have a background in alchemy, correct?”

The healer nodded. “Yes. I must have told you a thousand-“

His eyes widened. Zikee smiled, giving his cheek a gentle rub.

“Then I’ll be counting on you, gentle wing.”

She looked to Ty, her smile faltering, though she knew she didn’t quite have a choice in the matter. If they were to survive this, it would take more than just her or Andiz. She’d need what only a dragon like her could provide.
Especially if they were to have a shot at getting rid of those two dancers.

***

Given the desperation of their situation, Zikee was a bit surprised at how little convincing Ty needed.

“Oy! Dragonlings!”

The Dragon Duet were still perched on the other side of the bars when they returned, evidently having been expecting them all to die as they jumped up in surprise, not even bothering to reactivate the dart trap. That was short-lived. The halflings relaxed as their smug expressions returned.

 “Oh,” Sky said, “you lot are still alive. Pesky rats.”

“We could always fix that,” Angel said.

Before either could send them running with more dart traps, Ty let her voice be heard above everything else in the room.

“Ahem. Eric! Alexa!”

Both halflings halted, their smiles vanishing completely.

Zikee took up her place nearby, making sure Ty had everyone’s attention before she began to slowly gather stones. In the meantime, the halfling gave a bow, stepping backwards with a hand extended to the man who’d make or break their operation.

Andiz swallowed stepping forward, though not before casting a sideways look Zikee’s way. She gave him a knowing smile, which seemed to give him the will to continue, taking a breath to steady himself.

“Those are your names correct?” Andiz asked. “Your true names.”

Neither Angel nor Sky responded though the fear was clear as day as they stared down at the healer. Using their actual names to get their attention had been Ty’s idea. But from that point forward, they were all relying on Andiz. The healer cleared his throat.

“We’ve been watching you a while,” he said. “You were almost correct. We are with the founders of Project Ranger. But whereas you sought to destroy us, we were sent to evaluate whether you two would be worthy of destruction yourselves.”

Andiz made a show of looking around the dungeon, gesturing to the many dead bodies and sprung traps.

“Frankly. This has given us more than enough reason.” He shot them a look. “To end the both of you.”

The halflings visibly tensed. They were about as easily startled as Zikee had assumed. From their initial screaming to the accusations to the fact that they’d built this dungeon in the first place, it was clear the halflings were only afraid of a single thing. And if the trio were to escape, they’d have to play right into that fear. Andiz had to play into it.

“Y-you’re truly with founders?” Sky finally managed to ask.

Andiz put on a smile.

“Yes. They paid many gold to get us here. But we didn’t come alone.”

“So there are others then?”

“More than you’d believe. In fact, I’d imagine our reinforcements are on their way as we speak.”

Angel found his voice again. “You’re bluffing! You have to be.”

To Andiz’s credit, he didn’t back down from the challenge even as Zikee could see his façade cracking the longer he had to play the villainous part.

“Am I? Am I really?” He pointed a finger in their direction. “Then let’s make a wager, shall we? Which will happen first? Will the reinforcements arrive? Or will we simply activate those bombs in your necks?”

That seemed to drain the color out of both halfling’s faces, Angel reaching for the spot as if it could protect him. Andiz was quick to keep up the pressure.

“Shall we start the count at 5?”

A thud smacked against the ceiling, both halflings jerking at the sound. It was Zikee’s own doing, trying her best to angle her throwing arm while all attention was on her husband.

“4. Sounds like they just breached the front door.”

A second thud, this time much closer to the bars. So close Zikee was worried they might have seen the stone she’d thrown, but was relieved to see them too busy looking at each other in panic.

“3. Care to push your luck, further?”

The halflings were already starting to back away, terror in their eyes.

“2-”

“You’ll never take us again!”

Before Zikee could even attempt to throw, both halflings suddenly jumped away, screaming in unison. Their bodies were shimmering and glowing with magic.

Sky’s slender arms became sharp claws that grew in the span of seconds. Angel’s flat teeth became fangs as his head expanded. It had taken only moments for the two to not expand tenfold, taking on their draconic forms. But they didn’t rush to attack. No. They flew in the opposite direction, crashing through the ceiling on the other side of the bars.

“We won’t go back!”

As the scream grew more and more distant, Andiz let his villainous façade falter, replaced instead with the gentle expression of a relieved healer. He turned to both Zikee and Ty with a grin.

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