Cupcake hummed to herself as she made her way to the entrance of the dungeons, The General was fast asleep in his basket on her back. It’d been a little while since she’d been back into the dungeons, but she was excited to go down there. She knew that Banjo was coming with, but she wasn’t really certain who else was joining them.

She stood next to the dungeon entrance, hoping the other two would be there soon. 

Carnage sighed as he trotted away from their little hut, having to go without his partner since she was stuck helping her friends, so he dragged his hooves on the way to the dungeon entrance, his pygmy dragon, Gremlin, following steadily, making a few loops and chirping, hoping to cheer up Carnage on the way to meet up with two other Coursers to go mingle with a boss. 

He had to fiddle along the way, his trusty pitchfork Strapped to his barrel with a simple leather strip only for it to get caught in some shrubbery along the way. He huffed when he finally saw the entrance of the cave come into view, as well as a chestnut mare standing at the entrance.

He approached cautiously, his ears flicking to the sounds around them as he came to a stop before the slightly smaller mare. “Hey.. I’m Carnage.” he uttered, looking the mare up and down to size her up, the goose catching him a bit off guard. Yet Gremlin seemed unphased, hovering near the goose and chirping at it.

Banjo split from his group, going off to join a new campaign without his usual travel partner, Banshee. The male adjusted the newly fitted harness that held his harvester’s pitchfork to the side of his barrel. Making sure it stayed on comfortably. Having to wear it for the first time for a long period of time, it may take some time to get used to.

Letting out a small snort as he walked, his hooves kicking up small amounts of loose dirt from under him. From his mane, feeling the small feet and wings. Knowing that his companion, Batty, was alert.

Coming up to where his eyes spotted the familiar mare, Cupcake, but also a new Courser that he never met before. “Greetings,” The tobaino nodded his head softly, “I’m Banjo.” 

His gaze flickered to Cupcake and the goose and added in, “Good seeing you again, Cupcake….and The General.” 

 Cupcake smiled at the first of the two to arrive.

“Cupcake!” She greeted with her name. “And this is General.” She used her muzzle to gesture to the goose. Cupcake kept an eye on the drake, wary of the small one waking up the goose on her back.

She gave a smile to Banjo as she spotted him, her ear flicking to her back to the sound of ruffling feathers. Cupcake pinned her ears as The General honked loudly and angrily at the pygmy drake.

“General ain’t the mos’ friendly,” she commented, chuckling a bit. “Thankfully, he stays in his basket mos’ da time.”

The fowl stood in his basket and flapped his wings, before settling back down in his basket.

“Ready to head in?” Cupcake asked, eager to simply jump right back into the dungeons.

Carnage whistled back Gremlin, the drake returning to his back, settling on his withers, nestled on the stripes of chestnut and black. “Ready as ever.” he hummed before stepping forward, squeezing through the slightly tighter entrance and pathing the way along a slightly rocky decline into the cave. He waited for the other two Coursers to join him before pushing forward, making sure to step carefully along a cliff. Though the cave seemed unusually quiet.

“Didn’t the description say this was a highly dangerous dungeon?” He muttered the question as he continued on, the pygmy drake taking off and flying ahead a bit before circling over head of the small group, chirping at something in front of them. Yet there…wasn’t anything. Other than a large canyon with a bridge overtop the deep drop. “Grem it’s just a bridge, what’s wrong boy?” he called up, watching as the drake landed on his back again, looking worried.

He turned to Cupcake and Banjo, a confused yet worried look in his eyes. “Do you guys know more about this?” he asked, pointing towards the bridge with his muzzle.

Banjo followed not too far behind Carnage. His ears flicker about to listen in carefully, “Well, Dungeons are always considered dangerous in nature, yes?” 

From his mane, Batty opened their wings and flew upwards, giving out small squeaks as it flew through the air. Scouting up ahead with Gremlin. Wings flapping silently as the creature went up a head a little. Turning back around when Batty noticed Gremlin going back to the Coursers. Landing back in the black and white mane of Banjo. The sound of small clicks escaped from the bat. They sounded as if the small animal was concerned.

With that, it made Banjo a little on edge. But, he stepped closer to where they were not too far off from the start of the bridge. Lowering his head to give the bridge a hesitant sniff, “Mm, Unsure, looks unstable to me.” Lifting his head back up as he spoke again, “But there isn’t anywhere else to cross from what I can see.”

He looked over to peer down into the darkness below of the canyon. Faintly hearing…something. Almost like whispers? Shaking his head before glancing at Cupcake, “What do you think?” 

The General let out a hiss at Gremlin as the drake went back to his owner from the whistle. Cupcake chuckled, and waited for the two stallions to enter the dungeon. She took a moment, taking note that Carnage was taking up the lead.

Cupcake flicked an ear at Carnage wondering what would mark this dungeon as highly dangerous.

“Danger comes in many forms, boys,” she commented, looking around. The bridge itself was putting her on edge. General let out a soft, anxious coo as Cupcake took steps towards the bridge. She pinned her ears for a second, before flicking them forward at what sounded like droplets of water hitting stone and other water. Cupcake contemplated for a moment, before stepping onto the bridge.

“Huh, La’y Brioche mentioned som’thing like dis,” she said, looking back at the two stallions. “Jus’ gotta ignore da void.” She gave them a smile before continuing across the bridge. It felt much more sturdy than it had from the cliff side the trio had entered from.

Carnage sighed as he looked across the gap, approaching the bridge cautiously. He still didn’t quite trust it, but slowly stepped onto the swaying planks, following Cupcake steadily over the hanging bridge. He could feel the cold of the chasm creep up his legs. The whispers and soft whistles from the void below were entrancing in a way, making his head droop a bit in a moment of weakness before shaking off the weird feeling, taking a deep breath before continuing to venture on.
He could feel a headache forming already from the way the whispers swirled around like a pair of earmuffs - whatever those might be - yet he pushed on, slowly arriving on the other side shortly after Cupcake, huffing out some air as he let his head relax a bit now, closing his eyes for a moment before glancing back at Banjo to see him following. “That is some utter bullshit right there. God, I’m gonna enjoy the rest of this dungeon with this headache for sure.” he grumbled, more to himself than anyone else before glancing back at the mare. “How’s you holding up?”

“We are seriously crossing this bridge?” Banjo asked, watching the other two begin to walk across. He let out a sigh before carefully taking a step. Not enjoying the fact he had to cross this wooden bridge. Following behind Cupcake and Carnage, letting himself take up the rear of their trio.

His ears pinned back as he could still faintly hear the whispers that came from the depths of the cavern. Feeling the cold chill that seeped into his bones. It definitely didn’t feel right crossing this bridge. His eyes flicker downwards, seeing a fog below them that almost looked like a cushion below them. Shaking his head, knowing very well fog wouldn’t even do that and who even knows how far down that descent was. Letting out another, shaky, sigh. Thinking it was hard to not think about the void below them. Hearing the whispers from the darkness. Tempting him to jump in for power….huh? What kind of thoughts are those; was the immediate thought after that in Banjo’s head.

 He commented, “I can’t be the only one who is hearing things, right? I can’t be that paranoid?”

Cupcake looked at Banjo from where she was before she fully crossed the bridge as Banjo gripped about having to cross the bridge.

“Jus’ watch yer step!” She called back to him, before walking across. She looked down into the chasm below them once on the other side. Cupcake turned away from it once Carnage was across, giving him a smile.

“I’m all good,” she said, checking on The General, who had stayed in his basket to cross the whole bridge. She looked at Banjo at the mention of hearing things, and tilted her head to the side.

“Is that no’ normal?”

Carnage shook his head, looking over at Banjo and making sure he made it across safely before sighing with relief. “No, that ain’t supposed to be normal.” He uttered, glancing back at the chasm they had just crossed. It still weirded him out, faint words and wisps of sound licking up the edges of the stone.

“I think we should head on before any of us get any further into this…weird thing. We seem to be heading up to that opening there from here.” He pointed out, pointing up towards a path leading up to what seemed to be a narrow opening in the stone walls, a dim, flickering light coming from within the hole, like a torch or a candle lit somewhere amongst the caverns.

“Unless y’all need some more time to recuperate from that bridge?” he asked, looking over his travel companions for signs of unease or uncertainty.