In Sable’s defense, they didn’t really NEED to keep an eye on the pathway. The low-level dungeon had so far been pretty simple, one major hallway with a few early (and empty) rooms, plus Trout 2 was on the lookout for anything interesting. Except the featherbrain had apparently decided to take a nap on the job, which lead to Sable nearly walking face first into a giant boulder in the pathway. Sable dropped their pack to the ground before berating the osprey.

“Trout 2, you gotta tell me about things like this! How are we gonna become a top tier dungeon team if you don’t even warn me when I’m about to walk into a wall?” Sable huffed at the bird, perched on top of the boulder. Trout 2 looked at the courser for a good few seconds before turning his head around to preen his feathers. 



“Oh sure, pay no mind to your OWNER. We’ll just see who gets fish bites later.” Sable huffed before sniffing at the large rock.

Wait. Something wasn’t quite right…

Sable knocked one hoof against the large obstruction, surprised when there was a hollow knocking sound instead of the expected thunk. What in the world…

Sable trotted first one way, which yielded no answers, then the other, whereupon he discovered… a snail head.

The courser rolled his eyes and groaned under his breath. Invertebrates. He couldn’t just. Attack this snail, giant snails were important to the dungeon ecosystem as Casper often told him or something. To be entirely honest, Sable didn’t pay much attention when he started talking about that stuff, but he would feel bad killing the simple creature for just being in the way.

Sable sighed and paced back around to the side to look up at Trout 2.

Trout 2 looked down at her as if to say ‘just grow a pair of wings genius’.

Some birds are just so ungrateful.

Sable looked back over their shoulder, would it be worth just calling it a failed dive and returning to the surface? Or was there another way…?

Slowly the courser backed up the hallway…

Before putting on a burst of speed and launching himself at the top of the snail! Trout 2 shrieked at the oncoming pair of hooves, flapping away further down the passageway. Sable caught his front hooves over the top of the shell and kicked and scrabbled his way the rest of the way over, falling in a heap on the other side.

Good thing there was a thick pile of cave moss! He shook himself clean again before standing up. Ha! Pure grit can accomplish anything!

Though something seemed off…

Sable twisted one way then the other.

He had left his pack on the other side of the snail.

Great.