Had that crack always been there? Rukbat squinted at the deep crevasse that stretched out before him. Maybe it had, maybe it hadn’t. The only constant about the dungeon was change, after all. Paths altered by strange magic or simply the machinations of large creatures going about their business. Well, either way, he wasn’t going to turn back for something as simple as a gash in the ground. Especially not when there seemed to already be a bridge laid out for crossing. Rukbat stomped a hind foot, signaling for Deadeye to take to the air. He tossed his head in the direction of the path beyond, and the eagle soared effortlessly beyond. He disappeared down a tunnel and returned about a minute later, screeching the sound he’d been trained to make to signal a fruitful area ripe with treasure and resources. Excellent. Now for the easy part…

At first, Rukbat’s steps seemed to find the bridge firm and unyielding. By the time his full weight was on it, however, his footing shifted. It only took a split second for him to realize that it wasn’t due to any sort of structural insufficiency on the bridge’s part. No, the surface beneath him twisted and arched organically. Like it was alive. His first instinct was to rear, and his front hooves hopped a few inches into the air, but he stopped himself. He was too far onto the “bridge” to safely jump back to where he’d come. And besides, there was treasure on the other side…

Rukbat attempted to spread his hooves out and lower his center of gravity, but his joints refused to move that way. Now, it was apparent what was actually moving beneath him. It was no bridge, but a huge millipede, woken from its strange slumber. Rukbat gritted his teeth. It was cross, or get thrown into the chasm by a bucking bug. A bug that would probably eat him if he fell and died down there. The carapace beneath him arched, and he quickly unsheathed his sword and rammed it into the millipede’s back. At least now he had an anchor point. The bug went rigid for a moment, perhaps in pain, before its whole body arched like a valley. Now was his chance. He pulled the sword out and began to canter forward, using the downward slope to build up speed. As he reached its nadir and began to ascend, the millipede began to arch upward. With all the speed he’d attained and the momentum of the insect’s movement, Rukbat launched himself up and forward. Time flowed slowly as he soared, until he abruptly landed on the hard earth of the other side. His hooves skidded for purchase and he nearly slipped, but managed to right himself and keep his footing. Now free of its pesky passenger, the millipede began to scuttle along the inner wall of the chasm and descended beyond sight.

Rukbat’s sides heaved and his nostrils flared as he paused to catch his breath. Well. That was certainly exhilarating, wasn’t it? It would be quite the story for Auriga when he returned. As his breath began to slow, he attempted to sheathe his sword, but paused. Ew. It dripped with bug blood. He snorted in disgust and strode to one of the cavern walls, where a thick pad of moss and ivy hung down to his level. He wiped the sword several times on the moss until it came back clean enough. It’d have to do for now. Maybe he’d find an untainted weapon in whatever stash Deadeye had found.