[DD1] Don't burn bridges behind you... They might have thousands of legs
A deep crack in the cave floor poses an obstacle. A convenient bridge seems to be laid out before you, but when you step on it to cross, it begins to move underneath your hooves! Thousands of legs undulate on either side of a gigantic millipede that you have disturbed. Can you ride this bronco to the other side?
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Strong legs moved her body as she continued wandering through the cave, deep brown eyes scanning her surroundings as she walked. Today’s reason for visiting the dungeon was simple – to satisfy her own curiosity and ease the Ruined Kingdom’s call in her heart… and bring a gift back for Hillcrest, maybe. Yeah, they definitely deserved that – it might’ve been some time since they found Cithis and the older Courser accepted her into their home, going as far as they could now call each other family… as siblings, bond as strong as if they were from the same mother, but Cithis could still remember how many headaches she gave the black tobiano steed, how her various, teenager-like mood swings got under Hillcrest’s piebald skin. A soft, chuckling neigh left her muzzle at the memory. Ah, she has to bring them something nice, if not from this dive, then from another. But maybe the best gift would be going to the dungeon together… ah, she’ll ask after she gets back.
Cithis was so deep in her thoughts, that only when suddenly one of her hooves almost slipped on the edge of the deep crack, making smaller pieces of pebble fall down into the darkness, was when she suddenly awoke from her daydreaming. The mare let out a loud neigh, quickly taking a step back – the very convenient bridge was just beside, and she still had to miss it… that could only be her luck. Stretching out her muscles, Cithis adjusted the grip on her lantern – her first gift from Hillcrest, actually, as she was one of the Coursers that couldn’t resist the call of the dungeon, one that they gave her a few months after they started living and traveling together – getting ready to cross the bridge. Completely unaware, she took her first steps onto the seemingly safe, and oh so very convenient bridge… when it began to move.
The mare froze in fea- no, she wasn’t like that, and that might be not even the weirdest thing in the Ruined Kingdom, that’s for sure. But she was certainly caught off-guard, her chocolate eyes widening as she leaned closer to the edge, only to notice hundreds… thousands of legs, and she turned to look to the other side – yeah, the same case here. Looking behind herself – the gigantic millipede has already walked away from the edge from where Cithis boarded the unconventional bridge-transport method hybrid, that was the millipede, and there was no way to make the jump…
Well… she had to get to the other side anyways, yeah?
Cithis took careful, gentle steps forward, trying to match the millipede’s pace so she wouldn’t suddenly jump in air from a sudden bump on the road (although it certainly wasn’t an easy task). Arriving at the, presumably, head of the millipede, she scanned the surroundings; dark, cold and with some vines growing here and there – definitely a cave if she’s ever seen one, that’s for sure. She looked forward again and sighed in relief, it seemed the unconventional method of transportation walked in a straight line, and the Courser could only hope they’d arrive at some kind of stop, at last.
- You do this often? – Cithis placed down the lantern between her front hooves, making sure it stayed tightly between them and wouldn’t slip during the move, and spoke out. Minutes passed, but she hasn’t received an answer… Well, she couldn’t see any… failed adventurers down in the deep crack, so it seemed the millipede was at least neutral enough to help any horse that came there searching for a bridge, or some of them just turned back, whenever the millipede was over on the other side… She had to ask Hillcrest after she gets back home, they were fascinated about the dungeons, and surely knew everything about it… at least she hoped so. Maybe they also knew about the millipede transport?
Finally, she could see the edge ahead of them and grabbed her lantern again. The millipede slowed down and gently bumped their side against the cliff, stilling. After Cithis made sure the huge bug wouldn’t try to suddenly rub and scratch its side against the harsh stones, she carefully but quickly moved her hooves, finally standing on stable ground and sighed loudly in relief. She survived it… heavens above, she survived it!
The Courser turned around, gazing at the millipede staying still, as if silently promising her it’d still be here when she’ll be coming back this way.
- Thank you! – Cithis mumbled through the metal handle of the lantern she held with her teeth. – I’ll bring you a gift, too! – and with a grin on her muzzle, she gave the millipede one last glance, before walking further into the cave corridors. Now not only she had to find an appropriate gift for Hillcrest, she had to gift something to her little cave helper, too.
[DD1] Don't burn bridges behind you... They might have thousands of legs
Submitted By vrlenvy
for Level 1 Dungeon Dive
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Submitted: 2 months ago ・
Last Updated: 2 months ago