Josie startled as the cobblestone she’d just stepped on inexplicably gave way, sinking into the ground a little and causing a brief grinding sound, like some kind of stone mechanism had just been activated.

“...What do you think that was, Terrence?” She asked, just a moment before a jet of flames was unleashed from a vent in the floor, and she jumped back. 

“A trap,” Terrence replied surreptitiously, flourishing his tail. “No matter. The flames are only intermittent. With correct timing, this is scarcely an obstacle at all for a Courser such as myself.” 

“...And what about me?” Josie asked. Terrence paused, tilting his head at her. For a brief moment, his brow furrowed with something like concern, but then all at once his confident bluster returned. 

“There should be a way to deactivate the trap on the other side of the vents. I will disarm it so you can cross safely.” He declared. Josie looked down the passageway, across the flame traps, to the other side. She hoped Terrence knew what he was talking about.

“Okay,” She said. “Sounds like a plan.”

Terrence nodded, giving her an arrogant smirk, and then started on his way down the trapped passageway. His timing was impeccable. He leapt and dove over and around the jets of flame to stand and wait a moment on a safe spot before charging forwards again. Soon he was across to the other side, without incident. 

Sure enough, Terrence found and tapped on another disguised cobblestone button, and the flame trap abruptly went out, curls of smoke wafting from the vents. Josie waited a moment to be sure the trap was really deactivated, and then crossed over to join Terrence. 

“That was very impressive.” She said. Terrence puffed out his chest.

“Wasn’t it?”