It felt impossible what he was seeing. One moment, he was running away from a blinding flash of light in a water reservoir, the next, he was face-to-face with something extraordinary. This is it! His past failing in the campaign didn’t matter anymore, he had something to bring back now.

He walked up to the brazier; the object held by a statue so corroded that he could barely make out anything about it. A large Dungeon Courser with something on its back. Hunter could only assume it was the Courser’s pet, whatever it was.

The brazier, black metal in a cage-like cup shape that burned with a fire that shouldn’t still spit embers. It was magical. Hunter knew it. Hunter also knew that if he brought this home with him, someone would take him seriously, right?

Hunter strutted over to the statue, Noctus leaping off his back and landing on the head of the courser statue head. Noctus gave his master a soft hoot of acknowledgment, like the owl was congratulating him for his first successful dungeon expedition, a time to celebrate.

“My first treasure, the first in a long hoard of treasures I’ll bring home from my adventures.” Hunter grinned from ear to ear. Oh, perhaps it wasn’t as epic as he imagined, but it was something! He leaned in and grasped the handle of the brazier in his teeth to pull it out- …but it didn’t budge. Hunter yanked again, but it still didn’t budge from the statue’s grip.

Hunter snorted, clearing his throat as he tried from another angle. “Now, I’ll take it!” Hunter said as he tried again, but it still didn’t come loose. Hunter frowned, yanking again and again, but it wouldn’t come off. “I said I’ll take it!” Noctus watched casually, taking a moment to preen his wing. “Gods damn this statue!” Hunter stomped his hooves as he tried to pry it free from the statue’s grasp.

With a loud whinny of anger, Hunter grabbed the wrist of the statue and tried to hit it with his hoof to get it to let go. “Let go-!” Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the tunnel and Hunter flung himself back with the force of his tug. Hunter tumbled, and after a moment of dazed confusion, looked at Noctus in surprise. The owl ruffled his feathers, staring at the stallion with surprise. Hunter then noticed the arm of the statue courser’s pet broke off.

In Hunter’s mouth, the rest of the stone arm, and the magical brazier. Hunter scrambled to his feet, dusting himself off with his tail. “I meant to do that.” He said, brushing off the embarrassment.