Rain poured down from the heavens.
Ash stepped over a tree root. He pushed a branch to the side as he walked through the water soaked woods.
“I don’t see anything.” Ash shouted to no one in particular.
The boy held a rain slicker over his head. Another one was draped over his shoulders. There were holes in each of them. Ash kept shifting the slickers to try and make the coverage line up.
“Let’s keep going.” Luke yelled from behind him.
Luke was carrying Ave on his back with his hands under her legs. Just like Ash they were covered with a patchwork collection of slickers. Ave held a tattered slicker out over Luke’s head with her arms. She made sure to leave enough room for Eins who was sitting on Luke’s shoulder under the sheet.
“There has to be a road around her somewhere.” Luke hoped.
“Should we turn around?” Ash looked back at the twisted woods around them. The forest was filled with primeval trees. Thick bushes and creepers covered the ground. Rain dripped off of the canopy of leaves into muddy pools of water below.
Ash shifted his slicker again. “We could spend the night in the Dungeon.”
Luke stopped walking under a nearby tree. Ave shook some of the water off of the slicker.
“The rain is coming down hard.” Ave said. “The Dungeon is probably flooded by now.”
Luke looked up. “If only we could see the sky. We need to find a village or something. Ave needs medical attention.”
“I hope we find someplace to shelter soon.” Eins whined as the dog crouched on top of Luke’s shoulder. “This rain is going to give me a chill. My fur is starting to get wet.”
“Are you sure you want to come with us?” Ave said as she readjusted the slicker over their heads.
“I would feel really bad if after wandering into a hidden section of the donjon, being chased by a monster, and then avoiding all those traps, you died from falling into a mud puddle in the rain. I atleast want to make sure that you all find some shelter.” said Eins.
Luke sniffled. “Can you use magic? Can you summon things? Maybe you could summon us some shelter?”
“No… I can’t really do that. Gods can’t use magic the same way that humans can.” Eins shivered. “I know! I’ll dig you a hole. You can use it for shelter.”
Eins leapt down off of Luke’s shoulder. The dog started rapidly digging in the wet earth. Mud splattered across Ash and Luke’s legs. After a few seconds Eins was panting from the effort and sitting in a six centimeter deep pit. As Eins sat there the depression quickly filled with rainwater. Eins frowned at the muddy water.
“Oh… I know! I’ll light you a fire. Then you can dry your clothes.”
Eins scampered over to a bunch of wet leaves that were sitting on the ground. Eins pushed the leaves together into a pile, then breathed out a tiny breath of flame onto the pile. The leaves sizzled, then extinguished. Eins tried again. The damp kindling stubbornly refused to light.
“Ah, I see… I know! I’ll use my keen sense of smell to guide you out of these woods. Follow me!”
The confident canine pointed their snout into the air.
*Sniff*Sniff*
Eins turned in a circle.
*Sniff*Sniiff*
Eins paced to the left, then to the right, then back to the starting position.
*Sniff*Snnniiifff*
Raindrops splashed directly into Eins’ nose. The dog yelped and rolled on the ground trying to clear its sinus cavities. Eventually Eins gave up and laid down. Mucus leaked out of the dog’s soggy snout. Eins sniffled.
“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever seen.” said Ash.
“What was that?” Eins whimpered.
“I said I love the smell of wet dog.” Ash said louder.
“I’m sorry. I’m not a real dog. I mean, I am, it’s what I look like, but it’s not what I am. Not really, not exactly.”
“Oh no. I believe you. Real dogs are friendly, and loyal, and they don’t lead us into dangerous monster infested Dungeons.” Ash grumbled.
“That was a miscommunication. I told you I thought you were adventurers.”
“Well we’re not. Not really, not exactly. Get it?” Ash complained.
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“I get it. Real adventurers would be so poorly prepared. ‘Real’ adventurers wouldn’t get lost in the woods.” Eins barked.
Ash gripped the edges of his rain slicker. “Some god you turned out to be. You’re nothing more than a complete waste of-”
“Ash, that’s enough.” said Luke.
Ash stopped. He stared at the ground. Eins shivered in the mud. Rain fell around them in an endless torrent.
Ash tromped over and picked Eins up. He placed the dog back on Luke’s shoulder. Mud dribbled down Luke’s shirt.
“Watch what you’re doing. You made a mess.” said Eins.
“I made a mess!?” Ash blurted.
“And look at that. Now Luke’s face is all wet again. Wait no. *Lick*Lick* These are tears. Look at what you’ve done. You made Luke cry.”
“Luke are you alright?” Ave asked from over Luke’s shoulder.
“Yeah. Sorry. It’s just…” Luke paused. “I used to have a dog. His name was Skips. My father got him for me as a gift. I think. He might have won him in a poker game. But then I had to leave, and I went to the Capital, and all these things happened, and then I came back and he was dead, and it’s all hitting me right now.”
Luke stood perfectly still in the rain. Water dripped down his face from the holes in the rain slick covering.
Eins chewed a paw.
Ave shook the rain slicker.
Ash shifted his feet.
“Why don’t I carry Eins for a little bit?” Ash offered.
Luke didn’t say anything. Ash reached over and picked the dog up off of Luke’s shoulder. He put Eins under his arm. Ash pulled his mismatched rain slickers tighter and tried to keep the holes from moving too much.
“Let’s… let’s keep moving. There has to be a road around here somewhere.” Ash started walking again.
Rain poured down from the dark clouds overhead.
#
“...hhhnnn…”
Ash stopped. Ein’s ears perked up from underneath the slicker. Ash scanned the woods around them.
*In the distance* “...hhhnnn…”
The two of them stared into the dark sheet of rain that masked the forest.
In between the raindrops they could barely make out the shape of a creature coming towards them. It had a large bulky body. As it moved through the bushes a long flexible tail curled back and forth. As the tail moved they could see it had a pointed tip.
“No way!” Ash exclaimed.
“It’s still alive!?” Eins questioned.
“What? What’s going on? What’s still alive?” Ave tried to peek past Luke’s shoulder.
“It’s the Manticore. I think it crawled out of the pit.” Ash said.
“No way.” Ave said.
“That’s what I said.” Ash assented.
*Through the rain* “...hhhnnn… …hhhnnnKKK…”
The dark shape began shaking violently. It moved closer to the group.
“Let’s get out of here!” Ash shouted.
He turned and ran.
Ash stopped and looked back. “Luke!” He hollered.
“Huh?” Luke shook his head.
“The monster is back. We need to go.”
“Right.” Luke shifted his grip to make sure Ave was secure. Then he started to run.
Rain hammered down from the angry skies.
#
*Crunch*Crack*
The group pushed their way through a tangle of undergrowth.
“Is it still behind us?” Luke asked.
Ash spun around. He had dropped some of the rain slickers he was using. Water matted his hair to his face.
“I can’t see anything. Maybe it’s gone.” Ash prayed.
“Hhhhhhnnnnnn… HHHNNNKK”
The booming noise echoed through the woods around them.
“Where is that coming from?” Ash spun in place.
“I don’t like how close that sounded.” Luke feared.
“Does anyone else taste copper?” Eins licked the air.
*Crack-a-THOOM*
Lightning lanced overhead. There was an *Explosion* of wooden splinters as a tree was blasted by the thunderbolt.
“What is happening?” Luke screamed.
“I think the woods are trying to kill us!” Ash cried out.
Eins shook Ash’s face between its paws. “No more talking. Just run!”
Ash and Luke started sprinting through the woods with their respective passengers.
*Kaboom*
Another tree exploded.
*Hiss-fizzle*
An unknown green substance melted the branch off of a different tree.
Something *Shattered* close by.
A thick acrid smoke curled across the ground.
The group continued their escape.
#
With a *Crash* of twigs and leaves Ash and Luke smashed their way through the abrupt end of the treeline. A large clearing of grassland stretched out around them. They collapsed onto their knees. Ash panted for air. Luke looked back into the woods.
“I don’t see it. Maybe we got away?” Luke said. He scanned the trees for any sign of movement.
“Ahem”
Ash and Luke turned. In the dim halflight of the rainstorm a figure was silhouetted against the sky. The figure menacingly pointed a long stick at the group with the promise of explicit accusation.
“What are you doing in my woods?”