Sidd’s paw swallowed the princess’s hand. A wave of force blasted the princess’s hair back from her face and kicked up the dust on the field into a cloud. Sidd and the princess both vanished into the dust.

Everyone froze. Mouse stared, wide-eyed. Cel’s jaw dropped. In the distance, one of the newly-revived nobleladies toppled backwards once again. Gawain glanced at the noblelady, then threw herself backwards. Her legs didn’t cooperate, making her look more like an accomplished gymnast than a delicate fainted flower.

The dust cleared. Sidd stood frozen, hulking over a slender shape. Beneath him, the princess stood, unbowed, arms straight.

Startled, Sidd released her and staggered back a step. The princess glared after him. “Mind you don’t bite off more than you can chew, beast.”

With that, she turned on her heel and marched away, blood-red hair flying like a flag in the wind.

“Mouse! Pin him down!” Eleda shouted.

Mouse ran a step toward the retreating princess. “Could you—”

Half-turning, the princess lifted a dismissive eyebrow, then turned away again. She moved to the side of the nobleladies and stood there, straight-backed and elegant, careless for the struggle on the field but clearly expressing: If that man wants to harm these women, he has to come through me.

Dammit. Useless arrogant-ass dragons. Mouse glanced around. Something to pin Sidd…

Hair, like a flag. Flags. He turned upward, to the flags fluttering above. The rope was thin, but it was rope. Better than nothing.

Mouse ran at Sidd, teeth bared. Sidd rushed to meet him, blackened eye wide, black blood dripping from the empty socket. He opened his mouth wide. Saliva streamed from his jaw, mingling with the black blood. A disgusting gray sludge dripped past teeth sharp as knives.

Seconds before they collided, Mouse kicked off the stone and leaped over Sidd’s head. He landed on the beastfolk’s mane. His feet sunk into hair. Muscles shifted wildly beneath him as Sidd moved. The beastfolk shook himself. Mouse clung to his mane, pressed his feet against the man's shoulders, and held on for dear life.

The rope wobbled closer. He narrowed his eyes, waited for Sidd to stop, and leaped.

The moment his feet left Sidd's shoulders, Sidd whipped around to snap at him. Gaping maw below, rope above, Mouse reached with all his might. His first hand missed. He began to fall. Heart in his throat, he threw out his sword hand. The sword flashed, angling for the rope. Too late to change the trajectory, Mouse squeezed his eyes half shut as he reached, almost afraid to watch as his sword sliced toward the thin rope. Please don't cut it!

Rope bit into Mouse's hand. The sword pointed upward, grasped in the same hand but somehow, miraculously, not cutting the rope. His fingers cried out in pain, but he forced it back and grabbed on with his other hand.

Powerful thighs thrust Sidd into the air after Mouse. Mouse glanced down and caught a glimpse of claws and teeth angling for him. Adrenaline surged through Mouse's veins. He swung his legs up and wrapped them around the rope, hanging like a bear. The rope bounced under him, down, then up. Sidd's fangs snapped shut on the tail of his dress, bare inches below Mouse's flesh. He fell back to earth, dragging Mouse and the rope together. Mouse held on tight, heart racing. Lower and lower they fell. The rope frayed before his eyes, unable to take the combined weight of him and Sidd. Sidd hit the ground and continued to back away, chomping and shaking his head like a mad dog.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Fabric tore. The dress gave. Sidd fell free, a scrap of navy fabric clenched in his teeth and a growl on his lips.

"Haha, take that!" Mouse cheered.

Pulled down by Sidd, the flags snapped back up when he fell. Nearly thrown free, Mouse hung on for dear life as the rope jumped up, then down, then up again. On the third jump, the rope past his feet suddenly snapped.

There was only enough time to stare, wide-eyed, before he fell. Mouse swung down, back toward the dueling grounds. Mad smile still on his face, Sidd turned up, jaw wide, ready to snap up the falling moon elf.

Staring down at the teeth, looming large beneath him, Mouse’s stomach leaped into his throat. Shit, I didn’t think this through. He tensed and readied his sword for one last hopeless stand.

“Your Highness!” Cel thrust for Sidd’s heart from behind.

At the last second, Sidd flinched out of the way of her thrust, clearing Mouse's landing zone. Mouse fell to the dueling grounds and rolled upright, wrapping the rope around his arm as he did.

“Keep him busy!” Mouse ran, dragging the rope.

“Easy for you to say!” Cel complained.

The earth shuddered under Mouse’s feet. Each of Sidd’s footsteps rattled him like an earthquake. Claws raked at his back. He flinched out of the way, but one of the claws snagged the top of the corset. Yanked backward, Mouse staggered, twisted free and raced onward. “Cel!”

“Dammit, I’m trying!” Cel sprinted after Sidd. She lunged for his back.

Sidd twisted his shoulders and ducked the blow without slowing a step.

“Immobilize him! Hurry!” Eleda screamed.

Mouse grit his teeth. The last of the rope came up, dangling from a pole. He yanked on the rope to tighten it, then slashed through it. Underfoot, the edge of the solid stone dueling platform fell away, replaced with hardpacked earth.

“Watch out!” he shouted, barrelling at the bundle of nobleladies.

Brightly-colored dresses fled in all directions. Some of the fainted ladies suddenly revived to sprint away. The demoness chased after them, hefting her skirts, while the dragon princess stood slightly to the side, arms crossed, daring them to draw too close.

Gawain blinked and hefted herself upright. “Eh? What’s going on?”

“Hold this!” Mouse tossed her one end of the rope as he ran by.

Gawain caught it. She looked down at the rope, then back up at Mouse and Sidd. They flashed by, neither giving her a moment’s glance. Craning her neck, she watched the other nobleladies flee. Gawain kicked. “Let’s get out of here!”

“Which way?” her skirts asked.

“I don’t care, just run!”

Grumbling, Gawain’s legs took off. Gawain trailed after, bucking back from the speed of the run. “Hey! Careful!”

Mouse watched her run from the corner of his eye. When she was far enough away and the rope almost spooled out, he threw himself to the side. The rope drew taut between him and Gawain. In the distance, Gawain jolted to a halt.

Sidd slammed into the rope. Rather than trip him, like Mouse hoped, he charged through the rope. Mouse dug his heels in and staggered a step or two, but then Sidd put on an extra turn of speed. He tripped and fell, thumping into the dirt.

Gawain slammed into Mouse. They tumbled over the dirt, dragged after Sidd. The goblin in the lower half of her skirts tangled with Mouse’s legs, while Gawain clung directly to his body with yellowed talons. Kicking, Gawain fought free of her dress. It tumbled away over the hardpacked earth, trailing dust. In only her underclothes, she climbed onto Mouse's chest, clinging with toes and fingers like a baby squirrel. Back rubbed raw where it dragged against the ground, head dancing with sparks and pain as it bumped over stones, Mouse shoved at her, displeased with the extra weight. He might as well have shoved a boulder. Gawain was immovable.

Sidd drew to a halt. He turned and growled, eyes lit at the sight of his prey tumbling behind him. The rope slacked, but caught on his belt.

Shit! Mouse struggled against Gawain. Wide-eyed like a caught deer, she clung to him with all her might, frozen stiff from fright. “Let go!”

A rock thumped against the side of Sidd’s head. “Over here, asshole!”

Snarling, Sidd turned toward Cel. She bent and hefted another rock. Before it could strike, Sidd lowered his head and charged again. Mouse and Gawain bumped along after him, along for the ride.

Mouse fought Gawain, but her grip was tight and her nails, sharp. Clambering higher onto his chest, Gawain glared directly into his face. “What the hell was that for?”

“I was… I wanted to trip Sidd,” Mouse explained. He pushed at her, annoyed. She ignored him.

Sidd turned, lunging after Cel. The rope cut into Mouse's arm where he'd wound it for a better grip. Burning from the friction, his arm twitched as it drew tighter. His hand tingled, fingertips slightly purple. Mouse pulled at the rope, but couldn’t get his fingers under it. Dammit, I’m stuck!

Careless of his plight, Gawain shook her head. “You idiot. Think you can trip a beastfolk like this? Watch the master.”