A Failed Quest
Gift story for FA: Nommz :3
Nox raised his lantern high, illuminating the dark cave's smooth interior. It was rather difficult for him to make anything out, on account of the dim lantern and obstructing helmet. Really, the little bat was limited to seeing whatever was directly in front of him; anything above, below, or to the sides of the eye-slits in his helmet was blocked off. The helmet effectively nullified most of his senses. "It's just a dragon.. J-just a lizard. That's all they are. Lizards.." The bat shakily whispered to himself, as he made progress into the dark cave. Occasionally, he would trip over a rock, and nearly drop his only source of light. If -that- happened, he was certain that he'd wind up stuck, with no way out. It was far too dark for him to make his way back outside. "Oversized lizards, that's it.." The bat shivered, turning his helmet-clad head around, peering through the two small slits. For a brief moment, he thought he saw something moving. It was hard to tell; the old lantern had a habit of casting shadows. The deeper the bat ventured, the warmer the air seemed to get. He was sure he was getting close to the beast! Curiously enough, the air became heavier. A unique scent filtered in through the small holes in his helmet, designed for air to pass through. The scent was.. Musky! It was heady and seemed to stick to Nox's nose, making it so that was the only smell he could detect. Despite
everything, the scent wasn't altogether unpleasant. As a matter of fact, the little bat somewhat enjoyed it. It reminded him of well-worn leather boots, which he had a secret penchant for. Nox squinted, able to make out a large crater ahead. The smooth padding of the cave's floor seemed to dip and steadily decline, further down than the bat could see. Nox was beginning to waver in his determination, now. What if there was no end to the crater? He would tumble down, and- Everything shifted. Everything seemed to tilt backwards, causing Nox to fly forward into the pit. He soared for at least five fear-filled seconds, before he smacked into the floor of the crater. Much to Nox's surprise, the floor felt spongy; not at all what he expected. The addictive scent was stronger here, in this new space. The little armored bat scrambled to his feet and drew his sword, holding it out in front of him. Everything was pitch-black, now that he had lost his lantern. He was blind; unable to see anything, in the all consuming darkness. "Oh god.." Nox whined out, backing away with his sword held outwards. He could
hear a sliding noise, along the floor of the lair. He assumed it was the dragon himself. Before he could react, though, an immense weight descended down onto him, and forced him onto his back, keeping him pinned against the smooth cavern floor. He even sunk into the spongy and damp 'rock'. As seconds passed, Nox's iron helmet dented inwards, until it was touching his face. The same happened to his armor; it dented in, uncomfortably. The poor knight tried his best to squirm out from under the weight, but from what he could tell, it seemed to fill the entire cave. This must have been a new species of dragon. Whatever happened, the bat was determined to escape and slay the beast.. As soon as he was no longer pinned. ... Nommz wriggled his toes in his boot, and frowned. He felt a little bump in one of the toe-indents set in his worn footwear. It was hardly even noticeable, however, and was soon resolved with a firm press. "Much better..!" The dragon cheerfully quipped, as he leaned down and finished tying his laces. Nommz hopped up to his feet, grabbed his backpack, and casually strolled out of his cluttered dorm, and into the cold December air.