Several failed attempts later Leo managed to bounded off the edge of the canyon wall, just past the burnt bridge on the other side.
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This forest was charming, its twisted trees that grew out of the dead gray crumbling earth, had interesting roots that wrapped around their trunks. Tan dry leafs covered the ground. Almost like of mama's cave. He breathed in deep. The only only place more homey were the human cripts, some were hard to get into though.
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It was quiet here, guess the birds and animals were hiding. A strong perfume of rotten flesh lingered in the air. He smiled.
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Wandering around, he went deeper into the forest, at its center it was dryer with dead brown grasses that crackled under paw. A charred earthen spot stuck out amid the grasses.
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A faint human scent puffed up. The char scent helped cover it up some. He breathed through his mouth.
Kicking some of the ashes, they twirled slowly above before getting sucked into the mid air. What the?
He kicked the ashes again, this time the air above the charred spot shimmered.
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Poking at it with an outstretched claw the area rippled with waves, he picked up a pebble tossing it at it.
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The pebble vanished and there was a little pop. Well, now. Sticking his paw in did the same, it to vanished.
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Only one thing to do. He stuck his head through the portal. Then pulled all the way through.
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A dust devil hit into him spinning into the air and him with it. The impish wind dumped him over a dried up lake bed. The fun ride disappeared as fast as it came, he landed hard on his rump. What joys next?
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"Ooof!"
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Lighting cracked in the sky and zaped the ground only hundred feet away. Scrambling, he swerved away from another one and took off running. While fun, lighting did hurt.
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It was hard to tell distance in this fascinating land, were lighting lit up the sky and streaked down at whim, the last bolt lit up the silhouette blob ahead showing the lines of a large mansion with a skywalk between.
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He scrached an ear.
It was a strong compulsion to go through that portal and now again with the mansion. Was Rotserc guiding him? Hard to tell as the deity was shy and worked unseen.
Opening the large wooden door inside bustling robed humans buzzed about whispering to themselves and passing into and out of several archways.
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One of them spotted him. Took them long enough.
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"Screeech, monster!"
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"Where? What monster?"
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He turned around and looked back to find the robed humans all running at him weapons gleaming. Oh.
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Leo grabbed the first one buy its wrist, and tossed him out the door, sending him flying past the horizon, a little too much effort there, hope he's not dead.
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Their little curved daggers poke and sting.
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"That is enough!"
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He wrapped his arms around all of them with a crunch, they fell in a heap. What are they made of glass? Perhaps a more gentle touch—
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A brown eyed man that was by the doorway raced back into it.
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"Hey, wait get back here! I didn't mean to!"
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The brown eyed human flailed his arms in the air around wildly.
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"Monster! Big ugly monster! Get AWAY!"
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"Ugly? I'm not ugly, at least I don't stink and look like rotten fish guts!"
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The insane human ran even faster for some odd reason, leo was unable to stop in time when the door slammed on his nose.
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"Yeoouch!"
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Grumbling he turned the handle and gently tugged and the flimsy thing pulled right out of the wall. He tossed it to the side where it clattered. The human looked at him bug eyed.
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"Sorry."
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He walked over palms up. The humans robe flapped about his feet as he raced down a stairwell into its homey darkness.
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"Master, Master we have a problem, a big problem! Let me in!"
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There was frantic pounding on a door below, at this rate would anyone just listen?
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At the bottom a large beautifully decorated cellar with cobwebs in every corner, old fashioned candles along the walls gave things a warm glow.
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Shiny hatchets, knives and the like scattered on cracked tables. It looked just like mom's, these humans weren't so bad except for being flighty-bigeity.
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The door swung open the blinding light flooded the room.
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"What is it? I'm trying to sleep!"
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The hooded human pointed a shaking finger towards him from behind the other man.
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The man turned to look at him, his eyebrows raised.
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"And what might you be? humm?"
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"I be .. am a—"
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"No, you are a problem that is what you are. I dislike problems, they tend to be messy."
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He begin pacing.
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"And messes need to be cleaned up, yes .."
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He spun around both arms straight out in-front of him with fingers spread, bubbles foamed from the tips and a wall of them straight towards him.
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"That's the best you can do? Bubbles?"
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He reached out with a claw poking one, it popped coating his fur with a thick goo that encased his body. He glared at the man.
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"You would do well not to barge into people's homes, monster. I think I'll sell you as a serf. " He circled him while talking.
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"Yes, you a strong, not too bright the price you'll fetch should pay for the damages."
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He chanted again, Leo flew backwards further into the basement. He stopped moving for a moment, a creek from behind and then shoved into a large cage. Paralyized! The man closed the door, then locked it.
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As his eyes adjusted to the dark, in front about ten feet away a figure lay on a wooden table covered in rough bandages. From the injuries it was impossible to tell if male or female.
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Strange flat devices along the wall lit up and pulsed a large energy globe at its center sent out small electric bolts that covered the devices whenever they dimmed.
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The man came over. "I'll deal with you tomorrow. I could kill you now, but I think you understand the stupidity of your actions now, hmm?"
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The man went back to the lit room
and closed the door.
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####
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That next morning he woke up to a clanging.
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"Pick that and be more careful, the master will irked if we don't hurry."
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The brown eyed man puts the knife onto a small table near by.
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The other with the black curly hair unwrapped the bandages from the figures side.
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"Get me the salve."
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The brown eyed man handed it to him from a small shelf above.
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The black haired man smeared it on the figures side, the other man handed him clean bandages, and helps to wrap them.
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Reaching over the body, he twisted, and turned several dials. The lights blinked faster lighting up.
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"Health is still low."
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"Will this work will this-"
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He smacked the other man on the shoulder.
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"Quiet, the monster can still hear!"
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He went over a wall to the left of the devices taking down a pair of shackles, then came over.
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After opening the cage he snapped them on.
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The black haired man pulled on the center of the cuffs leading him back outside where a horse and cart were waiting.
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"Wait here or I'll set your fur on fire."
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He nodded.
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A cellar door on the side was blown open by the winds, the man went over and closed it. Then he came back and brought him closer to the cart.
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On it was an even larger cage than the last. Leo collapsed, and landed at the man's putrid feet, oh that smelling should come back now! He gagged and rolled, it was good to move again. He sat up and growled.
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The man's expression hadn't changed from the flatness of before, he should be running away by now.
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"Go on, climb up." He pointed at the cage, and clapped his hands twice in sharp succession.
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He stood and stared at him, the arrogance of this squishy human!
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"How, about no."
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He ran at him with his cuffed paws clasped together into a fist, not much could stand it once he started beating on it, be it man or stone. As he came right up to him the woman's scent came through the cellar doors.
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She's here! He pounded on the man and bumped him forward, before he could react, he bumped him again right on top of the cellar doors.
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Leo jumped up and down on the man, the door started to splinter and crack.
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"Crazy creature we will fall, stop this now!" The man's eyes bugged out when he jumped on him again.
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"That's the idea, human!"
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The door made a lovely moaning sound, it reminded him of home somehow. One more should do it.
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The brown eyed man cane running out his brown hair wild and eyes red rimmed, he dragged a large sword behind him.
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"You-y-y-you get off of him!" He tried to lift it up, but he could only lift it partway with his arms wobbling.
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"Don't bother Mr. pip-squeak. Shoo."
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He ignored him and jumped up high.
The black haired man's eyes bugged out even more. If that was even possible! He started to roll away.
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Ha-ha too late, he fell down back into the basement and cracked his head on a wooden support beam, dust rained down.
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"Ha-Choo!"
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The black haired man tumbled in after and landed on his stomach groaning.
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This place is huge, where was she, what way to go?
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"Monster when I get out from behind here I'm going to turn you into a damn statue, and throw you off a cliff!
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He punched the rubble, and threw a stone at him.
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Remember my name: Maxwell. My voice will be the last one you hear!"
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Maxwell got up, spreading his hands apart; chanting.
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Whatever it was, it wasn't good. He spun around and ran straight head on into a support beam, it started to crack.
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Maxwell continued chanting unfazed.
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When separating his hands, an arcane shard glistened between them.
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He glared at him. "Escape this." Then moved his hands forward flinging the shard.
#####
This took longer then expected as Leo is a tricky character to do. I hope you enjoyed it.
