DAN AND MADS' AMAZING ADVENTURE
PART TWO

[Finding out where the stone was hasn't been hard at all, mostly because apparently the man holding it, Lord Grantham Glowerbliss, is an idiot. He's been bragging about it, saying he recently acquired a goods that's going to give him richness beyond measure, some sort of magical item that's going to make him the richest, most powerful lord of the land. When you put out that kind of word, the only thing one has to do to find out what you're about is listen.

The inn where Daniel, his sister and their fairy travel companion have decided to stay for the night is noisy, smelly and chaotic, but it was the only one with a female inn-keeper, and so the only one they could maybe hope to get a room in without any money to pay for it. The moment they arrived, Madison instantly started to flirt with the woman, and though she seemed amused but not really interested, Madison told them to have faith and sent them for a stroll while she took care of the problem.

Daniel decided he could use the last of his money to get some good magical upgrade for his sword, so he took Mel for a walk. His sister told him to keep the leash on him in case there was too much crowd in the city, because if he lost him he wouldn't have had a way to find him, so Daniel's been walking Mel around for hours as they visited the market and stopped to examine all sort of weird items they could find, with Daniel explaining things to Mel without even wondering if Mel already knew them or not.

They've been to a magician who's specialized in upgrading weapons, and Daniel got his new sword, the Sword of Ice and Fire, with a blade that glows red hot or icy blue according to the feelings of the knight who wields it.

When they get back to the inn, Madison's seemingly disappeared, but there's a room waiting for them, and Daniel takes Mel there and invites him to get comfortable and relax. In the room there's a double bed and a single one, and Daniel automatically takes the double, thinking he's going to share it with Madison, and starts taking off his armor.

Walking around with Daniel has been easier than Mel thought it would be. Sure, he didn't manage to get one single word through that huddled brain of his, but Daniel is so naturally well-disposed towards the world, that he's got no real need for conversation. He talked a lot, asked questions without waiting for an answer, knowing that he couldn't get one, and just assumed Mel wanted an explanation for everything they saw as, probably, he himself would have wanted. As long as he doesn't need to receive orders, Daniel is a pretty decent companion for a walk. But now they are in a room, and there's nothing to point at that could start an endless explanation on Daniel's part, and therefore not much to do except sitting down on the single bed.]

Daniel: So. *Since he doesn't feel at ease enough remaining in perfect silence with Mel because the fact reminds him that Mel can't speak to him because he's too thick, as he undresses - taking off one piece of the armor after the other - he tries to come up with some conversation topic, something easy and simple Mel can answer without talking* Must be hard be all alone out in the big wild world, huh? Is it scary?

Mel: *He shrugs a little with his tiny shoulders, as to say that no, it's not all fun and games but, you know, a little elf’s got to do what a little elf’s got to do.*

Daniel: Really? *smiles, amused, and then takes off his shirt, because the room is pretty tiny and hot* So you're a brave one. *He sits down on the bed, facing Mel and relaxing his muscles as he leans back on his elbows* You don't miss your family?

Mel: *Nods quickly. If the intensity of his nodding is of any indication, he must miss them a lot.*

Daniel: Ow. Sorry to hear about that, kid. Are you close? With your family, I mean.

Mel: *Nods again. And then points at Daniel.*

Daniel: Me? *smiles. He might not be the smartest guy around, but he's not a complete idiot either.* Yeah, we're pretty close. Or at least, I guess, we were. Haven't seen my mother in a year or so, but that's because Mads and I travel a lot. We try and make it back whenever we can, but that doesn’t happen often. You know how it is when you've gotta follow in your father's steps. *smiles sweetly*

Mel: *He frowns and his frown clearly speaks of a land where no steps of fathers are ever followed.*

Daniel: You don't know what that means? *He's a little surprised and he straightens up, leaning towards him. Being the room so small, there's not much space between one bed and the other. Their knees rub every time one of them moves.* Well, my dad was a Paladin, like me. He was a hero of the land. There are legends that tell about his adventures, maybe you've heard some of them. He was known as Marcus of the Dragons, because he had once, on his own, freed the province of Maistral from the dragons plaguing it.

Mel: *He looks at him with big eyes full of awe and admiration. The mental image of this man vaguely resembling an older Daniel who rides a horse in his shining armor, charging a big, bad, fire-spitting dragon is exciting and so romantic! ...But he's never heard about the man in all his life, so he shakes his head.*

Daniel: Ow. *He looks down, a little disappointed. If he was a dog, he'd be yipping and his ears would be going down, right now.* Well, in any case... he was the best person I've ever known. Great dad, too. I mean, obviously he wasn't at home much, having to travel the world and whatnot, but he was always there when it counted. He trained both me and Mads. *He smiles tenderly at the memory* You know, he couldn't have trained Mads. She wasn't supposed to be raised as a fighter. Since she's a girl, and daughter of a proper lord, she was supposed to become a proper lady, and to be raised as such. But... well, you've seen my sister. *he chuckles*

Mel: *he chuckles, and it's a cute little sound. He makes a playfully angry face and salutes, bringing his hand to his forehead.*

Daniel: Yes! *He's amused and also pretty much enthusiastic that he got such a funny response out of him. That little sound that came out of Mel's lips when he laughed was adorable, too, sounded like such sweet little chime it was almost enticing* And my dad got her, you know, he really got her. So, while he was teaching me, in secret he not only allowed her to assist to my lessons, but he taught her too. He taught us both about fighting, about honor and what it meant for us, for our names, for a Paladin... granted, I was a little more invested in it than my sister was, in all the philosophy surrounding it. *chuckles* But she was better than me at fighting. Took me a lot of effort, and training for weeks, to master things she was able to learn in a heartbeat. *His smile sweetens even more* Our father always told us we were good apart, but we'd have been great together. So that's why we decided to stick with one another, you know. Even after dad died... we wanted to carry on the greatness, and we could only do that together.

Mel: *Nods and looks around until he locates the empty bowl and the pitcher of water. He pours some water in the bowl and then shows him one hand. He dips in the water, but when the hand comes out, not much water remains on his palm. Then he looks at him and shows him both his hands. He puts them in together and makes a little bowl with them. When he takes them out, he's holding much more water.*

Daniel: *smiles, sweetly* That's exactly it, kid. *He looks up at him, focusing on his face. He looks so young, more or less as young as he was when he lost his father. He reaches out, stroking his cheek with his curled index finger* We'll help you save your people. The only thing I'm going to regret will be seeing you walk back to them after we're done. You're so pretty.

Mel: *he leans in his touch a little bit, as a way of thanking him, but then he blushes suddenly when Daniel says those words. He looks down in what is clearly embarrassment. He points at himself and then at Daniel.*

Daniel: Yeah? *He chuckles, moving on the edge of the bed, as far as he can reach without falling on his ass on the ground, to be as close to the kid as he can possibly be without sitting straight next to him* What about you and me, kid?

Mel: *shakes his head. He tries to points at them both and then waves his hand, as if he were saying goodbye. He makes a sad face.*

Daniel: Aw. *Chuckles* That's sweet. But you mustn't be sad for that. I'm sure we'll both have very good memories stay with us after the deed is done. *He leans a little on him, getting closer.* Maybe we can make one now.

Mel: *He blinks. It takes him a few seconds to get it, and when he does he turns even more purple, but he doesn't move away. His big, clear eyes look full of sparkling little dots from up close, as if he had entire constellations in them.*

[Whatever was about to happen, Mel is not exactly sure, doesn't happen, because the door open, letting in the very happy, very loud and, apparently, very heavily armed figure of Madison.]

Madison: God Almighty and his brother the Dark Lord, you have no idea of the line there was at the gunsmith. It's almost like the whole city was there to— *looks at Daniel as someone who's about to jump at your throat if you don't have a good explanation.* What's going on here?

Daniel: *He instantly stands up, clearing his throat* Nothing. *he says, walking around he bed to get away from the boy* Where were you? You've been dearly missed.

Madison: Yeah, I see that. You were one step away from ejaculating out of sadness, weren't you? I was getting my weapon done. *throws her new Ruby Bluderbluss on the bed. It's pink with, well, rubies on it.* Not a big fan of pink, but at least it’s not yellow. And I like the blings.

Daniel: I was not— *breathes in and out to calm himself. Seriously, how dares Madison say something like this, when she's always fucking around for this or that reason anyway?* Your weapon is very beautiful and I'd love to hear the tales of how you managed to fuck the gunsmith's wife or daughter to pay for it, but it's late, and we've gotta rest for tomorrow. Let's go to bed.

Madison: That's a pity, because the man has two daughters. *She starts taking off her armor, with no interest whatsoever in the presence of his brother or the kid.* And you know how much I like twins! I love the fact that you can turn either way and always find the person you're in bed with. But, I guess you’re right for once. We do need to sleep. I'll save the tale for a rainy day.*

Daniel: *Grunts, annoyed* I hope I'm dead before that. *He turns one last time to the kid* Get your sleep. *He says, smiling sweetly* Tomorrow's gonna be hard for you too.

[Then he gets into bed and lies down, urging his sister to do the same quickly and without being annoying. In a few minutes, the three of them are already sleeping, gathering their strength for the day after.]

*
[The castle looks old and not exactly taken care of, clear sign that Lord Glowerbliss hasn't been exactly swimming in gold as of lately. Good for them: it means there won't be many guards around. In fact, they find very few of them, and those few are very poorly armed and majorly unprepared. They mock Lord Glowerbliss stupidity as they find a breach in the walls that gets them in the dungeons under the castle, following narrow tunnels that look like they haven't been walked in centuries, but soon enough they find out why he hasn't invested enough in guards: he clearly invested in something else.

They're not an hour into the tunnels when the beast approaches them. It's huge and vaguely reminding of a lion, but with bigger, bare claws and two enormous feathered wings that let it lift up in the air and attack them from above. They're not expecting it, and so, when first the beast attacks, Daniel barely manages to jump out of its way while Madison grabs Mel and runs to the other side after being wounded by one of the beast's claws.]

Madison: *She pushes the kid against the wall and protects him with her body, as she gets her weapon ready.* See? That's why I always prefer people. Because they are fucking people! What's this? A lion? A bird? It's unethical to grab two freaking animals that don't even live near each other and slam them together!

Mel: *he closes his eyes and puts his hands together as if he was praying.*

Madison: *looks at him and rolls her eyes* Great... he prays, now. Daniel, he's praying! Do something!

[But Mel's not, he’s not praying. Apparently, he's doing magic because from his hands a beam of blue light opens in a circle that includes the three of them. The beast, that was coming back, crashes against it and screeches, angrily. The dome shakes but holds.]

Daniel: What...? *He sees it, and turns to his sister* He's protecting us! Quick, get your weapon ready! *In the meantime, he does the same. He unsheathes his sword, glowing icy blue, mirroring his calm state of mind, turns it twice in the air and then falls en garde.*

[In the meanwhile, the beast clearly isn't amused with what's happening. It keeps attacking the shield, clashing against it, and every time the dome shakes a little harder, and the sparkles of magic coming away from it look weaker.]

Daniel: *worried* Come on, Mads... come on!

Madison: I'm done! I'm done! *she aims at the beast* Let's see if it likes bullets. Mel, lower this shit.

[But the beast is raging, and angered by the shield. The moment it gets lowered, it charges, and fury makes it faster, and stronger. Daniel misses it, and though it takes a bullet from Madison that's not enough to stop it. It reaches out for Mel and with a powerful hit of its paw it sends him against a wall, knocking him unconscious.]

Daniel: No! *he screams, rotating the sword, now glowing a bright and fiery red, to fall in position, and then launching himself at the beast. He jumps on its back and dips the blade there, right between its wings. The beast roars in pain and rage, it tries to fly but it can't move its wings now that its muscles are damaged, and so it tries to make Daniel fall, but he resists, burying his sword deeper in the beast's spine with every movement it does* Mads! Fucking put it out!

Madison: *Spares a glance to the kid lying on the ground and then nods to her brother. She aims at the beast's head and pulls the trigger.*

[The shot is precise, and the beast stops trashing around, collapsing on the ground with an heavy thud, its wings landing on the floor a few feet away from Madison, who's halfway between the monster and Mel.]

Daniel: *The moment the beast drops dead, he leaves the sword planted deep into its back and jumps off it, running towards Mel* Kid! *He's beside him in the bat of an eyelid, and as he crouches next to him he takes him in his arms and pulls him up, brushing his hair out of his face* Kid! Wake up! Are you alright?

Mel: *opens his eyes slowly, and looks around, blinking. He feels confused, but he doesn't really feel any pain, so the answer to Daniel's question must be yes."

Madison: He says he's okay. Just confused. He asks if you are okay.

Daniel: Thank the Gods...! *He hugs the kid, wrapping his arms around him. The armor makes the gesture clumsy, but sweet nonetheless* I'm fine, of course I'm fine! *He pulls away to look at Mel once again. There's a little wound on the kid’s left temple, and a swelling right above it* I'm sorry that thing hurt you. We should've protected you better. From now on, I'm not leaving your side, not even for a second. *He cups Mel's face in one hand, then, and leans on him, pressing his lips against the kid's.*

Mel: *he closes his eyes and answers the kiss, goofily and confused, the dirt on his face covering the blushing.

Madison: *rolls her eyes very slowly* Oooooh, boy. Did I think this was going to be a long journey before? Well, now it's gonna be even longer... kid, please... It's... pretty gross, right now, because I can still... I can still hear your thoughts, you're, like leaking pictures of... Ugh, I will have to bleach my brain.

Daniel: *He moves apart from the boy with a soft smacking sound and turns to his sister, frowning* Do you mind?! We're trying to have a moment, here! We almost died!

Madison: Well, hello, Romeo, I was about to die too! But please, continue with your throat exploration while I go have my moment of comforting realization that I'm indeed still alive somewhere else, where I can't ruin your love story. I'm so very sorry I disturbed you with my survival!

Daniel: Well, I'd ask you to join in if you weren't my sister and a lesbian! *frowns* I'm happy you're alive, but for once that I get to put my hands on something pretty too...!

Madison: In the middle of a fucking dungeon, with the carcass of a monster rotting nearby! And you wonder why you can never put your hands on something pretty? ... *listens* Yes, kiddo. You can start closing your legs. After that, you put one foot in front of the other and we'll be out of here in no time.

Daniel: *snorts* Alright, alright... *Stands up, helping Mel to do the same.* We'll have time for that. Now, let's go. We have to move deeper under the castle. We need to find the damn stone.