Smugglers and Dungeons!

Basila was running. Sure, if it were just one slime, she would have stood and fought.

But after the first one, two more had fallen. Then a giant one.

That last one was the biggest problem.

Out of breath, Basila took a left turn.

Only to have to dodge because a pebble exploded next to where her foot had been before!

She looked around.

Only to see him! Icarus, on the horse!

"It's me!" she was running towards him, but he was already wetting another pebble right over the horse's fiery mane. She asked herself, as she hit him on the leg and climbed behind him, if he was using mana to make the wet stone explode with a timer or something.

He turned towards her; the horse buckled under them.

"Its… Basila, is it really you?" he asked.

Basila narrowed her eyes and took a hold of the horse's mane, forcing it to turn back and gallop.

"I tricked you into becoming my champion for… reasons," she said. Was it too early to tell him about the debtor sharks? "And then I was a brat."

Icarus smiled. But as Baldwin managed to outrun the slimes, which were still following but could no longer harm them, he decided to play a game with Basila.

"That's not something the real Basila would say," he teased. He got a huff and a pat on the head.

"You're impossible! Even after I…" Basila stopped. She didn't want to take away from Icarus' triumph in taming a boss mob. "I came back for you! With the core!"

Icarus whipped his head around, looking at his partner in the eyes. No longer in a teasing mode.

"You found it? Where? And… did it really take you over?" His voice turned gentle in the end. He had not dared to harm the core for fear of harming Basila.

"Yes," she showed him the crystal. It was glowing a green light, but neither thought too much of it. "Thank you."

She smiled at him as Baldwin took a sharp left turn. The elven lady and the horselord prince were jousted around.

They were a mess of limbs as they tried not to get thrown off the horse.

Their lips met.

Baldwin gave out a self-satisfied neighing sound.

Basila pushed Icarus off herself as if burned, and hit him over the head for good measure. Then she kicked Baldwin too.

"Men!" She yelled.

Baldwin continued to carry them to the exit.

As the core continued to glow.

0000

They were in the corridor with the lava chamber again. Icarus looked at the lava bubbling away. It had all drained away the first time.

Not only that, but the floor had been cold enough to stand on! To have the tiles torn out of!

"The core is doing this," Icarus said, as he looked at what seemed to be their death.

Baldwin made a step forward.

"No!" both teens yelled as one.

The horse just snorted. Baldwin made another step forward.

"No! Baldwin, you'll cook us all alive!" Icarus yelled, desperation in his voice.

He could see his black mare again. His dear Pearl. Sold to a farmer who had pinched her sides.

To see how much meat she had on them.

A tear ran down Icarus' cheek.

"Darn horse!" Basila didn't care that she was hurting the boss mob. She was tugging at its mane with everything she had.

Was it a Selkie? Darn it all! She had never heard about Fire Selkie before! Just the Water Selkie!

"Icarus, we have to jump!" Basila yelled, already jumping off.

Icarus didn't let go of Baldwin. Didn't make a move to jump.

"Icarus!"

"No!" Icarus yelled, as he hugged the horse. "He will lead me into the Steppe!"

Basila's hand went to her mouth. What was Icarus saying? She knew what sort of Steppe he meant! He couldn't do that to her!

"Icarus! Come on, we have the core! Think about your family! Think about…" she almost said me, but then she blinked.

They didn't know each other all that well. It seemed like it was almost yesterday that they met there, near the tailor's shop.

Chopping wood, messing around.

Basila began to run after him. Desperately wanting to jump back on Baldwin and wrestle Icarus to the ground.

 Before the darn horse…

Lava splattered in all directions, but there was a barrier around Icarus.

Baldwin snorted in Basila's direction. So, as to tell her that he wasn't going to carry her.

"Baldwin?" Icarus looked down. Baldwin was ankle-deep in lava! But he wasn't burning!

The horse neighed, beginning to go deeper and deeper into the chamber.

"Wait!" Icarus yelled, as he looked back at Basila, who was looking at the lava with wide eyes. "We have to go back for Basila!"

Baldwin shook his head.

"I know that she doesn't believe in you," Icarus was brushing the horse's mane with his fingers. So, as if he was weaving them through Ingrid's hair. "But she is still our lady!"

Baldwin stopped, stomping his front hoof.

"Come on," Icarus said, as he gently nudged the horse back with his feet. "Be nice. You are a noble steed. What sort of noble steed leaves behind a princess?"

Baldwin froze.

He had always dreamed of being a dragon. The dungeon core had promised him time and time again it'll turn him into one, but it had not.

If Baldwin was to remain a horse, then fine!

But he will be a horse with a prince and princess as a part of his hoard!

Baldwin made his way back, careful not to splatter any lava there, where it could reach Basila.

As the horse finally made a stop before the lady, she curtsied. The horse nodded in satisfaction.

 Convinced that Icarus hadn't lied.

As Basila went back to hugging Icarus' back, she buried her nose in his nape.

"Thank you," she said, as she looked down at the lava-covered floor.

"No need to thank me. We are partners! You did the same for me!" Icarus said, as he continued to pet Baldwin.

Who led them through the chamber, going from walking to swimming.

His barrier keeping his prince and princess safe.