Who Knew Goats Were So Ambitious?

**Date Started:** Dec 3. 2019
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Users Involved:** User:GeminiVIII, User:GranCrux
**Setting:** Forest, Fiore
**Characters Involved:**
* Independent Mage: Branwen Zoheir, Cardamon Deckard, Ambrosus

## Prancing Goats

“FINALLY!” A loud voice boomed from behind a bush just outside of a forest clearing, startling all the wildlife and the trees as the leaves began to shake as the birds flew from their nests and squirrels from their hidey holes. “Who knew this place would be so hard to find” The voice spoke again, a paper map being thrown out onto the floor, escaping from the bushes as the bush began to rustle loudly and vigorously. “Oh shit...SLAM!”

Escaping from the bush and landing on the map on the ground, a caramel skinned boy, his hair as white as a bunny’s hide, his eyes as golden as the clothes his body was clad in. He would lie their for a moment, rubbing his head as he rolled over.

“A little help here, Cardy?” The boy said into the bushes, holding his hand up, seemingly hinting that he had a travel companion.

A hand extended towards the boy, gripping him around the wrist as it both pulled and supported him on standing up. "Always busting your ass, huh? Getting your bougie outfit all dirty." Cardamon Deckard looked towards the boy in gold, his face quite neutral, almost as if he were used to this.

“Shut the hell up, Cardy.” The boy said as he dusted himself up, turning around to face a large stone wall. “Alright, first things first. We have to figure out how to get into this thing, seems to be some kinda stronghold...” The boy said, patting the wall over and over again, rubbing it up and down to see if there was any pressure plate or clues to look for.

While he was doing that, a goat would come up next to Cardamon, beginning to chew on the boys pants, sure to turn the boys attention to the pathway leading around the building, a path of stray goats lined across it

"Uh, there's a bunch of weird goats on this passage way, if that makes any difference." Cardamon spoke, looking back at the boy in gold. "Why not try this way, Goldie."

“Why don’t you just leave the masters to do their wo-Oh...there’s a pathway...” Branwen said, peeking around the corner to see a wave of goats. He walked along the path to see an incredible dungeon, covered in beautiful blue plants and vines, goats of all colors grazing in the fields before it.

“So this is the entrance...makes sense.” Branwen shrugged, slowly turning the corner, taking a moment to admire the scenery but he didn’t allow himself to be anymore distracted than he already had been, he simply came to get his money and leave. “C’mon Cardy, somethin' tells me this place is gonna have a lot of nice stuff.” Branwen yelled, walking off into the large dungeon, not taking a second glance, pressing onward to adventure.

Cardamon smiled slightly, "Leave it to the masters, eh?" Cardamon chuckled to himself, quickly picking up pace as Branwen's long legs took him a greater distance with each step. Glancing at the goats and all of their colors, Cardamon grew more and more concerned on their appearance. "Yea, these goats are fucking weird." He spoke, prancing further into the dungeon.

Once he entered, Cardamon and Branwen would quickly meet a split off of a many of passage ways, some even appearing to go underground and upwards instead of the more obvious directions they would branch in. "Hey, uh, which path are we gonna take? Cause there are like, billions." An over-exaggeration on his part.

“Hmmm...” Branwen looked down each of them, taking his finger and dragging it down the wall and sniffing it. “Yes yes, of course of course...that way!” Branwen exclaimed, walking into the left most walkway, going upwards, signaling Cardamon to follow behind him.

"At your command, m'lord." Cardamon joked, doing a weak bow before quickly following Branwen into the dungeons grasp.

There was a moment of calmness outside the dungeon. This aura sustained itself for a quarter of an hour. Then, the aura shifted yet again. A pair of pointed shoes tapped against the ground, a hum moving along with every step. The sound of fabric fluttering in the air ceased as an umbrella began to tap the ground, moving in sync with the footsteps. There was a jingle of sorts, one that could only be explained by metallic objects clanking together.

"Ah, so this is one of those dungeons that's been appearing about!" A flamboyant voice spoke, observing the goats that seemed to ignore his existence. "Oh my, these little flea bags are so colorful! Almost just as much as me! DARADARADARA!" He bellowed, drawing the attention of the feasting beast only for a minute. Ambrosus continued his stride into the dungeon. Once within, he'd take the path closest to the center, a smile on his face as he did so.

## Ready Your Horns!

As the duo would go deeper and deeper into the cave, they would be bombarded with intense heat before reaching a large ravine, what seemed to be the source of the all the heat and as Branwen peered over the edge, he would see a ravine full of lava, bubbling and boiling as the lava sat in its own vat of heat.

“Welp, didn’t think I’d have to call on Corvus so soon, but...” Branwen muttered as he pulled on his gold belt, revealing two keys on a large keychain, pulling the feather shaped silver key from the chain, pushing it forward almost as though he was opening a door that wasn’t there.

“Open. Blah blah blah, Gate of the Raven, Corvus.” Branwen said as the key in his hand began to glow, turning the key almost as though he turned a key in a door, instantly a dark flash of light appeared, a large mass of dark purple and black emerged from the flash, spreading its wings wide as it soared high into the air before landing down in front of the duo.

“Couldn’t even go two day without calling me huh? What do you want?” The raven uttered in a not so amused tone, scratching its forehead with its feather, squinting at Branwen.

“That’s no way to greet your almost son, now is it!” Branwen exaclaimed, a mischievous smile on his face as he addressed the raven.

“Cut the crap!” Corvus snapped, glaring at Branwen. “What’d you call me for?!” Corvus questioned, looking over into the large chasm filled with molten rock. “Lemme guess...you wanna ride over this pit?” Corvus muttered in a soft and stern tone, shaking and spreading his wings, a signal to grab on.

“Yep!” Branwen exclaimed, jumping on the oversized ravens back as the bird ruffled its feathers and rose up into the air, stretching out its talon to Cardamon. “Grab on, Kid.” Corvus barked, turning his head back to the task at hand awaiting Cardamons grasp on his feet.

Cardamon kept facing the vat of lava that filled the distance between his current location and the other side of this level of the dungeon. Even as Corvus ordered Cardamon to grab onto his talon, the young lad kept his eyes on the distance before them. Then he turned to face Branwen, somewhat of a judgemental stare. "You know, you could've just as easily asked me if I could walk across?"

Cardamon had spoke, although before his sentence even finished, he found himself standing square in the middle of the lava pit. His body seemed to meld with it to a degree, the boy unharmed by the scorching rock. He then looked at Corvus, who he had just realized offered him a ride across. "Maybe you should teach your almost son how to ask for other's consideration, or not. I'm not really a parent." Cardamon yawned slightly, somewhat bored of the predicament. He then continued to tread across the remainder of the lava pit, moving through it's body completely unaffected by it's numerous conditions.

“Remind me not to offer you help again.” Corvus said in a deep tone, soaring across the large pit of lava, landing on the other side, his claws cutting into the ground to further balance himself.

“Alright, your stop is here, get the hell off of me, and try not to call me for a little bit, I’m getting groomed by Cancer in a moment, definitely beats preening all the damn time.” Corvus ranted, dissipating into a sparkling energy, leaving Branwen standing alone, waiting for Cardamon to return.

Cardamon shot Corvus a thumbs up and a big smile as the spirit spoke, though Corvus likely couldn't see the sight because he had begun to fly past the young lad at the time. Nevertheless, Cardamon continued his trek across the lava pit, eventually reaching the other side and pulling himself out, albeit slowly. "I don't think your almost dad likes me." Cardamon spoke, although he started chuckling soon after.

"C'mon daddy's boy, next obstacle yea?" He spoke, becoming suddenly energized, punching Branwen slightly as he urged him.

As Ambrosus would make his way through the dungeon he would make it into a wide open room, many small gates and entrances all around the room in a circle. As he would enter, the two largest entrances slammed closed with two large golden gates, locking him in and pointing his attention to the 6 small doors around him and the 1 larger one to his front, what would come from them, he would soon find out.

"Oh my!" Ambrosus spoke, rather giddy at the events that had been taking place. He opened his umbrella, shielding himself from the invisible rain. Ambrosus started to walk towards the largest door, long before it opened. "This dungeon is quite something, it almost makes me want to claim it for myself!"