𝗦𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹| 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 | Rayla x Fem. OC |

❧𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗☙

The sun completely vanished now on the Cursed Caldera, the sky morphing into shades of swampy green and greenish blue as it turned to evening. As the group was walking farther on the journey, the landscape around them turned into a duller one, with no flowers or grass, the trees being lifeless, with their branches scrawny and without any leaves, and the ground they were walking on being completely adorned with dust of a greenish hue and mud. Dust and clouds have taken over the path, making it harder to see, but due to Bait who was softly glowing in the little prince's arms, he illuminated the way, easing their trip.

"Well, it's dark." Callum spoke, walking cautiously. "But I think the scariest thing I've heard so far is this angry cricket." He bent over a rock to glance at the said insect. "And he doesn't even sound that angry, more like mildly annoyed."

"Yeah...are you sure this is the Cursed Caldera?" Ezran questioned. "Or did we accidentally go wandering up Humdrum Hill?" He joked, making everyone laugh and ease a tiny bit the atmosphere, all of the sighing contently in sync after.

"Maybe we took a wrong turn and wound up on Sleepy Slope," The violet-eyed added, making everyone laugh once again and shortly sighing happily after.

"Yeah, because our map was drawn by someone who thinks "left" and "bed" sound too similar!" The princess laughed along with everyone else, the same process repeating once again.

"Well, don't you worry everyone, for I'll check it right now," Callum beamed, eager to join in, "but I'm pretty sure I recognize the unmistakable topography of..." He paused, building anticipation for his punch line. "Mount Monotonous!" He waited with excitement for his joke to hit, but the only reaction he received was the chirp of the cricket, making him look at the tiny being with annoyance.

"We'll have to work on your jokes." Adora dead-panned.

"Well— well, we'll have to work on your jokes first! Most of the time they are just dad jokes!" The brother scoffed, slightly offended that she got everyone to laugh while he didn't.

"Haters are gonna hate!" She retorted back smugly.

"Um, moving on," Ellis cut in. "It is a little odd that nothing bad has happened yet." She spoke, but as soon as she did, her eyes widened and pointed a finger behind him. "I see a huge, scary monster!" She yelled, making the older prince scream and turn around, messily stepping closer to the others in fear.

"But don't worry, it's dead." She added with her usual tone now casually back, indicating her animal companion to go forward and walking past him, towards the beast.

"Then why did you say it like that?!" The umber-haired asked, still spooked from the little scare.

"Say it like what?" She questioned obliviously, making the boy sigh. They all reached the monster to look at it closer, its brown and dirty yellow fur being stained by a gigantic hole with dried crimson-red blood on the middle of his stomach.

"I've never seen anything like this." The youngest sibling said, setting his pet down and approaching the animal's corpse even closer. "Look at those circles." He inspected the said wound.

"Don't touch that!" Callum interrupted.

"What a strange birthmark." Ezran stated.

The emerald-eyed joined his younger brother, taking a closer look. "I don't think that's a birthmark."

"Me neither, a birthmark wouldn't be that red and...fleshy. It's a bite mark for sure." The sister told with her arms crossed, looking quite disturbingly at it. She noticed Cal nod, but nobody noticed something moving behind them.

"You're right. Something's drained all its blood." The ex-assassin agreed, fierceness evident on her face.

"Guys! I see a huger, scarier monster!" Ellis yelled, pointing at another horrendous being, a colossal leech, who had arisen from behind the animal's corpse. It was faceless and enormous, with a mouth that had razor-sharp teeth, along with some antennas on its head. The monster roared, and the whole group began running as fast as they could. They skipped to a halt as the older brother was in the middle. "The plan! Time for the plan! Ezran?!" He yelled.