You, Me, and the World Between Us (Dragon Quest)

XVIII - Crested Viper Venom

The pair of boys sprinted through the dense forest, trampling over the fallen leaves and tree branches. Sure enough, their suspicions proved correct as they grew closer to the calls. The squeaky voice and occasional sarcastic quips confirmed that Thorn was in danger - though not life-threatening. Charlie and Maxim soon came across a clearing in the woods, and what they saw they almost couldn't believe. Thorn was wrapped up tightly in a snake's grip, which continued to tighten around the minidemon's body. The imp wriggled around, an irritated expression on his face. "Took the two of you long enough! If you had dilly-dallied any more on your way over, I'd be this beast's dinner plans!" he shrieked, continuing to squirm.

"That's not just any beast, a Crested Viper!" Charlie exclaimed, his face instantly lighting up. He whipped his head around to face Maxim, beaming at the other boy. He still smiled widely as he looked back to Thorn and the viper coiling around him. "Fantastic! We've got two birds with one stone here; we've found Thorn and a Crested Viper! Right then, let's hop to it," Charlie stated, taking a few steps forward and pulling his sword from the sheath on his back. However, before he could get too far, Maxim gripped his shoulder and pulled him back. The dark haired boy groaned disapprovingly. "What gives? The thing's right here in the palm of our hand, why are you stopping me?" Charlie complained.

"We have to think tactfully," Maxim stated in a hushed voice. He glanced from Charlie's critical glare to the two monsters at hand. Thorn scowled at the two, and he seemed to be more inconvenienced than troubled by the matter at hand. The Tsarevich looked back to his partner, taking a deep breath. "It's not just a matter of killing the Crested Viper and saving Thorn; we have to get the venom and make sure no harm comes to Thorn. Not that it matters to me how we get him out of there, but Inessa cares. Believe me, I don't like strategizing any more than you do, but in a case like this, it's best if we don't go in there swinging our swords around blindly," Maxim explained, amazed that he was actually applying Ragnar's advice in another situation.

Charlie nodded along, his gaze wandering back over to the monsters. "Yeah, I do see your point there. Well, you're in charge, I suppose; what exactly do you suggest we do?" he questioned, raising a curious brow.

Maxim kept quiet for a moment, mulling over all the options. After a short while of thinking, he finally spoke up with a solution. "Here's what I propose; to keep the Crested Viper from squeezing Thorn to death, you'll serve as a distraction. Slowly pace around it in the opposite direction it's wrapping him up in. Hopefully, he'll take the bait and follow you, loosening his grip on Thorn and allowing him to escape its grip," Maxim spoke in a hushed voice.

"Hang on, why am I the bait? Why can't you be the monster bait?" Charlie challenged, taken aback by the thought.

"Because I've got a country to rule someday and Crested Vipers prefer the taste of Bath's townspeople," Maxim said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Charlie's eyes went wide for a moment, but the Tsarevich returned to his plan. "Joking. Only joking. Crested Vipers aren't dangerous enough to kill anybody... at least, I hope so. Back to the plan, after it's loosened its hold, I'll dive in and stab it with my sword. By that point, it should be dead, and we can collect its venom and be on our way back to Bath. Simple as that. Understood?"

"Understood," Charlie replied with a solemn nod. He tip-toed through the brush, careful not to trip over anything as he made his way towards the monsters. He was visibly tense, that much Maxim could tell. As much as he wanted to tell him to loosen up, he didn't dare shout; that wasn't the sort of distraction they needed. Charlie kept his distance from the Crested Viper, slowly pacing around it. "Here, viper, viper, viper, viper," he crooned, causing Maxim to release a disappointed sigh. Despite how dumb the Tsarevich thought the other boy's plan was, it had managed to grab the Crested Viper's attention. It hissed, slowly unraveling Thorn to pursue Charlie instead. The boy smiled, continuing to taunt the beast. "Yeah, look over here, you brute. I'm talking to you, ugly! You want a piece of me? Well, why don't you come and-"