"What is this place?" Thorley asked, the small gold key, usually kept round his neck, clutched between his fingers.
"Um..." Mepdenor said, looking around. The yellow eyed fairy turned his gaze back to Thorley. "I'm not too sure. I had assumed your key would lead us to another fairy realm."
"This place isn't a magic realm?"
"Again, I'm not sure."
"You're a useless fairy." Thorley replaced the key back around his neck and started picking his way through the giant, humid forest they found themselves in.
"You don't often come across magic keys, especially one in human hands." Mepdenor murmured as he trudged along behind Thorley, brushing aside huge leaves.
Suddenly, he bumped into Thorley's back. The thief had stopped in his tracks and was watching something slither silently over the ground.
"That's like no snake I've ever seen before." Thorley whispered to him.
Mepdenor shook his head in response.
After waiting for the snake to pass, they kept walking. Deeper and deeper. Strange bird calls sounded overhead and a steady patter of rain started to fall, forcing Thorley to put his hood up.
"What's that?" The fairy asked.
Thorley turned around. Hand outstretched, Mepdenor was pointing off to the side. Not far from them was stood a creature. Both looked at it with curiosity. It rather reminded Thorley of a cat. Except it was ten times as large, and orange with black stripes across its pelt. It blinked at them.
"How on earth do you expect me to know what that is? You're suppose to be the expert here Mepdenor."
The yellow eyed fairy looked flustered. "This is all new to me too."
Thorley sighed, "You are the most useless fairy I've ever met."
"I'm the only fairy you've ever met. And I am not useless! I guarded the king's crown for many, many years."
"Until it got stolen."
"By you!"
"And I've met your fairy king."
"You didn't meet him, you threw his crown at him."
"That still counts."
"Do you want me to teach you magic?"
A snarling growl interrupted them. The creature was padding slowly towards them, haunches in the air. Ready to pounce.
They ran. Thorley sprinted towards a tree and started scrambling up it. Mepdenor kept running. The creature caught up. Thorley watched as the fairy flung his hand out at the creature, forcing it back. A thunderous roar erupted from it's fanged mouth. Yet the fairy's magic did not work far enough. It swiped its sharp claws at his foot, knocking him to the ground. Thorley could see Mepdenor's face turn pale as the creature loomed over him.
Reaching to his belt, Thorley pulled out his dagger. Clinging tightly to the tree with one hand, he aimed the blade at the creature and threw. The dagger sunk into the square of its back, the creature letting out a terrifying yell. Mepdenor blasted it with his magic again, sending it rolling backwards. The creature staggered to its feet, snarling. Thorley loosened his grip on the tree and jumped lightly to the floor. The creature's ear twitched, and it turned slowly to face him. Thorley drew his sword, sweat trickling with the rain down his face. As the creature stepped forward, Thorley lunged. His blade sinking into... air. The creature had fallen to its side, hit again by another blast of Mepdenor's magic. Eyes wide, it quickly slunk away into the depths of the forest, defeated.
"I had that." Thorley said, still clutching his sword.
"Well, so did I." Mepdenor smirked, sitting up.
Thorley looked in the direction the creature had gone. "It still has my dagger."
"I'm sure you can get a new one."
Thorley sheathed his sword and turned to the fairy. Mepdenor was struggling to stand. He reached out to help him, letting Mepdenor lean against his shoulder. Looking down, he could see blood was dripping from a large gash in the fairy's ankle. A sudden wave of nausea hit Thorley and he gagged, feeling faint.
"What's up with you? You look pale." Mepdenor asked.
"Nothing." Thorley said, looking away from the ankle. "I think we should get out of here."
"Agreed."
Thorley fetched the key out from round his neck. "How do you use this again?"
