[Nippur] One Hell of a Randsom Note

[Ash]

The two of Skull-Face's pets around him were unhitched from the wagons, the bandits smart enough to not argue with the boss bandit secondary when he was ready and willing to punish them all the same and without mercy. The third one, however, had no one to unbind it so when they all converge on the lone fighter the throned wagon came with it. Trampling was on the table of ways Erik would perish as the two raced to get closer. There was so much muscle behind them that it shaked the sands loose around him. Without burdens on their backs they moved much quicker. It was hard to tell if two feet were used to dash, or if they were able to balance speed and their weight on the one. No matter, they left a small trail of fine sand in their wake.

One tried the boring method of jumping onto its prey. Erik wasn't the fastest, but he was able to predict it just the same. The young man of god waits til the last seconds to use his chains to attack the ground as he jumps. Dust exploded into the air, but by that time the lizard was already diving in for him. A much larger cloud of sand exploded into the hot air. This is broken through by Erik who managed to leap out at an angle and out of the way fast enough. He was in the process of falling back to the ground, preparing his body to roll out of his fall, when something slick and hot reaches around him much in the same way as the chains had a day ago.

The heat was much different than the baking sun above him, it burned away at his skin, scolding him fiercely. A fraction of a second later, he got a good look at what it was. The other lizard had stopped and lashed out with his tongue. Erik took this moment to think about his life and wonder if it was worth it before he was was pulled towards the beast at neck breaking speeds.

-

Meanwhile Sand Hawk was slammed fiercely against the walls of the lower levels of the wagon as the whole structure rocked dangerously to one side! Only to be forced aggressively to the other wall! He started to feel himself get sea sick as well as bruised on his sides! Sand Hawk took the necessary time to form a strategy of just walking the floor! He had no idea what was beyond the upper floors, and he could hear cries of surprise and groans of sickness!

A man that the endless dagger throwing hero couldn’t see even called out to jump ship, which was met with sounds of approving of this idea and vomiting! Eventually he came into the next room and looked from the open door as half a dozen men fought with rocking hammocks to free themselves and escape! He readied a speech that popped into his head instantly, only for the structure to tip yet another way and the boy crashed ribs first into the door frame! “Oof!”

“Wha-at was that!?” A bandit tried to hold on to what little honor and alignment he had to Skull-Face.

“Don’t matter. Fu-Uck!” A man threw up what was left in his stomach. At this point gravity shifted and it streaked across the air and chunks of whatever grub the man had prior to this trip landed in a brownish green chunky pile inches from Sand Hawk’s face!

Disgusted with it, he decided that maybe he should just focus on finding their fair maiden! “You think you have won this time but you have not for I am th-!!” Another shift, another direction, and Sand Hawk was spun first before his body rammed against another wall in the hall! Only for the wagon to ultimately tip over finally and crash onto its side!

There was a fraction of regret for getting distraction, then a moment later he listened to body after body crash into the walls behind him! The fifth one was enough to break even the strongest wood and Sand Hawk watched as a pile of men crashed through one hallway wall and land on the other! They groaned and moved, but eventually one noticed him!

“Hey!” The second or third one said according to how deep he was in the pile. “Who’s that!?”

The pile of bodies began to move for him, only for the sixth body to finally unload form his hammock and crash into the dog pile once more. Like the wall before, it gave into the forceful jab and came completely out from under the adult men. Sand Hawk heard them land a while later on another wall with a chorus of pained groans!

“Hey guys…” One muttered.

“Yea?” Two answered in unison.

“Everyone in favor of just laying here until it's all over?” The first painfully asked.

“Aye.” Six men answered all together.

Sand Hawk decided that counted as a six-man-combo on his end and was satisfied! With that out of his way, he ran along the wall that made up the floors now; Leaping over doorways with ease and heading to the bottom most floor!

With only a little difficulty due to the building now being on its side and normal directions being different than normal, the dagger hero managed to find the holding cell! All of them on their sides, and only one of them locked! Or at least all of the ones on the opposite side of his standing position were gates wide open all except one! He was also a master at puzzles, clearly! It probably didn’t hurt that the one that was imagined to be locked also had a single object in it!

That was probably the strangest thing about this mission! He adjusted his goggles to take a better look, but no matter what he did he couldn’t see anything other than the shiny crimson strange grappling hook dangling off the ‘ceiling’s’ bars! It’s rope dangled all of ten feet plus behind it and through the bars! Sand Hawk started to approach it, but then stopped and looked about! He found no traps, that he was aware of, but he did spot the ring of keys hanging off the nail embedded in the wall at random! The guy snatched the key off the nail and bound happily towards the rope!

The ring of the key was big enough to slip onto his arm like a bracelet, which Sand Hawk did, before grabbing the rope! Fingerless gloves allowed him, at first touch, to realize something was off about this! He brought it closer and ran his thumbs over it a bit forcefully a few times before he realized what material this silky soft stuff was! “Hair?!” He blurted out, then began to second guess himself! Sure enough though, it was!

At this point The Dagger Hero had to decide if he could stomach this. It wasn’t particularly grotesque! However, this hair was most definitely human! No horse can grow a mane this long and this soft! At least none in his limited knowledge of mares! He decided to that if he could come face to face with another man’s stomach contents, he could handle climbing up Rapunzel's dark-haired twin’s locks!

Sand Hawk leaped upon it and shimmied up the hair ungracefully but rapidly! He reached the bars in a matter of seconds and began to check each key, only moving back up the rope when he realized he was slipping each key he tried! Eventually he found it, but realized almost too late that he was on the wrong side of the door! It crashed open with the loudest metallic clatter possible and barely missed him as he swung to the right side at the last minute!

He let out a sigh of relief!

Once the boy was able to put his feet on the bars that made the new floor, he looked up at the hook! It was trapped between two bars for more solid position, but he couldn’t help but wonder why! Furthermore, why lock up a grappling hook and only a hook?! “This is most strange! I must tell Erik!”

“Who’s Erik?” A voice asked, it came from the opposite corner. It was also distinctly female. She had a deeper pitch but a very feminine sound. It was both soothing and yet curious.

Sand Hawk suddenly remember the whole point of this was to save a woman! He tried to hide the fact that he’d jumped at the new voice by playing it cool! His hand found the solid floor-wall and he put his weight onto one leg! “Erik and me are buddies! We go way back! We’re here to save you, lady!”

He heard her giggle. “Did Gilgamesh send you?”

“Nope!” Sand Hawk ran his hand over his head. “We came to save you all on our own!” He tried to sound smooth!

He looked like a dork. Ash knew how to deal with him though. “So you are my hero?” Her voice afflicted to someone fascinated and flattered.

“Yep!” Sand Hawk brushed his nails against his shirt, which just brushed sand off of it! Then he realized something else, “Hey, why can’t I see you?!” He asked as he put both feet on one bar, using the floor-wall to balance himself!”

“I uses magic to go invisible, so when the bandits came to get me they wouldn’t find me. Then I would slip out of the door and run away while they were looking for me.”

“Well how do you know I am not a bandit!?”

“I can tell. You are too sweet to hurt men.” Ash replied, but in her hand she held her own dagger. Actually it was poised perfect to cut him at a moment’s notice, before he’d ever know. “Right?” She let concern slip into her voice.

“Of course! My buddy Erik and me are hero types!”

“Thank goodness.” She said, acting relieved.

“So you don’t have to hide anymore!” He said happily!

“Oh… But I think I should. See. I’m afraid you won’t like what you see.” Ash lied.

“Nonsense!”

“Oh, but it’s true. I don’t look like normal girls.”

Sand Hawk didn’t understand a thing about that. “I’m sure you are gorgeous!” He said confidently, only adding his reasoning after a big grin. “Or else the bandits wouldn’t have thought you were worth of a bargaining chip!”

Ash was surprised by the blind flattery, but decided the boy was harmless enough. “I.. Don’t know.” She said, suppressing a smirk.

“Come now! I need to be able to see you so I can save you, and keep you safe!” He said, not wanting to hurt her feeling but also not wanting to stick around for too long! Erik needed help, too! He couldn’t do it without him!

“Okay..” She said, but slid her dagger into the pouch on her hip before dropping the invisibility.

Sand Hawk was expecting a girl with a little more weight to her than most traditional beauties! Maybe messy hair and make-up! Things that normal girls get all riled up about! Before him appeared a sight much like the grappling hook with hair as rope in a locked cell, bewildering and enthralling!

Ash’s bruised colored skin looked a little more grey in the dim lighting, her hair black as night and shimmered as if there were stars among the locks. Her figure had all the right curves, but slightly less exaggerated than most of the girls preyed on by bandits. She was dressed, but with as little coverage as possible. She had on pants, but the material was completely see-through, her crotch was covered, but the thong brought more attention to it with the gold colored sequences. Half her chest was covered in  the same large cold sequences. The right side covered in fabric that immediately was tossed over her shoulder and did little to cover any of the tattoo’s.

Sand Hawk gawked and stared primarily at her horns! If she was anything, it was honest! She did indeed not look normal! “Is that a tail?” He asked, pointing to the one floating up behind her.

She looked away, as if embarrassed. “Yes.”

“Neat!” Sand Hawk said, not sure what else to do! “We should go!” He said, then began to assess out to do that.

“Wait.” She said, approaching him, her sandals naturally going to the next bar as her balance was perfect. Her hero stopped and looked up confused. She approached him very gently, “As traditional, heroes get a kiss after rescuing a damsel.” She said, then brushed his cheek off and kissed him.

Sand Hawk turned bright red and decided to hide in his clothing afterward! “T-That was unnecessary!” He stuttered before struggling to grasp the rope once more. As soon as he grabbed it he slid down it fireman style!

Ash smirked, then followed. At the bottom, she used her entropy magic to help her retrieve Red Devil’s Claw. With it in hand she chased after the little guy, catching him muttering something but not what he was saying.

“O-Okay! Let’s get out, my Erik-is-in-trouble senses are tingling!” He asserted the lead and then carefully navigated them through the floors to freedom.

-

Outside, after the building had fallen, Skull-Face unhitched the creature himself and threw his body over onto its back, grabbing the straps and giving it a forceful kick as he aimed his beast and his weapon, a deadly looking lance, towards his opponent who was still fighting not to get eaten by the creature whose tongue still burled his flesh.