Looking at Viper through my spy-glass I noticed he was trying to catch up with me. He seemed to turn away after a while as if he'd lost me. "Just doing a simple look-see, my friend" I whispered. The roaring of the beast had died down now but I knew where it was. The noise had been coming from the hill in the distance, about a mile away. I carried on, running at half-pace through the dense undergrowth.....
I crested the hill and dived to the ground. There it was! I could see in the dark remarkably well and there it was in the clearing below me. It seemed to be resting, and was every bit as ugly as had been described. As its six heads lay down to rest there was suddenly a bright blue light. A shimmering doorway appeared next to the beast and a mysterious figure stepped through. The chimera reared up immediately, as if to attack. "He's dead..." I thought.
"Hold!" yelled the cowelled figure holding up his staff. A bright blue light seemed to glow from the jewel atop its shaft. The beast immediately froze and cowered before this seemingly undefended man, obvoiusly in pain.
"What news? Are the interlopers dead?" He asked. The beast shook its heads sorrowfully. "Fool!" He yelled. He thrust with his staff and the beast screamed in pain. "If you do not find them in two days you shall be returned to your cage where you belong! Now, BEGONE!" With that he moved, almost without walking, back into his portal. I closed behind him as silently as it had opened.
The beast uttered a howling scream and set off with renewed vigour into the night. Fortunately in the wrong direction....
I had to tell the others. I made my way back, JVB's sword was not going to forge itself....
