Hustled by a Dwarf

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 42217

“I think that you should pay. But his price is a little steep, let’s try bartering with him...”

“Thanks for your input, Alma,” Fred said abruptly. “I’ll keep that in consideration.” He filed away the advice in a little folder in his brain he liked to refer to as ‘useless garbage.’ “Now please step aside while the men talk business.” He walked back over to the dwarf. “Now where were we before I was so rudely interrupted? Oh yes! You’d just mentioned that I was unlikely to ever find my way out of these caves. Good point.”

The dwarf licked his lips, an even greedier look coming over his little bearded face. “Therefore I’d say my price is hardly extortionate,” he drove on. “So fork over the gold and you’ll get your map. C’mon, c’mon! Gimme! Gimme!”

“Whoa, slow down there little buddy,” cautioned the nobleman. “How do I know you’re not a trickster or an agent of the Dragon? Those maps could be just as useless as the one I’ve got now.”

The dwarf stalled for a moment, then reached into his tuxedo coat and pulled out a shiny medallion. “Look at my pretty trinket!”

Fred’s eyes lit up. “Oooh! Shiny!”

“So you want that map or what!?”

Fred shook the dwarf’s hand gingerly, sealing the bargain. “Deal!” he beamed, and began counting out the gold pieces. The dwarf handed over the map, then vanished back into the shadows from whence he came.

Alma just threw her hands up and sighed.

After unfolding the map, Fred realized he’d been hustled. It said so right on the paper. It read quite clearly: You’ve been hustled. He threw it down in disgust.

“It’s like you said, dwarves are deceitful little creeps,” Alma offered her opinion once again. “I think...”

“Thank you, Alma,” Fred curtly retorted. “You’re just a fountain of wisdom today, aren’t you? Here’s an idea, why don’t you shut up.”

“Whatever.”

Whatever,” Fred droned. “Ya, whatever. Dammit! This Quest was going along so smoothly! Now it’s getting hard! I hate hard stuff! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!” He paused for a minute catch his breath. “Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!”

“If you’re done throwing your tantrum, we could always go back to the chest and load up the rest of the gold you weren’t able to fit in your pack,” Alma suggested.

But it seemed Fred hadn’t heard a word she said, as he just continued jumping up and down and cussing and carrying on like that. Then suddenly he stopped. “I’ve got it!” he exclaimed. “Why don’t we just go back to the chest and load up the rest of the gold I wasn’t able to fit in my pack! I’m a genius!”

“Idiot,” Alma muttered under her breath.

“Hmm? Did you say something, m’lady?”

“No.”

“Wonderful! The less you talk the better! Just watch and learn from a true professional. I can teach you many things, Alma. I really don’t mind doing it so there’s no need to thank me.”

She didn’t

They went back and looted the rest of the chest, needless to say, and then came back to the same point where the passageway divided. Out of the corner of his eye, Fred noticed a little shape impinging on them from the shadows. He tensed up and readied his sword, but relaxed when he realized it was the same cat he’d followed here a while earlier. “Aw, cute lil’ kitty cat,” he said softly, bending down on one knee.

“Friend of yours?” asked Alma, struck by how a seemingly hardened warrior could melt at the sight of a stray cat.

“Isn’t it just the cutest lil’ kitty kitty? Yes it is! Yes it is! Oooh! Him’s just a lil cuttie!”

The cat purred as Fred stroked it’s belly. Then, without warning, it struck off again, down the corridor to the right.

  1. They followed it.

Add New Option

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree


Lost Soldier

5/22/2004 3:34:09 PM

Linking Enabled

Extending Enabled

The Never Ending Quest Home

Extend-A-Story Home

21322107 episodes viewed since 9/30/2002 1:22:06 PM.

Do not click me.