Flint and Aku climb up mountain from mountain searching for the dragon cave, Chuck stayed back with Aella since she seems a bit shaken. The duo is climbing the mountain as they're close to the top, they hang from the steep slope.
Flint snickers at Aku as they reach the top of the last mountain, "Still no cave Aku. Maybe you should have thought of splitting the dragon corpse but noooo. You wanted a treasure cave."
Aku has veins popping on her head as she's silently climbing. They finally reach the top as Aku freezes. Flint finally pulls himself up to see what lies before him. He speaks with exasperation, "You've got to be kidding me."
Aku turns to Flint with disdain, "A dragon corpse is better than this, right?" Before them is a gold statue of a man holding a club? He holds the club on a pedestal as orbs are around the top of the pedestal below his feet. Beside the statue is a pile of shiny treasures, gold coins and chests (Poor merchants), weapons (Who got raided?) and clothes (Did the dragon kidnap someone).
Aku looks at the clothes with her brow raised, Flint is stuffing everything in the inventory with a face of defeat. Aku waves her hand at Flint, "Hey Filly, you don't suppose someone lives here, right?"
Flint turns to Aku and walks beside her observing the clothes, he picks a dress and sniffs it. Aku looks at him with her nose squint staring at him, Flint notices and quickly turns to Aku. "It's not what you think! My sense of smell is better now so I wanted to see if I can track the owner. Please stop looking at me like that." Flint looks away from Aku's stare.
Aku shakes her head, "We're taking everything besides the clothes." Flint gives a wry smile as he does as told.
"Help me!" A voice echoes out of the cave, the duo turns to look at the cave. The voice comes again, "Somebody, help me!" a gust of wind blows out of the cave.
Flint stares at the cave, "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Aku nods.
They both turn around to leave, "Not our problem." They say walking away.
"No wait wait WAIT! Are you going to ignore a helpless person?!" The voice echoes again.
Flint turns and speaks into the cave, "My Teacher says not to follow suspicious things. You're the definition of suspicious. Not to mention there's no way you're trapped because a dragon can't put in cuffs."
Aku yells into the cave, "If you can make a gust of wind from a cave then clearly, you're strong enough to escape! Let's go Filly." The duo reaches the edge of the mountain about to run down.
"WAAAIITTT! I'M A PRINCESS!" The voice echoes out of the cave.
Flint turns, "We can't take your knight in shining armor's thunder from him. Your hero will come soon. Bye bye." He jumps down as Aku follows.
"....They really left me? *Sobs Sobs Sobs*" the echoes is now full of weeping and sorrows of despair.
Actually, the duo didn't leave. They're hanging on the edge of the mountain as they listen to the cave. Flint looks at Aku, "You think that is human? And not some monster?"
Aku shakes her head, "I can't tell. The timing was just too convenient, maybe it's a real person and not some trick." Flint raises his head as he looks at the cave, Aku does same as her eyes glow blue. "I still can't see what's deep inside the cave."
Flint thinks it through, "*Sighs* We'll be jerks if it turns out to be a real person and we just left like that. Let's go inside, if it's a trap we can use the bloodline to escape." Aku nods as they pull themselves up the mountain, the sobbing stops the moment their feet lands.
"You came back?" the echo comes again. This makes them even more suspicious. The duo takes out their weapons and are combat ready.
"Why are you taking your weapons out?" the voice asks filled with worry.
Flint takes the first step into the cave, "Just a precaution, in case this is a trap of some kind." Aku follows as her twin sword are covered in flames lighting the room, Flint covers his sword with EP so he lights ahead while Aku lights behind. Aku is the fastest, if she detects danger she can pull Flint out the cave quickly.
"..... I don't care what you do. Please, help me." The voice fills their ears as they keep moving deeper into the cave.
They reach the end as the sight before them shocks them, the owner of the voice is indeed not chained. But in some sort of stone house with no gates, Aku stares at the prison with a dead face. "I guess dragons can make prisons."
Flint is surprised as he brings his sword closer to the 'prison', he warns. "Stand back."
"Wha? Okay." The voice responds.
After a few second Flint slowly inserts his sword into the gap in the 'prison' as the 'prisoner' comes to light. An elf in tattered expensive clothes is illuminated as the duo see the person asking for help.
The elf notices that the duo are humans, she steps back in fear as her thoughts. "No. Humans?! They're going to kill me or worse. I can't use my magic to escape, it's all over." She slumps down on the wall as she stares at the hole leading outside.
*SHIING CLING CLING* Slices appear on the prison, *BANG*. The prison falls apart, there's nothing separating the two, the duo stands before the elf which is in fact a dark elf.
The elf's eyes glows as she shivers and tries moving back into the wall.
[NOTICE: APPRAISAL has been used against User, what will be your reply?]
"Hmmm" Flint looks at the dark elf before him as it shivers. He stabs his broadsword into the ground *KAANG* He lets go and walks up to her stretching a hand, "Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you."
The dark elf looks at them, her thoughts. "What choice do I have, either I accept his offer of he does something to me." She stretches her hand and holds Flint's hand. Flint pulls her up as Aku has a proud smile plastered on her face.
Aku turns into a blur as she goes out of the cave and returns, "Here." She hands over a dress to the elf. The dark elf blushes as she looks at Flint, he has no idea why. Aku covers her mouth, "Ahem. Privacy?"
Flint finally realizes, "Oh, right. I'll be outside." He walks outside as only Aku and the dark elf remain, Aku walks a bit away from her as she turns around with other dresses in her hands. The dark elf changes as she slowly walks towards Aku's back cautiously. Though Aku's back is turned to her, Aku's guard is on high alert. This is thanks to a certain someone's training.
Anyway, the dark elf stops behind Aku all timidly. Her thoughts, "I'll surrender myself to them, they gave me clothes so they might be good." Aku nods as she turns to leave the cave, the dark elf follows.
They exit the cave to see Flint practicing slowly with his sword techniques.
[NOTICE: SWORD AURA (Level: 1) acquired. Aura weapon, the act of infusing a weapon with the soul/SoP. This is capable of dealing soul damage in higher levels.]
Aku whistles, "Nice." She gives Flint a thumbs up. Flint smiles and nods, he sees the dark elf behind Aku as his eyes open wide. "I didn't know you were this beautiful." The dark elf blushes.
Aku turns to the dark elf and speaks with a sweet voice, "What is your name?"
"Aeife." She speaks timidly. Aku nods then she turns to the gave and points with her thumb, "You got everything loser?"
Flint has a vein popping, "Yes, everything besides the dresses."
Aku laughs, "Hahahaha." Then she looks at Flint with disdain, "Why don't you add the dresses to my collection now, I think I now see a need for it." Flint drags his feet as he puts them into the inventory. Aku stands at the edge of the mountain, "See you down below." She jumps and starts running down the mountain.
Flint walks to Aeife and extends his hand, "Can you get down alone or do you need any help?"
Aeife nods as she blushes while covering her face, Flint walks to Aeife about to carry her. Aeife's thoughts, "Is he going to carry my? But we've just met!"
Flint sweeps her off her feet, as he blush intensifies. Flint drops her on his shoulders leaving Aeife with a dumb look on her face. Her thoughts, "Huh? What's going on? I'm a princess, isn't he going to carry me as one? Rather I feel like lugga- " Flint jumps as she screams, "AARRGGHHH!!"
Flint didn't carry her that way for 2 reasons. The first, the dress is frilly and big so might block his vision. Second, the dress is long and might hinder his footing. So, carry her on his shoulders.