[CookingwiththeCobra]

Maurice


Maurice couldn't believe that he was riding on the back of a mule through a forest. His lanky legs almost dragging on the ground. Days earlier when he had escorted a stranger that he now knew as Doran into Maggie's office he’d had no idea that he was going to be forced into the predicament that he was currently in. Doran had rolled into the guild searching for Raz the old guild master but the man hadn't been seen in years. Maurice had took it upon himself to show him to the next best thing, Maggie. She stepped into the role of guild master after it was apparent the Raz wasn't coming back anytime soon.

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Doran

Doran though had not come to join the guild like Maurice originally thought. He came with a story of a monster that had escaped where it had been imprisoned by Raz and himself long ago. He had hoped that he could tack his old partner down in time to get him to help recapture the monster. It was too late to continue the search for Raz though. That was around the time that Maggie got the great idea that Maurice could accompany him. So there he was riding a mule about to go stop a monster with a stranger.

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Doran was walking ahead of him leading his mule by a rope, “you do know the mules weren't for riding on right? I brought them along to haul our gear.”

“Well I’m sorry Mr. Stranger dude but you don't know me very well. It is in both our best interest that I'm not walking because I am quiet clumsy and I will injure myself,” Maurice stated flatly.

Doran cocked an eyebrow but didn't turn his head for the other man to notice, “so if you're so clumsy then why did the Guild Master insist you would be a helpful asset in my quest?”

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Maurice flounder around on his mule, “because Maggie is crazy. She’s old and doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I haven't been out in the field since my partner…” he trailed off losing his burst of energy as soon as he started to think about Hellen. He cleared his throat. “My old partner, she went missing. It's been several years but I haven't done any bounties since then. I’m of no use, I promise.”

Doran looked at his compass and decided they were still going in the right direction, “then if nothing else you will provide a good source of entertainment.”

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Maurice decided to stay silent. Hellen had thought of him as more than just being funny or a coward. It was moments like this that he wished she was still here. He looked up. His mule stopped moving and Doran had moved to a nearby tree. He was tying the rope for his mule around it. “Are we stopping for the day?” Maurice slid off his mount.

“No, we walk from here,” he took Maurice's mule and did the same thing. Maurice reluctantly got off choosing not to argue. If Maggie trusted the strangers judgment then so would he.

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The ground under him was spongy and filled with vines. Vines he could trip on. Maurice kept his head down staring intently at where he was walking. He refused to screw up so early during the mission. Focusing only on the ground he failed to realize Doran had stopped walking and he slammed into the man’s back. Doran held a finger to his lips, “shh we're close now. Keep your guard up.”

“Close to the monster?” Maurice did his best to keep the fear out of his voice.

“Yes and no. The monster has not yet been released. We’re here to make sure it doesn’t,” Doran took out his gun and checked if it was fully loaded before creeping forward.

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“Maybe I should stay here,” he whispered loudly without following Doran.

Doran turned around and motioned for him to follow. Maurice let out an anxious sigh and reluctantly caught up, “I don’t see how I can be of any help.”

“Trust me you have an important part in this,” he lead them further. They reached a clearing and Maurice saw a heavily fortified house. He found it odd that it was randomly out in the middle of the woods far from electricity and other means of civilization.

“Who are they supposed to be?” Maurice whispered.

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Ignoring his question Doran turned around and got very close to Maurice face. Maurice’s eyes grew wide at the sudden closeness. Doran whispered clearly, “I don’t think of you as just entertainment. I am fully aware of your talents as a silver tongued thief and also as a skilled swordsman. Do not be mad at me for what I’m about to do and I apologize in advance.”

Before Maurice got to question him his confusion turned to surprise as Doran shoved him out of their hiding spot and into the clearing. Maurice stumbled a bit and looked up to see several guards had already moved and were pointing guns at him. “Oh dear,” was all he could mumbled before one of the armed guards grabbed him and hauled him into the house.

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Once inside the house one of the guards demanded his name and reason of being there as another took off down a hallway. “I was hiking,” he acted confused and scared. He slipped into a story effortlessly. “I come up here often. The region has the most stunning greenery. I'm a photographer I was planning on taking picture this evening of the forest with the sunset in the background,” he hoped he wasn't too rusty.

Another voice spoke, “then where is your camera?” The man fully entered the room. A big hulking man he was followed by the earlier guard.

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“I took a tumble not to long ago. I lost it on the fall. I was in the search for it when you guys grabbed me,” not too many details. Just enough for them to put the story together.

One of the guards look him up and down. He was wearing deep purple joggers with galaxy colored sneakers. A black long sleeve with a dark blue vest and of course his bubblegum pink hair. “I think this man is telling the truth,” he said to what Maurice assumed was his boss.

The hulking man scowled, “truth or not he has seen this place and is sure to ask questions and draw unwanted attention.”

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Doran watched as Maurice was hauled inside. He saw his chance when all the guards outside were preoccupied with the new intruder. He pulled out his gun and allowed the smoke to billow out from him engulfing his body in pitch blackness. He crept forward and snuck around the house and entered through the back door. Inside the house he slipped through the hallway until he heard talking. He heard Maurice giving his story and thought man that boy could really sell a lie.

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Making sure Maurice had it under control he focused back on the task at hand. The only way to awaken the creature back up was with a set of five crystals. He knew this because it was him and Raz that sealed the creature away. He had kept the crystals safe in a storage unit but it was recently broken into. He was then able to track them here to this place.

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Keeping his guard up Doran searched every empty room and searched every nook and cranny for them but they weren’t there. Circling back to the front room he hid in the shadows as he watched the bigger man interrogate Maurice. When the man made up his mind that Maurice didn’t know what was going on he gave the signal to kill him. Doran lifted his gun and set his sights on the guy. Channeling the deathly smoke to the gun. He pulled the trigger and the noise echoed loudly through the small room.

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Maurice’s eyes grew wide. “Wait I promise I won't tell anyone. I don’t even know what you guys are up to. No one would be believe me,” he tried to think of things to keep the men talking but one came forward with a gun and aimed it right at him. “Oh no…” Maurice said dully. How many times had he ended up in similar situation before. Maybe this would finally be the last.

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Maurice heard the loud bang echo and expected it to be the end what he saw though amazed him. A bullet trailing black smoke hit the man who was about to shoot Maurice. The bullet instead of penetrating the man it dissolved and once it touched his skin it engulfed him in smoke. He fell to the ground struggling and Maurice watched as the smoke devoured the man. He was amazed to see the man dead when the smoking mist disappeared.