Heaven is a Dungeon

I can't deflect this.

But I can…asher grabs his sword in mid and stamps it against the ground, propelling himself forwards and regaining his balance…. use my finishing move.

What!

He darts forward, slipping just under the lancelot swings.

How the hell did he get so fast, there's no time to readjust my swing.

The wild blade brushes against the top of his helmet, nicking off a piece of it. Sparks fly everywhere, the patrons are awed beyond belief, it's all happening so fast they can barely keep up.

Asher now under his swing.

Finishing move! Bluff of the ages!

He turns the blade on its flat side, with all his power he slaps it against Lancelot's chest instantly knocking the wind out of him.

The impact throws Lancelot a few feet's back, his armor scratching against the stone floors.

I guess that does it, you win, you disarmed me first, he sheets his sword.

The doll looked on in amazement, I saw what he did, he tricked him, letting go of his sword after that strike to fool him. And it worked, boy oh boy! That was awesome!

Hey lance you won you should celebrate.

I think he's out cold, one of the patrons say

Well when he wakes up, tell him he won, I've gotta go to the bank. He turns around

Hey wagon!

He runs to the wagon. The dolls chases after him carefully

Hey would you be passing by the bank by any chance

No but I'll be stopping somewhere close.

That's good enough for me.

Alright hop on back. But be careful I'm carrying ale.

Yeah, I never touch the stuff,but why does it smell like dung though.

The old man chuckles, saying thats because I carried manure earlier today,I hope you don't mind.

I don't mind. He hops on back. The wagon rolls off. Asher finds a small space to lie down. The dolls chase after the wagon dodging trails of mud and potholes on the street. Groan in pain, he looks at the cut on his arm, the blood flowing out of it. Asher slowly loses consciousness.

The doll jumps on the wagon as it makes a turn into a new street. The jerking of the wheels on the pothole, shakes it around testing its grip. It hangs on for dear life and manages to beat the resistance and pull itself up the wagon.

It's pants heavily, brushing its brow as if removing sweat

That was a close one. It feels cold air on it back, it hears the faint sound of breath. It turns around, and sees Asher's head, it jumps back in shock.

Phew..he's asleep, that almost gave me a heart attack, not like I have a heart anyways. I'm not sure he's ready to see me yet.

Now where's that cut. It climbs up Asher's helmet. Since he's sleeping on his side, it climbs up his shoulder too.

There you are, it says standing over the large cut, it's covered in blood.

Poor guy, doesn't care for himself. It squats down. Woah, he cut right through the armor.

It rubs her hand on the cut.

Ahh.. It screams.

It cut me, It's so sharp. Strands of hay come out of the cut. It glares at them.

Get back in there right now. I Said get back in there. It stuffs it in with her other hand wrestling with the strays.

Alright and now to fix this wound. It glares down at the bloodied cut on Asher's arm. It stretches out its hands and concentrates, an ambient green light illuminated from its tiny arms and the deep cut slowly becomes shallower and shallower and soon vanishes completely but his blood still remains.

The light receded, and disappears. The doll looks down, and seems a bit unsatisfied with its work. It puts it's hand to its chin, thinking, eyes lights up with an idea.

Oh I know.

It jumps off Asher's body and runs around the wagon picking up straws. It gathers a couple and rushes back up Asher. This time taking a different route, running up his legs, it wobbles around barely able to keep its balance on all the straws, it quickly regains its balance and continues running up to his upper arm.

It carefully reaches in through the gapping cut in his armor, holding folded strands of straw. It dabs them on the blood, rubbing it around where the wound had been to soak up the blood. It's golden thread locks, fall over it button eyes,

Damn I can't see. It tries blowing it away, nothing happens.

Oh that right I don't breathe. So it shakes its head instead, causing it's hand to brush against the sharp edges of the cut

Ouch! Not again. It draws out its arm.

Some blood got on my hands and my dress too, well at least wore orange.

It throws the blood soak hay out the wagon. Looks at her bloodied hands

Oh I know. It uses her other hand and begins squeezing the blood out of the other. It leans over carefully so no blood drops on Asher.

Asher yawns and begins rolling over on his side, the doll screams as it loses balance and falls on a bed of hay.

No, no don't…

Asher rolls over and buries it under its back.

....

It's almost sun down now. The carriage stops by a building.The old man turns around to Asher, who's still sleeping at the back of the wagon.

Hey we're here! Asher doesn't respond.

Hey we're where!, he knocked on the wood of the wagon. Asher jolts up and turns to him.

Where are you?

Yes.

As looks up and sees they're just across the road from the bank. He turns to the old man.

I thought you said…

The old man waves it off.. I rerouted, that's all.

Thanks you very much sir

Don't mention, you're a knight. I can't thank you enough for that, just do your best to help the princess, okay.

I will.

By the way is that your. The old man says pointing at the mushed doll.

No, Asher picks it up

Then how did it get in there? Asher throws it away without even taking a glance. The doll lands on the mud by the gutter

Asher gets off the wagon, he waves goodbye to the old man as the wagon rides away. He crosses the road and walks into the bank.

The dolls raises its face up the mud. Looks around, making sure nobody is watching. Then it gets up and runs towards the bank. It dodges carts and horse pull carriages, seeking past the people in the way and final makes it into the bank and finds a place in the shadows.

Asher walks up to the counter in the bank.

How may we help you sir,

I'd like to inquire about the recent robberies here, I would like to take up the job to stop the perpetrator.

Really? The man looked visibly surprised

You're a bit surprised, why?

Oh it's just, I'd been quite busy today and had forgotten to even post the job on guild.

Really?

Yes, I was just about my way, but I guess news must have gotten around.

I suppose. Well tell me what has been going on here.

Well it's quite the problem, over the past three weeks money's been disappearing on a steady basis, we've had three incidents so far.

And what similarities do their cases have?

He leaves nothing behind but broken looks and empty vaults. Nothing we can track him down with. We've tried everything from complex locks to spells to even curses.

I heard, and the curse did nothing, yeah we almost thought the witch had cheated us, until our manager tried the curse out. He's on leave for now.

Have you done anything different this time

No nothing new, we've even taken down the curse all that is left now. The man looks around a bit and gestures for him to come closer. Asher leans in.

Actually what we've done now, is cursed the gold and silver, he whispers

And you're sure that'll work

I hope so, it is cursed to weigh three thousand pounds and to glue to any person who touches it without saying the magic words.

And what's the magic word?

The man chuckles. I can't tell you that of course.

Asher chuckles too. Then you must be very confident this time, to tell me about the trap.

Yes, yes but I'm just being cautious, with the words that all.

Now in what situation would I get paid?

If you could catch him before our traps get to him then I guess you'll be entitled a reward.

How about after

What? The traps…

No if he breaks the trap and steals your money and I stop him then

If that happens, which I must says I strongly doubt, then you be given an even bigger reward

Like how much. The dolls watches them from the shadows.

What are they saying? I can't hear a thing over here.

Fifty gold pieces!? alright it's a deal. Asher puts out his hand and they shakes on it

I'll be leaving now.

Alright good luck! Maybe I shouldnt wish him that, if he succeeds, his pay may come out of salary after all. The man chuckles

Asher leaves the bank and the doll runs after him.