::It's chapter 3!::
"Listened?" ask Ryu. He the girl hugging him and his ensuing blush was greatly overriding it ability to comprehend what Sakura was saying. "Listen to wha-ah, damn it!" The samurai's understanding came too late, however, as the cat-girl quickly dropped to the floor and swept her leg out at his legs.
Ryu fell with a soft thud and an "Umph!" The next thing he knew, Sakura was straddling his stomach, holding the tip of a kunai to his throat. She smiled mischievously at him.
"Give up?" she asked.
"No!" came Jorn's strangled cry. He clawed at the floor to try and help in some way, but to no effect. Slowly, he reached for his revolver. "You're not gonna' win this you-AAAH!!!" The machinist gave a great cry of pain as he felt the weapon in his back pushed in further. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
He looked back to see a triumphant Sarasa standing over him, her foot on the kunai. "Don't even think about it," she laughed. "We've already won, and there's nothing you can do!"
"So," Sakura giggled, looking from the suffering half-goblin to the man beneath her. "I'll ask again: give up?" Ryu gave a grin of his own.
"Never!" Quickly, he knocked the hand holding the knife away from his throat and grabbed the ninja by her shoulders, rolling as he did. Sakura gave a loud "mew" of surprise, and suddenly the situation was reversed. "So, do you give up, kunoichi?"
"Of course not," she answered. She kneed Ryu in the rear and rolled backward as she did, and the swordsmen rolled with her and jumped to his feet, backing up and taking a fighting stance. Sakura, however, was faster than he thought, and was already up and facing him in a stance of her own. "You really think you can win?"
"No," he said. "I know I can. Prepare yourself!" His attack probably would have been impressive, but was interrupted by a certain half-elf clocking him on the head with her staff. "Pre…prepare youz-alf…" He quickly fell.
"Stupid human!" Sarasa gloated. She was about to give Ryu another whack for good measure (and out of her sadistic nature), when a high, psychotic voice cut the air.
"That looked like it hurt!" exclaimed the gnome, poking his head out from behind the rock again. "I'm gonna' see if it did!" He then zipped across the room, passing up Jorn and Sarasa to stand in front of Ryu's prone form, his huge smile ever-present. He gave a few pokes at the samurai's head where the staff had hit, eliciting a loud "OW!" "Yep! He's in pain, alright!"
"You little shit!" cried Ryu as he jumped to his feet, lifting the gnome by his tunic's collar. "That hurts, knock it off!" The gnome dropped his spoon and let out a sound that was something like "Geoah!" "What in the hell are you, anyway?!" Hearing the question, the gnome seemed to go back to his normal grinning self.
"I'm Dub, the spoon-gnome," he said, placing one fist on his belt and pointing the thumb of his other hand to his chest. He seemed infinitely proud of his statement and introduction.
"Gnome?" asked Jorn. He had finally managed to pull the kunai out of his back and stand. "I thought gnomes were just an urban legend?"
"We are!"
"What?!" Jorn asked in confusion. "But you're right there!"
"Ssh!" Dub shushed. "The owls might hear you!" A dead silence hit the room, as all eyes fell to the gnome in Ryu's hand. Dub just gave his large grin in response.
"That's it," said Ryu. He jumped back from Sarasa to stand by Jorn. "Enough is enough, I'm ending this!"
"How do you plan on doing that?" asked Sakura, a small smile on her face.
"Yeah," said Sarasa. "You're unarmed."
"Heh. Really now?" he countered. "I may be nowhere near your level, but I've had some basic training in Ninjutsu. Thus, I know how to throw…ANYTHING!" At that, the samurai hefted Dub back and over his shoulder and threw him straight at Sarasa. The gnome yelled "NONONONONO-AAAAAAAH!!!" as he did.
"Shit!" cried the witch. She tried to focus and strike the living missile with her magic. "Destruction of nature, gather in fl-" WHAM! The half-elf and the gnome both fell to the floor, groaning on the edge of consciousness. Jorn ran over and pointed his gun at the girl, making sure she stayed subdued. Sakura stared wide-eyed at the whole thing, and before she knew it, Ryu was before her, kicking her kunai out of her hand. She gave a small "Eek!"
"So," started Ryu. "How about we get to know each other and talk this through, yeah?" The cornered cat-girl gave a nervous smile and nodded.
***Several minutes of negotiation later…***
"So we have a deal?" asked Ryu to the now-seated Sakura. "We put all of this behind us, we'll help you two find the real Cavern of Thieves, and to make this all up to us we'll split the treasure 60/40 in our favor?"
"Yeah," she sighed. Then, despite her feline nature, she gave Ryu what he could only describe as "puppy-dog eyes." "But I really hate losing so many shinies. You sure you don't wanna' let me have it all?"
"Um, y-yeah," he said. He found it unnaturally difficult to say no, but he steeled himself. "Now go get ready, I'm gonna' check on Jorn and your friend, Sarasa." He made his way into the next room/cave where Jorn was supposed to be looking after the mage. "Jorn, is she awake yet?"
"Oh-no, not yet," he called back. He cocked the hammer of his gun. 'So, try to enslave me will ya'? Hah! Well take this!' He then proceeded to fire numerous shots into the prone girl, laughing maniacally as he did. He suddenly stopped, however, when he felt a presence behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Ryu giving him an annoyed look.
"And I'm sure taking pot-shots at her is helping?" asked the samurai. The half-goblin gave an uneasy laugh and scratched the back of his head.
"Well, I just thought-" his explanation was suddenly cut off as Sarasa woke up and leaped to her feet, eyes ablaze with arcane energy.
"YOU FUCKERS!"
From a nearby town, an enormous, fire mushroom cloud erupted from the heart of the forest. Later investigations would only result in the discovery of a large crater. The cause was left as a mystery.
::And that, folks, is chapter 3. No, that's not the end, the "heroes" are not dead…yet. . R&R please. Later!::