Chapter IV

The sun was rather harsh in the desert. Prince Talmit, the Dragonoid Prince did inform everyone that the desert was dangerous. Though for Majima and Chrom? Seemed like they had everything handled. That is if they didn't stray too far away from the Dragon Turtle. Pretty sure if they did, the others could follow their foot prints left in the sand.

"This sucks!" Majima yelled in a frustrated tone. He threw out his arms as he growled to himself. Bringing his leather gloved hand to his forehead, he brushed some sweat off from it. It was sure hot. It was a dry, dead as hell desert. With nothing or no one in sight. He looked over at the swordsman and pointed at him with his index finger.

"Yo! Chrommy! Ya gonna do anythin'? Like head back? Or somethin'? I think we did enough sight seein' in this damn place!"

Chrom just stood there, his back turned to Majima as he viewed the desert. All what could be seen was sand, more sand and endless amount of nothingness. Not a good thing. Ignoring Majima's rants for a second, he turned back to face the raving Yakuza.

"Majima. Calm down. Let's just stick together. I am sure we are not lost. We could retrace our steps."

"Yeah yeah... blah blah..."

Majima muttered a few other words under his breath and followed Chrom. Both seem to have gone pretty far and away from where they were last. Everything did seem to be vast and endless. Even if they did try to retrace their steps, the both of them would still be lost.

They were lost. So very lost. Both trailed together trying to find their way out from the hellish desert. At least no monster was around. That was always a good thing. Chrom soon came to a stop, standing a few metres away from Majima. He brought a hand to his forehead and looked around the area. Majima however, placed his hands behind his head and watched the swordsman, wondering what else could happen.

"Oi, Chrommy. What in the hell ya doin'? Seems like yer jus' standin' there. Face it, we're lost."

"We are not lost, Majima. Trust me. I know a way we can get back to the rest."

Majima turned his back to the other and pulled out a zippo lighter and a cigarette from the inside of his coat. Sticking the stick in his mouth, he lit it up and took a small drag from it. Turning his head a bit, he looked over at Chrom with his good eye, which seemed to be a rather piercing glare.

"We're lost. Jus' admit it." Majima said in a rather flat tone. He continued to smoke his cigarette, ignoring Chrom for the time being. From between puffs, he did watch Chrom a bit. Maybe it was for a safety concern? They were all alone here after all. He soon finished his smoke break and flicked the butt away. Not that anyone would care or see it. Frustrated and feeling rather hot from the blistering, desert heat, Majima decided to look for Chrom.

"Oi, Chrommy, where did ya go?" He asked. "Dun tell me ya up and tried goin' back!"

Maybe it wasn't the time to goof around. Majima was now alone. Or it seemed like it. Chrom wasn't in sight or any place until...

"Hey Majima? I seem to be in a bit of trouble. Mind giving me a hand? Or at least find something to pull me out?"

Now, it seemed like he was hearing things. He looked around, placing his hand to his forehead and trying to locate where Chrom was. Maybe the Yakuza could trace Chrom by the sound of his voice. That always seemed to work. Taking his steps and paces slowly and carefully, he called out Chrom's name, hoping he'd respond.

"Chrom? Oh Chrommy~!" He called out. "Where ya go? I hear ya, yet I can't see you!"

Majima continued on looking for Chrom. Where could he be? He could hear him, but not see him? That was until Majima paused dead in his tracks, a few metres away from Chrom and his rather unpleasant situation.

"Majima, mind helping me out? I seemed to have trailed into some quicksand here. Remember when Prince Talimt said that this place was dangerous?"

The eye-patch wearing male brought a hand to his chin and gave it a small stroke. He pondered for a moment and how to rescue Chrom from this situation. Chrom apparently seemed kind of calm, but somewhat nervous in this situation. He was only mired to his knees in the soft sand trap.

"I get it! You have that sinkin' feelin'?" Snapping his fingers, the one-eyed male laughed softly. "Heh. I seen movies like this! I'll get ya out..." Majima paused for a moment and looked around his area. He didn't have anything on him to pull Chrom out, nor anything was in sight that could be used. Instead, he reached for Chrom's cape. A rather coy, yet wily grin came across the one-eyed male's face as he had a firm grip on it. Chrom gave Majima a rather perplexing look. Now what? Was Majima going to use his cape as a way to pull him out?

"Majima, please hurry. I don't want to suffocate in this trap..! I-I don't want you to get in it, either!"

Majima didn't say anything. He kept a firm grip on that cape and growled softly. Chrom was up to his waist now and things didn't seem to be going well. Thought, this plan didn't seem to be going well at all. As Chrom would be getting mired more in the dry sandy pit, Majima would be getting dragged along as well.

"Shit.." Majima sneered through gritted teeth. "Shit! Shit! SHIT! I'm bein' pulled in!"

Chrom gave a sigh. He was up to his chest now. Majima on the other hand, was up to his waist. Both swordsman and Yakuza now stuck in the same sandy trap. Looking over at Majima, he closed his eyes. What a way to die. Not that he wanted to die like this.

"Just don't make any sudden movements. You will just get yourself mired more. We may have a chance to be saved, you know."

Majima then growled softly and let go of the cape. He crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed in his manner. Both stuck in a pit of dry quicksand. It could've been much worse. The eye patch wearing male grumbled a few swears under his breath as he dropped his hands down.

"I knew I was gonna die sooner or later. Wasn't expectin' somethin' like this, y'know." He gave a rather nervous laugh and flashed Chrom a dirty look. "Hope Paradise is fine, though. I can do anythin' I damn well please!"

Rolling his eyes, Chrom muttered a bit. He was up to his shoulders in the trap. Being in this situation was not good. He remained silent. He didn't want to say a word, fearing Majima may rave and blow up at the blue haired male. Majima kept silent as well. There was no need to bicker in this situation. He was only up to his chest area. Even if he got himself out, there be sand in places he wouldn't find pleasant. He gave the clear, blue sky one last look, with the sun blazing down on the sandy earth. He felt like having one last smoke, but Chrom did have a point. Any movements would cause him to sink a bit faster.

"Heh. Guess it's th' end. Nice knowin' ya. Chrommy. I'll be missin' Kiryu-Chan an' everyone else as well. What a way to die. A death I'd see in a video game. Well, Chrommy?"

When Majima looked over his shoulder, Chrom seemed to have vanished. Did he go under? That means Majima would as well! What could he do? The Mad Dog of Dojima didn't want to panic. He couldn't. He was up to his neck in the sand. Chrom had already sank underneath the quicksand. Even if he did try to rescue himself, he lack Chrom at his side. What could he tell the others? Giving off a grunt, Majima decided to let fate take its course with him. Which soon he met the same 'fate' as Chrom in the sandy death trap.

Moments later. A large thud could be heard. It echoed through a cavern like temple. It soon was followed by a loud yelp. Chrom and Majima seemed to have landed in a darken room. A room with a stony floor and sand covering it. It didn't seem like they did die, but ended up in an underground temple or a cave of some sort? However, This situation seemed rather worse, or was it humours? Chrom landed on top of Majima and rubbed the side of his face. Majima of course had someone on top of him. At least it wasn't various people like the last time. Taking his hand, Chrom brushed some sand off from his hair and got onto his feet. Looking down at Majima, he flashed a small grin and hid a small chortle.

"Majima, we're alive. Seemed like that quicksand trap lead us to some sort of temple. Kind of a weird way to enter it. We better be careful... Majima? Are you... okay?"

Kneeing down to the Yakuza's level, Chrom hoisted Majima up and brushed the excess sand off his body. Giving a light flick to the nose, he hoped Goro would snap awake.

"Come on, Maji, don't die on me..."

"Grrn... Kiryu-Chan... Not now..." Majima said in a rather off and slurred tone. "Kinda busy, y'know..."

"MAJIMA!"

Chrom was relieved that his friend. Or someone he considered his friend was alive. However, the both of them were lost and now trapped in a winding temple. Letting the male stand on his own feet, he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and surveyed the area. It was dark and rather hard to see. Looking back at the one-eyed male, he gave a small nod.

"Majima, Do you have any sort of kindle or anything we can use for light? I can look for wood or something."

Majima pulled off his dress coat and shook the excess sand off from it. He'd worry about his trousers and shoes later. Looking back at Chrom, he pulled out his zippo lighter and held it with his left hand.

"Ya mean this? 'Guess it could work or somethin'. Ya got anythin' I can light up?" He asked. "Seemed like we didn't die. Ya sayin' that quicksand we got ourselves in lead us into this place? Talk 'bout creepy..."

Chrom seemed to agree with Majima here. It was a rather creepy place and it could be infested with monsters or traps. Or whatever roamed around here. He found a good sized piece of wood,which looked like some sort of oak staff of some sort and pointed it towards Majima.

"Light this up, please. We can use it and try to find a way out. We need to stay close, otherwise we will get lost."

Majima didn't want to give a snide remark. Flicking the lid open of his zippo, he lit Chrom's makeshift torch and muttered a bit.

"I got sand in places n' it's pissin' me off. Let's get movin', okay?"

So, both Blue Haired Swordsman and the One-eyed Yakuza followed some small walk way. Things seemed rather quiet. It was rather silent and almost eerie as well. It was not a pretty site, either. Skeletal bodies were strewn on the sand covered floor, followed by small scarabs skittering about. The both of them seemed to brave their own feats in here. A few traps here and there. Mainly spike and spear traps. A bit of team work from the both of them came a long way. From Chrom dragging Majima through a rather dangerous and easily sensitive spear trap to Majima giving a hand to Chrom who nearly plummeted down a pit trap. Things seemed to be getting a bit but better, until the pair reached a dead end, which had some light glistening through the cracks of the wall. Where they at the end? Freedom?

"Hey, Majima! I think we may have hit freedom... but there is one problem... we have hit a dead end."

Walking past Chrom, Majima placed his hand on the stony wall and observed it. He gave his chin a rub as he pondered some ideas.

"If I had my guns or explosives, I could bomb ourselves out of here... but how in th' hell would I carry all of that?!"

Suddenly, a low, yet growl like sound could be heard. It echoed through the temple. Chrom over heard the noise and gave a light shrug, thinking it was something else. Giving a small, nervous laugh, he tried to lighten this situation a bit.

"Was that you, Majima?" He asked. "Didn't know you were hungry! Was that your belly?"

"Eh?"

Majima glanced over his shoulder, wondering what Chrom was talking about. He raised his eye brow and scoffed softly.

"What in the hell ya talkin' 'bout? Thought it was you! Stop jokin' 'round!" He raved in a rather irritated tone. "Though, I didn't have anythin' since this morning, but that ain't the case!"

Chrom brought a hand to his forehead and felt rather baffled. Maybe the both of them were hearing things. This time, the growls seemed to be getting closer and a bit louder. Majima grew fairly annoyed and shot Chrom one last glare. He faced Chrom as he crossed his arms over his tattooed chest. However, before he could say anything, his expression, which was rather annoyed and angry faulted into a face of fear. He gave a small panic like stammer and pointed with his index finger. A light, yet freaked out whimper escaped his lips.

"C-C-Chrommy! B-B-behind ya!"

"Huh...? Goro? Are you okay? What is with the face? Why are you in a panic?"

Turning around, Chrom was face to face with a rather large, boar like beast. Something that had reddish coloured eyes and a tawny, rust covered pelt. Large fangs were in it's mouth followed by claws on it's forepaws. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to happy and could make short work and a meal out of those two. Taking a few steps back, Chrom with drew his sword. Majima followed suit and pulled out his tanto knife. Both got themselves in a stance. Maybe the two of them could fend off the beast on their own. They were alone of course.

Chrom looked over at Majima and gave a reassuring nod. He gave a rather determined look towards the creature. Majima stood at Chrom's side and tossed his tanto knife from one hand to the other, before giving the blade a sadistic lick.

"Majima, ready? We are going to fight this thing!"

Returning the nod. Holding his knife back into his one hand, he let off his crazy like cackle. How good it felt that he was going to get into a fight. Even if the thing wasn't human. It still would feel really good.

"I like how ya think! C'mon! Let's kick it's ass! Human or not, I gon' break its ribs and crack its skull!"

~To be Continued