Sorry for the long wait, but let me present ch. 14!

Chapter 14

It wasn't long before Hunter and the sheep came upon a dark snowy cave.

"Come on," Hunter gulped. "We've got to go in there—that's where the road leads." They only took a couple steps forward before realizing that continuing would be impossible due to a large ice block in the mouth of the cave.

"I could help you get through." Hunter and the sheep turned around to come face to face with Bentley. (Actually, since he's so tall, it would have been face to shoulders.)

"Bentley!" The cheetah raised his paw and the yeti gave him a giant hi-five, knocking him over.

"Oops, sorry," Bentley yanked him back up with one hand. "I don't think sometimes, you know."

"Huh?" Hunter cocked his head. "What are you talking about? You're one of the smartest people I know! I never understand all of those big words you use."

Bentley raised an eyebrow. "You must have me mixed up with someone else, stranger…"

"The name's Hunter."

"Well then, Hunter…" Bentley took a deep steadying breath as if he was preparing himself to reveal some dark secret. "For you see, sadly… I don't have a brain."

Hunter made a funny expression that appeared to be halfway between a laugh and a horrified gasp. "But how can you talk if you don't have a brain?"

Bentley pondered his question for a brief moment. "I don't know."

"Well, why don't you come with me—"

"Baa?" the sheep glared at the cat like he had been insulted.

"—I mean us," Hunter corrected. "We're going to Gem City to see a wizard so I can get back home. Maybe he will give you a brain too."

"Alright, why not?" Bentley shrugged and followed Hunter to the opening of the cavern. "I got it!" He raised his giant blue club and smashed the ice block, clearing the way.

"We're off to see the Wizard! The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!" They all sang as they skipped merrily on their way along the yellow brick road.

After a while, they came to a little wooden shack on the edge of a creepy, ominous forest. The trio stopped short at the outskirts of the woods and peered nervously through the trees.

"Uh…" Hunter gulped again. "Why don't we check out this area first before we go in there… You know, just for some minutes of mental preparation."

"Yeah, maybe we can find some berries or something…" Bentley agreed.

"Right." Hunter started tickling a nearby bush as the yeti and the sheep stared.

"Er, what are you doing?" Bentley asked.

"Looking for berries, of course!" the cheetah replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, no," Bentley said. "You've got to poke them!"

"Look," Hunter raised both of his front paws into the air and began poking the bush with his tail. "No hands! Ow!" He rubbed his eye suddenly. "It poked me back!"

"Uh, oh…" Bentley mumbled.

"What?" Hunter received an answer a second later as the bush bombarded them with red berries, causing the sheep to take cover behind him.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Bentley shouted. He whacked the poor bush with his club, only resulting in all of the other surrounding bushes to gang up on them and pelt them with even more fruit.

"Stop!" Everyone looked over to spot none other than Ripto glaring angrily at them. "You should be ashamed of yourselves! Picking on poor defenseless vegetation!"

"Baa?" the sheep asked.

"Defenseless?!" Hunter agreed with the sheep. "But it threw berries at us! It started it!"

"Don't lie to me!" Ripto narrowed his eyes. "I saw you—you—bullies!" He finished lamely.

"Look who's talking!" Hunter replied heatedly. "Like you've never caused trouble before…"

To their surprise, Ripto sighed and threw his scepter to the side. "Just because I don't have a heart doesn't mean you can make hurtful jokes about it!"

"You don't have a heart?" Hunter considered this for a second. "Well, that explains a lot!"

Ripto jumped forward but before he could do anything, he was interrupted by a large burst of smoke from the roof of the shack. The Sorceress emerged and laughed from her new vantage point, overlooking them all.

"So you've managed to find a few little tagalongs?"

Ripto appeared to be concentrating all of his energy on keeping his anger under control. The sheep dashed to hide behind Hunter, who was busy hiding behind Bentley. "No matter! When I'm through with you, you'll wish—"

"Look, lady!" Ripto couldn't hold it back anymore. "I don't know who you are and neither do I care! Secondly, what in the name of Avalar did we do to you?"

The Sorceress seemed to be slightly confused for a minute, but it was soon replaced by an evil grin. "You mean Hunter hasn't told you yet?"

"What's she talking about?" Bentley asked as the cheetah realized that his hiding spot wasn't working and reluctantly came out.

"Um… well… actually, she's the Sinister Sorceress of the South who wants this," Hunter showed them the skateboard.

"Why would she want—" Ripto began.

"It has magical powers."

"Oh, well that sure explains it…" the Riptoc was peering hungrily at the object. "Magical you say? …Can you change the color?"

"Nope."

"Never mind, you can keep it!"

"I will get that board from you!" The Sorceress joined back into the conversation. "And you're going to hand deliver it to me personally!"

"Is that a threat?" Bentley asked.

"No, that's a promise."

"Boo!" Ripto shouted as the dinosaur disappeared in another cloud of smoke. "I've heard that one before!"

"Hey, come with us," Hunter said to the Riptoc. "We're on our way to see the Wizard. Maybe he can give you a heart."

"Me? Go with you guys?" Ripto asked. "Never in a million years!"

Bentley smiled and winked at Hunter. "He's right. He'd never make it through that dark forest up ahead… oh well, see you later."

"Is that supposed to be some kind of heartless joke?" Ripto shouted angrily again. "I'll show you! Out of my way!" He marched towards the woods as Hunter exchanged another hi-five with Bentley. The yeti, cheetah, and sheep followed closely behind Ripto as they entered the eerie path through the looming trees.

Next Hunter and company will meet... can you guess? Stay tuned for more!

-PurpleArmadillo