Blinding speed, you grip the reins tight as you watch the ground passing quickly beneath you. You bank to the right to avoid a grand living tree that swings a mighty arm in your direction. "Hey... Stop..." It seems to say after you in a slow booming voice when you narrowly avoid its reach. You turn for a moment. You pray that the tree has slowed the progress of your pursuer but you only look on in horror as it bounds around the growth without slowing for a moment. Fear grips your heart. You look upon the ravenous slathering beast whose eyes gleam with the thrill of the hunt, eager to take you down. Turning back you stir your steed to greater speed throwing caution to the wind in these unfamiliar lands. 

You burst out from the treeline and find yourself passing under a grand archway all to aware of the sound of the beast on your heels. You find yourself inside what seems to be a grand cavern which has architecture and design that looms over you in bizarre angles. You cannot spare the time to gawk at its grandeur. Your heart jumps when you look back at the beast and for a moment you see it slip on the slick floor and go careening into a far wall. It rights itself quickly and your hopes are dashed as it gives chase yet again. You swerve back and forth as the chase continues down narrow dark corridors that turn in onto themselves in a maddening labyrinth. You turn a corner purely on instinct and pause for only a moment looking back to see if you have lost the beast. You cannot help but let out a yelp in terror as you watch it turn the corner you hide down, yowling as it charges you. You continue in the labyrinth for what seems an eternity trying to block the path of the beast in any way that you can think of. Suddenly you come into a grand throne room. The side is lined with massive stone giants seated upon one side of the cavern motionless and staring at a ornate massive tablet on the opposite side of the room.

You steel yourself, all to aware that you have not the time to look upon these strange sights with the beast firmly upon your heels. This is where you make your fatal mistake. You believe these stone giants to be naught but statues upon entering the chamber. Suddenly one on your periphery shifts and with shocking speed one of the giant begins to lean back its feet rising into the air right in the path of your egress. You pull hard upon the reins in a futile attempt to avoid the sudden obstacle in your path but the effort throws you off balance. You are too late to correct your mistake. As if in slow motion you feel the reins loose from your fingers and your body rise forward off your steed through the air. You spin and let out a slow cry of "NoooOooOoooooo...*breath* ooooOooooooo" as you feel your body strike the ground hard. You groan in pain upon the ground but it is quickly drowned out by the satisfied victorious growl of the beast stalking toward its helpless prey.

You lie on the hard ground just out of reach of your steed but find it simply too far away. Closing your eyes you think back on your many adventures and heroic feats lamenting the tragedy of your loss and accepting what is to be your fate.

That's when you feel it, the warm breath of your predator on your face and the rough slathering of its tongue excited to taste its next meal. "Stop! Please... Nooooo!" You cry out. All your effort, all your bravery was all for naught. Your life would be snuffed out by a single error and the people of the world would never know how it happened.

You feel your life force fading quickly as the beasts poison coats your face and enters your body, a prelude to the beginning of a slow and agonizing death when a voice calls out from the darkness. 

"Hey! I thought I said no more running in the house." 

You open one eye to look upon the stone giant seated upon the throne shifting in your direction with a voice so familiar. "Beast come!" The giant calls out and the beast obeys immediately taking a seat directly to the right of the imposing figure with raised feet.

"Fa....ther? I have been slain father." you croak dryly clutching your ever tightening chest. You can feel the poison driving you mad. Everyone knows that your father was slain by a great dragon, that is the whole reason that you became an adventurer in the first place. A good old fashioned vengeance quest.

The giant continues to look down on you its face contorting in a mask of confusion before it smiles ever so slightly. "Not in here your not... go get slain outside you dork." it calls out in a suffering yet kind matter reaching down to pick up your steed with a mighty hand. With a wave of it's other hand it casts a spell of great power with a dismissive gesture.

You feel strength enter back into your bones, your will to run and fight growing with every moment. The giants magic takes effect on your broken form purging you of poison. For a moment the beast retreats looking at you expectantly as you rise. This pause, this seeming moment of deference from the beast fills you with a serene sense of pride. It is as if the beast is showing respect for a worth foe. You nod your head slightly at the beast and reach for the reins of your steed.

You crack the reins with determination and speed your way out of the cavern with the beast soon right on your heels. 

"Hey! I just said... Ah whatever.." the giant calls after.