Swiftcurrent Creek The Not-So-Great Escape

She was like a living drop of shadow herself, silent and stealthy and stealing across the ground with the greatest of ease as the mysterious light beckoned her alluringly onward...! Well. In her mind, at least. In reality, her wallowing progress wasn't getting her terribly far, or in even a very straight line toward her goal. Still, as Talos oozed in first one direction and then the other with her stocky coal-furred limbs flailing crookedly away, she was bound and determined not to bedeafeated. No matter how arduous the journey, no matter how difficult the obstacles in her way, her quest would succeed!

Except that the wet splat of a strange new monster reverberated through the earth before her. Talos reared her head back in surprise, her mouth forming a little "o." Then, as the huge smelly thing failed to immediately jump forward and eat her, she jabbed her nose back out in its direction, sniffing inquiringly. What the hell was this thing? It seemed to be stationary, but its smell was both fascinating and overwhelming and wet. Talos hobbled forth to give the thing an inquiring poke and demand some answers from it, but she was thwarted by another, even larger source of unfamiliar scent, one much hairer and alike yet unlike the most familiar smells of her world. What was this?! It was sticking its big fat head in the way of her goal! Oh no, it wasn't here to haul her back and give her yet another of those dreaded baths, was it?! Talos wailed in protest at the very thought, and flailed blindly at the big nose that Samothes had stuck out in her direction. Leave the adventurer princess alone, you big bully! She fiercely targeted him with her most unwelcoming thoughts—I can hurt you with my brain! Right?!—and hoped her outswiped claws and yelling at him might change his mind. Surely such a fearsome array of weaponry could not fail to topple even the hairiest, stinkiest, and most determined of dragons. Surely.