Chapter 10

They awake refreshed and eager to get under way.

"Good morning, kids, you ready to get under way?"

Avril looks up at Roy with her big trusting soft and warm blue eyes and says, "Yup. You ready?"

"I've been ready for this all my life." Even though Avril is not a hundred percent sure what he means, she nods her pretty head in agreement.

"Good, right this way. Don't worry about the blankets, they will be taken care of."

As they are walking to yet another tunnel that leads away from the main cavern, Roy asks, "Have any idea how long it will take us to reach the Battle Axe?"

"Of course we don't know for sure, because nobody of this or recent generations has ever returned from the journey, but legend says it is about a day there, a day to find and retrieve, and of course another day to get back, providing you're not hurt."

Avril moves closer to Roy. "Three days underground."

"Yes, ma'am, and not only that, but the deeper we go the hotter it is going to get."

"That's okay. I like warmth." Both Roy and Brockow smile. "What?"

"It is going to get a lot hotter."

"That is more than okay, because as long as we stay together we can accomplish anything."

"Aye, Princess." Avril smiles.

About fifty feet into the tunnel they come to another cavern of about a tenth the size as the main one. Just off to the left are four Dwarven guards sitting around until they notice their King, and then they jump to attention.

"Lads, pull the chain, we have some that are to test their destinies." The guards are shocked, but do as they are commanded. They have never seen the great door move before.

The great door is a wheel-shaped rounded stone that is taller than Roy, and when all four of the guards start pulling on the nearby chain that hangs from a pulley system, the stone slowly starts to roll out of the way. As Avril is watching the door open in amazement, Roy whispers something to the king. He smiles and nods his head.

Immediately they are wafted with heat. Roy takes off his battle leather vest and long sleeve shirt so that he is left with his brown leather pants and a dark green short sleeve shirt. Avril had already earlier taken off her long sleeve shirt, so she is already only wearing her royal blue tartan skirt, royal blue leggings and her white sleeveless tank top shirt.

"Here, take these." The king hands Avril and Roy what looks like two torches, but without the part to catch on fire. Instead there are only small crystals on top of each. "Just speak the words and they will help you on your way."

"Thank you, Brockow."

"Yeah, thank you, King Brockow."

"Please, Princess, just call me Brockow."

"And me Avril."

Avril and Roy walk just inside the tunnel leading down, and as they are standing there the stone wheel wall starts to close. The grinding noise is loud and unnerving. Soon they are blanketed in complete and utter darkness.

"Illuminate." Roy's torch thing lights up.

"Illuminate." and Avril's follows quickly. "Wonderful."

"You ready, babygirl?"

"Yes, sir knight." They both smile.

They travel for many hours weaving this way and that. With every pace they travel further down the heat intensifies.

"You weren't kidding about the heat. My legs feel like they are about to melt because of these damn leggings."

"Here, sit down on this boulder." She does so without thinking about it. Roy bends down and takes her boots off. She is looking at him curiously now. "Stand up please."

As she is doing it, Roy kneels down and reaches up under her skirt and grabs the legging on both sides of the hips. "ROY!"

"Sorry, Princess, but I believe you will be much more comfortable."

"Okay, but you could have warned me what you were doing."

"Sorry, Avril." Roy is smiling a big smile, and as they are making eye contact he starts to slowly pull down her leggings.

Roy quickly and with wonder notices that Avril's hair not only goes blonde, but it has several streaks of pink in it. Avril puts her hand on Roy's shoulder so she can balance herself when she lifts her feet. Now Roy and Avril are really feeling the heat of the tunnel. They never break eye contact.

After Avril puts her boots back on they head out once more. "Those legging were a gift from Princess Elizabeth, so I don't want to leave them."

"Okay." So Roy ties them around his head as a bandana.

Avril giggles and says, "Humph."

Avril at first is feeling a little awkward about having nothing under her near knee length skirt, but soon she feels just like a loved girl, and knows she is safe from all things, including judgment. "Now this is freedom."

"What's that, sweetheart?"

"Oh, nothing. Are you getting hungry?"

"I am. It has to be well past lunch."

So they find a place to prop themselves up against, but Avril shoots away from it saying, "That is kind of hot on my bottom and legs."

Roy thinks about it for a second, and then he scoots sideward on the boulder and tells Avril, "Avril, lean back into my side and me. I will gladly protect you from all harm and discomfort."

"Yeah, especially since you are the one that took my bottoms off."

"Humph." Avril giggles and kisses him on his cheek and then leans back on Roy.

By the time night would be falling outside the tunnels, Avril and Roy are soaked from head to toe and both of their long hair has gone wild.

"Avril, we can find a place to get a couple hours of sleep, or we can push through and get this over with."

"I'm all for pushing on so we can get the hell out of here as soon as possible."

"Good girl."

They travel on and have to traverse several streams with steam coming off them, and at last, just when they believe they are about to reach the destination, they have to climb a rock face. It is only ten feet high.

"You go first, Avril."

Avril starts climbing the rock wall and then thinks, "Hey, wait a minute. You go first."

Roy smiles and says, "Humph." Avril smacks him on the arm with a humorous shocked gasp.

Roy easily climbs the wall, and with no effort at all he pulls the hundred and five stoneling princess up with one arm. For some reason, when the knight pulls the pretty princess up easily with one arm, it makes the room get a little warmer for her, and for a moment her hair goes blonde with pink streaks again.

Once they situate themselves on the plateau they now find themselves standing on, they can see across a small river of lava that is about eight feet across, the Battle Axe of Destiny floating in the air with no help but that of powerful magic.

"Wait here, Avril. I will jump across and get the axe."

"That looks like a pretty dangerous jump, Roy. If you miss you die."

"Ah, what is life without a little risk?"

"Wait, let me try my magic first." Avril closes her eyes and raises her hands and sparkling lights and bubbles start circulating around them, and then the magic reaches out and encompasses the Battle Axe of Destiny.

After a second of sizzling and popping, Avril screams out from an electrical shock and her magic fades, with the Battle Axe of Destiny still on the other side of the river of lava.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." she says, deflated, still shaking her hand.