He began pacing back and forth muttering to himself, I watched his mind turn the idea over in his head, his eyes wide with excitement.
"Sir, do you mind telling me what idea I could possibly have given you?" I asked tentatively.
"Exit the caverns!" he repeated my words back to me. "We get the petpets to exit the caverns! We flush them out! No wrangling needed."
He pulled a piece of chalk out his sleeve and began drawing his plans on the cave wall. "There is only one exit, the mouth where we entered. If we can create some kind of force, we can usher them out and be there waiting to examine them! There is also an ancient spring down here... if we can make a quake in just the right place below us, we should get the water to flow out..."
Mr Wurst scratched his head, looking again at his chalk-drawn map.
"It should be right here" he pointed to the spot and drew a large circle around it with his chalk. "Alice... your strength is going to be our greatest asset after all!"
I felt in my element once more, I was going to help uncover one of the greatest discoveries of our age. I felt strength coursing through me, and clenched my paws.
"Now, Mr Wurst?" "Now, Alice!" I pounded the floor as hard as I could with my paws, in the spot he had indicated.
I heard water pouring into the cavern beneath us. A rumbling began; a stampede of petpets came rushing towards us. None native to this area, Alkenore, Alabriss, Gangee, all flocking toward where we stood. The floor shook beneath us.
“Mr Wurst… How do we get out?!” I hadn’t even considered this, the walls felt even more claustrophobic than they did before, as the stampede rumbled on toward where we stood.
“Get ready! Wait for it, wait for it!” said Mr Wurst
“Ready for wha-“
Before I could get my words out, Mr Wurst grabbed my arms.
“JUMP!!!” he shrieked.
I leapt into the air with all my might, and as I landed, I was caught by a swarm of Barbats, flitting underneath us in a huge wave. They carried us straight through the cave opening.
My eyes adjusted to the piercing light of the midday Tyrannian sun. I was flying over the desert, looking below I saw thousands of petpets scattering across the sand. Every different species and colour, and some I had never even heard of!
"We did it, Mr Wurst!!"
"We did, Alice!" He was frantically making notes and looking for his camera to record the event.
"I can't wait to publish my study on this discovery!! And, Alice, if I may - I'd love to publish under both our names for all your help."
I began to well up, feelings of pride flooding through me. I always thought I was the best bodyguard around, but perhaps I was made to be an explorer after all! The End,
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