For Crinkl-Lot – A Cuddly Short Story

Lavi gritted, as she tried to pierce the pretend fog that lay before the castle. Seeking any danger to the castle of Crinkl-lot. The claws in her hind paws scratched into the battlements reactively, ready to pounce at incoming danger. Her left paw grasped at her trusty sword’s handle, feeling the corrugated sides of the pommel, the red crayon flake onto her paw pads.

“Lady Lavi!” She takes her eyes from the horizon and looks towards the source. Sir Vul, her trusted knight companion, stationed at the lower battlements at Lavi’s feet. “Do you see any danger on the horizon?” The kit fox asks, trying to adjust his bright red helmet as it keeps sliding onto his muzzle.

 

Lavi shook her head no. “Neigh, Sir Vul.” Redirecting her eyes to the horizon and most importantly, the skies…

“Maybe the scouts’ reports were wrong?” Vul whimpers out, setting down his corrugated shield and mace of Bounty and plopping down, a crinkle audible as he begins mindlessly kicking his feet on the dark green drawbridge sticking out from his placement and angled down to the lawn of the castle.

 

Lavi didn’t pay Vul’s suggestion any mind. She knew what was coming… And as the “lionness of Crinkl-lot”, it was her sacred duty to ensure the protection of the kingdom!

“Do you think your Mommy will give us juice boxes for snack time…”

Vul’s snack thought was interrupted suddenly when Lavi saw it, great wings of red, and a mighty roar across the land.

“Hark! Sir Vul, there the beast flies!” Vul jumped in surprise when Lavi leaped from her tower to his platform, landing behind him. “The scourge of the backyard, the wyrm of the sandpit, Calem!”

“RAWR!” A muffled scream came from Calem as he flapped his arms, his wings beating intimidatingly as he waddled his way slowly to the castle’s lawn.

“For King and Country!” Lavi shouts in answer, plopping down onto the top of the drawbridge and sliding down to meet the beast, sword to fang and claw. Vul followed courageously as he could muster, grasping his helmet’s yellow strap as he slid down behind.

“The Lioness of crinkl-lot!” Calem hisses, his black mask peeking out behind the snout of his jaws. “Even you can’t withstand my flames of ruin!”

 

The drake and the knights begin a tense standoff, circling each other, awaiting for one another to strike.

SLASH

 

Lavi dashes at the beast, her sword pointed towards its heart. But Calem leaps to the right and avoids the blade. Lavi twirls quickly around to face her opponent and to reflect back against the counterattack of Calem’s wing strike. “Now Vul!”

Calem turns away from Lavi just as Vul begins his charge, his helmet covering his eyes. “AHHHH!” Club raised high and shield to his chest.

 

The poor-sighted attack fails to land, instead, Calem smacks Vul club with his left wing and Vul trips on his feet. Tumbling forward, though preventing himself from landing on his head. Calem lets out a roar and lunges at defenseless Vul as Vul tries to recover, jaws agape and ready to end the little fox.

SWAT

Calem stumbles to his right as Lavi smacks his snout away from Vul as she stands over her friend protectively. Calem takes a moment to reach forward with his paws to straighten his snout, his eyes meeting Lavi’s from behind the jagged teeth of the jaw.

 

“I will slay you here dragon! You will never fly these skies again!”

 

BAP

 

“Ow!, time out!” Calem roared out as Lavi’s sword slammed on his head. “That hurt Lavi…”

 

“Oh I’m sorry, Calem, do you want to stop?” She said as Vul recovered and grabbed Calem’s cardboard snout, looking down the tunnel and into the raccoon’s eyes, checking for injury.

“… no, I’m ok, just don’t hit so hard… Ok?”

“Got it! I’m really sorry Calem!”

 

The tykes jump back into action, the knights surrounding the mighty beast once more.

 

“Roar! I will burn crinkl-lot to the ground!” Calem lunges at Lavi, and as she tries to dodge out of the way, the kit shouts, “Fire spout!”

 

“Ah!” Lavi falls to the ground, dropping her sword and clutching at her left forearm, patting away at her golden fur, nursing the play burn.

 

Calem lets out his best evil laugh as he slowly stomps towards the fallen hero, smug in his assurance of her defeat, when suddenly a cry from behind him diverts his attention as Vul charges at the beast, Vul’s club raised and, this time, ensuring his eyes are unobstructed.

 

SWAT. BAM. SMACK.

 

A flurry of strikes land on the red dragon as Vul presses his advance bravely, beating back the beast from Lavi’s body. “Ahhhh!” Vul screams out, forcing the dragon to his knees, cowering under scaly wings to protect himself from the club.

 

 

Lavi watches from the dewy grass as Vul gets the upper hand; it looks like at any moment he will break the wyrm’s defense, either slaying the creature or forcing it to withdraw. “Go Sir Vul! Send the beast back to the sandpit it crawled from!” Vul turned back for a moment to exchange a smile with Lavi, proud of his victory. Calem took his opportunity, with Vul unfocused, he struck Vul’s weapon from the paw with his left wing, disarming the fox.

 

Vul drops to the grass as Calem rises from the ground, expanding his wings and roaring at Vul. “Foolish knight! My might knows no bounds! And now…” Calem places one bulky foot on Vul’s chest. “…you will be the first to fall!” The dragon’s jaw lunges for the fox’s throat, stopping an inch from the helpless knight’s airway. “Bite!”

 

“Belgh!” Vul belts out as he overly exaggerates going limp and dropping his shield.

 

“No!” Lavi cries out as Calem raises his head to the sky and roars out. “Was this all crinkl-lot had to show for its’ warriors?!” Taunts the beast, conveniently turning himself away from Lavi in a boast.

 

The hero musters her strength, grasping across the wet ground for her sword’s pommel, desperately using the tips of her claws to try and drag the blade into her unscathed right paw.

 

“Now, Lioness of crinkl-lot, I shall lay claim to your castle and rule with absolute power!”

 

With one final push, looking at her fallen comrade, trying his best not to sneeze, it looks like, Lavi pulls her sword into her paw, and climbs to her feet. “You will rule nothing but oblivion scourge!” She shouts before charging with her tip to the beast.

 

“Argghh!” Calem bellows out as the sword slides into the gap between his side and right arm, Lavi releasing the blade in the grip as Calem plays out his death. “Fire spray! Fire spray!” The dragon shouts in random directions as he hams up his death. Twirling and flapping his left wing wildly as if trying to fly away and escape his demise.

 

“It’s impossible! How can I… be… defea…” He gasps out before falling to the ground, rather awkwardly due to the bulky appendages covering his frame,  the lioness’ sword still held in his armpit.

 

Lavi runs to Vul’s side, removing his helmet to place his head in her lap as she crouches in the grass with him. “Vul, we did it! We saved crinkl-lot! All thanks to you…” Lavi exclaims, trying to work up some tears to play out the scene.

 

“Lavi…” Vul gasps out.

“Vul!?”

“Lavi…”

“What is it Vul?!”

“I think…”

“Yes?!”

“You need a change…” The fox opens one eye and looks slyly at his friend.

“Pft, says you!” Lavi shouts, pushing the kit’s head from her lap as he giggles.

 

“Do you think your Mommy has snacks ready yet, I’m hungry…” Calem whines from behind as he stumbles to the two, his makeshift box dragon head left on the ground next to Lavi’s sword, his tiny masked head so hilariously disproportionate to the box armor he wears, colored red with scales.

 

“Let’s go find out!” Vul yells, jumping to his feet and running towards the back door of Lavi’s house, leaving his bucket helmet on the ground.

 

“Lavi…” Calem waddles with Lavi after Vul. “Can you be the dragon next time? I want to be the castle princess.”

“Sure! You can borrow one of my dresses too!”

 

The raccoon smiles in appreciation at his friend as they both toddle into the house after Vul, ready to feast on a delicious snack of peanut butter sandwiches with the crust cut off and boxes of apple juice!