This is my entry in Finish the Story held within the 
The Well
by @Brisby
Midnight barbs hooked Sedra’s duster as she sped through the bramble underbrush atop Nox. Errant envy for her psi-meleon’s iridescent scales fluttered within her mind. Perfect. I'm going to look like a bedraggled porcupine.
Beneath her legs, Nox’s sides twitched in time to the clicks his tongue made. His right eye rolled back to meet her gray gaze, mirth shining within the amber orb.
“Har-Har, my impudent beastie.” Sedra flushed, blonde brows furrowing with disdain while kicking a thrasher vine from her boot.
“I couldn’t give a trotter’s tail if Blayne has a thing for quills. He better have a damned good reason for trespassing into our Catacombs.” It didn’t take a psionic bond to interpret Nox’s responding chortle of clicks. She snapped back with a huff, “Who taught you about that? See if I rustle up eels for you anytime soon.”
Rumbling deep within his throat, Nox tensed and sprang to the left. Claws dug into the thick ochra bark of the tree before scrambling up to the outspread branches. His tail waved, readying for a leap before easing down to lie along its length. The frustration radiating from his rider ignored to admire the back of his eyelids.
Sedra clung to her mount, her excitement to be taking the treeline route thwarted by the lizard’s love for his favorite treat. “Nox! This is NOT the time for a tantrum!” Snaking out, the psi-meleon’s tongue hung limp from its mouth, letting her know that he could do this all day.
Bristling, she channeled a fine line of energy to the tuned topaz on her wrist. A bit of rezzing would get his stubborn ass up. Threading the loop with her mind, the aquamarine gem began to spark. Before she could release the resonation to zap Nox’s toe, he slid from his perch to hang upside down from the branch. His smug clicking dared her to go ahead and try it while they were dangling a hundred feet above the forest floor.
The soft light dimmed within her topaz. Like hers, his was an empty bluff. Keeping her grip tight, her thumb rubbed Nox’s hide in capitulation. “Alright!" she growled. "Three eels before bed if you can get us to The Well and back before they notice we’re missing.”
Triumphant pride purred within the air. Nox swung around to the branch’s top, tensed and leaped the expanse to the neighboring tree. Thrilling from the feel of the wind in their faces, the two raced towards the forest's edge. Both girl and beast let the rush of the journey override their unspoken dread.
Beyond the green was a showdown with a man who had been their friend. Within moments, they'd be facing their betrayer. One who had abandoned them to fend for themselves so that he could take possession of The Well.
MY ENDING
She and Nox gawked at the Quinta da Regaleira from high above in the trees. The gentle breeze brought with it a fool smell - the Pale Cupids were out there, waiting, lurking, hunting them. She looked around her, as did Nox. Neither saw anything out of place, but the smell got worse.
In a flash, before Sedra could respond, Nox was on the shady side of the tree as two arrows punctured and poisoned the tree on the sunny side. The tree started to crumble from the infection.
Like a bucking bronco, Nox lurched from tree to tree, each time dodging two more arrows and escaping a disintegrating tree.
Sedra charged her topaz as she hung on, waiting for a glimpse of the Pale Cupids.
Nox sensing where the twins were at, ran up a tree and, when he reached the top, jumped off, doing a Double McTwist 1260. In the last turn of the move, before Nox landed on a branch and swing-boarded to another, Sedra let her electric bolt fly, which caught both of the twins in the heart as it passed through one and then the other, killing them both.
"Nice moves," she said as she stroked her scaly friend's side. "Now get us into the estate."
Nox scrambled through and out of the hunting room, the 'cycle of life' throughout the room made Sedra reflect on the mishap that happened within the catacombs, into and out of the Octanganal room before she blinked, into the King's room, her ancestor hung in the picture frames - their still glares grazing her eyes with disappointment - and jumped out the fifth-story window. Nox hit the ground running at full speed.
Just up ahead, The Portal of the Guardians, which led into the Well, which is where they found Blayne standing in front of.
Nox came to a sliding halt. Sedra jumped off.
With his back turned, Blayne said, "The town changes, but, the well, it will always remain. So nice of you to join me."
"Blayne," her voice was hoarse and raspy, "Return the quill and you live."
"if I don't?"
"You die," she said plainly, flatly, regrettably.
Nox moved to the right in an attempt to circle around Blayne.
"A binary choice." Blayne turned to look at her and the lizard. Nox stopped in his tracks, still as a ghost. "The ceremony must take place inside of the well, Sedra."
Sedra saw the quill in his hand.
"You want this? ... tisk-tisk." Blayne raised a hand as fire aimed at Sedra shot forth.
Dodging, she countered with ice, hitting his hand and making it freeze.
Nox rushed Blayne as he fell to his knees.
Blayne held his head down until Nox was five feet away and then in one swift motion stood up. Spikes from the ground impaled Nox's underbelly and lifted him off the ground.
"NO!!!" Sedra screamed.
Blayne chuckled.
Sedra rushed Blayne. Not getting five feet, she was struck with an arrow in the back. More Pale Cupids. The toxic smell invaded her nose even with blood dripping out of it. She dropped to her knees.
Blayne turned and headed down into The Well.
The End
First off - I really enjoyed 
I'm not so happy with the way this one went. I really felt like the 500-word limit killed me this time as my mind started to create pages of what was going to happen inside and outside of this unique building, Quinta da Regaleira, my inspiration for this story. Such is life.
I could have ditched my beginning fight scene to come up with something else too, but I couldn't because it was so badass (at least in my mind).
There was just so much to go on from the first written half that I had an extremely difficult time choosing something to go with within the frame we work with here.
| Previous | Finish the Story Contest | Entries | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Town That Changed | Even the Clouds Smile | The Border | Horror Vacui | When the Tundra Calls |
| Black Star | Quitting Life | LER | It Awakens | 1st place Coaster Town |
| Apocalypse and Pretzels | Metallic Kisses | Curie upvoted The Battle of Bloodneck Valley | Awakening | Curie Upvoted Skin Deep |
| Curie Upvoted Obstinancy | The Last Will and Testament of Geralda Connors | Curie Upvoted Pirate Hunters | Spoon-fed Memories | Lucid Dream |
| The Taste of Chicken | Curie upvoted Hunt More Precious Than a Green Stone | Kayla | Curie Upvoted The story of Mr. Renhe Ren | Second Prize Winner Blue Inferno for Tres Culos |
| Leitner | Collaboration A Game in the Hall | Curie upvoted The Extraodrdinary Café | The Package | Curie Upvoted The Abysmal Biscuit |
| The Devisal of Mr. Dankworth | Pointy Eyes Shine in the Dark | Foreigner | Curie Upvoted The Church | 3rd Place Tired Eyes |
| 2nd Place Vanilla | Curie upvoted and 2nd place The Stairs |
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