“ARE those your ex wives from Moonlit Village, Archibald?” Van asked as she watched Bungo and Snipps disappear down the tunnel.

“Ex-w-w-wives?” Jetta stammered.

“Don’t just stand there. My briefcase is very dangerous in the wrong hands,” Archibald yelled, “After them!”

Archibald and Van along with Antonio ran into the tunnel leaving Cyrus and Jetta among the fallen rocks.

“He never mentioned anything about ex-wives,” Jetta murmured with a wide eye.

“I wouldn’t worry about them,” Cyrus responded, and Jetta smiled with hope in her eyes. “You’re much scarier.”

Jetta lunged out at Cyrus causing him to scream before she restrained herself. “I swear, if you weren’t the son of Archie’s employer, I would murder you myself.”

“Lady, you aren’t going to impress Archibald by just standing here,” Cyrus reminded her.

“You’re right,” Jetta responded, picking herself up. “Archie, I’m going to stop those thieving hussies for you.”

Cyrus climbed to his feet too, thanking his sharp wit for getting Jetta off his back. Entering a mine shaft held up by wood and metal, Cyrus noticed pinkish-red rocks cracked open alongside some abandoned pick axes. Guilt filled Cyrus when he realized that these sweltering mines were where men had to toil so they could provide him his precious pixie dust. But as the dust glinted on the ground and he thought of all the joys it brought him, he considered a compromise would be the best plan of action. He vowed to himself if things ever returned to normal in Thieves Town, he would tell the soldiers (if they were still alive) to withdrawal and he would issue an apology to the people of the village on behalf of his parents From now on, he would only require half…no three quarters of the pixie dust he once used. He thought that fair, after all, he was still a prince and people of higher stature were worthy of a larger portion.

Cyrus jogged faster and faster down the tunnel, even if his short legs and shuffling bulk would never allow him to catch up everyone else. He finally came to the end of the tunnel where he rested his hands on his knees. He was thankful his body was in better shape so he wouldn’t puke again. Much to his amazement, he had caught up to everyone else who now stood puzzled by the four wooden shafts, yielding more directions for the bandits to run in. Some tunnels had steel rails lined on the ground along with large steel mine carts used for transporting gold ore.

“Cyrus,” Archibald cried, hailing him over. “Perhaps you can help us decide which tunnel these wicked wenches traveled in.”

“You really want to leave a scruffy kid in charge of tracking women?” Antonio said clutching Vanessa’s hand. “Antonio Corazon is all knowledgeable in the ways of women.”

“Oh yeah? You really think you’re so smart?” Cyrus shot back. “Tell us which way they went.”

Antonio let out a breath and released Van’s hand. He strolled back and forth observing all four tunnels with his hand touching his stubbly chin. “Hmm…” Antonio said and he shrugged his shoulders. “It seems I am less knowledge about the ways of ugly women.”

“I knew he had no clue,” Cyrus muttered before he noticed something on the floor. There was a trail of pixie dust that lead to a large boulder next to the tunnels.

“Guys,” he whispered, “Look at that boulder. Maybe they didn’t go down any of the tunnels.”

“Great,” Archibald responded. “How about we all sneak up on them and surprise them. They can’t take us all at once.”

Everyone nodded and tiptoed over to the boulder. “Alright, jigs up ladies,” Archibald announced. “Please hand us the briefcase or you’ll be dealing with several angry warriors and magicians all at once.”

“Oh yeah?” Snipps said in her raspy voice. “We don’t have to fight you when we can run under you!”

Provoked and driven by sheer anger, Bungo and Snipps jumped out from behind the boulder and threw pixie dust at the five. Unable to avoid it, Cyrus, Van, Archibald, Antonio and Jetta all lifted off the ground, buoyed by the magical dust. The two bandits quickly dashed under them and climbed into a mine cart. They stuck their tongues out and flashed their rotten teeth as they rolled off in their getaway vehicle.

“You won’t get away with Archie’s briefcase!”

Their faces quickly changed to terror as Jetta threw a knife from her long sleeve.

It nearly grazed Snipp’s hand but landed at the bottom of the cart instead.

As they made off with the briefcase, the two bandits laughed at her failed attempt at killing them. The five floated back to the ground and Archibald patted a dejected looking Jetta on the back. “Thanks for trying that, Miss Jetta,” he said.

“Don’t worry,” she responded. “I wasn’t aiming for them. I had a smokescreen attached to that knife. We won’t lose track of them now.”

“I appreciate your mind, Jetta,” Archibald remarked. “It’s almost as twisted as mine!”

In the darkness, Cyrus could see the thief lord bite her lip and smile for the first time. “That wouldn’t be a compliment from anyone other than you,” she said softly.

Antonio dashed over to another mine cart. “We can follow those chica banditos in this. Let’s just hope it fits us all.”

Fortunately, the mine cart was large enough to cram Archibald, Jetta, Van and Antonio into it. There wasn’t enough room for Cyrus however, but Antonio smiled and pointed to a small transport cart made out of planks of wood. “Look, there’s another cart over here. Our flabby friend can attach it after he gives our cart a shove. Build enough muscle, big chico, and you’ll come out looking like me.”

“Seriously,” Cyrus responded. “The fat jokes are getting old.”

Van looked at Antonio with some urgency in her eyes. “Please love, I know you’re better than that. It’s a good idea though.”

Cyrus swallowed hard. He knew his chubby arms would be getting a huge workout whether he liked it or not. He lifted the wood cart, trying not to get a splinter and placed it behind the mine cart. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Cyrus said as he swallowed hard and pushed the mine cart forward.

At first the cart squealed and growled against the steel rail, stubbornly refusing to move forward. Cyrus realized the wheels of the mine cart were in need of a good oil. He pushed and heaved and pushed it some more until things slowly began to move. Van jumped out of the crammed cart and joined him. “Looks like you could use a hand,” she said.

Cyrus eyes lit up. “Thanks,” he said with a round faced smile.

The two friends shoved the mine cart until it finally creaked forward and started to roll. Van crouched down and hooked the front of the small transport cart onto the back of the mine cart. As the cart jerked forward, Van quickly grabbed hold of the edge of the cart with a shaky expression of unease. “I think we better hold on,” she said.

The carts sped up as they rolled down a large slope at full speed. Van held onto the cart while shaking frantically but Cyrus stood upright laughing as the cart rolled at breakneck speeds.

“W-w-who built the mine rails like this?!” Van cried. “We’re out of control!”

“Hey,” Jetta responded, calmly holding the edge of the mine cart. “We had to pass time somehow under the king and queen’s iron fist.”

“Thanks mom and dad!” Cyrus exclaimed, enjoying his wild ride.

The cart and the rails leveled out as the cart sped through a large mining area. There were several tracks and metallic totes full of pixie dust ore and gold, and many levers to shift the direction of mine carts. The cart quickly took a sharp turn and the five saw a long trail of smoke traveling across the web of rails. They noticed Snipps and Bungo speeding around in a circle. They were caught in a circular track from having switched too many levers. “Cripes Bungo,” Snips shouted, “Somehow they’ve found us.”

“Oi I dunno,” Bungo responded, “I figured it was because they left that smoking knife on the back of cart.”

“Get it off then,” Snipps shouted, “And switch that lever back! We gotta get outta here.”

“Excellent, they caught themselves for us,” Archibald shouted. “Jetta can you get us over there?”

Jetta nodded and threw several knifes at the levers, causing them to weave across tracks until they up with Bungo and Snip’s circling cart. Archibald applauded and grinned. “Excellent. Look at how Bungo is holding something closely. It’s most likely my briefcase. Miss Jetta, if I do recall, snatching is your speciality.”

“You can count on me,” Jetta responded. “If I’ve managed to mug an Everblood, mugging two divorcee Delilahs is no problem.”

As the cart sped past Bungo and Snipps, Jetta waited for the exact moment they were traveling beside the two bandits. “I find it funny that you have no decorum as women,” Jetta said with a wily grin on her face. “Sign a prenup next time you want something from Archie.”

“What’s she talking about?” Snipps asked in her hissing voice.

“Beats me, Snipps,” Bungo said as she held out what she was holding.

Jetta swiped it. “A-ha, that was even easier than stealing from an Everblood.”

“But Jetta,” Archibald muttered, “That’s just a small burlap sack.”

Jetta’s remaining eye widened when she realized what she was holding. The two bandits giggled at Jetta’s foolishness. “This is our town too,” Snipps said, “And we’re quite aware of that distract and steal method of yours.”

Snipps reached a lanky arm out and quickly hit the lever causing the two bandits to speed off straight down a tunnel. It was only Jetta’s quickly reflexes that allowed her to hit another lever that sent them on a track parallel to the bandits.

“We need to get that back,” Archibald said shaking his head. “Never leave a briefcase full of dangerous tricks and spells in the hands of buffoons.”

Jetta moved up close to Archibald with a look of resolve on her face. “I’ll get it back, you have my word.”

“Your father was right,” Archibald said with a gentle smile. “You were always such a good girl at heart.”

“Please don’t think of me the way my father did,” Jetta said blushing.

The mine cart zoomed down another sloping tunnel as the bandit’s cart flew faster. “ Van, jump on this cart and weigh it down more.” Archibald commanded her. “It’ll roll faster if it’s heavier.”

“You can do it, mi amor,” Antonio said, blowing Vanessa a kiss.

Looking at him, she glowed brightly and quickly withdrew from her shuttering position. Van leaped from the wooden cart and Antonio caught her in his arms. “This wasn’t just a leap of faith,” Antonio said. “It was a leap of love.”

Cyrus dashed as fast as he could and jumped on the back of the cart too. It rolled at a speed Cyrus had never gone in his life. He would have been terrified if he wasn’t having so much fun.

Quickly they made up lost ground and found themselves catching up to the bandit’s cart. When the ground leveled they found themselves traveling parallel with it again. This time however, it seemed Bungo and Snipps didn’t notice. Snips clutched the colorful briefcase with a dazed look on her face. Jetta quickly snatched it from her and proudly handed it to Archibald. “I’ll never understand your taste in wives, Archibald. They’re not only ugly as sin but they come back to steal your things after you’ve divorced them...”

“Jetta what are you talking about,” Archibald said with a look of confusion. “They aren’t my wives. Who told you that?”

“Uh hehe, about that,” Van responded laughing, but she was interrupted by the bandits screaming.

The two pointed in horror as their cart sped towards a buffer positioned at the edge of an underground cliff. “Oi, perhaps we shouldn’t have let them have the…” Bungo started.

“Bungo, you fool!” Snipps shouted as the two crashed through the buffer and went over the edge.

The five heroes would have celebrated the defeat of the bandits but instead they all screamed as they were about to endure the same fate.