The King's Key by Cameron Stelzer Page B

said, wishfully. ‘It’s on the eastern side of a gully not far from here.’
    â€˜Lead the way,’ Ruby said, hoisting the bag over her shoulder.
    The two rats trekked in the direction of the gully and the ground steadily dropped away. The gully plants grew thick and lush and it was hard for the rats to see where they were headed.
    â€˜Down here,’ Whisker said, descending the slope. He pointed through the leaves to a huge bunch of ripe fruit. ‘There it is.’
    Ruby dropped the bag and took off her swords.
    â€˜I’ll lend you a paw,’ she said eagerly. ‘There are plenty of eyeballs for both of us.’
    Whisker removed his sword and scaled a nearby vine. Its leaves were long and springy and anything but stable. He cautiously checked his footholds before proceeding upwards. Ruby, eager to reach the fruit, leapt from leaf to leaf like they were small trampolines.
    Whisker reached the highest leaf of the vine. Balancing on one foot, he stretched out for the trunk of the tree. Before he could grab it, Ruby bounced onto the leaf. The leaf dipped under their weight and Whisker tumbled backwards into Ruby. The two rats slid over the side of the leaf, crashed through the foliage and plunged headfirst into a pool of sticky liquid.

Rat-eating Plants
    Gasping for air, Whisker burst from the surface of the pool and pulled Ruby’s head out.
    â€˜Eeeyeew,’ she coughed, spitting out a mouthful of the strange liquid. ‘W-what is this stuff?’
    Whisker tried to steady himself. His toes barely reached the bottom of the pool. The ground beneath him felt soft and rubbery.
    He looked around, puzzled. The pool had high purple walls extending to a round opening above. A large leaf-like shape hung over the pool, concealing it from the air.
    â€˜It’s not water, whatever is it,’ Whisker said, swishing his tail through the substance.
    â€˜I think it’s some kind of acid,’ Ruby guessed, trying to scale the slippery wall.
    With no pawholds, she lost her grip and splashed back into the pool . The liquid shook, the walls vibrated.
    â€˜It’s moving!’ she gasped.
    â€˜Only if we move,’ Whisker said, beginning to understand. ‘Ruby, I think this is the rat-eating plant they warned us about.’
    â€˜Eeeyeeew,’ Ruby cried again. ‘We must be in its stomach, which means all of this liquid is …’
    â€˜Digestive juices,’ Whisker said grimly. ‘Slowly dissolving our bodies.’
    â€˜We’ve got to get out,’ Ruby gasped. ‘Quick, give me your sword.’
    â€˜I-I don’t have it,’ Whisker confessed. ‘I left it next to the bag.’
    â€˜Why would you do a thing like that?’ Ruby snapped. ‘Don’t you know it’s dangerous out here?’
    Whisker was taken aback. ‘Hey, you can’t talk. You removed your swords first.’
    â€˜That’s different,’ Ruby huffed. ‘Besides, you should know better than to follow my lead. You’re supposed to be the sensible one in the relationship.’
    â€˜Relationship?’ Whisker gasped. ‘I didn’t know …’
    â€˜JUST COME UP WITH A PLAN TO GET US OUT OF HERE!’ Ruby bellowed.
    â€˜Okay, okay,’ Whisker mumbled. ‘You don’t need to shout. Just climb on my shoulders and see if you can reach the top.’
    Ruby frowned. ‘That’s it? Your brilliant escape plan?’
    â€˜Yes,’ Whisker said bluntly. ‘Not all great plans involve fancy props and explosions … but if you’d prefer something more exciting we can wait until our bodies dissolve and escape through the veins of the plant …’
    â€˜Give me a paw up, will you,’ Ruby snapped.
    Whisker helped Ruby onto his shoulders. The skin on his paws and feet stung in the acidic liquid. He hoped he had time to escape in one solid piece.
    â€˜I can’t quite reach the top,’ Ruby