Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Deep sea scuba diving…into a kraken nest.

A long day working at a farmland…that’s invested with UFOs

A shopping spree at the local mall…featuring a zombie invasion twist?

Caine was certainly not holding back with the creativity ever since the gun game.

Pomni dragged her feet across the vibrant red carpet of the circus halls, feeling a mix of symptoms that accumulated from the last handful of misadventures. Were her dragging feet a habit picked up from the zombie invasion adventure? Or something she picked up on from simply living life in the circus? She decided it was best not to ponder too much on the matter.

She was suddenly aware of whose bedroom door she was about to pass. Despite the subconscious effort to increase her pace, her eyes still found their way to the character portrait that hung over the door. The picture of the purple bunny rabbit’s eyes loomed down at her tauntingly, as if aware of her discomfort and not standing down from the eye contact.

Staring at that portrait was perhaps the closest thing she’d had to an interaction with him all week. After the gun adventure, the bunny had gone out of his way to prove he meant what he’d said: he didn’t care about her, and they had never been friends.

At first, he’d kept his distance, not sparing her a glance. Then came the cruelty, making her the primary target of his usual antics. And now, the current phase: indifference. He had decided he wouldn’t interact unless his words were delivered with an extra bite of aggression, yet still subtle enough to show she wasn’t worth his time.

Shaking off her thoughts, the jester made it to the common area to begin her usual routine. As usual, the rest of the cast lounged on the couches.

Oh! Good morning, Pomni!” a warm voice chimed from behind her. “I hope you slept well after the whole…being a zombie thing. Gosh, I still feel so undead.” Ragatha added, a slight shiver creeping into her voice at the memory.

“Yeah… same here,” Pomni replied quietly. Yet her attention was already drifting. Her gaze slipped toward Jax, sitting alone at the far end of the room. She tightened her chest. Despite how cruel he’d been, worry still built up inside of her.

They paused. Despite Pomni’s attempt to hide it, she felt Ragatha’s eyes follow her line of sight straight to him, “Is he still…?”

“Yeah…”

“Don’t let it get to you. He can be…a lot.” Her body quickly snaps, as if she caught herself in the act of speaking about him negatively, “But I’m sure he’ll go back to his old self in no time!”

But as they moved on, a wave of guilt washed over her. She’d spent so long brushing off Ragatha’s attempts at friendship, too overwhelmed by the ongoing chaotic circus life. Yet here she was, clinging to that same warmth after losing that comfort from someone else. She still missed that brief friendship, even if he tried to insist it was never real.

It felt selfish, even if Ragatha didn’t seem to mind. Despite everything, Pomni appreciated her support. She gave her a small smile, taking a seat to join the others. It didn’t take long for Caine to make his usual dramatic entrance,

“WELL, GOOOOOOD MORNING, MY CHARMING CARNATIONS! Boy, do I have another action-filled adventure planned for you! Let me tell you, I REALLY outdid myself today! I know you’ve all been dying for more excitement!”

Ragatha raised a hand, as if asking for permission to speak, “uh, are you sure that’s what we need?”

“I PRESENT TO YOU….”

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ A MARVELOUS MEDIEVAL MISSION! ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

“In a distant magical kingdom, the village is preparing for the great dragon migration, one of the most spectacular events of the century. But, what’s this? A dark presence has taken over the outskirts of the kingdom! The Dark Wizard, an ancient evil that has been dormant for thousands of years, has returned! His dark castle looms over the mountains as we speak! Who knows what evillllll he has planned!

It is up to a group of the kingdom’s most noble heroes to embark on a remarkable journey and complete three trials, each phase proving a true trait of a hero! Collect magical amulets after each trial. Once you collect all three, only then can you break the wizard’s magical barrier, use your abilities to partake in an epic battle, defeat the wizard, and then save the kingdom!

A series of golden trombones surrounded him, blaring, followed by a large wall of medieval-themed text that showcased the adventure title once more. He posed dramatically, only to be met with a long silence.

Bubble, suddenly phasing through the floor as he floated up to Caine’s level. He opened his mouth widely, letting out the sound of cartoon-like cricket noises.

Pomni could already feel her stomach twist. Why did Caine continue to insist on such a lore-heavy adventure after the absolute mental whirlpool the guns were? It had been a little under a week since that mess. It seemed to her that all of Caine’s adventures since have been extra extravagant.

After the brief streak of suggestion-based stories, it seemed he was trying to prove a point: That his original ideas can be just as enjoyable as theirs. The more outrageous, the better.

Pomni tried to look at it with a somewhat positive outlook: At least he wasn’t baiting them with another mundane, everyday task turned into a life-or-death situation. He was straight to the point this time around: Dragons and evil dark wizards. No beating around the bush this time.

Great!

“C-Caine…can’t we take it easy today? Maybe something quiet like a library or a café? I don’t know if I can handle another high-stakes adventure right now…”

“WELLLL, I noticed some tension amongst our circus after the recent bullet-ridden fiasco. It seems that’s what happens when you let unskilled storytellers, unlike myself, take charge.” He paused, waiting for reassurance, but was met with another loud silence, “Soooo, I figured this one would remind my lovely lavenders of what’s important! Being true to yourselves and each other!”

Oh!

Oh…

She involuntarily peered over to Jax, who, to her surprise, was smiling, “Oh wow, Pomni! Sentimental stuff. Sounds riiiight up your ally!” He added a bit of roughness to the last part but disguised it through his trademark toothy grin. In that case, nobody but Pomni could catch on.

Zooble, on the other hand, was not subtle with their distaste towards the adventure. They didn’t hold back from aggressively turning away from Caine with a sigh, “Nope. That sounds like a nightmare coming from you. See you all in a couple hours,” they grumbled, sarcastically waving a hand in the air as they began to exit.

“It’s okay, Zooble!” Kinger said, “I understand how out of place you may feel.”

That seemed to stop them at their tracks. They slowly turned towards the chess piece, squinting and looking mildly peeved, “I…what?”

“Think about it; A medieval-themed adventure is clearly not a good fit for a king like me. I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb! You know that they say...”

“What do they say, Kinger?”

“I don’t know! I never said that I know what they say. That’s why I figured you would know! You know what they say about that!” He shrugged.

“Right...Anyways, I’m out of here.”

Caine doesn’t have much of a reaction to their resistance. Pomni thought she heard him, irritably grumbling under his breath with an unusual amount of frustration.

Gangle, seemingly also noticing the tension, quickly broke the silence, “Um…I think I’m actually kind of excited for this one!”

All attention turned towards her, including Zooble’s. They didn’t turn completely, but subtly shifted their head, as if her words pulled them back in.

“My town used to have a renaissance fair every year…It was huge, one of the biggest events of the year, actually! I mean, I think it was I…never really got around to going…” She sheepishly ran a ribbon hand behind her mask.

Pomni took a seat next to her. She tried to ignore the way Jax’ eyes immediately trailed away from her direction, “Really? Why not? That seems like your exact kind of thing.”

“Well, turns out it was only my thing. I didn’t really have anybody to go with, and anyone I could have gone with thought…it was really lame.” She sank behind her sketchbook.

There was a brief silence, making Gangle sadly sink even deeper into her seat, clearly uncomfortable with the collective pity. Ever since the Tommy Gun incident, the ribbon avatar had been experimenting with her potential with her tragedy mask. She had even went far enough to nose-dive into the last adventure without even putting on her comedy mask to begin with. But she still kept it close, just in case she needed the comfort. It lay next to her on the couch, and she gently reached for it before stopping herself.

Thankfully, Ragatha was the first to respond, “Aww, Gangle! I’m sure nobody actually thinks that-oof!” Her once warm smile was suddenly obstructed by a rogue couch cushion, hurdling towards her face, one that conveniently came from Jax’s direction.

“Of course, people think it’s lame! People like your bestie, Zooble here.” Jax lazily pointed a thumb at them, his wide yellow grin stretched further across his face when they swiftly twisted backwards, countering their previous subtle glance.

“What’s wrong, Zoo-Zoo? Were you not just whining about how lame you think today’s adventure is going to be? Go on, tell ribbons here what you really think.”

“That’s completely different! I wasn’t-” They threw their arms into the air, but their frustration instantly flushed away when they met Gangle’s gaze, shyly peaking between the spirals of her notebook.

Under that meek look, there was a light spark of hope - a look that only increased when their eyes met. That alone erased any anger triggered by Jax. Instead, their gaze softened with sympathy, “You’ve…really never been to one of those fairs?”

She shook her head.

They shut their eyes and drew a breath, quiet enough for Gangle not to hear yet deep enough to put themselves at ease. When they returned their gaze at her, any signs of potential resistance disappeared. Their smile seemed genuine, which was ironic to Pomni, seeing as they have no mouth. The warm look in their eyes said enough, “You know what? Maybe tagging along one time won’t be that bad.”

Gangle dropped the notebook away from her face with a tiny gasp. A small spark of happiness lit up in her eyes, but she quickly glanced back at Zooble before she could express her excitement any further. It was almost as if she was silently checking up on them, instantly noting their unusual cooperation despite their attempts to act natural, “Zooble…are you sure? I-I mean I’d love for you to come, but…you really don’t have to if you don’t want to…”

“Hey, it’s okay, really.” They laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, “I didn’t know this would mean so much to you. Besides, it can’t be that miserable if you’re having a good time. It’s been nice spending time with you lately.”

While their words were sweet, Zooble didn’t shy away from their usual casual tone. It was as if admitting to such kindness came to them naturally - words that didn’t require second thought. It was certainly enough for Gangle’s entire form to light up, her ribbon hands twiddling under her chin with excitement.

Pomni watched the unlikely duo. Were they really that unlikely? She felt that she knew close to nothing about Zooble other than their sarcastic nature and unwillingness to do just about anything Caine asked. But in the blink of an eye, they were suddenly joined at the hip with Gangle, completely inseparable. Clearly, there was something beyond Zooble’s stoic walls, a softer side. It seemed to be working on Gangle like a spell.

She found her gaze shifting to the floor with a melancholy expression. It must be nice to trust someone that much.

The two smiled at each other in silence, an evident warmth lingering in the air between them. A warmth that was immediately punctured by a certain pair of teeth suddenly popping up between them, “MMMMMARVELOUS!”

Both, so lost in each other’s stares, yelped in shock. They jolted away from the ringmaster in opposite directions, each falling pathetically to the floor.

Caine swooped down to offer a hand to help Zooble off the floor. He didn’t pay any attention to their sneer or the way they curved away like his touch was poison.”

“Zooble! Are my non-existent ears playing tricks on me? Or are you willingly joining in on one of my original adventures? I knew this day would come! I knew you’d eventually let those insufferable, impenetrable walls down!”

That comment made Zooble’s antennas twitch; a single interaction with Caine seemed to make them already regret their choice, “Don’t push it…”

“That reminds me, I got so used to your stubbornness that I didn’t even include you in today’s plot! But fear not! A truly talented storytelling genius, such as I, can. always. Improvise. Please hold while I make some minor adjustments to the map.”

Before Zooble could strike him back with what Pomni assumed was a snarky comment, Caine held a single finger up to their face in anticipation.

On cue, the entire circus erupted in a mess of pixelated chaos. Pomni leaped off the couch, just barely missing an aggressive spike of glitches from where she once sat.

The mess immediately sent her into a panic. There was no “getting used to” the circus, per se, but it had been too long since her experience reached that level of uncanny. She searched the room, seeking some comfort or validation that she wasn’t the only one in panic. But to her surprise, it was Zooble who looked the most startled, clutching onto the armrests on the couch from where they lay on the floor, with intensity as if their life depended on it.

Ding! It ended as quickly as it started. Somehow, the sudden stillness felt louder than the chaos that had just unfolded.

Caine froze for a beat before launching himself into the air, twirling with excitement like nothing had happened, “aaaand, we’re done!”

“Uh…that’s new…” Ragatha whimpered. She slowly lifted herself from the ground, holding the ends of her dress with grace, “Should we be worried about that or…”

Caine sank back to eye level, “Woo-wee! That-uh…took a lot…more…processing power than I expected…Anyways, no-I-won’t-be-answering-any-more-questions-BYE”

Zooble was the next to get on their feet, jumping up with urgency, “WHAT?! Do you seriously expect us to move on from all that like nothing happ-”

“Yes! Now, go away!”

As much as Pomni would have loved to agree that the incident was something they should certainly not ignore, the (too familiar) feeling of the floor disappearing below her immediately snapped her back to reality.

A fresh new portal opened beneath them, revealing a distant landscape of mountains, forests, and valleys. In typical circus fashion, the gang stood mid-air for a few beats before a large, gloved hand spawned above them, roughly shoving them down the map.

Fighting an evil dark wizard in an enchanted kingdom.

Of course.

Chapter Text

After the initial impact from hitting the floor, Pomni opened her eyes to find herself on the dirt path of an old village. Small, humble homes lined up the road, NPC mannequins gathered around with their morning routines, and distant mountains framed the town from all sides. At a closer distance, a ring of forest surrounded the homes.

Dark green banners and garlands hung around, all with the gold outline of a dragon head embroidered on.

She heard Gangle gasp, letting out a tiny, joyful squeal despite the small tears that hung from her tragedy mask. “This must be the dragon festival!”

Before she could further observe her surroundings, a big wall of medieval-themed text boomed over her. Her name shining in bold green font, announced her arrival:

POMNI THE BARD: Encourage the group with the magic, music, and melody.

Pomni eyed the lute hanging across her back, draping over her red and blue drapes, “Am I supposed to know how to play this or…”

KINGER THE MERCHANT: Provide the group with the necessary resources to thrive to their fullest potential in their epic quest.

Kinger wore a green robe. It almost looked identical to his everyday outfit, minus the royal aspects. “Oh, this fabric is lovely!” His back, slightly hunching over from the large bag hanging from his back.

RAGATHA THE MAGE: Help guide our heroes’ obstacles with her magical abilities  

Ragatha ran a hand over her long, elegant lavender robe, smiling. The hand-sewn pattern of tiny stars shimmering, perfectly matching her ragdoll appearance, with a matching hat.

ZOOBLE THE KNIGHT: Must protect the village and princess, honoring the code of chivalry

Zooble’s armor fit surprisingly well in the setting. Over their head, a short red plume on the right side, while a mini silver spear stuck on the left. Their arms were covered in overlapping iron plates, mimicking a knight’s armor. Where their right hand should have been, a spiked mace replaced it. A large shield hung from their back on one side, and a large scabbard on the other. But most notably, bulky shoulder and knee pads awkwardly hung over their joints.

They shifted, looking rather uncomfortable as they clanked with every move. “Why do these fit so weird?” they muttered, trying to adjust their shoulder.

JAX THE SQUIRE: is to honor the code of chivalry and faithfully attend to the knight as their trusty underling.

A green tabard hung over his lanky form, adorned with leather shoulder pads and matching boots. “I’m the knight’s what?”

AND LAST BUT, NOT LEAST

PRINCESS GANGLE: hang in there…

Gangle twirled blissfully in her puffy dark emerald gown. A crown rested on her head, woven with thin vines and small white blossoms. An extra set of ribbon looped behind her mask, letting a bow cutely peak from behind her face. She seemed utterly delighted. 

Meanwhile, Jax looked anything but pleased. He glared down at his own squire’s tabard, especially the symbol on his shoulder pads: minimalist pink triangles, clearly meant to resemble Zooble’s head.

“This is a crime. I should be the knight! I’d look way better with a sword than you,”

Zooble smirked, “Sorry, squire. Looks like you’re stuck.”

Jax’s ears twitched with irritation, but a smile quickly stretched across his face, “Unless….oh Caaaaine!” he called out, “Switch our roles. I want to be the knight."

“What’s that?” Caine’s voice echoed from above as he descended theatrically from a nearby tree.

Pomni leaned toward Ragatha. “Has Caine ever just… appeared in an adventure like this before?” she whispered.

Ragatha frowned thoughtfully. “Not…usually. He usually lets us do our own thing before inserting himself.”

Caine continued, “Now, now Jax. I was very careful with these role choices. As a matter of fact, you were my original knight before Zooble came along! But I decided to twist things up! Everyone loves surprises!”

Jax growled under his teeth.

“But I suppose I could allow a quick swap if there’s a mutual agreement.”

Not happening,” muttered Zooble. “Besides, you’ll just find a way to terrorize Gangle.”

“Nooo, I just wanna have fun,” Jax said with a shrug.

He looked himself over again, his disappointment growing, until something caught his eye: a small leather satchel hanging from his shoulder. It was decorated with colorful abstract symbols.

“Whoa, check this out! Looks like I do have cool weapons after all!”

He reached inside and pulled out a couple of swords - no, not swords. Arms. Arms that very clearly belonged to Zooble’s collection of limbs, all redesigned with medieval theming.

Zooble jolted at the sight, sweat beading down their plastic face, “What the hell is this!? Give me that!”

A small text blipped into existence above the bag:

“The Mobile Zooble Parts Bag ensures maximum customization for our brave knight! Adding an extra layer of trust and responsibility between our knight and squire duo!”

“Hmm, I dunno,” Jax mused, holding the loose arm against his chin to think, “It’s part of my duty to watch your things. The only way to stop me is to take away my squire role.”

“I-BUT-This doesn’t even make any sense! Why would I want this!? CAINE!”

Caine mimicked an exaggerated eye-roll, “Gosh, you’re SO ungrateful. I added the to-go Zooble parts for you! I figured it would be helpful. The more customization, the better.”

“But why does the he have to hold it?” Zooble snapped, their patience growing thin.

“Plot?”

Quickly realizing Caine was not going to help, Zooble lunged at Jax, who only swung the arm tauntingly in response.

“Will you quit f[$%#]ing around with those!?”

Pomni, noticing Zooble’s discomfort, quietly approached Jax. She had never seen them so shaken up about something, especially Jax’ bullying. Frustrated? Yes. Snappy? Absolutely. But this? They were distressed

Even if Caine seemed to mean well, it took no detective to see this was striking a nerve. She looked over at Jax. A temporary truce was worth it if it meant lessening the clear tension amongst the group.

“Hey, uh, what about…being a bard? She offered, her voice gentle, trying not to show how ridiculous she thought her own idea was.

Jax raised an eyebrow, “Bard? How is that any better than this?”

Pomni hesitated, careful not to let her real reasons slip out. “I just…think music suits you better?” she said, forcing an awkward smile.

She faltered, an idea tugging at her, unsure if she should follow it. Finally, she added, “I know Zooble was a big fan of your singing last time. Maybe they want an encore?” A nervous chuckle escaped her as she peered over at Zooble, who seethed at just the idea.

She quietly hoped that they’d eventually catch the hint that she didn’t actually want Jax to annoy them any more than he already had. They were already riled as it is. But this was simply the better alternative.

For a moment, something real flickered in Jax’s eyes. His pupils tightened, a tiny, involuntary reaction. He almost genuinely smiled at the memory. It was brief - Pomni hadn’t seen that expression on him in what felt like ages. Then, just as quickly, Jax seemed to notice it too. The sentiment twisted away. He shut it down with ease, slipping back into the familiar smug mask he normally wore.

“I like the way you think, Pomni!”

The cheer in his voice felt forced. Pomni supposed it was enough for now. It was somewhat of a step up from the last few days

“Well then!” Shouted Caine, “If that’s what you want, then without further ado-‘ he snapped his fingers, causing her and Jax to switch outfits. The new pieces are adjusting to their color schemes and avatar theming. Jax in green, and Pomni with her trademark blues and reds.

“Sweet.” Said Jax, elegantly strumming his lute that was now decorated with wooden bunny ears. He gave Zooble a sarcastic wink, “I guess I’ll be the musical genius today~”

Caine spun in the air again, “With that settled…ADVENTURE AWAITS!” A circle of golden horns spawned around him, shooting green confetti. “No more complaining.” With another snap of his fingers, the ringmaster disappeared.

Pomni approached Zooble, "Hey, if it helps, I promise that I won't touch the bag as long as you don’t want me to. No questions asked.”

Zooble looked at the distant, clearly still recollecting their thoughts of discomfort from earlier, and locked in a trance of anger. But it didn't take long for them to snap back to reality. They looked at her, almost confused at first, then let out a weak sigh, "Thanks...I appreciate that."

The sudden gentleness in their voice took Pomni aback. She was never too close with Zooble, but she appreciated the authenticity. 

“So…what now?” asked Ragatha.

Kinger raised his hand. “As our handy merchant, I think we should start by getting our hands on a map.”

“Great idea! But shouldn’t you already have the map with you? You are the one providing the supplies after all,” Ragatha said softly.

Kinger took a moment to pat his pockets before shrugging with a grin, “Nope! But don’t worry! I know we’ll find one if we try hard enough."

He scanned the premises and his eyes lit up with wonder at the sight of a rather large mannequin sharpening an even larger axe. A menacing darkness loomed around him, and despite their lack of a physical face, it felt as if he were throwing daggers with his stare.

“Now that’s a guy who owns a good map!”

Ragatha’s eyes went wide at the sight of the blacksmith, “W-w-wait, Kinger, I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Her panic trailed off when she noticed the chess piece had already made his way to the door. It surprisingly opened as he cheerfully trotted inside, “I’m going to go get him,” she sighed with defeat. She ran to follow him, disappearing into the house too.

Zooble rolled their eyes, but the moment they turned toward Gangle, their whole mood softened. Pomni mentally noted that Zooble gave Gangle that look pretty often.

“So, Princess Gangle,” they said with sudden sincerity. “What do you want to do now?”

Gangle held her comedy mask in both hands, quietly debating whether this was the right moment to put it on. After a short bit of silent contemplation, she slipped it over her face. “I really want to see the dragons!” she squealed. “They were always my favorite growing up!”

A nearby NPC mannequin waved at her, “Then you came to the right place, your highness. Our humble village loves our dragons! And the dragons love us! They’ve maintained a peaceful relationship with us for centuries!”

Jax smiled, a little too sincerely to be trusted. “Peaceful, huh?... So, why is that reallyyyy angry looking one getting closer?” he asked, pointing at the sky.

A massive black dragon swooped overhead, igniting a trail of fire behind them. The NPC villagers froze for one long beat before erupting into chaotic, cartoonish panic and running around like scattering ants.

“HELP US, PRINCESS! THE WIZARD IS COMING!” the NPC shouted, aggressively shaking Gangle in a fit of panicked frenzy.

Her comedy mask split into two, leaving the porcelain shards to crumble from her face like falling teardrops.

That certainly didn’t take long.

Pomni jumped at the sound of a familiar red NPC jumping off the dragon, landing with a dramatic thud, “Is that…Evil Orbsman?” Pomni shouted. It wasn’t really a question; he looked the same as the last time they’d run into him, just with the addition of a black cloak and a matching witch hat.

“I̴ ̸a̸m̶ ̵l̶o̵o̵k̵i̴n̴g̶ ̷f̶o̵t̷ ̷t̷h̷e̴ ̷p̸r̷i̴n̴c̷e̶s̶s̷!̶ ̴S̴H̵O̵W̵ ̸Y̶O̸U̶R̶S̷E̸L̸F”

Gangle peeked from behind Zooble, slowly lifting a timid hand to the air to reveal her presence. While they tried to hold an arm out to shield her, the knight seemed too preoccupied with keeping themselves intact from the rough gust of wind from the dragon’s wings to notice her step aside.

What is she doing?

Pomni took that as her cue to step in, carefully reaching for what she assumed was a dagger from her belt, eyes locked in with the wizard. With Zooble’s mind clearly in another place, she figured it was time to jump into the whole “squire” role.

She let out an uneasy whisper, “Uh, Gangle? I don’t think it’s a good idea to-”

Before Pomni could finish, Jax took a step between Gangle and Zooble, further separating them. He wore a familiar smirk, one that the entire circus recognized too well: A wide, toothy grin that signaled he had discovered a golden ticket to tormenting the girl, “Oh, look, Gangle, it’s your evil clone. Don’t be shy, I think he wants to say hi.”

“Wh-what? I didn’t even have an evil cl-”

Taking advantage of the distraction, the rabbit yanked her by the arm and shoved her towards the NPC.

Her poofy dress did her no favors with grace. She stumbled forward with a pitiful yelp, tripping over the heavy fabric and landing square on her face. With a whine, she peered up at the tall figure looming over her.

Evil Orbsman gasped at the sad sight,

“It̷'̵s̴ ̸t̷h̷e̶ ̸pr̶in̵ce̸s̸s̶!̸”

He pulled out a wand, instantly snapping it towards the ribboned avatar lying at his feet. A bright red tractor beam shot out, freezing her in place, before he flicked it upwards with such force that she flung into the air. Now free from the beam, Gangle cried out for help, ribbon limbs flailing before the dragon swooped back in like a hawk, snatching her with its claws.

The wizard let out a maniacal laugh that was somehow both cartoonish and monotone. The sight of their friend in peril suddenly snapped Zooble back to focus.

“Oh-ho, I did not know he was going to do that!” Jax exclaimed with a smile.

“Jax! You a[$$&!@#]. I know you saw the dragon before anybody else did. Why didn’t you say anything earlier?!”

“What? I did her a favor. Didn't she say that she wanted to see the dragons?" He shrugged smugly as the dragon circled above them. Gangle’s distant cries grew louder for a moment before fading again.

Jax, on the other hand, paid no attention to the strong gusts of air that made his ears flutter. He cupped a hand over his eyes to glimpse at it flying away, “Besides, it’s not my job to help protect our precious princess anymore. If anything, you should have been the one to notice. You know, being her knight and all.”

That struck a nerve. Zooble’s antennas twitched, shaking an angry fist at his face, yet the usual sarcastic quip never made it out, “but you- I- UGHHHH”

For someone Pomni had always thought had their head on their shoulders, it was notably taking Zooble much longer than usual to switch back to their usual protective tendencies.

She quietly pondered where this behavior was coming from, suddenly feeling a wave of concern for the toybox character. She was well aware of the more personal reasons behind her concern. Since the gun adventure, Jax’ torments struck a nerve with more intensity than ever. Before really getting to know him, his antics frustrated her at best, but now?

It felt unfair, spirit-crushing, and dehumanizing.

Her sympathy bounced around her mind as his words from that terrible fight echoed in her head.

“You are my playthings, and I get joy out of making you suffer! I'm the one who causes pain for fun!”

That was enough thinking; right now, she had to step in.

Pomni stepped towards Zooble, hoping to steal their attention from the rabbit, “What are you waiting for? They’re getting away!”

For a brief moment, Zooble was surprised, almost offended, by the sudden assertiveness, but the worry on their face returned at another one of Gangle’s cries, “S[#$%], right!”

Zooble glared back at Evil Orbsman, still manically laughing at the panicked villagers running around in blind havoc. The sight made them growl. With their building anger, they charged at the NPC, accidentally shoving a panicked wooden mannequin villager that happened to run into their path,

“Hey, you! Let Gangle go, you freak!” Zooble shouted.

They lifted their arm, the one with a spiked mace at the end, before their armored joints awkwardly locked inward. The embarrassing metallic squeaks caught them off guard as the weight of the arm over their head pulled them backwards. In attempts to recover, they swung forward, but to their distress, the sudden weight shift caused them to fall over, somersaulting straight towards the Wizard’s feet.

Jax snickered, clearly finding joy in the way they cursed while trying to recollect themselves.

“Wow!” He called out, “You are really bad at this knight thing. My offer to trade still stands, you know~”

“F[&$%] you-”

Pomni immediately noticed the Wizard flick his arm back. Before she can even react, he shot a second tractor beam, this time simultaneously freezing all three of them. He used the sudden blast of magic to send Pomni, Zooble, and Jax hurtling through the air, crashing into the rough wooden wall of a village hut, and tumbling into a pile of barrels.

Dazed, Pomni struggled to her feet, her hand brushing against an old set of scabbards and swords, the very same ones Zooble held prior.

An uneasy feeling built up when she noticed their absence. Her recovered vision revealed that Zooble was already sprinting after the dragon. The wizard made one last laugh before teleporting away in a dramatic puff of smoke, reappearing over the dragon’s back.

Oh no

She chased after them, “Zooble, W-Wait!” She huffed with an exhausted choke, “You forgot- you forgot your weapons-” the break in her voice showing that the intensity of the scene was already getting to her. She cursed her short legs and how her small avatar made it essentially impossible to catch up to them. Although Pomni was pretty sure that anything athletic wasn’t exactly her strength before the circus, either.

Not that Zooble really has a chance to catch up with a flying dragon by foot

God, they were stubborn.

She fell to the ground, her breath shaking from exhaustion, “Nope, nope…I-…I need a break.”

At that exact moment, the door to the nearby house creaked open and out strutted Kinger and Ragatha, looking particularly happy. In the chess piece’s hand was a rolled-up map. He carried it proudly like a trophy.

Ragatha smiled at him, “Wow, Kinger! Who would have known that the local blacksmith was also the only cartographer in town? It was really kind of him to give it to us for free.”

“What can I say, I can be very persuasi- AHHHHHH, SCALEY FLYING BUG!”

The duo jumped backwards, clinging onto the doorframe as the dragon swooped over the village once more.

“Pomni? Is that dragon flying away with Gangle? B-but the blacksmith told us they were friendly!”

“I’ll…explain later…I just need- I just really need to catch a breath.”

. . .

Zooble really wished they could catch a breath. Their heart pounded as they raced through the village streets, desperately trying to catch up with Gangle as the dragon’s wings flapped just a little over the street. They tried not to think about how ridiculous the entire situation looked. If their avatar wasn’t already goofy enough to look at, this heroic knight look was doing them no favors.

Who did they think they were fooling in chasing a monster the size of a house on their own, anyway? And since when did they take Caine’s adventures this seriously?

Gangle’s frightened, wincing face peeked out from the dragon’s grasp. For a moment, their eyes met. The look of such discomfort made Zooble's heart sink.

Their pace increased significantly.

“Gangle! Hold on!”

With every strained breath and awkward step, Zooble could have sworn they were drawing closer. Stretching out their arms towards her, it started to feel believable that they could reach her. Through a valiant effort, Gangle managed to pull her arm away from the dragon’s grip, reaching out for them as well. Her face alone was begging them to save her. A desperate plea that someone had so much trust hidden behind her worried, wincing eyes. All it would take was one last lunge…and yet...

It was that moment that their knee pads betrayed them once again, locking in a way that made them yelp in surprise. It sent them tumbling hard to the ground. The world spun as dust filled the air; the hand that was meant to rescue Gangle closed on air. Above, the dragon made its exit as they disappeared into the skies.

Lying on the floor, Zooble stared up at the sky, frustration building up once more. They had joined this stupid adventure with only one thing in mind: Spending some quality time with Gangle. Having been so entranced by her sweet smile and contagious excitement, they had forgotten that they were stepping into Caine’s version of “medieval fun”.

That’s when the obvious facts hit them, specifically the princess’ lack of objective. Caine had taken notes after watching the sweet exchange between Zooble and Gangle back at the circus. Between Gangle’s yearning for festivities and Zooble’s own protective intentions in trying to provide her with that joy, Caine constructed his vision

In other words, Gangle was in very close proximity to the dragons she was so eager to meet at the cost of being a damsel in distress – not having “medieval fun”.

Did he mean well? Probably. Did that fact change Zooble's sudden urge to strangle the ringmaster? Not really. This was the literal opposite of what they signed up for…

They focused their gaze on the distant mountain where a dark, gloomy castle hung with cartoonish menace, the dragon shrinking in view as it flew farther.

“You’ve got to be f[@&$%^#] kidding me...”

Ragatha stood beside Zooble, laying a hand on their shoulder.

Looks like the rest of them finally caught up.

“Hey, it’s okay, Zooble. I’m sure this is all a part of Caine’s plan for the ‘action-filled adventure’ he kept raving about,” she said with a light chuckle. Her forced smile faltered as she saw Zooble’s gaze harden toward the castle. “If it helps, Caine’s worst idea of ‘imprisoned princess’ is probably just Gangle sitting in the castle somewhere until we find her. At worst, she’s probably just a little scared-BORED! She’s probably just bored!”

“Or she’s already dead because the dragon ate her!” Jax chimed in, earning a collective look of annoyance from the group. Even Zooble felt too drained to react.

Pomni cleared her throat, “Well...I guess…we should start making our way to the castle. Kinger, can we have the map?”

Kinger stayed silent, slowly loosening his grip on the map, but not exactly handing it over yet. The group stared at him with equal silence, waiting.

His gaze drifted before his eyes suddenly widened. He pointed at the sky with fear,

“THAT GIANT BUG WAS ACTUALLY A DRAGON!?”

Chapter Text

The idea of being a prisoner, all alone, in a cold, dark, and scary dungeon, would normally terrify Gangle if it weren’t so boring.

Not to say she wasn’t terrified. Being dragged across the kingdom at the claws of a fierce dragon was certainly not a pleasant experience. And although she knew it was just a game, she still cried out when Evil Orbsman roughly shoved her inside the cell, causing her to faceplant onto the dungeon’s stone floor.

But it didn’t take long for Gangle to realize that she wasn’t necessarily trapped...

Much to her panic, Evil Orbsman had initially used a beam of magic to summon thick shackles onto the wall to restrain her.

He had been so busy reciting what Gangle assumed was a long, evil villain monologue (made of his usual inaudible gibberish) that he didn’t even bat an eye when the shackles immediately slid right off her wrists and landed on the floor with an anticlimactic thud. At least there was one benefit of being made of thin silk ribbons.

But her panic didn’t stop there. Evil Orbsman continued his yelling with more intensity, triggering a fearful yelp out of Gangle. So overwhelmed by the noise, she frantically crawled backwards in fear until her back hit the opposite wall. His words made no sense, but God, they were still so loud.

Gangle shut her eyes tight, face still huddled behind her arms, attempting to block out the sound from the sides of her mask.

She noticed a halt. The havoc caused by his shouts made the sudden silence all the more notable, yet still terrifying. She slowly shifted a trembling ribbon away from her face, fearing the worst if she made too sudden a movement. The wizard shrieked some final nonsense syllables before vanishing in a dramatic poof of smoke.

Still on the floor, Gangle scrambled a little more backwards, trying to dodge the remaining clouds of smoke until they disappeared altogether. 

Gangle was now alone with a single NPC mannequin guarding her cell. They looked just like the many faceless NPC placeholders she has interacted with throughout the years. The only notable difference was a red tint and thick eyebrows to match Evil Orbsman’s.

Okay, this isn't too bad...right?

If the shackles alone weren’t lousy, she immediately noted the vast spaces between the prison bars that were meant to imprison her.

She eyed each bar, still in disbelief that she got herself into this situation. Even if she weren’t made of ribbons, it wouldn’t require any effort for her to slip through. The gaps were about as wide as she was.

She hesitated, staring at the NPC guard with a worried look. Assuming her capture was an intended plot point in the adventure, she knew Caine would never want to inflict actual harm on her – not directly or intentionally at least. But with her newly donned tragedy mask, each unexpected sound made her jump.

She hated having so little control over her fear.

She searched for reassurance by reminding herself that she had wanted this for a while. Over her stay at the circus, she had submitted many desperate ideas in the suggestion box, many that leaned towards a niche, nerdy side. They mainly consist of concepts understood only by losers who spend way too much time online. While it was embarrassing to think about, she had dreamed of the opportunity for escapism.

How ironic, she thought to herself. Of course, this would happen the one time she doesn’t completely mind a little bit of action in an adventure. (Up until the being kidnapped part, of course.) Gangle leaned her head against the prison bars with sorrow. A world of magic and adventure was out there. Yet her role this time around was to sit in a prison cell.

“Well…” Gangle muttered, mostly out of self-reassurance, “At least my dress still looks nice?” She ran a ribbon across the green fabric, noticing a thin embroidered pattern of elegant dragons lining up across her sleeves. The patterns so small that only the wearer could notice.

Being a princess without care in the world was fun for the few minutes it lasted. She was happy and not just because her comedy mask was still on at the time. Her role felt right, for once. The others seemed to like her look, too.

Zooble seemed to like it.

Oh no…

It didn’t take her long to think of her dear friend.

Of course, Zooble was cast as a knight. What else would they be? They were always so brave, so bold, and oh so protective.

It wasn’t too different from how they acted with her in the circus. They were always quick to stand between her and Jax when he bothered her. Often going as far as to redirect his harassment and attention to them.

A knight in shining armor, with a mission to protect their princess.

She suddenly felt a glowing warmth over her mask.

Gangle could still remember how powerless she felt when paralyzed by the wizard’s beam of magic, and the grip of the dragon’s claws still ached her body. Yet nothing could compare to what came next: the exhilarating thrill she experienced at the view of Zooble hurdling through the village to reach her, growing more desperate as the dragon dragged her farther away.

Zooble didn’t care about adventures, much less play along on the few occasions that they were forced to participate. So why did they care so much this time around? She felt embarrassed to have such a thought while in peril. Yet no matter how much she tried to ignore it, there was no denying it: They looked utterly amazing while running after her.

For a moment, Gangle began to wonder if her predicament was really that bad. If she had known she’d witness them being so bold and badass at the sight of her being in danger, maybe she would have started getting herself into trouble like this a long time ago.

The thought made her body twitch. A blur of pink blush flushed over her cheeks. She slapped both ribbons over her face as if she could physically erase the thought from her mind. Her hands flew into the air as she pushed her head towards the ceiling, “No, no, no, NOOOO, Stop thaaaat!”

She was absolutely not going to romanticize this predicament any more than she already had.

Never mind the sudden mental image of Zooble protectively holding her against their chest with one arm and pointing a sword at Evil Orbsman with the other, daring him to come any closer. All accompanied with blooming flower pedals and sparkles floating behind them both.

No, no, no, no, no.

She needed to get out of that cell immediately

Gangle hunched her back and meekly looked back and forth between the ridiculously spaced prison bars and the NPC guard.

 “I’m-um…I’m going to escape now…okay?”

With a trembling leg, she took a dramatically wide step outside the cell, whimpering as she let her foot make contact with the floor. Her eyes still bounced between the floor and the guard. She then repeated the process with the other foot, right before making an immediate full sprint away.

She could already feel the thrill of the upcoming adventure course through her body before she was suddenly teleported back into the cell, her arms being held up by the shackles again. She stood there blankly as they pathetically slid off the restraints once more.

A familiar set of teeth and eyes suddenly appeared in front of her with Bubble floating next to him.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

Gangle, having been used to the silence of her thoughts, shrieked and fell back to the floor, “I-St-stop doing that!”

“Gangle?” Caine cried out with a dramatic gasp, “Are you trying to escape? You’re supposed to play your part as the captured princess!”

She lifted herself of the ground, sniffling, “I-I don’t want to be a prisoner!” She whined

“Well, duh! Nobody wants to be a prisoner, Gangle!”

There’s a loud and uncomfortably long silence. Gangle decided she didn’t have the courage to point out the painful irony.

“But oh? What’s this?” He summoned an old scroll, letting it unwind until it hit the floor. Yet only less than a quarter of the space is filled with actual text, “Looks like your heroic knight is leading a trusty band of heroes, embarking on a dangerous quest to rescue you as we speak!”

“But I want to go on a quest!” She whimpered, “Can’t I just swap my role?”

“Sorry, Gangle! No trade-sies! Besides, you sitting here, crying all sad and alone in this scary dark dungeon, is suuuuuper vital to your character and our story!”

“I…how?...”

He waved a comically large finger at her face, making her flinch. “Nuh uh-uh! Nobody likes spoilers, Gangle! Let's just say that your role will be very fulfilling and exciting! So, no trades”

“Y-you let Jax trade with Pomni…”

“Jax asked nicely.”

“What? No, he didn't-” Gangle sighed, a small whimper coming out in the process, “Can I please change my role?”

“Nope!” he snapped his fingers and disappeared instantly.

Right when Gangle is about to cry out in frustration. She noticed Bubble, still hovering over her, intensely staring at the useless chains that hung off the walls,

“…Are you going to use those?”

“N-no?”

“Sweet! Come to mommy!” he bit a chunk out of the wall, taking the shackles with him before disappearing too.

Chapter Text

Pomni felt a brief relief wash over her. The chaos from the dragon’s attack had mostly eased down…for the most part.

Ironically, dealing with the damage was the easiest part. They had almost forgotten about the dramatic trail of blaze the dragon left behind. It was easy to forget, since the fire didn’t actually spread. It just burned in a perfect line for dramatic effect. Kinger, of all people, took care of it, casually pulling a fire hose from his giant supply bag and dousing it in seconds. Pomni wondered if Caine was mixing genres or if that was just classic Kinger antics.

It was better not to question it. At least someone was sticking to their role.

The real challenge was their rather uncomfortable departure. The news of the princess’s dramatic capture spread fast (unlike the fire), leaving the gang surrounded by wailing villagers as they paraded out of the town. From every corner, heartbroken voices begged them to rescue their dear Princess Gangle.

Dramatic, just the way Caine likes things.

Pomni was more than happy to leave that chaotic scene. As the group stepped beneath the forest’s entrance, warm sun rays glowed through the leaves, welcoming the band of heroes to the start of the journey.

After a few beats of silence, the delicate strumming of a lute bounced through the walkway. A sound that would have been peaceful if it weren’t for Jax’s obnoxious singing:

A knight and their princess, living giddy and lame,

Until down came a dragon, anything but tame,

With the princess in peril, she called out to her knight,

Their attempt at a rescue, a disastrous sight!

Oh, how they fumbled!

From the moment they tumbled!

Now bitter and silent that things didn’t go their way

But the truth of the matter is, they’re just mad cause they’re-

“Will you shut it?” Zooble snapped, their tone sharp, but just barely above a whisper. They had not said a word since losing Gangle. They just walked in silence other than the occasional clank or squeak of their metal armor. Their eyes fixed on the ground, brows furrowed.

“Can’t help it. My bard abilities make the lyrics flow so naturally~” Jax said with exaggerated elegance. He strummed the lute again, this time forcefully. An aggressive trail of purple magic, adorned with small music notes with bunny ears, shot out, slicing through some distant vines with ease. He paused, clearly surprised by this new power, then continued walking. “Eh, not as violent as I usually like.”

Pomni quietly watched the rabbit, still surprised that he had accepted her weak offer. Was it just a desperate escape from that brief sting of sentimental nostalgia? Maybe. He was acting relatively tame since the adventure started. At least compared to how he had been acting all week.

Before Pomni could dwell further, Ragatha hurried over, breaking the silence. She twiddled the engravings of her staff between her fingers, “Speaking of magic, did Caine give us any sort of guide on how to work this?” she asked, her voice filled with confusion. “I don’t really feel any different. Oh, I wish I knew how to do this sooner, then I could have at least tried to help Gangle when she…”

Her words trailed off as she peered at Zooble like they were a ticking time bomb. Although something told Pomni they probably weren’t paying much attention anyway.

Pomni hesitated, “I don’t really know. I was hoping Gangle would be around to explain. She’s the real expert at all of this. If only we had some other solution-”

“Girls, look, a solution!” Kinger beamed, gleefully sliding over to join them, “This map is talking to me! And it’s being very polite too!”

He pointed at a section below where twisting text began to appear. As if on cue, golden ink shimmered, writing out its next message:

Your abilities, such as magic and combat, will grow stronger with each trial. Keep up the great work, my brave adventurers!

“Oh! That’s comforting!” Ragatha chimed, “Thanks, Kinger!”

“And if my navigation skills are correct, we should be arriving at the first trial right about-AHH!” Kinger was interrupted. He walked face-first into a stone pillar. He toppled over dramatically, arms flailing as the map slipped from his grasp and fluttered through the air. Pomni leaned forward to catch it.

She surveyed the map, noting a magenta triangle marker, one that matched the shape of Zooble’s head, hovering over the first destination. Above the symbol read:

THE TRIAL OF TRUST: THE CRUMBLING RUINS

Kinger doesn’t seem bothered by his crash, plopping back to his feet with ease, “I was right!”

In front of them towered a tall stone structure, barely standing from what looked like centuries of slow collapsing. Vines hung from the cracked walls. On the ground, gravel was scattered across worn-out stepping stones. Various arcs and pillars formed pathways, creating a maze-like interior.

Pomni peered at the morphing text as it changed once more. Dread filled her at the realization of what was to come, “It says we must complete different phases to pass the ruins, but only if we…trust each other...If there’s any doubt, the ruins will fight back.”

Jax snorted, rolling his eyes, “Trust? With this crowd? Please. Especially with our little knight and squire duo here,” There was a flicker of genuine annoyance in his eyes, before he sighed dramatically, “If only Gangle were here. Now she and I - our whole dynamic is built on everlasting trust.”

Zooble’s eyes narrowed, shooting him with a side glance. They said nothing, but their silence was more cutting than any snarky jab in return.

Jax, however, took their silence as permission to continue, “I mean, think of all the times she trusted me with her mask! But alas, I’ll have to be the brave hero, facing this trail alone without my bestie.” He swooned, clutching his heart in mock pain.

He took a few steps into the ruins. Zooble, barely bothered, lifted their foot, lazily pressing it onto a stone tile right after him before stepping back again. A sudden ding stopped Jax in his tracks,

“Wait, what did you just do?”

Suddenly, the stones beneath Jax’s feet crumbled, and with a pathetic yelp, he vanished into a pit below. There are a few beats of silence, right before Jax respawned in the air and was thrown out of the ruins. The stone pathway rose, rebuilding itself to its original form once more.

Zooble raised a brow and smirked, "Hmm, looks like the trust detector works pretty well.”

Jax crossed his arms with a huff, “Whelp, I’m already tired of this. Good luck figuring this out without me.” He slumped down next to a nearby tree, lazily strumming his lute.

“'Cause we’re really lost without your ‘help’.” They waved an arm, ushering the rest of the group inside, “Let’s just get this over with.” Zooble groaned, making their way onto the path.

Pomni hesitated. Sure, a trust test would be significantly easier without Jax’s involvement. Hell, the trial would have basically been impossible otherwise. It would just be a constant back-and-forth between falling into the pit and being launched into the grass. Pomni could almost feel the beating. But would things have been different if they had done this earlier?

Ragatha’s sweet voice broke her out of her trance yet again, “Come on, Pomni!”

She trusted them. Maybe her brief friendship with Jax had sunk, but at least she wasn’t facing this alone. She smiled with new eagerness, and she sprinted forward to catch up.

“I can’t stand that [@$$]hole,” Zooble muttered. They turned towards Pomni, “What did he even mean when he said he especially didn’t trust you? I thought  you guys really hit it off during the gun adventure.”

Oh! Again, with addressing the elephant in the room. So much for that new eagerness. Pomni tried to hold back her surprise, but still found herself stammering, “Oh, that? Th-that was nothing. Just-”

Ding!

Before she could come up with an excuse, the floor beneath her and Zooble crumbled, launching them back in the same way Jax did.

Jax cackled loudly as they landed in front of the tree that took shade in, “You guys are nailing this whole trust thing!”

Did that really count as distrust?

 Zooble, while initially dazed from the impact, picked themselves up with a grunt. They turned towards the squire, their expression hard to read, “Sorry, didn’t mean to pry or anything.”

“No, it’s not like that. I just-”

“Seriously, it’s fine.” They whispered plainly, careful to ensure a particular rabbit didn’t hear, “You shouldn’t have to talk about anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

Pomni’s once uncertain eyes perked up at them. They seem to have meant it. She smiled, “Oh. I…Thanks, Zooble.”

They nodded. Still not showing much emotion, “Don’t sweat it.”

Together, they made their way back down the path, catching up to Kinger and Ragatha, who were studying a thick stone wall.

“Looks like a dead end.” Mused Ragatha, “Kinger and I tried finding a way around it, but no luck…”

A lightbulb went off in Pomni’s head, “Maybe we need to go through it? This could be a good opportunity to try and practice your magic.”

Ragatha hesitated, “Oh! I- Good idea, Pomni!”

She gave her staff a few tentative swings, but nothing happened. She tried again, but still nothing. The silence grew awkward, and she became increasingly uncomfortable in each attempt. Throwing different angles, speeds, and wrist movements, each ending with a frustrating huff, “How did Jax do this so naturally!?”

Pomni tried to smile reassuringly, but her words came out stiff, “You can do it!”

“Yeah, uh- keep trying,” Zooble called, awkwardness edging in their voice as if they just tuned back in.

But Ragatha looked just as convinced as the other two sounded. She stiffened, stress building up in the corner of her eyes, until a floating hand gently made its way onto her shoulder.

Kinger gave it a gentle squeeze, “You can do anything you set your mind to!”

Ragatha looked up at him, visibly touched by his words. Any worry or doubt had flushed away like a stream. She straightened her back, loosened her shoulders, and pumped her fists to her sides with a newfound excitement, “Yeah… Yeah! I can do this!”

She waved her staff, this time with utmost confidence. A faint light began to glow at the lavender tip. Everyone leaned in, watching with anticipation.

Until the wall crumbled in front of them on its own.

“Splendid!” I knew you could do it!” Kinger exclaimed.

Ragatha stood blankly. She did not even react to the debris lazily crumbling at her boots. Bewilderment flushed on her face, “But I didn’t even do anything!”

“Yes!” beamed Kinger, “You’re so full of potential that you didn’t even need to do anything!”

While his words were kind and just as well-meaning as his earlier encouragement, the ragdoll did not look pleased and shrank into herself.

Pomni quickly chimed in, “I think what Kinger is trying to say is that we passed the first phase. This is a trust trial, after all. We all trusted you, and you trusted yourself. That still counts for something, right?” She said with a friendly shrug.

“I guess that makes sense…But I got really close that time.” Ragatha whined.

“You’ll get another chance. We’ve got a lot more ahead of us.”

“Yeah, we do…” Zooble mumbled.

The duo watched with a silent, almost awkward, pity as they went ahead of the group. They still slightly stumbled and limped from their impractical armor, then they grunted angrily at the sound of another pop.

Ragatha sighed, leaning towards Pomni to whisper, “Poor Zooble…They didn’t ask for any of this. I know we’re not exactly…used to them being around, but it really feels like they’re more upset than usual.”

“Can’t say that I blame them really,” Pomni sighed. With Gangle out of the picture, there was no real reason for them to participate eagerly.

They needed a friend.

She hurried to catch up with Zooble, who was still limping ahead. As they stumbled once more, Pomni reached a hand out to support them, but was stopped as Zooble reached a palm out in protest, catching themselves against the wall.

“I’m fine,” Zooble muttered, trying to sound disinterested. “You really don’t have to play out the squire thing, you know. I don’t really care for these ‘roles’”

Pomni glanced away for a second before responding. “That’s not it, I just… wanted to check up on you. This whole adventure already seems stressful enough as it is.”

Zooble paused, the edge in their posture softening just slightly. “Just-Don’t think too much of it. I’m just…distracted, is all.”

Their voice went quieter, a tiny pinch of vulnerability betraying their usual stoic tone. It was just small enough that most would have easily missed it.

“Well, just know that I know you can get…frustrated sometimes, and I don’t really blame you.” She said with an amused laugh, “But I can appreciate that you never take it out on anybody else, you know? Which is a lot more than I can say about others…”

A wave of immediate regret rushed inside of her at the realization of how painfully obvious, and maybe unnecessary, her last words were. For a moment, Pomni could see the way Zooble shifted once more, suspicion clear in their eyes. There was no judgment in their stare, but curiosity. They look as if they were ready to respond, before finally breaking eye contact and letting any signs of questioning fade away.

Thank God...

They continued their ventures until a wide stone courtyard signaled the next phase. It was surprisingly quiet for such an open space. For a structure so old, classy tile patterns decorated the floor, standing out against the surrounding wreckage. While still covered in debris and dust, the shapes remained elegant.

With such attention to detail, it almost felt like the room was meant to serve a greater purpose, but a stone archway at the other side said otherwise. It revealed a glimpse of the forest, signaling the end of the ruins.

Ragatha squinted, shading her eyes with a hand. “Is that the…exit?” she asked, her voice high with cautious optimism.

Pomni nodded, smiling with relief, “I think so. I guess the ruins don’t see any other reason to fight back after the last phase.”

It was soon too good to be true. A familiar voice suddenly bounced from behind them, “God, what’s taking you all so long? I’m dying of boredom back there!” Jax appeared behind them, arms crossed, looking at his fingertips with utmost sass.

The distant archway immediately slammed shut with a booming crash.

 “Wow! You guys must really not trust me.”

Before anyone could react to the unwanted guest, a figure began to materialize in front of them, growing taller, wider, and louder by the second. A white silhouette of an unknown creature started forming, until with a dramatic pop, a giant ogre appeared in the courtyard, towering over the group.

For a moment, it just stood there, confused by its very existence and trying to comprehend why and how it had been summoned. Before it could get too deep into an existential crisis, it threw its head back and released a thunderous roar. A burst of air sent pebbles flying and all the group’s clothes fluttering.

“Jax, can you go five minutes without screwing everything up?!” Zooble shouted over its screams.

“Oh, please, I didn’t even do anything. It’s not my fault you all have so little trust in me that my mere presence triggers a trap.”

“That is LITERALLY your fault!”

Chaos didn’t take long to erupt, and it certainly did not wait for Jax and Zooble to stop bickering before the ogre made its first attack. It held a club behind its head, swinging it down with such force that the once-elegant tiles exploded. Shards of ceramic flew towards them.

Ragatha held her staff tightly in her trembling hands. She desperately tried to focus on her magic, to at least hold onto the feelings sparked by Kinger’s encouragement. Purple sparks fizzled and whirled around the end, right before a purple hand shoved it away.

Jax darted into view, his smug grin looking genuine for once. He dramatically spun the lute, striking the strings like an electric guitar. Streaks of purple magic shot in different directions.

Ragatha bit her lip but could only hold back her envy for so long, “Jax, you’re going to hurt somebody!” But she didn’t get to finish. Jax was already launching another haphazard spell, this time almost hitting her. Another bolt narrowly missed Pomni’s hat.

Meanwhile, a pile of miscellaneous items began to form where Kinger stood. He frantically searched through his supply bag for its contents. None of which are, in any way, remotely medieval themed (or useful). But there were pillows - lots of pillows, “Anyone need a spool of thread?”

His words were intense, as if he were truly trying his best to help in a life-or-death situation. With an equal sense of urgency, he tossed the spool at an unamused Zooble.

The spool bounced off the top of their head. Boy, did they look tired.

Pomni felt tired too. The exhaustion of the battle was already getting to her. It was ironic, seeing that none of them had even started their end of the battle yet. That was just life in the circus: exhaustion. Pomni always understood why Zooble chose to skip out on adventures; anybody could understand. But now? She really felt it.

A shout of her name quickly put her head back in the game. She turned to see Zooble running, signaling at a thick pillar in the distance. Immediately taking the message, she sprinted after them and took cover behind it. Echoes of the ogre’s club smashing into the ground, bursts of magic, and Ragatha’s frustrated complaints bounced from the other side.

The two of them took a moment to breathe. They panted in silence, yet a clear sense of urgency lingered between them. Pomni realized they needed a plan, and judging by the situation, Zooble seemed like the only person she could count on right now.

On one hand, Ragatha meant well and poured her heart into her magic and the mission, but her attempts were ultimately useless. Meanwhile, Jax was, frustratingly, a natural. His skills would have been beneficial if he hadn't seemed more interested in putting on a show than in actually helping. For every hit he made on the ogre, three more misfires would almost kill his teammates. Each character lacked what the other prevailed in…of course.

Pomni and Zooble exchanged a mutual look, both clearly having the same thoughts.

“Looks like it’s just us,” the knight said with a resigned sigh. “Let’s finish this already.”

“Right behind you,” Pomni replied. She was grateful for Zooble’s surprising willingness to work together. She grabbed a thin spear that hung from her back. Sure, it was no sword like the one Zooble had, but it would do.

With one last mutual nod, the two darted in opposite directions, sneaking around the ogre’s legs.

 Zooble shouted, “Go for the left ankle!”

Pomni nodded, and together they charged.

With perfect sync, both characters jabbed the ogre’s feet with their respective weapons. The blades barely seemed to make contact, yet the ogre’s screams said otherwise. With flair, the monster wobbled backwards with its arms flailing. After some awkward stumbling, it finally collapsed to the ground on its back.

It lay on the floor, motionless.

Ragatha cautiously took a step forward, leaning in to inspect what she hoped was an ogre corpse. “Did...we win?”

The ogre’s pupils turned into Xs.

Zooble nodded with a huff, “Yep. It sure looks like it.”

“We?” Jax scoffed, “I did half of the work. Zooble and Pomni only made the final blow. Way to steal my thunder. This is why I should have been the knight. I was literally meant to be it!”

“You’re still not over that?” Zooble muttered.

A small green light emitted from over the ogre’s corpse, where a small object began to materialize along the tune of elegant harp strings. With a cute poof, a green jeweled amulet, encased by bronze, appeared. It spun like a video game token waiting to be claimed. 

Jax, with his eyes wide like a child looking at a cookie jar, twiddled his fingers at the sight. Zooble immediately read his mind, making a point to quickly snatched it from the air. 

“Hey, what gives?” Jax whined.

They didn’t even bat him an eye. Instead, they put their focus on securing the amulet to the strap of their scabbard, giving it a couple of tugs for good measure before letting it go to dangle freely.

Finally, they acknowledged him, “We need these to save Gangle. I'm not taking any chances by having you carry them. The last thing we need is one of these ‘accidentally’ being dropped off a cliff…”

“Me? I would never. I’d try at least try to sell it, first."

The usual bickering faded as the group finally exited the ruins.

Thinking back on the ogre battle, Pomni realized that, although brief, she and Zooble had worked together surprisingly well. Jax, despite his many (maybe intentional?) misfires, was not entirely wrong about his contribution to the fight. Still, the abrupt end left her puzzled.

That is, until a reminder struck her: it was the trial of trust. In that moment, Zooble had been the key to their escape, and Pomni was okay with that. Despite their usual reluctance and disinterest in… everything, they made a pretty reliable team member.

…

After the ruins, they walked for a while without speaking, the intensity of the trial still fading away. The only sound was the occasional clank of Zooble’s armor. While still annoyed, they seemed to be in better spirits about it. Or better yet, less frustrated. Perhaps the win with the ogre left them just a little bit optimistic.

As the trees began to thin, Pomni suddenly felt the air become cold,

Then the forest opened, revealing a vast depth. A rope bridge stretched across two cliffsides. Below, clouds of fog gathered, looming under the wooden planks and concealing just how deep the drop below was. The boards creaked eerily in the breeze, swaying ever so slightly.

The sight would have been almost terrifying if it were not for the daylight. Still, it was anything but inviting.

Ragatha was the first to speak, “The second trial already? That was surprisingly fast.”

Pomni peered at the map again. Ragatha was not wrong. Caine had spoken their ears off on how epic and high stakes the adventure was going to be, so it felt too good to be true that they were already two-thirds of the way there.

To her surprise, the map indicated that they were indeed standing face to face with the next trial. Even the map itself showed hardly any distance between the ruins and the bridge. The third, whatever it was, was concealed by looming cloud graphics, leaving it a mystery until their arrival.

Over the Zooble-shaped map marker, read in bold text:

TRIAL OF PERSEVERANCE: THE OLD ROPE BRIDGE

Pomni did a double-take. She still felt suspicious, “This seems too good to be true-”

As if on cue, a familiar roar boomed, bouncing between the walls of the chasm below. Above them, a black flash darted out of the vastness below. The dragon from earlier fluttered before them, now up close, its massive wingspan looming across the bridge. On top stood Evil Orbsman, manically laughing.

Zooble’s eyes suddenly shot wide before they darted around the sky, searching, “Wait…Where's Gangle? Why isn’t she with them?!”

Rather than answering their demand, he waved an arm out, blurting something about surrendering?...or facing his dark wrath?

He was significantly harder to understand at a distance.

“O̴n̴w̸a̵r̷d̴s̸,̷ ̵m̵y̷ ̵h̸e̵n̴c̶h̷m̵e̶n̸!”

That part…That was a little easier to comprehend.

Below, dozens of red NPC mannequins appeared, all adorned with wooden shields and swords. The crowd growing bigger as they multiplied. Each remained faceless, but still wore thick black eyebrows.

It was an Orbsman trademark, after all.

The henchmen came closing in, strategically cutting Zooble and Pomni away from the rest of the group as more spawned in. The other three were left cornered, but still had an opening where the bridge started. Unlike Pomni and Zooble, who only had the edge of the chasm behind them.

Pomni could hear Ragatha's panicked calls of her name. As composed as she could, she shouted back, “Go ahead, guys! We’ll fight them off!”

If the others reached the end of the bridge, maybe the trial’s end would mark their task as complete. Just like the ogre, the threats would go away if someone proved some display of perseverance…hopefully.  

As the crowd of henchmen grew denser, Pomni had completely lost sight of her friends. She really hoped they had taken her advice, rather than worrying too much about them and staying behind. For now, they would just have to hold off the henchmen.

Zooble pulled the shield off their back with an obnoxious pop, harshly shoving two red mannequins away with ease, “Are you serious?! We don’t have time for this! What the f[@$%] did you do with Gangle!?” Zooble shouted.

While still shouting at the wizard, their frustration was no longer directed at anybody in particular. More so, it was at the absurdity of the situation itself. But that doesn’t stop them from continuing their outburst, “What’s the point of all this anyways?!”

They continued to rant about the impracticality of everything. The adventure is stupid. Their armor is stupid. The trials are stupid. Everything was pissing them off at that point.

As much as Pomni wanted to coordinate her next move, she suddenly realized that this battle was nothing like the ogre encounter. That was a controlled space where the trial itself offered an easy advantage. Not to mention, the more obvious fact that Zooble was in relatively better headspace. All of the ease that Pomni thought Zooble had was gone.

Just like their first encounter with the dragon, Zooble was unfocused, distracted, and their anger was doubled. Now they were in the presence not just any villainous NPC, but the one who took Gangle, the princess, whom they swore to protect.

Unlike the first encounter, it had become clear to Pomni that this anger was rooted in ways beyond dragons and kidnapped princesses. At that point, any words would not make it past Zooble’s ears.

Another mannequin minion came charging towards them.

“Zooble! Watch out!” Pomni called

But it all happened too fast. Too lost in the fears going on inside their mind, they failed to notice the more real threat advancing right in front of them. For a moment, they swiftly turned towards Pomni, as if angry that she had interrupted them, before the impact from the mannequin sent them tumbling right off the edge.

With surprising swiftness, they managed to catch themselves at the edge, their body just barely dangling by their mace arm, clinging to the crumbling earth.

“Zooble!” Pomni cried. She wasted no time to run after them. But as she fell onto her knees to grab them, she realized she had no way to grab their hand without cutting her own. She panicked,

“G-give me your other arm!”

Zooble understood the reason for Pomni’s request. They grunted and strained as they lifted their other arm to reach her hand. Despite the difficulty, they managed to pull it off.

Pomni forced a trembling smile, “I gotcha! I just need to-”

Pop!

To both their horror, Zooble's arm had popped off like a toy. Everything that followed happened at once.

Pomni tumbled further from the sudden shift in weight. 

Zooble’s mace hand grabbed the ground a little too hard.

Its spikes cracked along the edges, and the earth slowly cracked until it burst apart entirely.

Zooble slipped, taking their squire with them as they fell into the unseen pit below.