Lucky Rabbit

“Bunny?” the princess whispered, wiggling until she could reach out to stroke a finger along Pandy’s ear. The thorns surrounding the girl moved away as she did so, and Pandy could just make out something that might once have been a dog, but now looked like a particularly droopy flowering hedge. Two familiar brown eyes looked out from under curving leaves, and Pandy realized what was going on. Eleanor wasn’t trapped – she was safe, at least for now.

Pandy gave the princess an encouraging nod, wishing once again that she had opposable thumbs, if only so she could give the girl a thumbs-up. In lieu of that, however, she licked Eleanor’s hand, then backed carefully out of the Winston-bush. Just because Pandy was poison-proof didn’t mean she had to push her nonexistent luck.

Having assured herself that Eleanor wasn’t hurt, Pandy turned around, considering the Puffinx as Isidor practically shouted, “Pyraxon!” Pandy tensed. This was where it got dangerous, and since there was no sign that anyone was coming to their rescue, she was going to have to do something. Soon. Really, she probably should have left Isidor behind, but she didn’t know where or how she would have done that, and how could she possibly have known he’d go charging ahead and get trapped by the Puffinx?

Giving Eleanor and the elemental dog-turned-thornbush a twitch of her whiskers, Pandy continued her slow circle. She didn’t have much time left to extricate Isidor. A voice that somehow both hissed and chirped emerged from behind the Puffinx. Its rear end was still in darkness, so the sound seemed to emerge from the shadows themselves.

“Born where the world forgets to cool, I dine on embers, sleep in ash. I wear the smoke like royal garb, and carve my path with molten lash. I do not strike with claw or blade, yet kingdoms fall where I have played. What am I?” the voice warbled in a raspy whisper.

Pandy had lost sight of Isidor, but now she could make out the speaker, which lashed slowly through the air behind the hulking, chimeric monster. It was attached to the main body like a tail, scaled in emerald-green until just shy of the head, where green scales became black and white feathers. A proud black and orange beak protruded from a face that looked like…well, a puffin. It should have been a ridiculous sight, but when it opened that beak, it flashed fangs as long as a human hand.

If the monster played fair, Pandy wouldn’t have been too worried. Isidor really seemed to be ridiculously knowledgeable for someone his age, as shown by the fact that he’d gotten the first two riddles right. Even in the unlikely event that he missed one of those, the other heads wouldn’t have attacked him until the current head was defeated, giving Pandy time to intercede.

Unfortunately, there was no right answer to this final riddle, at least not that the Gacha Love player community had found. The answers available for each riddle depended on what books, classes, and conversations you’d experienced in that play-through. The Sparklefly was mentioned multiple times, so you really couldn’t avoid finding out about it, but you had to either trigger a particular conversation with Edgar or read a certain book in order to find out about Pyraxon, and thus have it appear as an option.

But even when players were on track to earn the Bibliophile’s Bounty achievement, having read every single book they could up to that point, none of the available choices for the third riddle were correct. Attending different classes and talking to different people didn’t change that, at least according to the forums, and the prevailing theory was that Edgar and Clara would be forced to fight the Puffinx no matter what. As a result, most players chose to answer the second riddle incorrectly, so they would have a round to fight only the two easier heads before the venomous puffin-head got involved. Of course, that required more Stamina than facing all three at once, but it was a safer bet.

That wasn’t an option here, though, even if Pandy had had a chance to explain the situation to Isidor. This wasn’t a game anymore. Giving a wrong answer here would stretch out the battle, increasing the risk that one of them would make a mistake and be badly injured. No, it would be better to start the battle by dealing with the most dangerous enemy first.

Don’t answer, Pandy thought at Isidor as loudly as she could. Whatever you do, don’t answer.

She wasn’t moving cautiously now, just depending on her small size and the fact that she was as hidden in the shadows as that terrible tail. With a Hop, she lunged forward, wrapping her front paws around the snake-bird’s long neck. Her teeth clamped down in a vicious Bite, even as her back claws dug into slick scales, Scratching furrows into the thing. She’d been working on her skills every night, and the level twenty-four Bite did noticeably more damage than the level eleven Scratch, but every little bit helped.

As the Puffinx’s tail gave a horrible squawk, the front part did exactly as Pandy had hoped, releasing Isidor in order to strike at her. Huge claws dug into her body, damaging who-knew-what important bits, but Pandy was mentally chanting, . She just had to hope that her healing stayed ahead of the damage she was being dealt, because the moment she lost more than fifteen percent of her body at any one time, she was done. She had to finish at least the tail before that happened.

-18 LF

Casting of Minor Heal successful. Ninety-three uses remain before next level.

-23 LF

Casting of Minor Heal successful. Ninety-two uses remain before next level.

+8 Corruption Points for Drinking the Blood of a Boss Monster

-14 LF

she chanted, claws scrabbling as she tried to hold onto a slippery serpent that was growing increasingly desperate. Her teeth had latched on too close for the puffin-head to bite her, but the same was not true for the cat and shark heads. She swung her body out of the way as the shark’s head lunged for her in a way no real shark could have managed. She would definitely lose more than a leg or a tail if it got ahold of her.

Then Isidor was on the cat-like body, holding onto the thick ruff of fur behind the cat’s fluffy, adorable face. The cat-head hissed, and the shark-head turned to snap at the boy, giving Pandy a moment to dig her claws in again. Isidor had his little knife in hand, plunging it over and over into the monster’s throats, and now all three heads were howling, hissing, and making a throat-tearing, raspy scream.

-12 LF

Scratch successful. Twenty-three uses remain before next level.

-19 LF

Casting of Minor Heal successful. One hundred sixty-six uses remain before next level.

-27 LF

The Puffinx slammed Pandy against the floor, finally tearing her off, but the puffin-snake head was struggling, one eye dull, one fang broken. That left one intact fang, though, and its remaining eye was focused on Isidor. Pandy could not, would not, let it bite the boy. That was an automatic game over, and she doubted the result would be any better in real life.

she thought, throwing herself straight toward Isidor, who had lost his knife, but was somehow still clinging to the monster’s back. She reached the boy just before the gaping beak did, and the remaining fang sank deep into her body.

You have been Poisoned. Poison is ineffective. You take no damage.

-17 LF

The floating words would have made Pandy laugh at any other time. Which was it? Was she immune, or not? But she knew what had happened. The poison might not be able to hurt her, but the seven-inch-long spike through her body could. Still, she thought, even as she wondered dizzily if this was what a butterfly felt like when a collector pinned it to a board. Of course, they were already dead when they were pinned in place, but technically, so was Pandy.

An arm wrapped around her, and Isidor threw himself backward, off the Puffinx’s back. He made a hoarse, pained sound as he did so, and Pandy threw a few Minor Heals at him, which made him catch his breath in relief. They hit the ground hard, Isidor rolling away in a boneless manner that told Pandy he had lost consciousness. She hopped close, giving him a few more heals, before spinning, dealing the approaching cat-head a vicious Scratch that made it yowl and lurch backwards.

At first, she thought she was imagining the voices, or perhaps that the Puffinx was trying to speak – maybe to taunt her? But then the whole monster reared up, front legs flailing as the cat-head bent sharply to one side before falling limp. Pandy swayed, not daring to look around while the monster – and especially its venomous tail – was still alive, but she began to make out words.

“-the girl,” a deep voice yelled.

“Don’t tell me-” a tenor roared back, fading into a buzz that sounded like static as Pandy cautiously took a step back, closer to Isidor. She’d been planning to draw the monster away if she could, but it seemed that help had finally arrived, so maybe she could stay?

She winced as the shark-head seemed to turn into a cloud of red mist, some of which splashed onto her.

+20 Corruption Points for Bathing in the Blood of a Boss Monster

So, so gross, but she also thought that was the single largest number of Corruption Points she’d gotten, other than when Aglaea cried on her. Not that she needed them right now, since the Puffinx was two-thirds dead, or maybe even four-fifths, since its final head was already partially severed, thanks to her earlier efforts.

A shape dropped down from above the Puffinx, beautifully patterned lavender and silver wings folding in to allow him to dive more quickly. Clawed hands gripped the puffin-head right behind the jaws, holding it in place as another figure ran forward. A silver blade flashed, and the final head fell to the ground, prompting the dragon librarian to glare at the man holding the sword.

“You almost cut my fingers off,” Professor Beeswick said, leaping up so his outstretched wings could catch the air, before gliding down to land beside Chancellor Blackwood.

The chancellor shook blood from his weapon, then wiped it against the Puffinx’s furry forequarters before returning it to the sheath hanging at his side. “I didn’t, and it’s not like you couldn’t grow them back, anyway.”

“That takes months, and I can’t turn pages properly the whole time,” the dragon librarian complained, but he didn’t really seem angry. It sounded more like the two men had had a dozen similar conversations in the past, and they both knew the other wasn’t serious.

Pandy’s Minor Heals had finally stopped working, which meant both she and Isidor were fully recovered. The boy’s eyes were still closed, though, so Pandy hopped over, pushing her nose in his face so her whiskers tickled him. He sneezed, then jerked up to a sitting position, dark eyes flashing open. Confusion, then relief, and finally something like embarrassment filled his face as he saw the man striding toward them.

The salute Isidor gave the chancellor was wobbly, and he ducked his head. “Sorry, sir,” he told his shoes. “I know you said to-”

“Stay and keep an eye out for anyone who managed to cross the wards?” the man said. He was absolutely the chancellor, even though he was so changed that he might have been a brother – or possibly a cousin – instead, with his hair in disarray and the light armor he wore in place of his usual expensive suit.

“Yes, sir,” Isidor said. He was still addressing his footwear, which meant Pandy could see his face from her position on the ground beside him. He looked abjectly miserable, a condition which was not improved by the chancellor’s next words, calm though they were.

“We’ll speak about it later,” the chancellor said, shifting his attention to Pandy. He wasn’t wearing the wire-rimmed glasses that usually perched on his long nose, which meant she could see the thoughtful gaze and raised brows quite clearly.

“And what are you doing here?” he asked. “Why aren’t you with Thaniel?”

Pandy had slightly less than a minute remaining on Shifting Faces. Was this how she wanted to use it? More importantly, with both him and Isidor staring at her, could she get her clothes on without flashing anyone?

So she chose the path of least resistance – or least humiliation – and hopped away, heading for where she’d left Eleanor, offering only a view of her fluffy tail. She thought she heard a snort of laughter, and then footsteps followed her, with Isidor’s lighter steps coming after a short delay.

Professor Beeswick crouched beside the spot where Eleanor had been hiding, his wings once again folded tightly against his back. The princess stood in front of him, Lord Winston at her feet. The only sign of the thorny hedge was the fading green tinge to Winston’s fur and a red flower bud that perched jauntily above the dog’s floppy ear.

“And then we were here,” Eleanor was saying. Her voice was hoarse from crying. “He didn’t hurt me, just told me to stay, and I would be fine. But that thing,” she looked at what remained of the Puffinx, her eyes huge in her small face, “started coming toward me, and I just-” She swallowed hard, looking down at Lord Winston, who gazed back with adoring eyes.

The librarian nodded, then held out his hand silently. After a moment, Eleanor withdrew her hand from the folds of her skirt, revealing a small, leather-bound book with the words, Practical Evocation for the Mildly Gifted in block letters on the front. Professor Beeswick gently plucked it from her fingers, returning it to an invisible shelf with what sounded like a small sigh of relief.

“It was very smart of you to hold onto that,” he told her with an approving nod. “It allowed me to reach this place, though unfortunately, finding my way to you was far more difficult.”

Chancellor Blackwood stepped up beside him, then crouched down, gently tucking a strand of Eleanor’s hair back from her tear-stained face. “You stayed safe, and you found a way to let us know where you were. Well done.”

Eleanor’s face lit up, and Pandy could have kissed the intimidating man. He’d said exactly the right thing, and the princess’s shining eyes said she wouldn’t soon forget it. Then the chancellor straightened, tucking Eleanor protectively against his side as he did so. Looking around, Blackwood said, “Now, how do we get out of here?”

Professor Beeswick frowned. “Back the way we came?”

Pandy shook her head. That wouldn’t work. Even if they made their way back through the maze, the entrance was gone. The only way out was forward. Fortunately, Pandy knew where ‘forward’ lay.

Turning, she hopped back toward the Puffinx’s body. The floor around it was sticky, and she gained quite a few more Corruption Points as she slogged through the cooling fluid. As disgusting as it was, she would have to try to find a way to save whatever water she used to clean up. How many points would she gain by drinking a Potion of Blood made from this?

Gingerly, she reached into the long fur around the cat-head’s neck, quickly locating a strip of something flexible hidden in the fluff. Seriously, this whole thing was so much easier to handle when it was represented by a cartoonified beast created from pixels, and all she had to do was use a point of Stamina to ‘Search the Puffinx’.

Pulling on what felt like a leather strap, she located the key dangling from it, and tugged it out. A taloned finger reached down and sliced easily through the collar, releasing the key into Professor Beeswick’s other hand. The dragon gazed at Pandy thoughtfully as he held up the gleaming metal object, which looked like an old-fashioned skeleton key.

“Now what door does that open?” the chancellor asked, dry humor lacing his voice as he looked at Pandy. Everyone else stared expectantly at her as well, including both Eleanor and Isidor, who had changed back to his six-year-old self before he rejoined them.

Pandy felt her ears grow warm. She really didn’t like being the center of attention. In her experience, that was never a good thing. But she did know the answer to his question, and she was most definitely ready to leave.

Turning away, she hopped a bit past the spot where Eleanor had been hiding. The wall between the two columns here looked exactly the same as all the rest, but when she glanced across the vast room, she could see that the entrance was exactly opposite this point. Now, how did she…

With a quick movement, driven by high Agility and desperation, she darted behind Eleanor, which put the girl and the chancellor between her and everyone else. she thought, then switched back to her torn dress as quickly as possible. She really was getting very good at these rapid changes, but with her luck, this would be the moment when she triggered her inventory a moment too soon, and her clothes fell on the ground before she finished shifting. Somehow she succeeded, though, and stepped out from behind the chancellor as he was still turning toward her.

Plucking the key from the dragon’s grasp, she stepped over to the wall and thrust the key toward it. One moment the space was empty, and the next moment, a door stood there, solid and heavy, with the key already turning in the keyhole. As the latch clicked open, more words formed in front of Pandy’s eyes.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have completed the Emberwrought Labyrinth! Claim your reward now?

Pandy could have melted with relief. She’d been afraid that there would either be no reward, or the reward would be given to her right away, which was…not optimal. Fortunately, the System was still following the script, allowing the player to select the best time to receive the reward. Part of that reward was an increase in Stamina, which came with a refilled Stamina bar, and most players preferred to wait and use that free refill the next day, rather than right before Clara went to bed and got more Stamina naturally. Pandy didn’t know what she’d get instead of Stamina – more Mana? – but she didn’t want the four people watching in fascination to see what else she got.

she thought firmly, only to realize too late that she wasn’t sure how to trigger the reward later. Usually, there would be an icon at the top of her screen, reminding her that she had unfinished tasks, but there were no icons here. Hastily, she thought,

Name: Pandy

Race: Human? (Deceased)

Age: 24

LF: -4/2

Mana: 241/852

Stats▾

Strength: 23 Intelligence: 27 Agility: 29 Pain Tolerance: 1 Charm: 1 Fire Affinity: 1Skills▾

Hop: Lv. 20 (100/190) Bite: Lv. 24 (213/550) Scratch: Lv. 11 (7/28) Minor Heal: Lv. 22 (292/370) Wings of Glory: Lv. 1 (1/2) Verdant Surge: Lv. 1 (1/2) Vita Herbalis: Lv. 1 Spark: Lv. 14 (35/55) Shifting Faces: Lv. 3 (2/4)     00:00:02 Radiant Presence: Lv. 2 (1/3) Innate Magic: Lv. 23 (41/460) Dance: Lv. 10 (4/19) Dual Wielding: Lv. 1 Shield of Darkness: Lv. 1Boons▾

Ismara’s Blessing IMark of KerosAglaea’s KissCorruption Points: 167

CONGRATULATIONS! You have completed the Emberwrought Labyrinth! Claim your reward now?

With a sigh of relief, she thought, again, even as another message formed in front of her.

Shifting Faces expired.

Pandy’s body shrank, fabric tumbling around her, and with a huff of resignation, she realized that she had just lost yet another outfit. Small hands plucked her from the pile of discarded clothing, and she blinked up at Eleanor, who stroked Pandy’s fur as she followed Professor Beeswick and Chancellor Blackwood through the door, with a grim-faced Isidor bringing up the rear.