When Thesa emerged from beneath the stage, Merijest ran up and pulled her into a tight embrace, lifting off the ground and spinning. “I’m so glad you’re ok,” she said, still holding Thesa firmly.

  Thesa blushed and her eyes darted every which way. “Oh…uh…I’m…it was nothing…”

  “Wait, where is Barmoletz?” she asked, anger returning to her face.

  Thesa explained what had happened as best she could and Merijest nodded, smiling at the thought of Barmoletz in pain and laughing at the description of his death.

  At first, Thesa was reticent about laughing at the Candy Mantis’s pain, but she realized it didn’t matter how she felt about him. He’s dead! she thought, and he tried to kill me twice, but I escaped and now I’m safe in the arms of my demoness…I mean the demoness…I mean Merijest…”

  Shaking away the thoughts, she joined in Merijest’s laughter with a light, but genuine, chuckle. However, she found her eyes repeatedly drawn to Merijest’s mouth. The shape and motion of her laugh. The canine teeth behind. She wanted to–

  “Ah hem,” coughed an unfamiliar voice somewhere below them. “Sorry to interrupt, but we just really wanted to thank you.”

  Merijest landed and relaxed her hold of Thesa (although Thesa continued holding tight).

  Sitting on the stage beside them were two adventurers who Thesa recognized as members of the party Barmoletz had been leading into the Weapon-Store.

  A half-elf [Fighter] and a gnome [Alchemist], sitting and examining their own hands. It was the half-elf who had spoken. Something seemed off about the pair, but Thesa couldn’t quite place it. Had something changed since the first time she saw them?

  Beside the adventurers, the Foxtapus was tearing one of the HazelKnut armor sets to pieces while Yabba lay resting.

  The gnome added, “You might not have noticed us…we got turned into rabbits by the…uh…guy.”

  Thesa realized that neither the half-elf nor the gnome originally had bunny ears.

  Merijest looked them up and down. “Did you come here to kill me?” She cut right to the chase.

  The gnome got quiet but the half-elf piped up. “Sort of, ma’am.” As she spoke, Witmie removed the gauntlets from her hands, examining her tan skin to clarify if anything besides the ears had changed. “I–we were already in the [Dungeon] just working on Levels and stuff, but we heard about the bounty from a big group of adventurers and well…” She tugged at the neck of her leather armor. “We weren’t real serious about it. Didn’t think we’d run into you really. It was sort of a lark we thought we’d chase for a few extra [Floors] before turning back.” She pushed short, pink hair out of her face, then added, “But, um, we don’t want to hurt you now, honest. I never met a [High Devil] before. We’re just really grateful and we’re sorry for considering trying to kill you even hypothetically.”

  Merijest smirked. “I’m not going to hurt you. Looks like Barmoletz already did a number on you both,” she said, pointing at the bunny ears.

  The half-elf and gnome both noticed their new ears for the first time. Both were shocked but the gnome’s shock dissolved into discomfort while the half-elf’s shock resolved into a suppressed smile.

  “Well, we should go,” Thesa said to Merijest.

  “Wait,” the half-elf interrupted again. “Can you help us rescue the other members of our party?”

  Thesa was about to decline, but Merijest [Messaged] her, “maybe we should try to recruit them, kitten?”

  “We’ve already wasted a lot of time on this [Floor],” Thesa replied. “We need to get out of this [Dungeon].”

  “But this is our chance,” Merijest argued. “I think these two are prepared to have their assumptions questioned.”

  Thesa sighed. “What if they…don’t like us. What if I mess it up again?” For some reason, being face to face with willing listeners was terrifying her. Maybe it was residual adrenaline from almost being killed by a mad magician. Maybe it was not wanting to cry in front of these two the same way she’d lost it in front of Lelly on their first meeting. She was just afraid.

  “I’ll lead this time.” Merijest [Messaged]. “But if they don’t like you, I don’t want their support. We’re a package deal.”

  While Thesa’s mind raced to analyze what exactly Merijest meant by ‘package deal’, Merijest agreed to help Witmie the half-elf [Fighter] and Clorbo the gnome [Alchemist].

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  ***

  Before charging into the next room, they headed back into the WobbleWumpy Weapon-Store. As soon as Witmie and Clorbo described Ruck, their cephalapoid [Barbarian] friend who was dragged out of sight in the previous room, Thesa realized it might have been the person she saw struggling in that nook during the first musical number.

  As they entered the room, things were notably different than their previous walkthrough. The colorful equipment and decorations sagged, melting. The Clumgums all laid unmoving, constructs no longer animated by their puppet master.

  In the crawlspace where Thesa had seen the struggling cephalapoid, they found a mangle of lifeless candy constructs and a half devoured body.

  Witmie, Clorbo, and Thesa all keeled over and retched. The sight was ghastly. Merijest had seen worse. She waved a hand and Ruck’s remains began to float out of the hole.

  “What are you doing?” Clorbo asked, mortified.

  “He deserves a better resting place,” Merijest said calmly. “This is not a good place for the dead to slumber.”

  “Uh, ma’am,” Witmie asked, tugging on one of her rabbit ears. “Please take no offense, but you’re not going to turn him into a zombie or something right?”

  Merijest sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again. “It wouldn’t be worth the energy required and I don’t have his permission.”

  “You get permission?” Clorbo asked, incredulously.

  Thesa chimed in, “she didn’t get my permission but that was because I owed her for destroying a lot of her [Familiars].”

  Clorbo looked at her with an eyebrow raised. Witmie simply nodded.

  “If you guys are interested,” Thesa said, feeling a momentary confidence, “we could tell you more about how Beautuk has been deceiving his followers and why Merijest needs all the help she can get.” She looked away as soon as she said it. Remembering her intent to let Merijest take the lead.

  While Clorbo said, “no thanks,” Witmie simultaneously said, “I’m interested.” The pair looked at each other. Witmie looked back. “Can we have a minute?”

  Thesa nodded and looked back at Merijest. The demoness motioned for her [Witch] to follow back into the ‘HazelKnut Hovel’ chamber.

  “We’ll be in there when you’re ready,” Thesa explained.

  “I will see what we can do about clearing that chamber for a burial service,” Merijest added.

  Thesa wondered what the pair would talk about in their absence, but she didn’t have to wonder for long as a loud argument echoed between rooms.

  “Don’t you think this whole thing is too convenient?” Clorbo’s voice rang out.

  “They saved us, Clorbo,” Witmie shouted back. “Why would they save us?”

  “Maybe it's like vampires,” Clorbo retorted. “Maybe she really does need permission.”

  “Vampires don’t need permission to turn you. They need permission to enter your house.”

  “Well maybe I don’t know but I’m not about to let my guard down around a [High Devil].”

  “It’s just listening to their side of things. Besides, we still need to see if Durn is ok.”

  “We probably would have heard from her by now if that were the case.”

  “Don’t say that. Don’t you dare say that before we know.”

  The argument continued until only Witmie entered the room where Thesa, Merijest, and their [Familiars] were waiting. Everyone but Thesa was doing a good job of pretending they hadn’t been listening.

  “Oh, where did Clorbo go?” Thesa asked.

  “He's waiting by the exit,” Witmie said, glumly. “I think he's just having a hard time about Ruck…”

  Thesa nodded.

  “Let’s find your other friend before we do anything else,” Merijest said.

  As they crossed the short corridor to the next chamber, Thesa asked, “So what happened to your other friend?”

  “Dunno,” Witmie said. “Ruck got dragged off first. Then Clorbo and I got turned into rabbits and Durn got ushered into the next room… That’s why we had to go back for Ruck first. He was gone longer. I just hope…I hope Durn is alright.”

  The smell of melting black licorice filled the air. The candy ropes which were presumably tightly bound from the wall to a knot in the center of the room, sagged and stank. There was no sign of Durn there, but they all heard something happening in the next room.

  The corridor took them back to the Gumdrop Slime’s room where the creature was (very slowly) chasing a green-skinned half-dwarf [Sorcerer] in circles as she sent puffs of air magic at the creature in a (failed) attempt to slow it down.

  Merijest swiftly froze the Gumdrop Slime solid. Durn, the [Sorcerer] looked over in excitement that turned to confusion and a little fear at the sight of merijest then back to excitement and relief when she saw Witmie. The two ran to meet one another (“awe, that’s sweet,” Thesa said) and then Witmie jumped into Durn’s arms and the pair kissed for a little longer than you might think given the situation.

  Thesa looked away blushing. Merijest just went back the way they had all come from.

  “What happened to you?” Witmie asked, her legs around the half-dwarf’s cloaked waist as she listened and played with Durn’s brown mullet.

  “That weird guy trapped me in those licorice ropes. I was pretty done-for until they started to melt, but the whole process had me all turned around,” Durn said. “You know how I am with directions anyways. I couldn’t remember which way I’d come from. I was trying to get back to you, but ended up running in circles from that big Slime. The Candy Mantis sapped most of my [Mana] so I could only hit it with wind gusts and hope something changed.” The half-dwarf looked Witmie up and down, her eyes stopping briefly on the bunny ears. “What happened to you?”

  Witmie blushed. “Well, you saw me and Clorbo got turned into bunnies, but, y’know Merijest, yes that Merijest. She and her [Witch] girlfriend saved us.” She gestured to her ears, “do you like them?”

  “I like them,” Durn smiled. “Do you like them? Also, where is Clorbo? Did you guys find Ruck?” Durn’s excitement dropped immediately as she saw the downturn in Witmie’s face.

  “We…yeah,” Witmie looked sheepishly at Thesa who had been trying to decide if it would be rude to leave the room during the conversation or if she was supposed to pretend she didn’t notice it. “Miss, uh, Merijest’s [Witch] girlfriend. Can we have a minute to talk alone.”

  “Oh uh yeah sorry sorry,” Thesa said. “Also, I’m not her girlfriend.”

  Witmie’s face briefly went from sorrow to smirking. “Does she know that?”

  Thesa didn’t know what that meant or how to reply so she pretended not to hear and walked back while trying to analyze the question.

  ***

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