Schpog - [TADC] R A I S I N G ◦ A N ◦ N P C ! - Act 25

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R A I S I N G ◦ A N ◦ N P C !

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The next morning they all waited in front of the stage; Pomni felt tense. She had barely slept, her mind torturing her by catastrophizing, while Ragatha gently interrupted Pomni’s spiraling by just touching and hugging her now and then.No matter Pomni’s anxiety about what could happen to Pierrosie, Ragatha was right, in the end: Trust had to begin somewhere. And also understanding Caine’s position. He really didn’t seem to have ill intentions. But in the end… who truly knew? Pomni looked over to the little clown doll that currently sat on one of Gangle’s stretched arms, with Zooble holding her ribbon hand, thus creating a simple swing for Pierrosie to play on. Zooble held the battered plush unicorn Pi insisted on bringing with her.She appeared as if she had not a single care in the world. As if she hadn't been abandoned to fend for herself in a hostile world, just recently. As if she hadn’t been robbed of all her senses, locked inside her head, just yesterday. As if the first thing that happened after her birth wasn’t her attempted murder.She was just… here. Just living and experiencing the moment, not having her spark dulled by past events.Maybe she was way stronger than Pomni knew.“Thank you for waiting, my complimentary snacks!” Caine boomed, successfully drawing all the attention to him at once. “Today’s in-house adventure is called ‘BE A-MAZE-D!’, and will be 100% pain- and torture-free! That surely must be boring for all of you, BUT!”They all waited.Maybe Caine couldn’t think of any justification, so he instead snapped, conjuring a big elevator without a well right in front of them, stating, "Try having fun!”The elevator opened its doors. It was spacious enough for all of them to fit in.Gangle and Zooble took Pierrosie by the hand and walked in. Kinger and Jax followed.Pomni took a deep breath, then felt Ragatha’s hand on her shoulder.“Trust.” She whispered with an encouraging smile.Pomni didn’t know if this was a reminder or a command; But she nodded, smiling back, entering the elevator cabin too, together with Ragatha.It closed its doors, then clipped through the ground.Through the glass on the sides, they could all see a massive labyrinth deep below. Pomni recognized it from another past adventure when Ragatha was still pregnant, though it hadn’t been this impressively massive back then. Caine had really stretched the possibilities of an in-house adventure with this one.Pierrosie stared at it with an astonished look on her face, obviously very excited.

The lift gently lowered down to a blank patch in front of the maze, then opened its doors.As they walked outside, nothing reminded them anymore about the actual dimensions of the labyrinth, as it only looked like they were in a medium-sized cave. Well, almost nothing — when they looked upwards, they could see a huge empty space, with the circus grounds above them, like in a video game when you clip through the map.The scenery around them was only dimly lit, but the faintly glowing stars plastered all over the place, the kinds one could see in children's rooms sometimes, prevented it from feeling scary. It was, in fact, rather cozy, for some reason. Maybe comparable to a fort you would build yourself as a child.A giant figure was waiting for them at the entrance.“Ah! New challengers to solve this riddle of mine… Come closer, don’t fret — it's as safe as can be, for I am [100% pain- and torture free]” it said, in a deep voice.When they came closer, they saw it was a new NPC — an actual minotaur, with a horned bull’s head, furry hoofed legs, a giant axe on his back, and a very muscular, unnecessarily realistic chest — which, for some odd reason, was disproportionately oiled, making the muscles glisten in the faint lights.

Pomni looked over to Ragatha and saw her wearing a flustered expression, together with a faint tint of red on her cheek. Jax behind her presenting… a similar look on his face?Pomni stared at both of them in disbelief and couldn’t hold back a surprised snort.

Ragatha didn’t notice, but Jax did. His face changed in an instant, looking irritated at her, then walking away.“Welcome, wanderers, to this realm of mine: A maze where paths of fate entwine.” The minotaur started his introduction monologue, taking back the attention. “You seek adventures? Then enter, if you dare,For my home grants secrets your weary souls lay bare.Treasure awaits on this faithful day,Yet more than that shall shape you on your way.Though mark this well, don’t let it be for naught:I grant only what you need — never what you sought.”The maze keeper just wanted to start a new paragraph in his preprogrammed rhyme when something interrupted him.Pierrosie had detached herself from Gangle’s hand and was now walking up to the Minotaur.He looked even more gigantic, with this tiny doll in front of him in direct comparison.Ragatha took Pomni’s hand, staring at the scene with a slightly nervous look on her face.It was hard for her to follow her own advice about trusting, but she prevailed; Letting Pierrosie explore things and NPCs on her own. The Minotaur stared at Pierrosie.Pierrosie stared back.The Minotaur squatted down to be closer to her face.Pierrosie walked forward and put something right on his forehead.It was one of the glowing star assets.

This was peculiar. It was the first time she properly met an NPC — and she treated him exactly as she had done with the human circus members before, trying to start their relationship by gifting him something she found.The bull NPC blinked, surprised.Then he leaned back up, scooping the clown doll in the process, making her giggle and bleep.“I see, you are not lost, nor wandering without a clue,One shining heart of courage leads all of you.”Pomni and Ragatha — and the rest of the group — relaxed visibly.He put her down again.“You’d be wise to use her as your compass.” He added without a rhyme, then walked into the maze. “Follow me.”They all did so, witnessing how Pierrosie held her plush toy in one hand, and took the gargantuan hand of the Minotaur with the other, letting herself be led; Or maybe even leading him.

“I can’t believe it’s another maze adventure, I really hated the last one…” Zooble whispered.Gangle chuckled and took their hand.Once they were inside, the Minotaur opened a door, walked inside, and turned around to face them one last time.“Your trial starts now. Be brave, wanderers. You will be able to leave once you found what your true heart desires” He said, and then added: “And mark my words.”They all looked at him, waiting.He cleared his throat. “From… previously, I mean. Ehm. Yes. Goodbye.”With that, he closed the door. Simultaneously, the big entrance gate behind them shut on its own, too.The silence that followed after his booming voice and huffs and groans was sudden.Kinger was the first to speak again.“Was it just me, or was this guy excessively sexy,” he noted.Before anyone could answer, the ground rumbled and vibrated, and in the next moment, new walls clipped through the floor, separating them and creating a different starting path for all the now isolated groups.Pomni stood in a dead end together with Pierrosie and Jax, now segregated by a new brick wall from Ragatha, who had previously stood right next to her.“Ragatha! Are you okay!?” She yelled, while knocking against the wall and wandering her hands over it, looking for a hidden door or button or unstable brick she could pull out.“Yes! Yes! I’m good, all good! Don’t worry!” Ragatha’s voice came from the other side, a little dulled. “Is Pierrosie with you!?”Pomni looked over her shoulder at Pi, who was now standing next to Jax, clutching the fabric on his leg. She looked a little rattled, but not afraid.

“Yes! She’s here with Jax and me!” Pomni answered.“I’m third-wheeling over here with Gangle and Zooble!” Kinger yelled from somewhere, making Zooble mutter something embarrassed and Gangle chuckle with delight.

“Oh… oh, I’m… I’m all alone over here, but… I guess that’s okay?” Pomni heard Ragatha shout a bit more quietly this time, “But I was looking forward to do this with my baby…”Pierrosie signed something.“Can you repeat that?” Pomni asked, coming closer.She did so, signing, MAMA OK. Her tiny fingers forming the sign ‘OK’ was hard to understand, but beyond adorable.It wasn’t a question, but a statement: Ragatha will be okay.“What’s going on? Did my little poppet say something?” Ragatha asked on the other side.Pomni smiled. “Yes. She believes in you.”“Oh…”“Kinger! Don’t stray away!” They heard Zooble shout on the opposite side, “Sorry guys, we’ll go after him. We’ll try to meet you along the way.”“R-right… I will also go and try to find my way to you,” Ragatha added.“Do, uhm… do you want us to stay here?” Pomni asked.Pierrosie frantically shook Jax’ pants, making a moaning sound, then started to climb on him.He grabbed her by one of her legs, plucked her away from his body like a mushroom, and held her upside down. “I think this thing doesn’t like the thought of us staying here,” he commented, dryly. Pierrosie wriggled like a worm. Jax shook her a little, which caused two more glowing stars to fall from her, seemingly out of nowhere, and made her squeak in delight.

He stared at her — then shook her comically quickly.“Jax!!” Pomni shouted out but fell silent upon seeing dozens of stars dropping down on the ground from Pierrosie, while she giggled joyfully.“Damn, when did you get all of these, you little clepto?!” Jax asked, positively surprised.He shook her one last time, as if he could still sense more loot; This caused a massive object to part from the clown doll, falling on the ground.A double-headed battleaxe, three times the size of her.The very same the Minotaur had carried on his back previously.Pomni’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.Jax gasped loudly and theatrically, with an overexaggerated open mouth.

“Girl!” he yelled out, laughing. “Did you only bat your eyelashes at this dude to steal his weapon?!”Pierrosie looked at him, upside down, her face an emblem of innocence and adorableness.“When… when did you even have the chance to— I haven’t noticed anything——" Pomni expressed in disbelief.Jax pulled the doll higher to look in her adoring petite face. “Have I already told you how proud I am of you?”Pierrosie slapped him in the face. It made a cute sound.

Jax barked a laugh.“Love ya, too,” he said, his voice dripping with ironic sweetness, but Pomni thought she could hear genuine affection, too; then he put her on his back, picked up the axe, and started to stroll away.Pomni’s heart made all kinds of gymnastics in her chest; So much so that she had to clutch it.“G-guys…?” She heard Ragatha muffle behind the wall, reminding Pomni of her existence.“Oh, s-sorry. I will tell you about this when we meet again. Will you be okay, Ragatha?”“Y-yes. Don’t worry about me. I’m sure there’s a reason we’ve been split up… r-right? And… being away from my baby will be… u-uh… a… a nice change of pace? Maybe?”She didn’t seem convinced. She did, in fact, sound rather nervous and insecure; In a way Pomni had last witnessed before her pregnancy.“I can be without her for a while, right?” She added. “After all, I’ve been without her for the longest time in the circus, haha…”She sounded anything but confident; almost desperate.“You can do it, Ragatha. We take good care of her, you focus on finding your way through the maze, okay? Trust.” Then she added, with a warm tone in her voice, “Don’t forget that Pi believes in you.”She heard Ragatha chuckling weakly.“Alright. Yeah. See you later…! Try to have fun!”

Pomni gave the brick wall a warm smile. Then she turned around and quickly caught up to Jax and Pierrosie.

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