Riddle game

“M-my, m-my…” the goddess purred, prowling closer, the sound of her claws clicking over obsidian. “A-a p-pretty l-little a-angel w-with b-broken w-wings~ I c-could m-make y-you a-a w-wonderful c-collectible~”

Alice swallowed hard but lifted her chin. “You let the last girl pass after asking riddles about chairs. I think I can handle this.”

The crowd murmured in amusement; even the stitched artisans leaned forward expectantly. Ignition folded his arms but didn’t interfere. “You sure about this?” he muttered.

Alice nodded once, forcing confidence into her voice. “Yeah. I’ve fought worse than word games.”

Bastka’s grin widened sharp, radiant, cruelly amused. “O-oh~ S-such b-bravery. L-let’s s-see h-how l-long i-it l-lasts~”

Bastka lowered her self toward her, the movement sinuous and feline, until they were nearly face-to-face. Her breath smelled faintly of spice.

“F-first q-question~” the goddess whispered.

The symbols pulsed. “I d-drink w-what I k-kill. I g-grow, b-but I h-have n-no l-life. I d-die w-when f-fed. W-what a-am I~?”

Alice froze. It wasn’t the simple tone of Bastka’s earlier riddles. This one felt older, heavier like the words themselves had been carved in stone long before mortals had language.

She frowned, thinking fast. (Drinks what it kills… grows but not alive… dies when fed?)

Her gaze flicked toward the glowing lake, then back to the goddess’s unblinking stare. “A shadow?” she guessed. “It grows when the light dies… feeds on what it covers…”

For a long, heavy moment, Bastka only stared at her. Then the goddess’s ruby eyes narrowed, a dangerous sort of delight spreading across her lips.

“O-oh~ s-such a c-clever l-little g-guess,” she purred, voice low and teasing. “A-a s-shadow~ y-you s-sound l-like m-me~”

Her claws traced a circle in the air, sparks of blue magic spiraling outward. “B-but s-shadows d-don’t d-drink, m-my d-dear. T-they h-hide~”

Her grin sharpened, almost predatory. “S-so c-close~ a-a t-taste o-of t-truth, b-but n-not t-the f-flame i-itself~”

Her paw reached out enormous, velvet-furred but tipped with golden claws. Gently, almost tenderly, she brushed Alice’s shoulder.

Then she plucked.

A small red feather drifted down, glowing faintly as it fell into the lake. Ripples of blue light spread outward.

Alice flinched. “Hey!”

Bastka hummed. “M-must h-have s-stumbled~ A-always a-a s-shame w-when t-they m-miss~” She plucked another, this time from the edge of Alice’s wing. The sensation burned not pain, but humiliation that made her chest tighten.

“W-wings a-are s-so f-fragile,” Bastka crooned, licking her lips. “P-perfect f-for d-display~”

The watching crowd whispered nervously. Even the bold Kheprathi huntresses shifted their weight uneasily.

Alice tried to keep her voice steady. “You said the trial was about riddles, not not whatever this is!”

Bastka tilted her head, smiling. “O-oh, i-it i-is. B-but e-every t-test h-has… p-prizes f-for e-entertainment~”

Another feather fell, drifting down like snow.

Ignition took a half step forward, fists tightening, but Bastka’s gaze snapped toward him. The air shimmered with invisible pressure, forcing him back to his knees. Her ruby eyes flared brighter, her tone suddenly commanding.

“S-silence, l-little f-flame. T-this i-is h-her g-game~”

Alice gritted her teeth, wings twitching painfully. Her heart raced, but she didn’t back down. “You’re cheating.”

Bastka blinked, surprised then laughed, loud and melodic. “C-cheating~? M-me~?” Her grin widened to show a flash of sharp teeth. “I m-made t-the r-rules, d-dear. T-there’s n-no s-such t-thing~”

The goddess bent closer until her glowing eyes filled Alice’s vision. “S-second r-riddle~” she whispered, voice dripping with amusement. “L-let’s s-see h-how l-long y-you c-can k-keep y-your f-feathers~”

Bastka’s massive form shifted, To her, Alice was a delicate thing smaller than her paw, barely the size of a doll. The goddess lowered herself, her leonine limbs flexing as she prowled forward, feathers along her tail rustling softly.

The air trembled.

Alice stumbled back a step as Bastka’s head descended from above, blocking out the sunlight that filtered through the distant ceiling. Her breath washed over Alice like a humid storm scented with sweet lotus and spice.

The goddess’s lips parted, revealing a long flash of that neon blue maw.

“O-oh, m-my l-little t-treasure,” Bastka purred, her voice rumbling like distant thunder, echoing through every bone in Alice’s body. “Y-you d-dare a-a s-second r-round? H-how b-brave. H-how f-foolish~”

The sound was almost affectionate, yet the smile that followed promised anything but mercy.

Her enormous face drew close so close that Alice could see the faint stitching that laced the edges of her jaw. A single breath from Bastka’s mouth nearly toppled her backward.

“L-listen, t-tiny o-one,” she whispered, eyes glowing like molten rubies. “I h-have a m-mouth, b-but n-no v-voice.

I f-feed y-you, b-but I n-never e-eat.

I m-move, b-but I h-have n-no f-feet.

W-what a-am I~?”

Alice craned her neck to meet the goddess’s gaze, her own reflection tiny within those vast, shimmering eyes. (She’s huge… and she’s enjoying this way too much.)

Bastka’s tongue flicked out, tracing her lower lip as she waited.

Alice swallowed hard. “A river?”

For a heartbeat, the Oasis held its breath.

Then Bastka smiled a slow, radiant thing that made the sunlight shimmer across her feathers. “C-correct~”

The word rolled like music, warm and dangerous all at once.

She laughed softly, the sound shaking the air. “S-such a s-smart l-little d-doll~ M-maybe I w-won’t a-add y-you t-to m-my c-collection… n-not y-yet~”

Alice stood her ground, wings twitching. “That’s not exactly reassuring.”

Bastka chuckled again, her enormous paw coming down carefully, deliberately beside Alice. The impact made the ground tremble, but her claws never touched the girl.

The goddess leaned in one more time, her breath tickling Alice’s hair. “T-try n-not t-to d-die b-before t-the n-next o-one,” she murmured, voice silk and sin. “I w-want t-to s-savor t-that f-final a-answer~”

The goddess drew back, smiling like a cat with a particularly amusing toy. “T-third r-riddle, l-little o-one… c-come c-closer, i-if y-you d-dare~”

The chamber was silent again, every sound swallowed by the goddess’s looming presence. Bastka’s wings stretched wide, feathers rippling like liquid shadow before folding neatly back against her sides.

Her ruby eyes glittered as she circled Alice, the tiny Valkyrie no taller than her paw. “L-last r-riddle, m-my l-little w-wing,” Bastka murmured, voice trembling with amusement. “Y-you’ve d-danced w-well, b-but d-do y-you h-have a f-final s-song~?”

Her claws traced lazy lines in the stone. Glyphs ignited across the walls, spiraling like constellations. The goddess tilted her head, smiling with every tooth she had.

“I a-am t-taken f-from t-the m-mouth o-of e-earth,

B-bathed i-in f-flame,

I t-tame t-the s-storm,

Y-yet I c-cannot s-speak i-its n-name~.

W-what a-am I~?”

Alice stared blankly. The words twisted around her thoughts like smoke. The riddle felt impossible, a snare designed to fail. She bit her lip, racking her mind. “Metal?” she guessed weakly.

Bastka’s grin widened. “W-wrong~.”

A shadow fell over her as Bastka leaned close, enormous wings eclipsing the light. “B-bad a-answer, b-beautiful b-bird~. I t-take w-what’s m-mine.”

Before Alice could react, the goddess reached out two massive talons pinching delicately at the edge of her wing. There was a soft snap, then another, and another. Downy red feathers drifted like snow.

Alice gasped, clutching her shoulder. Her wings looked pitiful, stripped and raw, more chicken than celestial.

Then came the system ping:

[System Message: Dice is Laughing.]

[Note: Feathers will regrow naturally within 48 hours. Or longer, if I’m enjoying the aesthetic.]

Alice groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Bastka tilted her head, clearly pleased with herself. Her massive face descended again until her lips were inches from Alice’s body, her breath washing over her like a furnace.

Alice froze. She could feel every shift in the goddess’s breath warm, damp, and floral, Bastka’s ruby eyes half-lidded, the enormous pupils contracting like a cat about to toy with a mouse.

Then the tongue.

It struck her like a wet gale. A wall of blue heat swept over her from head to toe, nearly knocking her off her feet. Bastka licked her the way a dog might lick something it wasn’t sure was food yet slow, thorough, and deeply undignified.

The goddess even hummed while doing it, an amused, vibrating purr that shook the floor.

When she drew back, Alice stood dripping, her hair plastered to her face, her “armor” if you could call the bikini that gleaming with saliva.

The crowd snickered softly. Someone actually applauded.

Bastka licked her lips again, the faint glow of her tongue reflecting in Alice’s mortified eyes.

“M-mm… t-tastes o-of s-sky a-and s-starlight,” Bastka purred.

Alice stood shaking, every nerve on fire. “You’re… insane.”

The goddess only laughed, the sound deep and radiant. “M-maybe. B-but e-even g-gods n-need h-hobbies~.”

Alice walked stiffly down the sandstone path, cheeks still burning, the goddess’s laughter echoing somewhere behind her like distant thunder. Her wings hung limp and naked, all feathers plucked clean bare skin glistening faintly under the light.

The breeze cut straight through her, cold against the near-nonexistent “armor” Dice had cursed her with. She crossed her arms over her chest, muttering something impolite under her breath.

Ignition followed a step behind, hands in his pockets, doing a terrible job of hiding his amusement. Every so often she caught the sound of him snickering, and that alone was enough to make her glare over her shoulder.

“Don’t,” she warned.

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” he said, still smiling. “It’s just never thought divine punishment would look like a plucked chicken.”

She sighed. “Glad my suffering’s entertaining for you.”

They’d barely made it to the edge of the market square when a voice called out, bright and too confident.

“Excuse me! You just came from the trial, right?”

Alice turned to see another adventurer approaching a short goblin woman in expedition gear and the smug energy of someone who’d been waiting all day to show off. She grinned wide, flipping her hair dramatically.

“I saw the whole thing,” she said, striking a pose like she was on stage. “Those riddles? Classic Bastka. The answers were fire, river, and copper easy stuff if you’ve studied her pattern work. I mean, come on, she practically gives them away.”

Alice just stared at her. “Uh-huh.”

“Don’t feel bad! Most newbies **** the first time.” The woman gave a mock-sympathetic shrug. “You’ll get the hang of it. Probably.”

Alice blinked slowly, deadpan. “Thanks. That’s… inspiring.”

Ignition couldn’t hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing, the sound echoing down the corridor. The smug adventurer looked pleased with herself, assuming he was laughing at Alice’s failure and not her ridiculous timing.

Alice exhaled sharply through her nose, muttering to herself, “If Dice doesn’t smite her, I might.”

Ignition grinned, wiping his eyes. “Come on, featherless wonder. Let’s find a place to rest before you freeze solid. Someone your level shouldn’t be wandering around like this alone.”

Alice rolled her eyes, but she didn’t argue. “Fine. But I’m picking the place. And if the bed has feathers, I’m leaving.”

Steam hissed from copper pipes that ran like veins along the sandstone walls, while mana cables pulsed gently with inner light, their glow bathing the narrow street in shades of blue and amber. Neon glass signs hand blown by local artisans hung over carved wooden doors.

“Mirror Market, Open Late!”, one proclaimed in flowing letters. Another flickered weakly “Try Bastka’s Dew! Cold, Clean, Holyish.”

The Oasis shimmered like a mirage of gold and glass but for Alice, it might as well have been hell.

Every eye seemed to follow her.

Whispers rippled through the market like a breeze.

“The one the goddess plucked…”

“Look, it’s the chicken…”

“She’s actually walking around like that?”

Alice’s cheeks burned hotter than Ignition’s flames. Her so-called armor was nothing more than a gleaming bikini, reflecting the sunlight and worse yet not a single feather left to hide behind, she felt naked in every sense.

She crossed her arms and kept her head low as they moved through the sandstone streets. Her wings bare, pink, and pitiful twitched uselessly against her back, each step making them ache.

The Oasis was alive in every sense of the word. Brass capped smokestacks vented faint trails of white steam, and the rhythmic hiss of valves mixed with the clatter of sandals and mechanical carts. Lanterns with rune filaments flickered beside phonographs playing soft instrumental pieces music from some surface city above. The smell of oil and cinnamon mingled with roasting meat and incense.

Stitched clerks in crisp uniforms called out exchange rates demonstrating glowing gadgets to curious adventurers. Above, cat like Kheprathi lounged on balconies draped in silk, their golden eyes amused as they watched the little plucked “angel” walk past.

Ignition walked beside her, his usual confidence dulled into an awkward silence. Every so often, he’d glance her way then look quickly elsewhere, jaw tight like he was forcing down a laugh.

“Not. A. Word,” she muttered.

He raised both hands. “Didn’t say anything.”

“Your face said enough.”

They passed the Mirror Market where the smell of spices thickened. Stalls crowded together under colored awnings red silk beside faded canvas while adventurers and undead mingled in easy rhythm. A few waved or snickered as Alice hurried by, one calling out, “Nice armor, angel! You lose a bet or something?”

She didn’t even slow down, but her checks turned bright red with embarrassment.

Ignition chuckled despite himself, which only made her glare harder.

Beyond the market, the noise dimmed. The sandstone streets widened into elegant terraces bordered by canals of glimmering water that moved by magic rather than gravity. Electric lamps cast soft halos through the steam drifting up from vents in the road. The whole place felt caught between worlds.

“It’d be beautiful,” Alice said softly, “if everyone wasn’t staring at me.”

Ignition smiled faintly. “You make a strong first impression.”

Alice wrapped her arms tighter around herself. “We need a place to stay before I do something that gets me cursed again.”

Ignition nodded toward a building ahead an inn carved into the cavern wall, shaped like a lion’s head. Gold and copper detailing traced the mane, and warm light flickered from the eyes like living flame. A sign hung beneath, polished to a mirror shine:

THE DEN - ROOMS - BATHS - DISCRETION GUARANTEED

“Looks quiet,” Ignition said.

“Looks expensive,” Alice muttered.

“Then good. You’ll match the furniture.”

She sighed, half in pain, half in resignation. “when i get my feathers back, I’m hitting you with all of them.”

A stitched bellhop opened the great bronze door and bowed deeply. “Welcome, honored delvers. One room or two?”

“One,” Alice said before Ignition could answer. “I’m too broke to care about dignity.”

Inside, the air was cooler, scented with citrus and incense. ceiling fans turned lazily overhead, their chains clicking in slow rhythm. Behind the counter stood the innkeeper, a lean, man with a soft voice and a worn coat. one eye clearly replaced by a magitech implant. Their hair was black and hung loosely about their face, they had a calm dangerous poise.

“Welcome to the Den,” the innkeeper said. “My name’s Garrin. Retired delver. Don’t ask how I got the scars, I've lost track..”

Behind them, a Kheprathi woman emerged from the shadows carrying a tray of tea. She was tall and statuesque, her tail swayed lazily as she smiled at the newcomers, showing faintly pointed teeth. Silk draped elegantly from her hips, and jewels glittered in her braids.

Ignition stifled a laugh, and Alice managed a small, embarrassed smile. “Just… one room, please. Warm. No mirrors.”

Garrin nodded. “Got just the one. Room seven that's the one with the thickest walls.”

Garrin gave the two of them a sly grin.

They followed a stitched attendant down the corridor. As the heavy door shut behind them, the hum of machinery and faint laughter of the city echoed like a heartbeat through the walls.

The inn keeper's Kheprathi wife guided them through the winding corridor, her stride slow and deliberate, silks whispering around her legs. The glow of her jewelry rings, anklets, and the thin golden chain looping her tail threw dancing lights along the walls. Every detail about her was elegance carved from heat and motion. Her oiled bronze skin caught the lamplight like burnished metal, and her black lined eyes gave her a regal, feline allure.

Her voice purred with effortless charm. “You’ll like this room, I think. Very private. Perfect for… resting together.”

Ignition opened his mouth to correct her, but she was already smiling over her shoulder - a knowing, playful expression that made Alice’s wings twitch.

“I do hope she treats you well, handsome,” the Kheprathi added smoothly, her tail curling as she gave Ignition an appraising look. “It’s nice to see a woman so devoted to her wife.”

Ignition blinked. “Wait- what?”

Alice groaned quietly. “I think she means you.”

The Kheprathi tilted her head, clearly confused. “Oh! My mistake. Human gender is so… fluid - looking... It’s charming, really.” She chuckled, unconcerned, and continued down the hall. “Your wife - sorry, husband - must be very proud of you.”

Ignition muttered under his breath, “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

Alice gave him a deadpan look. “You could say ‘thank you, dear.’”

They stopped before a tall silk curtain embroidered with a golden lion motif. The Kheprathi pulled it aside and gestured toward the room with a graceful sweep of her arm. “Room seven,” she said warmly. “My husband always says it’s our most romantic. If you need anything - wine, fruit, more pillows - just call. And if you break the bed, please tell us. We’ve lost three this week.”

Alice’s face went scarlet. “W-we’ll be careful.”

The Kheprathi grinned, clearly delighted by the flustered reaction. “Enjoy yourselves, little ones.”

When she finally glided away, her laughter echoed down the corridor like wind chimes.

Inside, the room was stunning - easily the most beautiful Alice had ever seen. A circular fountain flowed in the center, its clear water casting rippling light across the sandstone walls. Curtains of sheer silk hung from the domed ceiling, drifting in the air currents from hidden vents. Ferns and vines coiled along the edges of the room, and low lanterns bathed everything in amber glow.

Piles of pillows and layered rugs formed a soft nest around the fountain, while the faint scent of lotus and citrus filled the air. Somewhere behind the silks, a harp played softly - likely an enchantment built into the room itself.

Alice looked around in disbelief. “Ignition… how much do you think this cost?”

He scratched the back of his neck, glancing at the intricate detailing on the walls. “Enough to buy an small airship?”

She sighed, sinking into a mound of pillows. “Great. We’re living like royalty while I look like a plucked pigeon.”

Ignition chuckled, sitting beside her. “Yeah, but at least the pigeon got a nice room.”

Alice threw a pillow at him. It bounced harmlessly off his shoulder - and she had to fight not to smile.

Ignition exhaled deeply, his shoulders finally relaxing as he popped open a small oval Core Capsule, and a faint shimmer of light spilled out as a few neatly folded clothes appeared in his hands.

“Finally,” he muttered, shaking out a dark shirt and a fresh pair of trousers. His voice sounded like he was halfway between exhaustion and laughter. “Feels like I’ve been carrying half the desert on me.”

He turned toward the back of the room where an arched doorway led to a marble tiled bathing area. Steam rolled faintly from within, scented with lotus and mineral salts. “I’m gonna wash off all this ash and dust before I change,”

Alice raised an eyebrow from her perch on a pile of pillows. “What’s the point? You’ll just burn your clothes off again next time something looks at you funny.”

Ignition paused mid step, turning back with that infuriatingly charming grin the kind that made his dark eyes catch the light just right. “Would you prefer I walk around naked, then?”

Alice sputtered, cheeks heating up instantly. “That’s not- I didn’t-!”

He laughed, the sound low and teasing. “Didn’t think so.”

Alice buried her face in a pillow, groaning. “You’re impossible.”

“Yeah,” he called from the doorway, his tone softening, “but at least I’m clean.”

The hiss of running water filled the room soon after, blending with the steady murmur of the fountain and the soft music.

Alice lay sprawled across a pile of cushions, the glow from the fountain casting gentle ripples of light across her skin. The quiet rhythm of running water from Ignition’s shower mixed with the faint hum of the room’s enchantments a soothing, almost hypnotic ambiance.

She flicked her fingers, and the System Interface bloomed to life in front of her, hovering in the air like stained glass made of light.

[Cash Shop Welcome Back, Little Bird.]

[Current Recommendations: Based on recent humiliation and loss of feathers!]

Alice groaned softly. “Of course he’d phrase it like that.”

The display reshuffled, offering a carousel of absurdly specific options:

“Feathered Regeneration Booster!”

“Wing Shine Polish Cosmetic Only!”

And then

[New Featured Trait: Razor Plumage]

Description: Convert feathers into razor-sharp projectiles. Fire them with precision and style! Warning: does not prevent molting. Damage scales with Agility and Appearance.

Cost: 10 Attribute Points

She sat up slowly, eyes narrowing. “Okay, that’s actually… kind of cool.”

A smaller text line blinked beneath it:

[Dice’s Note: Come on. You know you want it.]

Alice crossed her arms, wings twitching instinctively against the pillow behind her. “Yeah, sure. Because what I really need is a reason for people to stand further away from me.”

Another message popped up.

[Buy it, Alice. Imagine the look on Ignition’s face when you fire a feather like a throwing knife.]

She sighed, glaring at the text. “You’re ridiculous.”

[Dice: Ridiculously persuasive, you mean.]

[Limited-Time Offer! Purchase now and receive a free pun about poultry-related ****!]

Her hand hovered over the confirm icon. The system panel flickered with little sparkles of encouragement like confetti from a guilty conscience.

“…Fine,” she muttered. “But if this breaks my wings, I’m haunting you.”

[Purchase Confirmed: Trait Razor Plumage Acquired.]

[Note: Feathers Required to Function. Currently: 0/∞ Available.]

[Safety Notice: Razor-edged feathers only harden once detached from the body. Don’t worry you won’t slice yourself by accident… unless you try.]

“Great,” Alice mumbled, flopping backward. “I just bought a skill for feathers I don’t even have yet.”

[Dice: Think of it as an investment in your future fabulousness.]

The interface dissolved into faint motes of light as Alice covered her face with her hands. “I swear,” she muttered, voice muffled by the pillow.

From the bathroom, Ignition’s voice echoed faintly through the steam. “You say something?”

“Yeah,” Alice called back. “I just made a terrible decision.”

“Story of our lives,” he said, laughing through the sound of running water.

Alice froze.

The sound of running water stopped followed by the faint rattle of the shower curtain. Her mind immediately began to spin out of control.

Okay. Breathe. It’s fine. Totally fine.

She looked down at herself. Bikini armor. Gleaming, tight, reflective bikini armor. Dice’s idea of a “divine sense of humor.”

No feathers. No dignity. No plan.

Her eyes darted toward the door to the bath. Steam rolled out from the cracks. She could already hear Ignition humming faintly something low, relaxed, and dangerously close.

He’s about to walk out here. Half-naked. Freshly showered. And you’re… basically a swimsuit commercial.

Her brain split in two directions at once:

Option One: You could lean into it. I mean, come on you’ve already slept with him twice… even if he was a mindless beast both times. Her cheeks went crimson. That counts for something, right? Maybe this is fate handing you a second chance. Alone, Cozy room, Soft lighting, A fancy fountain, A bed big enough for two.

Option Two: Or you could, you know… not sleep with a guy you just met act normal. Suggest something harmless. Like… shopping! Yes! Shopping! There’s a market here, right? You could “window shop” while your hormones calm down and your feathers grow back. Perfectly reasonable. Totally not suspicious.

She buried her face in a pillow, groaning quietly. “Dice, if you’re listening, I swear ”

A cheerful ping popped up in her vision.

[Dice: I am listening. And this is hilarious. Choose wisely, little bird.]

Her pulse quickened as she heard the soft click of the bathroom door.