Tap. Tap. Tap.
A tall figure sat in shadow, fingers drumming the rim of a wooden chest that pulsed with inner light. Green and orange coins winked from within, like embers and new leaves captured in glass. He smiled without warmth. "I think you used far too much force," he said, voice silk and gravel. "The children are still unconscious."
A pale woman at his side bowed slightly, hood shadowing her face. She had delivered the three into his keep—she had done as instructed. The man's tapping slowed. "Bring them to me when they wake." He rose; the chest swung at his hip, radiance swallowing the dark.
Ben came to first, throat dry and head thick as cotton. "Uhh—what happened?" he muttered, blinking at the dim cage bars.
Gwen's fingers curled around cold metal. Around them, stone echoed rain's distant drum. "We beat that Drake, then—" Her voice cut as realization dawned. "Were we taken out?"
Fred pushed himself up, eyes swallowing the cage's sigils. Runes shimmered along the iron, braided and hostile. "Looks like we're in a rune-locked aviary," he said flatly, voice low. He crawled to the edge and leaned close to Ben and Gwen. "Don't do anything rash. We should first assess the situation."
Ben's gaze flicked to him. "Why are you watching me like that?"
Gwen's answer was dry amusement. "Because you never stick to the plan."
"Children!" A smooth baritone sliced the air. Shadows peeled back to reveal the man in full—the moon cast his face in pale relief, cheekbones sharp as knives. He lifted the chest for them to see. "Welcome to my humble abode. I trust you will find it—comfortable."
"Comfortable?" Gwen scoffed, scanning the runes that hummed under the bars. "This is a cage."
"A clean and spacious facility," the man said, lips curling. "Recently a ripple came through my domain—a minor disturbance. And new variables seem to have risen." He flicked his eyes to the kids while placing the a chest and full of orange and green tokens. "Variables that intriguing."
Ben's head snapped toward the chest. The tokens glowed like two different suns—orange the shade of ember, green like new shoots. Fred's mind moved sideways, deductive: orange tokens?… They are likely the key to unlocking transformations tied to him; green…tokens for Ben. He swallowed. "Did this guy collect them?" he whispered.
The man's smile faded as he glitched out. "Your strange magic shall be mine." He glitched again as he waved waved a hand and the minion stepped close, pushing the gian bird cage towards the man. " Give me the knowledge of these tokens. As for the little magic girl"—his gaze slid to Gwen, hungry and cold—"you will serve under me now, after I brainwash you, you will serve as my future bride."
The kids wondered as the man kept glitching. "Strange. It's like the mechanics of the game are trying to force the original story of the game. Guys change of plan." Fred muttered.
Ben stepped. "It's hero time," he said, and the cage hummed as the green flame licked his skin. The man's minion flinched—then scorn twisted her face. "Impossible," she spat. "These runes block magic."
Ben didn't wait for rules. He released a burst of fire forward, the rune-wards across the cage lit up as the barrier blocked the flames from damaging the cage. But Ben didn't give up, he increased the intensity until the cage shuddered.
The runes flared, white-blue at the edges—then failed. Bolts loosening; the door sagged on rusted hinges as the fire burst through stricking the mans hand. The kids screamed as iron clattered and the cage dropped, crashing onto the stone floor.
"You insufferable whelps," the man cursed, as he staggered from the pain on his left hand. The door yawned open as the runes blocking Gwen's magic failed.
Gwen quickly gathered mana; conjuring shields and wards wrapping the trio. Ben lunged for the chest, bursting like a rocket from the cage. But the minion acted with haste, as she threw a table at Ben knocking him down. "Not one step," she said.
She hardened her skin like basalt and raised stone with the sweep of her arm—fist-size boulders shoving themselves into a wall to block Ben's way. Each stone took the heatblast's lash as if daring him to melt rock with flame. Ben's flares licked and hissed—but the rocks only darkened, not crumbled. He fought with restraint; he was not willing to harm a girl.
Ben's shoulders flared; the minion's palms molded bedrock into blades and shields. She struck, and he rolled—flame tracing his elbow like a comet's tail. He punched, a blast that scorched a rock shield to blister but did not break it.
Ben fought defensively, feet skidding on the stone floor. Gwen's voice cut through as she fought off a hoard of gargoyles. "Don't destroy all of them!" Fred warned while slowly making his way to the chest, maneuvering through and tactically fighting the gargoyles. "The boss can't act until his minions are defeated. That's the trope."
"What!?" Gwen remarked, "Although us entering the game changed things, it seems that the game is still forcefully trying to make all characters following the original script. That's why that boss was glitching, he was acting against his original programming" He explained, "Lets just hope the upgrade icon is in that chest." he added.