Sir Reginald spent the next day practicing his new skill, 'Gentle Parry,' in the dungeon's main lobby. His training partner was a very enthusiastic Dust Bunny, who would bravely charge at the knight's armored shins only to be deftly and harmlessly deflected every time. The tourists found it adorable.
FaeLina watched the display, a thoughtful look on her tiny face. 'He can handle 'angry cute' now,' she projected to me. 'But what about 'sad cute'? That's his real weakness. The kitten incident proved that.'
She was right. His training was incomplete. He needed one final, comprehensive exam.
'Sir Reginald,' I projected later that evening as he prepared to rest. 'It is time for your final test. It will be a rescue mission. You must protect a helpless innocent from a dangerous foe.'
The knight's expression became incredibly serious. "I will not fail you, Dungeon Core," he said, and with a determined look, he settled into his alcove and drifted off to sleep.
He, along with Zazu and Pip as official observers, appeared in the Dreamscape. The twilight beach was gone. In its place, Mochi had created a perfect replica of the dungeon's main chamber, but made entirely of soft, plush materials. The walls were thick quilts, the floor was a deep shag carpet, and the Tea Nook counter was carved from a giant marshmallow.
In the center of this soft arena sat a small, crying creature.
It was a baby goose. A tiny, fluffy gosling with huge, tear-filled blue eyes. It was letting out a series of heartbreaking, pathetic little peeps. It was, without a doubt, the most helplessly adorable thing any of them had ever seen.
Sir Reginald's resolve began to melt instantly. "Oh, the poor dear," he whispered, his hands clenching. "It's all alone and frightened."
Before he could take a step towards it, a furious, deafening crying HONK echoed through the plushy room.
A full-sized Goose of with angry and annoyance expression appeared in a storm of angry feathers. It had the dagger in its beak, and its red eyes were locked onto the adventurers. It was clearly the mother goose, and she was not happy that her child was crying.
She charged. But her target wasn't Sir Reginald. It was Zazu and Pip.
This was the true test.
Sir Reginald's instinct, his 'Cuteness Paralysis,' screamed at him to run over and comfort the crying gooseling. But the real, immediate threat was the angry mother goose, who was attacking his allies. His duty as a knight was to protect his comrades. At this moment, he was completely frozen, torn between his flaw and his duty.
"Sir Reginald, a little help here!" Zazu yelled, as the goose viciously pecked at the pancake-shield he had hastily conjured.
That was all it took. The knight's training, his vows, and his loyalty to his friends overrode his paralysis. Then he suddenly remembered the squirrels. He remembered that 'cute' is not always 'helpless,' and that an angry mother protecting her child is one of the most dangerous forces in the universe and he saw it as the true threat.
With a roar, he moved.
He didn't charge at the goose. He sprinted across the room and placed himself between the furious waterfowl and his friends, he raised shield high.
"Honorable goose!" he yelled, his voice firm. "Your child is safe! We mean no harm! Cease your assault!"
The goose, enraged, turned its pecking fury on him. But this time, Reginald was ready. He didn't strike back. He used his new 'Gentle Parry' skill, deflecting every single one of the goose's dagger-peck attacks with the flat of his blade. He was like a shining silver wall with pure, non-lethal defense.
The mother goose, confused by this strange knight who refused to fight back, eventually stopped its attack. The baby gosling, seeing that its mother was no longer fighting, stopped its sad peeps and waddled over to her. The crisis was over.
The simulation ended, the geese vanishing in a soft puff of feathers. Sir Reginald stood panting, but he was proud.
'You have passed,' my voice echoed, full of approval. 'You have learned to identify the true threat, to protect your allies above all else and to resolve a conflict without needless violence.
Congratulations, Sir Reginald. You have passed the exam and graduated.'
A final, satisfying notification appeared in my consciousness.
['Acute Cuteness Paralysis' has been fully CURED.]
[Sir Reginald has mastered the skill: 'Protective Instincts'.]
[Quest Complete! Reward: 200 Gold, 400 DP. Reputation with the Silver Griffins is now the status of 'Deeply Impressed'.]
The next morning, a changed Sir Reginald stood at the entrance of my dungeon, his armor gleaming. He was no longer conflicted, but filled with a quiet, calm confidence.
"Dungeon Core," he said with a deep, respectful bow. "You have taught me a lesson about strength and duty that I will never forget. The Silver Griffins and mainly I are in your debt."
He then held out a small, beautifully crafted silver whistle, shaped like a gryphon's head. "If you should ever need our aid, for any reason, simply blow this. We will come."
He placed the whistle on a nearby table and departed, a true knight, finally at peace with himself.
I now had a direct line to a second, a powerful, and very grateful adventurers' guild.