Chapter Text
Ragatha wasn’t sure whether she still held any excitement for the adventure or not. After all, it was hard to stay enthusiastic after almost getting stabbed in the face.
Well, things could have turned out worse, she supposed. At least she managed to narrowly dodge impalement and keep her dignity intact. She couldn’t say the same for the other victims of General Anthena’s torment.
Those same victims being the two circus members she currently lagged behind, watching their interactions with sparing glances and desperately trying to suppress her envy.
Ragatha had hoped to get closer to Pomni after helping her up by striking up a conversation, but her nerves kept her tongue tied. After a long stretch of silence, any chance of befriending the jester slipped away as she gradually picked up her pace, eventually catching up with Jax to tease him about his encounter with the general.
It was her own fault that the jester left; Ragatha berated herself. If only she could think of something to say… But Pomni made her so nervous for reasons she didn’t understand. The ragdoll wilted, hating herself for being so dependent on the jester’s approval.
“Hey,” Ragatha overheard Pomni say, looking up in time to see the jester bump Jax with her shoulder. “Nice outfit. Who’s your stylist?”
“Ha, ha,” Jax laughed sarcastically, holding up his overalls to cover himself. “You think you’re sooo funny, don’t you?” His gaze dropped down to the jester, his frown morphing into a grin. “Who’s yours? A porcupine?”
Unexpectedly, Pomni chuckled at the rabbit’s joke, reaching up to pluck one of the many thorns stuck in her jester hat. “Hey, don’t be a hater because I’m rocking my look better than you are.”
Ragatha chuckled lightly at their antics. Although she maintained her smile, her eyes were soft with a deep sadness. She averted her gaze to the ground, convincing herself it was so her skirt wouldn’t get stuck in another godforsaken bush.
As dejected as she felt, Ragatha was grateful Pomni’s mood had improved since they’d gathered in the common room that morning. She should be content with that, she convinced herself.
Suddenly, Ragatha felt a hand on her shoulder, breaking her out of her thoughts. She turned over her shoulder to see Kinger behind her, the chess piece speeding up to walk by her side.
“Hey there, Ragatha,” he grinned, his hand slipping off her shoulder and his gaze turning to the deep purple and orange sky. “Lovely dawn, isn’t it? How are you holding up?”
“Oh, hey, Kinger!” Ragatha greeted him, surprised that he had come to her. “I’m doing a-okay!” She said cheerily with a swing of her arm, hoping her smile was convincing. “I’m curious to find out what mission the queen has for us, aren’t you?”
Kinger’s eyes softened with an unseen smile. “Sure! Well, I hope it’s nothing too troublesome. It seems General Anthena doesn’t want us to accept the quest…”
As Kinger trailed off, Ragatha looked at the front of the formation where General Anthena led the army. Since starting the march, she hardly spared them a glance, choosing to lead in silence. Ragatha wondered what thoughts were passing through the general’s mind. Was she still angry that they were ‘unfit’? Or was she recalling old memories, the kind that caused her to look so forlorn earlier before she donned her helmet?
“Speaking of the general,” Kinger continued, looking at Ragatha with a concerned expression. “Are you sure you’re alright? You seemed pretty shaken after she attacked you.”
Ragatha’s heart jumped into her throat. Had her cheery exterior cracked so badly that even the half-insane Kinger could tell there was something off? Luckily, an arrowhead to the face was enough to frighten anyone. The chess piece didn’t need to know the reason for her heightened fear was because of the… Problem she was having.
“Y-Yeah!” Ragatha stuttered out, her voice loud and unconvincing. “I’m doing alright, I swear! Thanks for helping me, by the way,” her smile softened, less strained and more genuine. “I definitely couldn’t have dodged her spear on my own.”
Kinger’s knit brow loosened slightly. It looked as if he had more to say before he shook his head, seemingly reconsidering his words. Instead, he smiled warmly at the ragdoll. “Of course! No need to thank me. Anything for a friend.”
Ragatha blinked simply, turning away to hide her bashfulness. She clenched the fabric of her skirt as her cheeks warmed, silently scolding herself for being so pitiful. Was she so desperate for a friend that she would believe Kinger’s mad rambling? Regardless, behind the defensive walls around her heart, she wanted to believe his words.
“Ha ha, right,” Ragatha chuckled, fidgeting with her skirt. “You’ve always looked out for me, even when it was just the two of us, huh?”
As they marched toward the kingdom, the two of them caught up with one another, reminiscing about old times and recalling memories Ragatha had nearly forgotten. Despite the bittersweet taste of recalling old friends, ones she didn’t dare mention by name, the ragdoll appreciated Kinger’s willingness to walk alongside her. For once, even if only for a moment, she could ignore the hollow feeling in her chest.
Eventually, they deviated from their talks of the past. Electing to listen to her mother’s teachings, Ragatha let Kinger lead with a topic of his choosing. If she had nothing good to say, then she should say nothing at all… And she didn’t trust herself not to let her true feelings slip out and ruin the good mood.
In the middle of Kinger’s tangent about desert insects and their “marvelous adaptability to their environment”, Ragatha stumbled with a small yelp, tripping over a rock she hadn’t noticed. She quickly caught herself before tumbling into a patch of scraggly bushes, wobbily standing upright and laughing to cover her embarrassment.
“Whoops!” Ragatha giggled, catching up to Kinger and scratching the back of her head. “That’s what I get for not watching my step, huh?”
Kinger chuckled briefly before jumping back into the conversation, eager to continue his one-sided discussion about bugs. Ragatha mellowed back into her role as an avid listener, nodding and exclaiming at all the right moments.
However, as they continued walking, Ragatha realized something felt off. Every other step, the seam on the outer side of her right thigh pulled uncomfortably, straining against her fabric like a dry scab. Hiding her concern under a cheerful mask, Ragatha slyly slipped a hand into her pocket and traced the length of the stitching with her finger, her stomach tingling with anxiety. Surely it hadn’t ripped open from such a small trip, right?
To her relief, after triple-checking for any holes or rips, she hadn’t burst open. Maybe her trip aggravated her already tender leg. In an attempt to calm her beating heart, she made a mental note to watch her steps a little closer unless she was prepared to bleed stuffing in front of everyone.
She shuddered at the thought, wrapping her arms around herself. The movement caught Kinger’s attention, and the chess piece looked at her with concern. “Is everything alright?” He gasped, clapping a hand to his head. “Oh, I forgot to ask! Are you entomophobic?”
Ragatha tilted her head. “What’s that?”
Kinger chuckled, scratching his cheek. “Entomophobic, the fear of bugs. Sometimes I get so carried away that I forget others have an aversion to them…”
Ragatha straightened, adamantly shaking her head while mentally kicking herself for worrying him over nothing. “N-No! Not at all. I mean, I can’t say I have a fondness for them like you, but…” Ragatha chuckled lightly, trailing off and unsure what to say next without accidentally hurting his feelings…
“It’s just a little chilly out here, that’s all!” She concluded lamely, tightening her arms around herself. “Brrr!” God, why was she so embarrassing?
Fortunately, Kinger didn’t question her answer. He pinched his chin in thought, looking around himself before chuckling. “I’d offer my cloak to you if it weren’t the only thing I was wearing!”
Ragatha laughed brightly, the comedic thought of Kinger naked in the desert flashing in her mind before she shoo’d it away, too bashful to think about it in depth. “You don’t have to do all that for me! I’ll be fine.” She swung her arms at her sides, pretending she was jogging. “I’ll warm up from the cardio!”
Kinger grinned, mimicking Ragatha and swinging his arms (hands?) in the same way. “Yes! Cardio is an excellent way to burn calories! Although it may be too late for jogging.”
Ragatha furrowed her brow, her arms falling to rest by her side as she turned to look in the same direction as Kinger. Her eye widened in surprise. It seemed she was so distracted in their conversation that she didn’t realize they had already made it to the kingdom's outskirts.
The tower that was once a mere object in the distance now stood tall in front of them, the giant metal sphere peering over the top of the city walls. The endless sea of scraggly bushes and half-buried rocks gave way to a wide, well-beaten path. The dirt road was surrounded on either side by huge swaths of fields, the tall crops gently swaying in the early morning breeze.
They weren’t alone. Timidly, more Antonians emerged from the fields, peeking around the crops from the safety of the side paths. The soldier ants marched on, parading the digital humans to their fellow colony members, only strengthening the prisoner-like treatment. When the group passed by, the farmer ants trailed after them, their murmuring carried through the swaying grass.
At the base of the city wall, even more Antonians emerged, adding to the rapidly forming crowd. If Ragatha had to guess, she would estimate there were a little less than a hundred of them. Some looked excited; others looked anxious. To the ragdoll’s relief, these ants weren’t armed with spears. Instead, they carried a variety of farming tools like rakes, scythes, and pitchforks… Which could be used as weapons if they needed to be, she supposed. Hopefully that wouldn’t be necessary; she laughed dryly.
Ragatha scanned the crowd, mirroring the ants’ interest, her eye wide with wonder. In all their previous adventures, the kingdoms they visited never seemed so… Structured. She wondered what a typical day looked like for the Antonians. She imagined the farmer ants returning home with their harvest after a long day of work, sharing their bounty with friends and family.
Ragatha smiled fondly. The thought reminded her of when she was tasked with harvesting strawberries to sell at the local farmer’s market. When her mama wasn’t looking, she’d pluck a juicy red fruit from the vine and pop it into her mouth, pressing a finger to her lips toward her younger siblings in a silent plea not to tattle. Sometimes they listened, other times they didn’t.
In Ragatha’s absentmindedness, she realized she was accidentally smiling to the crowd. Snapping back into reality, she accidentally locked eyes with one of the Antonians, the shiny black ant jolting in surprise. The ant shrank on herself sheepishly, tipping her straw hat to hide her eyes before slipping behind her fellow farmers.
Ragatha giggled to herself with a faint smile. Whoops. She hadn’t meant to startle the poor thing. She felt a sense of deja vu from when she stared at the soldier ants and how they awkwardly shuffled in place. It seemed most of the Antonians held a level of respect (or fear) toward them.
Ragatha’s gaze drifted to the front of the army, eyeing the general hidden under her intricately designed helmet. She wondered what happened to General Anthena to make her so steely in comparison to the other Antonians.
Finally, the army approached the kingdom gates. The kingdom entrance was blocked by a giant, ornate iron gate nestled in a wide arch. The wall itself was made of dusty red clay, the texture rough and gritty with intricate symbols carved into the exterior. On top of the wall, two additional soldier ants stood at the ready, stiffly standing with their arms behind their backs.
“Soldiers!” General Anthena yelled, slamming the heel of her spear. “We have returned with the ‘heroes’,” her emphasis on the final word dripped with sarcasm. “Open the gates!”
The soldiers snapped into a salute before dipping somewhere unseen. Then, Ragatha heard the sound of rattling metal as the gates began to open outward, the hinges creaking dramatically. The crowd of farmer ants moved out of the way, their hushed whispers growing louder at General Anthena’s announcement.
The gates halted with a thud, and General Anthena lifted a hand, dropping her arm as if slicing through the air. “March!”
The circle of ants shouted in unison, and Ragatha took that as her cue to continue walking. Her heart beat excitedly in her chest, curiosity burning inside her to see more of the Green Valley Kingdom.
As they passed under the arch, Ragatha leaned forward, eager to drink up every detail.
The entrance opened to another dirt path, this one narrower and more well-maintained compared to the one outside the city walls. Houses lined either side of the road, the structures unlike anything Ragatha had ever seen before. The square homes were stacked on top of each other in an apartment-like way, as if continually built to make room as families grew. Wooden beams protruded like spouts at the tops of the walls with the same rich red clay as the kingdom walls.
Rather than traditional glass windows, the houses were built with simple square-shaped holes to allow airflow. Or, that’s what Ragatha assumed. Looking between the houses, marveling at how each of them had a unique personal touch, she blinked in surprise when she spotted another Antonian peeking at the group from inside. The tiny ant let out a small eep! before quickly dipping down out of view.
Ragatha giggled with delight, her heart melting at the sight of a young Antonian. Cute, she thought warmly to herself.
As the army escorted them through the kingdom streets, more Antonians emerged from their dwellings. Those at ground level stepped out into the street, and those in higher rooms crawled down wooden ladders to get a better look, watching them from the rooftops. The crowd’s whispers grew into excited chatter, the cacophony of voices echoing through the streets.
The ragdoll curiously looked over her shoulder to look at Gangle and Zooble, the couple locked at the elbow. The mismatched toy seemed to be encouraging the timid ribbon-girl to wave at the crowd. Ragatha smiled to herself, happy that they were enjoying themselves.
Her curiosity nibbling away at her, Ragatha turned her attention forward, her gaze lingering on Pomni and Jax. They were too far away for her to eavesdrop on their conversation, their voices drowned out over the sound of the crowd.
Even at a short distance, Ragatha could see that Pomni still had thorns stuck in the back of her jester cap. She covered her mouth with a grin, wondering if the jester didn’t know about them, or if she didn’t care enough to pluck them out. Her hand dropped to clasp the other, holding them in front of herself with her gaze shyly pointed to the ground. She would help remove them if the jester would let her.
She looked at Jax, who was still holding up his overalls, seemingly uncomfortable in front of the crowd. Ragatha frowned, the needle and thread weighing heavily in her pocket. Maybe if she approached the rabbit carefully, then she could convince him to let her mend his overall straps for him…
Ragatha paused before laughing ruefully to herself. Yeah, right. She could beg on her knees, and he still wouldn’t accept anything from her.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Ragatha started to share the same insecurity as Jax as she suddenly became aware of how many eyes were trained on them, a sea of ants watching their every move. Self-consciously, Ragatha patted the dirt off her skirt, hoping she didn’t look as dusty as she felt. Gosh, if she knew she’d be in front of this many people, she would have prepared better that morning. What would her mother say if she knew?
In the corner of Ragatha’s eye, she spotted an elderly Antonian step out of her home, supporting herself with a cane. From behind her, three Antonian children peered at the group. The small red ant clutched the elderly ant’s arm, and one of the small black ants hugged the third one from behind. The three kids’ antennae bobbed curiously, their eyes wide with amazement.
“Abuela,” the red Antonian kid whispered with zero voice control, tugging at her grandmother. “Are those the heroes? Why do they look like that?”
Ragatha grinned at the kid’s open curiosity, content to observe from a distance and save it as a fond memory. As much as she liked children, it didn’t seem right to interact with them when the army was already on edge.
However, it seemed Kinger had a different opinion on the matter. Bravely breaking formation, the chess piece approached the mismatched Antonian family, easily slipping through a gap in the circle of soldiers. Ragatha’s eye widened in shock at Kinger’s boldness, waiting with bated breath for the soldiers to catch him and throw him back in the center.
… But that moment didn’t come, and Kinger continued forward, crouching before the Antonian family with a warm smile.
Ragatha bit her bottom lip, her steps shrinking as she reluctantly continued walking, Kinger growing more distant. She couldn’t leave him alone in the middle of an unfamiliar kingdom. She didn’t dare imagine the repercussions he would face…
Eyeing the soldiers wearily, Ragatha slyly slipped through another gap in the formation. She held her breath, waiting to be poked by spears at any second… But nothing happened. Her shoulders sagged in relief as she realized the soldiers were too busy soaking up the crowd’s attention to notice their prisoners heroes had escaped.
As Kinger knelt before the Antonian family, the three children screeched in surprise, scrambling to hide behind their grandmother.
The elderly Antonian turned over her shoulder with a click of her tongue.“Haven’t I raised you three with better manners?!” She berated, “Come greet him properly.” The grandma ant turned to Kinger with a tired smile. “I apologize on their behalf. We don’t see that many outsiders, you see.”
“It’s no problem, ma’am,” Kinger grinned with a tip of an imaginary hat. “I take no offense. Although, I would have never pinned you as their grandmother. You’re so youthful, how ever did you manage raising these three rascals?”
Behind him, Ragatha blushed. Why was Kinger flirting with the NPCs?! Thank goodness she didn’t leave him alone or he could have accidentally wound up in an arranged marriage.
“Oh!” The grandma ant giggled, pressing a hand to her cheek and waving him off with her cane. “You devil! Our heroes certainly are charming, aren’t they?”
Kinger grinned. “I only speak the truth, miss.”
Their absence from the formation didn’t go unnoticed forever. Two soldier ants approached Kinger from the side, one of them roughly bumping into him, almost causing him to lose his balance. The three Antonian girls, who were slowly emerging behind their grandma, quickly ducked back down.
“Keep it moving!” One of the soldier ants barked. “Get back into formation- Ow!!”
As Ragatha was about to intervene, the soldier ant was interrupted with a smack of the grandma ant’s cane, the elderly woman glaring at them. “Leave him be! If they are to save the colony, they should at least be able to meet us.” The elderly ant leaned in closer to the soldier ants, hissing, “Don’t ruin this for me!”
The two soldiers glanced between themselves wearily, awkwardly unsure what to do. “Fine,” one soldier said, their willpower crumbling easily.
The other soldier jumped in, pointing at Kinger. “But don’t linger! We can’t fall behind.”
Ragatha, who was certainly lingering, wondered if she were invisible. How come nobody was yelling at her? Not that she wanted them to, or anything.
“Mijitas,” the grandma ant called, lovingly yet sternly. “Say hello to the kind hero before he has to go.”
The three children squirmed uncomfortably before slowly emerging from behind their grandma, their gazes shyly flickering between the ground and Kinger. At a distance, Ragatha watched the interaction fondly, her heart warm. They reminded her of her younger siblings, in a way. She stifled a giggle as the two black ants sacrificed the red sister, both of them hiding behind her for protection.
“H-Hola, señor,” the red ant greeted timidly, her antenna trembling.
“Hi, there,” Kinger replied warmly.
Before Kinger could continue, one of the black ants grabbed her red sister’s shoulders, leaned over, and blurted, “Are you really going to save our colony?!”
Kinger chuckled at the girl’s outspokenness. “We will do our best! Anything for girls as sweet as you three.”
It was as if Kinger’s words set off a bomb between the three squirrely children.
“Oh, wow, thank you!”
“I’m not sweet! I’m fiery!”
“You really think so...?”
The chess piece grinned at their reactions, reaching into the folds of his robe. “As a matter of fact, I think you girls are deserving of a treat just as sweet…”
Ragatha’s eyebrows rose in surprise as Kinger pulled out three lollipops from his cloak. The three children gasped excitedly, their hands itching to snatch them out of Kinger’s hands. However, their grandmother truly did raise them well, as they instead turned to her with puppy dog eyes before asking, “Abuela, can we pleaseee have one?”
The grandma ant pretended to think over her decision, playfully giving Kinger the stink-eye. “Well, it would be rude to deny a gift from a hero so… Just this once, mijas.”
The three girls cheered in unison, whipping around to grab a lollipop respectively. They giggled giddily as they unwrapped their breakfast candy, popping them into their mouths with a wide grin. “Gracias, señor!”
“No problem, girls,” Kinger smiled. “It was a pleasure meeting you all.”
One of the soldier ants tapped the heel of her spear with a huff. “Alright, you’ve had your fun, now let’s get a move on. We need to catch up with the rest.”
Kinger nodded, pushing himself to his feet. “I understand. Thank you two for your kindness,” Kinger thanked the soldiers, to their bewilderment. The chess piece waved to the girls as he fell back into formation, walking side-by-side with Ragatha. “I’ll see you again after we’ve saved the kingdom!”
Ragatha grinned as the Antonian children exploded with excitement, waving them goodbye with wide arms. Unable to resist, the ragdoll waved back shyly, her hand barely visible over her shoulder.
Despite the action being so subtle, the quietest of the three noticed her. The black ant’s eyes widened marginally, as if seeing the ragdoll for the first time (which was probably accurate). Timidly, the girl returned Ragatha’s wave.
Satisfied, Ragatha turned to face forward, clasping her hands behind her while she smiled to herself. Her secret soft spot for kids was evident across her face. She wished that she had the opportunity to interact with them, but it felt rude to steal Kinger’s spotlight. Speaking of…
“That was kind of you, Kinger,” Ragatha said, laughing before asking, “But where did you get that candy from?”
Kinger shrugged simply, his eyes pointing in either direction. “You never know when you’ll need a sweet treat!”
Ragatha hid her giggle behind her hand, unsure whether she should tell Kinger that it was generally frowned upon for an older man to give candy to children. Not wanting to upset him, she chose to bite her tongue.
The soldier ants led them through the streets, one guarding them from the front and the other from the rear. The rest of the group had left them in the dust, likely not even realizing that they were gone. Ragatha felt exposed without the security of the army encircling them, the Antonians closer than ever. She cheerfully waved to them, feeling like the world’s most anxious diplomat.
As they were escorted down the street, Ragatha noticed that the demographic seemed… Unbalanced. As she greeted the thousandth gaggle of Antonian children, she realized a majority of the citizens were either very young or very old. She wondered if the middle-aged Antonians were busy out in the fields. Surely they weren’t sleeping through the commotion of the crowd, right?
In the middle of her thought, something whizzed past Ragatha’s face. Catching her attention, her hand fell as she turned over her shoulder and followed it with her eyes. Was that…? Another small white cloud drifted past her, slow enough for her to catch midair.
She uncurled her fingers and opened her hand curiously. She frowned in confusion, plucking the object out of her palm and holding it up to her face, watching the delicate fibers swim in the breeze.
What is cotton doing in the desert?
As the question crossed her mind, the street opened up to a grand square-shaped courtyard. The hand holding the cotton faltered and fell as the ragdoll drank in the sight.
At the center of the square stood the tall tower she had first spotted ages ago, its body made of deep red clay. A river ran through the center of the square, flowing through an ant-made aqueduct that diverged its path around the tower. On either side of the banks and littered through the courtyard were huge, towering trees, their canopy providing a rare blanket of shade in the desolate desert. The crowd of Antonians gathered around their trunks, turning their heads one by one as they noticed their arrival.
Before she could greet the crowd, a strong gust of wind blew throughout the courtyard, tousling the trees above. Ragatha watched in awe as a shower of cotton drifted down from the canopy, white bursts swirling through the air like tiny fairies.
Ragatha turned her attention back to the pluck of cotton pinched between her fingers, feeling the small seed in the center. An indescribable bittersweet warmth filled her chest. For no reason at all, perhaps only because of a strange desire to bring it back to the circus, she tucked the puff of cotton into her empty pocket, separate from the needle and thread.
The two soldiers easily parted the crowd, surprising the colony with a second batch of heroes. Kinger continued to pretend he was wearing a hat, tipping it to the astonished Antonians as they passed by, to Ragatha’s amusement. So amused, in fact, that she didn’t realize they were approaching the river.
The soldiers escorted them over a small bridge, and Ragatha peered over the wooden railing at the water below. It flowed easily, but based on the water stains on the channel walls, it wasn’t as full as usual. Eyes trailing upward, Ragatha looked to the tower at the center, noticing the shaft was riddled with hundreds of small holes. No matter how she squinted through the dim morning light, it was too shaded for her to tell what was inside.
She turned over her shoulder to continue observing, the giant chrome sphere eagerly awaiting the warmth of the sunrise.
Facing forward, Ragatha saw a stage on the other side of the courtyard. The base was made of long logs, the gaps packed with a tan mixture of sand and clay. Behind it, a wall of the same color stood tall, with three arches carved through the structure. The wall surface was decorated with painted symbols, and at the peak of the highest arch, a hollow sun was engraved in the stucco. Two trees stood on either side, dusting the platform with puffs of cotton.
Ragatha’s gaze trailed down. Standing at the front of the stage was the rest of their group, corralled by the now square-shaped group of soldiers.
The soldier ants led Kinger and Ragatha into the empty clearing and joined the rest of their army. At Ragatha’s oblivious stare, one of the soldiers quietly shooed her with a secretive wave.
“Go join the others,” the soldier whispered fervently, her eyes scanning the area, presumably looking for the general. “Or you’re going to get us in trouble.”
“O-Oh!” Ragatha nodded simply, bowing slightly. “Sorry!” As she moved to join Kinger (who wordlessly obeyed the soldier’s command), she turned back to them again. “... And thank you!”
“Get out of here!” One soldier whispered-yelled.
“You’re welcome,” the other replied to ragdoll, slightly bashful.
As the two of them approached, the rest of the group turned to face them with varied reactions. At the sight of their furrowed brows, Ragatha’s heart skipped a beat. They didn’t worry about them in their absence, did they?
As the distance closed, Zooble was the first to speak up. “Where did you two wander off to?” They huffed a laugh, crossing their arms. “We were placing bets on whether they dragged you guys off to the dungeons.”
Ragatha opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by Kinger. “What?!” He exclaimed, clapping his hands to his head. “The dungeon?! For handing out candy?!”
Beside Zooble, Gangle raised a brow in confusion. “... Huh?” She turned to Ragatha, asking, “What’s he talking about?”
Ragatha chuckled, patting Kinger on the back as he held his head in his hands in distress. “Long story short, he wanted to greet some of the lovely subjects,” Ragatha gestured to the courtyard, “And their lovely kingdom! It’s amazing here! Caine really outdid himself, didn’t he?”
Zooble and Gangle looked about the courtyard, sharing a glance. Gangle smiled wearily. Zooble crossed their arms tighter.
“It’s no wonder why he was glitching so much this morning,” Gangle said softly, a hand over her mouth.
“Yeah, it is definitely… Detailed,” Zooble agreed reluctantly.
To their side, Jax and Pomni joined them. Ragatha noticed Jax managed to take care of his wardrobe malfunction without her help, craftily tying his sliced overall straps together with two sloppy knots. As Pomni approached, Ragatha smiled softly at the sight of the thorns still stuck in her jester cap.
With a chuckle, the purple rabbit chimed in, “Wow, what’s this? Zooble praising an adventure?” Jax snickered, elbowing Pomni with a smirk. “Did’ya catch that on video, Pom-Pom?”
Pomni shrugged him off with a roll of her eyes. “Haha, so funny…” She trailed off disinterestedly before a sly grin grew on her lips. “Almost as funny as your reaction to the tower over there.”
As Gangle and Zooble laughed (to Jax’s protest), Ragatha quickly realized there was a joke she was missing out on… And wasn’t being filled in about. Clasping her hands, she rocked on her feet as she asked, “O-Oh! Did something happen?”
“Nothing happened!” Jax snapped, trying and failing to cover the struggling jester’s mouth. As Pomni broke free, the rabbit’s hiss of “Don’t you dare!” was easily ignored.
Pomni only continued to snicker. “Oh, nothing much… Just Jax almost jumping out of his skin and into the river when we crossed the bridge.” Pomni placed her hands on her hips. “All because of his…” She faltered with a click of her tongue. “Damn, what was that fear called again?”
“Trypophobia?” Kinger suggested, lifting his head from his hands.
Pomni snapped her fingers. “That’s it!”
“You guys are ridiculous! I’m not afraid of anything, especially not some dumb tower!” He exclaimed shrilly and unconvincingly. “I just tripped a little, that’s all!”
Pomni laughed, waving her hand. “Fine, fine, we all believe you,” she lied, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder at the tower. “Don’t worry, the [$%^&] tower won’t hurt you.”
The conversation came to an abrupt halt, the group turning to the jester with expressions crumpled with confusion.
“Sorry, what was that, Pomni?” Gangle asked. “I couldn’t understand you past the censor…”
Zooble looked at the tower, tilting their head. “The what tower? I don’t get it.”
“Didn’t you hear her?” Kinger popped in. “She said the bleep tower!”
Ragatha chuckled, fiddling with her skirt. “Kinger, mimicking the censor doesn’t give us a hint…”
Pomni blinked simply. “Come on, I can’t be the only one who sees it.” She gestured with wide arms to the tower. “Just look at it! The shape of the river, the tower in the center… It totally looks like a [$%^&]!”
The group tilted their heads in unison. Ragatha squinted at the structure, trying to figure out what Pomni could possibly mean.
She considered what Pomni said. The river? The shape? She observed how the river flowed. Its path diverged around the tower before joining again on the other side, creating an oval-like shape with the tower standing tall in the center, protected inside the watery embrace. She guessed that, in a way, it could almost be interpreted as… Phallic.
Ragatha felt the heat rise to her face. Surely that wasn’t what Pomni meant by– No, who was she kidding? That’s exactly what the jester was referring to. The ragdoll turned her head away so Pomni couldn’t see how her face burned so brightly that it matched her hair.
Luckily, before the rest of the group could catch on, they were interrupted by a melodious sound chiming from behind the stage. As she and the others fell silent, abandoning their conversation, Ragatha realized the bustling of the crowd had stopped. They turned their attention to the platform with a variety of expressions, waiting with bated breath for what awaited them next.
Seven ants stepped forward from the two smaller arches, each dressed in a heavy assortment of jewelry. Ruby red coral and bone white seashells… Silver, copper, turquoise, and obsidian. With each step, their jewelry jingled like sweet summer bells. As they fell into formation, lining either side of the stage, Ragatha noticed that these Antonians had wings.
The seventh and final courtesan stepped away from the array. Compared to the others, he was the most heavily decorated, wearing a silver chain headdress with small gemstones hanging like morning dew. The winged ant glided across the stage, meticulously taking his place in the center.
The courtesan remained quiet, slowly scanning the silent crowd with his head held high. Ragatha froze when he locked eyes with her, but he didn’t linger, coldly brushing past her. She swallowed thickly. Surely these ants would be kinder to them than the army, right?
The bejeweled courtesan raised both arms high into the air. “All hail our glorious, radiant desert sun, the beloved Queen Antoinette!”
Ragatha jumped in surprise as the colony behind her exploded with excitement, their cheers echoing throughout the kingdom. Looking over her shoulder, she watched in mild amusement as some ants tried getting closer to the stage like they were fighting to meet a celebrity, but were blocked by the soldier ants.
On the stage, the bejeweled courtesan stepped to the side, lowering his head but not yet joining the others. The other courtesans bowed low, their endless cuffs and chains clinking harmoniously.
“A bit theatrical, don’t you think?” Ragatha overheard Zooble mutter to Gangle.
“Are they the royal prostitutes, or something?” Jax joked to Pomni.
Ragatha glanced at Kinger from the corner of her eye, the chess piece waiting patiently with his hands politely folded.
Suddenly remembering that this was an audience with the queen of the kingdom, Ragatha quickly wiped down her dress and straightened her bow. How embarrassing to be so dirty in front of Her Majesty… For the second time since arriving, she wished she had more time to prepare that morning.
As Ragatha finished beating the dirt off her skirt, from the center arch, the mysterious queen ant emerged.
Ragatha’s breath was stolen away. All this time, she thought the colony was merely praising their queen as dutiful subjects, but now, she could see that radiant was truly the only word to describe her.
The bejeweled courtesan couldn’t hold a candle to the queen’s beauty. In the dim morning light, her black exoskeleton shone brighter than polished obsidian. The delicate golden chains adorning her body only accentuated her skin, giving the illusion of being covered in luminous cracks. A silky white shawl was wrapped around her shoulders, reminiscent of a spider’s web. Atop her head sat her crown of golden copper adorned with turquoise, her long, swooping antenna bobbing behind it.
The queen approached the edge of the stage, each step taken with purpose. She reached forward to cup the bejeweled courtesan’s face, gently pulling him close and pressing her forehead to his, their antennae intertwining. Over the cheering of the crowd, Ragatha could hear the queen croon, “Thank you, Frantco…”
Ragatha’s cheeks warmed as she watched the courtesan, Frantco, shiver in delight, his wings fluttering. As the queen pulled away, Ragatha noticed his once steely expression melted away, his eyes shimmering and shyly trained to the ground. “Yes, my queen,” he replied softly before stepping away, his head held high as he joined the others on either side of the stage.
To her side, Jax whistled. “Damn, Pom-Pom, watch out,” he grinned. “Queen Anty here is a player.”
Pomni groaned, stepping away from him. “Ew, gross. Cut it out.”
Now standing alone, the queen pulled her silky shawl closer to herself, gazing upon her overjoyed subjects with adoration, as a mother would look at her children. She waved her hand high into the air, sending the crowd into a frenzy. She chuckled in amusement, her elated expression revealing smile lines that hinted at her age.
After soaking in the love of her colony for just a minute longer, the queen’s hand dropped, clasping with the other and resting on her thorax. As if on cue, the crowd’s cheering was suffocated in a blanket of silence. Ragatha leaned forward, her heart thumping in her chest as she awaited the queen’s address.
“My children,” she began, her words easily projecting throughout the plaza. “Our creator has blessed us with another day, and what a joyous day it is…” The queen trailed off, her gaze dropping to the circus members. She smiled eloquently, gesturing to the six of them with an open palm. “For our heroes have arrived!”
At the announcement, the crowd exploded yet again, the Antonians clapping and whistling with joy. Ragatha held her hands close to her chest, overwhelmed by the storm of hope and excitement. She gulped, hoping that she could live up to their expectations. The title of hero seemed to hold more weight for this adventure compared to others.
As the crowd died down, Queen Antoinette continued. “Today, our heroes shall embark on their journey and rescue us from-”
Mid-sentence, a soldier ant broke formation, rushing forward between the stage and the circus members in a flash of gold and silver. General Anthena tore off her helmet, revealing herself with a flourish before tossing her spear to the side. “My queen, please!” She crumpled to her knees, cradling her helmet to her chest and kneeling before Queen Antoinette. “May I interrupt your announcement, for the sake of our colony?”
Ragatha’s heart stuttered in her chest at the general’s boldness. She was no expert on how monarchies worked, but she was certain speaking out of turn was frowned upon. In some cases, deserving of beheading… And she hoped the queen’s name wasn’t Caine’s way of foreshadowing.
The queen blinked in surprise, but she recovered easily. Rather than demanding General Anthena be dragged away to the dungeons, her expression oozed with warm maternal love, her eyes soft with understanding.
“General Anthena, mi estrella radiante,” Queen Antionette responded with a knowing tone. “Please, speak. Share with us what ails you so.”
General Anthena raised her head, looking at the queen as if she were her god. “My queen, these beings are no heroes,” she spat. “They are frauds. Their flames are weak, misguided, and sloppy. They aren’t suited for this… We cannot trust them with such an important mission!”
The six members shuffled uncomfortably at General Anthena’s accusations. Ragatha eyed the queen warily for her reaction. There was no crinkle in her brow, no look of betrayal or distrust. Instead, she remained calm and poised, patiently waiting for the general to finish.
“My queen, please,” the general pleaded, “I implore you, don’t send them on this mission. My army and I are fit for the task, and I promise you, we shall succeed this time!”
The gears in Ragatha’s head turned. This time? As she pieced together the puzzle before her, she was starting to dread the full picture. Just how difficult was this adventure going to be? The sealed wound on her thigh throbbed, and she suddenly realized how tired she felt. Maybe the general was right… She certainly didn’t feel up to the task anymore.
Queen Antoinette chuckled, her hands neatly folded. “General, I understand your hesitance, your desire to prove yourself. I know you lost many sisters that fateful night…” The queen closed her eyes, her antenna drooping. “... But I cannot send any more of my children to their death.”
Ragatha’s stomach dropped. Death?
A suffocating silence fell over the crowd, the heavy atmosphere threatening to crush them. Ragatha looked over her shoulder at the crowd, her brow crinkling sympathetically at the sight of their devastated expressions; Expressions similar to that of Anthena’s before she donned her helmet.
What exactly happened to this colony?
Surprisingly, before General Anthena could retort, Kinger stepped forward from the group, bowing his head low to show his respect. The queen looked at him in surprise as he spoke. “Queen Antoinette,” he began, “Permission to speak?”
General Anthena whipped around to glare, but paused at the sight of him. After a beat, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, her antenna vibrating wildly. “You… Your flame is different than before. What trickery is this?” She demanded.
Kinger stood straight, holding himself with confidence Ragatha rarely saw from him since first arriving in the circus. “I play no tricks, General Anthena,” he assured her before turning to address the queen.
“Radiant Queen Antoinette,” Kinger praised, “Although tasked to save your colony, your creator provided us with… Insufficient detail,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “May we humbly request that you tell your tale so we may understand what it is your colony needs?”
General Anthena jumped to her feet, pointing accusingly at Kinger. “See! They know nothing of our colony! Our struggle! My queen, please–”
The queen simply held out her hand to silence her, the golden chains around her arm clinking and an uncharacteristic gleam of anger flickering in her eyes. General Anthena stopped immediately, snapping her mouth shut with her mandibles chittering. She lowered her head ashamedly, the brightness of her cheeks visible against her red exoskeleton.
After a beat, the entire plaza holding its breath, the queen’s gaze softened before returning to Kinger. “I apologize on behalf of our general, great wooden hero,” she apologized with a small bow of her head. “Our recent catastrophe has left her on edge, you see…”
Kinger chuckled, holding his hands in front of himself. “It’s quite alright, Your Majesty, I understand.” He looked to General Anthena with an open smile. “It is admirable to protect one’s colony so diligently.”
General Anthena, watching Kinger from the corner of her eye, turned away from him with a click of her tongue. But from the way her antenna swayed, Ragatha wondered if she secretly enjoyed the praise.
The queen laughed, delicately shaking her head. “You’re too kind; thank you for your sympathy. You and your companions must be very confused.” The queen looked at them one by one, Ragatha’s heart jumping to her throat as the royal ant glanced at her. “If I may, please allow me to explain…”
Queen Antoinette’s head dropped, and she took a deep breath before beginning.
Moons ago… Hidden under the cloak of night, a great storm tore through the valley.
In its wake, the land flourished and lush greenery burst to life. A rare event in our arid home, and truly a wondrous sight to behold.
However, just as the storm brought life to the land, it also stole it away.
That night, our kingdom was robbed of hundreds of souls… Brave sisters sacrificing themselves to save their colony from the flood… Precious Antonians who never saw the blooming desert.
The queen’s voice wavered, and she pulled her silky cloak tighter around herself. “Please, my children,” she called to the courtyard, her graceful form shriveled and defeated. “A moment of silence for the fallen.”
Ragatha and the others (although Pomni had to force Jax’s down) lowered their heads, respectfully paying tribute to the Antonians they never had the chance to meet. Behind them, Ragatha heard the soft sobs of children, causing a lump to swell in her throat.
She remembered greeting the crowd, waving to the children and elderly who were overjoyed at their presence. She could only imagine the devastation the morning after the storm, homes destroyed and families broken. She squeezed her eye shut, willing away the brutal imagery that came to mind and reminding herself that this was just an adventure...
Clearing her throat, the queen continued.
We rebuilt our kingdom, slowly recovering what was lost despite the aching of our hearts.
However, although the storm was long past, our work was not yet done. Three crucial structures remained requiring repair, ones that would determine the fate of our colony.
Queen Antoinette raised her hands to the sky, her shawl slipping from her shoulders to her arms.
La Cima de la Menta, protecting the south.
La Cima del Cuerpo, guarding the northwest.
And finally, La Cima del Corazón, defending the east.
The queen lowered her arms, holding her hands to her chest.
Long ago, when our ancestors first came to this land, they built ‘reflectors’ at the top of the three highest peaks.
Harnessing the blessed energy of the sun, these reflectors aimed their light to the center of our kingdom, raising our young with its warmth in La Torre de la Alma.
Queen Antoinette held her arms wide toward the tower, bowing her head in respect, as if in the midst of worship. Ragatha and the others turned over their shoulders to look at the tower they walked past as they entered the courtyard, gaining a whole new perspective on the structure they were teasing moments before.
Although the group remained protected by the arches’ shadows, the tower was freshly exposed to the brightening morning sky. Ragatha squinted at the tower’s body, able to see into the hundreds of carved holes now that it was no longer hidden in the shade.
In each hole rested an egg, larvae, or pupae– Baby Antonians. Tiny, pink, squirming little beings. The larvae and pupae wriggled sluggishly as they searched for warmth, only to find none.
To Ragatha’s side, Jax slapped a hand over his mouth with a retch, quickly turning away from the sight and hunching over himself, repeating a mantra of, “So gross, so gross, so gross, so gross.”
“Oh my God,” Pomni hissed, tapping him with the back of her hand in an attempt to get him to collect himself. “Pull yourself together or they really will toss us in the dungeon.” Jax ignored her, shuffling away and pretending to gag.
Gangle wearily looked between the purple rabbit and General Anthena, gulping at the sight of the soldiers’ spears. “Um, Jax, maybe not in front of the army…”
Appalled by the purple rabbit’s behavior, Ragatha snapped at him. “Jax, cut it out! You’re being so rude right now!”
The purple rabbit continued to whine, clutching his arms with a shudder. “You could not pay me to care right now– Oh my God, I need to bleach my eyes.”
Too afraid to even imagine the expression on General Anthena’s face, Ragatha instead glanced at the queen, recoiling in fear at potential retaliation. Fortunately, Queen Antoinette didn’t pay them any mind, her sad gaze trained on the tower, her mind drowning in devastation.
Guilt quickly replaced the ragdoll’s anxiety, both emotions turning her stomach inside-out.
Finally, the queen mustered the strength to continue. “The reflectors were destroyed in the storm. Without them, the next generation won’t survive the cold desert nights. We are on the verge of losing even more lives… The entirety of my final brood…” Her voice cracked as she spoke. Ragatha’s heart squeezed as she saw the tears swimming in her eyes.
“Fascinating,” Kinger murmured to himself, his eyes wide with wonder. “What remarkable reproduction…” He turned to the queen with his brow furrowed. “But if we fail, hundreds more could be lost.”
To the side, Zooble rubbed their arm uncomfortably at the thought. Gangle touched the mismatched toy’s arm sympathetically. Pomni crossed her arms tightly, averting her gaze away from the tower. Ragatha pinched and pulled the fabric of her skirt, sick to her stomach.
The queen used her shawl to dab at her wet eyes, her courtesans eyeing her sympathetically on the sidelines. “Precisely.”
“Which is exactly why you cannot accept this mission,” General Anthena said, making herself known again. “I’ve led my army up these mountains before, and we were almost successful the last time.” She turned to the queen, pressing her helmet to her chest. “My queen, if you just give me one final chance to prove myself…”
“General Anthena…” The queen began, her antenna hanging low. “Gaze upon your army. How many soldiers have you lost?” Her bottom lip quivered, and she took a deep breath to collect herself. “How many more children must I lose?”
Ragatha watched the general turn to her small collection of soldiers, the fiery ant’s bold demeanor crumbling before the ragdoll’s eyes.
“The heroes have something you could never achieve, general…” the queen continued, her regal demeanor returning as she stood straight, her hands clasped. “... Immortality.”
At that moment, Ragatha became aware of the dull throb of her leg. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. That’s right. In the eyes of the Antonians, they were immortal; digitized souls that could not be harmed. It would be selfish to deny their request.
The general’s shoulders sagged as she admitted defeat, her helmet tumbling to the ground. The fiery ant’s hands clenched into fists at her side before she let them go. She couldn’t bear to face the queen as she reluctantly uttered–
“Fine,” she growled. General Anthena’s head snapped up, glaring daggers at Pomni specifically. Ragatha side-eyed the jester, gauging her startled reaction. “But don’t you dare mess this up.”
General Anthena spat in their direction, bitter to the very end, swiping her spear and helmet from the ground and donning her armor before slinking away to join the formation of soldiers.
Although the torch was grudgingly passed, the queen was satisfied. “Thank you for your cooperation, General Anthena.” She nodded before turning to the circus members, her arms wide. “And thank you, humble heroes, for accepting this quest.”
Beneath their feet, the ground rumbled. Ragatha stumbled, looking about the plaza frantically. What was happening? Was there an earthquake? However, as she looked at the crowd of Antonians, they clapped and cheered enthusiastically, completely unfazed by the shaking earth.
Before Ragatha could question any further, her stomach lurched as her body sank into the ground. She looked down with a gasp, now buried knee-deep in the soft sand and sinking rapidly. She desperately tried to tug her legs free, but they didn’t budge, the extra movement causing her to sink even faster.
Panicking, Ragatha looked to the other circus members, her stomach dropping as she realized they were in the same situation. Gangle and Zooble reached out for one another, barely managing to hold onto each other as the earth swallowed them. Kinger quickly gave up struggling, calmly letting himself go. Jax, in contrast, scrambled to unbury himself. Pomni shielded her face, barking at Jax to stop throwing sand in her direction.
… And Ragatha was frozen like a deer in the headlights, her mind reeling as the clapping of the crowd reverberated through her skull, the sand squeezing her tight.
“What’s going on?!” Pomni yelled before she was hit with more sand flung by Jax. She spat before continuing. “Who said we were ready to go?!”
Queen Antionette merely giggled behind her hand, her eyes gleaming mischievously. “Oh, pinwheeled hero, you can never be truly ready.”
Ragatha twisted and pulled to try and free herself, but the movement pulled her seam, sending a shock of pain up her leg. She gasped and fell forward at the waist, quickly abandoning the idea before she ripped herself open. Shaking her head, she chose to follow Pomni’s lead by pleading with the queen.
“W-Wait! Shouldn’t we prepare a little more?” She really hoped she didn’t get sand in her seam… Could it get infected somehow?
Her pleas fell on deaf ears. “Plush hero, do not worry. Our creator has provided all you need!” The queen reassured, oblivious to the circus member’s panic as the sand continued to swallow them up to their chests. “As a parting gift, I give you a heed of caution…”
The queen’s voice resounded through the courtyard, and she bowed her head, as if reciting an ancient prophecy.
Respect the desert and do not underestimate her.
For as she is hot, she is cold.
As she is brutal, she is giving.
Take care of each other and combine your strengths.
The land can teach you many things…
Knowledge in ways you never expected…
Or ever knew you needed.
Ragatha tilted her head up to the sky as the sand reached her chin, the earth squeezing her so tight that she struggled to breathe. From the corner of her eye, she watched in horror as Pomni yelled something unintelligible before disappearing beneath the sand, the twin tails of her jester cap sticking out of the ground before being pulled down with her.
Her heart thumping in her chest, Ragatha desperately tried calling to the queen one last time, but only managed to swallow sand.
“Good luck, brave heroes!”
Upon hearing the queen’s final words, Ragatha went limp, the sand swallowing her down and crushing her from every side…
… Before gravity took hold and she fell through the earth, an invisible force dragging her through an unforeseen ant tunnel.
Ragatha curled in on herself, not daring to open her eyes, suffocating in the endless soil. She tugged the ends of her hair in an attempt to control her fear… And quickly growing nausea. Just how many times was she going to be dragged around today?!
Blood rushed in her ears. Her ribcage felt seconds from caving in. She couldn’t breathe… Or was she holding her breath? She couldn’t tell. Everything was moving so fast. She wished she was anywhere but here. She wished she was at home in bed. She wished for her land, for her siblings, for her mom.
She pulled her hair until it hurt. She didn’t want to be alone.
Then, as quickly as she had been sucked down, she was spat out.
Ragatha burst from the earth with a gasp, the hole to the ant tunnel closing behind her as she crawled away, clutching the earth with shaking hands and breathing deep, greedy gulps of air. She fell face-first to the ground, weakly coughing up dirt with her cheek pressed against the soil as she tried to stop her head from spinning.
Ragatha struggled to swallow past her dry, sandy throat, slowly releasing her grip on the ground. She was afraid to open her eye, but pushed herself up on her knees anyway, wiping away the sand clinging to her face before looking at her surroundings.
Her heart stopped beating.
There was no stage. No queen, no army, no colony. There weren’t even trees to protect her under their shade, leaving her open and vulnerable. She had been transported miles away from the kingdom, from any sense of civilization, dumped in the middle of the desert wilderness at a random clearing.
All alone.
Ragatha fought down a whimper, her hands instinctively reaching for her hair. She felt sick, and not just from motion sickness. W-Where was everyone else? Did Caine forget to assign her an adventure buddy? How was she going to do this by herself?
Under her skirt, her seam ached, irritated from her struggling. Her grip on her hair grew tighter, threatening to rip the strands. She felt dizzy. She desperately tried to control her breathing, but to no avail. Her chest constricted, and she felt like she was breathing through a straw. This couldn’t be right. Somebody had to be coming with her, right?
On her knees, Ragatha peered into the distance, spotting the kingdom from afar, the giant chrome sphere striking against the desert terrain. The crop fields surrounding the walls practically circled it on a map. From up here, she could see the river cut through the land, a streak of green across the endless, dry brown.
Ragatha dryly swallowed past the lump in her throat. Could she make it back if she tried walking? Would it be worse than climbing a mountain alone?
Before Ragatha could seriously contemplate the idea, she was startled as the ground in front of her began to rumble. She tumbled backward in surprise, releasing her hair to catch herself and landing on her behind. Her heart pounding in her throat, Ragatha sighed shakily as relief flooded her system.
Thank her lucky stars. Caine hadn’t forgotten to pair her with someone. Soon, somebody else would be with her, and at this point, she didn’t care who it was.
… Although she did prefer it not to be Jax.
Ragatha moved to fix her bow, hoping the evidence of her second anxiety attack of the day wasn’t obvious. As she finished pulling it tight, the earth opened, and the unknown circus member crawled through, coughing and spitting in the dirt just as she had before. The ragdoll rubbed the sand out of her eye, wondering if her vision was playing tricks on her.
It was Pomni.
After sputtering all the sand out of her mouth, the jester let out a frustrated growl and slammed her fist against the ground. The sudden outburst made Ragatha’s stomach clench. “[$%&%]ing jerks! All of them!” Pomni yelled. She groaned loudly, sighed, and hung her head. She stayed there on all fours, unmoving.
Behind her, Ragatha wrung her skirt, wondering what she could say to console the jester. She opened and closed her mouth uselessly, terrified of saying something that would set her off again. Until finally, enough time passed for Ragatha to realize:
Wait… She doesn’t realize I’m here, does she?
Then Ragatha floundered even more for something to say without seeming like a total creep for staring silently. Pomni tossed her head back with another sigh and climbed to her feet, patting herself down and continuing to miss the remaining spikes in the back of her jester cap. With her hands on her hips, the jester turned on her heel…
Ragatha panicked. A strangled sound escaped her mouth, and she choked on the sand coating the inside of her throat, setting off a relentless coughing fit.
Mid-turn, Pomni jumped in surprise, stumbling backward with wide eyes, noticing Ragatha for the first time. Ragatha struggled to swallow back her coughs, her eye watering relentlessly as she lamely offered the jester a wave, covering her mouth with her other hand.
The jester blinked dumbly. “Ragatha? Are you… Good?”
Ragatha failed to give a verbal response, nodding rapidly and switching to a thumbs up. She averted her gaze, too embarrassed to meet the jester’s eyes and suddenly very interested in the way her dress billowed on the desert floor.
Luckily for her, the jester’s gaze didn’t linger long before it slowly trailed up, focusing on something behind the ragdoll. Pomni’s shoulders sagged, her mouth falling open slightly. Curiously, Ragatha turned over her shoulder to see what made Pomni deflate…
As she turned around, daybreak finally arrived, the sun peeking up behind the grand mountains looming over them… The same sky-high mountains they were expected to summit.
At the idea of climbing to the peak, Ragatha swallowed dryly, her heart sinking and her leg aching. Maybe waiting to get Caine’s help after the adventure wasn’t such a good idea, after all.
But she would manage… Right?