(A few moments earlier)

Naomi finished a simple meal comprised of the various, bland canned foods that the library sanctuary had provided, setting the empty containers beside her. It felt wrong to just leave trash lying around, but it wasn't like there were any waste bins in the Labyrinth. She took a sip of water and shot a glance at Jade. The succubus had her eyes closed and was leaning back against a broad tree, nestled between a cluster of roots. Her face was framed by locks of jet black hair, a result of her earlier shapeshifting experiments that she'd apparently decided to keep for a bit. Unarmored and wearing a normal, if somewhat dirty, t-shirt and pants, she looked just like any regular young woman.

Was now the best time? Naomi was conflicted. Over the past few days, she had come to see Jade as a friend and someone she could rely on. She was the driving force behind the progress they'd made and had been instrumental in defeating the first boss monster they'd encountered.

And yet a lingering unease persisted in the back of Naomi's mind. It had receded, but not vanished.

I have to be sure. She thought, biting her lower lip.

"Jade?" She asked, standing up.

"Yes?"

"I know we've been busy, but I don't want to put this off any longer." Naomi said, walking up to her. She hesitated, suddenly nervous. "I'm taking you up on your offer. I want to know what your enchantments feel like."

She had to know what it felt like. The idea that some unknown force could manipulate her without her knowledge had been continuing to bother her. It was time to stop telling herself excuses and to get this over with.

"Okay." Jade said, sitting upright. Her hair shifted back to its normal blonde. Naomi couldn't tell what she was thinking, her expression was impossible to read. "Are you ready now?"

Luis and Siora had been clearing some space for a sleeping area but, stopped to watch.

"Yes." Naomi replied. She swallowed, her heartbeat rising in anticipation.

Jade hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.

"Come here."

Nothing happened. Naomi waited a few moments, and then looked around.

"Was I supposed to feel something? Did it work?"

"It didn't take." Jade frowned, her eyes glossing over as she pulled up her status screen. "That was just the D level version of the spell, the best I can do without being in my demon form. It compels a creature to view me as a friend."

"I already think of you as a friend." Naomi pointed out. "Maybe that's why it didn't work?"

"Maybe. Let's try again at C level. It didn't even go on cooldown, so I don't have to wait."

"Alright."

Jade's form shifted before her eyes, wings blossoming from her back to curl around her body. The tail and horns emerged a moment later, leaving her friend looking like she had just stepped off the set of a high fantasy movie. Naomi was slowly getting used to witnessing the change, but it still fascinated her.

"How do you not destroy your shirts when you do that?" she asked, voicing something she'd been curious about.

"I did wreck the first few." Jade sounded exasperated. "I cut long slits in the back of the ones I have left."

"Like your armor? That makes sense." Naomi took a deep breath. "OK, I'm ready."

Jade pointed a finger at her chest, speaking softly.

"Come here…"

The words echoed in Naomi's mind, sweet and compelling. Jade's figure shone in the fading shafts of evening light, her skin sparkling like sunshine reflected on shifting water. Naomi's mind felt slightly fuzzy, like she'd had a little too much to drink. She was fixated on Jade, unable to tear her gaze away from her beautiful visage.

She was standing next to her now, with no memory of having moved.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" She found herself asking, the words leaving her lips without concious thought. What a strange sensation… It felt like something that should alarm her, but for some reason it didn't. Being near Jade just felt good and safe. There was no need to worry about anything.

"Jade…" Luis said. He sounded concerned, but Naomi couldn't figure out why. Everything was perfectly fine. Better than fine. This was the best she'd felt since entering this awful, scary new world.

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"I'll end it soon." Jade was saying to him. "She should have a chance to break free on her own."

What were they talking about? Oh well, it must not be important. What mattered was making Jade happy. Something nagged at the back of her mind, though. Trailing thoughts that tugged for her attention. Had she forgotten something important?

"Naomi." Jade was speaking to her again, and Naomi's doubts drained away.

"Yes?"

"Go wash these in the river." Her friend said, handing her a small pile of clothes.

"Of course, I'd be happy to." Naomi was glad that she could be helpful. She accepted the bundle from Jade and turned to leave, picking her way through the cluster of brambles that surrounded their makeshift camp. As she drew away, the nagging thoughts began to return. She had forgotten something, hadn't she? But what was it…?

Distracted, she stumbled on patch of vines and had to throw out a hand to steady herself. A line of stinging pain streaked across her forearm as a thorn bit into it. Naomi gasped in surprise, eyes watering and pressing a hand against the smarting scrape.

"Ow!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "Be careful coming through here, it's…"

She paused, confused, glancing down at the clothes she had dropped.

"Wait…" She turned towards Jade. "Was that your charm?"

"Congratulations. You broke it." Jade said, shifting back into her human appearance.

"I did?"

Naomi's memory of the past minute was something of a haze. It was as if she'd been really zoned out, acting on autopilot.

"That was… weird…"

She shuddered. What she could remember of the experience was unpleasant. Or rather, it had been too pleasant. Naomi remembered how the goblins in the scrapyard had stared adoringly at Jade after she'd charmed them. Now she understood. It was almost like a drug.

"I'm sorry." Jade said quietly, looking at the ground. "I didn't want to scare you."

"I asked you to do it." Naomi reminded her. "I just had to know."

"And?" Jade asked, meeting her gaze.

"And I want to keep practicing." Naomi decided as she spoke. "I knew it was coming, and I still couldn't stop it. Not until I got a shock." She rubbed her still-stinging arm. "I want to train myself to know when someone is doing that to me, and to fight it."

Even if she trusted Jade, which she wanted to, surely there were others in the Labyrinth that wielded similar powers. Naomi had no intention of being helpless before them. One thing she did know, though, was that Jade had not used her charm magic on her before now. It had a distinctive feel to it, a lingering buzz that faded along with her influence. Maybe she wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't been expecting the spell, but now that she knew what it felt like Naomi was fairly confident that it hadn't been used on her before. That made her feel better, at least a little bit.

"That, I can help you with." Jade turned to the rest of the group. "Since we're already doing this, does anyone else want a try?"

"Not me." Luis shook his head. "That was a little creepy, I'm good."

"Naomi has a point." Jade insisted. "We should all try it sometime, if only as part of our training."

Siora, who had been listening to the discussion curiously, suddenly stood up. The elf slowly turned in place, one of her tapered ears twitching.

"Did you hear that?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Hear what?" Naomi asked.

They all fell silent, listening. Jade put a hand on the hilt of one of her daggers, and Naomi softly stepped to where her guitar was propped against a tree.

For a few moments there was nothing, and then…

"What was that?" she asked, unsure if the faint sound was real or imagined. "Some kind of banging sound?"

"And shouting." Siora said, eyes shut tight in concentration. "Something is happening upriver."

"Let's check it out." Jade said.

She moved to exit the small clearing and then hesitated, looking back at her discarded armor. All of them were wearing their normal clothes, as they couldn’t sleep well while geared for battle.

"Should we gear up?" Naomi asked, conflicted.

"Someone might need help." Luis said. "It might be too late if we wait.

"I don't have armor." Siora pointed out. "I can go ahead while you-"

"No." Jade cut her off. "We're staying together. Armor first, we have to look out for ourselves too."

"I'm with Jade." Naomi agreed.

That settled it. Jade and Naomi pulled on their padded coverings, then strapped on the thick leather cuirass overtop. Siora assisted Luis with the buckles of his damaged breastplate. He'd made what minor repairs he could, but they'd have to find a replacement for him soon.

A few minutes later they were jogging through the dimly lit jungle, keeping to the relatively clear riverbank. Evening was slowly transitioning to twilight, and Naomi was concerned that they'd run out of daylight. Fortunately, the commotion wasn't all that far away. As they rounded a bend in the waterway a bridge spanning the river came into sight. It was made of wood and looked to be in a state of disrepair.

On the near shore beside the bridge and directly ahead of them sat a small hut comprised of thick stones. It had a sturdy looking door, though as they drew closer Naomi could see that its wooden surface was scarred and cracked. The source of the damage was clear. A large beast prowled the beach, a mixture of canine and feline features blending to form the body of a fearsome predator. Naomi's eyes were drawn to the large stinger that arched over the monster's back, its barbed tip glinting in the fading light. It turned to face them, growling.

"Oh, shit…" Jade said, slowing down. Her face paled, and her hand came up to rub a spot on her chest. "This thing is dangerous. Watch out."

"Is someone out there?" A distant voice called. It sounded like it was coming from the hut. "Please, help us!"

They came to a stop some thirty yards from the beast, which continued to snarl at them. Long, quivering spines lined its back. It stood between them and the squat structure, stinger swishing back and forth like the tail of a cat ready to pounce.

"Is that…?" Naomi started, watching the beast warily.

"Yeah… That's what almost killed me on my first day." Jade said. "A venomhound."

Naomi shifted her gaze to the monster, pulling up its info box.

* Venomhound

* Level: 15

* Creature Type: Magical beast (Monster)

* Origin: Labyrinth-born

A spike of panic twisted Naomi's stomach into knots as she saw the creature's level. Before she could say anything, another window opened.

* System Notice

* This Labyrinth monster is exhibiting anomalous characteristics. To help resolve this issue more quickly, please share the following anomaly code with the closest Labyrinth attendant. Thank you for your cooperation.

* Anomaly code 88887b: Exception(spawn coordinates)

"Yeah, that's real freaking helpful." Naomi muttered, disgusted. She clenched her fingers into fists to stop her hands from trembling.

It's a good thing we put our armor back on.