Rapunzel stared at Matt. Matt stared back. He and his party stood just inside the fourth-floor doorway. She wore a purple velvet dress, with short puffed sleeves and intricate golden embroidery. Her bright green eyes bore into Matt’s skull, reminiscent of the goos and the gravemist.

The space between them was a circular room rather than a hallway—and not at all like the sterile white and metal of the previous floors. It sprawled out with rich fabrics, warm firelight, and inviting couches and cushions. A narrow open staircase spiraled up to the ceiling behind her. There were even potted plants in the spacious sitting area, despite nothing growing for miles around the tower. The plush round space didn’t seem to belong after all they’d seen below.

“Isn’t she supposed to have hair?” Val said quietly.

“Guess not?” Matt whispered and continued to hold the woman’s gaze.

She looked like a medieval princess, except for the baldness. She was Level 15 and had gold around her health bar. And while they weren’t in combat yet, the red ‘Rapunzel’ above that pale bald head warned Matt against any sudden movement. Rapunzel turned away and fluffed the pillows on the three-seater couch beside her, then she moved to straighten the throw on the arm of the loveseat.

“Ideas?” Matt whispered.

Warm firelight danced from ornate sconces, evenly spaced around the circumference. It reflected off the back of Rapunzle’s smooth head and down the blades of Matt’s swords.

“Don’t die?” said Kurtis, with an ‘I don’t know’ gesture.

“Brilliant,” Fallyn commended in a dry whisper.

Rapunzel moved on to inspect the round coffee table. It was dark wood with a glossy finish. A small flowering plant was displayed atop it, the kind Matt’s mom had liked: purple flowers and fuzzy round leaves. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember its name. There had been one on the kitchen table.

No, Matt told himself. Don’t go there.

He took inventory of the other plants to distract himself. Five larger ones were scattered throughout the room. Their pots were large enough that they were set on the floor rather than on top of the few small side tables. Matt wondered how they got enough light.

Wiggles approached the closest plant. It looked like a large money tree. Matt had been given a little one once.

He remembered its name because his aunt had given him a long spiel about how it would bring him fortune and luck. He had nodded politely and let her talk, thanked her for the gift, and truly tried to keep it alive. The thing had died after barely a month and now he was here. Definitely not a lucky plant.

The beaver shimmied up to the money tree, large flat tail dragging. The pot was painted in a glossy warm red; its texture reminded Matt of a knitted sweater. It matched the red in the lush area rug, a few feet away. Wiggles paused and stood up on his hind legs. He clasped his hands and looked back at Val. Then he extended a tentative little arm, reaching for the braided trunk.

Rapunzel snapped to attention and stared down the curious animal. She stomped three thunderous steps towards him, skirts swishing. She launched a spray of silver needles.

“Eeeeee!” cried Wiggles.

Matt’s heads-up display popped.

The poor animal ran in a circle covered in tiny spikes, a cybernetic porcu-beaver. He flashed deep purple as Val tried to heal him. He kept turning in a frenzy of fur and metal.

Rapunzel picked up a white porcelain amphora. It turned to gold, the color leaching out from her fingers. Then she chucked the vase at the spinning beaver. Wiggles froze when it struck. He whimpered.

“Do something!” Val yelled. The animal continued to glow; she was struggling to heal her pet.

“Wu,” he said, barely audible.

White flames began to drip down Rapunzel. Matt Blood Slashed an X across her. He activated Shadow Flurry and leaned in. The ebony shards tore through her as they swirled but, still, she fixated on the animal.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“How dare you!” Rapunzel accused the beaver. She pointed furiously in his direction.

Taunt! thought Matt. Taunt go! Taunt activate!

“Eeeee!” Wiggles cried, getting hit by a solid gold pillow.

“I can’t make it work!” Matt exclaimed.

Prince Charming had used it—at least Matt thought that’s what he’d seen. Matt searched his memories of the previous floor in a panic. The knight had held up his shield and kept his left foot forward. He’d jabbed and sometimes slashed with his sword.

Do I need a shield? No. The Skills Menu had only specified the shield requirement for Shield Slam. There were no mentions of weapons for any other skills. He didn’t dare block his vision with menus in the middle of a fight, but he’d read them so many times.

Matt tried to mimic Prince Charming’s motions. It was like a baseball batting stance. He held his left sword up in place of the shield. It reflected golden firelight from the wall sconces. Taunt! he thought again. Taunt activate! Nothing happened.

“Eee!” Wiggles cried out again.

“Attack me!” Matt yelled.

Rapunzel glanced at him but did not divert from the beaver.

Then Matt remembered the other thing Charming had done. He had yelled at their enemies—yelled insults.

Oh, hell, Matt thought as the realization hit. That was what ‘taunt’ meant in the dictionary.

But Matt wasn’t someone who insulted people. He didn’t even swear—out loud at least. It was his inner voice that swore, that tiny part of him that cowered most days. That was the hidden part that dared to dream. It didn’t care what others thought. It was allowed to get angry. It would have to come out—somehow. Matt wasn’t sure he could do this.

“Your…” Matt faltered. “Your head is like a butt,” he blurted and then grimaced. He searched his friends’ faces for their reactions.

Rapunzel pivoted and threw a rock-hard golden pillow at Matt’s head.

“Ow.” Matt scrunched his eyes. The hit cost him 10% health and smarted. His taunt had worked.

“Yeah, butt-face!” Val yelled.

Matt used Conk to give his health a moment to tick up and—if he was honest—to dish out a bit of revenge. His head freaking hurt! Matt Blood Slashed, hanging a glowing afterimage. Then a stream of fire and lightning burst through the air over his shoulder, a twisting column from Fallyn’s staff. Rapunzel spread her arms, letting out a spray of needles that tore through the group.

“Ah!” yelled Val.

“Turn her around!” called Kurtis.

Shit.

Matt stepped to the right, needles clustering on his arms and legs. His health line dropped to 75%. It felt like the needles had been dipped in hot sauce. He cast Rapid Regeneration and tried to yank some out. He rotated and the enemy followed him.

Positioned between Matt and his party, arrows sprouted from Rapunzel’s shoulders, pulsing midnight purple. Pale purple Arcane Bolts rained from above. Wiggles furiously scratched at her side. Matt Blood Slashed again, limbs burning in protest.

Then her health dropped to 50% and something changed. A wind rushed through the room extinguishing all of the sconces. Rapunzel blazed white, a human torch, sending long shadows creeping towards the walls from the plants and furniture. Matt’s skin glowed a soft blue.

Fallyn held up her staff, letting its glow build to a secondary spotlight. Rapunzel turned towards it, menacingly. Green streaks shot down her arms and face, contrasting with the purple velvet of her dress. She picked up a blue pillow; gold crept across its fabric.

“Your, uh… Barney wants his skin back!” Matt yelled.

Rapunzel whipped around to face Matt. “How dare you!”

She threw the solid gold pillow. It winded Matt. His health shot down a third.

Shit. Matt’s health was lower than hers.

“Throw the neutralizer at her!” Fallyn called. “I’m out!”

Little blue vials flew from Kurtis and Val, bouncing off of Rapunzel and clinking ever so softly on the red-carpeted floor.

Shit, shit, shit.

Rapunzel’s emerald eyes were wild—as if she were trying to devour Matt with her stare. Dripping with white fire, she picked up a throw blanket and turned it to gold. It stiffened and she wound up, readying to swing it like a baseball bat. She ignored an arrow that landed in her side.

Kurtis pulled the stoppers from two vials, behind her, and dumped them on her bald head. The viscous liquid coated the smooth dome with blue sparkles.

“Attack me, gumball head! Kids’ toothpaste head? Stripper glitter ball lady!”

“How dare you!” Rapunzel screeched, but the green streaks were already fading and shrinking into her skin. The stiff gold blanket fell from her fingers.

Matt Blood Slashed and glowed green from Kurtis’ heal. Another conduit of fire and lightning drove into Rapunzel. Then Arcane Bolts rained. An arrow speared her in the neck. It throbbed a deep angry purple.

Rapunzel reached up and broke off the arrow’s shaft. She stared at it, then down at her arms. Her health passed 20%.

Wiggles slammed into her back, causing her to stumble towards Matt. He slashed at her and she sidestepped, bracing herself on the arm of a couch. Hunched over and breathing heavily, she dripped with white flames. She stared at the floor, health at 14% and lowering.

Matt lunged towards her and tightened his grip on his swords. He angled himself so that Rapunzel stayed between him and the group. He bent his knees, sinking into a solid stance. Then he hesitated.

“Please,” she whimpered. Her arrow-filled shoulders rose and fell with shuddering breaths.

Fallyn’s conduit of energy drove into her side.

“Please,” she repeated. Matt thought he heard a sob.

“Stop,” Matt whispered. He wasn’t entirely sure why. This was the quest, the enemy. He watched her health tick down: 11%, 10%, 9%. “Stop,” he said more loudly.

The column of energy from Fallyn’s staff winked out. The room dimmed. The only light source was the figure in front of him; the woman continued to burn. Another midnight arrow thwunked into her back.

“Stop!” Matt yelled.

5%, 4%.

“Please.”