Gigi was practically dragging her date by the time they were back at the festival. Romantic walks were lovely, but they had all night for that. She wanted to explore and do everything that was never open when she was done working. She looked around at the aisles of carts, impromptu shops, and grills. They didn’t forbid anyone from plying their trade at these festivals, from arachne and centaurs to ogres and satyrs.

She didn’t see any other humans, though. Drake was a rarity in Poppy. She had seen maybe three or four human men, counting Secco. She wondered if he ever felt lonely, being one of the only humans in town. He didn’t seem to mind, but she thought if she saw another one, maybe she could... She wasn’t sure. What did humans do to bond? Maybe Secco knew.

Gigi looked up at Drake and saw him eyeing a game across the way. She looked at the game, eyes lighting up, then pulled him toward the stand.

“Toad Tongues! Want to play?” she asked him.

“Like with...real toads?” Drake asked, trying to keep up.

“Exactly! Tulmite toads,” she said as if it were obvious.

They came up to the bar of the booth with a very bored, possibly drunk, reptoid standing behind. His reptilian eyes quivered and narrowed as the two sidled up. Gigi wasn’t sure if she could smell liquor on him or the patrons before them. It smelled good either way.

“Two toads, please!” she said, slapping two coins onto the bar.

“You got it, green miss,” the reptoid burped. The lizard man reached into the barrel beside him, effortlessly producing two giant toads, slapping them onto the bar with a wet smack.

“Uh, so how do we play?” Drake asked, eyeing the toads.

The carnival lizard threw a switch. The front of the bar fell away to reveal a bustling aquatic wonderland of an aquarium underneath. The panel blocking the view of the tank disappeared to reveal multicolored fish darting in and out of little rock caves. Gigi thought she saw an octopus hiding in the back.

“It’s really simple. Watch,” Gigi said.

She raised her toad, aiming its head into the tank. Gigi gently squeezed the toad, causing the creature's tongue to rocket out of its mouth and into the tank. It lashed at the sand and missed the fleeing fish.

“Damn!” she cried.

“Two more tries,” the reptoid said.

“I know, I know,” Gigi grumbled.

“We use this,” Drake raised his toad, “to catch those?” He pointed at the fish.

“Bingo,” she nodded. “Just point the toad and give it a gentle squeeze.” Drake did as instructed and hit the side of the tank with the toad’s tongue.

“Two more tries,” the reptoid grinned.

“We know!” Gigi said with irritation.

Drake looked at the prizes behind the sleazy carny. His gaze was drawn to a particular bouquet. The petals were silvery and glimmered in the light. He suddenly, desperately wanted to win them for his date.

“How do I win the flowers?” Drake asked the lizard.

“Easy as pie. You just gotta catch that little yeller fish there,” he pointed at a small yellow fish darting in and out of the coves. It looked sleek and fast.

“Don’t go for the yellow one,” Gigi said. “It’s too fast.”

Drake nodded but then aimed the toad and squeezed. The tongue shot out with surprising force. However, while his aim had been true, Gigi had been right. The fish was far too fast to be caught with the toad’s tongue.

“Too bad.” The lizard shrugged. “One more shot, fella.”

Gigi aimed and squeezed at a blue fish, the tongue connected and lurched backward, fish in tow. The toad let the fish sit in its mouth, floundering momentarily. Gigi knew she would need to wrestle the fish out quickly; otherwise... The toad gulped loudly, swallowing the fish.

“Aww, too bad, no points. You got one more shot, little lady.”

Drake aimed at the yellow fish one more time. His shot went wide as the toad jumped from his hands into the water below.

“Sorry, son, the game’s over.”

“Hardly seems fair,” Drake said sadly, looking at his empty hands and then at the rambunctious toad.

He watched it swim around in the tank gayly until he saw the yellow fish darting in the coves again, and an idea came to him. It was starting to occur to him that this game may have been rigged, but perhaps he could beat the odds a bit.

“Gigi, go for the yellow fish,” Drake said.

“No! I already told you it’s too fast.”

“Trust me,” he said with a smile.

She shrugged and aimed at the yellow fish. Drake reached into the tank's darkness, which was plentiful in the little caves the fish hid in. As Gigi squeezed the toad, he used the inky black to surge the water forward, pushing the yellow fish into the sticky tongue.

The tongue retracted at lightning speed, but this time, Gigi was ready. She plucked the yellow fish right off the toad’s tongue with her electric reflexes.

“Holy hells, I got it!”

“She what?” the lizard asked in astonishment.

“I think I win a prize?” she asked smugly, dangling the fish before the reptoid.

The onlookers clapped at the accomplishment. No one watching could recall a time when anyone actually won Toad Tongues. That simply wasn’t the nature of these carnival games. The reptoid running the stand was unamused, a scowl running down his scaly face.

“Yes. Pick your prize,” he said through gritted teeth.

***

A moment later, Gigi walked away with the bouquet of silvery flowers, inhaling their sweet scent deeply. Victory smelled good and floral to her.

“Do you like them?” Drake asked.

“I love them! Do you know what they are called?” Drake shook his head. “Wyvern tears because of their silver color,” she said, holding them up for him to inspect.

“They smell like vanilla.”

“They don’t taste like it. Found that out as a kid,” she beamed. Drake grinned, proud of himself. “So, how did you help me win anyway?”

Drake’s face took on a surprised expression. “What do you mean?” he asked innocently.

“I know that game is rigged. Everyone but you knew that, and yet somehow we won.” She held up the flowers.

“Well, I might have used a tiny bit of magic to help.” He pinched his fingers together in front of his eye.

“Right, of course,” she laughed. “Well, it was sweet.”

“Remember that I’m sweet the next time I screw up,” he grinned.

They both laughed. Despite the crowds of people around them, Gigi felt like it was just the two of them.

“What’s that?” Drake pointed at a brightly colored display a few stalls down from them. The sign was bright neon and hurt slightly to look at. In the center was a tiny squid with the words “Iyo Iyo.” Around the stall were a collection of stumps and other makeshift seats where patrons appeared to be either staring blankly into space or transfixed on some mundane item, such as their hand.

“By the gods, they let them back! After last year, too?” Gigi said, ears twitching in excitement.

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“Let who back?”

“Come on, this is going to be amazing!” Gigi took Drake by the hand and began to push through the crowd toward the Iyo Iyo booth, careful of the flowers in her other hand. A few shoves later, they were in line waiting.

“But what is it?”

“It’s a drink!”

“Like alcohol...?”

Gigi furrowed her brow. She forgot he didn’t drink. However, she felt the siren call of intoxication firmly within her. Besides, this wasn’t alcohol. It was completely different, she assured herself. The yearning goblin just knew he would love it if he tried it.

“It’s squid ink!”

“What?” he asked in confusion.

“Yeah, it comes from this tiny squid.” She pointed at the happy-looking white squid on the sign. Drake slowly nodded, still not understanding.

“So, why would we want to drink squid ink? Does it taste good?”

“Oh no, it tastes terrible!”

Drake tilted his head like a confused puppy. “So...why then?”

Gigi twisted nervously, not wanting to admit the truth. “Well... How do I say this? It makes you, um, see things that aren’t really there.”

“Interesting, why would we want to do that?”

“Because it feels good and you can see all kinds of fun things! Last year, I saw a dragon made out of fireworks!” she said excitedly.

“A dragon made of fireworks doesn’t sound so bad. We won’t see anything we don’t want to see, right?”

Gigi put her fingers to her mouth, thinking. That was an excellent question she had never considered. In truth, she didn’t know.

“Look, I swear it’s a blast. It’s nothing like being drunk, I would know.”

Drake crossed his arms and looked at the night sky. He smiled and looked back down at his date.

“Let’s do it. I want to try it. You only live once, right?”

“YAY!” Gigi jumped with joy.

After a short wait, they hit the front of the line, and a weary and bleary-eyed marsh-man greeted them.

“Welcome! First timers or repeat customers?” the scaly counter clerk asked.

“Oh, not me, but this is his first time.” Gigi raised Drake’s hand.

“Oh, well, my advice? Try not to think of nothing too upsettin’.”

“Why?” asked Drake nervously.

“Well-”

“Okay! Two cups, please!” Gigi cut him off, dropping coins into his palm. She did not want him to make Drake nervous about this.

“You got it, green gal.” The marsh-man reached his webbed fingers behind the counter, producing two small glasses. Drake looked at the brews as if they were living creatures that might attack him. The liquid was thick and black.

“Okay, let’s see some fireworks,” Drake said.

Gigi picked up both glasses and handed one to her date. “LET’S SEE SOME FIREWORKS!” she she cried. She gave him the drink. “On three.”

“Okay,” he agreed.

“THREE!”

She downed the shot of liquid with a satisfied gasp. Drake looked at his glass, sighed, and threw the black brew back. It tasted like dirt and bile. He swallowed hard to get rid of the taste, doing his best not to gag, and waited for the effects to hit.

He felt nothing. He looked at Gigi expectantly. She was grinning stupidly in anticipation.

“It takes a second to kick in, but once it does...bam!” She shot her arms up to illustrate.

“Then we...see things?”

“Yep! Why don’t we take a seat so we don’t lose each other?” Drake nodded vigorously.

The couple picked their way through the glaze-eyed, obstructing patrons that sat around the Iyo Iyo booth. They found an unoccupied stump, and Gigi tapped it to indicate that Drake should sit. She was planning on standing. She wasn’t going to ruin her dress on the ground or a stump, hallucinations or not.

Gigi began to feel a tingling in her ears that quickly cascaded down her green body. A light numbness inundated her muscles as her entire frame relaxed. Closing her eyes, she sighed contentedly. Yes, this was exactly what she needed, a good time with... Whatever Drake was to her.

She opened her eyes and looked around, excited for what she might see. However, she saw nothing other than Drake staring back at her. She frowned. This batch may have taken longer.

“I feel weird,” Drake said, crossing his arms.

“Good, weird?” Gigi asked hopefully.

“Maybe. I can’t decide,” he shrugged

“Do you see anything yet?”

“I don’t think so,” he shook his head.

“Help!” a cry sounded from the crowd.

Gigi’s ears twitched. “Did you hear that?” she asked.

“No, should I have?”

“I just heard someone calling for help, I swear it.”

“Maybe it’s the ink?”

“Why would I want to hear someone crying for help?” she wondered aloud.

“I don’t know, I’m just suggesting it is all.”

“HELP!” came the cry again.

“There it is again!” Gigi swiveled around, looking for the source.

“I still don’t hear it.”

Gigi saw a flash of green in the crowd, and for a second thought, she recognized someone. She heard the call again, sure it came from the river of people before her. She felt drawn to investigate.

“Drake, I’m going to go see if someone needs help. Want to come with?”

“Sure,” he said, going to stand. A moment later, Drake shook his head. “I don’t think my legs will listen. On second thought, I’ll stay here.”

She felt a pang of guilt for leaving him there. Gigi crossed her arms, vacillating between staying and going, then she heard the cry once more. It simply wasn’t in her nature to not help. She turned back to her date.

“Okay, but don’t move, got it? I’ll be right back.”

Drake gave her a woozy thumbs up. She nodded. She didn’t expect him to be going anywhere soon. Gigi stalked off into the crowd, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

***

Drake leaned back on the stump a little too far and almost fell. After catching his balance, he settled on putting his head in his hands. Drake had been hoping this drink would be a little more entertaining. Now, he felt strange, and Gigi wasn’t even with him.

He sighed and shut his eyes. Time slipped through his fingers, a heaviness overtaking him. When he opened his eyes again, the festival had gone silent. He stood, looking around, but the booths and merriment had disappeared. Before him lay a bridge; he grimaced in recognition. Rain hit the back of his neck. Had it always been raining?

“So good of you to join us,” a gravelly voice called out. Drake swiveled on his heels. Behind him lay more bridge now, stretching out beyond sight, the festival gone.

Drake’s mouth went slack, blood freezing in his veins. The officer’s sleek, black armor fit snugly over tensing muscles. He held his helmet in one arm, tattoos winding on the little bits of bare skin. Merciless eyes pierced through Drake. The Lord Commander of the Swords, Gaius, stood before him. Beside him was Gigi, beaten and crying, just like the servant girl had been on that fateful day.

He felt a surge of rage. The soldier was unsure what fresh hell he had awoken into, but the sight of his love in such a state tortured and infuriated him. Drake remembered how this ended. It had been seared onto his soul. He would not let this happen, not again. No more blood would be spilled. Gaius would torment him no longer.

“Gaius,” he shouted. The rain made it hard for him to hear himself.

“It’s rude to keep your superiors waiting. Ever more rude to keep her waiting.” Gaius lifted Gigi by the back of the neck until her feet were dangling.

“Put her down,” he roared.

Gaius snickered and shook his head. “It looks like you’re running out of time, Drake.”

Gaius pointed with his free hand behind the soldier. Drake turned to find a legion of knights, his knights, waiting at arms. In front of them was the captain, his sword raised high.

“Sally forth!” the captain shouted.

Drake turned to meet Gaius again, startled when he saw Gaius and Gigi beside him. There was terror in Gigi’s eyes as she was held aloft.

“Time’s up,” Gaius grinned.

With the slightest twist of his fingers, her neck snapped. The cracking bones rang in Drake’s ears like cannons being fired. His eyes snapped open, standing, ready to fight. A crowd had anxiously gathered around the strange human. Drake looked around in terror. None of it had been real—of course, it hadn’t—lowering his head and mumbling apologies, he sat back down. The onlookers began to disperse as his stance softened, and he sat back on the stump. Whatever show they had been watching had ended.

Panic and the urge to fight were still roiling inside him. However, they now felt increasingly out of place among the festivities. Embarrassed and needing to ensure Gigi was okay, he scanned the crowd for her. He didn’t see her, or any goblins, for that matter. There were a multitude of other creatures of various shapes and sizes, but no goblins. Drake stood again and entered the crowd to look for his lost love.