The rest of the maze is rather ordinary. Another chest along the western corridor contains another three vials of antistone compound, and while I`ve never needed more than three in the game, my newfound mortality and Sammy`s gentle gaze both convince me that there`s no need to be stingy to save just a couple seconds. I have to remind myself there`s not a timer in the corner of my monitor right now, and I double-check my display window to confirm it.

　　One of the biggest things I`ve had to adjust to about living the game as opposed to speedrunning it, is the absolute inability to skip downtime. I can`t mash through text, I can`t cutscene skip, I don`t just gloss over a night`s sleep with a few seconds of a catchy jingle. Everything is a lot more deliberate, and I realize Sammy is right. A few extra seconds grabbing items I consider safety strats` while playing don`t cost me any real time here. At worst it costs a few seconds of sleep.

　　We traverse through the left side of the maze with little resistance, and, ignoring the traps in the middle, head into the right side. Sammy clutches onto my arm as she leads the way, though parts of the maze are narrow enough that we can`t stay side-by-side. Again we follow Sammy`s left-hand rule, and with minimal delay and no signs of an ambush, we reach the far side of the maze.

　　With a bit of fiddling around, I stumble upon another control panel, and activating it disables the light suppression field over the area. The walls again begin to glow and the shine of Sammy`s staff radiates outward, dazzling me for a moment as my eyes struggle to adjust from the near darkness moments earlier.

　　Once I regain my senses and the room stops spinning, we walk along the small path until we reach the second lever. Together we yank the thing down, and as we do, our hands remain tied together a bit longer, neither of us quite letting go.

　　"Um," Sammy says after several seconds. "We should probably get going."

　　"Aww!" I tease. "Do we have to?"

　　"I think you`re being a little greedy, Ash. I did let you carry me around earlier. Maybe after we get back to the surface."

　　I nod as we head back through the maze. A distant screeching of gears rings out, followed by a deep squawking rumble. Our friend seems to be roused from its slumber. Further clanging, like the sound of a spoon slamming against a metal pan, only confirms my fears. I pull out a cluster of grapes and an orange and toss the latter to Sammy as we return to the other side of the maze and back toward the central chamber - in the game, the cockatrice appears only after clearing all three puzzles and opening the path leading toward the monster. But there`s no way to be certain that still holds now.

　　My suspicions are confirmed as we jog back toward the central chamber. The pounding noises from below grow louder, accompanied by a cacophony of squawking and roaring that stuns me in place for a moment before I will past my primal fears. And when we arrive, the flat, polished surface we left is now dented, full of numerous protrusions, the mark of a bird beast slamming against the walls of its metal cage. I draw my blade and still my breathing as best I can as the beast slams forward, each clang accompanied by an ever-larger dent until, with one ear-piercing shriek, the gargantuan monstrosity tears through the floor of metal and stone, flying up and landing a few yards away with a thud that shakes the entire structure.

　　Sammy`s eyes grow wide as she stares down the giant beast. "My goodness, Ash! That`s the biggest cock I`ve ever seen!"

　　"I know, but together, the two of us can take this thing! We`ll have to double-team it!" I pull out two vials of antistone compound and toss them to her. "Here. I hope you don`t need them, but just in case you do."

　　We turn to each other and nod. I charge out in front, and Sammy covers me with a Triple Firebolt which flies past me. The flaming orbs do little more than singe its plume and stagger it for a quarter-second, but that window is just long enough for me to close the gap and slash at its talons. I score a clean hit but the beast`s flapping wings and the accompanying gales push me back as it now hovers just out of range.

　　"You okay Ash?" Sammy asks.

　　"For now. Can you throw some lightning at it?" Birds are weak to electric attacks in this world too, right?

　　Sammy unleashes two consecutive bursts of Lightning Strike. The first bolt misses, but the second connects and seems to paralyze it for a moment - it tumbles, and though it recovers before it slams into the ground, the brief window is just enough for me to launch a Vacuum Slash into its right wing. The attack connects, slicing into the cockatrice, but I lack the strength to sever it in two.

　　I ready another attack, but the screech of its vicious scream stuns me and it dives before I can fully recover. Its talons pull back as it charges its beak directly at me, its massive eye staring me down. My knees buckle from the force of impact as I use my sword to block the cockatrice from impaling me with its attacks. Still, it`s a pounding strike that inflicts almost a hundred damage despite fully blocking the hit. I shudder to think what would have happened had I not - that massive cock surely would have impaled me!

　　And as the overgrown clucker stares its single green, beady eye directly toward me, my muscles start to tense up and my body stops responding to my commands. I try to break free, but I`m transfixed, beholden to the allure of the one-eyed beast staring down at me. I lose feeling, first in my toes, then my feet and ankles before I realize that I`m being afflicted with its petrifying gaze.

　　Shit, I thought it was just its beak and spit that inflicted ailments, not its&

　　I force my eyes to look down and see a couple drops of some watery substance dripping down on my stony feet. My heart races as I try to break off the attack, though it continues beating down as now my shins are turning to stone before my eyes.

　　As my knees lose all feeling, Sammy launches another Lightning Strike, dazing both me and this overgrown chicken. I take a bit of damage, but I`m able to recover and, with all my remaining strength, reach in my inventory and down one of the vials of antistone compound like a shot. Feeling slowly returns to my body, though not soon enough as the beady cock charges toward Sammy, attempting to impale her with its large, bulbous head.

　　I dare not use Sworderang and go without my weapon for any length of time, and my Vacuum Slash is only somewhat effective, not to mention I`d be aiming right at my party member. My only other option is Taunt, but I`m not even sure if that works. Finding no other option, I throw caution to the wind.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

　　"Hey you! Cockhead!" I cry out. The oversized rooster turns around.

　　"What`s wrong? You think that was enough to handle me? Or are you too much of a chicken to handle more than one round with a lady?"

　　I wince both at my lack of good insults and of the thoughts I just spoke aloud. Just the thought of trying to handle this cock makes me sick in ways I didn`t think possible. But even so, I`d rather take it myself than ask Sammy to bear its weight - she`d certainly be broken with just a single pound or two.

　　The taunt does seem effective - I briefly question if it`s fueled more by my intent than the listener`s understanding - and it turns around once more, staring me down. I get an idea, one not possible in-game, but I`ve already proven numerous times that I`m not bound by all of the game`s rules. I draw my Ice Blade from my inventory and stare the cock down, both weapons drawn.

　　It sprints toward me, beak and disgusting, slobbering gullet in front, bits of spit landing on the ground and turning the metallic structures of the ziggurat`s floor to stone with each step. As it lurches toward me, I leap in the air and maximize the light emanating from my Radiant Edge directly in its eye. It screeches, but I`m prepared and don`t falter, even as my ears want to burst from the sound. While it`s still stunned, I thrust my Ice Blade through its upper beak, skewering its mouth shut and freezing all the petrifying compounds within. I then finish my assault by gouging that overgrown, hypnotic eye before being thrown backwards onto the ground as it thrashes about.

　　Sammy runs over to me and heals me. "Are you okay?" she asks.

　　"I`m fine. Just glad that actually worked."

　　"You weren`t sure that would even work, Ash?"

　　"Better than certainly getting killed! But now`s not the time - it`s not dead, and its hearing is good enough that it`s still dangerous. Be on your guard!"

　　Again, the monstrous cock lunges forward, though its movements are more erratic, and for the first time, I feel we have the upper hand. With my Ice Blade still keeping its beak in place, we only have to worry about its physical girth weighing down on us. Even then, I might have the strength to resist it, though Sammy probably can`t.

　　I meet its charge head on, preparing for a last-second dodge and counterstrike. We get closer, closer to the point where I can almost feel its spiny feathers poking against my skin, before I spin to the side and slash at the base of its left wing. I drop to the floor, extracting my weapon from its fleshy scabbard, but taking a few sharp feathers for my trouble. My health is dropping low from the bleed damage, but a quick Heal from Sammy negates my debuff and returns me to fighting shape.

　　It finally looses my icy weapon from its beak and the gurgling of its saliva and stomach fluids makes me queasy - seeing Sammy`s expression, the way her face contorts, she surely feels similarly. It charges, and I leap out of the way just in time to dodge Sammy`s Lightning Strike, and for the first time, the beast is stunned for more than a fraction of a second.

　　Still, something isn`t right. We should have gotten backup by now, based on the game`s plot. Where is she? I want to look around but I have to focus on what we can do in the here and now, as I leap up and deliver a downward thrust into the back of the oversized cock. Unfortunately, its hearing is good enough that I deliver only a glancing blow along its side before being knocked back.

　　I grab my Ice Blade as Sammy distracts the beast with two casts of Triple Firebolt. The damage is adding up and the beast is reeling - I`d estimate it has less than four thousand health out of a starting 15,000, but Sammy`s mana is nearly exhausted and I`m the one holding all the healing items. Dammit! What do I-?

　　A low rumble shakes the entire structure. Another cockatrice? I sure as hell hope not - we barely have the stats to deal with one, especially on our own. And I don`t think escape is an option - we`d never make it back to the entrance. Another rumble beckons as I prepare to launch two consecutive Sworderang, consequences be damned, but a partial ceiling collapse forces me back.

　　Several tons of stone and metal crash slam onto the ground, one boulder smacking the cock in the neck and temporarily stunning it. I rush over to Sammy when a new woman`s voice echoes from within the debris.

　　"Hah, I knew it! I knew that the secret to the gremlin armies had to be somewhere in these underground ruins. Take that, old man! But first!"

　　Finally! I breathe a sigh of relief. Sammy and I working together might have been able to take on this cock, but with Clarice`s aid, I feel extremely confident that the three of us working together can finish it off.

　　"Let`s work together!" I say.

　　"Already on it!"

　　Exp: 18,710

　　To Next: 940

　　Exp: 19,623

　　To Next: 27

　　Exp: 26,000

　　To Next: 8,800

　　Ashley Lancaster

　　Level 16

　　Samantha Relford

　　Level 16

　　Clarice Barrene

　　Level 18

　　HP:

　　562 / 1139

　　HP:

　　642 / 834

　　HP:

　　1160 / 1160

　　MP:

　　85 / 174

　　MP:

　　48 / 236

　　MP:

　　217 / 217