Warm light peeked in through the shutters, brushing across rumpled bedding and a soft pile of tangled limbs.

  The blanket wriggled, then the fuzzy pile it hid groaned. Then yawned.

  A wild tail shot out from under the covers and smacked into something solid.

  “Wh– ow! Lunaaa…” A whimper from Trianna.

  Her fault she was in wag direction!

  Another yawn.

  A snout appeared out from the covers, followed by sleepy ears perked just enough to twitch. Followed by a suspicious growl from the stomach area. Enough to convince a certain wolf girl that it was prime time to get up!

  And a sleepy wiggle and transformation later, Luna wriggled her way free from the bedding, now human-shaped, blanket cape still clinging to her shoulders like a proud banner of war.

  She stood triumphantly on the mattress with sleep-fluffed hair and no regard for the laws of balance.

  She posed. One arm up, one leg out.

  “Awoo~!”

  Ray groaned from the corner.

  “Can we ban howls before sunrise?”

  “But Awoos are friend shaped! Like Mlems!” Luna declared, hopping down in a wild flurry of steps. “Does friend want a mlem?”

  Sepio muttered without opening his eyes.

  “Mlem denied.”

  “Aww.”

  Ten minutes later, they were outside.

  Mostly dressed. Half awake.

  Luna had accepted clothes again – but only because Syl tied the sash herself and bribed her with morning jerky. Shoes lasted a heroic total of five steps before being declared “wrong-feet cages” and vanishing into a bush.

  Syl sighed.

  “We’ll find a cobbler with stronger laces.”

  “Luna likes cobblers! They sound like dessert!”

  “They’re not.”

  Luna pouted.

  “Words are weird.”

  The streets of Altracia were stirring now, the scent of morning rising like a spell over the cobbles. Smoke curled from clay ovens. Butter hissed on hot iron. Vendors yawned, then shouted.

  But the food.

  The food!

  Luna froze mid-bounce, her hunger remembered. Ears perked. Nose twitching so fast it blurred.

  Then she was gone.

  Shadow-stepping between stalls before Syl could even blink.

  “Luna!”

  “FOOD!”

  Grills. Pots. Roasting trays.

  There were things that steamed. Others that sizzled. One cart had a glowing purple flame under its pan and something definitely not-safe sizzling inside.

  “Meat-smell! Spice-smell! Weird goo-smell?!”

  She dashed between tables, tail wagging in wild figure eights.

  A bearfolk flipped egg-crusted buns.

  A thin elf carved roast lizard tail onto skewers.

  A kobold stacked spiced fruit slices like tiny towers.

  But while they stood out, the vast majority of what was available looked like… bread. Or variations of it. Stuffed, with stuff on, sliced and minced. Wheat dumplings and more!

  Luna licked her lips.

  “Luna wants this one!”

  “That’s not cooked yet,” Syl warned, catching up.

  “But smells ready!”

  “Smells raw.”

  “...Still good-smell, Luna would eat.”

  A rabbit-eared woman handed her a dumpling before Syl could stop it. Luna bit in–

  “HOT!!”

  Steam puffed out her nose. She bounced in a panic, tail-wag-glitching. Syl offered her some water. Luna chugged it all up.

  “Deceit food! But good!” she cried, betrayed but impressed.

  “Try blowing on the next one.”

  “Luna bites first! Thinks later!”

  Trianna snorted into her sleeve, while others pretended to be a little more polite.

  They kept moving.

  Every stall had its own rhythm – like a hunting ground, but happy. Each table a scent-trap Luna was far too eager to explore. Each sizzle a beckoning she could hardly ignore.

  And vendors caught on quickly.

  Some gave her samples.

  Others tried to stop giving samples!

  None succeeded!

  By the time Luna sat cross-legged on a wooden bench, she had tasted three dumplings, five unidentifiable fried things, a cheese pocket that exploded in her mouth, and a bowl of spiced noodles she still didn’t understand but kept slurping.

  She had sticky hands. Happy hums. Glaze on her cheeks.

  And was absolutely floored by the idea that spice could come in so many forms and types!

  Luna thought about it.

  Licked her not-paw-hands clean.

  And declared!

  “Town is food-dungeon! Better than shiny dungeon!”

  Ray, eating politely beside her, choked in offended denial.

  Syl gave her a look.

  “We don’t loot people’s stalls, Luna.”

  “Luna trades!” she insisted, offering a half-eaten roll to Veric.

  Veric stared at it. Blinked once.

  “...That’s a bite tax, not a trade.”

  “Same!”

  Her feet bounced under the bench. Her tail wagged again and nearly knocked over a cup.

  Syl finally sat beside her, hair wind-tousled, cloak dusted with flour from pulling Luna away earlier.

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  Luna leaned in.

  “Second…”

  “Yes, Luna?”

  “…Is this Luna’s new hunting ground?”

  Syl looked at her. Then at the stalls, the food, the vendors who now kept extra napkins nearby. At the small, wild creature next to her who could out-zoom a fox and out-charm an army.

  Then nodded.

  “...I suppose it is. But–”

  Luna smiled.

  And bolted before the lecture could begin.

  “MORE!”

  “Luna!”

  Trianna chased after her with a laugh.

  Syl rubbed her temples, just as Sepio finished chewing, sighed, and stood up with solemn resolve.

  “We’re going to need another round of napkins,” muttered Ray. Yet despite his surly words, his smile was unmistakable.

  Veric finished his roll, quietly following behind.

  The morning had begun.

  With chaos. And crumbs. And one very food-motivated Wildling they still had to herd towards the Guild.

  Luna stood on her toes, peering over the edge of the tall table with great suspicion.

  The polished wooden box resting at its center looked far too serious. No smell. No shine. No chew.

  Suspicious indeed!

  Receptionist Julia, all bright eyes and ceremony voice, opened the box with a practiced flourish.

  “By order of Guildmaster Ferric and witness of Altracia’s Adventurer Hall, we recognize this new entrant into the guild’s registry–”

  Luna’s ears twitched at registry.

  Was it food?

  She was suddenly very interested!

  The lid clicked open.

  Inside sat a steel badge. Simple. Round. Etched with a simple letter ‘D’.

  Luna’s head tilted, sniffed. Then she snorted. Not-food!

  Disappointed!

  Syl stepped forward. Calm as ever.

  “Go on, Luna. It’s yours now.”

  Luna blinked slowly.

  “…Luna gets this shiny flat thing?”

  “Yes.”

  She reached out.

  Sniffed it. Poked it.

  Then bit it.

  Julia yelped.

  “No! No biting!”

  Luna frowned.

  “Not food?”

  Syl sighed.

  “No, Luna. It’s your Adventurer Badge, it acts as your identification. It means you belong here now. You’re part of the guild.”

  Luna’s eyes went wide. Then wider. Then sparkled.

  “Ohhhh, part of pack now! Very important. Luna must store safely!”

  With the gravity of a treasure dragon preparing for hibernation, Luna reached into the air.

  Shadow shimmered.

  The swirl of her Maw appeared, hungry and voidlike.

  She raised the badge… and tried to feed it.

  Clink.

  The badge bounced off the shadowy portal.

  Luna stared.

  Tried again.

  Clink.

  Again!

  Clink.

  She scowled.

  “Why you no go in?!”

  Veric folded his arms behind her, impassive.

  “Perhaps it lacks nutritional value.”

  Ray grinned.

  “Maybe it’s too shiny.”

  “Luna eats shiny sometimes!”

  “Please don’t,” muttered Syl.

  Trianna crouched beside her, chin on palm.

  “Luna. How about you try thinking of it not as food, but as something that leads to food?”

  Luna froze.

  “Leads to food?”

  “Yes. You get paid for requests done. And currency can be exchanged for services and goods.”

  “Like food?”

  “Like food.”

  Luna’s eyes narrowed in sudden wisdom.

  Then – slowly, reverently – she lifted the badge before her face.

  “You… are the key to snacks!”

  And held it toward the Maw again.

  pop

  It vanished.

  Gone.

  Ray sighed, faux-mad that it worked.

  “Oh no – she convinced the magic!”

  Trianna clapped once.

  “She did it. She logic’d the logic-eater.”

  Syl didn’t even flinch. She just patted Luna’s head with a sigh.

  “Good girl.”

  “Ehehe.”

  “And now you’re an official adventurer. We just need to do some requests for Ferric to get your rank up quickly. He couldn’t exactly put you higher without a track record.”

  “Luna is official now?” Luna asked brightly.

  “Yes.”

  “Then Luna must tell EVERYONE!”

  “Wait–!”

  But it was far too late.

  She sprinted out of the ceremony circle towards some of her new friends, arms up, tail practically wagging out of existence.

  “Luna official adventurer now! Luna has badge of snack finding!”

  The uproar was immediate. And any adventurer who didn’t hear it yet was soon tackled to the ground and told.

  It became a game of ‘who can escape from the mad little girl’. Several adventurers tried to dodge, three ducked, two tripped over themselves backing up, and one wisely hid behind a table.

  To no avail.

  The game changed to ‘how long can you survive’ soon after.

  Julia looked faint.

  And Trianna was just a tiny bit ashamed.

  “...Perhaps I should not have told her about it leading to food?”

  Veric’s reply was calm, yet judgemental.

  “...Indeed. We may have created a problem.”

  Syl pressed a hand to her brow.

  “It’s not really a problem. But a very loud solution.”

  Ray leaned toward Veric, whispering,

  “Ten silvers says someone tries to ask her to join their party before lunch.”

  Veric gave him a flat look.

  “Only if they want their nose bitten off.”

  Across the room, Luna leapt up onto a bench and posed heroically, arms wide.

  “Luna is ready for quests and dumplings!”

  Somewhere in the back, someone actually clapped.

  Trianna doubled over with laughter.

  Syl gestured sharply.

  “Alright. Time to collect missions. Before she starts sparring with everybody again.”

  “Or gives the receptionist a heart attack,” Ray added.

  “Or eating the quests,” Trianna said.

  “I would never!” Luna shouted.

  Then added, softer:

  “…Unless they smell good.”

  Syl returned from the quest board with a stack of parchment and the expression of someone already regretting tomorrow.

  “A few gathering requests, three pest removal, and a monster patrol. All entry-tier. All field-based. And the simple repeatable quests.”

  Ray leaned sideways in his chair.

  “So… babysitting, plant-picking, and squashing things?”

  Trianna grinned.

  “Careful. With Luna involved, those plants might try to bite back.”

  “Speaking of, it’s been strangely silent for a while now…”

  They turned towards where Luna was previously chasing after several uninvolved adventurers.

  And found Luna whispering suspiciously with the group of ‘proper humans’. The very same ones who did their odd poses before.

  Very familiar.

  “Uh oh,” eloquently said Sepio.

  “I have a bad feeling about this. But the excitement…!”

  Trianna was torn, and Ray smelled an opportunity.

  “Wanna bet what it’s gonna be this time?”

  “Hrm.”

  As they talked, Luna perked up, spinning on her heel and bounding toward one of yesterday’s play-fight victims.

  “Fox friend!”

  The fox-tailed beastkin froze, mid-sip of beer.

  “...It’s Dorian.”

  Luna launched into his side with a soft pompf and a happy rumble.

  “Luna wins fight, but now we are pack, yes?”

  The man blinked. Then laughed.

  “Sure, sure. Pack it is. Shin-assassin rules.”

  Another adventurer raised a bowl.

  “She knocked me into my lunch twice. Still worth it.”

  “It was good soup!” Luna nodded. “Very proper splash!”

  Someone tossed her a roasted nut from across the hall. A dwarf with a grin as wide as his beard.

  “Sweet pup, you’re welcome any time. The new blood needs humbling.”

  Luna caught it with one hand, sniffed, and chomped with delight.

  “Snack tax accepted.”

  That was the only finance word Luna learned properly. Despite Ray’s best tries to teach her during the stall escapade.

  Syl stepped in before Luna could “collect taxes” from the rest of the adventurers.

  “Time to go.”

  Luna whirled around, cheeks full, tail an invisible blur.

  “Yip-yep! Luna ready! Almost!”

  Somebody poked Syl on the shoulder.

  She turned, saw the Troublesome Proper Human Team.

  And barely-not-groaned-out a ‘Yes? What is it?’

  “Luna is in the Guild now, yes?”

  The girl popped back into the team of posers at some unknown point. But Syliana really didn’t know what to make of this now.

  “...Yes?”

  “So we figured…”

  The poses were struck, Luna was awestruck! Chest puffed up, all proud and happy.

  “That this little Wolf Girl here deserves a nickname!”

  “Oh gods above,” was all that Trianna managed before they continued.

  “From now on Luna shall be known as a Power Fluff Girl!”

  The buff bull man among them veeeery conspicuously added in:

  “...ya know, coz she’s fluffy. And has a lotta power!”

  …Then returned to flexing his muscles after sharing this glorious secret.

  Syl stared. Groaned, and finally, finally managed to get her words out.

  “Good job Luna… Now I regret everything. Let’s go.”

  The doors swung open, and the party filed out into the warm noon light to the roaring laughter of some overly silly adventurers.

  Luna followed, and snuggled up to Syl.

  She grinned.

  For her Second was smiling!