"Are there less horrible things in your garden?"

"I like to give people a chance, it makes for a better story! There's still dangers though, it'd be boring if everything was safe. But if you stick to the starting area you won't die too often. Dunno why you would though."

"Then I'm in!"

Emen declines, and then Sophia nods and says, "I'll be glad to have you!"

"Well, get back in line."

The kids do.

One by one, Veles roughly escorts children to the hole in the wheel, pushing them down it. Some of the whoop.

This is highly dubious, but no one else seems alarmed, so Malen goes along.

Hazel is first, pushing off with a cheer.

Malen watches Kenet and Emen go, then climbs in. She's not sure why this is fun.

Veles pushes her. Suddenly the water is forcing her down the stone tunnel... then upwards.

Very not fun at all!!!

Suddenly, blinding light!

...And she opens her eyes, dry and in the Spooky Woods.

She sits up, disoriented, and calls out, "Hello? Hazel? Kenet? Opal? ...OPAL!"

"I look like a firstie!" Hazel cries behind Malen.

By which he means he looks like a standard human boy.

"Ugh, I feel weak," groans Kenet. "Who's Opal?"

"My friend. We gotta find him."

"Where's my fur! And my tail! I died twice for that!"

"If you don't like it you can go back and request your old body again. Sophia must not allow upgrades."

"She coulda told me."

"Stop complaining. Let's go find Opal. We were closer to the plains, but I don't know where this is..."

"I can climb a tree. I'm pretty decent at not getting splinters."

"I'd offer, but the balance is kind of gone without the tail."

"Thanks."

"No problem!"

Kenet identifies a sufficiently tall tree, cllimbs up, and calls out, "Plains are that way! Look pretty close."