Wader the Frog
Wader paddled across the wetlands until he reached a patch of vibrant yellow flowers blooming along the shore. He remembered overhearing the elder frogs once call these flowers genista, a rare plant said to mark the edge of their world. "This must be where the tide roams," Wader whispered in awe.
As he examined the flowers, a sudden gust of gasping wind rustled the reeds, and out hopped a slick salamander in a tiny hat. “Greetings, adventurer! The name's Fagin, and I'm the AGENT of this here region,” he declared with a bow so low his hat almost toppled off. “Under my EGIS, nothing happens in this patch of marsh without my say-so!”
Wader blinked. “Uh, I'm just trying to solve a riddle…”
“A riddle, eh? I love TEASING riddles apart!” Fagin said, rubbing his chin with a tiny fist. “But you'll have to make a deal with me first. Solve this, and I'll help you on your way.”
Before Wader could protest, Fagin pulled out a crumpled parchment and began:
"What's FEASTING but never full,
Spins and swirls, yet remains dull?
Guess this right, or you'll sit tight!”
Wader thought hard, remembering the scroll's warning about choices holding their rate. “The gist of it,” he said slowly, “sounds like... a whirlpool?”
Fagin clapped his hands. “Bingo! The whirlpool it is!” he exclaimed, though Wader thought he heard a hint of teasing disappointment. “Now, my amphibious friend, as promised, I'll guide you.”
The salamander gestured grandly toward the genista flowers. “Ingesta the energy of these blooms—no, not by eating them!” he said, stopping Wader mid-nibble. “Just breathe their scent deeply, and they'll reveal the next step.”
Trusting Fagin (though not fully), Wader took a deep sniff. The world shimmered and swirled, and suddenly he found himself standing on a stone path, the wetlands far behind. The scroll in his hands glowed faintly, and new words appeared:
"A shadowy fist may strike with care,
Beware the gas that fills the air.
Move swiftly, under the moon's light,
Your path will clear by morning's bright."