Well that was unexpected.

I published this story super late at night and went to sleep, only to wake up to a whole lot of love! So I decided to go ahead and do a chapter I had planned. Well, I had a basic idea. Slightly shorter but next time will be a lot more fun.

This is inspired by the fact that I myself am a D&D newbie and I wanted to drag the kids down into it. For those of you who play, it's 5e basic Player's Handbook stuff, which is what I play with my guild (I joined one a couple months ago thanks to a café in my town that runs it). For those of you who don't play… you've heard of D&D.

I am using actual D&D terms, including the name of the game, races, and classes. It's more fun for me that way and I get the chapter out faster. I have a plan for next time and it should be fun to do.

Enjoy!

"Snacks?"

"Check!" Huey called as Webby marked it off. A massive tray of snacks sat on the table.

"Scary movies?"

"Check!" He held up their options.

"Board games?"

"Of course!"

"This is going to be the best sleepover ever!"

"What makes it different from every other sleepover we've ever had?" asked Louie, rolling his eyes as he messed around on his phone. "It'll start out normal, then supernatural stuff will happen and make it cooler and make it fun to remember. Or traumatizing."

"Because we have three more guests than usual! April, May, and June are joining us so Daisy and Donald can go on a date!"

At the mention of the girls, Louie dropped his phone, eyes wide.

"You never told us that!"

"She did. When we planned this," Huey deadpanned. "I'm looking forward to getting to know them better. After all, if things work out with Daisy and Uncle Donald we'll be seeing them every day."

Neither Webby nor Huey noticed that Louie was suddenly very interested in making everything look perfect. The doorbell rang and Webby opened the front door to reveal Violet and Lena. Louie sighed in relief. June and her sisters wouldn't be joining them for a little bit, which meant he had plenty of time to mentally prepare…

Until literally two minutes later when there was another knock at the door. Donald rushed to answer it this time, dressed up for his date. There was Daisy with her nieces and Louie caught June's eye. She smiled, waving at him a little and those darn butterflies were back.

Oh, phooey.

"Bye, girls," Daisy told the trio. "Behave yourselves and have fun. And May, don't drag them into that little game of yours."

"Little game?" May gasped, straightening her glasses. "It's not a little game! It's a worldwide phenomenon that's inspired literally thousands of—"

"May."

"Okay, it's a game. But it's a fun one!"

"We'll see you kids later!" Donald announced, closing the door behind them.

"So, uh, what's this game—" started Huey before Dewey came downstairs with Webby, both carrying dart guns.

"Who wants to play foam war?!" yelled Dewey.

"Not now. I was asking May about her game."

"Ooh, a new game?"

"No." April shook her head. "Don't get her started. She'll drag you down into it and you'll never leave."

"Just because you're bad at it—"

"I'm not bad at it. You're just terrible at running the game."

May stuck out her tongue and Violet tilted her head.

"I too am interested in this game."

"Sure, whatever," Lena sighed.

"We need a big table," June explained. "Enough room for all nine of us to play."

"Follow me!" Dewey called, pointing the way. Everyone cheered but Louie and April. Louie glanced over at June, who looked excited.

"What is this game?" he asked.

"It's a pen-and-paper role-playing game May's been learning to play for a while now. You create a character and go on adventures."

"So like Legends of LegendQuest."

"Kind of. Except instead of skill, you rely on seeing different angles on how to deal with a situation based on who you have in your party and the ever-fickle dice."

"Oh, so it's Dungeons & Dragons."

"Yeah. April hates playing because she always gets bad rolls."

May was in the dining room, setting up a large grid on the table in front of them. From her bag she pulled a long case and a divider, along with a couple of books and a lot of papers.

"Welcome, adventurers, to the world of D&D!" She held out her hands to the board and everything she'd set up.

"Ew, no," Dewey scoffed. "This is boring nerd junk."

"It's fun. You create a character who goes on epic quests with a team. It's, uh, all we really get to do. But there's spells and chance and high action."

"C'mon, guys," Huey encouraged. "We told May we'd try it."

"I'm only playing so we have another higher-than-level-one party member," April explained. "Other than June."

"I'm a level three Moon Druid," June explained, taking a binder from May. "That means I have shape-shifting and I can cast a variety of spells."

"I'll try it out," Louie spoke up, sitting down next to June.

Everyone else seemed to be willing to try it out and Dewey sighed, sitting down next to Webby. From there May helped them create their characters, everyone playing a different class and race for variety purposes. May handed out dice and it was time to start the game.

"You all wait within a large hall. There is a stage to one side, and nearby sits a wood elf and a half-elf. Suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, pops a man wearing long robes and sporting a long beard. He looks to all of you and speaks with a loud commanding voice." She took a breath and began speaking in an ancient-sounding voice. "Welcome, adventurer's, to our mighty guild—Golden Phoenix! If you choose to take on the quest I have for you, you will be embraced as full members. To my left is Lia Nightbreeze, our druid. To my right is Natali Marsk, our monk. They are the experienced members of our guild whom I am sending with you."

She cleared her throat again.

"Now, introduce yourselves as your characters and I'll send you on your quest."

"I'm Ideal, a Tiefling barbarian," Webby declared. "I reject my evil bloodline and choose to fight for the side of good!"

"Oh, um… my name is Rurik Torunn," Huey spoke up. "I'm a dwarf cleric who's looking to prove myself?"

"Verna Tealeaf, halfling sorcerer," Lena sighed, seeming bored. "I'm just here for backup."

"I am Mehen Yarjerit, Dragonborn bard!" Dewey yelled. "I'm here to kick some butt and play some music! And I'm almost out of music."

"My turn," Violet stated plainly. "I am Lilith Greene, a human paladin. I just want to improve myself."

"O-okay…" Louie double-checked his character sheet. "I'm Warryn Folkor, a gnome rogue. I'm just looking for treasure."

"That's pretty normal for a rogue," May told him. "Good pick, though."

"Are we starting or…?" Dewey grumbled, rolling his hands.

"Right. By the way, Dewey, Dragonborns introduce themselves clan name first, so you'd actually be Yarjerit Mehen. Just keep that in mind." Dewey adjusted his name on the character sheet. "Here is your mission. Not far from the guild hall, there is a cave full of monsters. Your job, should you choose to take it, is to go to that cave and bring back the head of the leader."

"What kind of monsters?" Webby inquired, narrowing her eyes.

"Goblins, mostly. They're pretty low-level on their own but in a group they're dangerous. Do you accept the mission?"

Everyone shrugged and nodded.

"Excellent." From the box she pulled eight detailed figurines and several four-sided dice. "These figurines are your characters. The d4s are the goblins. How you defeat them is up to you. Just know that at the end of it all you'll level up and be able to choose new things to have at your disposal. Now, magic star wipe to the entrance of the cave."

The figurines were arranged. Webby was bouncing excitedly as the dice were set out. There were at least two dozen of the four-sided dice and a big die that definitely had more than twenty sides. The largest number Louie could see was sixty.

"Is the big die the boss?" Huey asked.

"You don't see that—at least, your characters don't." She tapped the black on the board. "These are walls. Your characters can't see the big boss. Thankfully you haven't been noticed by the goblins yet, so what do you all do?"

June opened her mouth to speak but Dewey beat her to it.

"I rush in and attack the first goblin I see with my fire breath!"

"Are you sure? It's one use only until you recharge it through resting."

"Okay, so not my breath. How about my longsword?"

"Straight into combat. Okay. Thanks to Mehen's yelling, the eight goblins closest to the entrance notice you all immediately and… roll for initiative!"

"What does that mean?" Webby gasped.

"That means roll a d20 to decide your order of combat. Highest number goes first."

"Can I roll the sixty?"

"No."

Everyone rolled their dice.

After fighting their way through thirty goblins and a few hobgoblins, they found themselves at the end of the cave facing the big boss and two hobgoblin minions. Everyone was really into it now, even Dewey. But hey, that's the beauty of the bard for you, even if they're low-level and don't think about their actions.

Louie, on the other hand, was doing really well. The game was fun when it came to his strategies. One method failed and he tried another that usually worked. June's elf, now transformed into a brown bear, was kicking all sorts of butt and he couldn't help but grin at how cute she was when she made bear noises while she attacked some hapless goblin and practically bit its head off. His brothers didn't fail to notice it and glanced at each other with slight smirks that Louie didn't see because he was focused on helping June fight one of the hobgoblins. It went down easily and Webby was facing the other.

"I use my greataxe to try and cleave the orc's head off!" yelled Webby excitedly, rolling her die.

"NAT 20!" May cheered. "Roll for damage!"

Webby did and May nodded.

"It's down and the head is chopped clean off!"

Everyone cheered and then she began cackling.

"Foolish warriors," she growled in a deep voice. "You may have slain my best warriors but you will not best me! For I am the great bugbear Groth!"

"We'll take you down," Lena declared.

Unfortunately, it seemed like what luck the party had so far had dwindled and they were getting a series of bad rolls. It was all they could do to dodge what Groth was throwing at them and then Louie had an idea.

"Dewey, try your breath attack!"

"Okay! I use my fire breath on Groth!" He rolled his die. It was a 19.

May picked up some dice in her hand and rolled. She grinned then had a snarl on her face.

"You stupid dragonborn! How dare you defy me!"

"My turn!" Violet declared, smiling. "I use my sword and aim it straight for Groth!"

Her roll? An 18. The damage, however, was enough!

"NOOOOOO!" May fell back and began making choking sounds before sitting back up. "You defeated him! Now, who's taking his head back to the guild?"

"I think Lilith should take it," Huey commented. "She's the one who killed him."

"Whatever," grumbled April, clearly not into the game.

"Very fair, young cleric. Lilith chops off the head of Groth and you all travel back to the guild where Master Fredrich greets you."

"Hello, Master Fredrich," Violet stated. "We have all brought you the head of Groth."

"Thank you, Lilith. And to all of you, I extend a hearty welcome to Golden Phoenix, guild of heroes!"

The kids began clapping and cheering. June hugged Louie, the force of her launching herself at him causing them to fall to the floor. Everyone started to laugh as they helped May pack up the game.

"We'll have to play again sometime," Lena commented to May. "It wasn't as bad as I thought and being a sorceress with a different skillset was fun."

"Wow, it's almost ten," Huey commented, checking his phone. "When did we start playing?"

"You get into a game you lose track of time," May giggled.

They'd been fortunate enough to have Mrs. Beakley bring them dinner while they were playing. She'd been silent while doing so, not wanting to interrupt the flow of play to announce her presence. Now it was time to do something else.

While the girls ran upstairs to change into their pajamas, Huey and Dewey stopped Louie.

"Hey, do you like June?" Dewey asked their youngest brother.

"Of course I like her. She's our friend."

"No, he means like her, like her," Huey clarified.

"No way! Gross!" He shoved his hands in his pocket and ran to go join the others upstairs.

"Louie has a crush," Dewey stated bluntly.

"Louie definitely has a crush," Huey agreed.

"We tease him until he admits it?"

"Yep. We tell Webby so she can join in?"

"Yep." They fist-bumped and went to join the other kids upstairs.

Someone asked for everyday adventures and there's no everyday adventure more exciting for me than a fun round of D&D! If you guys like this idea I may expand it into a whole other thing in and of itself. By the way, if June's seemed the most fleshed-out, it's simply because her character is basically... mine. Different name but same abilities and preferred Wild Shape (druid shape-shifting ability).

Next time we'll be stepping outside the mansion and sending everyone on another small adventure. I'm saving a big one for the fourth go-round. I hope you all enjoyed my limited D&D knowledge and the chapter, even if most of it was pretty boring basic stuff.

Yes, May is the role-playing nerd. April is not too enthusiastic about her sisters' interests but she still supports them. We'll get her contribution soon, I promise.

So long and thanks for all the fish!