Nightmare Realm Summoner

Amusingly enough, Mite had managed to patch the gaping Mirrorlands rift in the town. Alex and Claire were forced to double back to the pre-existing crack between planes that resided in the forest behind the town.

That added a few extra minutes to their trip, but they returned to the 274-50 version of Mirrorwane without any major hitch.

The wall surrounding the town was no less intimidating on the normal world than it was back in the Mirrorlands. Alex’s hair stood on end as he drew up to the black structure. A dozen gazes bore into him and Claire, each one from an eye that had once belonged to a different monster.

”It feels like it’s trying to strip me with gaze alone,” Alex grumbled.

”Yeah,” Claire said with a grimace as they walked around the edge of the town toward the only gate in. ”I’m glad I got the new clothes before we headed out.”

A section of the wall slid open before them with something between a rumble and a squelch. Alex wasn’t sure how the wall could move without squishing any of the eyes covering it, but some questions were best left unanswered.

He and Claire stepped into the town. His skin prickled as he passed by the wall, and it ground shut behind them. More eyes on the inside portion of the town’s defenses lingered on their backs as they headed inside.

Rhyss popped into being beside Alex and Claire as if he’d always been there, floating at a speed to match their pace.

”Welcome back,” Rhyss said. ”I hope your trip was rewarding. I have updates on the status of the town.”

”Great,” Alex said, pleased that he hadn’t jumped out of his skin this time. He was starting to get used to Rhyss popping in and out of being with nothing more than a thought. ”What are they?”

”Mite has completed a temporary plug for the portal in the center of the town. It has not negatively impacted the efficacy of Mirrorwane’s stabilization. However, it is a temporary solution. The plug needs to be replaced every week.”

”Yeah, we found the plug the hard way,” Alex said. ”How hard is it to make?”

”I believe he simply stuffs the portal full of monster parts. In Mite’s words, it is like ’packing a shower drain full of hair and some other shit.’ I can inquire further if you desire.”

”No,” Alex said with a grimace. ”I think that’s fine enough. We’ll just make sure he has a steady supply of what he needs. Which… he does, I hope?”

”The townsfolk have been hunting in the forest to great success. There have only been a few serious injuries. No deaths since the fight against the Region Boss,” Rhyss confirmed. ”The strength of monsters in the area has begun to rise again.”

”Another Region Boss?” Claire asked.

Alex shook his head. ”Not here. I’d have felt it. I can occasionally pick up on twangs… but they’re far away. Nowhere near us.”

”It’s just the natural progression of the world. This isn’t anything out of the ordinary.” Orchid’s voice called from to their left. Alex and Claire both looked to the side as Orchid stepped away from a cabin she’d been leaning against. She nodded in greeting. ”This is pretty standard. Latent power leaks out from all the wounds a world took during Initialization. That power feeds into monsters, dungeons, you name it.”

”You want to expand on that?” Alex asked. ”Wounds?”

”Maybe it isn’t the most accurate word, but it’s the best one I could think of,” Orchid admitted. She glanced at Rhyss for help, but the Advisor said nothing. A frown pulled at her lips for a moment. ”I’m not an expert on this, but 274-50 is a composite world. That merger obviously didn’t go very smoothly. The System just smashed a bunch of planets together. That creates damage. Pockets of power, splinters, cracks, you name it. So as the new world stabilizes, those splinters get pushed out to the surface. The pockets leak. The cracks seal. All of that creates disruption for the poor bastards on the surface of the planet.”

”Is that how dungeons form?” Alex asked.

”Pretty much,” Orchid replied. ”Not just dungeons, though. It’s probably how that Ancestry was discovered. And it won’t stop here. More will keep coming. The most significant damage is the deepest.”

”So… if this world was body, what would you say the damage we’re looking at right now is?” Claire asked.

”A splinter,” Orchid said. ”This is a Tier 1 world. We’re only at the beginning.”

”And what would you say the worst of it will be?” Alex asked.

A grim smile passed over her lips. ”Probably a collapsed heart.”

”Fun,” Alex said. ”You know how long we’ve got until that?”

Orchid shook her head. ”Haven’t the faintest damn idea. It’ll probably be easier to tell in the future when we have more data to pull from. Every planet is different… but for now, there’s no point worrying about it. Getting your hands on something interesting from that Ancestry should be the priority.”

”I agree in that assessment,” Rhyss said. He came to a stop near one of the cabins, then nodded to it. ”We are here. This is where the crafter I selected resides.”

Orchid coughed into her fist.

There was a short pause.

”What?” Alex asked. ”What is it?”

”This is the only crafter in Mirrorwane,” Orchid said, a slightly pained expression on her face. ”Aside from Mite, that is. But he’s a different kind of crafter. His specialty is buildings.”

”Is… something wrong with them?” Claire asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

”No,” Rhyss said. ”I have observed their work. They are capable.”

”I’m going to go, now. May probably needs some pointers, and Aaron has been sitting in on some of our practice sessions. They need to keep training, and that isn’t safe if I’m not present,” Orchid said hurriedly. ”Good luck.”

Then she darted off.

Before Alex could say anything else, the door to the cabin rattled. There was a clunk from within it as a lock was lifted. Then the door swung open. And out from within it emerged a plump, portly woman with rosy cheeks and a dirt-stained checkered dress. She was elderly, standing nearly a foot shorter than Alex due to her hunched stature, and had gray-white hair tied back behind her head in a messy bun.

”Ah! Rhyss, dear!” a huge smile split the elderly woman’s lips. ”You’re back! Won’t you come in for some tea this time?”

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In response, Rhyss vanished.

The woman blinked. She reached down to her neck, where a pair of large circular spectacles hung from a thick loop of yarn. She plopped the glasses down on her face and squinted through them before recognition lit in her eyes.

”Oh, my! You’re early!”

This is someone’s grandmother. I don’t recognize her, though. She must be one of the noncombatants. Something tells me she isn’t quite suited for fighting.

”Uh… hi,” Alex said.

”It’s wonderful to meet you, dear,” the woman said. She waddled out of the cabin and up to Alex, squinting through her glasses to see him better. ”Have you been eating enough? You’re looking a little thin.”

”Uh… yeah,” Alex said. If he was honest, just about the only thing he’d had in recent times was rations, but this was just a little too odd. ”What was your name?”

”Oh, dear me. I can’t believe I forgot to introduce myself!” the old woman shook her head in disappointment. ”I’m Barbara, but please call me Barb. The only people that use my full name died years ago. Couldn’t quite keep from kicking the bucket. Thought I would have been up soon enough, but I suppose this world still has plans for me. But now I’m rambling. Come inside! I’ve got your disguise ready for you!”

Barb headed back into her cabin, leaving Alex and Claire outside.

The two of them exchanged a glance. Then they shrugged in unison before following her in — where Alex promptly nearly tripped over something lying in the path. He caught himself before he flopped face-first into the wooden floor, jumping a step and glancing down to see what had almost taken him out.

The severed arm laid of some massive lizard laid on the ground, dried blood still splattered across it. Alex looked up, getting his first proper look around the cabin. The blood drained out of his face.

It seemed he’d found where Mite dumped all the monster bits he didn’t want. Limbs and savaged bodies littered every part of the cabin, strewn across the ground like trash. It was like a scene out of a low-budget horror movie. But, for some reason, Alex couldn’t smell a single one of the corpses.

What the fuck?

”I’m sorry for the mess, dears,” Barb said, pushing a several foot long beetle leg that hung from the ceiling, suspended by twine, out of the way with one hand as she made her way up to a small wooden desk. She started to push through the piles of limbs stacked on it. ”I haven’t had a chance to clean up recently.”

”Right,” Alex said slowly.

”Aha!” Barb exclaimed. She pulled something out from within the pile, sending an organ splattering to the ground with a squelch, and turned back to waddle over to Alex, a mask of bone clutched within her hands.

The mask looked to have been carved right out of the skull of some doglike creature. It had an elongated front and two wide holes for the eyes. Rows of jagged teeth still lined its mouth, and it didn’t seem to have any way to affix itself into place on a face.

She thrust the mask into Alex’s hands.

”Uh… thanks?” Alex said hesitantly.

”Well, go on!” Barb said eagerly. She reached up to give his cheek a pinch, and Alex was so confused that he didn’t even register it until she’d already let him go. ”Test it out, sugar!”

Claire coughed into her fist. Alex was pretty sure she was smothering a laugh. He looked down at the mask in his hand. Then he brought it up to his face.

After all, saying no just felt rude.

Alex blinked as what felt like a faint current of electricity prickled across his skin where the bone touched him. The mask melded to his face in an instant, sticking as if magnetized.

”Whoa,” Alex said. His words came out rougher and colder than normal, as if it had gone through a voice-changer. He grabbed the mask and pulled it off with a sharp tug. It released with a pop. Staring at it in surprise, he put it back on.

The mask affixed itself once again. He gave his head a shake, but the bone stayed firmly fastened in place. It didn’t look like it would be going anywhere on its own.

”Well?” Barb asked eagerly.

”It definitely works,” Claire said, a note of respect in her voice. ”If you get different clothes, you’ll look pretty bleedin’ different.”

Alex pulled the mask back off his face again. ”It has a way to change the way I sound?”

”Nothing but the best, sugar.” Barb gave him a beaming smile. ”I thought it would be good to make sure you were protected from all sides! Do you like it?”

”Yeah,” Alex said, fearing he’d break the old woman’s heart if he said anything else. She looked more like she’d just handed him a freshly baked pie than the skull of some poor creature. It was pretty cool looking, though. ”This is perfect. What about normal clothes? Do you—”

”You know I do!” Barb beamed. She spun back to her desk and grabbed a black bundle before turning back to Alex and holding it out. ”This was my husband’s!”

He stared at it.

Barb was holding a tuxedo. It was a plain one, without too many frills or adornments, but there was no mistaking it.

Seriously? I was looking forward to getting out of a damn dress outfit. How did I get upgraded?

Claire coughed into her fist again, louder this time.

”Uh… thank you,” Alex said. ”Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to—”

Barb shoved the tuxedo into his hands. ”Nonsense! He fought in the war, you know. Told me he lived for nothing nothing more than the look of the life bleeding out of someone’s eyes. Never quite loved me the same after that. He’s dead and buried, now! God bless his soul. He would have loved this, but he’d be thrilled to know you’re out there killin’ in his Sunday best!”

”…right,” Alex said. ”Uh… thanks.”

”Well, go on!” Barb gestured at the tuxedo. ”Try it on! It’s magicked up to fix itself when you get blood on it. So don’t you worry about those spills! Should protect your identity as well. I bought a pin from Finley and affixed it in your cufflinks That’s it, I’m afraid. I can’t do better than that yet. But I’m working hard! Nex time you need some more clothes, I’ll get you dolled up with so much magic that you look like a fairy. You’ll shoot sparkles out of your ass, you will.”

”I’ll look forward to that,” Alex said.

”You should try those on. Make sure they fit nice and snug,” Barb said, pointing to Alex. ”Go on. Strip.”

Alex stared at her. His words were failing him, and Claire’s choked cough-laughter in the corner was not helping. ”Uh…”

”Oh, dear me,” Barb said. ”You must be shy. Of course. Don’t you worry. I won’t peek. Go on, now!”

She turned around.

Alex looked to Claire.

”What?” Claire asked. ”Go on. Or do I have to turn around as well?”

Alex sighed. Then he deactivated his bracelet. His magical outfit vanished, fading away to reveal the ravaged scraps of his clothes — of which there may as well have been nothing remaining at all.

Suppressing a curse, he hurriedly pulled on his new outfit. Barb had been kind enough to include a pair of underwear as well. Alex deeply hoped that it did not belong to her late husband, but he valued his sanity enough to not bother asking.

A few seconds later, he was dressed once more. He looked down at himself. Then he blinked. Alex never would have said he was one for a suit, much less a tux, but this one fit. It felt like he was wearing nothing but silk. He raised a leg and was delighted to find that the cloth shifted so easily he barely felt it. It wasn’t restrictive at all.

”Nice,” Claire said.

Alex looked back at her.

”What?” Claire asked, flashing him a grin. ”I’m allowed to look. We’re courting. That’s part of the deal, Right? Or does it work differently here?”

”You’re allowed to do a hell of a lot more than look, honey,” Barb said with a cackle. ”If my parents knew what I did to my husband before we were married, they’d have painted our porch with his brains.”

Alex coughed into his fist. There wasn’t really much more unhinged than an old person with nothing left to lose.

”Noted,” Claire said, a glint in her eyes.

”Now, are you decent, dear?” Barb asked. ”I would like to see as well.”

”Yeah,” Alex said. ”I’m decent.”

Barb turned around. A huge grin spread across her lips. ”Oh yes you are. Put the mask on.”

Alex obliged her.

”That… fits. That fits well,” Claire said. ”I doubt anyone’s going to recognize him in this.”

Barb let out a whistle of agreement. ”From your lips to the devil’s ears. You smash the life out of some bastards for this old bat, would you? Maybe bring me back a few souvenirs if you really like it.”

”I plan on it,” Alex said, his voice warped by the mask to come out as cold as death itself. ”Thank you, Barb.”

”Any day, love,” Barb replied cheerfully. ”Now on with you! Don’t waste your days away here with me or you’ll be wrinkled as a prune by the time you get to dealing with things. You’ve got some throats to tear out. Make sure to get messy!”

And with those final words of encouragement, Alex and Claire stepped out of the old woman’s cabin and set a course for the Teleporter.

Eager energy bubbled within Alex’s stomach. He was immensely looking forward to seeing just how much he could swipe out from under the noses of the Outworlders.

It was finally time for the Ancestry.