(Part 4/4)
Many of the houses on your street are still up at this hour, their residents in bed or getting ready for the day. You’d been in the Hollow a while now, but time has been moving at different rates throughout the multiverse recently.
As you walk, lost in thought, you hear a scream coming from the big, blue house up on your left.
(Part 1/6)
You start running toward the scream, and then it turns into laughter. Multiple people laughing. Sounds like some kind of party.
Shaking your head, you slow your pace and hope no one saw you.
You’re on edge because the multiverse is on edge. There are entire realms blinking out of existence or merging with their closest parallels.
(Part 2/6)
Even the afterlife is a mess. Because you’re connected to all things living and dead, you can see it all at once. Feel it all at once.
So, your gut is screaming at you to do something. To fix it. But all you can do is hide from your children while you masquerade as human.
Just before the diner, there’s a little flower garden.
(Part 3/6)
The sunflowers are drooping, so you lean forward and whisper, “C’mon, you gals can do better than that.”
They straighten up like soldiers at attention.
“That’s better,” you say with a wink as you continue on to work.
The flowers move to face you as you pass, as if you are the sun itself.
(Part 4/6)
When you get to the diner, it’s already hopping. If there’s one thing you could count on, it was that the multiverse was full of different versions of Mel’s. This one was pretty spectacular. It was made out of one of the first interstellar ships.
Small, compared to the luxury starliners they had today, but it was still impressive. Very fancy.
(Part 5/6)
The people of your Earth would find this one very strange. This one is highly advanced, as they skipped over the Dark Ages a bit. However, the fashion and aesthetic is more like the 1920s where you are from.
“You’re on section four today, Seph,” Mel calls out when she sees you come in, “Alex already sat a couple tables, but she has to run.”
(Part 6/6)
You nod and get to work right away. There’s a young couple in a booth, and a table full of men in suits. Alex waves to you as she passes, heading toward the door. She looks a little green, and that’s worrisome. Since when did she ever get sick?
(Part 1/3)
“I hope you feel better soon, Alex,” you say to her.
She smiles weakly and says, “Thanks, it must be a wolf thing. By the way, I seated the big party first. They seem a little on edge, so you might wanna grab their order before anyone else.”
You thank her, and head over to the men in suits. Grabbing a fresh pot of coffee off the counter as you go, your brow furrows. Since when do werewolves get sick?
(Part 2/3)
The men in business suits ordered mostly steaks. You momentarily wonder if they’re also wolves, but a shifter wouldn’t ever work a job that required that kind of outfit.
After telling them you’ll be right back with their mimosas, you turn and notice that the couple that had been there were walking out the door in a hurry. Instinct tells you something’s wrong, and you move toward the windows.
(Part 3/3)
Alex is still sitting in her car, and it looks like she’s on the phone. The conversation must be heated, because she’s waving her free hand around like she’s conducting a frantic orchestra. And the couple is making a beeline right for her.
You open the front door and quietly close it behind you. The couple seems unaware that you're following them, which is good for you...not so much for them.
One of them reaches in through Alex's open window and grabs her phone, then tosses it into the grass nearby. She snaps at him, obviously annoyed, and the woman opens the passenger side door and slips into the car. Alex tries to scream, but the man has her by the throat now.
Quickly, you move up behind the man and tap him on the shoulder. He turns, you smile cheerfully and say, "Hi!" Then flick him with a finger.
Before the man can get a word out, you've sent him flying into the grass. He hits the ground, skids several feet, and konks his head on the sidewalk with a grunt.
The woman scrambles out of the car, but you tap her forehead and she falls to the ground.
"I owe you one," Alex says, stepping out.
"Pop the trunk, will ya?" you say to your co-worker.
She complies, and you drop the unconscious couple into her trunk before anyone sees. Thankfully, you're the only people in the parking lot at the moment.
You just hope no one is looking out the restaurant windows.
"They were asking me about you," Alex says as you close the trunk, "What kind of trouble are you in, Seph?"
You sigh. "The biggest kind."
(Part 1/7)
After telling Mel you have to take off, you run back out to Alex's car and hop in.
"Where to?" she asks.
The only place you could think of, off the top of your head, was to bring them into the forest. There was a gnome there that owed you a favor.
Teleporting would draw unwanted attention, so you direct your friend as she drives.
Cars in this universe were different than what you'd grown accustomed to on your Earth.
(Part 2/7)
They were sleek and stylish and ran on sunshine. Literally. The entire body of the car was essentially a solar panel. And what energy it didn’t use, it stored in extra batteries in case of long drives at night or during cloudy days. No one ever had to worry about filling up their tank here.
“Pull over here,” you say when you’ve reached the edge of the woods.
(Part 3/7)
When you’re sure there are no onlookers, you grab the man and woman out of the trunk. You toss one over each shoulder, and head into the green before realizing Alex is following behind you.
“You should really go,” you say.
“Not a chance, Seph. I’m not getting left in the dark.”
You sigh. It was impossible trying to argue with a werewolf. They were so stubborn. “Fine.”
(Part 4/7)
“Fine,” she replies, cheerily, then grabs the man off your right shoulder, slinging him over hers instead, “Least I can do is help. Lead on.”
When you eventually get to where you’re going, you knock thrice on Vimbree’s tree. As everyone knows, gnomes are easily spooked. Long ago, you agreed to only speak Welsh when announcing your presence to her.
“Mae ffrind yma,” you whisper to the tree.
(Part 5/7)
Silence.
For a moment, you wonder if she's even home. Then, the great trunk begins to untwist itself, revealing a doorway between its massive roots.
A small, leafy head pops through the opening. For a moment, she scowls at you, your friend, and the unconscious man and woman. Then Vim sighs and says, “Well, best come in, then. Always knew that favor I owed you would be trouble.”
(Part 6/7)
You and the wolf follow her down into her spacious, underground home. She directs you to a wall where the roots of the tree are numerous, and she begins to sing. They come alive and entrap the man and woman in their grip. As they do, the pair begin to regain consciousness.
When they realize what’s going on, there’s a panic in both of their eyes.
(Part 7/7)
“Who are you, and what do you want with Alex?” you ask. Might as well be direct to start.
Neither of them answers, but they look terrified.
Alex's eyes flash yellow and she lets out a growl. "I could convince them to talk," she says, as deadly claws grow from the tips of her fingers.
(Part 1/2)
"No need for torture, Alex. I think I've got this," you say. She doesn't put her claws away yet, though.
You move closer to the couple and study them carefully. They look more nervous the longer you don't speak. You make eye contact with the woman, and you pluck a memory from her mind like a flower.
"Cora," you say, "You weren't always a thug for hire, were you?"
Her eyes widen with panic. "H-how did you know my name?"
(Part 2/2)
"I know a lot of things," you say, trying to remain as vague as possible, "so you better tell me the truth. I'll know if you're lying."
"Oh yeah?" the man chimed in, "And what're you gonna do to us if we don't? You already said you won't let the shifter hurt us."
"Thomas," you say, meeting his eyes, "What would your mother say? This wasn't the life she wanted for you."
Tears welled in his eyes, "How dare you!" he said, "Witch!"
Interesting. He didn't know who you are.
Alex snorted. "Mercenaries, then," she said.
You nod. That's certainly how it appeared.
"You're only in this for the money, right?" you ask Thomas and Cora, "What would you say to double whatever your current employer is offering for the Princess?"
You're a goddess. You can pull gold directly from wherever it's hiding in the earth. Besides, you work for a dragon. Money is never an issue.
The mercenaries look at each other and nod in agreement.
"Done. What are the terms?" the woman replied.
You think on this for a moment.
You decide asking them to spy for you might be helpful.
"What if their original employer offers even more?" Alex warns.
You look pointedly at the couple. "If it's who I think it is, he would offer death before he offered more payment."
The couple look at each other and nod. The deal is struck. You set them loose, but Vim says she has a bad feeling.
Maybe you should break the radio silence and contact your daughter, just in case.
"So," you say, turning to Alex, "We didn't really get to the bottom of things, but we have some new spies. Why do you think you were targeted?"
She shakes her head. "I dunno. I mean, this couldn't have anything to do with the Shadow, could it?"
You shake your head. "No, they have their own agenda. Perhaps it was to draw my attention."
"Didn't you say your daughter was in hiding, too?"
You nod. All of this was very troubling.
Closing your eyes, you reach out with your mind. Flipping through universes like the pages of a book, you land on one where you feel a familiar pull.
"Noë," you say to her, soul to soul.
There's no answer. You try again, and you can feel her panic.
She's not safe. Your first instinct is to go to her, but that could endanger her further. If only you could see clearer.
The multiverse tips on its axis and you, with it. Your consciousness is ripped from Persephone with no ceremony whatsoever. For a moment, it's like Russian Roulette, but with the self.
"One, two..."
Who are you?
"We're coming for you!"
Are you Mellinoë?
"Three, four..."
Persephone?
"Through the magic door!"
The Player? No.
You are Makaria the Blessed.
No...now, you are Makaria the Mad. Mak the Eye; the Sighted. Mak the Risen.
(1/4)
You smile to yourself. And to the Player, of course. Not that they notice. Not that they even realize they’re a part of things yet.
It’s insidious, the multiverse. Once you’re connected to realms other than your own, you start to see things that weren’t there before. Worlds beyond. Things from behind the Veil.
(2/4)
Not that you, Mak, have ever had that problem. You have always known you were godsblood. You have always been a Daughter of Hades. You have always seen the things others cannot. Even things Hades is not privy to.
He isn’t the god he used to be. Nothing is as it was. Even you can see that it does the realms no good to have other gods hopping around within it. It’s not just your mother and sister, no; Chaos has been missing for ages.
(3/4)
Not just YOUR Chaos, either. Several of them. Without her to keep it in check, the Shadow was spreading.
You can see many paths ahead, but the way is tangled. Right now, you’re choosing to remain ambivalent until the correct one presents itself.
“What are you doing?” Zag asks from the hall.
The flickering of your candlelight illuminates his face in your doorway, casting dancing shadows on the wall behind him.
(4/4)
“Thinking,” you reply.
“I mean with that,” he points to the candle.
You raise an eyebrow. “I like it.”
He shrugs, as if to say, “Suit yourself.” Which you always do, anyway.
“Father wants to see you. He wants you to look again.”
Sighing, you hop lightly to your feet and follow him down the hall.
"Anything I should know before going in?" you ask.
Zag shakes his head but doesn't reply. You would frown, but then someone might think you're having an emotion. The walls had eyes, after all.
You turn to meet them. They stare as you pass. Just a reflex at this point for most of them, unfortunately. These were the souls of the Unforgiveable.
"Actually," Zag says, "Don't mention Mother. Father is in one of his moods."
You wait for him to continue, but he doesn't. Both of you remain silent until you reach the outer chamber of your father's throne room.
"Good luck in there," he mumbles, and holds the door open for you. You nod to him and put a hand on his shoulder in thanks. It's a small gesture, but one that surprises him. You try to remember the last time you gave him a hug. It was probably before you died.
No matter. Father is waiting.
On second thought...nah.
You wink at Zag, say, "I think you'll be needing all the luck today," and run in the opposite direction.
The glee of doing something unexpected bubbles up inside of you and turns into laughter. Joy, even. You let out a sound of elation and snap your fingers. A portal opens; a way into one of the old temples, somewhere, somewhen.
You whisper, seemingly to the air, "You coming?"
You jump effortlessly through the doorway and slam it shut behind you.
The sunlight is disorienting for a moment, and you shield your eyes. The temple around you has long since crumbled, and nature has begun to reclaim its ground.
Outside, you can hear ocean waves and taste the salt in the air. This was Greece. Some version of it, anyway.
"Well," someone behind you says, voice smooth as honey, "YOU'RE new."
When you turn, there's another goddess behind you. You know, because you recognize this one. Or rather, one of their alternate reality counterparts. They all had the same, flaming red hair, though.
"Loki," you say.
She smiles. "Ah! You know me! Splendid. I, however, don't think I've ever had the pleasure."
You return her smile. It was rare to find a Loki who didn't introduce themselves by playing with your brain a bit first.
"Sorry, I've met so many of you before. I was sure you must know me. I am Tyche, Goddess of Fortune, at your service. Just on a bit of a holiday from my realm. How are things here?" you lie.
Loki smirks, and there's a glint in her eye. One that is giving you PTSD from your last encounter with one of them.
She says, "Perhaps you could be of assistance. We need all hands on, at the moment."
Internally, you wince. It wasn't a question.
Loki leans against one of the broken pillars and says, "There's something wrong with the Gates to Valhalla."
Their Valhalla is your Tartarus. It's just their universe's word for the afterlife. Your godsblood runs cold, because you know what's next.
"They won't open anymore. For any soul. So, the dead are just...everywhere. See for yourself."
You look out at the beach where she's pointing, and there are hundreds of ghosts.
"What's the plan?" you ask, still looking out at the lost souls. Most of them are wandering aimlessly, and it breaks your heart.
You still feel things. That's a good sign.
Some of the ghosts have noticed you, and now they're staring. Probably not a good sign.
"We've got to find the last dragon. Only she knows where the gnomes are hiding. They are great with portals. I bet they could crack it open, easy. Your luck could come in handy."
Tiebreaker vote.
"Not to alarm you or anything," you say, "But is it bad that some of the ghosts have noticed us?"
Loki shrugged. "Probably not. I mean, they can't really do anything to affect this realm. All they can do is talk at us."
Your brow furrows. You see some of the lost souls coming toward the ruins.
"Maybe they've seen things that could help," you suggest.
Loki grins. "See? You're helpful already! Let's go talk to some dead people."
"After you," you say, and your companion obliges, leading you out of the ruins.
"Ah," she remarks, "I recognize that one, over there. One of the Arcane I used to work with."
Surprisingly, the man she's walking towards looks familiar. You wince as memories not your own flash through your mind. Time and space and multiple realities, remixing and colliding. If the Great Magi is dead in this world...You shudder at the thought.
"Loki," you say as you walk beside her, "It can't be good that Merlin is dead. You do know who he is, right?"
"Of course I know," she laughed, "He was a good friend. He died saving his family, which I can't blame him for."
"But without him—" you start, but she cuts you off.
"I know. Dire consequences and all. I mean, we've already had those." Loki gestures to the mass of ghosts before you.
"Good point."
It's still troubling, though.
As you make your way through the throng of ghosts, they stare wordlessly. They know, instinctively, that you are connected to them. You feel their despair as your own, and it's bottomless.
Trying to climb out of it, you ask, "So, who is this dragon you mentioned? Are they really the last?"
Loki nods. "Her name is Caesura, and she's the last remaining Arygetlan from our Avalon."
Earths and Avalons were almost always connected.
"What destroyed them?" you ask.
"Who else? The Shadow. However, Caesura was able to defeat it here."
Your eyes widen. This was news. In other universes, nothing has been able to stop the darkness from devouring everything.
"Hope is a fool's errand," you hear your father say in the back of your mind.
But you are not your father.
There's a strange hum now, where his voice was a moment ago. Like something rooting around in your brain.
(1/2)
"What are you doing in my brainmeats?" you whisper. You wonder if they can hear you, or if they're reading these words like it's merely a story.
Loki is still walking ahead of you, but time has slowed.
Images of people and places you've never seen flash before your eyes; a cacophany of words accompanies it, and you squeeze your eyes shut, trying to focus on just one.
"What is this place?" you hear a familiar voice say.
(2/2)
It's your sister, Noë. Your heart lodges in your throat.
"We're somewhere in the midlands," an unfamiliar man-voice says.
So, that's where she escaped to.
"Thanks for the heads-up," you mutter.
"Lusus," Loki says, now that the world is back to normal speed, "My old pal."
"It has been an age," he replied, "But I don't think I've met your companion here."
You nod and say, "Tyche, Goddess of Fortune."
He smirks, "Sure you are."
You stare the old man down. Merlin, Lusus, Bramlinus, Merys...whatever he was going by these days.
"I know you," he says, and his eyes brighten, "Why are you hiding behind a false name when you're exactly who we need to help us?"
Loki turns to you and raises an eyebrow. "Don't trust me, eh?"
For a moment, your jaw just kind of hangs open, but no words will come.
Then the trickster goddess laughs and says, "I wouldn't, either."
Your words have returned. Annoying, but you'll play along.
"Fine, yes. I am Makaria, but you can call me Mak."
"No shit?" Loki says, "Daughter of Hades? Big fan!"
You nod and apologize for the deception. "I'm sort of...running away from home. Father wants me and Zag tracking down mother and our sister."
"But you don't want to do that?" the ghost of Merlin asks with a mischievous grin.
"No. What the Shadow has done has corrupted even the realms of the dead. Despite my own madness, Hades is far worse. I believe he, himself, is infected with the sickness," you say.
"So, all the realms, including the afterlives are in danger of this?" Loki gestures to the dead souls surrounding you on the beach.
You nod. "The Shadow is consuming everything, breaking down the thin walls between universes. I think it's why my mother ran."
"Well," Loki says, "If Hades has lost it, it must be his fault the gates are closed. All the more reason to find the last dragon."
"Caesura?" Merlin asks, "Ooh, she won't be wanting company."
The trickster goddess throws her hands up in the air. "We're such interesting guests. How could she refuse us?"
"She won't. Well, maybe at first a little. You must offer her something. Information."
"What do you think we should do?" you ask the Great Wizard.
"Tell her what you told me about the Shadow. That fiend raised her before they made her kill her own family. Caesura will want revenge, and if you offer it to her, she will help you," he replies.
What a heavy weight to carry on the soul. You wonder if the last dragon is even more damaged than you.
Merlin offers to show you and Loki the way, though it is a bit of a hike.
(1/2)
You nod, accepting his guidance. If he knows the way, it'll definitely help. The fact that he seemed to have been close to Caesura will also help. A Dracan in isolation was like a ticking time-bomb. Who knows what you'd face if you were to go alone? Her magic, after all, might be enough to slow you down, and you need to keep moving if you're to stay ahead of Hades.
Loki gestures dramatically and says, "Lead the way, old friend!"
(2/2)
Merlin takes you away from the beach and through a literal ghost town. Everything has been decimated and overrun with dark, oozing badness. This world would fall completely to Shadow soon. You shudder.
"And who are you," a voice whispers, "To shun the darkness?"
There's no one nearby except you and your companions. Even the ghosts keep their distance, peering out broken windows and from behind abandoned cars in fear as you pass.
(1/3)
"Wait," you call out to your companions ahead of you, "Something is speaking to me."
Loki turns and raises an eyebrow. "What kind of thing?"
You shake your head. "I don't know."
"You've always known me," the voice replied.
You spin on your heel, looking in all directions. "You seriously didn't hear that?"
Merlin frowns. "No, my dear, we didn't. What is it this voice wants from you?"
(2/3)
You throw your hands in the air and say, "Well? What do you want, you disembodied creep?"
A laugh sounds all around you and gets louder and louder until you have to cover your ears. But the sound is inside your head, so it doesn't help. You fall to your knees, and then the anger surges up from inside of you and your eyes burn like hellfire.
"Enough!" you yell, slamming a fist into the concrete.
(3/3)
The street shatters, and windows that haven't already broken explode outward from the buildings around you. The Earth shudders for a moment, then stills.
The voice is gone, but your companions are concerned.
"This sounds like the Shadow's work," he says.
Surprised, you ask, "But what would a Primordial want with me?"
Loki slings an arm around your shoulder and says, "It means he considers you a threat. Welcome to the game, hon!"
Tiebreaker vote.
(1/2)
You travel through broken cities and over violent seas. As you and Loki are gods and Merlin a ghost, you didn't need to stop for mortal things like food or rest.
Caesura had taken up residence inside the Great Library of Alexandria, of all places. You'd think a dragon would want to stay away from such flammable objects.
(2/2)
As you stand outside the building, you could swear the statues have turned to stare directly into your soul. If gods had souls, anyway.
You squeeze your eyes shut for a moment and breathe in the Mediterranean breeze. When you look again, they're just statues. Nothing more.
Loki remarks on how well the library has held together all this time.
River J. Hopkins