The Mother of Monsters

Ianna squinted at the unconscious boy on the ground. They’d managed to catch up with the others just a few hours ago and had found the mess left behind by a vicious battle with the wightlings and a madcaller of all things. She had half a mind to chew Conrad out for the overkill but figured that’s what he’d do if any other heroes came marching through his territory so decided against it. Instead she sat there and watched as the skin grew back over Mack’s face and body, the potions they’d brought along doing their work. She huffed out a breath and glanced at Azrael who shook her head.

“He’d be dead if we didn’t come prepared,” Ianna said as Miranda knelt next to him with her hands outstretched, muttering words under her breath to amplify the healing process. “That was a reckless move, getting in close and then using heat on a madcaller.”

“I’m sorry,” Delilah said off to the side, having a hard time looking at her disfigured friend.

Ianna shrugged, “I don’t know why you’re apologizing. I heard you did a good job,” she said and rested her chin on her palm as Mack began to stir a little, wincing at the pain. Miranda muttered something else and he went under again, keeping him from waking up to his face regrowing on his head. Ianna clicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes at her, “Who are you supposed to save if you’re dead?” She asked in a low voice and got a sidelong look from Azrael. Both of them knew she wasn’t just talking about the reckless kid. She looked down at her hands and felt her stomach churn a little, Father.

Miranda let out a sigh and got up, rolling her shoulders, “I’ve done all I can,” she said and made her way over to a tree to sit down. “We should really think about shelter soon. Conrad’s wightlings are going to keep coming and having a little cover would be nice with him flying about looking for us.”

“It’s game over if he finds us,” Ianna said with a frown, “At least as far as maintaining any kind of cover identities are concerned,” She rubbed her neck and called up her personal map of the forest. She scanned it briefly and paused when she realized where they were. Her lips twitched and she glanced at Azrael, “We’re close to the cave.”

Azrael whipped her head in Ianna’s direction, “Seriously? We’re that deep?”

“Apparently we made it half way in without even noticing,” Ianna said with a shrug, “It’s a good waypoint.”

“Are you sure?” Azrael asked, concern on her face, “We could figure something else out.”

Ianna waved her hand, “Please, she’s dead, it’s just an empty tomb now, perfect to lay low in while this one pulls himself together and I give him a talking to about suicidal recklessness.”

Azrael and Miranda both snorted at the same time and looked away from Ianna. Ianna frowned and looked between the two of them for a moment before crossing her arms, “Oh come on, I wasn’t that bad!” She complained as the two broke into fits of laughter. “I wasn’t!” She whined.

Across from Ianna, Delilah watched their conversation with an odd look on her face. She rubbed the back of her neck as Ianna acknowledged her and asked sheepishly, “Um, is your group always like this?”

They looked amongst themselves, “Hm? Well, yeah, pretty much,” Ianna said, “Why?”

“It just wasn’t what I was expecting. I mean, you’re you,” She said with a helpless gesture of her hands, “After all we’ve heard and seen on the front lines outside Katal and,” She trailed off for a moment, “I just wasn’t expecting someone so normal and easygoing.”

“I can act like a queen if I want,” Ianna said with tilt of her head and a dismissive wave of her hand, “I keep the act up when I’m doing business, but to be honest, this is me,” She gestured to herself, “If I wanted to be a stern, hum-drum, grump all the time I’d stay in the palace all day and stare off the balcony all mysterious-like,” She snorted at the thought, “No thanks. I like this world way too much to be a shut-in and I kinda like people too. You know, once I spend some time with them.”

“An odd duck ever since she arrived in this world,” Azrael said, “Miranda, do you remember when she threw a tantrum and kicked your drawbridge down?”

“Ah yes, when she found out about attribute scaling,” Miranda said with a sage nod, “I remember. Though my perspective on the situation at the time wasn’t exactly favorable.”

“I beat the shit out of you,” Ianna cut in.

“You did indeed beat the shit out of me,” Miranda said with a sigh, rubbing her neck, “What a day.”

“A tantrum?” Delilah asked in disbelief, “Drawbridge?”

“You guys can tell the story on the way,” Ianna said as she got to her feet, scooping Mack up in her arms and hefting him before turning north. “Let’s go to shelter.”

—

By the time they arrived at the entrance to that cave, Delilah was laughing herself hoarse. She wiped a tear from her eye as she looked up at a stony faced Ianna who was eyeing the cave. “You didn’t know about attributes until then?” She wheezed, “It’s the first thing we’re told about basically when we arrive in this world, so we can pick our first attributes wisely.”

“Yeah well, I didn’t get the same tutorial,” Ianna said flatly as she strode towards the cave.

Delilah looked around as they drew closer, “What is this place? It feels strange.”

Ianna pursed her lips a little and tilted her head, “Depends on who you ask,” she said noncommittally and dipped into the shadowy entrance. A heartbeat later and her body was glowing with enough faint light to make passage in the tunnel easy. “It’s where I arrived in this world,” She said as they stepped down, deeper and deeper into the ever darkening cave. “Woke up more like. Naked in a sarcophagus.”

“A sarcophagus?” Delilah blinked, “Oh, right, we have to occupy a body. Why here, though?”

“Our father, the previous king of Osan, performed a ritual to intercept the hero to try to force a peace with Katal,” Azrael said, “The Katal mages countered him and the result was this one ending up somewhere in between. The only humanoid body in the vicinity being the one in this tomb.”

Delilah let out a breath and shuddered, “That sounds awful.”

“Oh it gets better,” Ianna laughed, “There was a boss in the room. I died over and over and over,” She grumbled, the memory putting a sour taste in her mouth as they finally arrived at the enormous marble slab that marked the entrance to the tomb. Ianna took a moment to look around and noticed that there were fragments of marble here and there in the antechamber, it looked like a portion of a tunnel had once led to the tomb in the past. She really hadn’t paid it any mind but since she’d connected with the Labyrinth she could even sense where it had been cut off. Interesting. I wonder if this is the portion of the labyrinth that stretches towards Katal. That would be handy.

“So what now?” Delilah asked.

Ianna turned and handed Mack to her before reaching up and touching the slab. With a pulse of her magic and an exertion of will, the stone rolled to the side revealing the beautiful chamber within. It was just as she remembered it, from her dreams and her nightmares. She pressed her lips together hard and stepped over the lip that separated the cave from the tomb and entered. Immediately, the braziers atop the pillars in the room exploded into life and revealed the black and gold marble elegance of it all. Delilah let out a gasp of awe as she stepped inside.

“It’s… breathtaking,” Delilah murmured as they walked further inside. She set Mack on the ground next to one of the columns and let him lean against it. She turned and spotted the sarcophagus resting on the dias. “Is that it?”

“Yep, that shit is cold when you’re in your birthday suit,” Ianna grunted, walking over and slapping the side of the sarcophagus. “Not sure how long I spent in here, died so many times I can’t really remember,” She mumbled and crossed her arms.

A groan drew their attention and the four women glanced over to see Mack stir and open his eyes, leaning forward to cup the side of his face. “Oh, god that hurts…” He grumbled before blinking and looking around, “Huh? Where are we?”

Ianna chuckled and hopped onto the sarcophagus, crossing her legs and smirking at them both, she swept her arms out dramatically, “Mack, Delilah, welcome to the birthplace of the Great Demon Lord.”