Nexus Games [Chps 44 + 45]

Hey peeps!

Pokemon Legends Arceus came out yesterday. I'm only rewarding myself with game time after I write, lol

—Chapter 44—

—The Rewards of Self-Sacrifice—

Kellan pulled on the strings of the box.

The others watched with bated breath. Kellan unwrapped everything and then opened the top, his muscles tense, his teeth gritted. If the box turned out to be a monster itself, he wouldn’t be surprised.

But…

When Kellan glanced inside, he found an egg.

Not a normal tiny egg, but a large ostrich-sized egg. It was longer than Kellan’s hand, and practically spherical. The shell was speckled with orange, blue, and black dots—a bizarre design that reminded Kellan of cupcakes.

His eyes gave him information on the egg.

Magical   Item [Animal of Pure Magic Egg]—Astra Egg

This egg contains an Animal of   Pure Magic of astra quality. It seems close to hatching…

Husker practically leapt from his chair. He walked over and stared into the box, his tail half-wagging. Then he sniffed at the egg, and Kellan wondered if the man wanted to eat it.

“Oh,” Husker muttered. His tail stopped wagging. “It’s not divine quality… A shame. This is just astra quality—still powerful, but not the best familiar a mage could have.”

“Wait, so this is like that divine egg you were talking about?” Kellan asked. He offered Husker the box. “If you want a familiar, you can have it.”

Husker snorted and moved away from the box. He rubbed at his long snout and shook his head. “It was a gift. A token of thanks. You saved Team 80, and this was their show of gratitude. It would be an insult to take the gift from you. Especially since you don’t have a familiar.”

“Do I want one?” Kellan asked as he carefully pulled the egg from the box. It was light. And warm. And Kellan felt something… moving inside. “I don’t know if I want some sort of freakish owl hanging around me all the time.”

“Owl?” Sen asked, his brow scrunched in confusion. “Why would you assume it’s an owl?”

“Isn’t that what a familiar is? Or a black cat? Or, uh, a rat or something?”

Kellan hadn’t paid much attention to witches and wizards from old tales, but he could’ve sworn most of them had owls or cats as familiars. How would that help him in a death match? How would it help with anything? He didn’t have letters he needed delivered.

“Listen, fool, an Animal of Pure Magic can be anything.” Sen clapped his palms together, laced his fingers, and then stared up at Kellan. “Familiars have their own magics, amplify your abilities, and are loyal beyond doubt. They elevate their mage and give them more options. You want one, of course.”

Mavis leaned close to Kellan and stared at the large egg. With a hesitant hand, she touched the shell and then jerked her fingers away. “It’s warm.”

“And moving,” Kellan muttered. The animal inside the egg twitched with lively energy. “Wait, this can be anything?”

Sen nodded once.

“So… that means it could be an owl?”

With a huff and a dramatic roll of his eyes, Sen sighed. “Sure. Yes. It could be an owl. But if it was, it would be the most impressive magical owl you’ve ever seen in your life, I guarantee.”

“I’ve seen sword familiars,” Husker muttered as he returned to his seat. After he relaxed onto the cushion, he offered a shrug.

“A sword?” Kellan shook his head and chuckled to himself. “The egg could hatch and a reveal a sword?”

“Yes. Well, sort of.” Husker stared at him, no amusement in his wolf-like face. “You didn’t have familiars where you came from? None at all? Animals of Pure Magic start off small, and they only grow once they’ve bonded to a mage. A dagger could appear from the egg, and if you bond with it, you’d eventually have a very powerful sword.”

“What about a pistol? I’m fond of firearms.”

Husker shrugged. “It’s possible. A pistol familiar might become a rifle or something larger.”

After a short moment, Kellan asked, “What about… a blender? Could a baby blender come out of the egg? Grow into a food processor?”

Mavis snorted and coughed, unable to stop herself from laughing. She ran a hand over her mouth, biting back her mirth.

“Everything is a joke to you,” Sen sardonically commented. He dismissively waved his head. “Husker, don’t bother answering these inane questions. If our warrior doesn’t want to take this seriously, why should we?”

“Most of the time, Animals of Pure Magic are, in fact, animals,” Husker drawled. He sighed as he picked at his claws. “You’ll likely get a dog, and if you’re bonded long enough, it’ll grow to become a gargantuan wolf—a warg, as some call them.”

The TV continued with Bitso’s report, including video footage of other teams fighting yami. Husker turned his ears toward the screen the moment Bitso uttered, “The Arbiter is proud of everyone who managed to pass the first rounds of games. He will be awarding each team that successfully found a key. In the morning, before the second games begin, the leader of those teams will have an advantage they can distribute amongst their teammates.”

Kellan returned his attention to the box. Something else was at the bottom.

It was a handwritten note. The English and handwriting were perfect—Kellan suspected it came from Hank himself.

Alex,

Thank you for your help during the first game. My team leader said I should reach out to you and offer something of value.

I don’t have much. I accidentally ended up in the Nexus during the Conflux, and I barely understand my surroundings. I wish I had your confidence and skills.

I found this thing. Maybe you can find a use for it.

Merry Christmas,

Hank

Kellan found something else under the note. A gold coin. On one side, there was a picture of a snake. On the other side, there was a picture of a city. His stared long enough to get the extra bit of information.

Magical   Item [Device]—Andratome Coin

This coin shines with inner power.   The snake side glows whenever deceptive mind magics (such as illusions and   subtle mind control) are being used nearby (ten feet times the mage’s wisdom   score).

If the Andratome Coin is placed on   another magical item, the city side will glow if there are concealed abilities   within the other item (such as tracking, disruption, bad luck, and mind   reading). The mage can spend 5 mana to temporarily negate either the deceptive   mind magic or concealed item abilities (negation lasts thirty seconds) if the   powers are considered S rank or lower.

Kellan turned the coin over multiple times in his hand. His wisdom score was considered low, thanks to his flaw. It was still a useful item, however. Kellan was surprised Hank would part with it. Then again, perhaps Hank didn’t know what it was. Not everyone had Kellan’s sight.

“You should keep your egg warm,” Husker said, drawing Kellan’s attention.

“Right…”

With his box, coin, rulebook, and egg held tightly in his arms, Kellan stood and headed back to his room. While he wanted to see more of Bitso’s broadcast, but he also wanted to do more reading.

Mavis watched him go, and Kellan hesitated right as he reached the door. “You want to join?” he asked her.

She smirked and then pointed to the balcony with the mana spring. “I’m going to take a dip, and then I’ll join you.”

He gave her a reverse nod and then entered his bedroom. His egg continued to jostle around. Kellan didn’t like that. He carried the giant ball of pro-life over to the bed, sat down, and quickly dragged a bunch of blankets over. With little finesse, he made a nest and placed the egg in the middle.

“There,” he said. “Now you’ll be safe, my little blender.”

The egg didn’t respond.

Kellan sat close to it and covered the top with another blanket. He wasn’t excited for an animal, but a dog would be pleasant. Kellan had always enjoyed dogs. But then his thoughts went back to the golden retriever he had first seen when he arrived in the Nexus. She was… ripped apart by the Pestbyters. Would his familiar just be a liability?

He shook away the thought.

One problem at a time.

Kellan cracked open his rulebook and immediately tried to find something on familiars. It wasn’t difficult, but the bizarre translations left him a little baffled.

Each mage can have one family member, familiar.

He had to read that rule several times.

With a laugh, Kellan flipped through a couple other pages, hoping to find something interesting. When he came to the section about arcana, he stopped. Arcana…

Arcana is the secrets from the souls of others.

The Arbiter uses the secrets of the world's deceitful monsters.

Kellan ran his fingers along the words. It had to be a translation error. What was it even saying? Kellan already knew arcana was just people’s souls. But why did the Arbiter need it? He was powerful enough. He ruled the Nexus.

The more Kellan read, the more he became intrigued. The last page on arcana read:

Gold reveals the apex of magic.

Great secrets come from gold.

Mighty is the power.

“It’s like I’m reading someone’s terrible poetry,” he muttered to himself. Kellan chuckled as he set the rulebook down on the bed. “This wasn’t as useful as I had hoped…”

The sound of water splashing filtered into Kellan’s room. Mavis, Sen, and Husker had gone into the mana spring, their voices loud enough for Kellan to hear their tones, but not loud enough for him to make out their specific words.

He listened for a short while as they maintained a lengthy conversation.

Fatigue clawed at him. Kellan rubbed his chest, desperate to spend his arcana on travel magic and go to bed.

Although… meta magic did seem more useful. Since Xiang already had travel magic, it probably wasn’t good to double up. That was what Sen had been screeching about—since Sen could heal and fleshcraft, why did they need another person who could do the same things?

And the rulebook had said meta magic was for people who thought outside the box.

But who would teach him? Kellan didn’t know any meta mages. Well, besides Brenner.

Kellan laughed to himself just thinking about asking Brenner for a short lesson.

With a sigh, Kellan rested back on the bed. He decided to stay close to the egg, just in case it needed his body heat. Then he closed his eyes. He’d rest… just for a short while. Just enough to regain some of his energy. Not too long.

Just enough…

To sleep for a bit.

***

When Kellan opened his eyes again, the room was dark.

Thankfully, his eclipse magic prevented that from being a problem. He could see no matter the darkness. He forced himself to sit upright and glance around, his eyelids heavy. The sheets weren’t magical—they hadn’t forced him into slumber—he had just been exhausted. After a long yawn, Kellan checked on the egg.

It was fine. Still speckled. Still shaking.

Kellan patted it gently and then stood.

He didn’t hear any sounds. Not from the mana spring. Not from the rest of the suite.

With his breath held, Kellan exited his room into the common area. The TV was off, the couches were cold, and all the lights were off. No one was here—or perhaps everyone was sleeping. Kellan crept into the room, his eyes on the glass doors to the balcony.

The night sky sparkled with red and white stars. Kellan stood still for a moment to admire them.

Music and shouting—friendly shouts of jovial delight—echoed up from around the AVU Palace. Obviously, people were celebrating and having a good time.

Kellan rubbed his face. He headed for the front door, intent on finding Mavis, but when he passed by Xiang’s door, he noticed a flicker of light coming from underneath. He stopped, and then carefully knocked on her door.

No reply.

“Xiang?” Kellan asked, his voice rusty with sleep.

But there was no answer.

Was she awake? Was she gone? Perhaps she was in trouble? Kellan had no idea. He didn’t know what to expect.

Kellan tried knocking once more. When he still didn’t have an answer, he glanced around and then stepped into the darkness. With his shadow-stepping, he slid under the crack of the door and into Xiang’s room.

He exited the void and found himself in a gigantic bedroom complete with a boat-sized bed. Xiang’s room came with its own balcony, sitting area, table, desk, and humongous bathroom. It was its own small house—a place away from everyone. Kellan would’ve loved to have it over his apartment.

After a short moment of glancing around, Kellan eventually spotted Xiang.

She stood out on the large balcony, her attention on the city in the distance. The glass door to the balcony was so clean, Kellan almost hadn’t seen it at all.

Someone stood with Xiang. A man.

The moment Kellan saw the other man’s information, he almost choked on his own breath.

Name: Alex Kellan the Defector

Race:Concealed

Magics:Concealed

Rank:Concealed

Armor Rating: Concealed

Health:Concealed

Stats:Concealed

Abilities:Concealed

Although the man’s basic information was concealed, all Kellan cared about was his name.

It’s the alternate me.

The man wore combat tactical gear—heavy cargo pants, chest armor, a long-necked shirt that went to his chin, thick boots, and arm guards. Something on the other Kellan’s arm blinked blue, an obvious piece of electronic equipment strapped to his limb. When he moved, it was with purpose and precision. Even from within Xiang’s room, a good twenty feet away, Kellan could tell his alternate-self was a man of physical prowess.

Alternate-Kellan stood with his back to the balcony door, almost right behind Xiang. He placed a hand on her shoulder. Xiang leaned into him, her head gradually resting on his chest.

Kellan watched the scene with ever growing hesitation. Should he leave? Announce himself? A part of him was rapt with fascination. He… hadn’t met himself before. Did they even know he was here?

Xiang and the Alternate-Kellan said nothing. Their gazes remained on the distant horizon. After a silent thirty seconds, Kellan shifted his footing back toward the exit.

Then Xiang turned around, wrapped her arms around Alternate-Kellan’s neck and pressed her lips against his. Her eyes remained close as the man pulled her into a tight embrace.

Kellan wasn’t sure if he should be proud or jealous. On the one hand—his alternate-self was clearly on top of things. On the other hand—what did his alternate-self have that he didn’t?

I can’t be jealous, Kellan thought, smirking to himself for the outlandish musings. He’s not me. He’s just someone else who sort of looks like me. And I barely know Xiang. This doesn’t involve me. Kellan practically chanted the same phrases over and over in his head, trying hard to dispel any sort of negative feelings.

Before Kellan could leave Xiang’s room, his alternate-self broke away from Xiang. He turned on his heel, threw open the glass door, and strode into the room.

Kellan held his breath.

Alternate-Kellan…

The right side of his face was gnarled with scars. His right eye was mechanical—similar to Jace’s—but instead of a blue light in the center, Alternate-Kellan had gold. His face had been so slashed that his right ear was ripped and fragmented.

Kellan had seen similar wounds before—on animals. They were the type of combat scars from claws, talons, and fangs, not bullets, knives, or knuckles. Had his alternate-self been wrestling with bears? The scars were old—healed and white—and it gave Alternate-Kellan a more serious expression than Kellan usually wore.

Tense and unsure of what to do, Kellan didn’t move. He had been caught. Surely, Alternate-Kellan would have words for him.

But his alternate-self didn’t say anything. He slowed his stride as he approached the door, his gaze narrowing on Kellan. Then he stopped. He gave Kellan the once-over, his half-mechanical gaze homing in on Kellan’s dog tags for the briefest of seconds.

They were similar in many ways. The same height, same dark brown hair and eyes… But Alternate-Kellan was more muscular, much to Kellan’s irritation.

“Sorry,” Kellan said as he ran a hand through his hair. “I was looking for Xiang. I didn’t expect to see you here. I wasn’t trying to disturb anything.”

Alternate-Kellan said nothing. He just narrowed his eyes into a glower.

He didn’t seem to have any weapons on him. No visible rifle or knives.

But Kellan wasn’t fooled. The other man carried himself like he could kill half the people in the AVU Palace. But why remain silent? Just an intimidation tactic?

He wore small colored bars on the shoulder of his chest armor. Six bars, all colored silver. He was a S rank eclipse mage. At least, that was one of his magics and ranks. Which explained why his information was concealed—Husker had said it was the magic of hiding.

“I’m the other Alex Kellan,” Kellan said as he held out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Alternate-Kellan didn’t move.

Since his other-self wasn’t cooperating, Kellan opted for sardonic. He tucked his hands into his pockets. “Really? Well, I guess it’s good to know that in some dimensions I become a delta-bravo. Really puts things into perspective. If I hang out with men like Brenner, I’ll become just like him.”

With gritted teeth, Alternate-Kellan grabbed the tall neck of his shirt and pulled it down. The scars on his face traveled the length of his neck, all the way to his collarbones. His throat looked managed—a large chunk was missing down the middle.

Kellan had never seen anyone live from an injury that horrendous. He stared for a few moments, realization dawning on him.

“You can’t speak?” he asked.

Alternate-Kellan tugged the neck of his shirt up and offered half a nod. Then he walked past Kellan, grabbed the door handle, and threw it open. He left without a single glance back, or even an indication that he cared about Kellan at all.

To Kellan’s surprise, he didn’t hear his alternate-self open any other doors. Did he slip into the shadows? Or just go invisible, like Jace? He wasn’t sure.

When Kellan turned back around, he tensed again.

Xiang stood a few feet away from him. Her large yellow sweatshirt, skin-tight pants, and socks were smeared with spots of crimson. Had someone been bleeding? But Kellan didn’t see the evidence for long. Once he blinked his eyes, all the red was gone—most likely concealed behind illusions.

Kellan motioned to the door. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come in here and see anything. I just woke up, and I wanted to speak with you about magic, and the lights were—”

“It’s fine,” Xiang said, curt. Her eyes never lifted to meet his. She stared at the floor, her gaze practically drilling a hole in the carpet.

After a short exhale, Kellan asked, “Are you okay?”

Xiang fidgeted with the sleeve of her baggy sweatshirt. Her new outfit was as elegant or powerful as her suit or robes. She almost looked like she was cosplaying a pile of laundry…

She was more down to earth. Kellan preferred it.

“Did he just break into your room or something?” Kellan asked. “Was he bothering you?”

Xiang finally glanced up. With a cold smirk, she said, “I knew he’d come. It’s exactly his and Brenner’s style to do something like this. I just… I didn’t expect him to be so soft. Not after the last time we saw each other.”

“Maybe he wants to make things right. He seemed pretty happy to see you.”

Xiang brushed back some of her black hair, her expression shifting to amusement. “Oh, I sincerely doubt it. I suspect he came here hoping to hurt me. Or try to manipulate me with false promises.”

Wow. I really am a delta-bravo.

But Kellan didn’t know what else to say. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Exes can be… difficult.” He almost added, At least you’ll get a chance to kill yours, but he held back. Xiang probably wasn’t in the mood for humor.

Her gaze remained distant, her posture weak. Something had happened, yet she refused to talk about it. Instead, she said, “Once upon a time, Alex hadn’t been like that at all. And I think… if I hadn’t gotten together with Brenner, maybe all our futures would’ve been different…”

“How?”

But she didn’t reply. Xiang seemed lost in her whirlpool of thoughts. Was she drowning in doubt? Kellan knew the look.

He cracked his knuckles together.

“So, about travel magic,” he said. “Are you still willing to teach me?” Any excuse to change the subject was preferred.

Xiang stepped closer to him, her movements slow. “Alex,” she said under her breath. “Would you do me a favor? Just for a moment.”

“What is it?”

“Forgive me, but… just for a moment.” Xiang placed her hands on his chest and leaned against him. “I’d like to pretend.”

Kellan remained stiff and unmoving as Xiang rested her cheek on his shoulder. He didn’t know what to say and pushing her away seemed callous. Could he let her pretend? What did that entail? Using him like a stand-in for someone else?

Xiang said nothing. She didn’t try to embrace him, or kiss, or touch him in any way other than her hands on his chest. Kellan eventually relaxed, though it required effort. He placed a hand on her shoulder, letting her know it was okay, but nothing more.

Several minutes went by in silence.

She smelled good. Kellan tried not to think about it.

The moment Xiang moved away, Kellan took a step backward, feeling a bit more awkward than he liked.

“So, that travel magic,” he said with a forced chuckle. “It would be great to learn.”

Xiang rubbed her eyes. “Yes. It would be a boon.” Then she turned on her heel and faced away from him. “And thank you. I needed that.”

“Sure,” Kellan said. He was about to add anytime, but he held back.

“Travel magic is complicated, but once I’ve revealed its secrets, you’ll be able to advance your ranks without me.”

He nodded once. “Thank you. Uh, can we learn now?”

Xiang glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “Of course.”

—Chapter 45—

—My Blender Hatched—

Kellan wasn’t sure what time it was. The night sky outside and beyond the balcony told him it was in the evening, but wasn’t the next game starting in the morning? How long would it take Xiang to teach him?

“Magic is born from your soul,” Xiang said.

“Okay.” Kellan crossed his arms and mulled over the statement. “What does that even mean?”

“It means you can’t learn new magic like you would learn a new language. Think of new magics as a tattoo you’ll mark your soul with—something that alters you forever. Since I have travel magic, I can mark your soul with the same type of energy, allowing you to gain access to travel.”

Kellan hadn’t wanted to think of it like that. He had a tattoo—a single marking on his shoulder blade—that he had gotten when he joined the Delta Force, but that had been it. The thought of changing his soul didn’t sit right.

“Before I get this tattoo… What do you think about meta magic?”

“It’s not an actual tattoo. It’s metaphorical.” Xiang walked over to the edge of her bed and then turned around, her eyes narrowed. “You know someone who will teach you meta magic?”

“No. I was just asking. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought.” Kellan rubbed at the side of his head. His sleep had been irregular, and he felt off. “Just tell me—what do you think about it?”

“Meta magic is the magic of magics. A powerful tool for any mage.”

Kellan still liked the sound of that. Versatility had been his gimmick so far, even if Bitso scolded him for it. But since he couldn’t plan for specific encounters, he wanted options to get himself out of trouble.

“What if I found someone in the AVU Palace to teach me meta? Do you think meta would be better than travel?”

Xiang’s skeptical expression never waned. She crossed her arms. “I don’t think you’ll find anyone willing to teach you. Other teams will consider you an enemy. We should just stick with this plan and move on. Travel magic will give you powers that other mages will find impossible to deal with.”

Any sort of edge would be advantageous.

Kellan nodded once. “All right. I’ll stick with my original plan. Teach me.”

Xiang held out a single hand. “Here. Close your eyes and place your palm on mine. You’ll feel energy, but don’t be afraid. Use your arcana and allow your soul to be altered.”

Although the situation felt off to him, Kellan exhaled, stepped forward, and placed his hand on her palm. Her touch… reminded Kellan of the first time he saw her. Something about her magic was off.

Was it her hex? Kellan didn’t know.

He closed his eyes. The arcana cost…

Cost to Learn E Rank Travel Magic: 5 arcana

Something clawed at his chest, deep beyond his ribcage. In his mind’s eye, he could see the magic, just like he had with eclipse, metal, and body. He knew travel magic was about escaping everything—even his current reality. It was about distance, space, evasion, breaking things apart…

And Kellan could see the first couple E rank powers.

Travel—E Rank Powers

Teleport,   Rank I [1 arcana]

Teleporting is the signature   ability of the travel mage. It is the ability to fold space so that “here”   and “there” are one and the same. At E rank, the mage’s ability to do so is   extremely limited, but can be crucially useful in a few situations.

The mage spends a mana, and   teleports one foot per point of wisdom.

Store   Object [1 arcana]

One of the travel mage’s key   abilities is the ability to master the extra dimensional space formed from   the connection between the mage and the Sea of Chaos. At this early level,   the travel mage may store things in a pocket dimension housed in the mage’s   very shadow.

While the mage is holding an   object, they may spend a mana and store an object up to person sized in their   shadow. The mage may later withdraw the object from his shadow without   spending mana. The mage can store up to travel rank number of objects (E = 1,   D = 2, C = 3, etc.).

Collect   [1 arcana]

The mage gains the ability to   teleport an object straight into their hand.

The mage may spend mana and teleport   any object, up to a pound per point of wisdom, to their hand from up to   twenty feet away.

Blink,   Rank I [5 arcana]

The mage’s understanding of   teleportation and their spatial awareness means that they can dodge incoming   attacks by shifting away from them, even if the attack would otherwise hit.   The mage “blinks” out of existence for a single second, allowing the attack   to pass harmlessly through the area they once occupied.

The mage has a static 10% chance   to avoid all aggressive, non-AOE (area of effect), actions, including beams   of magic, bullets, swords, arrows, and strikes.

And while these powers seemed amazing, Kellan still felt off. It wasn’t the travel magic, per se—it was Xiang. Something about her magic made Kellan uneasy whenever he felt it. And since she was “teaching” him the magic, it was like whatever she had would come to him, like a sickness or disease.

Kellan yanked his hand away before he could learn travel magic.

He opened his eyes and rubbed at his wrist, the feeling of connection leaving him.

“What happened?” Xiang asked, curt.

“Something is wrong,” Kellan said. “I don’t know enough about magic to articulate what, exactly, I’m feeling. I just know it’s not right.”

“You’re being difficult. It’s unbecoming.”

Kellan narrowed his eyes. “If you know what’s going on, I’d love to hear it.”

Xiang waited for a moment, silence growing between them. “I assume you’re just nervous,” she finally said. “There’s no other explanation for your hesitation.”

That wasn’t the answer. Kellan didn’t know what was going on, but he knew when people were bullshitting him. He turned for the door. “Never mind. I need time to think about this.”

Instead of opening the door, Kellan slipped into the shadows and left under the crack, just like how he had entered.

When he stepped out of the darkness, he found himself in the common room of the suite. His stomach twisted, and he felt grimy from his awkward sleep, like sweat had crusted over his skin.

Kellan scratched at his arms and went straight for one of the many bathrooms in the suite. The shower, tub, and two sinks offered enough in terms of water, but the containers of “soap” disturbed him. They looked like wooden frogs, carved in such a way as to appear gutted. They were just bowls, and the insides were filled with creams and soap, like someone had a sick sense of humor.

Without dwelling on it, Kellan closed the door, locked it, and quickly set to the task of bathing. The sick feeling he had gotten when he had touched Xiang hadn’t left him, and as Kellan stood under the showerhead, he closed his eyes and scratched at his arm, trying to get the sensation to leave.

After several minutes, he felt normal again.

Kellan sighed, finished with his frog-gut soap, and then dried himself with a towel the size of a blanket. He had no idea which dimension everything here came from, but it was bizarre.

As he got dressed, Kellan hesitated with the dog tags. Did they belong to Alternate-Kellan? Obviously. Jace and him had some history together. They both had the mechanical eye. Why did Jace have the dog tags?

Kellan threw them around his neck and then finished with everything else. Boots. Cargo pants. Shirt. A bizarre coin. He had armor… When Kellan reached back and felt his spine, he remembered that the piece of futuristic tech was somehow part of his body, giving him armor whenever he activated it.

Satisfied he had everything, Kellan exited the bathroom.

To his surprise, Mavis stood in the middle of the common room, her attention on the black screen of the TV. She glanced over as Kellan walked into the room. For a long moment, she just stared.

“You were with Xiang earlier,” Mavis said, her attention drifting to the bathroom. “You two have a good time?”

Kellan fought the urge to laugh. “As fun as a car accident.”

“You don’t have to hide anything from me. I get it. She’s very beautiful.” Mavis crossed her arms and leaned away. “I can handle the truth.”

Kellan tapped his side with a balled fist. He mulled over how he would word everything and decided instead of frank honesty. “Look, I’m not very good with relationships. You know that. You saw my apartment. The only women I’ve been with are mostly one-night stands.”

She lifted an eyebrow.

“I’m not the type of guy who gets involved in whatever Xiang is doing. I went into her room to learn magic, she was with… the other me… and I tried to talk to her afterward about it, but I had all the charm of a lamp, and basically just stood there while she fantasized about another man.” He sarcastically gave her a single finger-gun. “Nothing is going on between us.”

Mavis couldn’t seem to stop herself from smiling. She rubbed at her chin, trying to hide her mirth, but it just wouldn’t work. “The way you phrase things… Did you take classes on being that self-deprecating and sardonic?”

Kellan walked over to one of the long couches and leaned against the back. “You’re the only one that seems to laugh at all my jokes. I just assumed you had a terrible sense of humor.”

With a single chuckle, Mavis walked over to the opposite side of the couch and smiled. “Never had a long-term relationship, huh?”

“Longest was six months.” Kellan rubbed at the back of his neck. “But then work demanded too much of my time. She left. I don’t blame her.” He stared at Mavis for a brief moment before asking, “You?”

Mavis glanced away. “I had someone.”

“And?”

“That was when I was hit with that homebrew grenade. I was hospitalized, and the doctors said I might have to use a wheelchair or cane for the rest of my life.” Mavis’s voice grew softer and slower. “A few days later… My fiancé left. He didn’t even wait to see if I’d make a full recovery.”

Kellan absorbed the information and nodded. “Joke’s on him. Now you’re a superhero.”

Mavis blushed. As if to hide it, she turned away from him, her hands on her hips. “Yeah, well, I’m starting to like Sen, even though he seemed weird at first. He gave me the ability to walk right again. Now, if I ever do see my ex, I can’t wait to show him.”

“I’d like to see the look on his face, too.”

“Oh, yeah?” Mavis walked around the couch and stood next to him. “I don’t know. You come with a lot of baggage. You have a giant egg you need to take care of.”

Kellan smirked as he stood straight. “What? You don’t want to help me raise a baby blender?”

Again, Mavis couldn’t seem to stop herself from smiling and laughing.

Out of all the women Kellan had been flirtatious with, Mavis was different. She had the pragmatic sensibilities of a soldier, while retaining the good nature of a comedy club audience. It made it easy to speak with her, even if Kellan had all the charm of a lamp.

But thinking about the egg reminded Kellan…

“I should probably have food on hand for when it hatches,” he said.

Mavis calmed herself and rubbed her eyes. “I’m impressed. Maybe raising an egg wouldn’t be so challenging with you.”

Although he’d love to spend another hour joking, Kellan walked back to his bedroom and went straight for the egg. It was exactly where he had left it, curled up in the blankets, jostling around.

“I know where the food is,” Mavis said from the common room. “I’ll be right back with something.”

Kellan voiced an acknowledgement and patted the top of the egg. His thoughts went straight to his eclipse powers. He could make his shadow its own thing, but the description had said it would cut down on his familiar’s growth. At the time, he hadn’t understood, but now he knew.

With careful motions, Kellan picked up the egg and held it. Then he sat on the bed and relaxed.

The next game would begin soon.

The TV mounted to the far wall was blank. A subtle reflection of the room was all Kellan had to watch. When would Bitso announce the rules? And what was Kellan going to do with his seventeen arcana in the meantime?

Perhaps I should just return to Xiang and learn travel magic. Maybe I was overthinking things, like she said.

Before Kellan came to a decision, Mavis walked into the room holding a handful of jerky. It was dark brown and curled, almost like bacon. What was it? The mystery meat confused Kellan. He didn’t ask—he just took it from Mavis and placed it next to the egg.

And incentive for hatching.

“We should probably get some sleep soon,” Mavis muttered. She sat on the edge of the large mattress and turned back to Kellan. “If you don’t mind… Can I stay in here again?”

“You gonna help me raise this?” Kellan quipped, holding his egg close.

Mavis smiled. “Only if I get to name it.”

“I suppose.” Kellan patted the bed next to him. “But now you’re stuck with me and all my terrible or dark jokes.”

Mavis scooted up on the bed until she was right next to Kellan’s side. “I can think of worse punishments.”

***

Although Kellan had already napped previously, exhaustion still claimed him. His dreamless sleep had instead been filled with vague feelings of unease. The partying around the AVU Palace had offered random noises throughout the night, but most of it was ignored and forgotten.

Kellan hadn’t felt the need to celebrate.

And once he was asleep, nothing seemed important enough to wake for.

“Good morning, Fayetteville!”

The announcement almost didn’t pull Kellan from his slumber. He rolled over, caught in the blankets of the bed, his head foggy. Mavis was there, tucked in his arm. Kellan blinked several times and then sat up.

“This is the morning news!”

Bitso’s overly exuberant voice was a calm reminder of everything that had happened.

No, the first game wasn’t a nightmare.

Yes, he was stuck in a death game, fighting in some alternate dimension with mages and high-tech weaponry.

None of this would go away until he handled it.

After reaffirming his situation in his head, Kellan felt more awake. He had to get up. He had to do this. The games wouldn’t wait for him.

“Wasn’t last night refreshing?” Bitso asked with a laugh. “The Arbiter’s parties are the best in the Nexus. The glitter potions will help everyone stay focused in today’s game. Be careful, though… The recipe for those is rather frightening.” He punctuated his statement with another wild round of laughter—more so than most.

Kellan had no idea what he was talking about. Parties? Glitter potions?

He shook his head and kicked his feet off the bed.

Eggshells fell onto the floor. Kellan held his breath as he stared at them all. He stood, and then threw off the blankets. More eggshells.

But the jerky was gone.

Mavis got onto her elbows. “It’s morning?” Sun streamed in from the far window. She glared at it. “What’re you doing, Kellan?”

“I lost my blender,” he muttered as he glanced under the bed.

“But onto more important things,” Bitso said once he calmed his lunacy. This morning, his suit was crisp, and his blindfold clean. He looked better than he had in days. “I’m your designated host, here to deliver you information straight from the Arbiter. It’s 8:30, and it’s time for the rules of the second games.”

Mavis jumped off the bed, her eyes wide. “Holy shit. It’s already time for the games?” She rubbed at her purple hair, half of it squished to one side, pasted in place with sweat. “Husker said he would train me in the morning, before we heard the rules. I should’ve gotten a wake up call or something.”

Although Kellan had the same amount of panic as Mavis, he still couldn’t find the creature that hatched from the egg. He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. Then he noticed the blankets moving.

Something was crawling around through the sheets.

Something the size of a house cat.