“Trisha come look, flying jellyfish,” shrieked Trisha’s young cousin Jarica.

Trisha emerged from her home, “what are you doing here alone Jerica, where’s your mum?”

“Another one!” shrieked Jarica in her piercing voice, “oh hi aunty Trisha look at the jellyfish, aren’t they pretty with the sun shining through them?”

Trisha looked up, “Wha...?”

« Mary what are you up to now, why are there seven jellyfish floating in the sky above the lagoon? »

« Morning Trish, I need some aerial recon but I agree the jellyfish won’t cut it, cool though doncha think? »

« Um... they aren’t going to get out of your domain are they? Please say they aren’t. »

« They shouldn’t, but if they do so what? »

Trisha watched the jellyfish floating up into the blue sky for a moment longer in resignation before returning her attention to her niece, “now Jerica, why are you here and where is your mother and does she know where you are?”

“I told her I was going to the dungeon, did you know there is a new set of rooms behind a hidden door with a real cool story.”

Wishing for patience Trisha sighed softly, “Jerica the dungeon is more than a kilometre from here.”

“But auntie this new story is about two kids and an evil ice sorceress it’s...”

“Yes I know, but before you tell me all about it let’s get you home.”

* * *

Mary left a fraction of her attention tracking her highly flammable new creatures and turned her attention to the mysterious soul link that had recently made itself very obvious, she found it ridiculously easy to send her attention down this so took precautions.

‘Hey it’s me, and I’m sleeping, lessee... Yeah trouble thy name is Bluey specially with a mix of Mary. Beep Bluey you’re turnin’ me into an avatar of myself... Beep that sounds wrong... Well if tha’s the case then let’s give me a second avatar option... an’ do some strengthenin’ don’ like all those strengthened muscles with a standard skeletal structure.’

Mary introduced a tendril of her hoarded divine manna into her other, no Mary’s core and added defences and knowledge, especially how to form and inhabit her Avatars both human and Dolphin. What she didn’t notice was her core updating itself with information it found in its Earthside twin.

Then Mary undertook the more delicate task of reinforcing her, no Mary’s bones and tendons using carbon nanotube based bio-tech she had been using with her monsters, for good measure she decided to subtly toughen their skin, dolphin and human.

‘Now what’s next...’ but at this point her attention was jerked back to her dungeon, something was attacking her jellyfish.

That something was a very large seagull, in fact it looked like an albatross. The jellyfish were floating up into the – fight? – one by one and finally the albatross fell into the lagoon.

‘Albatross, now that has promise when it comes to aerial recon.’

* * *

Tomcat was pacing his quarterdeck, he had installed Marinara in a house in Silverton and introduced her to everyone he knew, he’d even had her checked out by the temple healer. Twins he was going to be the father of twins. Surely the others wouldn’t all be pregnant too. For the first time in his life he was feeling apprehensive as his Alessandrina’s Glory left harbour. First Port salvage for Victoria to settle things and arrange for her successor to take over, and for him to look up Brandalla and Jessarra

Then Garonmouth and that playful elven maid Heartshorn.

In her quarters Victoria was plotting and admiring the carving of the ‘Spirit Dolphin’ that talented native had had on sale. Thankfully he hadn’t been aware of just how much some collectors in the larger towns would have paid for it. She was going to be away from Mother for a long time it was good to have something like this from Home.

That old man, the former servant seemed solid, she thought he would do splendidly as the presumed purchaser of the land they would build their cavern bound harbour and town under. How could they manage to infiltrate the Adventurer’s Guild, what magical defences would they have under the building? Pete and Shirley’s son would be a great asset, he had already proved his courage also.

Yes, Victoria plotted gleefully.

* * * INTERLUDE * * *

Mary swatted the alarm and felt something crumble and shatter. Suddenly she was wide awake as she examined the shattered remains of her clock. She examined her palm, nope not one scratch, she knew she was getting stronger but...

She checked her status hoping for a clue, it appeared unchanged, no not quite her strength and endurance were up and she now had natural armour.

“Bluey what gives, how can I have armour?”

« Mary Silvestre, Mother of Monsters added armour to your skin last night. »

“Mother of Monsters? What do you mean Mother of Monsters?”

« Mother of Monsters is your title on Parthia. »

Mary got a little wild eyed and asked in a whisper/shout. “My other self visited and changed me? What else did she do?”

« Updated your core, strengthened tendons and skeleton. »

Mary checked her status again and homed in on the dungeon core entry. The thing that immediately caught her attention was “Dolphin” then their was the sound of ripping cloth and a pale grey blue eyed dolphin was lying on her bed, Mary just blinked bemused and looked herself over in the floor length mirrors that were her wardrobe doors.

“Dolphin” was under Avatar and under “Human” and just like Mary was a human again. ‘Oh cool I can change into a Dolphin, just wait ‘til I show Dancer.’

Breakfast was a dance as she tried – and thankfully succeeded – to avoid breaking anything, then off to school, ah well the daily grind of a teenager.

As she approached her jeep a pair of obvious gang members stepped into her drive, one was brandishing a puny looking revolver, she blinked surprised that something seemed to be telling her the thing was not dangerous. She stopped by her Jeep and contemplated the two thugs.

“Get lost, nothin’ here for you, move ‘fore I set the cops on you for trepassin’.”

Bing was enraged, he’d never had a girl diss him like this before, “Where’s Joey, he tol’ us he was jacking your wheels an’ he’s vanished.

Mary sneered, “Swimmin’ with the other froggies in the pond next door, now vanish.”

Bing lost it he pulled the trigger and Mary felt something thump her in the stomach and she charged, Bing fired again, and again. The first hit Mary in the shoulder and ricocheted away the third went over her shoulder. Her return blow launched with her full strength and with the speed of her charge added caved in Bing’s chest and drove splintered ribs into heart and lungs.

When the big girl charged Rooter hauled out his switchblade and rammed into her side, for his pains Mary backhanded him and shattered his jaw.

* * *

The two officers in the nondescript car parked close to the Silvestre home were ready for another boring day, all the girl seemed to do was school, fishing and home. No boyfriends, no parties, well except for that barbecue old Foxy had crashed and told them about.

Then when the girl left the house two members of the Crimson Crush stepped out of hiding and confronted her. They got out of their car in case the girl needed help. They started to run drawing their guns when they heard shots.

They saw the leader of the two shooting and then the other slamming a knife into the girl’s chest and they just stared in bemusement as the girl’s assailants were felled, “Police, you OK miss?” asked Hans as he holstered his gun.

Then it became a public circus, ambulances, patrol cars, morgue van, detectives, press and TV vans.

‘Oh Beep! This can’t be good.’ Thought Mary as she leant against her Jeep refusing to say anything as she awaited the arrival of the lawyer Flip recommended.