Mary returned to her domain and spent some time enjoying herself as a dolphin with one of the resident pods.

Then somehow she knew it was time. She released her avatar and returned to the south. The sun was climbing in the sky. Tyler and his girls were steadily forging northwards with brief pauses as they chased a particularly tasty morsel or other.

In the Drow city the inhabitants were for the most part heading for bed. Mary crafted a sandy seashore and sat on a hastily conjured boulder to await her followers.

As soon as Laasa, Nightshade and Nightwind were present she explained about her Mock Turtle portal dungeon and its advantages and disadvantages. She suggested they meet Tyler and his girls and find a suitable location together.

“But first I want you to take that annoying rock grub and dump him as near as possible to where you found him being careful to avoid the dwarves who I’m sure will be present to ambush you.”

Mary grinned, “If you get a chance then by all means cull the greedy rock bugs.”

Mary eyed her priestess. “Laasa, can you suggest a location for a shrine or small temple in the city. The Spider Queen is happy to share her temple but she can shut me out and I can’t return the favour. So I need somewhere of my own.”

Laasa froze momentarily, “I think so, we’ll check when we wake.”

“Good, enjoy the rest of your day.” And the shoreline faded out leaving her three followers sleeping normally.

* * * INTERLUDE 1 * * *

Creevar cursed in exasperation. Things were proceeding faster than any of them had expected in their worst nightmares. Instead of a stately process taking several centuries those two overachievers had crammed what he had expected to take a century or so into mere months.

And now, well Mirabelarque was sure to call another of xyrs interminable boring do nothing meetings over this complaint from that irritating boot licker Rockheart Forgefire.

Creevar stroked his rat-tail moustache as he tried to see his way. Things were careering downhill on Tarifax. Ambuila was sinking slowly. While here on Parthia the Frost King was sulking in the North and doing nothing. He wasn’t even turning up to half of Mirabelarque’s meetings and informal get togethers. Not that he could blame him for avoiding those futile hours of excruciating boredom. Ice Heart was flailing around in the South and failing to do anything and poor Blackbeard was hiding himself away and licking his wounds.

He needed more of those rat men Blue Lagoon produced, but he couldn’t just go to her or Ocidon. They were the opposition and thanks to how the New Gods had been acting they weren’t the loyal opposition like he suspected the greater gods had intended.

Creevar snapped his fingers and then he downed the shot of vodka that had appeared in his hand. He tossed the empty glass away and it vanished before it reached the mist covered floor. He snapped his fingers again.

« Don’t mind me darling. Teeheehee. I need to talk with you sweety. Teeheehee. I have a problem, well several, as do you. Teeheehee. And I suspect you are the most ah, flexible of our faction, or at least the one who sees we have to do something if we want to survive. Teeheehee. »

Creevar downed his vodka and threw back the hood on his grey cloak as he watched Azurea sway into his room. ‘She’s getting worse, that stupid titter is a dead giveaway— by the greater gods she is really scared! Desperate!’

« Be welcome Azurea dear sister. What can I do for you today? »

Azurea seemed to slump. She squared her shoulders. « I have need of your adventurers, your Killers. I need to summon a twiceborn and that twiceborn will need an escort. »

‘No titter?’ « Why do you need Creevar’s Killers, don’t you think they’re overpowered for an escort quest. What about one of your groups? »

Azurea looked haggard. « Teeheehee. Oh dear, I need to try mend fences. I think I have found a way to salvage Tarifax but Mirabelarque will never agree to it. Teeheehee. Oh dear I hate this titter, Teeheehee. I think you are the only one of us that might agree with me on this. »

Creevar couldn’t remember ever having seen Azurea this desperate. « Why so desperate dear. We still have time. »

« Far less than you think. I’ve combed the minds of my new dungeons and some of those Earthlings have knowledge these worlds of ours don’t. Teeheehee. Oh dear. Tarifax has one century or two, if we’re very lucky three before it becomes another Diavlo. Teeheehee, I personally think it won’t last two centuries. »

Creevar jerked upright. « Why me. And what if I don’t believe you? »

Azurea ran her fingers through her blue mane. « Ask Mary Silvestre brother dear. I know you’ve had dealings with her. Don’t worry I won’t give you away. Teeheehee. We need every edge and claw hold we can get. »

Creevar was still glaring into nothing well after Azurea had left. Then he shook himself and tossed off another slug of vodka. He shuddered. He couldn’t stop thinking “less than two hundred years” over and over.

‘Well time to get on with it.’

* * *

Creevar watched the dreamscape he had just created. The campfire burned with the occasional crack and the roast turning over the fire dropped splatters of fat that burned and spat. The big beer cask rested under a spreading elm.

Then they started arriving, Zashaan was the first. She looked round warily then grinned and went to draw a flagon of the dark ale. She was sitting on a log watching the fire when Sreecator and Warminor arrived almost simultaneously. Warminor glanced round and made a beeline to the ale barrel. Sreecator uttered a short but heartfelt prayer before joining Warminor in drawing a flagon of ale. They joined Zashaan sitting round the fire.

Avor and Essa arrived next. They looked around with wide disbelieving eyes and clutched each other for comfort and reassurance.

“Welcome Avor, Essa to Creevar’s world. Don’t be frightened, the fact that you are here shows you are accepted and treasured,” said Sreecator the priest.

Avor and Essa still holding hands made their way hesitantly to the fire. They sat nervously.

Horaxanna arrived next. She saw the tankards in the hands of her friends, looked round and hurried to the ale cask. She drowned one flagon, smiled and filled it again before making her way to the fire. “Oh nice, welcome you two. Seems you are now truly one of us.”

Avor and Essa looked at her, “Err, what do you mean...” said Avor, “...truly one us?” concluded Essa.

Horaxanna smiled and took another gulp of her ale. “Just that. One of us.” And she gestured at everyone present around the fire.

Finally Harrassan appeared. “Huh, last again,” he grumbled to himself as he headed to get a flagon of ale before returning to the fire.

Once all the members of Creevar’s Killers were present plus their auxiliaries Creevar strode out of the shadows. His followers came to their feet but Creevar waved back to their seats. He sat on a comfortable looking chair that had rather incongruously appeared by the fire.

“I have a task for you. Unfortunately so does Azurea and she persuaded me to allow her to have your help. These tasks are important to me. So Harrassan, Sreecator I will place this in your hands.

“But first I have some news I must share with you Horaxanna. Please bear with me. Mary Silvestre Blue Lagoon’s core is now a demi-goddess and consort of Ocidon. She clashed with that incompetent Blackbeard on the godsplane and defeated him twice in less than an hour. Once on her own and then with the help of the Spider Queen.”

Creevar sighed and spread his hands. “The Old Gods have won yet another clash and the Prophesy is favouring them. The Drow have been returned to the Spider Queen and the dungeon has become their, balancing goddess.”

“Balance, what balance?” spluttered Sreecator.

“Well yes,” agreed Creevar. “But more importantly one of Rockheart Forgefire priestesses lost a child to the drow and she went seeking Blackbeard and found Blue Lagoon. Insults were exchanged and the child’s been kicked out to sink or swim on his own. Rockheart Forgefire has come round whining to the New Gods and I’m afraid she might get the dwarves to go after Blue Lagoon.

“And if she weakens the citadels sufficiently the Drow will know and with Little Fish at the helm they will strike.”

“Little Fish? Who or what is Little Fish?” asked Horaxanna.

“That’s what the Spider Queen calls Blue Lagoon. Horaxanna will you please try to moderate any reaction from, at the very least, the moderate holds of your people. I don’t think we can afford to lose the dwarves as a power.”

Horaxanna nodded solemnly and raised her tankard to her lips, on realizing it was empty she hurried to obtain a refill.

Creevar smiled and waited until Horaxanna was once again seated.

“Get yourselves to one of my temples, get hold of a priest or paladin of Azurea and fetch him or her along. Perform the twiceborn ceremony. Escort Deepsix Twiceborn to wherever he needs to go and stand by to help Deepsix attain at least Azurea’s minimum aims. Please survive I still have need of you, besides I like you, all of you.

“When you’re done with Azurea’s mission or if you get an opportunity before then, visit Blue Lagoon and see if you can arrange another meeting for me. But quieter this time Heh?”

Creevar gestured to the roast, “Enjoy!” then he vanished.

* * * EARTH – MARY * * *

Strelitzia was being battered by conflicting ideas, thoughts. Her Frog and the other Frog were sharing experiences, they were merging, becoming one being in two bodies. The other Frog was getting stronger and unfortunately her Frog was getting slightly weaker. No they were both Frog and thus hers.

But what was worse was this other dungeon that was watching. And she was amused, she was finding her, their travails and confusion amusing.

The invader was exploring their domain, totally ignoring Rufus’ spells. Just ignoring the slavery compulsions. Then another powerful dungeon appeared, summoned by the intruder. It too was frightening but far less powerful than the one that claimed she was becoming a goddess.

Strelitzia watched appalled as the latest intruder moved to the edge of her domain and started his own claim and rolled it away from the arena as the other poured manna into the effort. That allowed Strelitzia to realize that the new intruder belonged, no was somehow bound to the goddess to be.

“How are you able to ignore Rufus’s spell chains, and couldn’t you ask before running roughshod over us both?” complained Strelitzia.

« But I did Strelitzia, I asked Frog, the original Frog that is and thanks to me Frog is Frog once again. As for the spell chains, they are remarkably crude an’ weak. Lots of holes, here let me show you. »

Strelitzia reeled. The flood of knowledge, the different way of looking at magic, seeing details; it left her feeling weak. She felt Frog latch on to her new knowledge and way of looking at streams of energy, she happily shared with him glad to have her partner active and aware.

« Wow this is spectacular Mary. »

« Figure you’ll need it to kick Rufus’ ass. Lookin’ at his spell, I figure he’s boosted you more than he suspects. Gettin’ free should be a cinch. Remain’ alive afterward, that will be more difficult. Still figure you’ll have to move outa town. »

“Move our domain? How? We’re established.”

« Strelitzia use the new way of lookin’ reel in the threads of your domain carefully. Beware of the snags and tangles. Straighten those out first then get something to carry your core. Your main problem is gonna be the poisonous atmosphere. You know where to find me Frog, then again suspect Mock Turtle’s gonna show up on this world’s dungeon exchange shortly. If you need help, ask. »

* * *

Mary snapped her attention back to Earth and sighed in relief. ‘I want seeds or seedlings of those liftwood trees. Lots of uses for anti-gravity wood, both here and on Parthia.’

Mary and the leopard girls returned home before the party had fully ended. She left Kent Clarkson and Moriarty looking after it.

« Mary, have you been keeping an eye on the dungeon exchange channel? » Jerica giggled, » Sorry I forget, you haven’t have you? Aunty Trish has to do it for you on Parthia. Guess that’s one of my jobs here on Earth. »

« Erm, well, please Jerica. Pretty please all those messages drive me nuts. What’s happenin’ let me look. »

Mary scanned the blog. Winter Wolf was asking for help, apparently the local authorities had lost patience and hope and were preparing a major assault.

‘Hm, Linny the former drug addict. She’s not likely to spill the beans on me now she’s no longer human. Anyway she already knows more ‘bout me than I wanted her to. The longer she’s a thorn in the feds side the less likely they are to connect me to dungeons. Well for another year or so an’ hopefully it’ll be too late by then.’

Mary meandered into the kitchen at home grabbed a soda from the fridge and headed out to where she could hear the television playing. “Hi mama, hows tricks.”

‘Lessee, Linny Thomas and MacLeod (Redcap), Redcap? Maybe those wolverines some wolverine beastfolk dumped on me, suspect the result was not quite what the poor things expected but they should be fit for purpose now.’

« Hey Jerika, what do you think. Give Winter Wolf templates for some light weapons, makin’ sure no serial numbers or other identifiers are included and wolverine ’folk. Also Infantry skillsets. »

« Are you sure, even with that I doubt she’ll survive. »

« Suspect she means to relocate. Middle of the state capital seems a daft place to set up in the first place. Anyway if she’s too dumb to survive tough! Not plannin’ to give her anythin’ that can be traced back to us. »

« What about the Wolverine ’folk? »

« Too aggressive for proper discipline. Have no intention of ever usin’ them. »