* * * SIN TCHAI THE MESSENGER * * *

Sin Tchai led the mismatched party into the void between the realms. He studied his seeker-compass. Once again the needle was hovering between two destinations. The first he recognised as the throne room where he had last met the goddess. It was closer, but the other location was one of the lower worlds’ god realms.

He studied his seeker-compass carefully, calling up some of its more obscure functions. The goddess was ready for a fight, and he could read that she had powerful allies. Sin Tchai used all his willpower to show no emotions. ‘I will have to be very careful,’ he thought to himself. ‘But if – no when – Orinaar-yōgisha and those muscle headed rat-ogres goad the goddess into a fight... I’ll have to be careful not to get involved – but Orinaar-yōgisha will be humbled. I only hope they don’t kill her, but as she will have backup...’

Sin Tchai put his seeker-compass away and turned to the chief rat-ogre. “Honourable warrior, the goddess the great lord Meek’aym’ooz seeks is in the gods realm of Ambuila, one of the lower worlds. Our journey will not take long. Please follow me.”

Orinaar Trin’arbour had been quietly seething ever since they had left the Gardens of Paradise. He resented the arrogance of the rat-ogres. He hated the way they mocked and insulted him, they had no cause to use ‘yōgisha’ in relation to him. He even seethed at the way that pest Sin Tchai bowed down and hurried to curry favour with the ignorant monsters.

He had to prove his worth, and he thought he knew how. He vaguely remembered something that had crossed his desk recently. “Ambuila? Isn’t that one of the worlds the New Sages have claimed to prove their theories? I heard Brinius of the Blue Host and Meera the Night, both of the lower high tier are involved with Ambuila.”

The rat-ogre snorted in contempt and kept urging Orinaar on with the point of his ceremonial halberd. Sin Tchai closed his eyes briefly in apprehension, but did not check his headlong pace. In fact he could already sense the world’s shimmering barrier approaching rapidly.

Then they were in Ambuila’s Gods Realm. Sin Tchai was the only one to note that the realm was sick. It was obviously linked to a dying world, and the gods who resided herein were weak and hated, or resented by whatever worshipers they had.

So when they found the goddess and her followers in the middle of a fight, that had already left two of the local gods dead, Orinaar’s outraged exclamation did not help.

Sin Tchai stepped aside, allowing those he had led here to pass even as he edged backwards until he was standing right against the point from which they had arrived. He was gazing in horrified fascination at a trio of eyes that were floating in the air nearby. That they were enveloped in a faint reddish glow didn’t help his peace of mind. Villius of the eyes was watching the present from somewhere in their – no, from somewhere in the future.

* * * AMBUILA – MARY * * *

Mary stepped through her portal into the latest of her dungeons. She grinned at the fiery skinned woman with black hair at her side. She recognised the ambition burning in the young-old volcano goddess’ breast. Not that she was worried, in any world she controlled; the seas would trump the volcanoes.

Mary examined her domain. ‘Ideally I should be plannin’ this better, but, time is at a premium. Gotta do sumetin’ ’fore somethin’ irreplaceable goes extinct. An’ sometin’ tells me to hurry.’

She watched as Bes, Shulmanu, Ratumaibulu and Achuhucanac stepped through her portal in their turn. They were all looking much improved, just the overflow from her followers on Parthia had rejuvenated them. And they knew what was at stake here. She felt confident that she would be adding another world to her portfolio. They should prove very popular on Ambuila.

Once everyone was present Mary ascended to the Gods Realm with her new pantheon. ‘Guess I’m not a minor goddess anymore. Wonder when Bluey will stick his nose in next.’

By the time they forced their way into Sentssonwi’tsna’wa’s throne room, Mary discovered that Shulmanu, a god of the underworld, fertility, and war was an excellent find. He had proved dedicated and ruthless. The few diminished gods they had found, all had stood by their absurd curse, and Shulmanu had reaped their souls. Bes had also proved his worth.

Sentssonwi’tsna’wa was seated on his throne of skulls. Around him were three gods that seemed less impacted by the malaise of his court. The rest of the gods looked like they would be blown away by a stiff breeze.

“Who are you? And how dare you slay the members of my court?” commanded Sentssonwi’tsna’wa. “Know you not that you are before one anointed by the Greater Gods.”

“I’m Mary Silvestre, Mother of Monsters and Blackbeard’s Bane. I’m the chief god of Fragatta an’ soon will be chief god of Ambuila. I suggest you remove your curse of infertility an’ vacate or I’ll kill you.”

* * *

“Blasphemy. You blaspheme against Brinius of the Blue Host and Meera the Night of the New Sages,” exclaimed Orinaar Trin’arbour in shock.

Seeing what he believed to be reinforcements Sentssonwi’tsna’wa screamed, “Kill them!”

Bes cracked his knuckles with glee and charged the gods to his front. The poor decayed and deluded ones forming the front lines fell like wheat to a scythe.

Mary grinned, “Shulmanu, keep those idiots from the Gardens off our backs. This shouldn’t take long.” Then she summoned up a light sabre. Mary frowned at the blood red tube, she concentrated and the colour changed to blue and the tube became a thin blade. She concentrated a bit longer, and only when her new sword was basically invisible, bar a faint series of flickering blue flames was she satisfied.

Mary found herself hard pressed by Sentssonwi’tsna’wa. Bes, Achuhucanac and Ratumaibulu tore through the rest of the gods in short order. Mary kept dodging and backing; only occasionally attacking. And yet both her and Sentssonwi’tsna’wa were bleeding from minor wounds. “Bes, help Shulmanu,” she gasped. “C’mon Achuhucanac, Ratumaibulu lets finish this.”

On seeing Bes crush Orinaar’s head with one punch after Shulmanu tore the two rat-ogres apart, Sin Tchai turned and fled – rightly assuming that his job was to report, not fight.

* * *

Mary dismissed the distasteful – to her – throne room of the gods of Ambuila. She modelled her new throne room on the one she found comfortable on Fragatta.

A sand fringed spur came into being; the ocean pounding one side, on the other, the bay side, the sea washed the beach with small ripples. In the shallow waters of the bay, two identical thrones emerged.

Mary took her seat on one of the thrones and grinned at her fiery skinned volcano goddess, who was lounging comfortably amongst the lava of her private lava pool, sited about as far from the seas as it was possible to be.

* * *

On Parthia Mary felt the call of her core, she grinned at her followers, most of whom were currently on their knees with looks of exaltation on their faces. She released her avatar and settled herself into her core before projecting into the Gods Realm of ... Ambuila. There she found herself sitting on one of twin thrones beside herself. Mary merged with herself, and again truly became the two in one.

Mary confirmed her claim on Ambuila, and her pantheon’s claim. They shattered the remains of the curse that the New Gods claimed was a blessing.

Amid flashing blue screens that she – as usual – ignored, she felt temples crumble and reform. She and her pantheon sensed the shock, exultation and denial of their new priesthoods. The deniers they ejected from the temples, the rest spread out to spread the news of the overthrow of the old gods by the new.

* * * AMBUILA – DUNGEON EXCHANGE * * *

Unnamed (Tammy O’Hare): What the fuck? What is going on? A bloody great temple just showed up out at sea, and my Badger ’Folk have all gone nuts.

Ulruk’s Gift (cmp): Well the temple of Sentssonwi’tsna’wa has been replaced by a saltwater lake with a statue of a dolphin presiding over an altar in the middle. The temple of Ulruk has changed. It is now the temple of Shulmanu, the god of the underworld, fertility, and war. Fertility! I just hope that means the curse is gone.

Frostgrave (cmp): It is. Fertile guardians now cost my dungeon as much as infertile ones.

Blackrock: I have reconnected with my Earth other self. He’s a wimp, but I learned a lot about Blue Lagoon. Tell me Tammy, does that temple have something to do with her?

Unnamed (Tammy O’Hare): I don’t know Fin, but all the Badger ’Folk she gave me have swum out to it. So, probably.

Ulruk’s Gift (cmp): A group of adventurers who are trying to plunder our dungeon can’t stop gossiping. The gods were overthrown and slain by a band of foreign gods led by the Mother of Monsters. And the foreign gods have banished the curse. When the pregnancies start they will be unassailable.

Unnamed (Tammy O’Hare): Mother of Monsters? That’s Mary! Blue Lagoon! You mean A dungeon is our world’s chief God err... goddess?!?!?!!

Ulruk’s Gift (cmp): I checked! It’s true! The godlike dungeon Blue Lagoon has the title ‘Mother of Monsters’.

Hyena Gulch: That Egyptian dwarf Bes is the new God in the town!!!! And he’s into fertility too!?! What gives? And how come I can suddenly remember everything from Earth? Flitter, my companion, could only tell me that the mental barrier that was binding me was removed.

Unnamed (Daniel Azevedo): Me too. I can remember now, and think.

* * * EARTH – BLACKROCK * * *

Fin watched as sergeant Lee flew over to where Colonel Anderson was watching procedures.

“Sir, private Doolin has stabilised. He is better than we had dared hope. The uncertainty, and the erratic behaviour, must have all been a result of the stress of trying to prevent the change.”

“Very good. That’s good to know sergeant,” said Anderson. “Is there anything either of you need?”

“Fin... erm, private...”

“Feel free to refer to your dungeon however feels better. His name is Fin, so, as long as you aren’t making an official report, by all means, you may call Fin Fin.”

“Well sir, Fin is worried about his son. He wants to know how, or if we are making child payments on his behalf.”

“Please reassure him sergeant. I am sure he is, but I will check personally to be sure. Anything else? What about yourself?”

“That was, and is Fin’s principal worry. The divorce no longer worries him. As for myself, can it be reported to my brother and uncle that I died. And arrange for a suitable ceremony?”

“If you are absolutely sure that is what you want. I’m sure your current condition would seem an improvement to your brother.”

“Yes colonel. My brother is a no good scrounger. I would be glad never to see him again. Especially as he can’t expect me to have anything to leave him under the circumstances.”

“Very well sergeant. I’ll see to it. Will you want a recording of the service?”

Lee’s lips stretched into a grin, “Oh that would be great sir. Yes please.”

Anderson gave a curt nod of acceptance. “Now that the important details have been discussed, do you have any news for me? And why hasn’t Fin grown his domain?”

Sergeant Lee’s lips twitched slightly. “Your presence sir. Fin can’t claim territory occupied by a higher levelled character. And as Fin can’t determine your level...”

Anderson slapped his forehead in exasperation. "Very well, I’ll remove myself, and any of the investigators you designate. Anything else?”

“We lucked out sir. Fin has an active link. It’s with a dungeon on a world named Ambuila. I don’t think that world has shown up yet. Or has it?”

Anderson scanned his tablet. “No, that world is new to us.” He grinned briefly. “See if you can claim this room ASAP. Would claiming a gym be good? Frog, the dungeon core of the Arena of Blood has offered to create one, he claimed that people exercising give off more energy that a dungeon can use.”