* * * FRAGATTA – MARKOWITZ * * *

Markowitz felt a horrible case of déjà vu. As he stepped through the portal he found himself in a cold limestone cave with massive stalagmites and stalactites, many had grown together into massive columns.

This wasn’t Parthia, the gravity wasn’t right. Looking around he thought they might be in a massive corridor rather than a cave. The floor was littered with fossils; it was centimetres deep in the things. Then there was a suspiciously round hole in the ceiling through which a weak amount of sunlight entered, allowing them to see. There was also a knotted rope dangling from the hole.

And it was really cold!

There was no sign of the portal they had arrived through. Even as he was searching for the portal, he was vaguely aware the militia milling around aimlessly.

The commander of the militia, the man known to Markowitz as Smith was examining him with narrowed eyes. “Just, climb that rope and tell us what is up there,” snapped Smith.

Markowitz watched the man climb the rope. He looked around in exasperation, and pulled his sat phone out of his storage ring. He switched it on and checked for a signal, not surprisingly there was no signal.

Markowitz failed to see Smith’s increasing suspicion at the sight of the sat phone. Instead he went to stand under the hole before checking the phone again. He smiled grimly as he discovered that he had a fleeting signal.

He moved aside for the returning Just.

Just blew into his hands, “Wal colonel, to the magnetic north there is a massive mountain range. There seem to be some structures up high in the mountains. All the rest is a plain covered in ice and snow. And it’s bitterly cold. There seems to be some tattered tents and an old airplane to the south.”

“Markowitz, what are you trying to pull? This isn’t anything like you said it would be. What gives?” asked Smith.

“The girl’s backers must have diverted the portal, just like last time,” grumbled Markowitz incautiously.

Smith looked at Markowitz with disbelief, “ You knew they could do this, and you didn’t warn me – us?”

“I didn’t think it would matter, they shouldn’t have been able to do it with no warning.”

“Mitch, get rid of him,” ordered Smith.

“Yes colonel, it’ll be my pleasure colonel,” said Mitch.

Markowitz’s eyes widened in alarm and his hand flashed towards his pistol. The last thing he saw was the redneck raising his M16 and the flashes at the muzzle as the man let off a short burst. Then amongst the thunder he felt a flash of agony before everything went black.

* * * FRAGATTA – PVT ASH OSHIMO * * *

Ash jumped when the guy who seemed to be commanding the lunatics who had captured him and his buddies ordered the civilian in the trench coat and hat killed.

Ash barely refrained himself from vomiting. This was the first man he had seen killed. He watched numbly as the men looted the dead guy.

He quickly realized that they had not realized the significance of the plain, cheap looking white metal ring that the dead man was wearing on his left hand.

When Smith sent out scouting parties along the cave, Ash crouched down beside the body and checked to assure himself he was really dead.

“Yeah kid, he’s dead,” sneered the man in charge of guarding them.

Ash looked at him, visibly shocked at his indifference.

The man laughed. And while he was checking on the other prisoners, Ash took the opportunity to pocket Markowitz’s storage ring. Then he stood and rejoined his fellow prisoners.

The Goth chick was looking around, scared. “I recognise this,” moaned Claudia. “Lake’s camp, the Dornier, this cave. It’s just like the scene in the Mountains of Madness, the one when Lake’s party first discover the Great old Ones.”

Ash noted that the young woman was terrified. He tried to comfort her, but not understanding what was truly frightening her, failed.

After the scouting parties returned, Smith decided to head north as the southern extension had petered out.

Ash found that he and his friend Alan had to carry the terrified Goth girl, as her legs didn’t seem to be working. At least they were near the rear of the pack, under the guns of two of the greener looking members of the militia.

* * * PARTHIA – MARY * * *

Mary smiled as Meadows and Admiral Forrester were ushered into the comfortable receiving room, the leopard girls lounged by the window overlooking the harbour.

“Afternoon Simon, ambassador. Mixed news I’m afraid. Markowitz was killed not long ago,” explained Mary.

Meadows shrugged while the admiral frowned.

“Wasn’t the dungeon, or one of mine. Seems to have been a fallin’ out ’mongst thieves sort of thing.”

“Where are they at the moment, and can – will you allow a rescue?” demanded the admiral.

“Certainly. They are nowhere critical. At the moment they are heading down a very, very long passage. It’s made to look like a limestone cave with stalagmites etc. Lots and lots of cover. Don’t recommend takin’ them on until they hit the series of rooms further in.

“I presume you want to infiltrate a party into that section to wait for them?”

Meadows nodded thoughtfully while the admiral said, “I suspect so. But we also want a squad or two behind them. So they can’t run. Can you provide a map?”

Mary spread her hands in exasperation, “Yeah! Don’t like it but under the circumstances I’ll do it. I’ve had the Lovecraft enthusiast withdraw his fake shoggoths. But he is fortifying himself near his core. No I won’t provide maps of that area. You won’t need to go anywhere near that deep.”

* * *

Half an hour later Mary watched as six marine officers poured over the maps. Once they had decided where they wanted the portals she opened them. Then she watched with a crooked grin as the first party retrieved Markowitz’s body.

“Meadows, why all the furs? I know it’s cold, but surely temperature control amulets would be better. Less restrictive if they have to fight. Tell you what I’ll be nice and give ’em all one. Write ’em off as advertisin’ costs.”

Meadows and the officers planning the rescue looked at Mary in surprise before, rather dubiously, accepting her offer.

* * * SOMEWHERE IN THE GOD’S REALM * * *

Markowitz blinked, or he tried to blink. He tried to grab his wounds – that somehow didn’t hurt. He sensed more than heard a soft voiced argument. He spun round – something he found ridiculously easy to do.

He stilled at the sight of two bizarre figures standing – floating – in the mist. The first was just a shadow carrying a scythe and wearing a black hooded cloak. The other one was wearing a colourful yellow silk fancy dress version of a Chinese Mandarin’s costume. It was standing bolt upright and had his three pairs of arms crossed on his chest. His sky blue egg shaped head with its rather large spreading three nostriled nose was turned in his direction.

Markowitz focused on the specs that seemed to hover around the figure and realized, to his horror, that they were eyes.

« Welcome mortal. Do you wish to resume your existence on the mortal realm? »

“Resume? What do you mean resume,” asked a bewildered Markowitz.

« I will arrange for you to be reincarnated. This bony individual has agreed to allow me this boon, should you agree to forgo your due reward. And knowing what it is, I strongly advise you to agree. »

Markowitz tried to lick his lips only to realize he had neither lips nor tongue. “What – what do I get out of this?”

« Life and a boon. Just a small boon mind you. That and you will become one of my followers. »

“Will you allow me revenge on my enemies?” asked Markowitz.

« I’m counting on it, » asserted Villius of the eyes.

“And what is the boon?”

« You will be invisible to any god restricted to one world. It will evolve as you do, at level two you will be invisible to gods who are present on five or less worlds, level three raises that to ten worlds. »

“So the little bitch won’t be able to see me?”

« She is present on five worlds. You will need to evolve your boon first. So, do you agree? »

“Yes.”

Then everything faded out and Markowitz felt himself being stretched out and twisted inside out. He lost consciousness and woke in a gloomy cave. He was feeling very uncomfortable, thanks to lying on rocky cave floor.

He rose and stretched to remove the kinks in his spine. He looked down at himself and noted that he was wearing brown cotton trousers belted with a piece of rope. His shirt was of grey cotton and looked a bit like a sack. On his feet were crude leather sandals.

He was feeling different; he had the impression that he was closer to the floor than usual. He tried to puzzle it out. He could see his arms were – skinnier – than usual. Finally he selected the System’s alert. It was flashing at the corner of his eye.

« Name: please select – Title: Twiceborn – Patron: Villius of the eyes – Race: Human – Class: None – Level: Zero – Age: Fifteen »

Markowitz fumed to himself. His mental stats remained unchanged, but all his physical stats had dropped. He looked around the cave he found himself in and found a leather waterbag, a bronze dagger and a bronze tipped five foot ash spear. They were all lying near the entrance to the cave.

He peered out of the cave at a vast expanse of shoulder high yellowing grass. Markowitz looked up at the sky and screamed, “How am I supposed to get my revenge like this?”