“If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”

Liam Neilson, Taken, 2008

-----+ Interlude +-----

Back in the Multiversal Department of Summoning Affairs, two individuals stood shoulder to shoulder looking over the destruction that had been wrought. A bright yellow caution tape had been erected around the vicinity of the door to the summoning chambers, keeping the much-diminished group of onlookers away from the remains of the fight that had just occurred.

“It appears that the candidate may have surpassed previous assumptions.” The first individual spoke. His hand coming up to push the glasses that hadn’t really slipped down his nose back into place. It was an instinctual gesture that he had when he was uncomfortable, and the situation that was developing here was one such event.

“Indeed, however his personality matrix has fallen within the expected parameters.” The second individual, a woman of an undefined race, stated in a voice that sounded as steel wrapped in a velvet glove.

“True, but he found the girl much faster than we could have planned for. We lost two personnel for this.” The man said in not quite a pout, but something that was nearing this.

“Breakage is always to be expected when one is planning. While it is unfortunate, it was merely two guards that would have been up for disciplinary measures in the near future. If anything, he saved us from having to offer them severance packages.” She stated while countless spreadsheets, analyses and cost-benefit projections seemed to run behind her eyes.

“All in all, things are progressing according to plan. He met the girl and followed her to the projected world. Its in the hands of the other gods now.” A tone of finality and closure came from the woman, who was the one in charge apparently.

“True, let them deal with him now. I just hope they realized what they asked us for. Now about the commissioning of the second summoning chamber…” the man said while a tablet materialized out of the ether to rest in his hands. The two turned from the area and faded away as they walked away from the door.

-----+ Back to Greyson and Eloise +-----

Where Greyson’s first and second trip through the different branes of reality (see end notes of the chapter for explanation of using branes and not planes, this author may have spent some of college debating theoretical physics while inebriated) it had been as simple as stepping, or falling, through a door and one reality shifting seamlessly into another. This trip was anything but that nice and easy transition. An endless expanse seemed to fill out in all directions with they were shot down what almost looked to be a twisted and corkscrewing tube of shimmering transparent blue light. The trip lasted both and eternity and a moment. The end of their tunnel through the cosmos abruptly, or finally depending on the frame of reference of the viewer (lol, physics joke), and they pair popped into existence in the center of another circle that eerily matched many of the runes and shapes that were seen in the summoning chambers.

As soon as his vision cleared from the flashes he had seen in the transition, his first thought was to make sure that Eloise was alright. He let out a slight sigh of relief realizing that she was still in his arms and they hadn’t become some sort of conjoined hybrid of the two of them. Curiously a thought that only came up now that he had already gone through with the summoning and he slightly shuddered internally at the thought.

He lifted Eloise away from him and looked her in the eyes for a moment before doing a quick once-over to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be.

“Are you okay? Do you feel ok? Is anything wrong?” He asked her with the rapid-fire concern mostly found with new parents. Slightly embarrassed with his scrutiny she just nodded and then shook her head. As embarrassing as the position was, she couldn’t help but to also be exceptionally happy. Her parents were more of the forgetful sort, even before they had died in a monster attack. After that, the orphanage had tried. As bad as it was in many ways, they did try to take care of all of the children that were placed with them. It really wasn’t their fault that so many of the adults in the town had died, and even being alive while so many others had perished was a luxury all its own. She chided herself and just let the happiness overpower the feelings of embarrassment that Grey brought.

It didn’t take long for Grey to realize that he was making a bit of a spectacle of themselves. The room that they had arrived in was not empty like the summoning chamber had been. Around the edges of the summoning circle that was slowing dissipating the mana that had coalesced as light and a shield, stood a dozen or so (fifteen as Greyson counted, but specific numbers are the sign of higher intelligence and he did not want to seem snobbish even to himself) figures all dressed in formless long robes with hoods that lent deep shadows for their faces to be hidden for normal sight.

Silence befell the room as Greyson slowly set down Eloise and stood to his full height of 180 cm with his boots (this author is short, so boots do indeed count when asking about height). He slowly turned around in place to look at each of the individuals that were surrounding them from all sides, leveling them with blank stare that gave away none of his thoughts. His gaze finally landed on one of the individuals that in addition to the formless black robes, had a sash of blood red wrapped around his waist. Obviously, the distinction was something that was meant to convey authority or higher standing among the order. As the two began what promised to be an epic stare down, Eloise moved back to Greyson and wrapped her tiny arms around his legs, resting her head against him while also beginning to stare at the sashed person. After a minutes worth of staring the sashed person finally took a step forward into area that housed the summoning circle, reached up and pulled back the hood to expose and her, yes her, face.

“Welcome travelers, we are so glad that our summons were able to reach you.” A syrupy sweet contralto voice called out to them.

“We greet you as well.” Greyson responded not unkindly. Something about the woman unnerved him, however, that was no reason to be rude at this point in time.

“Will you grace us with your names exalted travelers? It seems inappropriate for us to address ones such as yourselves as anything other than your preferences.” The sweet words came over to them again. Grey could feel Eloise tighten her grip on his legs.

Interesting, it seems her instincts are lining up with mine on this woman.

“I am Greyson Einar, and this is Eloise Rhine.” He stated matter of factly.

“Oh, so this is not your daughter then?” Her approach had stopped and head cocked slightly to the side in his response. The slight feeling of unease intensified upon her question, and the warning bells were beginning to ring. At the same time Eloise faced the woman and an indignant look crossed her face.

“Grey is papa now.” She said as she puffed up her chest and released a great breadth through her nose not unlike certain train whistles. The woman cocked her head to the other side in contemplation while the greatest reaction to this statement was from Greyson himself. He looked poleaxed and his head jerked down almost impossibly fast to look at her.

“Eli, what are you saying?! Certainly, we can find someone better to be for dad now. You can’t possibly want me.” While he said this out loud, internally he was dancing a bit of a happy dance that would have been more than a little ridiculous had anyone been able to see him do this in reality.

“That’s right Eloise. We have summoned you here to become the living embodiment of our great god Algea. If it is parents that you wish for, we have a few different couples that have either lost a child or are unable to have one. All that we ask you is to come with us to fulfill your life’s purpose with us.” The honeyed words lapped over them, leaving a slight itch in a place that Grey couldn’t figure out how to scratch. The priestess’ pitch seemed to just pass right around Eloise with no noticeable effect, that is other than making her angry with them.

“No, Papa Grey is Papa.” She stated stubbornly, adding in a small foot stomp for extra measure. While Grey was letting Eli take the lead with talking now, the plane in his brain was beginning to take off from the runway.

Algea sounded familiar, and after passing through the databases he had constructed in his mind, he finally was able to put the name to a pantheon. Greek god, daughter of Eris Goddess of Strife, and held dominion over pain.

Oh shit. This is a fucking cult! A cult of pain! Wait, Eli is supposed to become the living embodiment of the god of pain…. These fuckers want to hurt her. Whelp, guess its time to leave then.

“Sooo… yeah. I guess thanks for summoning us here, but you heard the girl. Apparently, I’m a dad now and we’re going to take our leave now. Have a great life and I sincerely hope we never meet again.” Greyson decided to attempt the diplomatic approach again. While it hadn’t worked before, that didn’t mean it couldn’t work now.

“Of course you can leave Sir Greyson, we will gladly show you the way to the nearest village so that you can continue on in your journey. I must apologize however, but Eloise must remain here. She has much training to undergo before she can become Algea’s living embodiment.” Well, they apparently weren’t shy about letting the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Greyson couldn’t help it. His second world in the past hour and here he was being antagonized by a group of fucking pain cultists. He had a sneaking suspicion that the robes were present more for the fact of hiding new and old injuries, as opposed to and divine calling. With that he began to laugh.

It started as a few aborted almost coughs before turning into a full-bodied laugh that brought tears to his eyes. He actually doubled over laughing for a moment, before catching Elois’s curious eye on what was funny. While everyone in the room had already scrutinizing them both, each person in the circle abruptly focused in upon Greyson. With another slight giggle, Frey looked the sash bearer in the eyes and stated the following.

“Over my cold dead body, you can have her.”