Return
Jhaan was horrified. Nalaea and the gauntlet both disappeared, and they'd been gone for over an hour at this point. Just what happened to the Captain? Was she dead? Worse? Three of the more mentally unstable rangers were just sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth. Jhaan was wondering if they should stay in this tavern, or return home, but his thoughts were interrupted by shouting.
"Jhaan get over here!"
"Jhaan!"
"The Captain's back!"
Jhaan rushed over, and saw Nalaea laying in the floor, clutching the gauntlet in her hands, and moaning in pain. Kneeling down next to her, he placed his hand in hers, and she squeezed it tightly.
"Captain, I'm glad you're safe." Jhaan said, placing his other hand on top of hers.
"Summon her." Nalaea whispered.
"What?"
"Like I taught you all. Summon her now. I refuse to just walk home after what I saw." Nalaea said, as she slipped out of consciousness.
"Clear the area! Arryn!" Jhaan shouted, motioning for tables and chairs to be pushed back.
In mere moments a space big enough for a casting circle was drawn, and after slitting his wrist slightly, Jhaan added his blood, the component so that Vordea would know who was calling her. After a moment, black ink started to spill out of the circle, and Vordea's tentacles slithered out, followed shortly after by the Goddess herself climbing out of the hole in reality that had been formed.
Vordea was quite amused, when she saw Nalaea passed out and clutching the gauntlet. But then she smelled it. She knelt next to Nalaea and sniffed her. There was no mistaking it, not even for a moment. The smell of home. Fighting tears, Vordea curled her tentacles around the thirteen rangers, and pulled them with her through the summoning circle, leaving behind nothing but some inky stains on the floor, and some very confused Dwarves.
---
Nalaea woke in a bed, which was nice for a change. When she opened her eyes, Vordea was sitting by her bedside, in a form that she had never seen before. She looked like a sleep deprived young human woman, with bags under her eyes, and a tangled mess of medium length black hair that didn't look like it ever got brushed. Yet, she smiled when she saw Nalaea look at her. Vordea stood up, and pulled Nalaea into an embrace. Inhaling deeply, Vordea could still smell Demhe Station on Nalaea's clothing. A place so far away and yet for a brief moment, she could remember her childhood again.
"Oh Nala..." Vordea said, her voice cracking. "I thought I would be strong when this day came, but I failed."
"So I was really..." Nalaea said, trailing off.
"Uncountable years ago, in a place that no longer exists, yes." Vordea said, still hugging Nalaea tightly.
"No more games, Lady Vordea." Nalaea said, patting her on the back. "Where was I? And where am I now?"
"Do you promise to never tell anyone? No matter who asks?" Vordea asked, still holding Nalaea.
"I vow."
"Very well. You were in a place called Demhe Station, in the place I call Carcosa."
"That was really Carcosa?" Nalaea asked, shocked.
"It was. And that was me. I was nine years old at the time you met me."
"How old are you now?"
"I can't give you a straight answer." Vordea said, finally releasing her grip on Nalaea. "But only because the number does not exist. I have destroyed and remade the universe more times than can be counted, and thanks to my perfect recall I remember every single time. I was created to defeat entropy, to make sure the death that fell upon my home could ever happen again."
"Who was that woman I met?"
"That was Fleet Admiral Mira Frost. The Last Commander of the Last Fleet. The final ruler of humanity. That was before she became The Corpse King. But I believe I skipped a question." Vordea said, pausing to give the briefest of smiles. "Where am I now, you asked. Look around you, what do you see?"
Nalaea for the first time since she woke, took in her surroundings. It was a bedroom of sorts, that much was certain. Though, surely any room with a bed in it qualified as such? The decorations were of human design, but beyond the windows lay an inky blackness, darker than any night. The curtains were a bloody red in colour, and the candle placement for lack of a better word, seemed designed to produce ominous lighting.
"I don't know. Where are we?"
"The Umbral Keep, on the continent of Cleyix." Vordea answered, with a gentle tone. "This will be your second task for you and your rangers."
"I've never heard of a place called Cleyix." Nalaea replied, looking at Vordea suspiciously.
"Indeed. I can only promise you are still on Karand. Make your way back to Gilnas City from here, no matter what you have to do. No matter who you have to rape, murder, kill, or worse." Vordea said, a gentle smile on her face.
"Can I at least get a map? Karand, Tel Hazan, Itari, and even Gheddan are quite well mapped. But an unknown continent?"
"You may have everything within the confines of The Umbral Keep." Vordea answered, without actually answering the question.
"That's not an answer and you know it." Nalaea shot back, punching Vordea in the arm, who only laughed in response.
"There is one more thing, Nala." Vordea said, her tone still soft and gentle. "As a thank you, for coming to see a lonely little girl." Vordea reached intocurled her shirttentacles around Nalaea and pulled out an amulet fromsqueezed her bosom.gently. "You know, I could kill you so easily. Just a quick pop and you would be gone. Forever."
"Please don't." Nalaea said flatly, but looking vaguely concerned.
"While I enjoy our play times together, Nala." Vordea said, coming in close and licking Nalaea's face. "One day you will die. You are not special, you will not live forever, and what I've beendone waitingto foryour soul means you can't become a demon either."
"My Lady you're squeezing too tightly." Nalaea said with some alarm, as Vordea began to besqueeze borntighter.
"I thecould dawnconsume you." Vordea said, her eyes looking at Nalaea hungrily. "You could live forever, as part of time,your in order to entrust this to you. It's an Amulet whose given name you may even recognize already. The Amulet of the Corpse King.Goddess."
Nalaea shrunklistlessly stared back and refused to even touch it. "I know the stories of that Amulet, my Lady! I'm not accepting a fucking curse, Lady Vordea."
"This amulet was made specifically for you." Vordea explained, understanding Nalaea's hesitation perfectly. She squeezed the amulet in her hand, and the shape changed. Opening her hand again, the sinister skull carving was now one of a squid, embracing an elf. "This is the true form of the amulet. The Amulet of Divine Obsession. Now that the moment has come, this amulet is supposed to exist, and no longer poses a danger." Vordea again offered it to Nalaea, who this time hesitantly took it in her hands, and was surprised at howVordea, light it was.
"Obviously, it does something." Nalaea stated, turning it over in her hands.
"Of course. I remember the way you looked at me then. I see the way you look at me even now. When I saved you in the Imperial Capital, I knew exactly the kind of person you would becomeas if I did it. You obsess over me, every waking moment is filled with thoughts of me, don't you?"
Nalaea didn't answer with words, and instead locked eyes with Vordea. The eyes of a lovesick maniac is what Vordea saw looking at her, andcaught in a wayspell. itVordea's pleasedwords were like honey, and ensnared her. She really did need to figure out what to do with Nalaea, though. She had a feeling if she made her into a demon her jealousy would only grow with time instead of abate. No matter, problems for the future.
"WhatJust thissay amuletyes, and all your suffering can do is similar to the lovesickness you have for me. They will become obsessed with you, and do anything you ask of them. Even kill. Even... die.end." Vordea urged her, licking her lips. "Become one with me."
"Ye-No!" Nalaea said, smilingsuddenly wickedlysnapping atout theof finalit mention.and shouting, struggling against Vordea's tentacles. "Let me go! I want to live!"
Vordea gave Nalaea a sinister look, and squeezed Nalaea even tighter. "Why should I? You look delicious and I'm famished."