Heart of Dorkness Monster One - Alive

Monster One - Alive

Monster One - Alive

I woke up with a deep intake of breath. Not a gasp filled with the cloying black tar that clung to my throat and clogged my airways, but pure, fresh air.

I was alive!

I was alive?

My eyes fluttered open, then squeezed shut. It was too bright. The ceiling above was made of so white stone that practically glowed in the sunlight pouring in from a floor-to-ceiling window to one side of the room.

The glimpse Id gotten did reveal so things. I was in a bedroom, a very nice one. I... didnt recall exactly how Id known that it was a nice bedroom. Maybe it was the size of it? The pretty purple curtains next to the windows, or the dresser against the far wall, dark wood covered in careful, intricate carvings that I couldnt quite make out in the little ti Id had.

I was alive, and not ho.

Ho.

Like cold water down a parched throat, my mind snapped to full wakefulness. The fog was washed away, but beneath it was nothing. Fragnts and ideas, threads that were snipped and cut. Ho was...

I frowned. Ho was...

I started breathing faster. The mory was just there but it was still beyond reach, like trying to touch my own image in still water. It warped and rippled away as I reached it.

But I wasnt a dumb girl. I could rember being praised for being clever. Not by whom, or why, but I knew that the right way to avoid panic was to think things through. Im aware that Im confused, I muttered. A mantra?

I had to break it down. That was a neat trick that always worked.

First, how did I feel?

Well, I was scared, and a little bit terrified, and very spooked. But those were all feeling-feels. I had physical-feels to look into too.

I wiggled my toes, waggled my fingers, and scooted my hips around. I felt fine! My tummy had a bit of emptiness to it, so maybe I was due for a snack.

After that was... seeing how things were around ? Then I could get rid of all the confusion! Perfect plan... ... whatever my na was.

Oh, that was probably bad.

I opened my eyes again, slower this ti, to take in a ceiling that was made of stone with large wooden beams across it. A chandelier hung from above, all crystal with no lightbulbs within. I wasnt entirely sure why that was important. Around were posts reaching up, with curtains draped across them. A four-poster bed? That was more princess than I was used to. Probably.

Sothing else jumped out at .

The words hovered there, perfectly in focus, the letters like those in so terribly old computer, all blocky and square.

I wiggled to the left, and the prompt wiggled with . Interesting!

I wiggled to the right, and the sa happened. Hypothesis confird!

So cool, I said as a hand slipped out of the covers and reached up towards the prompt.

I would advise against that, child. Accepting a new fate so soon is only going to lead you down a path of tears and sorrow. Patience, for the right mont, for the right knowledge, and for the right circumstances, will often reward you far more than blindly charging ahead.

[Congratulations!]

[Through your actions you have unlocked the potential to obtain the following classes:

Sleeper

Tar Drowned

Do you wish to learn more about these classes or accept them into yourself?]

The voice had co from inside the room. A rich, cultured voice. Slow and careful, but captivating, like the growl of a cat about to strike.

I slowly craned my neck around and found that I wasnt alone in the room.

In the corner, not too far from the window, where the light from outside would splash against her, was a woman. Tall and lithe, with sharp features. White skin, bulging with veins that pulsed purple. Her dark eyes locked onto like soone eyeing a choice of desserts before picking one out.

Hi? I tried.

Hello, child, the woman said. She gestured to the side, and the shadows shifted.

Not shadows, but a creature. Long and covered in segnted armour, with protruding spikes and flesh so dark it swallowed the light. Its mandibles were opened over the pages of a book which it slowly closed with knife-tipped feet.

Oh wow, its so cute! I said.

The woman blinked. Pardon?

Um, its cute? I repeated. I was talking about the giant centipede baby, of course. The big cutie pie, with its big mandibles and wee-widdle claw-feet.

This is Milpis, the Long Librarian, the woman introduced. It is a unique creature. In its past life it was a great hoarder of knowledge, powerful but greedy. Now it seeks knowledge eternally, tearing and consuming it out of the minds of n to grow its ever expanding library.

He likes books? I asked. I liked books. I couldnt rember any of them, but I liked the idea of books. I slid under the covers a little as the woman looked at . The woman was very imposing, after all, and quite a bit taller than .

I suppose so, yes, she said. Focus upon Milpis, will yourself to know who and what it is.

I wasnt sure if I ought to do that, but then, I was in a comfortable bed, in a nice room. The woman had been there for so ti, quiet and likely watching , which was admittedly a little strange. Doing what I was told to do was right, so of the ti. I knew that much.

Still, focusing on sothing while willing myself to know sothing was very strange. I focused hard, nose scrunching and eyes squinting to better make out the dark form of Milpis in the corner. The monster shifted, moving into the light so that he was more visible, so that I could better make out the battle-scarred surface of its millenia-old body.

I focused very hard, then let out a sigh. Im aware that Im confused, I muttered for the second ti.

Perhaps that is beyond you? How disappointing.

I blinked, then blinked again. Disappointing? No, no that would not do.

Forcing myself to think, I looked at the monster and focused so hard my head hurt.

[Milpis - The Long Librarian - Greater Servant of the Dark God]

Scourge of Deep Knowledge

I took a deep breath, then smiled over to the tall woman. I got it! I said.

It had felt very strange, like popping a zit, but in my head.

Well done. And how many of its classes did you see?

I glanced over to the creature again. I see his na, and Greater Servant of the Dark God, which is very spooky, and Scourge of Deep Knowledge.

So, only to the first. I suppose that would suffice. The woman walked over and sat upon the edge of the bed, one leg carefully crossing over the other at the knee. Now tell , child not of this world, who are you, and what were you offered to co into my land?

I tugged the blankets up, or tried to, but the woman was sitting on them, and so I couldnt shield myself away from her questioning gaze. My initial observation had been wrong. The woman did have an iris. It was a dark, dark purple that shone a little brighter as it caught the light.

Um, ah, I said.

Do not waste my ti, child.

I flinched. I wasnt exactly sure what to say, and I only had one trick at my disposal. I focused upon the woman.

[The Dark Goddess - God of Darkness - Servant of None]

God of Monsters

One of the womans eyebrows rose. Truly?

Your na is The? I asked.

The Dark Goddess tilted her head to the side, then she made a noise, a faint chuff at the back of her throat that coincided with the smallest twitch of her lips. No, child. My na is not The. I have decided to present myself to you with my title.

Oh, I replied, not entirely certain I understood, but willing enough to go along. Being called The would be pretty strange.

You have failed to answer my question, though perhaps I was hoping for too much. Tell , what do you last rember?

Ah, well, I was... drowning, I think, in black stuff? I squird in her covers. They were quite nice, thick and plush. I wished the Dark God wasnt sitting on the bed. Before that... I rember... a car crash?

The Dark God nodded slowly. And did you hear anything? A voice, an offer?

Yes! Soone was talking, but it wasnt to .

Then to whom were they speaking?

I dont rember, I admitted. I was afraid that the Dark God would be angered by that, but the woman didnt seem overly bothered.

She rose, carefully and with easy grace. So, you are a mistake. A mistake he likely made.

Im sorry?

Dont be, child. If nothing else, your appearance marks you as one of mine. Ti will tell if youre worth being considered as such.

Wow, that was kind of scary sounding.

The Dark God stared. Yes, I think Ive been told that I sound sowhat scary at tis. Are you not scared yourself?

Nope, I said. It was only a little bit of a lie. You seem nice. I rember drowning in black stuff, and now Im here. So you must have cared at least enough about to let use this nice bed, right? So you cant be that scary. Besides, youre the Goddess of Darkness and Monsters. Not scary things.

She made that strange noise again. An interesting way of seeing things. Turning, the Dark God started towards a door at the far end of the room. Milpis will remain here, for the ti being. Rest. I will have more questions later.

Oh, okay, I said. I was feeling rather tired.

Valeria.

Huh?

Your na. Seeing as how you dont rember your own. It shall be Valeria.

And just like that, the Dark God was gone.

I stared after her, wondering how she had known that my na was missing.

Before I could wonder too deeply, sleep snuck up on .

***