“Honored guests, not to worry. That is nothing but Scolopendra settling as she slumbers. Rest assured such movements are perfectly natural, and the resort’s centrifugal dampeners are more than up to the task of keeping you safe.”
Florin: The tree broke, and now the centipede is all mixed up with the Krakaren monster!
Elle: Holy hell. A third of the mobs died in that worm attack.
I crawled into the hallway. Kneeling with corpses all around was the strange human-sized form of Emberus. Heat washed over me.
He stood to his full height. The man was tall, humanlike, about fifty years old with blazing sockets for eyes. He was bald with a black beard streaked with red flowing cracks that smoldered. He wore the white toga thing with the gold sash most of the gods wore, but it was covered with scorch marks. The ground below his feet burned and sizzled. An angry scar as thick as my thumb ran down the side of his head.
From outside came a loud female shriek that was the sound of a thousand voices at once. “This doesn’t concern you, god!”
“Get off the worm!” Taranis yelled. “Penelope, hold on!”
Penny: IS THAT GUY TALKING TO ME? DOES HE HAVE MY SPLOOGE?
We crashed again, harder this time, but not flipping.
Florin: Whoa.
Imani: Is everyone all right?
Elle: That god dude ain’t screwing around. How is that tentacle boss even still alive?
“Carl,” Emberus said, “I am here, ready to receive your evidence on who killed my son. Tell me.”
Penny: HOT, HOT, HOT.
Donut: I SAVED GONK, BUT SWEETY DIED!
Ah damn.I stood. The floor rumbled more, and I activated Sticky Feet just in case we tumbled again.
Carl: Okay, Penny. I’m going to put you down. Don’t move, and I’ll give you more splooge in a second. Okay?
Penny: OKAY.
The world rumbled. I unhooked the backpack and gently placed Penny on the floor. I stepped to the side so she was out of the line of fire. I gauged her position with Emberus and took another step.
Carl: Don’t move.
“Two people are responsible for the death of your son, and I’m going to bring them here so you can confront them directly,” I said to the god. “They will admit to their crimes.”
Carl: Here we go, guys. Donut, you ready?
Donut: I AM READY. I’M AS CLOSE TO TARANIS AS I CAN GET. HE HAS LIGHTNING SPARKLING ALL OVER HIS BODY, AND MY HAIR IS ALL POOFED OUT. HE’S IGNORING ME.
The spiral tattoo on the palm of my hand started to itch. I ignored it.
I made sure Penny still wore the collar with the trap module. She was also still wearing the kneepads. These were the Enchanted Spiked Kneepads of the Munificent Goddess Kina, originally gifted to Katia on the ninth floor, given to Donut, and now equipped by Penelope. The kneepads imparted multiple benefits, including the ability to breathe underwater. But most importantly, they also gave the pig the same temporary deity effects as my Scavenger’s Daughter patch.
“The first person to kill your son was the god Khepri.”
Emberus looked surprised, then enraged. “What? How do you know?” He growled. “That fake sun god was always jealous of me. Show me your proof! Show me your proof right now!”
“He will explain himself. For my second summon to the arena, I choose Khepri!”
Please, please, please,I prayed. The prize said he’d be teleported to the arena. If he teleported to the club instead, that would be a problem.
System Message: Khepri has entered the realm.