Emmett thought he’d gotten used to the aftermath of flooding and the war. Seeing the carnival was another thing entirely. Emmett had gone at least once a summer, especially as he’d gotten older and his nephews had been born.

The carnival ran along three blocks of Belport’s boardwalk. Normally, the lights would blend in with the rest of the shops along the boardwalk. Music and cheers echoed down the streets, followed shortly by the smell of hotdogs and funnel cakes. You could see the Ferris wheel across the boardwalk, like a giant beacon.

It was surreal to sneak through a place where he had so many memories.

Tonight though, Emmett saw it in the same drab night vision-gray as the rest of the city. The Tilt-a-Whirl had been knocked over and crushed a nearby shop. The tower chair swing looked like the next breeze would topple it over. The space between was littered with seaweed and trash. The Ferris wheel didn’t look much better. A small fishing boat was wedged between the bars and several of the Ferris wheel cars were missing—Emmett found one later, smashed open on the sidewalk. Game booths had been swept clean too—their balls, bottles, and stuffed animals now littered the ground.

Mod, Arsenal, and Athena crept toward the Ferris wheel, mindful of the wreckage around them.

They hadn’t seen anyone else since the group of Felwarden’s they’d ambushed, but that didn’t mean other mages wouldn’t be coming and going from the hideout.

They paused before they got to the Ferris wheel, taking cover in a half-cleared out target shooting booth. The mushroom statuette in his pocket was pulsing every few seconds.

Athena said, “We’re getting close. The keys should work automatically.”

Arsenal asked, “Is there anyway to see what’s on the other side before we go through?”

Athena shook her head. “Won’t know ‘till after the jump. Think about wanting access and the key should do the rest.”

Mod took a deep breath. This was the biggest hurdle in their plan, but it was unavoidable.

MAGE DISGUISE

BEARDED FACE

Nanites rearranged themselves across Mod’s body. Arsenal issued similar commands, and Athena slipped on her stolen Felwarden jacket. A few seconds later, and the three supers could pass as mages, at least at a glance.

Mod reloaded his pistol with nanite bullets, then stuffed it in his new coat pocket. “Let’s do it.”

The three walked quickly to the Ferris wheel. With every step, the key pulsed quickly in Mod’s pocket.

When he was about twenty feet away, a small orb appeared at the base of the Ferris wheel. It glowed with UV light and grew steadily wider as they approached.

“That’s it,” Athena replied.

The orb grew, flattening into a spherical gateway as tall as Mod. Its surface rippled like a glowing pond. Athena ushered them forward, and they stepped through the portal together.

~

Mod had asked Athena countless questions over the past week. Some about her past. Others about the nature of magic. And definitely a few about demiplanes.

He never thought to ask what it would feel like to go through the portal into one.

It felt like the sudden lurch of an elevator, except turned up to eleven. Mod’s stomach was in his throat and his arms went out in the sudden reflex to catch himself.

But he didn’t fall, and the sensation disappeared as soon as Mod’s foot touched the ground. He glanced around, quickly taking in his surroundings.

Instead of a carnival, the demiplane was a medieval village. The layout seemed roughly the same, but the rides and shops had been replaced with other structures. The Ferris wheel was replaced with a cathedral. Ornate curves of stonework rose into the air, punctuated with gargoyles. The structure radiated an imposing and almost oppressive aura of magic.

Mod’s first instinct was to move quickly away from the structure, but he could see a handful of Felwarden mages across the clearing. The last thing they wanted was to arouse suspicion.

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None of the other buildings were as imposing as the cathedral. Most were one story tall and made from wood rather than stone. Instead of a starry night, the sky above was covered in low gray clouds. In the distance, Mod could see the edge of the carnival where wooden fences overlapped with the UV outline of chain link. Beyond was completely blocked by swirls of fog.

Mod glanced back at his teammates as they stepped through the portal. Apparently, he’d had it easy.

Arsenal doubled over and groaned. “Ugh, that sucked.”

Across the clearing, the group of mages pointed at Arsenal. Breath caught in Mod’s throat until the mages burst into laughter.

Athena put her hands on top of her head and steadied her breathing. “Magic grows in power over time. This demiplane was created recently, so it’s not going to be as swanky or as permanent as the Donjon club. The transition portal isn’t going to be as smooth, either. Did you know that when you go into the Donjon, you don’t even see the portal?”

Arsenal replied, “Let’s go there next time.”

Athena patted her on the back. “Come on. You’ll feel better when you get moving.”

Athena directed them toward a small stonework building—the only one that had smoke rising out of the chimney. The smoke oozed upward until it mingled with the fog that enclosed the demiplane.

From TINA’s hacking, they knew that Lucile’s necklace hadn’t been destroyed yet. The Felwarden’s were saving it for a complex ritual and it was being kept in the smithery with other alchemical ingredients. From Mod’s research, he knew that the smithery would also be the source of magic holding together the recently constructed demiplane.

Arsenal had pulled out her small camera. A video feed appeared in the corner of Mod’s vision. Arsenal held the camera in her hand so that it pointed behind her as they walked. The Felwarden mages in the clearing were talking amongst themselves again and weren’t paying attention to Mod’s group anymore.

The camera view made him relax slightly. It had been hard not to look back as they walked. They needed to act like they belonged.

Arsenal whispered, “So far, so good.”

TINA’s voice came through their earpieces. “I’m cut off to outside servers while we’re in the demiplane. Try not to need me.”

Arsenal stifled a giggle. Mod replied, “TINA, your humor’s getting better.”

She was trying to help them relax. It only worked a little.

Athena stepped up to the smithery door and tried the handle. It was unlocked, and she opened it. Mod kept his hands in the pockets of his coat. His right hand gripped his pistol.

The first thing Mod felt was a wave of magic. It felt like hot fumes from a furnace, but tinged with the smell of earth and metal. There were hints of spice and herbs, as well.

The second thing Mod noticed was that his sense of scale was off. From the outside, the smithery had looked like a historic one-room house. But inside, the walls spread out into a spacious work area and the ceiling towered almost two stories overhead. Shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, each stuffed with bottles, vials, scrolls, and tools. Two smithing stations sat along the far wall. Desks were scattered around the room, each with various alchemical projects.

It looked like there were several smaller rooms in the back of the building, but the main area was empty—

Except for a Felwarden at the top of a ladder. The mage glanced down at them briefly before muttering something to himself and continuing to look through supplies on a top shelf.

The mage called down. “Sure, sure… Just come on in! Nobody thinks about knocking.”

The group glanced at each other briefly before Athena took the lead.

“Apologies,” she called back. “I was hoping you could help us.”

“If you want something made, you’ll have to wait. I’m already backed up and I need to keep time open for Master Deverie’s order.”

Mod and Arsenal shared a glance as they continued surveying the smithery. TINA had found a series of text messages confirming that the necklace was part of something for the local branch master.

Sensing an opening, Athena added, “We’ve brought something for Master Deverie’s order.”

“Oh, is it the crystal shards?” The mage peered down the ladder expectantly. His face was lined with wrinkles and his beard was white and bushy. “I’ll be down in a moment—”

“No,” Athena interjected. “It’s not the crystals.”

“Drats. If it’s those herbs, just leave them on the table.” The mage waved dismissively and turned back to the shelf in front of him.

“...I can see you’re busy. I can put them with the other ingredients. It’s the least we can do.”

“Oh, that’s sweet of you. Fine, fine. Put them in the back. There’s a drawer labeled with the Master’s name. You can’t miss it.”

Mod and Arsenal followed Athena to the back rooms. They ignored the obvious bedroom and storerooms full of barrels. One of the larger rooms was filled with shelves and labeled drawers.

It only took a moment to find the one labeled Master Deverie.

Mod watched over her shoulder as Athena opened the drawer and rummaged through it. She pulled out a silver locket and stuffed it into her pocket.

Then the three turned and walked back to the entrance.

For a moment, it looked like they’d gotten away with it. The mage on the ladder even thanked them and waved goodbye.

Athena opened the front door to walk through, but stopped abruptly, like she’d walked into a solid wall. When she stepped back, the doorway glowed with a magic barrier. Athena reached out and felt it, but the barrier didn’t budge.

At the same time, an alarm sounded above them. The chimes echoed, fast and loud. There was no doubt that the entire demiplane could hear them.

“Knew it was too easy,” Mod said.

~ ~ ~