GATE CLEARED: $12,550, +10 Stat Points, +Shrine Authority

The Shard shone brightly in my pocket. I pulled it out. I glanced around: no one was in the parking lot, save for a homeless man sleeping by the bike rack with a bit of cardboard and an old blanket wrapped around him. I picked up my staff so it didn’t tap against the ground, and hurried to my car to avoid getting soaked by the falling rain.

“So this place is now your Shrine?”

Not yet. You must put a symbol to show my authority in it.

“And how do I do that? I don’t even know you’re name.”

Think of something. That’s what your creativity is for, no?

A thousand notifications popped up on my phone. Calls from my brother, and from my parents, mainly, and a few calls from Frank. Were they worried about me? Nah. My brother just probably wanted his money back, and my parents were probably calling on their behalf. I sent a text message to my brother while I climbed into the driver’s seat of the car.

“Sorry, got caught up in something. Come by in the morning and I’ll have your money.”

I reached into my cupholder, pulled out the key, and slid it into the ignition. The engine rumbled to life, and I pulled out. I got another notification on my phone, and once I stopped at the lights, I pulled my phone from my pocket and took a quick glance. A message from my father read:

R u ok?

Huh? Was he really concerned for me?

The light turned green, and the car moved, yet I didn’t feel connected to any of it. My father? Concerned for me? No. That couldn’t be. The streets went by, yet I felt as if I were staring at myself from afar. As if I were watching a movie. The drive to the townhouse was lonely, and nothing but darkness and rain awaited me when I pulled in. The garage door rose, and I pulled in. The house was quiet. Deathly quiet. Normally, whenever I came home there were sounds of life: a television chattering, my dad speaking in low tones with my mother or on the phone...anything would be better than this.

The door from the garage into the living room swung open, and Clio ran up to greet me. I picked her up and held her tight as she dispelled the worries and fears I felt.

“I’m back, Clio.”

I set her down on one of the steps and stepped over to my bed. The chainmail was difficult to remove, but once I did so, I set it by my bed, closed the door to the backyard, and sat on the edge of my mattress. Clio hopped into my lap and curled up. Spreading her warmth to hold at bay the coldness infecting my body.

Mrrow.

“Oh, Shadow, I didn’t know you were here.”

She jumped out of the shadows gathering in the room and brushed against me. A black cat...isn’t that the normal familiar? Wait a minute…

“Can I use Familiar Contract on these two?”

You can.

I picked Clio up put her on the bed, and reached into my pocket.

“Sorry Clio, this might hurt a bit.”

I pricked my finger with the point of the kris picked up one of her paws and did the same. She whined and pulled away, as I mixed our blood together. I kept hold of her pulled out my wand and tapped her forehead.

“I, an initiate of Hecate, who hath received knowledge from the ancient and thrice great, Hermes, do bid thou, companion of mine, merge our souls.”

Clio looked at me closed her eyes and laid still, and a glowing began to emanate from her.

Familiar Contract Formed with Domesticated Canine

+2 Perception, +2 Speed, +1 Magic

Form Take Added

Call Familiar Added

Clio whines and pulls her leg away.

Hurts…

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The voice was small and childlike. Whimpering as if hurt.

“Clio?”

Why did master hurt me?

“Clio, I’m sorry. Let me heal you.”

Master hate me?

She got up and curled up on a pillow, and whined when she looked at me.

“I’m sorry, baby girl.”

I tapped her shoulder.

“Hail Mary, full of Grace, I beseech thee to seal these wounds, by the power of Christ thine Heavenly Son.”

Lesser Heal, Other Created

+1 Magic, +2 Creativity

Feels better…

I scratched her behind the ear to calm her down, and once more she crawled into my lap, and Shadow laid down beside me. The worry and loneliness I had been feeling were cast aside, so I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my messages.

“Yes, thank you for worrying, Dad.”

I responded.

A series of loud knocks woke me up. I pushed myself off the bed, scrambled for the door, and pulled it open just enough to see who it was. Mark’s face glared at me from beyond the doorway as he pushed himself in. I closed the door behind him as he stopped in front of the stairs.

“Where did you go last night, huh?” He asked

“Sorry, I got sucked into something,” I answered.

“Until 3 in the morning?”

“Yeah.”

“Whatever, just give me my money.”

“Hold on.”

I hissed as I bent down at the waist and reached into the pocket of my hoodie, where the Shard sat. A bit of latent pain still radiated from my shoulder and my stomach and reacted to the movement.

1,000 dollars. I think to the Shard.

A bundle of bills appeared in my hand I acted as if I were digging around in there. I pulled the 10 hundred-dollar bills out and handed it over to him.

“Interest. 500 more.”

I glared

“Or I could take you to court for it.”

I sighed and dug around in my pocket once more, asked for the money, and handed him the bills.

“Alright. We’re done.” He rolled up the bills stuffed them into his pocket and headed for the door.

“Wait, that’s all?” I asked as he reached out for the doorknob.

“Yes.”

“You don’t want to like...talk or anything?”

“Talk about what? How much of a failure you are? No, I’ve already told you everything I ever need to tell you. Think of this,” he pulled out the bundle of money from his pocket, “As our last interaction.”

“Mark…”

He pulled open the door and left me alone in the townhouse. I sighed, and Clio jumped out from underneath the blankets and ran up to me. Shadow meowed loudly at the door and I went to open it before stopping, casting Repel, and scooping her up. I took the Kris out of my pocket and pricked my finger and her paw. Her claws scratched fruitlessly at the invisible shell around my arm as I intermingled our blood.

“I, an initiate of Hecate, who hath received knowledge from the ancient and thrice great, Hermes, do bid thou, companion of mine, merge our souls.”

Shadow glowed, and a message on the Shard was transferred to my mind.

Familiar Contract Formed: Domesticated Feline

+3 Reflexes, +2 Perception, +2 Speed, +1 Magic, +1 Charm

Mister, let me go, please.

This voice differed from the one I heard when I formed the contract with Clio. It was more mature in a way. Smarter, and more independent.

I cast, Lesser Heal, Other on her and then set her down.

Thank you.

“So can you two understand me now?”

We always could, mister.

She brushed against my leg.

I am tired now, do not wake me.

Shadow hopped up onto my bed and curled up on my pillow. Clio hopped off the bed and followed me to the door.

Master understands us now?

“Yes, Clio.” I bent down and scratched behind her ear. Her small tail wagged.

Outside?

I pulled open the door.

I want a bigger outside…

I suppose it’s time to bury that body. I sighed and went into my garage and grabbed the shovel, leaning against the wall: Clio followed me every step of the way.

“You want bigger outside?” I asked the dog.

Yes! Yes! Bigger outside.

I picked her up, walked to my backdoor, and pulled open the door into Efra who still stood there. I held onto Clio tight as we spun through the space between worlds.

Mister. Where did you go?

Shadow’s voice called through my head just as Clio and I set down in Efra. I put Clio down on the ground.

“Can you hear me, Shadow?”

Yes, mister. Where did you and the dog go?

Huh. This could be useful.

Big outside! Big outside!

Can you take me?

I sighed. Perhaps adding both of these at once was a mistake. My head swam as they both talked at once. I pulled out my wand and pointed toward the ground.

“Oh, Companion of Mine, bound by Hecate’s oath, come to me.”

Mrrow. What?

The black cat materialized in the air right in front of my wand and landed on its feet on the soft ground underneath it.

Where is this?

“It’s a place called Efra,” I told the cat. It glanced up at me and tilted its head.

I glanced at the dog. Clio had her nose buried in the fur of the dead ratman.

“Clio! No!”

Smells good.

“Clio, get away from that.”

But...smells good.

“Clio…”

Fiiiiine.

The dog whined and headed toward the abandoned farmhouse. I grabbed hold of the leg of the dead ratman and pulled it along. Its stiff body slid across the dirt as I dragged it to the furthest corner of the fogwall behind the shed that led to Earth. For the next couple of hours, I used the shovel to dig deep down into the ground. To help with the speed of it, I used the ten points I got for closing the level 12 gate and split them evenly into Strength and Endurance raising them to 20 and 19 respectively: making the task pretty easy, yet still time-consuming. I had to push to fold the creature’s arms so it fit into the grave: they broke with a stomach-churning pop. I shoveled the pounds of dirt on top of him and made a nice little mound of nearby stones to keep my dog from digging.

Clio and Shadow explored the area thoroughly, and I explored after them. The farmhouse was actually pretty well furnished: beds and bookshelves were still in good, working order, and a fireplace looked in good working order. Could I bring the shelves to our world? I don’t know, might as well try. I carried them to the shed and pulled it open. After another hour, I had gotten all five of the shelves, and two tables out of Efra. After another hour I had carried them upstairs to set up in the single bedroom up there. I did the same with my bed, all the books, and my computer: stopping to cast Lesser Heal on myself whenever I found myself winded: but the five extra points in Endurance really helped.

Can we go back? Hungry. Clio whined.

I checked my phone: it was almost three.

“What about you Shadow?”

Sleeping...call for me in a few hours.

I walked back to scoop up my dog brought her back through the door, and set her down. She goes right for her food bowl, and I go and fill it back up before scrolling through my phone, looking for a truck to buy online. There was one a few blocks away from me for 18,000. I pulled out my Shard to check my funds:

9,550. I need nine thousand more dollars.

“How many level 10s are there in the world?”

Still just you.

I clicked my tongue. I suppose I’ll have to make do with my car for the time being. I sat down on the bed, called to order a pizza, and then called the internet company to set up service to my house. They’ll be out by noon tomorrow. Alright. The pizza came, and I paid in cash with a hefty tip and spent the rest of the day scrolling through my phone.