Demi Lawrence Foundation For Wounded Heroes.

The sign on what was once a hospital shined from a distance like a lighthouse above the vast dark shore.

The rest of the lights in the city paled in comparison.

Even though decades had passed Cal still compared the sight to what it had been in the past.

The Earth had darkened considerably.

One didn’t really comprehend until they saw it from altitude.

He descended and was greeted with guards pointing weapons.

Procedure was observed while he stood with hands raised.

The young guards called it in and waved him through in less than a minute.

Jake had a fancy office nowadays.

“Getting fatter, I see.”

“Fuck you. I’d rather get old and fat than be an ageless freak. Do you even human anymore?”

Steely gazes held for a moment before wide smiles broke through with laughter.

Jake hopped up from behind his desk and crushed Cal in a bear hug or rather tried to.

The big man grunted as he failed to lift Cal off the floor.

“Shit, I should deadlift you.”

Truth be told Jake wasn’t getting that much fatter. His belly hadn’t grown appreciably in the ten months since they had last seen each other.

“Getting weaker?”

“No way, bro. Just hit personal bests in two out of the holy trinity. Bench and squat. Did them raw. No magic.”

“I seem to remember that you have a strength passive.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t turn that off, so…” he shrugged. “C’mon, sit! You want a drink? I’m technically off the clock.”

“Sure.”

Jake handed him a generous pour of some peaty goodness, liquid amber gold.

“I’ve got a room full of the best stuff and a few other secret stashes all over the place. Buying my entire daily allotment just in case. If the spires cut our stores off then that’s it,” he sighed. “No more proper scotch.”

“Well, I don’t know about that…”

Jake’s eyes narrowed.

“As you know, I’ve been more global in the last decade or so and I might’ve helped people set up around a few of the old distilleries… in Scotland and Ireland.”

“Oh thank God! I always figured you need real peat to get that authentic peaty flavor.”

Cal sipped.

The flavor had never changed and that eased his mind for a bit.

“I haven’t said it to you yet, but congrats and thank you for your work on the satellites. They’re working smoothly so far.”

“I know, right! Been shitposting to every group chat, slack, stack, discord and forum I’m on!” He grinned, which fell away quickly. “Most of it’s quiet though. Not like I remember, I guess that’s what happens when almost everyone dies.”

“To their memory.” He raised the glass.

“To their memory… minus the assholes,” Jake did the same. “I’m gonna stop shitposting soon. Just wanted to be an example to the kids, you know?”

“A terrible one.”

“Yeah, they got to learn how not to act.”

“I’m waiting for the first omninet troll class to pop up.”

“Bro, nobody’s calling it that.”

“It’s on all the official documentation.”

“Good for you, I guess.” Jake shrugged.

“I wonder if the spires will even give out a troll class when there is an actual troll species.”

“Oh right. Your brother’s friend? Did anyone explain it to the dude.”

“Yeah, one of the first things my brother did. Apparently the troll was quite offended since he was some kind of noble back on his homeworld.”

“I wouldn’t mind meeting a real troll.”

“Hey, man, if you’re willing to make a trip I might be able to arrange something.”

“I’d love to, but I’m way too busy here. With great healing comes great amounts of lost limbs. Don’t get me wrong. I prefer this to our fighters dying or being crippled. One slight problem is that there is always an idiot that decides that a magitech hand or finger is cooler than their natural one.”

“Still?”

“They think they have the Skills or spells to fool our truth spells and Skills. It’s always ‘a gremlin ate my finger’… fucker, you chopped it off yourself,” Jake groused.

“You really should consider not providing the morons a magitech replacement.”

“That seems cruel. I’m cool with giving them a basic replacement. Works just like their old one without any cool offensive or defensive spells. Plus they get to wait at the back of the line for the real cool stuff.”

“There’s always someone willing to wait that five year period for a prosthetic with full features.”

“They passed a law pushing that up to ten.”

“How’s Detective Ordonez doing? I haven’t spoken to her in years. She’s always busy. Almost as if she has a Skill that lets her know I’m coming.” He smirked

“That’s cause she does,” Jake snorted. “She’s still doing her job. And we both know that you can see her if you really wanted to.”

“True, but I want to respect her wishes. Maybe let her know that I’m not going to drag her into some nightmare.”

“She isn’t scared of bad shit. Just not your kind of bad shit, you know?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “There’s just a few things I’d like to share and maybe get her input. Things the three of us shared.”

“Flo,” Jake nodded. “Word of advice on that account… don’t. Not until you’ve actually fixed the flesheater problem. Hope’s kind of a bitch sometimes. Nothing worse when it turns out to be empty. I think she’d rather not know in that case.”

“Then maybe I just want to catch up.”

“She’s a high-level detective. She might be able to put together pieces in what you don’t say. Hell, I’d bet every bottle I’ve got stashed in this office that she’d pick up bits even through your abilities.”

“I doubt that, but I respect her wishes and won’t risk it unless she’s willing.”

“Oh shit! Before I forget. I want to thank you for taking those assholes. Please break them in. I was gonna have to spend time watching them on account of Rino, Kare and a good number of our strongest people going on the greatest adventure,” Jake grumbled.

“Hey, man, I suggested they send you. It made sense to me to send the best techmage to a world with technology centuries beyond our own.”

“I’m too valuable to risk. They’re sending Hillary to lead the rest of the magitech team.”

“She’s more than qualified.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to go,” Jake whined. “I can’t unless we have another Level 40 techmage to replace me. And no one is close. Level 35 is the next closest. That’s, like, ten years to 40 at a safe-ish rate.”

“You can wait for Hillary to get back and switch.”

“It’s a minimum one year mission and I know her. We’re going to have to drag her back and then she’s gonna give me those puppy dog eyes and I’ll fold like a little bitch. She’s safer on the Threnosh world anyways.” He sighed. “This Terminus bullshit is starting to remind me of the early days. Fucking spawn zones, fucking eidolons making the old government their bitches.”

“Those ones are in check.”

“So far.” Jake pointed out. “Your agreement is only good until they think they don’t need it. Then… the dying starts.”

“Not this time. We’ve killed several other eidolon teams around the world. I’m optimistic that these ones have a healthier sense of self-preservation. They appear willing to take small victories with the defeats rather than focusing solely on that one great win.”

“I’m worried about their gods.”

“Same. They would be a difficult fight for us.”

“Can you beat them?”

“Hard to say. Matchups make fights. I guess it depends on which gods and if they work together. Listen, I don’t want to freak you out, but—”

“Wait! Don’t. I can guess.” Jake took a deep breath. “Infinite worlds means infinite gods. An infinite number of powerful beings that want to conquer, enslave or eat us, right?”

He nodded.

“That also means they’re all busy fighting each other otherwise we’d already be overrun.”

“There may also be spires restrictions forcing them to wage a proxy war. Unfortunately, the spires are as forthcoming with finer details as always. And before you ask, I’ve spent so many points on Terminus World documentation and found nothing.”

“At least you’re able to share that info. I remember the old days when we couldn’t. I’m glad that’s changed. That all sounds way beyond my level. Worry about what you change, right?”

“That’s why I’m hoping you can come up with some kind of super secret anti-god device.”

“Not with the info you’ve given us so far.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to get you more until an actual god travels here.”

“I hope that never happens or that it doesn’t until a thousand years from now or after I’m dead.” Jake knocked on his desk. “Speaking of nightmarish entities beyond my understanding… can you talk to the magus for me?”

“About the possible collaboration?”

“Yeah, just that. We’re not interested. And it’s not because using monster body parts as replacements is just gross and wrong, but because we do magitech. That doesn’t work with what she does… but say it nicer.”

“Why can’t you do that yourself?”

“Because her eyes are scary and I don’t want to piss her off.”

“She’s not like that. She’s cool and understanding.” Cal chuckled. “Just trial it. See if you guys can work together. You might be able to come up with something better than what you do individually.”

“I doubt it. Magitech and ‘monstertech’, I coined that by the way, are two different branches on the tree that definitely don’t crossover or even touch.”

“She’s already collaborating with the techmages down south. Reaching out to you was really more of a favor to me.”

“Shit… alright, I guess in that case I can’t at least give it a shot.”

“Picture one of her eyes in one of your spellguns.”

“Nightmarish, but powerful,” Jake nodded. “Speaking of favors. I know you’re on a tight schedule, but if you weren’t planning on visiting Bennett… please do so. He’s been having problems.”

“Worsening?”

“Damn it. I keep forgetting that you know things.”

“I try to pay attention. I was holding off on that visit until after we come back from the Quest, but I kept some time open on the schedule for emergency stuff.”

“Well, it’s not exactly an emergency. I just figured he could use someone to talk to that wasn’t me.”

“I’ll do that next. So, how are you really doing?”

“Fine. All things considered. Six-pack’s been gone for five years.” Jake patted his belly. He was still a big, muscular man with visible muscles through his long-sleeved button up. The tight collar accentuated his thick neck. “My hair is thinning and going gray.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Yeah. That hairline’s higher from when I last saw you.”

“I’m whatevers on it. There’s potions that work better than the drug store stuff, but I’m going to get Santi to custom brew me one. That way it’s perfectly tailored to me for maximum hair regrowth. Probably, going to leave the gray though. A young man’s hair color with an old man’s face would just look like I’m dyeing it. Got to go for that silver fox look.”

“For the ladies.” Cal raised the glass.

“Yeah, I’m thinking about finding someone to settle down with, you know? People are starting to say stuff.”

“Who cares about them. All that matters is what you want. You still got a few years until you hit the big five zero.”

“Dude, you’re the only one that calls it that,” Jake chuckled.

“You look at least a decade younger than that. Lose the gut, take care of the hair and maybe start wearing sunscreen on your face. You’ll knock off another five to ten years off that number.”

“I do still feel pretty strong and athletic, but that might be cause I don’t slack on the training. Helps that high levels seems to slow the aging process for most people. Hanna still looks like she’s in her thirties and she’s not that much younger than me.” Jake glanced at the clock on the wall. “Damn, time flies when you’re enjoying a good drink with a buddy. Let me think… what am I forgetting? There was this whole list I wanted to cover. Already thanked you for setting up the satellites… Bennett… bitched about stuff… oh right, thanks for the floating rocks!” He brightened. “I cannot wait to ride in a flying ship, like full on Final Fantasy style!” His face fell. “If we can figure out how to get more than ten feet off the ground before I’m really old and gray. A decrepit old man just waiting to die while his dreams of the sky slowly slip away.”

“You’ve got at least another fifty to make that happen. Maybe even more. I know a few hundred year olds that move around like they’re seventy. Try to get an anti-aging Skill. Just be careful with spells.”

“Santi’s working on a rejuvenation potion that’s permanent. Oops. That’s a secret, but you probably already know.”

“There are many alchemists working on something like that all over the world.”

“No shit? You think you could get me one when someone figures it out?”

“If they do then I’m going to help production. There are risks if they get it wrong. I’ve talked to Ms. Teacher about it.”

“Now, there’s someone I’d like to work with.”

“Sorry, dude, I tried. According to her she’s uninterested in anything other than teaching children and only those that she selects.” Cal finished his glass.

“Let’s do this again. Maybe when you bring the assholes back. Give me a head’s up and I’ll try to set up a dinner thing with all the old timers.”

A tight bro hug followed wherein the larger man tried and failed to crush the smaller for a length of time that just crossed the line into awkwardness.

“Fuck! I even cast a strength spell.”

“I felt the difference.”

“Damn it. I’m gonna be sore until tomorrow.”

“Drawback.”

“Yeah, it’s like a supercharged adrenaline boost. It pushes my body beyond the limits of regular adrenaline. The first couple of times I tried it out I pulled muscles and stressed ligaments. I need to figure out another spell to mitigate it or maybe there’s a Skill.”

“It’s a noticeable difference.”

“Adds, like, a hundred pounds to my strength lifts. I’m a mage-type though. The buff is really for warrior-types.”

“You’re kind of a hybrid type.”

“Ha, sure, at lower levels. Specialization is better where I’m at now. Just wish I could get fancy class like Hanna or Rebekah. Nope, all the shit I’ve survived and I’m still just a techmage.”

“Well, maybe that’s because you don’t see yourself as anything else.”

“Dude, I’ve done so much meditation and introspection that I got offered a class. Didn’t take it cause I wasn’t sure that I could do one of those merging things later.”

“And what did you find about yourself?”

Jake sighed. “That you’re right. I am exactly what I want to be.”

“It’s a good thing to know that. Don’t forget all that you’ve accomplished. The good that you’ve done.”

“Thanks. Good luck. Kill the scary insect elves. Don’t tell anyone, but I wouldn’t be too sad if the assholes don’t come back.”

Cal raised a brow.

“I’m not saying I want them to die. Just that maybe you keep them with you… forever.”

“You know, as much as that sounds awesome. It’s not part of the deal with your government.” He pouted. “I definitely have to bring them back… if they don’t die, that is.”

“Just putting it out there. Manifesting my desires. You know how that is?”

“I don’t.”

“Pffttt! That’s cause you can get what you want whenever you want. Thanks again, bro!” Jake clapped him on the back, hard. “Ouch!” he shook his hand.

“Never gonna learn are you?”

“My brain is strictly for the magic-ing and technology-ing of things. Tell Bennett I said what’s up… er… but make it obvious that I didn’t send you. And tell him that we need to hang out sometime soon. Like we used to. I’ll drink my scotch, he’ll drink his scotch and we can talk shit about Frisco.”

“Take care, dude. I’ll see you when I come back to drop off your assholes.”

“Not mine, bro.”

Cal opened the window and floated out into the night.

“Use a door like a normal person!” Jake called out.

Bennett lived in the same place he had for close to twenty years.

Home was the airport’s administration and archives building.

Accommodations for the requirements of his class could be seen in the blackout curtains in all the windows.

Strangely, though the other occupied buildings had guards and patrols, his was completely devoid of human life.

It was a home, not a lair.

Bennett was adamant about that.

Only monsters had lairs.

Sure vampires did too, probably, if they existed.

He wasn’t a vampire. He was a vampire.

There was a difference.

He wasn’t a monster.

“Bennett, it’s me.” Cal unlocked the front doors and strolled inside.

It was dark aside from the exit signs.

“I’m just stopping by for a quick visit.”

Shoes echoed across the cold tiles.

Small rodent claws scratched alongside him and in the walls.

High-pitched chirps inaudible to the normal human ear echoed.

“I’m downstairs.” Bennett’s sigh emerged from the building’s PA system.

Bennett reclined on a couch reading a tattered paperback when Cal made it into his inner sanctum.

The shadows seemed to embrace him like a comforting blanket.

He stood, unfurling like a scarecrow.

Long, thin limbs seemed longer and thinner since Cal had last seen him.

His face was paler and even more angular.

Smooth and pristine.

Closer to a marble statue than a warm-blooded human.

Which was strange since Bennett was still warm-blooded unlike vampires in the stories. His heart merely beat a fraction of a normal human while the gap between his breaths stretched out for minutes if he forgot.

“Welcome to my… home.” Bennett watched him closely.

“It’s nice. No really. I haven’t been here in some time, but… well,” he gestured toward the couch, “that’s new and a few other things,” he took in the living space cleared out within one of the deep, dark archive rooms. “What’d you do with the records?”

“Useless airport records. I gave them to the government.”

“Well, it’s home-y with that dark, Gothic, broody vibe.” Cal grinned. “Sorry, man, I’m not going to bust your balls tonight. I haven’t talked to you since last year and I just might be mellowing out in my old age.”

“You’re more chill than some with your power and responsibilities have any right to be. Honestly, seeing you reminds me of when I was an emo. I suppose we tend to circle back to our beginnings if we live long enough.”

“Time is a circle.” Cal nodded.

“I don’t think that applies to my situation.”

“You might possibly be immortal. Plenty of time to find out.”

“Don’t remind me.” Bennett extended a skeletal hand.

Thin fingers shook Cal’s hand with strength belied by their thin, delicate appearance.

“Thank you for the visit. What can I do for you?”

“I’m just here to talk.”

“No terrible and urgent Quest that needs my help?”

“I could always use your help, but I respect your wishes. Don’t worry no one talked, but I’ve got a good sense for things. You know how it is?” he tapped his temple.

“I haven’t been secretive with my… issues… and I trust your old promise not to violate my privacy. So, I’m not surprised nor am I bothered. I appreciate your concern, but there is nothing to be done beyond the measures I’ve already put in place to keep others safe from me.”

“Valid concerns. You want to talk about them? We haven’t done a theorycrafting session in a long time.”

“Yes. I think I’d like that. You aren’t afraid of me. And I’ve forgotten what that feels like.” Bennett smiled.

His fangs seemed longer and sharper. His mouth was bigger and wider.

The sight filled Cal with sadness.

He couldn’t deny that as time had passed his old friend continued to drift further away from humanity.

Bennett had been a vampire scared of what lurked in the dark long ago.

Now, he was what others feared.

Even friends and allies.

“You want to start there? Feel free to stop or tell me to stop on any topic or thread.”

“No. It’s fine. I can be clinical about this. After all, I’m a thinking man. A rational one.” Bennett took a deep breath. “The fear I induce appears to be instinctive. I have endeavored to discover if it’s something that I can control. I have failed so far. It’s like a lion. A lion can look try to look as nonthreatening as it can, but it is still a lion. There is a primal fear imprinted upon the human psyche from the days of our ancestors when they were preyed upon on the savanna.”

“I don’t know, man. I think people can forget that sort of thing. I don’t know if you remember, but there were so many videos of people walking up to wild bison or bears and trying to get selfies back in the old days.”

Bennett’s fanged smile shined in the dim candle light.

“True, but I imagine those types of people were… shall we say… removed from the gene pool prior to the modern, pre-spires era. Plus, living in cities and away from nature for many generations of caused a sort of collective amnesia. Then there is the human tendency to anthropomorphize.”

“Dude, that reminds me,” Cal chuckled. “I watched videos of lions playing with gazelle fawns and the comments were always about how maternal instincts and how animals treated each other better than humans treated each other.”

“I’m familiar. Did they not understand why felines played with their food?”

“Yeah, nature isn’t a Disney movie, but I’m pushing you off track. Please continue.”

“The primal fear. I am a predator and my appearance reflects that. It has grown more obvious as time has passed, as I have leveled. Would you agree?”

Cal regarded those reddish eyes that shined in the light.

“Yeah.”

“Thus, my physical appearance is the first signal to the human psyche to be wary, afraid.”

“The obvious thing to try first is to hide it, but you’ve already tried that.”

“Mask, a hood and cloak. Mundane and enchanted. Failures. Shrouding myself in shadows just creates the image that I’m trying to avoid.”

“Charm Skills and spells, like Ginessa?”

“Two issues with that,” Bennett raised two spindly fingers. “Ethical and practical. I don’t want to deceive. Furthermore, such abilities aren’t foolproof. They are detectable and counterable. As to the second, I haven’t gone down the right ability branches. And it seems that at my level those abilities are forever blocked from me. Obviously, I can’t say that for certain. Perhaps with more time and higher levels in can revisit said branch or others. Ah, levels,” he sighed, “which segues to my biggest problem.”

“The blood.”

Bennett’s back hunched, his shoulders sagged.

A broken man weighed down by his burdens.

A stark contrast to the power hidden within his thin, scarecrow-like form.

His smile dripped with sadness.

“That which I hate and love in equal measure.”

“You need more and it’s not lasting as long.”

“Succinctly put.”

“You’ve stopped trying to level for what? About four-five years now?”

“Pretending like you don’t know the exact number of days?” Bennett smirked.

“You know me,” he shrugged. “I try not to trigger that uncanny valley feeling in people. Sure, I can tell you the exact day and time when we last talked about where the line is in grimdark when it crosses into parody.”

“What line? All grimdark is parody.”

“Snob.”

“Truth.”

“Says the vampire.”

“Yes and I feel that my existence is parody.”

They grinned at each other.

“Avoiding leveling hasn’t helped?”

“That is one bright side I can cling to for hope. The hunger has remained at a consistent level since my last level up.”

“One solution.”

“With its issues. We level by doing what our class requires, generally speaking. I’m a vampire. My existence fulfills said requirements. The mere act of drinking blood might be giving me experience points in the background.”

“The number can’t be significant. I’d guess it’s fractions. You could drink blood for a hundred years and not gain enough to level. Plus, you’re kind of a terrible vampire. You drink out of blood bags. You don’t hunt people. You don’t fight and kill except in emergencies. What else? Ah, you don’t make other vampires or Renfields.”

“I have familiars.”

“Yeah, but non-vampire people keep pet rats or mice. Not bats though. What you need is one of those juiced up dogs or a cat.”

“Sadly, outside of Rodentia and the like, normal animals also fear me.”

“So, one solution to one problem. Don’t level. The social issues? I think you have to accept that instinctual fear. Consider what you know to be true about your friends. Despite that fear they haven’t told you to stay away. I just came from talking to Jake and we definitely didn’t mention you, but I’m sure that he wouldn’t mind having a drink and just chatting, you know? As for Hanna and the others? Well, despite your asking them to have contingencies in case you lost your humanity and went all blood crazy, they haven’t. Didn’t even start a plan.”

“Stupid and foolish. I know the scope of the damage I can do to innocent people before any of them can stop me.”

“That’s just them trusting their friend to not lose it.”

The silence stretched for a long moment.

“I’ll consider it, but I want something in return.”

“I’d rather not.”

“Please, it would take away one of my burdens.”

“Fine.”

“You’re the only I know that can tell if I ever truly become what I fear beyond a shadow of a doubt. If I give in to the hunger and become a monster… please don’t let me hurt anyone… end my existence. Either I’m still the human I once was or I’m dead. I don’t want to compromise my rational intellect. I don’t want to exist as a monster in your prison while you search for a fix.”

“I hate it… but you’ve got my word. If you go full monster and I don’t immediately see a way back for you… I’ll end it.”

“Thank you. I know I’m a poor friend asking for such a selfish gift.”

“Nah, you aren’t doing it just for yourself. You’re doing it to protect your friends and everyone else out there. It sucks, but I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same in your shoes.”

“I already have protocols in place. The moment I feel control slipping I will blast out a warning through multiple channels to multiple people. Then I will seal myself in there,” Bennett pointed to the massive safe set standing in the middle of large open space in his not-lair.

Faint symbols were etched into every surface while powerful spotlights encircled it.

“The wards will resist my ability to walk through the shadows and the lights will eliminate shadows in its immediate area.”

“Your range is way more than that.”

“Yeah, I’d prefer setting it up in one of the hangers, but I can’t take the risk that I can cover the distance quickly enough before losing control.”

“The important thing is that you’re taking measures. Keep thinking and never give up.”

“Easier said.”

The long-time friends spoke of lighter things until Cal ran out of time.