Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

The night was late when Matty began to close up the Library.

Her plan was moving forward as expected though how the Orc and Goblins got over was worrying her. Was her magic so weak now that those vile things could easily cross over? Or was it Earth's magic at fault? Or maybe Jebadiah had somehow influenced the spell?

She pushed the thought out of her head as she reorganized the books.

Despite his... unique ancestry he shouldn't have the power or knowhow to influence her magic.

She paused as she heard whispering.

Not the whispering of teens trying to be quiet between the shelves no. This was the kind of whispering that sounded like dozens of voices were in your ear at once.

The kind of whisp-

"Hello Matty."

She turned to see the Old Crone had appeared at her desk. Despite the appearance of a middle-aged woman with greying red hair, Matty knew that this Thing was anything but Human.

Though she wouldn't willingly let it show, the fact she appeared without her knowing unnerved her.

And from the look on that thing's face it knew.

"How is the long dark night keeping you Matty?" It's voice(s) took a mocking tone with a smile that was far too wide for a normal Human.

Matty stood straighter as she met the thing's gaze.

"What do you want Crone?!"

The Crone scoffed and had the audacity to look offended.

"Is that any way to treat those who offered you Sanctuary in your time of need?"

The many-voiced creature mocked her.

"If I had known what the price for it was I woul-"

She stopped as the THING was now standing right before her. She noticed the lights were dimmer and the whispers grew frantic.

Stolen story; please report.

"You knew what Our terms were Mathelusa!" It hissed at her.

It circled her like a vulture waiting for it's meal to die already.

"And now We hear stirrings in Our domain. Of Greenskins making their home in OUR Mountains! Or Half-folk wandering into town like rats from a sinking ship!"

It paused as it looked her in the eyes. It's own eyes looked normal, but if you looked closer you would see that in the pupils that many more eyes stared back, hidden in the darkness.

"Or of Giant Red Lizards wandering the hills with Our Jeb."

The Crone pointed a finger at Matty.

"You wouldn't be trying to go back on Our deal now would you Matty?"

Matty scoffed as it returned to using her Human name.

"Some deal, to sit here and feel as my family is butchered like animals!"

One of the lights popped.

"You made your choice Mathelusa! You chose to flee like a coward! You chose to stay here and hide instead of dieing like your kin!"

"Isn't that what the deal was Creature?! Didn't you want my death?!" Mathelusa snapped.

She flinched as the rest of the lights in the Library popped out simultaneously, leaving her shrouded in darkness, and the whispers had gotten so bad that they turned into static noise.

"The deal was you die in SILENCE! Sanctuary and a peaceful death is what YOU asked of US!" The Voices hissed from the hostile darkness.

Then all at once the whispers died and it became eerily quiet.

"But what can We expect from a coward other than to try and run from Our deal. This is your only warning Mathelusa, continue on this path and We'll collect what's owed." A chill ran down her spine as the Voices whispered into her ear and she felt something cold and unnatural caress her throat.

Then the whispers stopped and she was left alone in the cold cruel dark.

With a wave of her hand she lit a candle, she was still strong enough she could easily take the cost of something so simple. She quickly closed up and made her way to her room above the Library.

This was bad, she thought. If that Creature already knows then she will have to advance her plan faster then she would've liked to.

She entered her room and locked the door with both physical locks as well as magical incantations and runes. It wouldn't do much against that THING, but it gave her some small comfort. It took far too much trial, error, and blood for her to make even the basic of scripts and spells that she was surprised the Humans of this world hadn't obliterated themselves by accident yet.

Pacing as she recalculated her plan, the likely degradation of her spell and the Crone's awareness made things messy, she thought. She would need something stronger in order to make the spell hold out long enough for her plan to work.

She paused and a wicked smile formed as she got an idea. She already used Jebadiah to cast the spell, so why not use him as a catalyst to hold it?

The fact that the Creature was so possessive of him made the idea even sweeter.

Oh yes, she thought. How sweet it will be when she uses the Abomination's own spawn to fulfill her plan.

She will save her family and that Thing will soon know what the wrath of Dragons means!

-----

The Being looked through the window at the prideful Dragon, it chuckled at the poor creature. Things would have been so much easier for her if she just stayed on her world.

It smiled a disturbingly wide and toothy smile.

But then it wouldn't get the power of a Dragon for itself now would it?

Her plan was foolishly grand and typical of beasts so full of themselves that they allowed themselves to be picked off one-by-one by mere mortals.

It's smile got unnervingly wider.

It will be so delicious when it twists her plan for it's own purpose.

The Being melded into the darkness and was then standing next to Jeb as he slept.

It caressed his face as he slept peacefully.

"Oh what terribly glorious things are in store for you Our son." It whispered.

It could feel those invaders in the basement. It could kill them now but Jeb has gotten attached to them. Besides, it will be better when they are brought into the fold, he would like that more.

It bent down and kissed him on the forehead and whispered goodnight to Jeb before fading back into the darkness.