Nyarlathotep, “The Shadow Piper” had collected followers like a pile of feces collects flies. The musical tones destroyed the minds of those in his entourage. The Shadowman’s obsequious nature to the cyclopean Old Ones had come to an end, he had plans of his own. He delivered a new message today, he was done with the games of the other Elder Gods and now had a game of his own to play. The Rebel Shoggoth, the slave race that evolved and gained sentience, he had found their prison. The “Builders of Worlds”, their massive black bodies were covered in a noxious slime, they slithered and rolled about as they left the prison. Teeth, eyes, tentacles, and claws jutted out in a horrific amalgamation of body parts. Nyarlathotep watched as the creatures fed on his followers, those that he had lead here to their deaths. Soon the Shoggoth would breed, transforming the mass gained from their meal into offspring. He would release chaos onto the universe. Now everyone would play his game.

Excerpt: Awakened

By HPL

The message startled Gideon, he had heard of the system, but never experienced it himself. He smiled up at Blake, elation written clearly on his face. Gideon pushed back against Blake’s assault, smashing the boy in the face with the shield of energy. The flames up the boys arms went out after he took the blow to the face. The others took a step back from Gideon, with looks of concern.

Gideon stared daggers at Blake. “You had enough or should I smash your face again?” Gideon glanced at his arm, the shield was still present. It doesn’t look much like a shield does it? Why is the energy fading in and out. The shape is unstable? I hope I can hold it just a little longer. It may not look very impressive, but it seems to be keeping them back. He looked around and assessed the situation. He turned threateningly to Razor and Grifter. “How about you two? You guys want a piece of me? Come on!”

“You’re still a nothing. I’ll cut you down to size,” Razor said. “Blake, are we done with this scamp or you want to rough him up some more? I’ll happily show him what real power is.”

Gideon saw a look of worry cross her face. It was only there for a second, but it was definitely there. She is giving Blake an out. A way to save face. I bet she is ready to get out of here. Should I try to push her more? Gideon really wanted to ride the high of his awakening, but he also realized he was in trouble and maybe things could take a turn for the worse. He knew he really didn’t understand his power yet, and he should bow out and do the smart thing, he meant to give them the out that she had so nicely provided. Instead he did what any hot headed youth might do and he said, “Of course he’s ready to go, he doesn’t want smacked around again. I’ll finally get to put him in his place.”

Blake’s face turned a vibrant shade of red, the flames began dancing up and down his arms again. He wiped the blood from his nose, the flames reflected a hatred in his eyes. A hatred that burned deeper than any flame ever could. It was in that moment Gideon realized he had made a mistake. “I’m going to kill you. I’ll burn your body to a charcoaled husk and use the coals to warm our hearth in the winter. You are Dead! De…”

A voice came from up the beach. “Now what is going on here I wonder?” Gideon turned toward the voice. He saw a man stepping down the stones leading to the beach front, it was Captain Daniels. “I was out for a stroll and I heard some noise. At first I hoped for pirates so I could get a little work out in this morning.” Captain Daniels glanced Gideon’s way, a momentary look of shock crossed his face. The look barely registered before it returned to the stern stoic face of an emotionless guard captain performing his duty. Gideon noticed that the flames Blake had summoned were dying down so he tried to release his armor as well. It took him a moment, but he figured it out. Once accomplished, it felt like an instinctual and simple process, like he’d always known how.

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“Crap, it’s Captain Daniels. It’s time to go.” Razor said. She looked ready to run on a moments notice. Her lithe form was taught like a spring. However, Blake didn’t take her hint or share her enthusiasm to run.

“Captain, this little scamp assaulted us. I demand you arrest him,” Blake said. The pompous nature of the boy didn’t stop there and he continued. “My father will hear of your failure. You can’t even protect the nobility as they walk the dockside. Your incompetence allowed me to suffer these travesties.”

“Thats not true! He attacked me with his fire, I just defended myself.” The frustration on Gideon’s face was plain. Tears flowed freely now that the stress of the moment had come to a head.

Captain Daniels looked to Blake and stared for a time before he replied. “So that is your statement, you were attacked and bested by a voidless scamp? Well, I guess that would be formerly voidless scamp now, wouldn’t it? During the assault, the two of you awakened prodigies were beaten? Your academy enrollment is this year isn’t it? I wonder what the Headmaster will think of future students not only deploying powers against a voidless, but then getting beaten. You may not make the final cut for enrollment.” Captain Daniels looked to Gideon. “Well boy, I’m going to have to take you in for questioning. It’s a routine practice you understand?”

Blake turned a shocked looked on the captain. “Hold up captain. I never said I was filing charges or that we were beaten in anyway. Watch yourself, you shouldn’t make up such falsehoods.” Blake shifted and pointed to Gideon. “I just said that this trash attempted to attack us. He is obviously sick in the head and a danger to himself and others on the streets. Look at him! He is having a breakdown right now.”

‘But…” Gideon stammered. The Captain shut him up with a single look, a look that said “Not Now”. Gideon’s survival instincts kicked in and he pivoted. “I don’t know what I was thinking, I’m sorry Captain.”

“That apology belongs to me scamp,” Blake said, “You offended me, not him.”

“If I hear you utter that one more time, wealthy father or not, we are going to have a problem. Now get on your way,” Captain Daniels said. He approached Gideon, “As for you, I’m afraid you’re going to have to come with me son. We’ll discuss what you were thinking, and the mischief caused, but not now. We’ll have a long conversation back at the barracks.”

Gideon watched the two walk away. A sudden realization dawned on him. Grifter was gone. He must have disappeared when the captain arrived. Had the Captain seen him? Did he even notice that Grifter had been here at all? Gideon had never thought about it before, but was Grifter’s plainness some part of his ability? He would pay more attention to it in the future. The captain motioned for him to follow.

They started back toward the city. On the wind Gideon caught the slight whisper of the crazy old man. “Dream the dream of life, dream of your strife. Dream the dream of death, merge and take your breath. Dream the dream eternal!” The captain stopped upon hearing the old man. Gideon thought he looked a bit irritated. The captain walked back toward the old man.

“Hizel! Get out of the water,” Captain Daniels yelled at the old man. The captain looked down at Gideon, “That crazy old man is going to get himself killed someday, or worse, us.”

Gideon and the captain traveled up through the docks and then into the market square near his favela district. The captain stopped suddenly, Gideon didn’t understand why or what was going on. Then he saw one of the strangest sights. Raya sitting on a public bench like she was just any other person. “Gideon, I need you to wait here for me. Do not move, do you understand?” He only nodded and the captain walked off. He watched as the captain slowly approached the bench and sat down on the opposite end. There was a brief interaction between the two and then the captain returned. The captain didn’t say a word about the encounter and Gideon was left wondering what he had just witnessed.