* * * PARTHIA – MARY * * *

Mary was enjoying herself, she had used her new avatar to explore her lagoon and incidentally claiming it in its entirety as her domain. She noted in passing that some of the inhabitants of the larger isle were watching her antics. She thought nothing of it after all her dolphin self was beautiful and graceful.

She decided to show off for her admirers, so she swam nearer the shore then leaped gracefully out of the water.

‘What the... That was a beep harpoon... It would have beep hit me if I hadn’t jumped!’

Feeling wrathful Mary swam out into the middle of her lagoon.

‘I’ll remember you, you beep! Just you wait, I’ll get you!’

* * *

The incident did however focus her mind on things other than pleasure. She swam down to her core and absorbed her avatar. She considered the various creatures she’d hunted and absorbed. Mary settled on the stingray as it seemed the most promising.

Soon she had her lagoon seeded with a number of slightly modified stingrays. The venomous ambush hunters made her feel – happier somehow. It was as she had just gained something she hadn’t realized she was missing.

She expanded her awareness briefly; she loved how she could perceive the entirety of her domain.

Next she decided to start work on the temple. Mary was stunned at how well her memory functioned, she was able things she could have sworn she had forgotten long ago. She started on her modified Parthenon. First she created the base, a rectangular slab of toughened limestone dead centre in the lagoon facing the main opening in the surrounding reef leading to the sea.

Then eight rows of sixteen pillars, or rather stubs of pillars as she didn’t want her masterpiece on display yet. These supported the base of the temple proper, a meter thick slab of enchanted white marble.

Mary, as was her wont, completely lost track of time once she was engrossed in a project she enjoyed.

She added two rows of six-meter tall fluted columns forming two rectangles, one within the other. She then added bases decorated with lifelike carvings of crabs, seashells and other bottom dwelling sea creatures. As for the capitals she decorated them with breaking waves.

The roof she copied faithfully changing only the art. The frieze she filled with a varied and wonderfull assortment of sea life including along the bottom every species of the bizzare looking deep sea creatures she knew from earth. It must be admitted that dolphins were over represented. The art over the front columns showed Ocidon rising from the waves blowing a conch trumpet while surrounded by adoring oceanids and leaping dolphins.

Mary was becoming increasingly frustrated, as, every time she finished something that smug beep Bluey would intrude with a message such as « Artist skill level up or Architect skill raised » and she would have to adjust things such as bulging her pillars slightly to assist optical illusions or doming the temples floor slightly to facilitate water runoff. Or simply having to redo her art.

And then there were the enforced rests as her mana reserves refilled.

* * * PARTHIA – THE SEA SPRITES * * *

Lacenia the sea sprite was getting bored, she had been accompanying the big folks clumsy ship for over a week now, and she had had fun getting them lost and inducing panic, by making them think a sea monster was stalking them. But now despite everything she could do they were heading north.

She reached out in the hopes of finding further opportunities for mischief. And there to the southwest – it was, yes she could only just feel it, but she was definitely certain, she could feel a dungeon, it had to be a new dungeon. She had found a as yet unbound dungeon, here in the middle of the ocean.

Consumed by curiosity Lacenia turned to the south and swam towards the unknown dungeon.

Lacenia found the dungeon totally absorbed in creating some sort of building, underwater, in a lagoon. She quickly decided that, no this was not for her, but she did her duty and returned directly to her tribal waters. And then, she went directly to inform the clan matriarch of the news.

Sarisha the Matriarch of the Neap Tide Tribe was surprised, and a bit dubious. The dungeon was rather remote and thus unlikely to amount to much. But it was a dungeon and as such would bring prestige to the tribe. Who to send, that was her dilemma.

A quick discussion amongst the few elders present resulted in Trisha being selected, and offered the opportunity of possibly bonding this self absorbed remote dungeon.

Trisha for her part was ecstatic, a dungeon she could help become really strong before its discovery. Yes! She stuffed her few belongings in the weak storage device Sarisha had gifted her with, and then she was off.

After seeing the young sea sprite off, Sarisha began to feel some remorse. So she attempted a divination, and was shocked when Ocidon Earthshaker himself answered—

« Mary Silvestre is mine, she’s currently creating one of the most beautiful temples on Parthia, and it’s mine. Azurea must not know until she’s better established. »

The result was another frantic conference amongst the elders, and it resulted in a delegation chasing after Trisha.

* * * PARTHIA – MARY & TRISHA * * *

Mary surfaced from her creative fugue when a shot of life energy flooded her core, it enabled her to finish the gilded statue of Ocidon that was the centrepiece of her temple, and gave it an extra sparkle of life.

Mary realized that one of her rays had killed one of the islanders, one the harpoon man’s cronies who had ventured out into her dungeon armed with a harpoon, she had levelled up again. So what.

« Ocidon, I’m ready to unveil your temple by raising it above the waves, wanna watch? »

« Yes I do Mary, please wait half an hour, an eager young sea sprite is on her way here, and I want to see her face when my temple rises above the waves. Can you make it so that the floor is about ankle deep at high tide please. »

Mary started to carefully grow the limestone pillars supporting her temple – well in her mind it was her temple – being careful to grow them all at the same rate. As the temple roof approached the surface she slowed and awaited the right moment.

As soon as she sensed an excited being crossing the barrier reef she resumed her efforts and Ocidon’s temple rose majestically above the waves where it was consecrated by a delighted god.

Trisha had hurried, she sensed the dungeon’s domain as she crossed the atoll’s barrier reef, and then this beautiful building rose out of the lagoon. She continued heading towards the dungeon’s core, even though she couldn’t take her eyes off the shining temple.

« Welcome Trisha to this my new Temple. The Temple of Ocidon on Sea »

The god’s voice shook the sprite to her core and she suspected she wouldn’t have as long to prepare her dungeon as she had hoped.

Trisha settled next to the dungeon core, to her horror it was barely buried in the sand at the bottom of the lagoon. At least several dungeon monsters in the form of stingrays were close by. She could sense that only the magic that protected prospective companions kept them from attacking her.

“Um, I have come to propose a pact with you, I can help you with knowledge that dungeons need, and with other skills um...”

« Mary, the biggest advantage for you is that the blue haired cow can’t mess with your mind once you have a bond with a suitable being and Trisha is suitable. »

« ‘K anything to beep up that cow. Trisha I accept your bond. »

A beam of blue mana laced with threads of gold, black and wisps of brown linked Mary and Trisha.

« Bond accepted – and done! »

« Well I’m off to find some priests for my new temple – ciao bambina »

Ocidon’s mind voice sounded very upbeat. Mary and Trisha could tell the god was well pleased.

« So Trisha any advice on how to ramp up my stingrays – Hey! – who the beep has just arrived, they feel a bit like you ... »

Trisha scrambled to pull her wits together; she merged her perception with Mary’s domain. She was surprised when she perceived the intruders, two elders, two scouts and that insufferable bitch Varina.

“Um, Mary they seem to be a delegation from my tribe.”

« ‘K so it’s time to make nice. No point letting them see where I am so ... »

Mary formed her avatar and with Trisha clinging to her dorsal fin went to meet the delegation.

* * * EARTH – MARY * * *

Mary slowly regained consciousness, she gazed vaguely at the white ceiling, there was some kind of noise in the background. Her eyes focused on the metal stand with a somehow familiar looking flattend plastic bag full of clear liquid.

Her eyes followed a plastic tube that led from the bag to her arm. To her vague surprise she was in a bed. She could have sworn she was at the beach.

Mary stared at the needle stuck in her arm for several minutes. The sound started to make sense. It seemed that somewhere close a television was spouting its usual nonsense.

Mary started to think. ‘Where the beep am I. Why do I feel so weak. What happened to me? An’ why did I just think ‘beep’?’

Half an hour later Mary realized that she was staring at a pale flickering, slightly out of focus blue panel. It read:

« Welcome to the System Mary Jane Silvestre. As a juvenile you are not allowed to swear, thus the ‘beep’. »

“Who are you?” asked Mary in a raspy voice.

« I am the System. »

“I’m Danni, the night nurse for this ward Mary. Do you need something?”

Mary turned her head slightly, seeing a cheerful looking middle-aged woman in a nurse’s uniform. “Water. Please. How’s my Mama?”

There was the sound of someone pouring water into a glass then Dani helped Mary drink some of the water. Mary felt relief as the cool wet washed some of the harshness from her mouth. “More please.”

“Your mother and brother are fine child. You’re the one who seems to have suffered a minor stroke. Before you get too worried, there appears to have been no damage. You should recover completely.”

Mary narrowed her eyes as she considered what the woman, Dani, had said. She licked her lips, “So when do the docs say I can get out of here?”

“That will depend on the result of some tests. Do you want something to eat?”

“Please, is there any fish?”

Dani chuckled, “’Fraid not dear, considering the hour I can offer you, ham, cheese or salad sandwiches.” Dani grinned at the face Mary made at the mention of the salad sandwiches. “So you’re not a vegi.”

“Yuck, no. Ham please.”