Zahn’s dreams were plagued by hideous laughter. The nights he was taken by the memory of fire and pain had been coming less frequently and leaving him less shaken as the weeks passed, but his first night after contacting Chaos brought the pain and fear back in full force. The early morning light against the snowy forest, the masses of bodies standing together and smears of trampled snow from endless footprints. The truck sitting passively as bodies were thrown into its bed, the hundreds of armed men in uniform at various tasks as they shepherded the people into groups and hauled corpses.

The sudden change from desperate breaths and panicked fear into a blooming bright red and orange sunrise, cold snapping to the face as the skyline spun from the force. Opening his eyes again to see black smoke rising and still shapes lying scattered across the snow. A nightmare stuck on repeat, a world brought down in flame and shadows, once so silent as they sat still.

From the moment his dream had the boy stepping around pine trees, a rumbling chuckle rang out like echoes starting far away. As he took in the sight of his captured hometown, the laughter grew louder and gained accents, sounding like the cruel administrators and instructors he’d been forced to obey before. When he looked down the scope at his father the laughs grew even louder, barking in his ears. Pulling the trigger seemed to make the noise stop, until the shockwave tossed him aside in the snow and the endless savage joy sang out again as the endless ringing in his ears. As he staggered to his feet and took in the destruction, the endless dark chuckle always sounding from behind him.

Zahn sat up with a gasp, trying to steady his pounding heart. Sweat slicked his forehead as the Player swiped at himself, trying to firmly grasp the reality of where he was. The small dark room looked nothing like home, but the moment he understood he was still trapped in the video game hellhole his racing pulse began to calm down. The stone walls seemed like comforting arms wrapped around him compared to the icy cold winter memory that chased him from world to world.

Rolling out of bed and eyeing his clock, the lowbie again ignored the pulsing notifications to quietly leave his room in search of a drink at three in the morning. Zahn crept across the commons, trying to keep from waking the sharp-eared Warlock when he found a certain demon sitting in the washroom. The long-limbed imp sat folded on the counter as he pulled at his face in the mirror.

“Hey, rough sleep?” The being’s voice still rumbled deep and seemed to be coming through a long tunnel, but at least it wasn’t jumping around the audible spectrum with each sentence. “I got my boy out cold, you can get a bite if you like. Hey, can you help me with this?” The little Chaos creature gestured at his own head with a hand, waving Zahn closer. “The stupid shit hasn’t been looking at proper demons in ages, he couldn’t think up much more than a potato for my vessel. Gotta at least get me some ears, I feel like a puppet lookin’ like this. Help a fella out?”

Zahn shrugged and grabbed at the small nub presented next to the thing’s ear hole. Following the gestures he pulled on the tiny grip until the node pulsed like something snapped and he found the being’s face deforming as material relocated from smooth rounded sides to warp out like sails and form small ears. He was still staring at the thing as it spoke again, sounding rather pleased with itself.

“Isn't that better! He knew enough to imagine me with ears back when he was a wee lad, but the stupid shit seemed to think I’d be better as a damned carved toy. Unbelievable.” As Iengoris shook his partially-molded head his little ears flapped and shook as if they’d always been there. “So,” the little Chaos spun in place to stare at Zahn with bright eyes, “have a nightmare after touching the essence of hell did you?”

The lowbie shrugged again as he moved to the cups, tossing his glass from hand to hand. “I’ve had the same bad dream for years, it's nothing new. Just made a bit creepier I suppose, am I supposed to have some kind of reaction like this each time?”

Iengoris tilted his head and pulled at the nose, tugging as he made small ‘hm’ noises. “Hard to say, if I’ll be completely honest. Not that there’s no cases of nightmares and all that, it’s just that my boy already showed me your Mana Sight trick - thank you, for that one - and you don’t look like a man possessed by a Chaos. In fact, I’d say you’re overdoing your currently maintained Psychic Weave over anything else. Should be giving you a mighty headache.”

Zahn nodded along until he learned that the first person he’d shared something new with had immediately shared it with someone else, then stood scowling at the little creature as it spoke. “What, you can see my mana now too you little gremlin?”

The creature in question giggled and eyed his body up and down. “You could say that. How your vessel moves any stamina around is a fuckin’ mystery I’m not afraid to tell you that much. Something’s fucky with your Core, but it’s hard to tell with your damned rat’s nest of channels all carved about. Whoever guided your first meditation was a dick, kiddo.”

Moving into the common room, Zahn found the simmering stew pot. “Not a kid, little evil Chaos demon. What do you even do, aside from the very slow shapeshifting? Ethan made it sound like he needed you just to cast anything.”

Iengoris hopped after him and perched on a couch as the Player scooped food into a cup. “Who? Oh, right, his Player name. No, he can’t cast worth a damn without me, but it is possible. Just long and ritualistic, most of his combat magic is primarily mine. Perks of being a Fire-type, see.”

Zahn eyed the little beast over his turkey soup snack, considering what to share with it. “So, you know many other Fire-type summons? Like, the shapes they’d take on, which ones are more like humanoids and that shit?”

The scaly demon pulled hard enough to warp his face, tugging the smooth balloon of a snout into something longer that took material from his cheeks. “Not really. Remember it’s a lot about that bit with summoner impressions. If my boy had more imagination than your average showtune I wouldn’t have to be adjusting my own body like this. Do you even see how long my arms are? It’s downright disrespectful.”

Zahn shook his head as he drank from the cup and gestured with his free hand. “No, not like yours here. I’m talking down there, from what I read there shouldn’t be much of any shapes down in Chaos.”

Iengoris stopped moving entirely, as if his strings had been cut. His mouth hung open, but didn’t move as it spoke. “I’m sorry, you’re talking about Chaos taking on a shape while still within the Chaos realm? Nope. That’s a conversation I am not fucking having, sir. What did you say your Class was again? Some sort of Monk?”

The Player swallowed another sip, “Didn’t say, to be honest. So what kind of perks do you get for being a Fire-type? I’m able to cast a few fire spells, myself.”

The demon puppet shook and regained life, trying to force some of its long neck into its torso with both hands. “Well, I act as a focus dedicated to the element and I have knowledge of higher level spells than he does. The stronger he gets, the higher rank of vessel I can inhabit up until my greatest manifestation on this plane.” The Chaos’s voice sounded hungry as it spoke of gaining greater powers, almost ranting as it spoke on about its abilities. “Naturally, I’m immune to any and all Fire spells within my tier. I can freely shape flame, molding it like snow into any shape and releasing the spell that shape would copy. I can even freely cast my fires into limbs and armor, if I wanted to take on a more direct combat. So, what kind of Mage are you then, Player Zahn?”

The Custom drank from his cup and considered his answer, still digesting the abilities of Ethan’s new familiar. “Not a mage, that’s a whole Class. I’ve managed to pick up Psychic and Earth too, if that’s what you’re asking. Leveling up here is a pain though, part of the reason we’ve gone through all this to get you back.”

“Heh, bet he told you I could forge some paperwork or the like. We’ll have to see, depends on how long we can keep our little stunt here a secret.” Iengoris looked Zahn up and down, wobbling on his shortened neck. “Looks like someone hasn’t opened up his quest rewards. It’s no small thing to bring us back together, between the two of you the work of an entire coven is just, skipped. So,” the imp stood up and pressed his palm over his other fist before bowing. “Thank you, Player Zahn. You may not hear this often in the current age, but thank you for your help.”

Zahn stood staring, his midnight snack forgotten as he took in the display. The strange Chaos creature seemed to be honest enough and his display of appreciation seemed sincere. Even the creepy external voice sounded like it meant each word, leaving the Player momentarily out of words.

Iengoris straightened up with a grin, pointed a stubby finger at the lowbie’s face. “Ah, shucks he’s cryin’! Bet your tears are sweet and salty, fatty.” For a moment Zahn felt a rush of anger bloom in his chest before he choked it down with a long breath.

“You’re welcome, Iengoris.” Saying the thing’s name out loud caused a shudder in the air, vibrating between them like a radiator-shaped missile wobbling across the room. The Chaos beast remained unmoving until the shifting energy smashed into its body, sending the vessel across the commons and slamming into the far wall. Zahn dropped his cup and ran to the demon’s side, trying to trigger the out-of-focus version of looking that gave him vague health bars. Iengoris seemed near full health, and didn’t have any debuffs that were obvious at first glance.

The small imp opened its eyes, the spaces around its pupils filled with red and streaked by black root-like veins. “Ow.” Its voice came as a whisper, echoing slightly down whatever tunnel they communicated through. “Well. That hurt.”

Zahn knelt at the strange familiar’s side, propping it up against the wall. “Sorry about that little fella. No idea why that happened, is it Chaos-specific?”

Iengoris pointed a weak claw at him again, “Close. Not quite. I’m, ah, pleased to meet you mister Custom. Please don’t say my name again. Not sure what you do or don’t know here chief, but you spent about five mana to half-banish me on accident. Until you can speak without fuckin’ magic infusing your voice, I’m gonna have to ask you not say my name. I need to go bother my human now, please and thank you don’t send me back.” Finishing his short speech, the imp groaned his way upright and wobbled towards Ethan’s room waving away Zahn’s attempts to help him walk.

Before the little devil could make its way home, the way he’d been addressed finally percolated into Zahn’s skull. “Hang on, how’d you know my Class? I never told you.”

Iengoris straightened up as he leaned against his door, looking back at the Player with red eyes. “There aren’t any base Classes that can learn Psychic and Fire, let alone Earth too. Telling folk that much will set them off if they’re in the know, or just look like stupid bragging if they aren’t. You setting off a spell you didn’t know about is kind of the obvious sign, I just wish you hadn’t found my banish-button in the process.” The imp vessel for a Chaos moaned again as it heaved open Ethan’s door and slipped inside.

Zahn stared at the closed door for a long moment as he considered the consequences if the other Gladiators ended up giving a damn about his special Class. He hadn’t found much about what made a Custom special, but from the Warlock and his minion’s reactions it meant something. And Two knows something else, doesn’t he? The lowbie played back their earlier conversation and decided to set up a meeting. “Maybe tomorrow.”

* * * * *

Waking up in the same room again wasn’t nearly as comforting as it was post-nightmare, with Zahn’s sleep as easy as it could be after he went back to bed. The brief nap before daytime was enough to get him moving, even if not shake the groggy fog from his brain. Stepping into the commons again, he found his lost cup from the night before sitting on the couch closest to his door and Ethan stirring his precious pot on the coals.

“Rough night?”

The lowbie smirked as he scooped his dish and carried it over to the washroom with a towel. “Seems to be. Buncha laughter.” He didn’t see the Warlock and minion share a glance, but when he emerged from his bathing and dishwashing he found a thin breakfast porridge waiting and steaming.

The small terror bounced around Ethan’s couch, bothering his master and chatting up a storm in a quiet voice. The beast still seemed to be as loud as he’d been in the night, but their conversation was muted as if the pair were talking a hundred feet away on a beach instead of on the other side of the hearth. Zahn eyed his cup before grumbling away the dull twang in his stomach. Not gonna lose this gut if I just eat every chance. Bemoaning his flabby body, the lowbie didn’t notice when caster and minion finished their private talk and Iengoris scampering away.

“Tell me about it,” Ethan’s voice snapped the Custom out of his self-critical daze. “The laughter. You having more nightmares?”

Zahn dropped heavily into the nearest couch and gently deposited his cup on the hearth. “It’s just the same one, really. Now it’s worse. Used to be silent in there, but now someone’s laughing it up all the damn time.”

Ethan summoned his Grimoire and munched on bits of turkey. “Go on. We have time, it's another fodder day.”

The lowbie looked up with a sigh, trying to figure out how much of this was a secret. It’s another world. They’ve had their own wars on their own Earths, right? Thinking back to his commanders orders on silence and the threats levied against him, eternal imprisonment as a rock breaker wasn’t very feasible here in video game hell. “So, it goes back to when I was a teenager. Just a kid, really. I was getting a bunch of crap for school, and my father had been telling me stories growing up about the great country his grandfather used to know. When I was in secondary school, I think it was grade nine back then, the history we were being taught about the glorious Reich and its eternal hold on our homeland was making me so angry. They had no right to stamp out how the great country of Americas was founded and here they were trying to say their glorious leader led the colonies across the uncharted seas during the final years of his mortal life. Utter shit, I wasn’t standing for it.”

Ethan nodded along, slowly eating as he listened. “Sounds rough man, so you’re some kind of German-American?”

Zahn blinked and looked over, cross at the silly interruption. “No, idiot. What even is ‘German’ to begin with? That’s not a real word, stupid. Stop interrupting.”

“How do you not know the name of-”

“I said shut up! I’m not gonna tell you this shit if you keep interrupting. Got it?” Getting a sullen nod from the blond and hearing snickering from his hiding minion, Zahn continued his story. “I ran away, took my dad’s old gun and a bunch of ammo. He’d already been training me to hunt and survive in the lake country, it wasn’t hard to spend half the winter gone from town. I visited little places like Thompson’s Point and Mooseport, but I didn’t head home until I was almost out of ammo. When I got back, everything was ruined.” He choked on the word, pounding his chest until he could cough past the momentary knot. “Sorry,” Zahn hoarsely wheezed as he wiped at his eyes. “Ahem. I got back early morning, just before sunup and found soldiers. I came from the woods and ducked into the snow, I saw the lines of people. Everyone was being shot outside the town gas station, with tanks blocking the roads. It was a small town, we knew everyone, and the fucking Reichers had a truck with bodies piled up. Troops standing around with guns, a group of officers executing neighbors with their damned pistols. They made my family kneel, Ethan. I looked down my scope and I saw my own fucking dad on his knees as a Reicher shouted at him in Mothertongue and shot my sister dead. I tried to save them, and I broke everything. The stupid sun came up, it made me flinch and I missed. I had that fucker’s head in my sights and I hit the petrol tanks in the station.”

The Warlock let out a low whistle, stirring his bowl. “Ouch. Sorry you couldn’t save your family man.”

Zahn rubbed at his eyes, taking deep breaths before he could answer. “Doesn’t matter. Troops survived the blast, they brought back more. Leveled my home, burned everything down. And now,” he dropped his hands and glared up at the ceiling through his tears, “now I have some fucking comic laughing his whole way through it. I stopped even having this dream before getting trapped here, and now there’s a fucking visitor mocking me.”

Ethan let out a hum as he traded a long look with his familiar. “Tell you what. You should be able to use that absurd Psychic shit in your skull to ward things out, kind of like you’re already doing for the Broadcasts. I don’t know the how, but there’s other mentalists in big cities. I talked about it with Iengoris, and he currently acts as a sort of filter for Chaos on my behalf, and that’s part of why he acts as my focus. I don’t think you have that kind of filter, and you touched the place directly. Tell me this man,” the blond’s tone shifted and pulled Zahn’s attention from his sleeping troubles for a moment. “He’s telling me that you saw a shaped figure down in Chaos, and it spoke to you. Is that true?”

He considered his own lack of information about the place and what he could learn from the book, but thought again about the font of knowledge the little demon could prove to be. “Yeah, it’s true. Felt like some giant was picking me up and dangling a puppet for me to talk to, then he tried to squish me when he didn’t like my answers. I was trying to push him away when I got vacuumed through my sternum back into my body. Everything alright with that?”

The Warlock stared with wide eyes as his minion copied him while rising from behind another couch. “Are you fucking kidding me?! You should have said something immediately! Dude! Nothing is supposed to take a shape inside the fucking Chaos realm!”

The unfazed Custom stared back with tired eyes. “So..?”

Ethan heaved a breath and pushed his book aside, sitting up on his couch as he hastened to explain. “So, there’s only one being per division of the realm that’s able to do that. The higher-ranked demons, the fucking Chaos Lords. These things are basically the Gods of the Chaos realm, they take power from all the lesser beings in their divisions. There’s twelve of them, and you only got pulled out of Chaos because it hit nine o’clock. Bro. You were talking to the fucking Lord of Eight.”

“Very dramatic.” Zahn tried to keep his calm at the news of being haunted by a Chaos God. Looking over to the partially formed imp, he saw the little thing shaking its head and ducking back into hiding again. “So, what, is he going to be hanging out in my dreams forever? What’s the usual protocol for opening a door to hell around here? You did this shit regularly for the new guys right?”

Ethan sat back, crossing his arms. “Sort of, I did it as the new guy. Over a hundred years ago. And it was done by other Warlocks, who had their own protection in the form of minions. You need to find some help with people who know more about Psychic, maybe talk to someone who’s good with warding? Besides, you should have some details in your notifications. You clearly haven’t read them yet, dumbass.”

Zahn scowled back as he eyed the blinking icon. “Both of you are acting like you can tell. Whatever. Maybe I can just crank up the power in my head to keep a visitor out.” Stabbing at the button with his mental finger, he braced himself for a barrage of windows.

Congratulations Player!

You have contacted another Realm and lived to tell about it!

You have contacted a Higher Being and lived to tell about it!

These accomplishments may seem minor, but your travels and growth will require you to repeat these tasks and even perform tasks for the Higher Beings you find within their Realms.

As you have survived the encounter(s), you have demonstrated your ability to negotiate for your existence. You have been awarded (1) one point in Charisma!

As you have survived the encounter(s), you have demonstrated your ability to find opportune circumstances to prolong your existence. You have been awarded (1) one point in Luck!

+1 Charisma

+1 Luck

Congratulations, you have completed the hidden Quest: Reunite With the Lost!

By bringing Master and Minion back together, you have healed a bond that would have otherwise remained forever torn. Your great deeds cannot be overstated by the pair, though by nature of their bond your heroic actions will remain as secret as their own. They have little to offer for your services, but have pledged a vow of gratitude in all things.

You have gained 750xp(c).

You have gained maximum Personal Reputation with: Iengoris.

+1500 Personal Reputation with: Player Ethan Warlock.

You are now Trusted Ally with: Player Ethan Warlock.

Congratulations Player! You have leveled up!

Level gained: 3

+0 Free Stat Points

+1 Free Att Points per Rank: 0

+10 to Mana Regeneration

Level gained: 4

+0 Free Stat Points

+1 Free Att Points per Rank: 0

+10 to Stamina Regeneration

Continue to rise in power, Ascend!

Alert! Your Grimoire has obtained new knowledge!

You have learned: Warlock Arts Chaos Portal!

Your Grimoire has gained a new chapter for Warlock Arts.

Your Grimoire has gained a new page for Chaos Portal Ritual.

Continue to gain knowledge and grow your Grimoire’s pages!

Zahn blinked at the rush of information as he blinked each window away in order. The quest details were touching, if making him question the exact relationship the duo shared, but the experience spoke for itself. Rising two levels immediately left him with a high, feeling light as a breeze and able to float off the seat with a gesture. He’d been nearly at the cusp for level three before and now sat just two hundred experience from level five. Rolling his neck at the rush, he found Ethan grinning at his expression as he nearly drooled back.

“Feels good, right? Seriously, thank you. You did a lot for me, and nobody’s ever offered that before let alone followed through. You may be a bit of a cunt, but,” He lifted a fist and pounded it to his chest, “you’re my cunt, got me?”

Zahn couldn’t keep a straight face and gave him a chuckle, “You can find your own pocket to hump another time, isn’t that what summoning a succubus is for? Anyways, you’re welcome. And,” he sat up to summon his Grimoire to flip to the new section, “project finished. Didn’t really know learning Earth magic would be what I needed to help you summon him again, but whatever. I even got the ritual out of it.”

“Alright, enough talk about bullshit.” Ethan stood and brushed off his lap, pointing his minion away. “Fuck no buddy, you’re not coming out with us. You’re staying in my room unless it's just us in here, got it? As far as anyone knows, I’m a Monk.”

Iengoris snorted as he reached the door, “Yeah, right. Just because you spent nearly two decades on that stupid mountain doesn’t mean you learned jack shit. You just like their incense Danny boy. You couldn’t pass for an initiate with a broom.”

The blond pouted as he turned to leave, “I’ve really gotten better at physicality the last few years. They’d believe me, honest. You just don’t know, man.”

Zahn rose from his couch and followed, dismissing his book. “It’s okay man,” he patted Ethan’s shoulder as he reached the other man, “You’d be a great monk. You’re already mostly a monkey.” The Players rushed out the double doors with a laugh, shoving one another into the arena in a rare bout of cheerful training.