Nightmare Realm Summoner

"So tell me," Rin said. Her withered voice coiled through the dimly lit room like a snake. Even though she hadn't so much as budged from her old chair, there was something about her that exuded strength. "What is it that you want?"

"If you really do just want a place to call your own, you can't keep running," Alex said. "This isn't even about Outworlders. This world is dangerous — and this valley is about to become doubly so. It doesn't matter what you used to be. There's a powerful monster coming our way. It's going to destroy this village. That's why we're here. To destroy it."

"Someone as young as you?" Doubt entered Rin's voice. "If this monster is as powerful as you claim, then three people will not be nearly enough to take it down."

She's probably right there.

"We are more than we appear," Claire said with a shrug.

Rin's gaze flicked to her. "Oh, of that, I am more than aware. But I am more concerned with the safety of my new people than I am of you. We have a community. This is my new Brood. I will not let the Outworlders take their lives and homes again. And I do not trust you."

"They saved my life," Aaron said. "Abby too. They didn't have to do that. I don't think they're lying."

"They… don't seem like the other Outworlders I've met," Abby said. "What would they get out of saving my life? Claire put my arm back and helped me save it. Even if I'd lived, I would have been permanently injured. That's not the act of the families we know."

"Which means it is a diversion," Rin said. "What is your real goal? Do you really expect me to believe that you've come here to protect us from inevitable death purely from the kindness of your hearts? That you expect nothing but a heartfelt thanks in return?"

I'd be annoyed at her being suspicious if she wasn't some ancient grandma whose entire life was built on being suspicious. Kind of hard to fault her for that now — but this is still a pain in my ass. How do you convince someone this suspicious that you aren't here to screw them over?

Fortunately, Claire took the question for him.

"No. We don't want your thanks, and we aren't doing this because we're kind," Claire said. "We're here because, unlike you, we are not content to hide and cower. Freedom comes through strength. We saw that on Ayrin, Broodmother. We were weak. How many of our people still live?"

"Far too few," Rin said. Her features tightened. "You lecture me when you have sold yourself to an Outworlder family? You side with those who destroyed us."

"You don't have the slightest idea of what I've done," Claire said. "There was nothing we could do when Nightmarch attacked Ayrin… but now you have a chance to act. We have warning. There's no excuses this time around. I don't care if you trust us or not. We aren't here for you. We're here for power. Whether your people die or not is up to you. Fight if you choose to fight. Run if you choose to run. We're offering help because your presence would make the fight slightly easier, not because we need you."

Orchid's head tilted to the side. She didn't miss the fact that Claire was admitting to be from the same planet as Rin — and that their planet had been taken over by the Nightmarch, not by the Starfallen.

She didn't exactly look suspicious as much as curious. They'd already made it clear that they weren't approaching this from their supposed real identities, so Orchid was probably guessing that Claire was just fishing for information.

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"None of us knew you were here," Alex added. "We came planning to fight the Region Boss on our own. How could we have known of your existence?"

Rin barely even acknowledged Alex. Her eyes were completely focused on Claire. For several long seconds, neither of the Dhampirs said anything. There seemed to be some manner of unspoken conversation passing between the two of them. Perhaps it was an argument.

But, if it was, Alex couldn't tell who was winning.

Then Aaron broke the silence.

"May, could you do me a favor? I'm starving. I could really use something to eat."

May squinted at Aaron. Alex fully expected her to tell him to go get it himself. But, to his surprise, she shrugged and nodded.

"'kay. I'll be right back."

She strode out of the building without another word. Everyone looked at Aaron, and he coughed into his fist.

"I know. I know. It's stupid. I get it. I'm sure May knows it too. She's not stupid — but this shitty lie is all I've got right now. I'm at my wits end, and her knowing that we're all about to die isn't going to make her life any better."

"You aren't necessarily going to die," Alex said.

"You said that this monster is even stronger than these new ones that have been showing up."

"It is."

"Then I'm dead," Aaron said flatly. "Most of us are. Maybe all. I can count the number of people in this camp that could defeat a monster like that mantis on one hand. You did it with nothing more than a thought. So if this Region Boss is so strong that it's going to cause you trouble, then we don't stand a lick of a chance."

"You'd definitely all be dead if the Region Boss showed up today," Claire confirmed with a nod. "You wouldn't stand a chance."

"But I'm certain you have something to offer us that can change all that," Rin said dryly. "Magical items, perhaps? And they come at the low cost of fealty."

Orchid let out a bark of laughter. "Why would they need fealty from you? Everyone here is weak. This is—"

Alex shot Orchid a look and she closed her mouth.

"Are you really an Outworlder?" Aaron asked, squinting at Alex. "You're like Abby?"

"No," Alex said honestly. "I'm nothing like Abby. But this is not the only world I've been to."

Not even a lie, there.

"You could do what Rin is talking about, then?" Aaron pressed. "You have items and stuff that would make me strong? Let me fight this thing?"

"Aaron," Rin warned. "You do not know what you are asking for. We—"

"I've been listening to the whole conversation," Aaron said. "I'm weak, Rin. That might be because I chose to hide, but it doesn't matter why anymore. I can't protect my sister. What do you want me to do? Sit around and do nothing while she dies?"

"It is better to die free than to live a slave."

"Damn that to hell. I watched my dad die free. It didn't fucking help," Aaron snapped. He turned to Alex. "I don't care who I have to work for. If you give me a way to protect May, then I'm in."

"You are being too hasty! You do not know what you offer!" Rin rose an inch from her chair. There was genuine distress in her voice. It really sounded like she was concerned about Aaron, which was strange. He wasn't even one of the Outworlders that Rin had come to the village with.

Does she actually care about him? Or is this an act?

"I don't care what I offer. I promised my parents I'd take care of May. I'm doing a real shit job at that, but I'll be damned if I give up," Aaron said. He grabbed Alex's arm. There was steel in his eyes — a determination that would not accept any answer but an affirmative. "I don't care what the cost is. Make me strong."

"I'm sorry," Alex said. "But I can't do that."

"What?" Aaron asked, blinking in confusion. "But…"

"Claire wasn't lying. We aren't here to get fealty or some shit like that. We're here to kill a monster."

"Then why did you say we could fight?" Aaron asked desperately. "What's the point? Why fight if we can't win?"

"I don't have an item that will magically let you defeat a Region Boss. If I did, I'd use it on myself. I can't make you strong, but that doesn't mean I can't give you the opportunity to make yourself strong."

"What do you mean?" Aaron frowned. "You have some special training technique?"

"More like a place," Alex replied with a chuckle. "I don't know how long we have until the Region Boss fully awakens, but I think it should be a few days at the least. Don't quote me on that — it's just a gut feeling."

"What could you possibly accomplish in a few days?" Rin asked. Confusion tinged her tone. This clearly hadn't been the direction she'd been expecting them to take this. "And what do you want for this… training?"

Alex smiled. Now they were finally getting somewhere. "You'd be surprised. A few days goes a very long way. And I don't want anything but some extra people capable of at least backing me up when the Region Boss arrives."

Rin's gaze bore into Alex's head like two drills. He held it without flinching.

"You want to use us as human shields," Rin said.

"Let's say I do. What good is a human shield that can't actually do their job? As you are, you'd hold the Region Boss back for a few seconds at most. However long it took to squish you," Alex pointed out.

"But if you train us, we'll be able to fight back longer," Aaron mused. "That's what you're saying, right?"

"He is literally planning to use you as a tool," Rin said. "Outworlders will use you up and throw your corpse behind them."

"I'll be able to protect May?" Aaron pressed, ignoring her.

"I can't answer that," Alex replied with a shake of his head. "I don't know. But I'll do everything in my power to put you in a position where you can."

"Then I'm in," Aaron said. "What do we have to—"

A loud roar split the air before he could finish his sentence. It struck the house with such intensity that the wood vibrated and rattled. A second roar followed no more than a second after the first.

Screams rose up from the camp around them.

"What is that?" Abby asked, her hand flying to her sword. Her features twisted in horror. "The Region Boss?"

"No," Alex said, spinning for the door. He needed the village alive. If they all got killed before the Region Boss showed up, he'd have nobody to back him up — and he'd also started to take a bit of a liking to Aaron. "It's something else."

Another hissing roar split through the air. There were monsters… and by the sounds of it, quite a few of them.

"May is out there!" Aaron yelled urgently. "We need to—"

Claire drew her katana and shoved it into Aaron's hands. He stared at it in surprise.

"You were so impatient to throw your life away a moment ago," Claire said. "Be happy. The opportunity has arrived. Put your money where your mouth is. We've got some monsters to kill."