“Yes,” Regina said. “The problem being, I’m trying to figure out which side of the field you’re playing.”
“I never play the field,” Kelly said. “Astara would kill me. Seriously, I’ll have her to Ceremonies on time.”
“Why?” Regina said, suspiciously.
“Oh, come on,” Kelly said, grinning. “You know the amount of chaos it’s going to cause.”
“That sounds suspiciously like honesty,” Robert said.
“Yes, it does,” Regina said. “Which makes me even more nervous.”
“She’ll be there on time,” Kelly said. “And I swear on my hon…well, I swear on Robert’s honor that she’ll be fine.”
“Knowing this is probably a bad idea…” Regina said, then kissed Doris on the cheek. “Truth is, when there’s fun involved in the outcome, you really can trust Kelly. So I’ll see you at Dead Dog.”
“Okay,” Doris said. “ What chaos?” she continued, looking at Kelly.
“Oh, you know,” he said, leading her away. “Angst. Jealousy. Plans ruined. Dead Dog is the official moment for all the angst built up during the con to come pouring out. Don’t sweat it. It’s not about you, really. It’s just…get this many big egos all in one place and you end up with blood on the walls. So who do you want to see?”
“Uhm…” Doris said. So far every “guest” had been fascinating. “I don’t know, who do you suggest?”
“Let’s take the grand promenade,” Kelly said, offering her his arm. “ Everyone wants to meet the Dawn Queen.”
“Time for Dead Dog,” Regina said.
Again Doris had that moment of disconnect. She’d been wandering the Green Room for what seemed like hours but had almost no recollection of exactly what she’d been doing. She’d met dozens of people and vaguely remembered being fascinated by all of them, but with the exception of a guy in Revolutionary period dress named George, subject governmental structure and politics, she really didn’t recall anything in detail.
“Has somebody been slipping me something?” she asked, looking over at Kelly. She blinked rapidly and shook her head. “When did you change into costume?”
Kelly was wearing Viking period dress, except that it was silk, which wasn’t normal Viking fare, and while he looked exactly the same, tall, slim, long blond hair going gray, he had a more saturnine look than she remembered.
“Seriously, we have to hurry, now,” Regina said, taking her hand. Regina was wearing what Doris first took to be scale armor, then couldn’t decide if it was supposed to be just scales. Or, possibly, diamonds. It seemed to be drifting from one to the other. “It’s out on the balcony.”
“What balcony?” Doris asked as they stepped through the door. She thought she had been all over the suite, but never noticed that there was a balcony.
“This isn’t a balcony,” she squeaked as they stepped through the doorway. The Green Room must have been on the top of the hotel, because they were outside on what looked like the roof. But the roofs of hotels always had walls around them, and this one didn’t.
For that matter, the con took place in downtown Atlanta. She knew that. She’d been moving around the hotels. She knew, in general, what the surrounding area looked like.
It was not a mountain range.
“Where is this?”
“The balcony of the Green Room,” Regina said, her voice shifting in and out in liquid syllables. Doris had never even thought about “doing it” with a girl but the syllables went right to her insides. She also now appeared younger. And older.
“Okay, somebody has been slipping me drugs,” Doris said as the mountaintop started to fill with the people of the Green Room. They seemed to be splitting into camps, and she saw Shane with his zombies gathering to one side. On the other, Fig, also wearing armor, was standing by the side of Edmund Wodinaz. Edmund was wearing Viking dress, an eyepatch, and a broad hat, and carried a spear. He looked just as elderly as the last time Doris had seen him but the term “spry” came to mind. Also “dangerous.”
“No, sweetie,” Regina said, her voice going melodious and liquid. “This is where you have been the whole time, in the heart of the Dragon, the place where dreams become reality and reality is, for a time, but a dream. But it’s time for you to go now. You are the Chosen, sent to bring the message of the Dragon to the world. For this year…”
“I challenge!” Garnet snarled. “She has been given illicit support throughout the con. The rules have been broken!”
“She quested for allies and found them,” Regina said, tightly. “She was given no support from within the convention nor by convention personnel other than that to which she was entitled. I never even spoke to her nor influenced her actions until she had won the contest, and she is my avatar! Such support as she obtained came from those who loved her, trusted her and supported her. She is properly Chosen. That is the one and only rule. You had your chance and you blew it. And if we wish to discuss rule breaking, you used physical violence.”
“And I’m about to use more!” Garnet said, straightening up and waving to the group gathering on the north side of the mountain. “I shall not be denied! My acolytes gather for sacrifice and my allies are prepared to open the way.”
“Do you think you are the only one with acolytes?” Edmund said, smiling tightly and gesturing behind him. “Or allies? And I note you seem to be missing many of both. Where is this summoning? Where are these allies?”
“They are…” Garnet said, looking around. Her side did seem a bit…small. “This will not be!” She reached behind her back and a sword of black flame appeared in her hand.
“Got that covered,” Edmund said, drawing a battle-axe from midair. “You’re going down, bitch. I’ve had about enough of your prancing.”
“I was rage and power when your followers were trying to make spears from flint!” Garnet shouted.
“ Now she’s willing to admit her age,” Frig said, a shining spear appearing in her hand. “Want a shawl, grandma?”
“At least she still has followers,” Svar said, drawing a blade of midnight.
“Oh, yeah?” Edmund said. “In case you didn’t get the update, Michael’s avatar is going through them like Garnet through a case of chocolates.”
“You Aesir bastard…!” Garnet screamed, charging forward.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Kelly said, a microphone suddenly appearing in his hand. “In the south corner weighing in at the Hosts of Valhalla…Odin One Eye, King of the Aesir! And his lovely wife Frig! In the north corner weighing in at the Hosts of Hel…Garnet Osemala, Queen of Rage and Darkness! And her lovely consort Svar Balog, of course! Welcome tooooo…ARMEGEDDON SMACKDOWN! And I will be your host for this annual Ragnarok…Loki the Jester!”
“And it’s time for you to go,” Regina said, as the two armies charged and Garnet swelled into a vast demonic form. Freya led Doris to the edge of the precipice and gestured for her to jump. “Time to Return.”
“I can’t jump off of that,” Doris said. “I’ll die.”
“You’ll be fine,” Freya said, giving her a push. It was like being hit by a mallet, and Doris suddenly found herself falling. “And I will be with you always…my Child of Life.”
“Wow,” Janea said as Barb walked into the room. “You look like you should be in this bed.”
The normally pristine Christian Adept was covered in blood, and her tacticals looked destined for the rag bin. Even her hair was a mess, which Janea had never seen.
“I’m heading for one,” Barb said, walking over and taking her hand. “I heard you’d come out of your…You were awake and I came right over.”
“What happened?” Janea asked.
“The…usual,” Barb said, frowning. “Zombies. succubae, and heroes to add to the wall. I think we shut this one down hard. I hope so. Stepfords are a nightmare. Are you okay?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been better,” Janea said, taking a sip of water. “I’m sort of stiff from lying on my back and I’m having a hard time with balance but I feel…great.”
“Do you remember anything?” Barb asked. “I tried to send you support when I could.”
“I’m not sure,” Janea said. “You’re not the first one to ask. I sort of remember meeting people. And something about dancing. But other than that, not much. Apparently Sharice, Wulfgar and Drakon are in the same
