Crawler 4,122
Browse
Aa
Look
Theme
Text size

Saved in this browser only.

Talk about book 6 on Discord

Chapter 56 of 74 · Book 6, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

Chapter 56 — The Fumble

Book: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride · Part: The Bedlam · Previous: Chapter 55 — Survival Royale · Next: Chapter 57 — Samantha's secret · Floor: Floor 8 — The Ghosts of Earth · Series: the series

Opening

“Yo!” the mantaur guard called, banging on the door of the Blessed Sun Enchantments shop w

Summary

Several days earlier: a mantaur banging on the Blessed Sun Enchantments door ('I've been born with a heart of steel!'); a satyr jeweller with Emberus's hand tattoos; a million gold, 990,000 of it an interest-free* loan from the Temple of Emberus — no renouncing the faith while in debt — and Carl's first ring, the strength ring, traded in: 'Something you've been wearing a long time.' Achievement Columbia House: twelve albums for a penny, Negative Option Billing, banks and overdraft fees — 'You got the albums. Now you gotta pay. Or don't. Maybe there won't be any consequences. Maybe there will'; reward: trained to lunge for a dangled carrot, a wage-slave death in a government facility, and a cassette of Gloria Estefan's Cuts Both Ways (track eight). The Enchanted Pauper's Ring of the Steadfast Emberus, disguised as strength: removes most seeping and disease debuffs, numbs others, overheats when swamped; cursed for non-worshippers with every debuff within fifty metres; debt accelerated if lost, curse if expelled. 'This is fine.' — Kevin: 'Coming from above in a sneak attack […] Quan Ch!' Level 70, one-armed, enraged; the replay of Carl tearing the arm off; Troy with a sleeve tucked in — 'Look! I'm Quan!' 'Fuck you!' Carl allied with Team Quiteria; she and Quan chose no one: a ten-second 'I thought we were friends' penalty that freezes Carl too. A zombie pup crawling at his ankle; a demon crab, Nizzle, hung in mid-air on a demon snare, eyes like hurricanes, then kicked to pieces. Quan's totem a level-25 soft-shelled turtle, Hoan Kiem; Peekaboo over Donut and Ines both. Ines summons Paz — the handprint burn, the exposed skull: 'Please. No more.' — into the snake's mouth; 'Accept your suffering! Use your self-destruct skill the moment this false god...' Quan's Force Play — 'I pick that one!' — plays the Flee card he could see in her hand: 'Team Quiteria has fled the fight […] Team Quiteria has lost their key' Geraldo: 'Ready for the flip-flap?' Samantha: 'I'm pretty sure this is all your fault, Carl.' The Madre lunges; Protective Shell blasts every mob, demon and zombie into the woods ('That'll clear a room'; 'I was going to do that!'). Lazarus with a rocket launcher; Donut's hand all snares; the snake casting skyward. Carl casts Super Spreader on Quan as he swoops — and Quan swaps hands with Donut, three for three, all Flee cards, and Force Plays one: 'Your key has been transferred to Team Quan! […] Team Quiteria’s key has been transferred to Team Quan!' The Fumble: Earnest Byner at the goal line; 'If you don't fix this, this is how you will be remembered.' Dark swamp among duendes. 'He's a coward […] He's heading straight for the exit.' A broadcast to anyone in Cuba — and an answer: 'It's us, Carl. I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. It's us. We'll be ready.' Tserendolgor. A new group: Imani and Ren, told to delay a man who will be leaking slugs; 'I can get all three groups of us out, but that's it.' 'I failed, Carl, and now we're going to die […] it's my fault.' 'No, Donut. Not yet.' Rebuild the deck — totems, the combo card, Time Extends — start a fight with the duendes. 'Samantha. Come here. I need you!'

Characters

Locations

Motifs