Chapter 26 of 99 · Book 8, A Parade of Horribles

Chapter 26 — Rend's sixth death; two ghouls

Book: A Parade of Horribles · Part: Horrible One · Previous: Chapter 25 — Fursona; Mario Kart; the hotlist · Next: Chapter 27 — Plenty of Plenty: Lexis in the greenroom · Floor: Floor 10 — Don't Come in Last · Series: the series

Opening

Mordecai had fled back to the crafting room while we gathered around the deceased idiot Tu

Summary

Rend giggles back to life: the sixth death, so he keeps his memories, is 25% stronger, and gains a random new weakness — potatoes. Carl: 'Random, my ass! You did that to be a dick!' Barred from the safe room (Mordecai) and the garage (potatoes), Rend goes in the carrier except in fights, and Imani suggests the guild's pet stables, where Gonk the yak and Simoom the rhino turn out still to be — Simoom lost in the shuffle of Katia's departure. Rosetta and Tipid report a fleshmancer found; the performance guild, hidden in the bar they already visited; and the last mercenaries in Hungry Eyes, two level-25 undead Jikininki ghouls whom Rend should not bite. Donut: 'It’s a little late for that.'

Characters

• Carl — Donut, on Rend: 'It’s a little late for that.'
• Princess Donut — With Carl for the ghouls' arrival.
• Garret — Rend's sixth death: keeps his memories, 25% stronger, and now weak to potatoes.
• Mongo — Plays in the stables.
• Mordecai — Carl, at the ceiling: 'Random, my ass! You did that to be a dick!'
• Imani — Suggests the guild's pet stables.
• Rosetta Thagra — Returns with vegetables: a fleshmancer found, the guild hidden in the bar they visited.
• Tipid — Returns with a corn dog.
• Jikininki — The last mercenaries in Hungry Eyes: two level-25 ghouls with chattering teeth, undead.
• Katia Grim — Simoom got lost when her departure was arranged on the fly.
• The System AI — Potatoes as a weakness.

Locations

• Safe rooms — Rend banned; Gonk and Simoom still in the stables — 'Simoom loves Gonk.'

Motifs

• The Moon Reaper's prophecy — The next time will herald the beginning of the end — Rend's death was the once.