Hi all! I'm back with the next chapter of HFHM!
If you are new here, HFHM is written in novel form. Book 1 is Chapters 1-12. Book 2 started in Chapter 13. You will probably get lost if you don't start on Chapter 13, but I promise it's worth it :)
Last chapter had our hero getting rough with a cyclops. This chapter will introduce a new character, plus reunite Mike with a fan favorite. I'm so excited to keep writing these chapters for you, please don't forget to rate, comment, or send me a note. I read them all, even if I don't respond, and they not only motivate me, but sometimes give me great ideas!
Enough from me. Let's get on with the show!
*****
Finding the Center
"...and that brings me to here." Dana sat on the edge of the fountain, her chin in her hands. She wondered if she should feel more upset, regaling the others with her tale. Tears were beyond her ability. The strange numbness of her body applied even more so to her eyes. She could no longer feel them, and it was taking effort to remember to blink. "So if I don't deliver Mike or whatever special treasure the house hides, he will leave me like this."
Naia, Cecilia, and Zel looked at each other. Zel had been examining Dana's body during her story, doing some simple tests. Dana still had her basic reflexes, but her pain sensors were completely gone. Zel struggled to gather a few blood samples, as Dana's blood no longer flowed.
"I'm curious," Naia said. "What does the Society think the house is hiding?"
"I don't know, and neither does he." Dana shrugged. "It's kind of like the lost city of gold, right? They are convinced something is hidden away here, but they have no idea what or how."
"Oh, something very powerful is hidden in this house. That's a fact." Naia frowned at Dana. "It's something that Mike will have to discover for himself, I'm afraid. I've had my suspicions for years, and each Caretaker has stumbled upon at least a clue or two."
"Did the last Caretaker find any? Maybe they knew where it was."
Naia shook her head. "Emily became obsessed with unlocking the house's true secret in her last years. The problem, as I understand it, is that none of the pieces are obvious. It calls out to the Caretaker, almost like a gut instinct, a desire to look in a different room a little bit harder. Unfortunately, the harder you look and rationalize, the easier it is to ignore that instinct and lose track of it."
"It sounds like you know what it is."
"Even if I did, I couldn't tell you. The spell on the house erases any memory of any progress made, and the quest begins anew for each Caretaker. It could be as simple as a note written to the Caretaker, or a doorway that appears just for them." Naia stroked the clock on the ledge. "Emily was given her hint by none other than this little guy."
"Yeah, about that." Dana picked up the clock. "What the fuck is this thing?"
"I haven't seen it in a long time. You are holding a mimic. They are extremely rare. To be honest, I thought it was dead." Naia smiled. "If we all look away, it will change for us."
"Yeah, sure." Dana closed her eyes, and heard a loud splash. Opening her eyes, the clock was gone, replaced by a large floating rubber duck. Naia was playfully scratching its head, and the duck flapped a pair of mechanical wings. "It can transform into different stuff."
"Only when no one is looking." Naia said. "All magic has its limitations. Mimics are predatory lurkers. They like to disguise themselves as ordinary objects, then attack when their prey is alone. Once their prey is at least blinded, they can assume their true form and devour their victim."
"And you have one of those?!?"
Naia laughed, her breasts rippling much as water does. "This one is different. Mimics don't actually need to eat to survive. They are all instinct, no forward thinking. This one, however, is probably the smartest one in the world."
"It told me that its heart was broken."
Naia stopped laughing. "Yes. That is true. You see, this mimic was created a long time ago to act as a guardian for the house. You see, a creature that can lie in wait and watch undetected is a powerful ally to have. When Emily found it, it was a chest with a small diary inside, a diary that was meant to start Emily on the path to discovery. After years of making no headway, she demanded answers from the mimic. The mimic didn't know anything, but Emily thought it was lying. In a fit of anger, she smashed out its gears with a hammer." Naia sighed. "She held onto it, just in case it could ever be fixed. That was the beginning of the end for Emily. We all think of her fondly, but she did some terrible things in her last days. She was convinced that if she could unlock the secrets of the house, she would achieve the ability to alter the very fabric of reality itself."
"Could she? If she had found it?"
Naia shrugged. "All I know is that the secret of the house was put here by the one who built it. I want you to imagine having the power to create a multi-dimensional haven for monsters from scratch, but feeling the need to hide something there so that nobody could ever find it."
"If he didn't want anyone to find it, then why leave clues?"
"That's just it. I think the house's true secret wasn't to be found." Naia smiled. "Much like King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail. Only the worthy shall find it."
"You seem to know an awful lot about these things," Dana said. "How do you know so much?"
"This house was built around my spring. I was here when this place was created, and I will remain here until it falls apart. Or my spring gets choked off." Naia frowned. "I'm afraid that any sort of immortality comes with a heavy price. Anyone who tells you differently is lying."
"So, let's see if I have this straight." Dana watched Naia pet the large rubber duck on the head. "Something is hidden here that only Mike can find. So I won't be able to retrieve it. My only option is to find a way to make Mike let someone into the home, but he isn't even here right now."
"Sums it up."
"Then what the fuck am I supposed to do?" Dana hollered. "He killed me! I can't die, and I can't move on to be with Alex!"
