Chapter 20
Emi and Saffa stood at the entrance of the dungeon, its yawning, cavernous green mouth stretching into endless darkness. Emi checked her watch. 11:30 P.M.
"Well, we're here," she announced. "Got your staff?"
Saffa nodded once.
They lapsed into silence and waited. Topaz and Ametha jogged up to join them.
"We think you'll need help," Ametha said, smiling. She held up a familiar copper rod, and Topaz pulled a large amethyst out of the pocket of his robes. "Will you do the honors?"
Emi took the rod and the amethyst, allowed her power to trickle into both, and screwed the amethyst into its base with a satisfying click. Ametha took the staff and shot a bolt at the sky, where it exploded into purple shards.
"Still works perfectly," she sighed happily.
Suddenly they heard footsteps. Emi's watch read MIDNIGHT. All four pairs of eyes went to the dungeon. Thunder walked out, eye blazing red. When he saw the magicians, his face broke into a horrid grin.
"I am Cthulhu," he intoned in a deep voice.
"Does this mean you won't go out with me?" Emi asked lamely. Ametha snorted derisively.
"Too needy," she muttered under her breath.
"I knew you would come, you pathetic fools," Cthulhu chuckled. "I like it when my victims come to me. It's so much more expensive to get delivery!"
Suddenly the eye winked silver for a split second, pleading, Help me, with a panicked expression. Then the eye turned red again. "You know, having this strong-minded boy as my avatar really isn't working. Maybe I'll try one of you."
"Harsh, man," Ametha said sarcastically. "I thought Thunder was a weak little sheep."
"You're right, amethyst," said Thunder/Cthulhu. "Cthulhu does not use weak little sheep as avatars. I'll use YOU."
"HEY! UNFAIR! That's my girlfriend you're trying to possess!" Topaz yelled. "Don't you have any compassion?"
"Compassion? Oh, I've got plenty. That's why I'm going to kill this lad," Thunder cackled. The eye blinked silver and he said, "What? No!" in a panicked voice.
Suddenly a furious voice from above shouted, "LEAVE… HIM… ALONE."
Emi gasped with relief. Thunder, eye red again, looked up. "What did you say?"
"You heard me, you filthy maggot. LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!" And down from the heavens in a holy terror of anger swooped none other than Monavelle, Ramisse, and Calythé. Ramisse pulled a glittering sword from her sheath and flicked her wrist, sending a glowing green replica of the sword towards Thunder. Instead of cleaving his head in two, however, the sword simply turned over and whacked Thunder on the head with the flat of its blade. He screamed, "NOOOO!" and fell down, unconscious.
Emi rushed to his side. "Cthulhu's gone," she proclaimed. "But… I think there's something wrong. His hair looks all gray."
Calythé touched down and inspected her brother. "He's becoming unclaimed. Come on, let's bring him to the guild. He's going to have a major headache when he wakes up."
"This isn't over," Monavelle snarled at the sky.