Star’s eyes opened to a dull grey room and a warm, soft embrace. This was the most comfortable bed she had ever been in. She sat up and shook the sleep from her head as reality came back to her. It wasn’t a dream…

Rezu was nowhere to be seen.

The drone dropped out of her shirt, popped back into a ball shape, then hovered in the air. “Follow.” It said then it drifted across the room.

She did.

“These clothes are for you.”

A simple yellow shirt and brown shorts were waiting. She dressed. There was no underwear or shoes. The floor felt cool and smooth under her bare feet.

“Sit here.” The drone said hovering over a chair.

She sat at the table. A metal rectangle, with letters written on it, was on the table.

“Read the letters.”

Star read through the alphabet. Then the image changed and she read through a list of simple words, then more and more… and even more, for hours. Many of the newer words she had to sound out and she didn’t know what they meant. Her stomach growled.

“Do you require food?” The drone said.

“Yes, I am hungry. And why do you have me reading this?”

“Food request accepted. You are training. We are assessing your skill levels.”

“Can I stop?”

“You can take a one hour break.”

She ate then sat and stared at the training picture thing. She picked it up and examined it. “What is this?”

“That is a tablet. Would you like to watch a video?”

“A what?”

The picture changed and it was a moving image of people talking with sound and everything. They looked fancy dressed but she didn’t recognize the language, clothes or the strange buildings. She looked the tablet over trying to understand the strange magic that could do such a thing then decided to just accept it as the magic of the gods. She said. “I don’t know what they are saying.”

“Adjusting search parameters.”

The video changed to a large group of people playing brass and stringed instruments. The music was soft and soothing. “I like this.”

“Noted.” It said.

“Do you have a name?”

“You can call me Nebula, if you wish.”

“Ok.” Star nodded.

Later that day Nebula took her to get a set of numbers burned into her arm. She insulted him thoroughly, for that experience.

This was her new life. She slept, ate, trained and watched videos. Nebula kept her on a sleep schedule that fit this place.

Rezu would show up, shower, eat and sleep. He barely spoke, or wore clothes.

She let him be. Whatever he was doing was important.

A few days later she was doing math problems when someone knocked on the door. Star about jumped out of her chair at the sound. “Who is it?” She whispered to Nebula.

“I do not know.” It said in a normal voice.

“Hellooo.” A woman’s voice came as she knocked again.

“What do I do?” Star asked Nebula.

“Most people answer a knock.” He said.

“You are no help.” She hissed.

“I am sorry.” He sounded sad.

She got up and went to the door only to realize there was no door knob and she had no idea how it worked. “Open it.” She told Nebula.

The door slid open to reveal a pale woman with dark green hair sitting in a hovering chair. The woman said. “I knew I smelled someone. Who are you?”

Star said, “I am Rezu’s claim. I am not allowed to leave the room or make deals.”

The woman smiled. “I am Jade Shadowbane. What’s your name?”

“I am a Star.”

Jade’s head tilted. “What’s a Star?”

“A Star is a heretic who has to travel and… Aren’t you a goddess? How do you not know this?”

Jade shrugged. “I was raised by shadowcats. I don’t know much about people stuff.”

Star took a moment to absorb that, then said, “Do you know where Rezu is?”

“I could find him, but everyone who is still standing is busy.” Jade looked her up and down. “You’re a mortal. When did Rezu have time to make a claim?”

“I was one of the heretics from Red Rock Keep. Rezu showed me mercy and claimed me.”

Jade nodded. “Have you been stuck in here since the battle?”

“Well…”

“If you help me out, I could show you something really fun.”

The thought of getting out of this room was hard to resist. “I don’t know.” She glanced at Nebula.

Jade smiled, took her hand then whispered. “Just nod if you want to go have some fun.”

Star nodded.

Jade pulled her slowly out the door.

Star looked back to see a copy of herself turning back to the table as the door shut. “You can illusion a whole person?”

Jade let her hand go. “I can do more than that. But let’s get going. I want to have you back before Rezu gets done working today.”

“Um… Ok.”

A sense of dread slowly crept over Star as they traveled down the stone halls. Getting out of the room sounded fun in the moment, but she had seen what Rezu and Klaus could do. Jade was even more worrying. Star had never heard of this goddess. Jade’s right side was bruised badly. Was she in the god battle too? Maybe Jade wanted to punish a heretic. A knot grew in her stomach.

Jade’s chair stopped in a long hall with many doors. She slowly stood.

“Are you ok?” Star said.

“Yea, took a little damage while killing Gessil. But, unlike her, I’ll live.”

She was there!

With a flash of cyan Rezu appeared in his armor, minus the helmet. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

Star froze as her thoughts became a string of curse words.

Jade slipped and fell back in her chair. “Trying to stand!” She groaned. “What does it look like I’m doing?!”

“It looks like you stole my claim and set an illusion for my drone.”

“How did you find out?”

“My drone is smarter than most. Your illusions blink on a regular pattern.”

“Jade sighed. I knew I needed to work on that.”

“Now tell me why you have brought Star down to Zagreus’ room?! Were you planning on showing her Zagreus then killing her?!” Cyan danced on his skin like fire.

Star backed up until she found herself pressed against the wall, all the while hoping to fuse with the stone.

“No.” Jade groaned and held her side.

“There is nothing else down here!” His voice boomed.

Jade pointed. “That is my old room.” Then she pointed at the next door. “That room is a shower for me and Zagreus to wash our shadowcat forms. The drones don’t detect shadowcat bodies well, so we need help in the shower. Also, I am hurt. Your claim is the only one here not busy, so I offered to take her to the sim-room, if she helped me.”

“Is that true?” Rezu asked Star.

“I… Um… I don’t know that word she used. She told me she would show me something fun, if I helped her.” Star said.

Rezu groaned then glared at Jade. “Do you really need a shower bad enough to steal my claim?”

“I’ve spent days soaking in a healing tank. My fur is nasty and sticky and tastes awful. Lili said it was something, something biology. I don’t know, I just want to get clean. I’m sorry I didn’t ask. I knew you were busy.”

Rezu rubbed his head. “Don’t hurt her, no sex and have her back before dinner.”

“Yes, daaad.” Jade said.

“If you were in better shape, and I had more time, I would kick your ass.” Rezu said.

“I’ve had enough ass kicking for the next decade.” Jade sighed and held her side. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I’m not trying to be a smartass, I’m just not handling the pain well.”

“You should still be in a healing tank.”

“I’m going to sleep in them until I am healed.”

Rezu put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry you got hurt. I am really glad you and Cinder were there to help.”

Jade giggled. “Yea, Cinder was all there. Zaggy hit Cinder with his full-body-fun-time effect. Cinder moaned and fell to her knees before she exploded into the sky towards the battle.”

“You have a way with words.” Rezu laughed, shook his head, then said. “So you don’t hold a grudge against Star?”

Jade shrugged. “Rimmer said you killed hundreds of heretics. Why should I care about a random soldier? Being your sex-slave sounds like a decent punishment to me.” Jade gave a scary smile. “I did consider going down to the holding cells punching that Lord until I got bored, but I would probably tear his throat out the moment I saw him. So I am going to get a shower and relax for a bit.”

Rezu nodded then looked at Star. “And what are doing leaving the room? These goddesses are dangerous. You are lucky it was Jade.”

“I’m sorry.”

Rezu held out his hand and Nebula appeared.

Nebula’s little gemstone cat eyes seemed to take an extra close look at her and Jade.

Rezu said, “I’ve got to get back to work. You can spend time with Jade, but if you ever want to go back to the room, just ask the drone to take you.”

“Ok.” She nodded.

He spawned a long, slick looking, coat. “Here is something to wear in the shower. Just leave it in there when you are done.”

She took the coat.

Rezu glared at Jade. “Never hide my claim from her drone again.” With a flash he was gone.

Jade groaned. “Well, shit.” She held out a hand. “Can you help me up?”

Star stared at her. “Do you see me as just a sex slave?”

Jade shrugged. “You admitted you were his claim. That’s what the word means.”

“I… But…” She had nothing.

“I almost lost most of the people I care about and you had a hand in it. How do you expect me to act?”

Star swallowed and turned to Nebula.

“Stop. Wait. I’m sorry. I’m hurting.” Jade took a deep breath. “We had something bad happen here one time and I was stuck basically taking care of myself for two years. I was alone for weeks on end. I know how it feels to be stuck in one of these rooms. Even if I didn’t need help, I would have invited you to the sim-room.”

“You want to spend time with a claim?” She snapped.

“The person I trust most is a claim.” Jade gave a sly grin. “And I know Rezu hasn’t touched you. I could smell it if he had.”

“What does that matter?”

“If they were making you a Goddess, you would get your own room. And you are not being kept with the other test subjects. Rezu is keeping you with him, but not using you.” Jade said. “You should ask him why you are here. Don’t be afraid. Don’t grovel. Just treat him like a person.”

Star nodded. “I will try.”

Jade held out her hand. “Can you help me up?”

Star helped Jade stand then to lie down on the floor. She stared as Jade morphed into a large black cat with deep green stripes. Star could not help but laugh. Large patches of fur had been shaved off the poor cat. What was left was a matted mess. It looked so wrong.

“Ha, ha, so funny.”

She giggled. “You seemed to have lost a fight with a razor and a slime.”

“But I won the battle with Gessil. That is all that matters.”

Star nodded.

Jade hobbled into the shower room. The whole room was tiled with several shower heads and hoses.

Star put on the coat and spent a couple hours washing the sticky mess out of her fur. It felt like she had been soaked in sap that was now almost dried.

Jade finally collapsed to the floor and said. “That’s enough. If you scrub anymore I won’t have skin left.”

They finished up then Star followed Jade to a door on a different hall.

“Close your eyes.” Jade said.

Star gave her a curious look then complied. She heard Jade grunt as she stood and put her arm around Star’s shoulder. There was the grinding hiss of the door opening then Jade guided her through. She felt warm sun and a strong breeze.

“Open your eyes.” Jade said.

A deep reverberating sound enveloped Star as she opened her eyes. They were surrounded by a bright blue sky. The ground was yellow with a red streak down the middle. But the ‘ground’ was moving. Another deep sound came from nearby, then another.  She looked over and saw a hundred meter wide yellow ray with a red strip down the middle. It had a short tail covered in meter long spikes. The creature they rode dipped down to reveal they were in a massive swarm of the creatures. “If I didn’t know better I would say we are standing on a crimson cloud… A CRIMSON CLOUD!” Star’s body tried to run every direction at once.

Jade held on tight. “Hey. Don’t hurt the patient here.” She said calmly.

“How…? When…? What…? Why…?”

“Illusions.” Jade said.

“Did you do this?!”

“I could do one, maybe two. But this room is God Magic.” Jade said. “We have other versions as well.”

The swarm changed into dragons of many different colors. They were breathing fire and lightning and clouds of different colors. The one they rode had turned a deep sparkly blue and breathed a cone of cold. Star couldn’t stop grinning as tiny flecks of ice hit her cheeks.

Things changed again. They now rode a small ship maybe ten meters long. It had no sails and was high in the sky. Star had heard legends of flying ships but now she was standing on one.

In front of them was a massive floating island with towering buildings of stone, metal, and glass covering the top of it. There were lines of craft drawing roads in the sky.

“What is that place?” Star said.

“Have you ever been to Ereopolis, where Queen Gwenyr lives?”

“I traveled through there a year ago, on my way to Red Rock Keep.”

“Do you know of the ruins under the Palace?”

“Where they harvest the sacred stones?”

“Yes.” Jade pointed. “That is what the ruins looked like before the fall.”

“Flying cities were real?!”

“Yes. There were many of them, of various sizes. Five thousand years ago, before the swarms came.”

A table appeared. They sat, ate and drank as their little craft circled the flying city.

“How did you end up a heretic?” Jade said.

“My parents died when I was just a baby. My Pappy told me that an infernal had killed them. I’ve hated them since ever since. I joined those that opposed the Queen. I didn’t know she had been put there by the gods.”

Jade nodded then told the story of how she got the old king executed with a piece of cheese and how she nominated the new queen so she could have good food.

Star stared with her jaw open through the story. It made no sense. How could a lost, hungry, child topple a king. But for some reason, Star believed every single word.

Jade said. “What’s it like living on the surface?”

“The surface?”

“Yea. The constant temperature changes, the wind, the rain and snow falling from the sky. That seems so weird.”

Star shrugged. “Rain just happens. There is not much you can do about it. Winds drive your sails when at sea, but the storms can really get bad at times.”

“You went out on the ocean? Are you crazy? All kinds of dangerous stuff lives out there.”

Star laughed. “I know. I even fought a kraken once. Luckily we had a powerful sorcerer on board that burned it enough to scare it away.”

“You won’t ever get me on a ship.” Jade emphatically shook her head. “Nope. Never. Not happening.”

“I lived on a merchant ship with Pappy for most of my life. Being on land is strange to me. I miss the ocean.”

“Then how did you end up at Red Rock?”

“Pappy got too old to work on the ships. He took the port master job. I stayed near him to help take care of him as he ages. Pappy was able to get me onto the noble’s personal guard, I could beat any of them, but they always treated me as an outsider.” She sighed, “I would have left if it wasn’t for Pappy.”

Jade nodded and stared into her glass. “I think you are nice. I was wondering if…”

“I am Rezu’s claim.” Star said.

“No. No. Not that.” Jade laughed and facepalmed. “If you are going to be around here, I want you to be my friend. I’m not good with people. I can’t get out much and I don’t want to kidnap a random mortal to practice on. You are already here, so I was…”

Star laughed. “Stop. Just stop.”

Jade frowned and downed her glass.

“If you want to be friends, that’s fine. You were just way over-explaining it.”

“I didn’t mean to say you were kidnapped.” Jade said.

“I attacked the gods. Rezu showed me mercy. As long as he honors my request to spare Pappy, I will honor my word. I will be whatever he wants of me.”

Jade sighed. “It could have been worse. I was sacrificed to the gods to get here.”

“What?!”

They drank and laughed as Jade told more stories that were so ludicrous they had to be true.

Star had kept an eye on how much she drank. Even with Jade seeming nice, Star felt it best to be cautious.

Jade was slurring her words when she said. “Try my drink. It’s good.”

Star took a sip. She coughed and choked as her mouth burned.

Jade exploded with laughter.

“How do you drink that?” She rasped and choked back laughter.

Jade shrugged. “Remnants are better than susnar… sasner…”

Rezu appeared beside them in his stained grey clothes.

“Hey Razu… Reza… Zeru…” Jade smiled. “Hi.” She waved.

“Did you fight a tree folk?” He asked her.

 “I fought Gessy.” Jade said.

“No, before that, did you go through the dryad forest. Did you attack something there?”

Star swallowed. Nobody went into the dryad forests. Or at least no one ever came out of them.

Jade shook her head and frowned. “No, no, no, I didn’t attack nothing.”

Rezu sighed.

Her hands turned into paws and she made grabbing motions. “They attacked me.” Then she chomped, “I gave em a little nibble, then they was all creepy, sayin’ ‘your bones will nourish the land’. Ooooh.”

Rezu facepalmed. He grabbed Jade’s arm and they disappeared.