Station 64 - Azaria The Doll Dungeon 2

Hey Guys! Sorry but I'm writing a Regan chapter that has potentially dozens of different paths it could go so I want to work on it more. Here is chapter 2 of this to make up for it.

Chapter 2 

Azaria 

I managed to collect myself in a record five minutes this time. While I couldn’t touch him, he did offer me some emotional support by being in my sight. I mentally cracked my knuckles and hardened my mind. I needed to get to work. On what exactly was still a gray area. 

“I suppose I could try out these skills…” 

I decided to use destruction first. There was plenty in the tunnel that I wouldn’t mind getting rid of. On the edge of my field, there was a pile of rocks. Likely from some earthquake or similar event. Focusing on the top of the pile, I used the skill. I felt… something leave me and the rock turned to gray motes of light that flew over to what I considered my head the centermost part of the tunnel. 

I could tell that the material entered a… space. I could bring it back out if I needed to. I glanced at my list again but nothing changed. I figured my Aether, whatever that was, would have changed considering I used an ability. That was how it usually worked in most games, but it didn’t budge either way. 

I moved on to the creation skill. With nothing to go on, I took a shot in the dark and tried to make a cellphone. I pictured the one I had. When nothing happened for several minutes, I knew it was useless. I thought about what I might have to do if this was a game but came up with a blank. My gaming experience was mobile games after all. 

“That just leave summon!” 

I concentrated on the skill with the intent to use it. A flood of information suddenly hit my head. It took a moment for me to understand what I was seeing.  

Animals 

Goblins 

Kobolds 

Ghosts 

Ghouls 

Sprites 

Trolls 

Gnolls 

Imp 

Orges 

The list went on, but the options were all crossed out. I began to get worried that I wouldn’t be able to summon anything when I found one that was still glowing. Doll. I glanced over to Starburst. Maybe when I summoned him it counted against whatever system this thing uses.  

“If it is on the list that means its just as good as the others right!”  

I choose the doll option and another list of options appeared. I could design quite a bit of the summoned doll. The more I looked at it the more confused I grew. After staring at it for three hours, I found an option that let me designate a target. I looked over to Starburst. It would be lovely to see him actually alive. 

I went with that and clicked the finish button. A stream of light flowed from my center and made its way into the stuffed animal. It took a good ten minutes which I hoped was normal. The light show finally ended and the doll started to twitch. He slowly got to its feet and looked like a real unicorn. 

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” shouted the unicorn suddenly. He jerked his head around. “YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!” 

I drew back from him not expecting this kind of outburst. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I cried even though I knew no one could hear it.  

Starburst jerked his head around and looked directly at me. “You!” He yelled while beating the ground with a hoof. Though it made a barely a sound. “What have you done to me!?”  

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” 

“Stop apologizing! Answer my question!” 

“I’m sorry! I’m… wait! You can hear me!” I screamed and shot back over. I would have thrown my arms around him if I had any. Finally! Someone I could talk to. 

“Yes! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!” 

“Starburst! You won’t believe it! I left the house for the first time on my own and something crazy happened. Some tall man did something and I ended up some floating consciousness. At least I got back at him! Some lady name Terleza shows up and tells me basically nothing!” 

“What happened to the tall man?!” Starburst shouted or rather neighed. I didn’t notice until now but he was acting more like a horse as time went on. It’d only been a few minutes but he was starting to neigh and canter.  

“Somehow I managed to touch him and he burst into flames.” 

“Shit!” Was all he said before he collapsed on his side. 

“Starburst!” I guess dolls could pass out too. 

~~~ 

“This is so confusing. What does it mean by intelligence exactly? Does it make them smarter or more cunning? Or is it both?” I was mumbling to myself when I heard a noice from the side. Turning I saw Starburst rousing. “Starburst!” 

“Ugh! This has been a horrible day. I am seriously going to kill Terleza if I ever get the chance,” Starburst said as he stood up. I immediately pulled back recongizining that tone. 

“You! What are you doing in Starburst!?” I screamed at him. 

“Ah! Don’t scream girl! I don’t have hands to cover my ears anymore.”  

“Answer my question!” I screamed even louder. 

“You put me in here! You used summon, right? That would have done it.” 

“Why?” I asked. Maybe I’d actually get answers to some of the questions I’d had since I awoke. 

“Because the summon skill uses the souls of the people that you’ve absorbed to fuel it. While normally the summon would be like a blank slate, my soul is a bit different.” 

“You mean… all those people from the train…” I said. If I had a body, I’d likely be throwing up right now.  

“Yep.” I retreated from him while I tried to control my emotions. That was so cruel! Who do these people think they are? Getting to decide life and death like that. For the first time since this happened to me another emotion, I’d rarely dealt with started to emerge. Anger. I wanted to hit something. 

“Screw you! This is all your fault! How are you going to make it up to me?” I demanded. I could see my mental image of myself poking his chest. Him being a stuffed animal now didn’t help. I could only see him as cute. 

“My old life is over. There is no going back. The gods have a say. ‘There’s no fighting fate.’ I’ll work for you and help you.” 

“You better believe you’re going to work for me! That’s the least you can do to make up for this!” I yelled at him.  

“That being the case, continue to call me Starburst.” 

“I would have whether you wanted me to or not!” 

“Alright. Let’s get started. How many days do you have left? If I was your first summon, then it should be most of the month, right?” 

“About that…” I mentally rubbed the back of my head while moving away. “I only have seventeen days left.” 

“Seventeen… What have you been doing all this time!?” Starburst yelled while beating his hoof on the ground. “No matter! We’ll do this hardcore!” 

Starburst had me absorb everything in the tunnel with destruction. He explained that people would be entering to claim the Life-stones that were in my monsters, as well as, loot and treasure.  

“If they want treasure then surely, I’ll be safe?” I asked while I took a break. It didn’t cost anything to absorb stuff, just mental strength. 

“You can’t see it personally but you’re actually a floating gem. You’ll be worth considerable amount of money to the people of your world. Besides. To them you’re an evil creation that is sending monsters into their world. They’ll be doing everything in their power to destroy you.” 

“Surely, we can just explain!” I said then demonstrated by craving a message on the wall that basically said I was human.  

Starburst gave a neighing laugh. “Lying. Deceit. Traps. While some of the cores are made up of humans, most are from other realms. In fact, even the ones that were human no longer care about their fellow. You are very special in that my spell was interrupted before I finished. If I had you’d be a raving killing machine already.” 

“Why!? Why are you guys doing this?” I asked curling up in ball at the hopelessness of it all. 

“Can’t tell you.” 

“Don’t try to get out of it!” 

“No. I literally can’t tell you. My memories of such things were erased until I finished my mission.” 

“Some God you are.” I mumbled in annoyance. 

He laughed again. “Brought low by a little girl. Now I’m some fake horse thing.” 

“I cleared the floor! What next?” I snapped at him. If he didn’t know the answers then I needed him to be useful in other ways. He might be telling me it was pointless to try and reach out to the humans, but I would try somehow. That being said, I didn’t want to die. 

“What can you summon?” 

“Dolls.” 

“Okay, and what else?” 

“Just dolls,” I replied turning away. 

“You’re…. you’re joking right?” 

“No. Everything else is crossed out.” 

“Son of a bitch!”