Mod Superhero

Chapter 5.14 - Demiplane

Emmett thought he'd gotten used to the aftermath of flooding and the war. Seeing the carnival was another thing entirely. Emmett had gone at least once a summer, especially as he'd gotten older and his nephews had been born.

The carnival ran along three blocks of Belport's boardwalk. Normally, the lights would blend in with the rest of the shops along the boardwalk. Music and cheers echoed down the streets, followed shortly by the smell of hotdogs and funnel cakes. You could see the Ferris wheel across the boardwalk, like a giant beacon.

It was surreal to sneak through a place where he had so many memories.

Tonight though, Emmett saw it in the same drab night vision-gray as the rest of the city. The Tilt-a-Whirl had been knocked over and crushed a nearby shop. The tower chair swing looked like the next breeze would topple it over. The space between was littered with seaweed and trash. The Ferris wheel didn't look much better. A small fishing boat was wedged between the bars and several of the Ferris wheel cars were missing—Emmett found one later, smashed open on the sidewalk. Game booths had been swept clean too—their balls, bottles, and stuffed animals now littered the ground.

Mod, Arsenal, and Athena crept toward the Ferris wheel, mindful of the wreckage around them.

They hadn't seen anyone else since the group of Felwarden's they'd ambushed, but that didn't mean other mages wouldn't be coming and going from the hideout.

They paused before they got to the Ferris wheel, taking cover in a half-cleared out target shooting booth. The mushroom statuette in his pocket was pulsing every few seconds.

Athena said, "We're getting close. The keys should work automatically."

Arsenal asked, "Is there anyway to see what's on the other side before we go through?"

Athena shook her head. "Won't know 'till after the jump. Think about wanting access and the key should do the rest."

Mod took a deep breath. This was the biggest hurdle in their plan, but it was unavoidable.

MAGE DISGUISE

BEARDED FACE

Nanites rearranged themselves across Mod's body. Arsenal issued similar commands, and Athena slipped on her stolen Felwarden jacket. A few seconds later, and the three supers could pass as mages, at least at a glance.

Mod reloaded his pistol with nanite bullets, then stuffed it in his new coat pocket. "Let's do it."

The three walked quickly to the Ferris wheel. With every step, the key pulsed quickly in Mod's pocket.

When he was about twenty feet away, a small orb appeared at the base of the Ferris wheel. It glowed with UV light and grew steadily wider as they approached.

"That's it," Athena replied.

The orb grew, flattening into a spherical gateway as tall as Mod. Its surface rippled like a glowing pond. Athena ushered them forward, and they stepped through the portal together.

~

Mod had asked Athena countless questions over the past week. Some about her past. Others about the nature of magic. And definitely a few about demiplanes.

He never thought to ask what it would feel like to go through the portal into one.

It felt like the sudden lurch of an elevator, except turned up to eleven. Mod's stomach was in his throat and his arms went out in the sudden reflex to catch himself.

But he didn't fall, and the sensation disappeared as soon as Mod's foot touched the ground. He glanced around, quickly taking in his surroundings.

Instead of a carnival, the demiplane was a medieval village. The layout seemed roughly the same, but the rides and shops had been replaced with other structures. The Ferris wheel was replaced with a cathedral. Ornate curves of stonework rose into the air, punctuated with gargoyles. The structure radiated an imposing and almost oppressive aura of magic.