Unhappy Medium: Between the Devil and the Deep, Dark Sea

Mallo's Awful Mom

Mallomor, after answering several questions from the young witch, went back to the houseboat.

Niko greeted him with open arms.

"Sorry for causing you trouble today, Mallo. Can we move past this?"

Mallo nodded, but he wasn't entirely confident in Niko.

"Can we talk it out next time, please?"

"Yes, I'm just very impulsive."

Niko's dreams that night were less than pleasant.

It started in an empty street, very late at night. Niko was on edge, jumping when he heard footsteps.

He looked behind him to see a very large man.

"Seems like you're lost and alone..."

Niko smirked. "Maybe you should've disguised your voice, Donatello."

Donnatello pinned Niko to the ground.

"Stop squirming, you pathetic faery!"

"You can't tell me what to do! Piss off!"

Donnatello put his hoof on Niko's ribs.

"You're got balls, I'll give you that. Even if it'll cause you more pain."

Niko tried to summon a lightning strike, but he found his powers didn't work.

"Seems that you're weak in your own dreams. How unfortunate..."

Niko panicked. "Why are you here?! Go away!"

Donnatello pushed down on Niko's ribs. There was a crack, and then the pain.

What happened next is too awful to say, but it sent Niko sweating all over. He reached out to Mallomor and hugged him, tight.

Mallomor awoke from a light sleep. "Niko? Niko, what happened?"

Niko's response was a whimper.

"Shh...shh... It's OK, I am here...Was it a nightmare?"

Niko nodded, his head in Mallo's chest.

Mallomor ran his claws through his hair, soothing him back to sleep.

Mallo remembered the warning from Redir earlier. Donnatello was an incubus under Vivalda's employ, it wasn't much of a stretch to say they were behind this.

Niko's art that day was far gorier than usual. Even if he acted as if nothing had happened, Mallomor could tell it was effecting him.

"Do you know where Morgana is?"

"Yes, a day and a half's trip from here." He rose from his stool. "I don't need her help, I can protect myself against bad dreams easily."

Mallomor's tail swished. "Are you sure? Vivalda isn't one to give up."

"She's gonna have to, soon."

Niko when to his bedroom and began to draw a sigil to protect him from bad dreams. But he was rudely interrupted by an incoming curse of vertigo.

Fucking Seaspray, where'd this come from!!?

The floor shook, his head throbbed, and he saw Vivalda walking near him.

He blacked out, hearing the voice of Vivalda in his head.

I still can't understand why Malcontent ever chose you over me

You're a pathetic and overconfident excuse for an unseelie

Too useless to even be my pawn