Where the Dead Things Bloom. [ch 37, 38]

37 Family Meeting

The two raptors continued their heated whisper-hissing match while the rest of the rangers tended to the wounded. I stood awkwardly in my makeshift coverings as several rangers cast curious glances my way. Nessy remained close, her wet fur pressed against me, one arm protectively wrapped around me.

"Alec needs proper clothes," she announced to no one in particular, loud enough for Krysanthea to hear.

Kristi broke away from her sister, looking momentarily flustered. She quickly removed her ranger uniform top, revealing a black tank top underneath. "Here," she said, handing me the uniform jacket. "Put this on. It'll cover more than that stupid, half-melted jersey."

I gratefully accepted the garment, putting it on. The fabric smelled faintly of raptor sweat. I contemplated why raptors had sweat unlike normal birds or reptiles. Pradavarians were quite odd—it was as if someone just liberally and also half-assly slathered the general idea of “raptorness” over a very fit, tall, curvy human girl. Perhaps the Slayer also had the System or gained some kind of magical bullshit skill that allowed him to create all of the pradavarian species parameters as a reward for killing whatever the Leviathan was millennia ago.

"Everyone finish up here and return to the station," Kristi announced to the group. 

The trek back down the mountain trail didn't take long. Krysanthea led the way in her tank top and pants, scales and feathers fluttering and sparkling in the afternoon light, while Nessy walked close beside me, the violet-edged crystalline branch from the slime tree clutched in her paws, still glowing with an ethereal light.

When we arrived, Krysanthea ushered us quickly through a side entrance, presumably to spare me the indignity of parading through the main station in my outfit. A small locker room off the main corridor provided basic shower facilities and spare ranger uniforms.

"Get cleaned up," she instructed. "Both of you. Extra ranger uniforms are in the lockers. Then meet me in Conference Room B. I'm going to gather my sisters."

We separated, heading into different sections of the showers. Twenty minutes later, feeling marginally more human in a borrowed ranger uniform that was slightly too large for me, I followed Nessy down the corridor. Her fur had been hastily dried and fluffed, giving her a somewhat disheveled appearance that she somehow made look charming. She'd changed into a spare dog-fitting uniform as well.

Conference Room B was a small, windowless space dominated by a rectangular table. Krysanthea was already there, along with three other raptors: Katerina, Kaledoniya, and Kirra. All four turned to us as we entered, expressions ranging from outright hostility from Katerina to curious interest from Kirra to Kaledoniya’s cheerfulness.

"Close the door," Krysanthea instructed. Once Nessy had complied, Kristi engaged a series of locks to seal us in. "What I'm about to discuss doesn't leave this room."

Katerina leaned forward, her black-green scales gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights. "Is this about your little dungeon trip with these two? Or about why you've been keeping Alec's return a secret from most of the family? Or why you smell like you’ve been fraternising with a dog?"

"Neither," Krysanthea replied, placing her palms flat on the table. "This is about the Superstore."

The effect was immediate. Kaledoniya's feathers flattened against her head, while Kirra's attention suddenly became fixed on her claws. Only Katerina maintained her composure, though her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What about it?" Katerina asked, her voice deliberately casual.

"Cut the bullshit, Kat," Krysanthea snapped. "I know what you've been doing. Looting a Systemfall dungeon? Bringing artifacts and food from it back into Ferguson?" She gestured at Kaledoniya's wrist, where the eye-bracelet still glinted. "Accessorizing with cursed items?"

"It's not cursed," Kaledoniya muttered defensively. "It works perfectly."

"That's not the point!" Krysanthea's voice rose with barely contained fury. "Do you have any idea how dangerous these items are? The corruption they can spread? And you've been feeding dungeon food to the entire town!"

"Only the safe stuff!" Katerina countered. "We test everything thoroughly. The food is normal—fresher than normal, actually. The water is clean. And yes, occasionally we find and use useful items that give us advantages we desperately need."

"Advantages like speed bracelets?" Nessy interjected. 

“How do you know about…” Katerina began

“I can smell it,” Nessy fired back. “Not just the bracelet too. All of you have artifacts. That calculator watch on you smells kinda iffy.”

Katerina twitched. The other Strand sisters turned to look at the husky.

"Stay out of this, dog," Katerina said coldly. "This is family business. Kris, I know that you’re dating Alec and that you’re happy that he’s back, but why is this furry idiot here?”

"Nessy helped save the town today," Krysanthea stated firmly. “I trust her.”

“Since when?”

“Since she can smell the artifacts you’re wearing,” Kristi growled. “Something that’s clearly escaped my attention!”

"What the hell, Kris?" Kirra interjected. "Since when are you in cahoots with this mangy mutt? After everything we did to keep them apart in high school?"

"What did you?" I asked.

The sisters exchanged more silent glances.

Katerina finally broke the silence. "We protected our sister's interests. Ensured that a certain... overly attached canine... didn't interfere with what Kristi wanted."

"You mean you threatened me," I said, memories that didn’t belong to me flashing in my mind. "Told me to stay away from Nessy 'if I knew what was good for her.'"

I realised a bit too late, that my words would only enforce their belief that I was the local Alec.

"We did what needed to be done!" Katerina replied unapologetically. "Strand family always comes first."

Nessy growled low in her throat. "You tried to sabotage our friendship. The slashed bike tires, the meat in my locker, teacher reports, rude anonymous comments online—that was you?"

"Not all of it," Kirra admitted with a small smirk. "Kale did the tires."

"Not the point!" Krysanthea slammed her hand on the table. "We're getting sidetracked with irrelevant old nonsense. The issue at hand is the Superstore and the potential exposure of Ferguson to Systemfall corruption."

"The Superstore has been a godsend to this town," Katerina argued. "Without it, we'd be rationing canned goods and facing starvation. It provides everything we need—food, medicine, clothes, tools... advantages."

"At what cost?" Krysanthea demanded. "I know dungeons, Kat.”

“Since when do you know about dungeons?”

“Since I got stuck in one while trying to find Alec!” Kristi hissed. “They take as much as they give—usually more."

"The Superstore provides," Kaledoniya insisted. 

“And what if you get stuck inside?!” Kristi demanded.

"Won't happen. We keep the door pried open with a ranger car so it doesn't close while we're inside. A ranger volunteer watches the entrance too.”

"It wants to feed," Nessy said quietly, her nose twitching as she analyzed the scents in the room. "I can smell it on all three of you. Whatever you've taken from that place has taken something in return. Not all at once—just a little each time, drop by drop."

The three sisters stiffened, exchanging uneasy glances.

"What is she talking about?" Krysanthea asked, a note of dread entering her voice.

Nessy stepped closer to Kaledoniya, who instinctively recoiled. The husky inhaled deeply, her eyes closing briefly as she processed the scents.

"Levels," she said, opening her eyes. "They've all gained levels from the Superstore dungeon. But it's costing them something. Levels? Maybe also  their... perception of reality? Their connection to this world? I'm not sure how to describe it. It's like they're partly somewhere else."

"That's ridiculous," Katerina scoffed, though her defiance seemed forced. "We're perfectly fine, right here."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Krysanthea asked, her voice suddenly quiet. "Why hide this from me, of all people? I'm the Chief Ranger. I'm your sister. I'm the one who's supposed to protect this town from Systemfall corruption. If dad finds out about this… he’s going to freak out!"

A tense silence fell over the room. Kirra picked at her scales, avoiding eye contact, while Kaledoniya nervously fingered her bracelet. Only Katerina maintained her composure, her golden eyes locked with Krysanthea's amber ones.

"Because you've changed," Katerina finally said. "Since you came back from looking for Alec. You're different. Haunted. Obsessed with purity and control, even worse than father. We knew you wouldn't understand what we were doing—what we have to do to keep Ferguson alive!"

"And now you're bringing that dog into our family business," Kirra added, shooting a disgusted look at Nessy. "Letting her influence you, criticize us."

"She's more useful than any of you have been to me lately," Krysanthea retorted, the words clearly surprising everyone in the room, including herself.

"Since when did you even like her?" Katerina's voice dripped with disdain.

"Since she’s proved her worth by finding Alec," Krysanthea replied evenly. "Since she sensed the presence of the slime core when none of us could. Since she just literally helped save this town while you three were busy playing treasure hunters in a cosmic mall."

"That's not fair," Kaledoniya protested. "We've been taking care of Ferguson too! The food runs, the flying monster takedowns, the security patrols—"

"While hiding the truth from me," Krysanthea interrupted. "While bringing potentially corrupted items into our town. While exposing yourselves to whatever the Superstore has been taking from you!”

"You wouldn't understand," Katerina said dismissively. "You haven't been inside. You haven't seen what it can offer!"

"Then show me," Krysanthea growled. “Next run we’re all going there. I’m taking over the Superstore runs, since you obviously can't be trusted!”

The three sisters exchanged glances again, some silent communication passing between them. Finally, Katerina nodded.

"Fine," she agreed. "Tomorrow. The four of us will…"

"All of us will go," I interrupted. "Kristi, Nessy, and me. We work well together."

“You’re… human,” Kat pointed out. “The road outside of town and the store can be dangerous. You should stay in town where it’s safe.”

“No,” I said. “I can’t die.”

“What?” Katerina blinked.

“I heal from mortal wounds,” I repeated. “It’s power granted to me by a magic artifact. Likewise, Nessy has an enhanced sense of smell—she can smell concepts and ideas.”

The three raptors stared at me.

“Nessy can smell System stuff on you,” I said. “So, no more fluttering around. Your turn to tell us what you can do. I already know that the eye-glass bracelet accelerates Kaledoniya's movement. What about the rest of you? What artifacts have you acquired from the Superstore? Please don’t lie or try to hide any of the details—Nessy will know."

The three raptor sisters exchanged uncomfortable looks. Katerina's golden eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, but after a moment of tense silence, she seemed to make a decision.

"Fine," she said, tapping her calculator watch. "This unfolds into a spider. It rewinds time.”

“What?” Kristi barked.

“Huh?” I asked. “Like… all time everywhere? And that was just lying on a shelf?”

“It was on a corpse of a man dressed in a moldy violet wizard robe with gold stars,” Katerina said. “I killed a bunch of papercraft creatures to acquire it. It can create a save-point in a specific section of the store and can wind me and my team back to it, as long as I hold onto them during the rewind. It doesn’t work outside of the Superstore.”

“So you died,” Nessy said.

“WHAT?!” Kristi snarled even louder.

“We… nearly died,” Kat said. “And we lived.”

“That’s how it gets you,” Nessy muttered. “With every rewind a piece of you remains behind.”

“Nazareth-damn it!” Kristi clawed at her face. “What the shit?!” Her head snapped to Kirra. “What do you have?”

With a sigh, the smallest raptor pulled out a compass on a silver chain from her chest. “This. It points at glory.”

“Glory?” Kristi’s eye twitched.

“Yep,” Kirra nodded. “Glory.”

38 The Rewinders

"Glory?" I repeated. "What does that mean? Does it only work within the store?”

“Ye, it only works inside the Superstore,” Kirra shrugged, the movement causing her feathers to ripple. "The arrow points to challenges. Opportunities. Dangerous but rewarding paths." Her claws traced the ornate silver casing with the superstore logo on the back. "It led us to Aisle 45'217 where we found Kale's bracelet, which works outside of the store. We found the watch first, then the compass.”

"The compass leads to whatever we need most, useful items," Katerina added. "But the paths it indicates are never easy. Always guarded by... things."

Nessy leaned forward, her nose twitching as she studied the compass. "It smells like... anticipation. And hunger. It's feeding on your desire for achievement."

"Nonsense," Kirra scoffed, though she reflexively tucked the compass back into her uniform. "It's just a tool."

"A tool that's eating your ambition," Nessy insisted. "Little by little, leaving you hungry for more glory, more challenges, more risk. All of these items were created to lead you to your doom within the dungeon-store’s domain.”

Krysanthea rubbed her temples, her feathers flat against her head. "This is exactly what I feared. You've all been compromised. These damned artifacts are feeding on you."

“Oh yeah?” Katerina growled. “What of Alec’s immortality and the dog’s extra-sniffery? You gonna tell me that doesn’t fuck with them in some way?”

“It doesn’t,” Nessy said. “Because we’ve created our own syntropic artifact with our pack-bond through positive vibes n’ friendship!”

“What?” Katerina laughed. “Vibes and friendship?! Are you telling me that you’ve made your own artifact with… the magic of friendship? What is this, a children's cartoon? Please tell me you're not serious."

“I’m totally serious,” Nessy huffed. “The Mini-Mart Archmage taught us how to do it! Our pack bond created something powerful. Something that grows stronger rather than feeding on us. Our artifact feeds us ‘cus it’s made from our awesomesauce feelings for each other!"

Katerina's laughter died in her throat as she studied Nessy's earnest expression. "You really believe that shit, huh?"

"I know it," Nessy corrected. "I can smell the difference. Your artifacts feed the dungeon. Ours gives back to us."

A thought occurred to me as I watched the sisters. "Can you see your stats?" I asked suddenly. "Like, numbers floating in the air? Levels, skills?"

The three raptor sisters stared at me blankly.

"Stats?" Kirra repeated, her head tilting in confusion. “What?”

"Yes," I nodded. "Strength, agility, that sort of thing. Numerical values that represent your abilities."

Katerina's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"

"He means the System interface," Nessy explained, gesturing vaguely in the air. "Our pack can see our stats when Alec says ‘Stats!’. Levels. Skills. Health points. The whole shebang."

"The whole what now?" Kaledoniya blinked.

I exchanged glances with Krysanthea, who seemed to be considering something deeply. After a moment, she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Show them," she said.

I focused my attention, calling up the silver interface that had become so familiar. "Stats," I said aloud.

The now-familiar silvery text materialized in the air atop of my hand.

| Name: Alec Benoit Foster

| Species: Human (Reconstituted)

| Level: 2 (Manual level up to 3 available!)

| Core Affinity: Reconstitution

| Health: 100/100%

| Reconstitution: 22/100%

| Strength: 14

| Agility: 4

| Dexterity: 12

| Vitality: 36

| Charisma: 9

| Foresight: 2

| Intelligence: 37

| Wisdom: 30

| Skills: [Reconstitution], [Pack Leader], [Depictomancy], [Syntropic Fusion]

| Domain: Fort Pack LV 2 (Level up to 3 available!)

| Pack Members: Alec Foster (Leader), Nessy Whitepaw, Krysanthea Strand

Thankfully, the pack quests window didn’t show up, since I wasn’t sure what kind of a reaction it would cause in the raptors if they saw the ‘blend in’ quest that was asking me to pretend to be the local Alec.

"I don't see anything," Katerina said flatly, her eyes narrowing to suspicious slits. "Is this some kind of joke? Where am I supposed to look?”

"Wait, you really can't see it?" Nessy asked. "It's right there! Silver floaty text showing all of Alec's numbers and skills floating above his hand!"

Kirra waved her clawed hand through the space where my stats hovered. "There's literally nothing here, dog. Maybe your… artifact fried your brain."

Kaledoniya leaned forward, her feathers rising with curiosity. "What does it say? Can you read it to us?"

"It shows my level—currently 2 with an option to level up to 3," I explained. "Health at 100%, Reconstitution at 22%. Various attributes like Strength, Agility, and so on. And skills including Reconstitution, Pack Leader, Depictomancy, and etc."

"Depictomancy?" Kaledoniya repeated, her head tilting.

“Drawing magic! It helps Alec draw our portraits filled with pack vibes,” Nessy bobbed at my side.

“I can create syntropic connections by drawing portraits,” I explained.

The youngest Strand sister's eyes lit up with undisguised interest. "That's... actually sounds pretty cool."

"But what's most important," Nessy interjected, bouncing slightly with excitement, "is that it also shows our domain—Fort Pack—and lists the pack members: Alec, me, and Kristi."

Katerina's head snapped toward Krysanthea, her feathers bristling. "You're part of their... pack?" The word seemed to taste sour in her mouth.

"Yes," Krysanthea replied simply, her posture straightening slightly as if preparing for a confrontation.

"Since when?" Katerina demanded.

"Since yesterday," Krysanthea said. “I… camped out with them both in Alec grandfather’s RV.”

“Why would you do that? Don’t tell me that you actually like that dog!” Katerina demanded.

“I got… hurt by the highway 69 dungeon,” Kristi revealed. “Being in a pack with Alec and Nessy helped repair some of that damage.”

Kirra and Kaledoniya exchanged glances.

"So," Kirra began cautiously, "these pack bonds... they're, like, beneficial? They don't feed on you like you claim our artifacts do?"

"Correct," Nessy nodded enthusiastically. "It's symbiotic, not parasitic! We all get stronger together."

Krysanthea seemed to be considering something as she watched her sisters' reactions. After a moment, she straightened.

"I propose a solution," she said, her voice carrying the authority of her position. "Join our pack. All three of you."

Her sisters stared at her in stunned silence.

"What?" Katerina finally managed.

“What?” Nessy barked at the same time. “Is your plan to out-raptor me with bigger numbers? Not cool, feather-face!”

"Join our pack," Krysanthea repeated, sending a ‘you shush’ glare at Nessy who crossed her arms. "If what Nessy says is true—and I've seen evidence to support it—then joining our team could potentially counteract whatever influence those damned Superstore artifacts have had on you."

"You want us to join a pack led by..." Katerina's eyes flicked to me, then to Nessy, her disdain evident, "...them?"

"Alec is the pack leader," Krysanthea corrected.

"That's worse!" Katerina hissed. "He's human!”

“Oi! You got something against humans?” Nessy demanded.

“Humans are… weak, slow,” Katerina said.

Krysanthea sent her sister a murderous glare.

“I mean… some of the more intelligent ones can make good house-husbands,” Katerina tried to backpedal poorly under her older sister’s gaze.

"Alec already survived situations that would have killed any of us," Krysanthea countered. "His ability to reconstitute—to come back from death—makes him uniquely suited to deal with Systemfall threats."

A tense silence fell over the room as the sisters processed this.

"How would we even join your pack?" Kaledoniya finally asked, her voice smaller than before. "Is there a ritual or something?"

"It requires an oath of allegiance," Krysanthea explained. "To Alec, as pack leader."

"An oath?" Katerina scoffed. "Like what?"

Krysanthea's amber eyes met Katerina's gold ones unflinchingly. "Like the one I made. Katerina, as the oldest after me, you should go first." She turned to me. "Alec, do you accept?"

“Uhhh… sure,” I nodded, somewhat bewildered by the sudden turn of events but recognizing the value in having more Strand family raptors on my side.

"Kat," Krysanthea said firmly, "kneel and recite after me."

For a moment, I thought Katerina would refuse outright. Her face scales seemed to darken ever so slightly with suppressed rage, her claws flexing against her thighs. But something in Krysanthea's steady gaze must have reached her, because after several tense heartbeats, she slowly sank to one knee in front of me.

The gesture was stiff, reluctant, nothing like Krysanthea's fluid grace when she had knelt before me in the restaurant lobby.

"I, Katerina Dusk Strand," Krysanthea began.

"I, Katerina Dusk Strand," her sister repeated through clenched teeth.

"Hereby offer my allegiance to Alec Benoit Foster."

"Hereby offer my allegiance to Alec Benoit Foster," Katerina echoed, each word seeming to cost her considerable effort.

"As a daughter of the Lord Marshall of Ferguson."

"As a daughter of the Lord Marshall of Ferguson."

"I pledge to stand as his shield against all that would harm him."

"I pledge to stand as his shield against all that would harm him," Katerina continued, her voice having lost some of its earlier resistance, seemingly giving in.

"To guide him through the complexities of our world."

"To guide him through the complexities of our world."

"And to ensure his place within the boundary of this town and beyond it… forevermore."

"And to ensure his place within the boundary of this town and beyond it… forevermore." Katerina finished the oath, her golden eyes lifting to meet mine with an unreadable expression.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the air around us seemed to shimmer, silver light gathering—but instead of forming the expected Y/N companion offer connection, it coalesced into a floating message:

[Pack Merger Attempt Failed: Target "Katerina Dusk Strand" is already bound to an existing pack: "The Superstore Rewinders." Cross-pack affiliations are strictly prohibited by the Cosmic Homeowners Association bylaws, subsection 42-B. Would you like to file an appeal? Processing time approximated to: 3-5 business eons.]

"What the—" Kirra began, reading text that she could now clearly see.

"The Superstore Rewinders?" Krysanthea interrupted, her voice sharp as a blade. 

“That’s like a thing I call us,” Kirra said, wagging her feathery tail slightly. “Just a joke. Dang thought. I guess the System takes that kinda stuff seriously.”

Nessy's nose twitched rapidly. "I smell... their connection now! Between all three of them." She pointed to the raptor sisters. "They've already formed their own pack through that rewind watch!"

Katerina took a step back, her hand instinctively moving to cover her calculator watch. "It's not... It wasn't intentional," she said, the first hint of uncertainty entering her voice. “The watch sorta wrote ‘welcome to the Rewinders’ on it when it rewound us the first time.”

"And you didn't think to mention this to me?" Krysanthea's voice was dangerously quiet.

"Would you have understood?" Katerina shot back. "Or would you have just condemned it as Systemfall corruption without seeing its value? We've already secured a ton of resources this town desperately needs!"

"At what cost?" Krysanthea demanded. "What is the Superstore taking from you in exchange?"

Another silver message materialized in the air.

[Fun Fact: The Superstore membership contract (section 3.1.4) includes a "reasonable spiritual extraction fee" on all transactions. Side effects may include gradual soul erosion, dimensional displacement, and in rare cases, gradual evolution into shopping carts, isles or store employees. But hey, those loyalty points add up! Just think of the savings!]

Nessy's eyes widened as she read the message. "Your souls," she whispered. "Just as I thought, it’s taking pieces of your souls."

"That's absurd," Katerina scoffed, though her scaled hand tightened around her watch. "We're perfectly fine!"

"Let me smell you properly," Nessy insisted, stepping closer to Katerina. "I can tell what it's doing to you."

Katerina recoiled. "Keep your wet nose away from me, dog."

"Katerina," Krysanthea's voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Let her effin’ smell you."

For a moment, the two sisters stared at each other, a silent battle of wills playing out in the space between them. Finally, Katerina relented with a sharp nod.

Nessy approached cautiously, her nose working overtime as she circled the dark-scaled raptor. She inhaled deeply, her blue eyes closing in concentration.

"You've rewound... eight times," she said after a moment, her voice distant as if reading information from an invisible source. "Each time, a fragment remained behind. The watch... no, the spider inside the watch... It collected those fragments. Built a web of… soul anchors across the store. Connected the three of you through those threads." Her eyes opened, focusing on Katerina with unusual intensity. "You're perma-bound to the Superstore now. Part of you exists there, even when you're physically here in Ferguson."

Katerina's scales seemed to pale slightly, though her expression remained defiant. "So what if it does? We've gained power. Knowledge. Resources."

"But you're trapped," Nessy insisted. "The more you use Rewind, the stronger the connection grows. Eventually..." She trailed off, her ears flattening against her head.

"Eventually what?" Kaledoniya asked, her hands trembling ever so slightly.

"Eventually, there won't be enough of you left here," Nessy finished quietly. "You'll be more there than here. You'll go shopping, get rewound one last time and… become some random part of the store like the System message said!”

A chill seemed to settle over the room as the three sisters processed this. Even Katerina's defiance appeared shaken.

[Would you like to know more about the Superstore's Customer Retention Program? Four out of five dimensional entities agree: "It's soul-satisfyingly effective!" The fifth entity couldn't be reached for comment as it now serves as Aisle 362'891's fluorescent lighting system.] The System commented.

"We need to break their connection to the Superstore," I said, the System's message confirming the doomed fate of Kristi’s sisters. "Before it's too late."

"And how exactly do you propose to do that?" Katerina challenged.

"We go to the source!" Nessy said. "We visit the Superstore ourselves… and we punch the personnel resources manager in the face!”

“What?” Katerina sputtered. “How the shit do you…”

“Just smells like a thing that could help,” Nessy shrugged, her tail wagging slightly.

“What if we take that watch off her and set it on fire, destroy it in the furnace?” Kristi asked, eyeing the calculator watch with an irate expression.

“Not gonna work,” Nessy sniffed the watch. “It’s already dug waaay deep into their bodies and souls with the whole Rewinders concept.”

[New Quest Discovered: "Supermarket Sweep" - Infiltrate the Infinite Superstore and liberate the soul fragments of the Strand sisters from the Rewinder spider's web before they become permanent shelf stockers. Difficulty Rating: Probably Suicide. Reward: Three potentially grateful raptors and a 5% discount on your next online purchase (exclusions apply).]