I’ve begun settling my roots in The Pandemonium Complex. If this will be my final stop then I should make it feel more at home. My memories of the outside world are fading now that I’ve found a few friendly distractions. Jim & Jon the humanoid ape couple, The Host that seems to still be untalkative, but led by my seven legged friend whom I’ve nicknamed Siete. Gunter, an Akras Fae who likes crashing on my new couch from time to time. And Mila, the size changing Omukade who doesn’t want room with us and is trying to get back in her’s.
Gunter’s room was simple and just needed to be opened from inside the complex to summon a new door. With the help of Mila we gave it a metal frame so it couldn’t be turned into another tree again; but I think he’s still a bit traumatized from his entrapment since his excuses to stay with me are shaky at best. Mila’s was not as simple. The only one who could unseal her room was to kill the tenant who sealed it shut in the first place. She knows the culprit and has been on the hunt throughout the complex to find him. Níðhöggr, a northern wingless earth dragon who rules the dirt and the worms. The complex seems to know that a battle is about to ensue.
Certain parts of The Pandemonium Complex shifts and warps sometimes and the lobby changes almost every day. The theme, size and extra amenities changes range from big to small daily. Today the lobby was the size of the roman colosseum I visited once as a kid during a school field trip. There was no way to enter below besides the two large tunnels that presided below. Gunter ran to get me from my room when he saw this. With haste we ran past the mix of new doors that fill the hall. Doors with different colors, frames and styles. One made of stained glass, thick metal, medieval with chains, ice walls and made of colored mist are just some we passed. We arrived and saw spirits, monsters, creatures and mortals to list a few watch over the edges at the spectacle. Gunter said last time this happened it was between an Avatar of Storms vs. A Nova Celestial, who humans called Archangel Michael. This was the first time I’ve ever seen Winthorp not at the concierge desk as he stood dead center of the arena.
The rules state, #1. A tenant must never kill or fatally harm another tenant willingly; BUT rule #3. Rule 1. is void when in another’s room, but only to the room’s tenant. It seems a tenant is without a room and I decided to graciously move her in with another. The squables of the room’s tenants are their business and their business alone. I’ve also decided to do some renovations and temporarily moved said room here in the lobby before you. With that said, I shall return to my duties at my desk; Winthrop announces with a big grin to the onlookers and then disappears. Our feet shake with the pounds of something massive below us. A familiar drum roll can be heard in opposite unison. Gunter jumps with glee and eats his cornucopia full of strange fruits like it was popcorn, while tossing one away occasionally. A massive face can be seen from the tunnel in our view.
Out from the shadows emerges a giant female noh mask with the body of a centipede that could eclipse a mountain. From right below us came a long lizard like titan covered in soil and worms. The dragon’s rotten skin was missing chunks and infested with an uncountable amount of worms. Its rotten flesh filled the stands with its stench and made me cover my nose before I could puke. Gunter inhaled hard and sighed like he found his favorite scented candle. The behemoths didn’t hesitate once in sight and began their brawl. Like watching a snake fighting an eel, once one wrapped around the other they slipped through and tried vice versa. Mila split her noh mask’s mouth in two and opened her mandibles to bite the dragon, but he was already ahead of her.
They both bit the other’s long bodies and ripped chunks from each other. One bite would kill almost anything with their deadly venoms, but they’re both immune to all venom; Gunter explains. This was a perfect match. Mila has the advantage of size, but Níðhöggr is more agile and faster. Mila threw Níðhöggr into the wall and almost instantly went to spear him with her telson, but he leaped off and onto her long body. Gnawing his way up her exoskeleton. Mila lunged to bite her enemy in two, but Níðhöggr yelled an ancient language then suddenly a barrage of gray metallic threads that resembled spider webs spewed out of his mouth and covered Mila. Níðhöggr is no standard dragon like the western and could cast spells of his own with his ancient tongue.
Her face and top torso got tangled and stuck to the wall. She struggled hard and tried expanding her size to break free, but only damaged her exoskeleton even more. Mila tried using her telson again, but Níðhöggr webbed that and her bottom half down to the ground. She wiggled in her restraints for a bit, but stopped moving and seemingly accepted her fate. Níðhöggr crawled up her long body towards her head. We screamed for her to move, fight, do something but she just laid there like an exhausted moth in a spiderweb. We watched as Níðhöggr opened his maw wider than what we thought possible and engulfed our friend’s face. His body shook from the tension of him biting down hard. The noh mask that we once feared but started to love cracked with the exoskeleton that was connected.
In a flash his jaws broke through and decapitated our beloved Mila. Tears began running down my face and I slammed my fist on the railing and hung my head in defeat at losing one of my newest friends. I clenched my jaws hard in anger. Gunter shook my arm hard to get my attention and pointed at our friend’s corpse. Look, he whispered in a serious tone. Her insectoid body was hollow and began turning into stone. Níðhöggr was in the center of the arena celebrating his victory. He spoke another ancient language and spewed fireworks upwards to give the spectators a final show. A lump formed in his throat and stopped his triumphant gloating. The mass was slowly getting bigger. Níðhöggr’s eyes were big and wide, he knew something was wrong.
The mass moved into his torso and kept getting bigger. Gunter shakes my arm in excitement at what we were seeing. Níðhöggr’s body began pulling itself apart at the sudden growth spurt. Pops and stretching sounds filled the colosseum while soil and worms evacuating their master. Black ooze leaked from his orifices and wounds. When the mighty earth dragon grew at least twice its size it exploded everywhere. Chunks of the Níðhöggr flew everywhere and debris of death reached the bottom floor of the stands. Our Mila was center stage with a bright red fleshy exoskeleton and a new noh mask. Her once feminine mask that resembled a female woman’s face is now more of a demon’s. It still was tan like human skin, but now had two big horns and tusks with bigger eyes that look like they can see into your soul.
The crowd went more wild than the previous false victory and Gunter matched the energy of all the onlookers combined. Mila shrunk back down to the size of a fully grown python and laid motionless on the arena floor. Gunter grabbed a black and white spotted pyramid shaped fruit he was keeped on the railing from earlier and jumped over the edge and down into the colosseum. We were at least 600 ft. up and yet he was falling with such ease and grace to our wounded friend while holding his cornucopia down as to not lose it. I was watching my descending when suddenly I felt a tapping on my back. I turned around to see a small old woman who wore what looked like a black wedding dress with a mourning veil. She pulled my collar and forced me to listen closely.
A door with no lock can only be open with the key.
Bound with binds of metal seals intertwined.
For the boundless wish to be freed.
Fate will be your friend and foe but destiny will know sorrow.
The House of Klaus is on the move.
For what lies in the depths of The Complex is about to be unleashed.
She whispers inches from my face and releases me. I watch as the woman carrying this ominous message turns into black smoke and soaks into the complex’s carpet, disappearing as fast as she appeared. I know better than to ignore any message in this place and repeated what she said in my head to not forget. I heard a heavy thump behind me towards the arena and see that Gunter has returned with Mila wrapped around him as she eats the fruit that he saved for her out of his hand. He stares at me and his grin fades away, he knows something is wrong and asks me what happened. I told him about the woman and her message. Mila stopped eating and both stared at me hard. I now know how Gunter felt just a moment ago when he looked at me and I ask if they know what any of that means.
Gunter gets close and looks deep into my eyes. The House of Klaus, is that exactly what she said? Are you absolutely sure? Gunter asks with a tone I’ve never heard from him before. Mila and her new face are just as locked on as Gunter’s. Yes, I answered them. And the woman, did she say who she was. I told them no, but explained her appearance as best as possible. Gunter grabbed my hand and started walking fast down the complex’s hallway to an unknown destination. I asked what was going on and Gunter explained. Klaus was the first tenant of The Pandemonium Complex and was Winthorp’s right hand man. He’s never met him, but heard stories about him and what he can do. He thought he was a myth and just the boogeyman of this complex.
Klaus was a tenant that’s not bound by the 5 rules of Winthorp and was the enforcer of the complex. Tenants that manipulated the rules so much and made Winthorp look like a fool were hunted down by Klaus. His abilities are unknown, but he was the only tenant that could potentially kill Winthorp. The House of Klaus are the tenants that dedicated their lives to bring him back. Their reasons differ depending on which member you ask, but most thought Klaus brought more order to the complex than Winthorp ever could. It’s said that Winthorp feared Klaus and killed him, but we know Winthorp himself can’t break rule #1. No one ever took them seriously. It would be like a cult dedicated to bringing back Santa and he’s been returned to his planet. I asked Gunter where we were going and he says the concierge desk.
I pulled my hand away and told him to wait. I asked if he didn’t believe Klaus was real then why are you so scared. Because the woman who told you isn’t a member of The House of Klaus, she’s Baba Yaga and has been missing for over a millennia. Gunter answers. I asked if most of the members are unknown then how does he know she isn’t. Sadness covered Gunter’s face at this question. She wouldn’t, he answers under his breath. I ask Mila what she thinks and she says in a tired voice, Just in case Gunter’s right, what harm would it be to tell Winthorp? I told them to hold on and to just give me a minute to think. If Klaus can kill Winthorp, then why don’t we just let him and get out of this place? Mila and Gunter’s looks were louder than words. If Klaus is real and comes back, who’s to say that he won’t clean house when he takes over and why wouldn’t he just rule the complex with an iron fist!? Gunter replies with the tone of, that should’ve been common knowledge.
If there’s any chance of us getting out of here, it’s this. I’m tired of being trapped and used as a plaything for something that cares so little about us. Hell, Mila almost died today just to have a room to live in and was made into a show to entertain us, I retorted. He has a point, Mila chimes in. Gunter looked at Mila with an expression of sorry, but said he definitely doesn’t think this is a good idea. This is bigger than us and we should ask the others, plus Mila needs to rest. Let’s go to bed and we’ll meet in my room tomorrow with Jim, Jon and The Host to ask them what they think. Gunter agrees and carries Mila to the elevator to find her room. On my way to my room I saw a black spider crawling along the wall and told it what’s going on and to please tell Siete to meet us tomorrow. It stopped, listened and when I was done it rushed away to carry my message.
Gunter of course was the first to arrive wearing an apron. I said, nice apron and he thanked me while my sarcasm went over his head. He went over to my new coffee table, started pulling out fruits and cut them up for snacks. A few hours passed and the next to arrive was Siete. She had a new host of what looked like a tall aquatic fish man that was all dried out. It had dark gray fins where ears normally preside and 3 more on the center of its head. Both eyes were hollowed out and its jaw hung open with another new tongue tucked inside. It limped in and dropped onto the single desk chair I had. Gunter had several giant melons in the corner with holes poked in for her many children. Siete emerged from The Host’s mouth and the body fell limp as her children left to go eat. Jim and Jon arrive with Mila being carried wrapped around Jim like Gunter did yesterday. She looked better and her fleshy red body looked darker and harder than before. Jim and Jon could barely stand in my room and hunched over to my couch.
Gunter took Mila from Jim and let them enjoy the selection of fruit he cut up on the coffee table. The couch sunk in due to their weight, but we all pretended not to notice out of respect. Gunter fed Mila out of hand like before so she could save her energy to heal. Once everyone got settled the meeting began. I told the other 3 what happened yesterday exactly and caught Jim and Jon never heard of Klaus so Gunter filled them in on what he knows. We let the information sink in and began our debate. Gunter argued that the complex as is isn’t so bad and even though we were technically prisoners, we were treated with some form of respect and we have no idea what Klaus’s plans will be. It’s better to deal with the devil we know than the one we don’t. I retorted that this could be our only hope of escape and even though our needs are met, we are prisoners and nothing more. Life here has everything, but our freedom and this may be our only hope of seeing the outside world again.
Jim’s hand rested on Jon’s and you could tell that this conversation made Jon extremely uncomfortable. Jon was the first to chime in and asked if Winthorp is god in this place then how do we know he’s not listening and that he doesn’t already know our plans. Gunter explained that Winthorp isn’t omnipresent by choice and the complex itself can only listen if spoken to directly and out loud to respect our privacy. It’s things like this that show he tries making this place as homely as he possibly can. Jim and Jon look at each other to have a conversation with expressions that only long time lovers could have. You could tell that Jim was on my side and Jon was the reluctant one. Jon spoke first again and told us that they met in this place. If it weren’t for the complex they would’ve never met all those years ago. Jim’s race lives deep in the forest of the Amazon, but was the most advanced member of his race and therefore always felt left out. Jon was the last of his kind and was hunted like the rest in the mountains of Russia.
Jim wipes a tear from Jon’s face and caresses him lovingly to calm him down. If we lose this place then how will we find each other again? Jon asks with sorrow. Jim tells him he will never stop looking for him if they get separated and will get through anything that gets in their way. Jon presses his face into Jim’s chest while Jon holds him tight. I can’t be alone again, I can’t lose you; Jon wails into Jim’s chest. I decided to give them a moment and asked Siente what she thinks. Gunter was standing next to The Host while holding Mila. Mila and Siete exchanged high pitched noises and rolling clicks since she’s unable to speak from The Host without her thousands of children controlling it. Mila translates for us and tells us Siete is against it and that she knows Klaus is real.
When a spider is born into The Host they share experiences and memories with their hive mind so that even if only one survives The Host will always return. She has knowledge of the complex that predates all of us combined. Klaus is real and may not be as powerful as a god, but has the abilities to kill anything that has a consciousness. A god killing monster that was barely stopped by Winthorp, The Complex and his selected tenants. The Host stayed out of it last time, but lost many friends in the complex war. We were the first friends she’s had in a very long time and doesn’t want to lose us too. I asked Mila what she thinks. Mila agreed and told us she loves us and that she’s never had the privilege of having friends or a kin before. Mila looked at Siete when mentioning kin and Siete relaxed slightly at the comforting words. However, Mila was forced to battle to the death just to have a resting place and can not let that slide. Winthorp needs to die, she answers.
I take the floor, Then we put it to a vote. All in favor of letting the sleeping dog lie? Gunter and Jon raise their hands slightly while Siete raises her tiny spider leg. All in favor of taking down a god? Jim and I raise ours while Mila raises her insectoid leg weakly. We were tied and had to break it. Jim holds Jon’s hands and tells him, We can’t stay here forever. What if one day Winthorp decides to throw one of us into the ring or even worse? Tells us we have to kill each other. He can’t live everyday guessing what a mad god is feeling. Home is wherever Jon is and he will always find his home. Jim presses his forehead into Jon’s lightly. Trust me, Jim whispers. Jon relaxes into Jim’s forehead to show his trust. Promise? Jon asks softly. Promise. Jim replies just as softly back. Jon shakes his head up and down slightly and kisses his lover to seal the promise. Okay, Jon says out loud with a sniffle. I’m in.
The decision has been made. Gunter, Mila, The Host, Siete, Jim, Jon and I are going to find the first tenant. The god killer and hopefully our way out of here, Klaus. The complex and tenants begin to stir. They don’t know why, but everything in the complex feels a shift. Something is happening and even Winthorp feels something is amiss. Little did we know that someone was just outside my door and was listening to us the entire time. Our simple decision sent a pulse down into the depth of the complex and a smile forms in the darkness. It’s time to kill Winthorp and leave The Pandemonium Complex.