He Who Fights with Monsters, #3
He Who Fights with Monsters 3
by Shirtaloon
Contents
5. Departures
Overview
Danielle shows the Mirror King Jason’s team defeating Prince Valdis, prompting a wry comparison to Danielle’s younger tactics. After a raucous farewell, the hungover Valdis is retrieved by his father, while Hastor reveals he is Sigrid’s father and thanks Jason for standing as a friend. Jason preps for a road contract; Henrietta joins as bronze-rank supervisor, determined to overhaul the team’s familiar tactics. En route out of the city, a powerful manifestation appears, and the team races to respond.
Summary
In the mirage chamber control room, Danielle Geller screens Jason’s team’s victory over Prince Valdis for the Mirror King. He notes how Jason exploits leverage like Danielle once did, while Danielle insists Humphrey remains honorable. The king concludes Danielle paired Humphrey with someone more like her—Jason.
After a heavy farewell party on Jason’s houseboat, Valdis suffers a brutal hangover as his team prepares to portal home. Sigrid jokes that Valdis would otherwise try last-minute recruiting. An unseen arrival compels everyone but Jason and Valdis to kneel: the Mirror King appears, with his gold-rank protocol officer, Hastor. Jason refuses to kneel, bantering about borrowed queens, which amuses the king but irks Hastor. Valdis vomits, the king good-naturedly calls it a lesson, and escorts his son away through Hastor’s glass-like portal.
Following the royal departure, Sigrid greets Hastor warmly, revealing he is her father. Hastor thanks Jason for being a friend who stands rather than kneels, then leaves. Jason resolves to grow strong enough that royalty minds their decorum around him.
On the marina, Jason stores the cloud house and refills its cleaning reserves with crystal wash, preparing to take it on the road contract. With the Builder conflict paused and the Purity church detained pending higher rulings, Gary returns to Emir at Sky Scar Lake and Rufus to the Geller Estate and his academy project.
At the Adventure Society, Henrietta Geller joins as the supervising bronze-ranker, bringing a phoenix familiar and other minions. The team deploys new transport: Shade forms three spectral horses for Jason, Sophie, and Belinda; Humphrey rides bright-pink Stash; Henrietta rides a paper-like construct; Clive tows Neil on a floating trolley. Henrietta critiques their mirage-chamber tactics, vowing to drill better familiar coordination, including Jason.
While exiting the city, a surge of rainbow light signals a manifestation. Clive identifies it as likely a silver-rank monster. Despite Belinda’s lack of assessment, Jason leads the charge, urging Shade to gallop as the team races toward the threat.
Who Appears
- Jason AsanoDefies protocol before the Mirror King, prepares the cloud house, leads the team toward a city manifestation.
- Mirror KingWatches the mirage fight, retrieves Valdis, compares Jason’s tactics to Danielle’s, handles protocol with humor.
- Henrietta GellerBronze-rank supervisor; minion specialist who joins the road contract and demands stronger familiar tactics.
- Prince ValdisHungover after farewell party; escorted home by his father through Hastor’s portal.
- HastorGold-rank protocol officer and portal user; Sigrid’s father; thanks Jason for standing as a friend to Valdis.
- SigridValdis’s teammate; keeps him out of trouble; reveals Hastor is her father; leads team’s departure.
- Danielle GellerShows the recording to the Mirror King and frames Humphrey’s character against Jason’s methods.
- Humphrey GellerRides Stash and joins the road contract under Henrietta’s supervision.
- CliveSecures all-terrain skimmer; tows Neil; assesses the manifestation’s likely rank.
- BelindaRides a Shade-formed horse; unassessed but still goes to confront the manifestation.
- SophieRides a Shade-formed horse; joins the team charging toward the manifestation.
- NeilRides in a floating trolley; hopes for a better mount; follows the team to the manifestation.
- ShadeFamiliar who forms three spectral horses for Jason, Sophie, and Belinda; comments on riding etiquette.