"Ok, I get it," Karyn said. "She's bad news, but that still doesn't tell us what she wants."
"Don't you get it? She doesn't want anything except to watch, but that doesn't mean she won't set things in motion just to see what might happen. She's playing a game where only she knows the rules," Arthur said.
Jon cleared his throat. "Before you pulled us in here you were saying something like it should have been impossible to free her but that there was something about me that made it possible. Is that why we're here?"
Arthur looked over Jon. Their eyes locked for a brief moment before Arthur gave a slight nod. "Yes, you're unique, Jon. You see, Eris and I are of the same race. We exist outside of reality as a kind of police force to keep things in line. You wouldn't believe how much slippage there is between dimensions. We have the ability to merge realities, so to speak, create focal points between two different possibilities to create a new reality. Over time, our intrusions into your reality have become the myths and legends that you pass on today."
"So you were the Greek gods back in the day...what does that have to do with me?"
"Well, as you can guess by the story you just told, we are just as prone to emotional reactions as you. Many of my kind chose to stay behind in your reality for various reasons. Over time they essentially became human but they passed their abilities on through their offspring. Over time these powers became so diluted that they simply fell into dormancy. It appears you have connections to multiple different bloodlines of my kind, though, making you one of our purest descendants in nearly a millenium."
"Wait...you're saying I'm a demi-god?"
"More or less," Arthur said. "Your last wish appears to have unlocked your access to your powers. Though they are fairly low level compared to myself or Eris, you have the potential to bend reality as you see fit to some degree. The stone acts as a focus point for you. In fact, it was essentially the key to Eris's prison, which is why your vague wish was enough to release her."
"So, how do we stop Eris?" Karyn said, getting everyone back on track.
"Well, she's set up some kind of woman's conference in your town," Arthur said. "I think that would be a good place to start."
"Wait a minute," Karyn said. "That can't be possible. They've been advertising that conference for months. I was going to go to the keynote address with my mom later tonight to hear Erin Stephens speak."
"Since when? We were supposed to hang out tonight, Karyn," Jon said. "And who the hell is Erin Stephens?"
Karyn started to answer but Arthur cut her off. "In your reality, Erin Stephens is a feminist novelist who is urging women to take back their power from the men of the world. Thanks to your wish she's been building a cult of personality around herself for years. Unfortunately, she didn't exist until 10 minutes ago when you made the wish."
"You mean...she's Eris?" Karyn said, sounding disappointed.
"I'm afraid so, Karyn. Now, we have to make sure the two of you can get into the conference without attracting attention."
"Why can't you just go fix it, Arthur?" Jon asked.
"I'm sealed in Nowhere. Here, I'm a god, but I can't get out to impact other realities. So it's up to you two to fix this. Don't worry, I'll be with you every step of the way. Now, let's get down to brass tacks."
