Dreamspawn

"I don't get it. I just don't… what are you thinking?"

Jest was dismayed. 

The kid, Asterion, had seemed strange from the very beginning. The mere fact that Anvil, who was turning twenty-three soon, would recruit a youth who did not look older than sixteen to accompany him into the Nightmare made no sense. 

Given his age, Asterion could not have Awakened years ago, and would therefore have no experience. Unknown, inexperienced, untested… someone like that should not have become a member of any cohort attempting to challenge the Second Nightmare, let alone one consisting of warriors of Anvil's caliber. 

More than that, the kid simply gave Jest the creeps. He was perfectly pleasant and friendly, spending most of his time wandering the Citadel with a curious look on his face, but there was something about Asterion that seemed slightly… off. 

As if he was not quite human, but merely a thing wearing human skin.