Chapter 98 (1/2)

Randidly arrived at Donnyton 40 minutes later, the distance completely eaten by his mobility with all of his skills active. Most everyone was gathered in a huge clump, whispering. All of the Classers had worried looks on their faces.

Randidly used his Eyes of the Spear Phantom to pick out someone in the far side of the crowd, and then used Phantom Half-Step to teleport right in the middle of the group, appearing next to Sam and Daniel.

Daniel paled even further, which seemed impossible, given how bloodless his face was right now, and Sam directly collapsed, his limbs trembling. Immediately, the surrounding people turned silent, eyes wide at Randidly’s sudden appearance.

But Randidly ignored them, and asked what was going on. Sam quickly explained about the Tribulation somehow corrupting Turtletown, then releasing the Raid Bosses it had been hiding to attack Donnyton. Lyra had arrived, and then left to fight the tribulation. Then he explained how Nul attacked it spiritually somehow, and disappeared in the process. At that point, the strange corruption seemed to affect Donnyton’s Classers briefly, then stopped.

Randidly glanced at Sam. “What’s your excuse then?”

Immediately, Randidly was shocked at his rough tone, but honestly, it had been a long night. And his aggressiveness, which he usually just bottled up, had finally found an outlet in violence, and had been acknowledged. Randidly knew deep down that he was starting to change, but he couldn’t work up the effort to care.

Changing was better than dying.

Sam just grimaced, taking it in stride. “I’m… not sure. I’ve just felt…. Strangely weak lately.”

Shrugging, Randidly leapt, leaving the group of people. Time to find Lyra.

The search didn’t take as long as he expected. There was an area  to the Northwest where trees in a large area had been leveled, as if with a razor, the cuts clean and sharp. Randidly moved quickly into the cave, where he found a very strange scene.

Lyra was sprawled out on the ground, reaching forward, to another Lyra who was sitting in a sitting cross legged, her face scrunched, her eyes closed.

Randidly raised his spear.

“I swear to fucking god, I am SO not in the mood right now.” Lyra muttered out through gritted teeth. Randidly sighed and lowered his spear.

“If I really wanted to kill you, I’d use a spell anyway.”

“Which I would see coming, you idiot. Better stick with the spear before I murder you.”

They were silent, for a long while, as Randidly looked to the reaching Lyra. She was still, her limbs stiff, her lips blue; clearly dead. His eyes slid to the living Lyra.

“Have something to say?” Lyra said waspishly.

“Nope.” Randidly said, grinning slightly.

“Well I do. Bring all the fat cats from Donnyton. I have something to say. I need you all here.”

Randidly nodded, but as he turned away, Lyra’s voice stopped him. “And Randidly… what I’m going to say… doesn’t… apply… to…. You….”

It seemed like speaking took a great toll on Lyra, because she spat out a fat glob of black blood that began to sizzle on the ground. Randidly nodded slowly, uncomprehending, but acknowledging the words. The he spoke, quietly.

“Lyra… it’s really good to see you again. I missed you.”

Her pinched face broke into a small smile. In that moment, Randidly activated Haste and  Empower, his spear ripping across in a line, beheading the sitting Lyra. Bloodlessly, her head toppled to the ground, and then dissolved into a grey goo.

Inwardly, Randidly set himself into a fighting stance, struggling to avoid the strange sense of loss in his heart. If Lyra was dead-

“I SAID. I am NOT in the fucking mood.” Lyra spat, her head reforming before his very eyes. The beheaded version began to sizzle away into nothing on the ground.

Randidly blinked.

****

Sam winced, still feeling weak after Randidly’s arrival earlier caused him to collapse. It had been happening intermittently of late, but today was the worst it had ever been. It wasn’t as bad as the pain the Classers had briefly experienced, but it was infuriating in a different way. He hadn’t felt the trappings of age since the system had hit, and to feel them again now…

It reminded him of his own mortality.

But Randidly had come, gathered the Council,taking them to an area 3 miles away from Donnyton, through a deep cave. He warned then to not jump to any conclusions, based on what they saw, and also to be ready to fight.

Then he had fallen silent, a brooding expression on his face, and that had been most disturbing of all.

When they arrived they all looked, eyes wide, at Lyra’s corpse, and then her sitting form. The Ghosthound walked right up to her, so the rest followed.

As they approached, The Ghosthound drew a wooden training spear, and held the point to the throat of the sitting Lyra. Her mouth quirked up in a small smile, but she otherwise remained still. They stood like that as the Council arrayed itself near, but far enough away to react, with Donny standing, confused, with his shield raised.

When they had all settled in, The Ghosthound coughed, and then said. “Before… Lyra starts, I want to say, no questions until she finishes. Especially you Daniel. This seems… straining, on her.”

Then they all turned to the sitting Lyra.

She opened her eyes, which burned a vivid violet. The Ghosthound narrowed his eyes, but otherwise showed no reaction. Sam gasped, taking a step backwards. This… these weren’t Lyra’s eyes….!

“Ahem! Welcome welcome, ah yes, finally my chance to monologue. As some of you suspect, yes, Lyra, the human, has… passed. Of course, as a personality, I am unending, ohoho, so now you see before you the glorious, Lyra, the Village Spirit! Praise me~”