Chapter 243 (2/2)

To his surprise, when he turned around, Dian was still standing, hunched over, blood pouring out of her side. And out of her body, a flickering, steadily growing amount of scarlet energy was forming.

****

“Amazing! The Ghosthound struck with fire, and now with spear, crossing the arena like a lightning bolt! Dian is incapacitated! She’s bleeding out! And with that-” But then Claptrap fell silent, because contrary to what he expected, Dian didn’t fall. She was clearly sporting a wound that would kill her, if the match didn’t stop.

Aethon leaned forward. “This… is dangerous. That woman…”

Dian swayed. The air around her shimmered, becoming strangely crimson. Then she slowly straightened, removing her hands from her side, allowing more blood to pump out onto the stage. The cheers of the audience slowly died, drowned out by the sound of that blood splashing onto the stone.

“Can’t you see it?” Dian said, gesturing wildly. “Her seeds are everywhere. Can’t you hear her? She whispers! Even to me! The nerve of that witch, she whispers even to me!”

Around Dian, the energy grew thicker and more wild. The ground underneath her bubbled and frothed, thick and viscous. The Ghosthound stood very still, pointing his spear towards her.

With a clang that carried across all of the arena, Dian dropped her own spear. The referee walked over towards her, speaking low under his breath to her, but she ignored him, her gaze locked onto the Ghosthound.

“Even me! I could reach out and take it… and with that strength, I could crush you. Don’t you understand? You need me. You needed me! And now, I…. after so long…”

She became a pyre of that crimson energy, burning before their eyes.

“I choose freedom!”

Her flesh melted into nothing, before a silent crowd.

****

Lucretia couldn’t help but laugh, leaning back against the tree. The head of the Yeti and Shal lay around her, in the shade of the tree. The small glen around them was picturesque. Anyone could wander over. It was an open area. One wouldn’t believe that one of the most wanted women in the Spearman School would rest here.

“What a foolish child. So twisted by the energy she cultivated, and the long years she spent keeping tabs on my dearest Shal… Did she think that the only gift I can give his power?”

Lucretia flexed her fingers, opening them, showing a small, glowing orb of energy. Within it, Dian’s face floated, its eyes closed. Humming to herself, Lucretia began to trace complicated runes into the sphere. As she did so, Dian’s face came into sharper and sharper relief, and the face began to twist into a frown.

“I can give all sorts of gifts, to all sorts of people. They need only ask for them. I could even hear the silent plea of a very sad girl who just wanted some wiggle room in the geases laid on her by her masters… so she could just accept her death on her own terms.”

Lucretia lifted the sphere, grinning at the soul held in the palm of her hand, now contained by the runes. “I wonder what the second gift I shall give to you will be. Perhaps even a new body, a new purpose in life? The irony of it drives me crazy, hahahahahahah!”

Standing, Lucretia gestured sharply and a dull eyed Shal stood with her, gathering the Yeti head. Then, as Lucretia continued to hum, Shal followed after her. Looming above them was the heavy mountains upon the base of which Deardun is built.

“I really want to see him now, Shal, you know? This strange boy who keeps driving people I thought out of my reach into my arms, and others away from me.” Lucretia called over her shoulder. “Randidly Ghosthound… I wonder, what gifts will he require of me?”