Chapter 324 (1/2)

Vandal hopped on one foot to the other, while he watched Copper, who continued to sit, staring at the board, his eyes blank.

Well, his eyes were always blank. All he had was a skull. But this was a particular brand of blank that Vandal was sure was not even healthy. Feeling bored, he skipped over to the dead fire, sniffing. There had to be…

Ah, there.

Vandal found a bit of vegetable that had fallen out of the pot and was hidden in the coals. Although it was charred, Vandal happily gobbled it down. You couldn’t imbue vegetables with the same power you could meat, or at least he couldn’t, but the vegetables that the Donnyton individuals carried were the most nutrient dense and delicious he had ever seen.

‘They truly had the highest quality ingredients,’ Vandal thought with a wistful expression. If he could get his hands on a bit of Lucifer’s body… or even better yet, the Ghosthound…

Clenching his hands into fists, Vandal repeatedly cursed that zombie man who had beaten him up. Vandal spared a glance for Drake, who was still watching Copper. Everyone seemed to be waiting for Copper.

The chess board remained untouched, from the point where the two individuals had drawn, and then, rather abruptly, the Donnyton squad departed. And yet, although Iznock was eager to leave, he remained, because Copper’s behavior was so profoundly strange. Why was he locked into his focus so much…?

People had spoken to him, but he had remained still, ignoring them. At Drake’s weary insistence, they had waited. Copper wouldn’t do this to them without a reason.

Vandal kicked a stone. It rolled forward a bit, and then it stilled, spinning to a stop. He turned to Drake. “At least we made it out safe, right? And the Donnydums didn’t find out what the Skeleton Knight’s Regalia is. What’s a Regalia, anyway?”

Vandal hoped it was meat. It was not.

“A Regalia is like… proof of being a Champion. It channels the System’s rules through a Champion’s body, limiting them in some ways, but giving them other powers in exchange. It is well known that the Skeleton Knight’s Regalia is his sword,” Drake answered absently, his eyes still on Copper. “The Regalia was just an easy bait. Clarissa knew we would be too curious to resist coming, and would take the risk of betting on a chess game once we knew who was here… and they were perfectly fine with allowing us to dally...They had another goal for keeping us here, but…”

“Part of it was drawing,” Vandal supplied. He had seen some of the more sneaky moves the others made in the shadows, due to his increased sight in the dark, courtesy of a cat he had for dinner. “They made sketches of us all.”

“I wish it were that simple.” Iznock rumbled. But of course, after his cryptic comments, he remained silent, regardless of the small stones Vandal kicked at him.

Vandal sighed. Tormenting someone without any meat was impossible.

There was a cough, and then Copper straightened, reaching up and scratching the bone of his skull. After a second of hesitation, Copper turned to Iznock, announcing. “I know why Donnyton is moving so far North.”

Iznock remained still, seemingly unsurprised.

Continuing, Copper said. “They… are after the same thing the Skeleton Knight is, I believe. Iznock… what happens when an individual who is not a Champion holds both of the Regalias?”

*****

“Perhaps… his feelings for you are not as strong as we once believed,” The Creature said, almost mockingly, as she looked across the scrying pool towards Lyra.

For her part, Lyra said nothing. She had, in her mind, a mental list of sins that she would make Randidly pay for, slowly. Not too painfully, perhaps, but uncomfortably, at the very least. He had earned himself MANY such inconveniences in his time on the other world. Even thinking about it made the blood begin to pound in Lyra’s ears and her vision go dark. This would be just another comeuppance heading for him.