Chapter 1692 (1/2)
“This is…” Tatiana pressed her lips together as she looked down at the golden-edged paper that was being presented to her. Her own signature at the bottom seemed to be laughing at her quick acceptance of Randidly’s suggestion. “I certainly didn’t expect to see this used so quickly.”
Zack Krum, the student’s chosen representative, bowed slightly. The two of them were alone in Tatiana’s office. Golden rays of sunlight walked confidently through the windows and enthusiastically warmed the carpet between them. “I know it is quick… but this was something we all agreed upon. Fully 80% of the student body supports this.”
Tatiana suppressed a smile. Yes, despite his other failings in social interactions… one cannot deny Randidly has a flair for the dramatic…Even though I suspect he doesn’t do things like this purposefully...
She scanned the proposal briefly. “So… you want to make a holiday. But not just for the Academy… but for all of Kharon.”
Zack Krum hesitated, then nodded with enough force that his ginger curls bounced across his head. “We… we wished that we didn’t need to impose upon everyone… but considering all the options… there just didn’t seem to be a way to pull it off without involving the whole of the Wandering City… we think that will be part of the… uh, entertainment value. That everyone can participate.”
And of course, children are born with a little bit of narcissistic naivety… but I don’t hate it. Tatiana nodded calmly, trying to strike the right balance between adult seriousness and cautious acceptance. Having the kids parade across the sky would certainly alleviate some of the constant grind of Kharon’s wanderings.“So, have you thought about the name for this holiday?”
Zack Krum’s eyes brightened. “We want to call it… The Running of the Ghosthounds.”
*****
Congratulations! Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual (L) has grown to Level 366!
Congratulations! Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle (M) has grown to Level 342!
“Fuck, I’ve got a headache,” Randidly muttered to himself in the depths of the shaft, allowing his Nether Ritual to dissipate between his fingers. The ritual gradually came to pieces in front of him without the powerful force of his Willpower animating it.
Four months had passed since he had left Expira and returned to training in this misty, dark interior of this bone esophagus. And he had improved quickly when he pushed everything aside and embraced the study of Nether. For the past few weeks, the scale of his Nether Rituals was such that he had basically reached the limits of the area; he could extend the scope to include everything that he could sense in his surroundings, which had earned him the constant irritation of the Nether Gatekeepers meditating below.
Which meant that there were two months until the announced date of the Calamity on Expira. Lucretia was getting increasingly pushy, so it was time for Randidly to stop practicing and leave the shaft. He shook himself and glanced downward at the Nether Gatekeepers. Briefly, he entertained the thought of approaching them about joining the Alpha Cosmos, but Randidly reasoned that they might be a little miffed about his Nether Rituals at the moment.
After I head outside for a while, months or years will pass, Randidly grimaced at the obvious animosity the Nether Gatekeepers released as they noticed his examination. Hopefully, they will forget about my training and be more willing to talk…
Randidly slapped his hands against his cheeks to wake himself up a bit. Then he mobilized his significance within him, working the Nether within his body into a frenzy. His Weight shrouded him, filling out aura like an extra layer of inflated muscle. He kicked at the air and accelerated upward, moving with much more ease than he last left the shaft, despite his headache.
He blew past the porcelain guardians and then the representatives of the Engraving Guild, who were still talking quietly where Randidly had met them previously. He gave them a brief nod and continued to accelerate upward, only slowing down as he approached the door into that strange twilight neighborhood where Edraine had set up her base.
Both Edraine and Octavius were busy with other things, so Randidly gratefully returned to ‘his’ room and spread out on the palette there. He closed his eyes and stretched even further, earning pops from his shoulders. I guess I should have just recovered by sleeping in the shaft, but there’s just something particularly great about sleeping on a bed…
Besides, a few hours won’t make much difference, in the grand scheme of things…
But despite the ready ease that his body relaxed, his strained mind didn’t behave so obediently. Despite, or perhaps because of, the all-consuming exertion he had embraced for several months, finally taking a break from the training allowed his thoughts to confront something that had been nagging at him for a while. Randidly opened his eyes and sighed. Assuming I eventually gather enough power to protect my Alpha Cosmos, to change the way the Nexus functions… What is it that I’ll do then? How will I spend my time?
Randidly’s mind drifted to those early days, growing plants in the Safe Zone and then in that valley that would eventually expand to become Donnyton. I suppose… Farming and Potion Making were the two things that I actually enjoyed… Maybe I could just…
And like magic, something about the memory crouching next to a dirt field with the warm secondhand heat of the sun coming off of the soil just eased something in Randidly’s heart. His flitting mind settled and clear. Randidly sucked in a deep breath and by the time he breathed out, he was completely asleep.
When he woke up, it was to a bunch of waiting Skill Level Up notifications.
Congratulations! Your Skill Soulbond has grown to Level 156!
…
Congratulations! Your Skill Soulbond has grown to Level 356!
For a second, Randidly just stared at the enormous column of notifications in shock. Then he could only shake his head and chuckle. Maybe I’ve been driving myself too hard. My work here in the Nexus is important… but I’ve been putting too many things on hold… Randidly’s mind drifted to Vualla, before he snapped back to the notifications. ...and that has hurt me. But like I told Todd… even if I fail, that’s not the end of things. That’s why I’m driving the people of Expira so hard.
So I don’t always need to be the heroic force.
Plus, Randidly could immediately feel the way that his heart had eased and allowed him a more intimate connection with Neveah when he began to think about himself. Now with just a thought, their bond crossed the distance between them and established a connection. Without even a message, they could rapidly exchange insights about Engraving. More than ever, the two of them were working together.