For a second Randidly was confused but then he heard something and nodded He stepped into the shadows just as Tia stomped forward Her face was scrunched up into a scowl and she glared at Neveah who simply smiled affably back
You left the party The ENTIRE party Tia huffed There were tears in her eyes Randidly saw Abruptly he felt guilty that he had assumed that she would be glad to have him gone so she could take the limelight Although Randidly wasnÆt sure how superficial the relationship between Neveah and Tia was it was still a relationship Both of them needed to be a part of it
Perhaps thatÆs why his own relationships were so sporadic and short lived
I know IÆm sorry I was helping a friend Neveah said simply
Tia shook her head Today of all days You spend every day helping people You are obsessed with helping people CanÆt I have a SINGLE day where you are just mine
With a sigh Neveah shook her head and said No
Abruptly Tia burst into tears and threw herself into NeveahÆs arms The two embraced and Randidly was a little afraid that Tia would be scared off by the feel of NeveahÆs true body But if she noticed it she gave no sign Then two of them held each other for several minutes the only sounds between them TiaÆs sniffles
This is the way I am In a way I am blessed that I have many soul mates Neveah said some of her cheer restored
Tia snorted When my next tour starts IÆll be even busier I probably wonÆt even take your calls And god help you when I finally am ready to record another album Oh ThereÆs even been talk of me acting in a movie
We will always find time for each other even if it makes us uncomfortable Neveah announced That is what a soulmate is
After a while the two took a step back from each other TiaÆs eyes roamed the dark alcoves of the half constructed building behind Neveah where Randidly was standing SheÆs here isnÆt she
Neveah nodded I must finish talking to her
I would like to face her Tia said but as she said that she reached up with one hand and fluffed her hair
Neveah chuckled but beckoned As he stood there Randidly felt the air around him adjust as NeveahÆs illusion settled around him Annoyed that Neveah could do this so easily and he couldnÆt do it well at all even when borrowing her Skill Randidly stepped forward
When Tia looked at him she looked at a spot that was on his chest because the form Neveah had given him was much smaller than he actually was
WhatÆs your name Tia asked
For a second Randidly froze What name should he say DonÆt save Valkyrie donÆt say Valkyrie
But then abruptly a word came to his mouth because he suddenly knew who Neveah had made him look like Lyra My nameÆs Lyra
Tia gave a small nod looking Randidly up and down And as Tia looked Randidly saw Lyra too Her sharp features her tawny hair her wicked smile And ultimately Tia seemed satisfied and turned to go Randidly wanted to roll his eyes
Really all you wanted to check was that your fianceÆs ex was attractive
After she had gone the joy left Randidly and he felt tired There were two things he wanted to do before he left because today had proven to him that taking back his name and face would be more trouble than it was worth First because of the engagement then because of the work and finally because of GhostÆs watchful eye Senator Firefly might be a good source of information but he was a fool in some ways and just as likely to tip the Creature and its servants off to his goals
The first thing he wanted to do was look at his reflection Although RandidlyÆs attempts at illusion were clumsy he could still manage to create the illusion of a mirror and he looked at himself
Maybe the real reason that I was so furious Randidly said slowly Was because with her it was never about trust Lyra only cared about results And she believed that you should be the same The thing she shared her secrets with was the Creature not me And she wanted me to accept that
Then Randidly shook his head There was a knot here inside of himself due to her involvement with the Creature It was something he didnÆt understand on so many levels But his gut just kept repeating the same thing over and over
Why didnÆt you pick me
Maybe Lyra thought she had But her way of picking was not something Randidly was willing to put up with Shaking his head Randidly turned to the issue at hand He looked at Neveah
You actually care for her When I heard how you came to be engaged I thought it was a misunderstanding Did you truly know what you were doing the whole time Randidly asked
Well no said Neveah her Randidly smile sheepish But does anyone The more time I spent with her It made me happy
Randidly regarded Neveah skeptically This will not end well Do you think that Tia would really want to marry you if she knew what you were
Neveah shrugged It was oddly infuriating to watch his own body perform gestures thought Randidly as he gritted his teeth
More than that she is shallow and self centered She canÆt see past what is put in front of her SheÆs basically nothing more than a child
Am I not the same
NeveahÆs words stopped Randidly dead in his tracks
Perhaps not shallow but I play games I donÆt do things I donÆt want to do I donÆt worry about responsibility I just act That is the freedom that you gave me I understand that in your mind this is a stage I will grow out of but what if it is not ItÆs true we might decide not to get married or we might get married then end things but do not most humans do this
Also Randidly Neveah gazed at him with soft eyes Do you realize why she infuriates you so much ItÆs true she has her own shallowness and vanity she is very different but I think if you look closely about how eclectic her attention is and how much her world is centered around herself How kind she is without thinking and how she would act without asking for anything in return you can see just how similar you two are at your core And why I will marry her
Chapter 553
Randidly understood what Neveah was saying what does it matter that their relationship was doomed People made bad decisions about relationships all the time Should Neveah being a monster stop her from the privilege of doing the same
After begrudgingly agreeing that NeveahÆs actions in his name were likely the best option this new argument was infuriating in a whole different manner Not only that but for Neveah to say that Randidly was just as scatterbrained and childish as Tia
Randidly needed a break So he went to a place where he could let loose
With his eyes burning golden emerald in the darkness Randidly walked into the danger zone that housed the Three Headed Ogre Sulfur hissed in pleasure as it settled around his body Acri whistled as it wound its way up his leg and presented itself to be grabbed
Just like last time the first ogres in the Danger Zone did not bother to use any sort of trickery they charged out of the brush with clubs held high The fury inside of Randidly numbed him somewhat so he didnÆt even move even as the ogres approached him Their wild blows crashed downwards and Randidly did not dodge
They smashed into SulfurÆs plates and the strange carbon plant lifeform did its best to disperse the force of the blow But still Randidly staggered somewhat After all these monsters were in the low 60s and their build was focused on Strength It was no surprise that they could deal damage if their blows actually landed
There was a spark in RandidlyÆs chest and he grunted but it was not enough to disperse the slowly building fury When he swung Acri it was a clumsy thing All raw force and the vicious desire to kill But still the ogres fell back with severed limbs and mortal wounds
Randidly staggered forward his eyes brilliant emerald stars As he continued through the walk more and more ogres came for him No longer would Randidly give them a chance to strike him first but instead he would swing Acri with all the force he could muster and trade blows with these two and a half meter tall ogres
Sizable chunks of RandidlyÆs health were ripped off but immediately his huge Health Regeneration began activating at full capacity to restore him After a time Randidly found himself panting alone in a clearing Around him 40 silent ogres lay their bodies hacked to shreds