just a partial theory Regina admitted readily And honestly itÆs somewhat of a stretch but as the leader of East End IÆm sure you are aware that the bond between an individual and their elemental familiar is unusual but not unique It shares some characteristics with the Soulbound connection that some individuals in Zone 32 maintain to this day
Sydney nodded and Regina continued to speak The marked difference of course is that a contract with a familiar can be terminated unilaterally by either party I suspect the problem currently with Drake is that both he and his familiar were presented with circumstances in the past year that would have made it logical for them to sever their bond Yet neither was willing to abandon their partner They both attempted to protect each other So their bond endured but I believe they have become somewhat numb to external stimulus
We need a way to reach them then Sydney whispered Regina nodded
After a few more minutes at looking at DrakeÆs sleeping face Sydney stood Thank you for your help doctor IÆll think of something
Regina Northwind bowed slightly to Sydney If you need anything we are here
Then Sydney left the hospital her expression becoming increasingly stormy and vicious as she swept out of the buildings and out under the cloudy sky Snow flurries drifted downward subtly spinning in SydneyÆs direction It was time that she confronted the man who had caused it all Roy had been there with Drake at the World Crater and had somehow convinced him to take the personal boost in Stats rather than giving an experience buff to Earth Sydney would find out what that sick piece of shit had done to her subordinate
And then she would make him pay just as she had done with Ace
J j just a moment Miss Helen The police commissioner squeaked raising a hand for Helen to slow her assault while the other hand attempted to wipe blood out of his eyes
Helen ignored his panicked cry Would an enemy listen to such a request on the battlefield Of course not Helen might not care either way how strong this police commissioner would become but she certainly cared that it was widely known that he was being personally trained by her As such she made sure to shower him with affectionÆ
She had a reputation to uphold
A crimson wave of blood exploded outward from HelenÆs body It impacted the partially blinded commissioner in the chest He barely managed a yelp before he was tossed down the slope to impact a tall oak tree His body crashed through the canopy and then rolled down to thump against the ground It was clear from his dazed expression that the current training session would need to be paused until the man could recover
Clicking her tongue in distaste Helen turned away from her trainee and began to stretch It had been one week since the group had come into the Dungeon and Helen was becoming a bit restless As Randidly had suggested when they arrived the monsters within the Dungeon were numerous but none were so powerful that Helen felt even the tiniest spark of excitement as she hunted them Besides the Riders appeared to be having an unofficial competition to see who could clear the most monsters and greatly resented the fact that Helen had been encroaching on their turf So she could only pass the time with her own training and that of this rather unreliable commissioner
After all the prospect of trying to teach children or weaklings was even less appetizing to her
It was a small blessing that Ajax had taken over the training of most of the force but that just meant that Helen had more free time to become bored Some of it she spent watching the other people who came into the Dungeon but she found no joy in watching children learn to build mud buildings nor did Helen wish to listen to Sam Nathan and Gertrude excitedly talk about these keystonesÆ they were developing for Kharon Academy
Helen growled and as always happened when she was at her most annoyed and her gaze turned up toward the peak on which Randidly had set himself up
Even if she hadnÆt seen him physically go there it was quite easy to locate him The Ghosthound was constantly training his powerful images up on that peak seeming to seek a way to maintain all three images at once without compromising their power Helen had been rather confused by this training at the beginning but as the heaviness surrounding that peak grew more palpable she began to feel quite a lot of fear for what Randidly Ghosthound might become in the future
As it was Helen marveled at the way that RandidlyÆs images slowly spread out and formed a constant seal on the surrounding area The weaker individuals wouldnÆt notice it but to an experienced image user like Helen she could clearly feel how activating an image was just a little bit more difficult than it would be in normal circumstances RandidlyÆs domineering images spread out and warped the world to his will and the rest of them had to pay the price
The most intimidating part was that the effect was cumulative each day it became a little bit harder to utilize images that werenÆt related to the Ghosthound Helen couldnÆt help but be amused by the commissionerÆs bleak response when he noticed how little he had improved each day But each day saw him restrained by the increasing weight of ambient image It was honestly rather impressive that the man was improving faster than the restraint was It proved he was worthy of experiencing her training
Still Helen frowned up at the peak I planned on waiting until we had developed a while in here before making trouble but if you insist on making this area so beneficial to you IÆm left with no choice
Leaving the commissioner mumbling to himself and staggering to his feet Helen began to walk up toward the peak of the Ghosthound As she neared the base of that mountain the imageÆs reverberations grew more intense But Helen raised her chin and marched up the winding mountain path Then about halfway up the mountain the surrounding scrub trees that had hardily rooted themselves began to show signs that they were withering and dying from exposure Their leaves were brown and their branches drooped as though they couldnÆt handle the weight of the images in the air
Yet beyond that only a hundred meters below the area where Randidly had settled the trees seemed to come back to life But these trees were strange Their branches grew long and they seemed to sway in the wind The leaves on these trees were a deep green that produced an almost bell like tinkling as they rustled In addition the leaves were so thick that the area around the trunk of these trees was obscured with thick shadows
Occasionally Helen was struck by the strong impression that something was within those shadows watching her movements Yet HelenÆs lip just curled up under the shrouded gazes Even if some weird sort of monster had been modified by RandidlyÆs images wouldnÆt it be a much more interesting foe than the weaklings that filled this fucking place So she looked around with enthusiasm
Of course none dared attack her So Helen arrived quickly at the top of the peak
Randidly had leveled the top portion of the mountain creating a large flat area for himself Then he had reinforced the ground beneath his feet by lining the stone ground with a latticework of roots largely increasing the integrity of the mountain In addition to that he had set up a strange stone orb lined with runes as well as a small root hut on the far side of the area
When Helen arrived Randidly was standing in the center of the training area His form had warped to a larger than life version of himself with an eye that devoured light emerald hair and a long bony tail Although there was no doubt that he had sensed her coming quite a long time ago only when she stood at the edge of his training area did he pause
Despite the fact that she knew it was an image even Helen found it somewhat off putting as the Ghosthound studied her with one emerald eye and an egg of darkness Helen why are you here
Helen smiled wickedly Well why do you think
Then she unleashed her Tides of Blood Domain and crimson waves submerged the entirety of the peak