"Damn it," hissed Zyphre. "I thought I destroyed your physical body for good."
"As did I," said Nerull with a smirk. "But, as you can see, you did not. Such a pity."
"Don't fuck with me!" shouted Zyphre, his hand moving for the hilt of his sword.
"Are you actually going to use Burning Madness on me?" asked Nerull with a laugh. "You know that your little knife's power won't work on me."
"Just because it can't drive you insane doesn't mean it can't still cut off your head," snarled Zyphre.
"Would you really do that in front of your little crush?" cackled Nerull. "My poor Lydia still looks so confused. Perhaps we should do her a kindness, and restore her memories?"
"Don't go near her!" shouted Zyphre, but it was too late. Nerull was closer, and got there first.
He grabbed Lydia's wrist, ignoring her protests, and pressed the palm of his other hand to her forehead. Lydia screamed as everything came rushing back at once. She suddenly remembered everything; who she was, what she was, all her power, and who she served. She fell to her knees, head bowed, her hair covering her face.
"Heheheheh…"
"Lydia?" Zyphre dropped to his knees next to her, grabbing her shoulder and shaking her slightly. "Oh, no, Lydia!"
"What's wrong, Zyphre?" asked Lydia. Her voice had an echo to it. She raised her face to his and opened her eyes. Zyphre felt the cold fear grip his heart when he saw her eyes. They were no longer green. They had turned to black fire. "You look so scared, Zyphre. Is anything the matter? Hahahaha…"
Zyphre backed away. He took his eyes from Lydia, slowly rising from the floor, only to shoot a glare of pure hatred at Nerull. "Damn you, Nerull!" he hissed. "How could you? She was happier not knowing who she was!"
"You would do better to hold your tongue," said Nerull, pulling Lydia to him. "Lydia is much happier now that she knows of her power. Aren't you, my dear?"
"Yes, my lord," said Lydia.
"Now, my Lydia," said Nerull, "there is something I need you to do."
"Anything, my lord," said Lydia. Zyphre looked horrified, almost as if he knew what Nerull was about to say.
"Zyphre has been very…difficult lately," said Nerull with almost-sincere regret. "Wiping your memory, stealing you away, attacking me for trying to take back what is rightfully mine. We simply can't have that." He held out his hand. Shadows formed in the air above it and an intricate, faintly glowing dagger fell into his hand. He handed it to Lydia. "Be a dear, and kill him for me."
"Of course, my lord," said Lydia, turning her gaze to Zyphre.
"Oh, shit," Zyphre muttered.
Lydia ran at him, brandishing the knife, now covered in flames. The knife was channeling her magic. Zyphre dodged her swing and moved around behind her. She turned and stabbed at him again. Zyphre ducked again.
"Lydia!" he said, dodging another swing. "Lydia, it's me! Don't you recognize me? It's Zyphre! Lydia! Stop it!"
He struck out, hitting the wrist of the hand holding the knife. Lydia drew back and smiled. "Are you finally fighting back, wretch?"
"No!" shouted Zyphre. "I'm not going to fight you!"
"You don't get to make that decision," sneered Lydia. The flames around the knife grew bigger.
Lydia attacked with the knife, more vigorously than before. Zyphre struck back to deflect the blade, not trying to hit her. As they fought, Zyphre tried his best to reason with her.
"This isn't you!" he shouted, blocking her. "I know it isn't! The real Lydia isn't Nerull's pawn! The real Lydia is a beautiful, strong, independent woman! That's the one I like! Lydia, you don't have to follow Nerull's orders! The Lydia I know doesn't take orders from anyone! Can't you see that I'm only trying to help you! Lydia, STOP IT!"
Lydia ignored him. She swung at his head with the knife, now covered in both flames and ice. Zyphre knocked her hand away with enough force to push her back a couple of paces, leaving her wide open. Zyphre took the opportunity. He leapt forward, grabbing both her shoulders tightly.
"SNAP OUT OF IT!" he screamed in her face.
Lydia's furious expression changed to one of shock. Her narrowed eyes widened and changed back to green. The fire and ice around the knife dissipated.
"Z…Zyphre?" she said in a horrified whisper.
Next thing Zyphre knew, Lydia had thrown herself forward into his chest and was hugging him tightly. He hesitated for a couple of seconds, before gently wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly.
"Thank you, Zyphre," whispered Lydia, closing her eyes. "You saved me."
"I…always will," he said, resting his cheek against the top of her head.
Lydia half-opened her eyes. Lupin, up against the wall, could see her face and Zyphre's back. He was close enough to see that Lydia's eyes had turned black again. He saw her raise the knife, covered once more in fire and ice.
"Zyphre, look out!" he shouted, but it was too late.
Zyphre's eyes widened, his mouth slightly open in shock. He made a choked noise, a small line of blood trickling from his mouth. He made another choked noise of pain as Lydia twisted it and wrenched the dripping knife out of his back.
"Lydia…why?" he gasped. He fell to the ground, lying on his stomach, blood beginning to pool around him from the wound above his heart. He looked up at Lydia's face. Her eyes were still black. She smiled. But even as he watched, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Well done, Lydia," said Nerull, moving into Zyphre's line of sight and touching her shoulder. "Don't think you're going to get out of this," he spat at Zyphre. "This knife is enchanted with some of my own magic as well as hers. Any wound it makes disables your fast healing ability. You are as good as dead."
"You're dead, Zyphre," said Lydia.
Zyphre looked into her eyes, and was slightly shocked to see that they were halfway between green and black, moving from one end of the other even as he watched. She was trying to break free.
"I only wanted to keep you safe," he said in a pained voice. "I love you, Lydia."
"You love the woman who killed you?" she asked, but her eyes flashed their usual green before darkening this time.
"I do," he whispered. "I only did the things I did because I care about you so much." He coughed, and more blood trickled out of his mouth. "I only wish they had worked."
"Zyphre…" Lydia bent down next to him. Her eyes were just a shade darker than usual. "Zyphre…!"
Using the last of his strength, Zyphre pushed himself up. He pressed his lips to Lydia's. After only a slight hesitation, she kissed back. Then, too soon, he pulled away, and fell back to the ground, his eyes closing. Lydia stood.
"Now that he's finally out of the picture," said Nerull, holding out his hand, "we can return to my palace, and resume our lives."
Lydia didn't take his hand, or even turn around. Her profile was rigid. The bloodstained knife still in her hand suddenly became engulfed in fire, so powerful that the flames went up her arm, licking at her shoulder.
"Claire, Lupin," she said in a shaking voice. "Watch over him, while I take care of this."
Lydia turned around and faced Nerull. Her emerald-green eyes were filled with unshed tears.
With a scream of rage, she lunged at him. Nerull, at first taking the battle lightly, soon realized that he was fighting for his life. Lydia's pain and rage was making her stronger, and the magic flowing through the knife was far more powerful than it was, even when she was a demi-god. She was fighting for Zyphre.
Nerull was the first to slip up. He didn't particularly want to hurt Lydia, but this feeling was very clearly not shared when his back hit the corner. Lydia stabbed repeatedly, without mercy, the arcane flames searing the flesh around the wounds. And then, after being stabbed twice in the throat, there was a flash of black light.
Lydia stumbled back. Nerull's body was glowing and then, suddenly, it wasn't there anymore. A black mist was all that remained of Nerull's new body, dissipating through the windows. The life that hadn't been completely absorbed yet was returning to its half-dead owners.
Lydia dropped the bloody knife with a clatter before turning and rushing to Zyphre's side. She bent down and placed a hand on his shoulder. She looked up at Lupin and Claire.
"How is he?" she asked.
Lupin shook his head.
"No," she said. "He's not…he can't be…"
"Just before you got Nerull into a corner," said Claire hollowly, "he stopped breathing."
Lydia's blood ran cold.
"No...Zyphre, wake up! Zyphre! Zyphre!"
"He won't wake up, Lydia," said Lupin gently.
"ZYPHREEEE!"
The tears that had been threatening to spill streamed down her face. She hugged Zyphre's body close to her, sobbing into his chest. There was a noise, heard even over the sound of Lydia's crying. It was almost like a sigh. And then there were just ashes. Zyphre's clothes, his sword, and ashes.
Claire fished through her bag and took out a vial, which she handed to Lydia. Lydia silently took it and gathered his ashes into it, sealing it tightly.
"So what now?" asked Lupin.
"I'm staying here," said Claire. "I'm going to lay Carver to rest by the sea, and the resurrection of a god will have unleashed other things. I'm going to protect the survivors."
"I will too," said Lupin. "We need to help those few who survived. What about you, Lydia? Lydia?"
Lydia had gathered up Zyphre's clothes and sword and stood up. She walked to the door, pausing in the doorframe and looking over her shoulder. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I'm going to Arrosfar," she said. "I promised Zyphre that I would take him there when this was all over, one last time. I'm going to bury him where he was born, in the forests outside the town. After that, I don't know. But I do know that neither of you will ever see me again."
"Lydia…" Lupin stood up and took a few steps after her.
Lydia looked at the floor. "Goodbye Lupin. It was an honor to travel with you. You too, Claire. Pay Carver my respects for me."
Lydia then turned and walked out the door. The two of them never saw her again.
Legit started crying over Skype when he said "Lydia...why?"
Zyphre's Sword: Burning Madness, 4d8+5, crit 16-20/x2. If hit with it, you will hear voices in your head pointing out all your flaws and weaknesses, driving you insane. Being hit once with this sword renders you completely unable to fight.
Truly is a pity he never got to use it.
