The Nightscape

The Swamp

Lyra knew that Francine was near. She couldn't say how, but she just knew, in the same way that she knew that Zidros hadn't left the library. In the back of her mind, she felt both of them moving around, could say exactly where they were in relation to her at any given moment. Which was one hell of an issue, because she seriously doubted that it wouldn't go both ways. But she also didn't really care. Francine was coming after Guy, not her, and she didn't care if she caught up and got him or not. He had given her the men, and she was confident that they would do as she said if she hypnotized them. Even if she still wasn't entirely sure how to control it. But she would figure it out; she literally had all the time in the world. 

So, Francine would come, and she would drag Guy away, and Lyra would hypnotize his men to follow her to go an free the others. After that, they would scatter, and she would stay with Anya and hopefully keep her safe. It was the best plan she had. They were currently hiking over the plains, being guided by an old fashioned compass and nothing else. She wasn't actually convinced that Scott, the guy who had it, knew what he was doing. Lyra certainly didn't recognise where they were anymore, though she admitted that could be partly because everything had changed beyond recognition. 

The group was currently wading through a swamp, the stinking water up to their knees. It didn't stretch very far, only a few miles in either direction, but suggesting that they skirt around it had been met with derision. They knew the direction of Hayden's compound, but it would be easy to get lost, and Guy wasn't even willing to waste the few hours it would take to avoid the swamp. Lyra didn't much care, but the others weren't too happy about it. 

"In swamps on Earth, there are alligators and crocodiles and leeches and a bunch of other really unpleasant stuff. We have yet to encounter a pleasant creature in any biome we've explored, and yet here we are. Wading through a swamp with no idea what will try and kill us next." Kevin muttered. Lyra didn't know why Guy was bringing him along, as he didn't seem to contributing anything but whining and pessimism. 

"Well nothing that big can be lurking in the water. It isn't deep enough." Guy rationalized patiently, as he had been doing since they first set off. Lyra shrugged. 

"There's a lot of things that can kill us that are small enough to hide in the water. It's so murky, anything could be there." Lyra said, kicking at the brown water and sending up a cloud of something sickly and green. Guy gave her a dry look. 

"Lyra, that isn't helpful. Look, we're coming to the end of it. Maybe another half an hour and then we'll be back on dry land." He reassured them, before stopping and wincing. He was in front with Lyra, only Scott ahead of them with the compass, and he was too focused to look back, so only she saw the hesitation and the pain. She looked at him with a frown, trying to catch his eye and ask him what was wrong without making everyone else aware of it. But he looked resolutely ahead, his face a few shades paler, and he continued trudging on, a little faster than before. Lyra found herself studying the murky water, looking for something moving towards her, but it was so restless and dark she couldn't even see her own feet. Then she felt something sliding past her ankle, and immortal as she was, her courage broke. 

Immortal or not, there were some things she just wouldn't stand, and she could still feel pain. She let out a shriek of fear and set off at a dead sprint, desperately going for the nearest edge of the swamp, a ridge of land that rose out of the water and promised a sliver of refuge. Guy grabbed at her, tried to stop her, and the others all yelled, but she ignored them all. She felt something else, something bigger, slide past her and it spurred her on more. Behind her, she could hear splashing and yelling but she didn't dare to look. Just as she was reaching the sliver of land, something bit into her leg, digging in and creating a twisting, burning pain that sent red rippling out from where she was. She let out a scream of pain as she stumbled, trying and failing to regain her balance.