It Started With a Spinny

A Lie Revealed

Her world flashes yellow!

Vee blinks frantically to clear the after image, staring around to find herself a few meters from the sarcophagus held in Hunter's arms. He puts her down, his mauve eyes somehow widening more as they hear a wet sound that Vee hoped to never hear again! They both turn to the marble sarcophagus, see its cracked side disgorging a viscous stream of putrid greens and smeared browns, all shrinking wetly back to reform a brown hand.

Beluz turns to look down at them, their once hazel eyes glowing electric blue, their voice resonating as if from the echoing helm of a golden mask. They smile: "It really is so good to see you again, Hunter."

He flinches out a broken sound.

Their smile broadens as they stand taller, black hair and clothes making them a towering shadow of a person, smirking: "And how could I ever forget my favourite little basilisk."

Vee can't move. She can't breathe, can't think, can't do anything but stare up at a nightmare even she could never have even imagined!

Beluz smiles back. "Long time no see, Number Five."

"D-d-d," Hunter stammers as he rises shakily to his feet, "d-don't you touch her!"

Beluz rolls their eyes, "Believe it or not, Hunter, I have more important concerns than a failed grimwalker and his mewling pet." They raise a beige hand, its skin bubbling green.

Hunter tenses, holding his staff before him. A radiant yellow light glows around Flapjack's wooden form, flowing down to outline the long black staff in Hunter's shaking hand!

Beluz closes their putrid green fist, a trio of glyphs glowing neon blue on the back of their dark palm. "All that matters now," they explain over the rumbling of the sarcophagus, its cracks audibly spreading as they simply state: "is this." They open their hand, and the sarcophagus explodes!

Hunter slams his staff into the ground, its yellow light parting the torrent of cracked marble and bone and a glint of blue. Vee watches it sail up into the air, the moonlight shining off the glass tube of cobalt blue liquid.

Titan's Blood!

"H-hunter!" she manages, who turns to see her pointing above the cloud of smoke, his eyes narrowing. His body flashes yellow and vanishes, reappearing holding the vial with his staff between his legs., smiling triumphan-

"CALEB!"

He flinches so hard he nearly falls, steadying his staff in one hand and holding the vial precariously in the other as he stares down at the dark figure in the parting smoke. Tall green and brown antlers crack free of their skull, their black hair scattered across their glaring blue eyes, their face contorted in a sneer! Then they smile, reaching out a gentle hand, green palm open. "Come now, there really is no need to be so uncivilised."

From where she is Vee can see the blue glyphs glowing on the back of their hand, can hear the shuddering of stone as Beluz calmly states: "Kindly return my property, and I will be on my way."

Hunter is shaking as he holds the vial to his chest. "N-no!"

Beluz smirks, "No?"

Vee sees a shadow move, looks up to see a heavy gravestone dripping earth as it rises in the air behind Hunter.

He grips the vial firmly. "It belonged, it belonged-"

"Go on," Beluz beckons with their glyphed hand, "I'm listening." The gravestone rushes towards him!

"Hunter!"

"It belonged-" he yells as he flashes yellow and blinks behind the gravestone, holding his staff above him, "TO EVELYN CLAWTHORNE!" He thrusts his staff down into a blast of electric yellow that shatters the gravestone over Beluz!