SWNOVELS Chapter 98
The weeks following the incident at the Temple District were a whirlwind of activity for Lyra and her team. The pace of transformations continued to accelerate, and with it, the challenges of maintaining social order and understanding.
On this particular morning, Lyra found herself in a council meeting with King Aldric and his advisors. The mood was tense, with reports of unrest from various corners of the kingdom.
“The noble houses are growing restless,” Lord Cavendish, a portly man with a perpetual frown, announced. “They fear these transformations will upset the established order. Already, we’ve had reports of commoners developing abilities that rival or surpass traditional magic.”
King Aldric nodded gravely. “And what of the religious factions? Has there been any progress in gaining their support?”
Lyra stepped forward. “It’s… complicated, Your Majesty. Some sects view the transformations as divine gifts, while others see them as corruption. The Temple has agreed to continue offering sanctuary and study, but they’re reluctant to take an official stance.”
The king sighed, the weight of the situation evident in his posture. “We cannot allow this division to tear our kingdom apart. Lady Lyra, what do you propose?”
Lyra took a deep breath, her mind racing. “We need to focus on integration and education. I propose we establish a new academy, one that brings together transformed and non-transformed individuals to study these changes and learn to harness new abilities responsibly.”
Murmurs of discussion rippled through the council chamber. Lord Cavendish scoffed. “And who would teach at this academy? Who could possibly understand these unprecedented changes well enough to guide others?”
A small smile played at Lyra’s lips. “As it happens, we’ve been developing a network of experts – both transformed individuals who have mastered their new abilities, and scholars who have been studying the phenomenon. With Your Majesty’s permission, I’d like to extend an invitation to the Frost Clan shamans as well. Their insights have been invaluable.”
King Aldric leaned forward, intrigued. “An interesting proposal. But how do we ensure this academy doesn’t become a threat? We can’t have an army of superpowered individuals outside of royal control.”
“The academy would operate under the direct oversight of the crown,” Lyra assured him. “Its purpose would be to promote understanding and control, not to create weapons. Think of it as an extension of our existing magical institutions, adapted for this new reality.”
After much debate, the council tentatively agreed to Lyra’s proposal. As the meeting adjourned, she felt a mix of relief and apprehension. This was a step in the right direction, but there was still so much work to be done.
Exiting the council chambers, Lyra nearly collided with Fenris, who had been waiting outside. One look at his face told her something was wrong.
“What is it?” she asked, her heart rate quickening.
Fenris’s amber eyes darted around, ensuring they weren’t overheard. “We’ve received troubling reports from our outposts in the eastern provinces. There have been sightings of transformed individuals acting… strangely. Aggressively. And their appearances are unlike anything we’ve documented before.”
Lyra frowned. “How so?”
“Monstrous,” Fenris replied, his voice low. “Twisted forms, more beast than human. And they seem to be operating in coordinated groups, attacking villages and travelers.”
A chill ran down Lyra’s spine. This was exactly the kind of development they’d been afraid of fuel for those who viewed the transformations as a threat.
“We need to investigate this immediately,” she said. “Quietly. If word of this spreads before we understand what’s happening, it could undo all the progress we’ve made.” Fenris nodded grimly. “I’ve already assembled a small team. We can leave at nightfall.”
As they made preparations for the journey, Lyra couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding. They’d encountered countless challenges in managing the transformations, but this felt different – a shadowy threat lurking at the edges of their understanding.
The journey east was tense, marked by an eerie quiet in the villages they passed. People shuttered their windows at night, and few travelers braved the roads. It was as if a pall had fallen over the entire region.
On the third night, as they made camp in a dense forest, they got their first glimpse of what they were dealing with. A bone-chilling howl echoed through the trees, followed by the sound of splintering wood and terrified screams.
Lyra and Fenris exchanged a look before springing into action. They raced through the underbrush, emerging into a small clearing where a horrifying scene unfolded.
Three creatures – for Lyra could not bring herself to call them human – were attacking a merchant’s caravan. Their bodies were a twisted mass of scales, fur, and writhing tentacles. But it was their eyes that truly chilled Lyra to the core – glowing with a sickly green light, devoid of any hint of consciousness or reason.
Fenris didn’t hesitate. With a growl, he launched himself at the nearest creature, his own transformation manifesting in elongated claws and sharpened teeth. Lyra focused her magic, creating a barrier to protect the terrified merchants.
The battle was fierce but mercifully short. Whatever these beings were, they fought with bestial fury but little tactical sense. As the last one fell, Lyra approached cautiously,
her magical senses probing for answers.
What she found shook her to her core. The magical signature of these creatures was familiar, yet horribly distorted. It was as if the transformative energy had been corrupted, twisted into something malevolent.
“Fenris,” she called, her voice trembling slightly. “We need to get these… remains… back to the capital for study. Something is very wrong here.”
As they secured the creatures’ bodies and tended to the shaken merchants, a hooded figure watched from the shadows of the forest. A slow smile spread across hidden features before the observer melted back into the darkness.
The journey back to the capital was a race against time. Lyra’s mind whirled with possibilities, each more troubling than the last. Was this a natural extension of the transformations? A deliberately induced corruption? And if so, by whom?
Their arrival caused an immediate stir. The sight of the twisted creatures, even dead, sent ripples of fear through the city. Lyra ordered them taken directly to the most secure laboratory in the Royal Commission’s headquarters.
As the top researchers began their examinations, Lyra paced anxiously. Fenris watched her with concern.
“We’ll figure this out,” he said softly. “We always do.”
Lyra nodded, trying to draw strength from his confidence. But deep down, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were on the precipice of something far larger and more dangerous than they’d ever faced before.
A commotion from the laboratory drew their attention. One of the researchers, a brilliant young woman named Elara who had only recently undergone her own transformation, burst out, her face pale.
“My lady,” she gasped. “You need to see this. We’ve found… traces. Magical signatures that don’t match anything we’ve seen in natural transformations.”
Lyra’s blood ran cold. “Are you saying…”
Elara nodded grimly. “These creatures weren’t created by accident. Someone is deliberately corrupting the transformation process. And based on the complexity of the magic involved, they know exactly what they’re doing.”
As the implications of this discovery sank in, Lyra realized that everything had changed. They weren’t just managing a natural phenomenon anymore.