Lavinia sat in the sand and watched the Ruishia Sea lap up the beach. Occasionally, the tide would wash over her feet, sending shivers all over her exposed body. She was beginning to miss her thick coat of matted fur. The little she had leftover fell away when Lucy tampered with her Soul Crystal and now she’s left bare, with hardly enough to call fur.
The sea washes over and she squeals, tossing her feet side to side and spreading her now four toes— another thing that has changed since the times of her crevasse. Arms free of fur reveals a soft complexion riddled with blemishes and spots all down to her four fingers and toes— what used to be three. Her waddling days are over.
The sea spits out a [Crab] onto the beach and she snatches it up before it can right itself. Learned her lesson from the first time, she crushes the crab in her hands and pulls it apart for bits to chew as she gets back on her feet. The crab even without strength like hers manages to survive being crushed and retaliates weakly as Lavinia idly strolls the beach side, pinching bits off its shell and flesh until its struggles are no more.
Keeping an eye for more crabsnacks on the shore, a trail of gleaming coins scattered across the sand, glinting like stars’ light steals her attention instead. Curious, Lavinia finishes her crab and follows the trail, picking the scattered coins until she finds their source.
A creature she’s never seen lies in the sand. Grey-skinned with a horns curling out the back of its head, the creature is partially covered with some cloth and has a belt tied around its bare waist. Sniffing, Lavinia scowls as she approaches the creature— it hasn’t been long since it died but the rot had begun setting in, a waste.
Kneeling beside the creature she tosses it over, revealing its front side and a gaping wound at its side, the source of the rot and cause of its death. There are several slashes gouged across its body, but none as severe as the hole insects have quickly made a home of.
Pulling the belt away she finds a pouch and a knife or dagger attached to it. Within the pouch she discovers even more of the scattered coins, some are larger and others hold different colour hues but the general shade of red persists as each of them thrum with Essence, pulsing with varying intensity.
Lavinia pours those she found on the beach in the pouch and holds on to one, biting into it her scowl deepens, “Can’t eat Essence?”
It doesn’t make any sense that she wouldn’t be able to, after all, Essence is the life force of demons and many alike. She bites down harder on the coin but it doesn’t budge, coming out unscathed and pulsing with a power she can’t believe she’s run into.
The creature itself has no Crystal, or rather, its crystal is dead—pale and devoid of the rich energies, the crystal poking out of its belly fosters no life. It’s the first time seeing a demon dead without being devoured and though she’s sure every part of its body would reward some sliver of Essence she can’t bring herself to eat it.
“Not hunted. Not fresh.” She tells herself, liberating the shawl, tether belt and pouch from the grey-skin. Eying the dagger she deliberates taking it with her even though Lucy’s staff— embedded in the sand by the cave exit— is well enough as a weapon.
In the end she picks it and snaps it to the belt, a smooth, shiny metal makes it stick in place and sliding it out, rather than pulling is the only way to release it. Pleased with her new equipment, an actual cloth to cover her rapid growing nudity and a small pouch of Essence unabsorbed.
Thinking on the pouch and its coins, Lavinina wonders if she could break it open with the Grovestaff, determined to try she turns to start the walk back only to gasp in surprise.
Three figures lurk at the top of the beach and the hillside the mountainous cave forms. All three covered in shawls as well stand still as statues, watching her even as she steps back from the grey-skin corpse.
Taking a breath, Lavinia recovers from the shock and sets her mind to retrieving the Grovestaff before her guests make descent. Pacing back with her front facing all three, Lavinia warily summons Essence from her crystal, distributing the energy throughout her body as an easy precaution.
Her new dagger spins on the axis of the metal plate it’s stuck to, shedding a dark ethereal wisp until she slides it out of place. The dagger calms down only then, still feeding off of her Essence as she senses it steal from her pathways without permission.
“Hello.”
“Ah!” She swipes at the figure appeared before her and it sidesteps, raising three-fingered arms out in surrender.
“Not here for a fight.”
Eyes darting around and dagger brandished, Lavinia quickly finds herself surrounded as the others cover her sides. When had they come down? How long have they been watching her?
“Grrr”
“We know you’re not wild, we aren’t either.” The first says, with a smooth deep tone. The shawl's hood shrouds their faces and outlines the triangular shape of their heads. They have three-fingered hands with rings worn on the middle of each left hand.
Extending a hand out to Lavinia the first continues, “You have something that belongs to us.”
Lavinia follows where the thin forefinger points and arrives at the pouch of Essence coins she picked from the corpse, “What is it?”
“Ours.” Another of the hooded figures answers, this one wielding a larger frame and gravel tone than its companion.
“Who are you?”
“Give it to us.” The third demands in a hiss.
Pacing away Lavinia watches the three follow after her, the firsts hand still extended and waiting, neither of them willing to fight nor talk. Silently, Essence floods to her eyes as she whispers, “Inspect.”
{T-2/L-3— Trirax}
{T-2/L-1— Trirax}
{T-2/L-3— Trirax}
“Does knowing our strength put you at ease?” The first says, taking his hand back. “Return it and we’ll answer your questions.”
***
Lavinia looks between the imposing three, her hand resting on the pouch all present claim a stake on. Even without a direct look at their crystals, the use of {Inspect} keeps her well aware of the power gap between herself and these demons.
The size of Essence each have stands at least twice hers in the case of their weakest and ironically largest companion. The first to speak and presumably their leader wields three times more Essence than she and sets the standard for the others. Their crystals would be worth a fortune and their flesh would have to taste good. Refraining from licking her lips, Lavinia reminds herself of the power gap— she’d have to come out alive from the fight if any of it is to be worth it.
Taking a subtle sniff at them, her gut demands the meal— despite the power gap there’s something off about them, how they carry themselves. They couldn’t be as threatening as the curly-tailed demons Lavinia fought last, much less humans like Ken or Henry.
Can I eat them?
The question persists even as the speaking demon sends his three-fingered hand out again, “How about it?” He says, the words slide off his lips as smooth as they would a human.
Taking a breath, Lavinia unclips the pouch from her belt, causing his fingers to curl excitedly. “Yours?” she asks.
“Yes. Give it.”
Taking her sweet time, Lavinia drops the pouch of coins in his waiting hand, saying, “I found there.” She points over where the grey-skinned demon rots away.
“Thank you.” he says, snatching the pouch away into his shawl, ignoring the grey-skinned demon entirely. “It's a wise choice.”
The hooded three turn to leave but Lavinia reaches out, snatching their leader by his skinny arm, “Wait. Answers?”
Even with his hand caught he doesn’t turn back, his companions lean into her space, forcing Lavinia to let him go as he lets out an awkward chuckle, “Yes, yes. My word is my bond.”
Lavinia nods and the demon pull back his hood. His companions do the same, revealing prism shaped heads with singular eyes screwed in pasty grey skin. Not a nose or ear to be had above black, rubbery lips. With their strange heads revealed, Lavinia notes for the first time just how much space they take up with their necks long and almost flimsy in comparison.
“Well, what did you ask, ahh, the coins. These are…coins, currency for the demons and residents of Corym. Traded for goods and service of all sorts.”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Lavinia nods, “Essence coins.”
“Close, Tokens, but yes, the life force of demons fuel these tokens. The higher the source, the better.”
“Can I eat them?”
“Bwahahah!” the companion on the left bursts out laughing.
The leader blinks his one eye and says, “I suppose you can, if you try hard enough. Now, we’ve got business to attend to, we’ll be seeing you around I’m sure.”
“Wait! Where are you going?”
Looking over his shoulder he says, “Corym. Home.” Pulling up his hood the strange Trirax demons climb up the beach.
Quick, Lavinia sprints down to the cave entrance, ignoring the eerie sensations it brings as she pulls the GroveStaff out of the sand and sprinting back up, “Wait! Wait!” she calls out to the three.
Again, only the leader stops to turn and answer. His disturbed frown vanishing into curiosity at the sight of the GroveStaff.
“Take me to Corym.” Lavinia says.
He looks back at his companions, both holding back their laughter. Shaking his head, he raises his left hand and wriggles his fingers, “Sorry dear, no entry without invitation.” His ring shines brightly and Lavinia notes each of them have one. Invitation. She nods and he waves, walking off with his company.
For a moment Lavinia watches their backs as they recede beyond the beach— she hasn’t explored that far yet but now seems like a good time. Curling her fingers into a fist, Lavinia paces back and forth in place, mind and instinct in a stalemate.
Should she attack? She’s already handed the pouch and they kept their word as they said. There’s no need to start a conflict she possibly couldn’t win, she’s outnumbered. Her eyes land on the grey-skinned demon and she grits her teeth, tightening her grip on the GroveStaff. They lied. They must’ve. The pouch sat beside the grey-skinned, dead but there with his corpse. They only appeared after she found it so…so it couldn’t be theirs right?
Her stomach groans and she decides.
Lavinia’s fingers tighten around the GroveStaff's coarse surface. With a determined breath, she shifts her weight onto her back foot, her stance a testament to the nervous anticipation, the consequence. As if choreographed, her arm arcs back, then forward as her fingers set the staff loose at precisely the right moment.
Zipping gracefully through the air, the GroveStaff becomes a fleeting silhouette against the backdrop of the red scorn world. Its brass length rotates, creating a mesmerizing dance as it hurtles toward her target— the largest of the three.
It breaks through him and she bursts out sprinting towards them, reaching halfway before with an enraged roar the second [Trirax] aside from the leader pulls her hood back. Her single eye swells, bulging out of her strange head and glowing with bridling Essence.
A beam of Essence explodes the sand a foot ahead of Lavinia but she sprints through it. Another beam comes at her— this time from the leader himself— she barely dodges; the heat of the beam boils her skin as it scalds sand to glass in an instant.
Narrowing on him, Lavinia’s certain now— this is what ended the grey-skinned. Essence floods through to her feet, with the extra help she dances between the blasts, closing the distance bit by bit as the lag between each blasts drags on— their large stores of Essence wasting away.
Sliding the dagger from her belt, Lavinia takes a breath, eyes steeling on the screaming companion, she mutters, “Crimson Blink.”
In a disorienting, Essence draining spatial jerk, Lavinia materializes behind her. Quickly wrapping her elbow over the Trirax’s neck, she presses her dagger into her side, eliciting a voiceless gasp.
“No!” the leading Trirax screams, his eye wide with rage and fear. He darts between the open space and his companion, and in a heartbeat flees for his life. The lead Trirax makes a quick getaway up the beach, his legs kicking as fast as they can carry him into the world beyond.
Groaning, Lavinia shifts her startled prey’s neck aside and sinks her fangs in for a feast of blood. The Trirax trembles, her batting hands droop uselessly beside her as Lavinia drains her of blood before tossing her aside.
0.903ESQ Absorbed!
Skipping over her body, Lavinia charges after the lead Trirax, retrieving the GroveStaff from the squashed skull of the first. It’s fortunate the beaches incline ends here, the use of {Crimson Blink} thoroughly drained her of Essence, but it was strategic and worth it. Now to follow through. The lead Trirax is fast on his stringy feet, all that Essence put to good use trying to escape.
But there’s isn’t anywhere to escape to. Beyond the sand of the beach is the continuation of the wide, barren red land. A single haven of sprawling life, trees, vegetation and wilding demons stands far in the middle of all the nothingness.
Groaning, Lavinia shouts out, “Stop or I’ll throw it!”
The Trirax doesn’t stop for a second, speeding up even. Frustrated, Lavinia pools what Essence she can afford into hurling the GroveStaff at the fleeing demon.
It soars, reaching a peak and descending with a skull crushing force. With a loud and heavy thump it cracks the earth, embedding itself there but missing the Trirax entirely.
“Grrr!” Lavinia licks her lips, careful not to bite herself as she glares away at the escaping Trirax— he’s taken the pouch and tokens with him. The taste of blood reminds her of the unfinished meal though, so she paces herself retrieving the GroveStaff and returning to the beach.
***
Name: Lavinia
Race: Demon
Class: Vampiric
Age: Immortal – 67days.
Crystal Essence: [Pink]- Lvl.5— 30.41ESQ
[Available Essence Points— 0]
Faith:25
Agility: 19
Intelligence:10
Perk: {Reais Smite}, {Blood Rush}, {Wave Shot}, {Crimson Blink}, {Inspect}
Soul Bond: Curse Marked; Master Henry Vanavil
Sitting with a torn off piece of the largest Trirax, Lavinia has a close look at her updated Reais Identity Sheet. It’s been a long minute since she’s had a reason to look at it and beyond the effects of Lucy’s manipulations; it’s begun to look like it first did.
The Familiar Point system and Overlord are no longer listed, not that she gained any points or powers besides the one Lucy enforced on her— {Inspect} and {Crimson Blink}, two particularly useful Perks to say the least. She’s grateful to have them now as they served well during this hunt and the rewards she’s reaped are as bountiful as she expected them to be.
Replacing the Familiar Point system and Overlord is a Soul Bond between herself and Henry, the Soul Reaver. Lavinia doesn’t concern herself much with this, it’s effect aren’t stated and no matter how much she concentrates the RIS won’t provide any more information. Besides, all she needs to know is that Henry promised to return and that’s what she’s preparing for.
From the Trirax’s crushed skull, Lavinia dug out it’s crystal and finds the contrast between her Pink and its deep, rich Crimson with a hint of darkness lurking within quite exciting.
Fidgeting with the rather hot crystal, Lavinia finishes the Trirax’s thicker legs and moves on to ripping out its arms when a muffled groan catches her attention. Still as a shadow, Lavinia listens for the source of the groan and quickly finds it with movement from the second Trirax— the one she drained of blood.
Her eyes widen as the Trirax pulls herself up, nursing an aching head but still breathing. Having a short glance around, the Trirax doesn’t take long before finding Lavinia staring dead-eyes at her, creeping up with her blood stained, flesh filled mouth.
“Aah!” Her one bloodshot eye goes wide with renewed fear as she lurches away, only for Lavinia to snatch her ankle and draw her underneath her.
Looming over the Trirax, Lavinia growls softly, still chewing the rather stringy meat. She reads the fear glaring in the Trirax’s eye, pushes her chin aside to have a look her where she bit earlier, only to find no scars or puncture wounds from her fangs.
In a way Lavinia isn’t surprised but orders the extra Trirax to, “Stay.”
The Trirax nods carefully, neither taking an eye off the other as Lavinia reaches for the devoured Trirax’s shawl. With it, she hoists the living up on her feet, almost tumbling into a fall as a wave of lethargy and dizziness slam into the blood drained demon. Lavinia manages to tie her arms behind her back with the extra shawl and as she does, searches her for valuables.
With glee she retrieves a small coin pouch from the demon’s belt as she forces her to sit back down. There aren’t as many tokens but they’re enough for a start. She picks one out, a shimmering red-green token ingrained with symbols she couldn’t understand and waves it in the demons face, “What is this?”
Rasping, the demon shifts awkwardly, “We already told you and then you killed-”
SMACK!
Recoiling from the slap, the Trirax corrects herself, “It’s a token, an Essence Token for trade. You can’t absorb its power. No one but Demon Lords can.”
Demon Lord. The phrase rang innate senses within Lavinia, like a whisper of someone she should know. Eyes narrowed at the Trirax as she fidgets with her companions Soul Crystal she asks, “In Corym?”
She nods limply, her head rolling back. Lavinia lets her fall over and turns her attention to the Crimson Soul Crystal. With some effort the crystal shatters in her hand, releasing a dense fog of choking Essence. Her crystal siphons the fog in a spiralling vortex that lasts longer than any she’s absorbed before.
12 ESQ Absorbed!
15 Essence Points Absorbed!
Crystal Essence Level 5—>8!
A weighty presence rest over her entire body at the notifications and she too is forced to her back. Lavinia pants, her breath taken away by the sudden pressure in her pathways, stretching them through and without care as the sudden leap in power demands her body to conform to it.
“Hahaha, you shouldn’t have done that.” Lavinia hears the Trirax cough through the ringing in her ears. Tearing through the flimsy shawl tying her wrists, the Trirax strafes over Lavinia, blood dripping out her mouth as her whooping coughs continue. “Might have…poisoned me with those fangs or this stupid dagger, but you’re too dumb to credit beyond that.”
Panting as she slides the dagger out of its strap, the Trirax offers a sinister smile, “Lesson learned I guess.”
She stabs the dagger through Lavinia’s raised hand, eliciting a grunt as pain radiates from the wound. The Trirax bears down on the dagger, pushing back Lavinia’s defending hand until the dagger melds into dark smog, slipping through with all momentum. It pierces Lavinia's chest, a searing sensation courses through her as the world narrows to the point of the blade. The Trirax thrusts again and again, stabbing Lavinia with the smoky dagger tens of times before Lavinia sleepily digs her claws into the Trirax’s side, battling the lethargy of excessive Essence. With a quick mental command, Lavinia allocates 5EP to [Faith], momentarily strengthening her control over the floods of Essence in her pathways. Channelling the excess directly into her Crystal, Lavinia presses her palm against the Trirax’s side and expels the swelling energies in a weak, improper [Reais Smite] that propels the fiend off of her at last.
A mess of blood pours out Lavinia as she pulls herself upright, she crawls with unwavering intent towards the struggling Trirax, who kicks up sand in a desperate attempt to break free. With a swift and desperate movement, Lavinia grabs hold of the Trirax's ankle and yanks her close. The Trirax's gasp is audible, her single eye widening with a palpable sense of dread as Lavinia looms over with half-lid eyes, parting her lips for her fangs.
Lavinia sneers down at the Trirax, “You shouldn’t have done that.” Pushing her neck to the side the Trirax wails pathetically.
“Stop, please no! No! Aah!!”