“Mmm!” Lavinia squeals with joy as Deran presents her with her fourth juicy steak on a platter, “Thank you Deran!” She swings her feet off the Stelc’s back and rips a good chunk, enjoying the view of the forest and its calming breeze even as sections of it continue to burn.

“Anytime Lavinia, anytime!” Deran chuckles, pleased to have her enjoy so much of the left overs not many resident Caldri or Trirax do.

He scratches down the Stelc and leaps off to his canopy to continue grilling and Jonn sighs beside Lavinia, rolling his eye, “You know he’s only doing this because you’re fighting to take back Corym? Deran’s never so generous.”

Mouthful Lavinia retorts with, “And you know I’m only fighting so I can get my GroveStaff.”

Inhaling Jonn fails to hold back a laugh and shakes his head, “Well, yes, I guess you’re the least generous one out of the two.” He lets out a heavy sigh and says nothing for sometime. Curious, Lavinia tears a piece of her dripping steak and offers, “Oh, no, I…Seraph and I stopped eating flesh years ago.”

Swallowing the rejected piece whole Lavinia asks, “What do you eat then? Nothing?”

“Sometimes nothing, it’s not hard to eat nothing. But she was fascinated with these foods called ‘fruits’ and ‘pastry’. It’s pain to get though, so I guess nothing is more accurate, haha.”

At the mention, Lavinia thinks back to the time she spent with Seraph and recalls some instances she ate something, “I remember. It was white and full of air. Very plain but other times very sweet.”

“Yeah, yeah! I think you’re talking about bread. It’s the easiest to get but even then it takes a while for Deran to bother smuggling any.”

Neither say a thing for a while until Lavinia’s finished with her platter. She licks her lips, fingers and the plate clean of the blood with a satisfied smile before tossing the silver saucer into the forest like a discus.

It soars and Jonn laughs again, “Deran’s going to miss that.”

“Is he? Well, I ate it.” Lavinia grins.

Jonn stares, sharing her grin for a moment before his eye glazes over with concern. He turns away to pull at something in his pocket and presents it to Lavinia, “Here, don’t lose this one.”

It’s a ring with a vibrant red crystal embedded in its crown. Lavinia senses a sliver of Essence within it but not the sort she’d expect from a Soul Crystal. She recognizes it instead as the com-rings she once stole.

“I didn’t lose the last one, it got eaten with my hand and I couldn’t get it back!” She bemoans, slipping the new ring on. “It feels different.”

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Jonn nods, “It is! I made this one after you got lost. It’s long range, really long range. Uses a bit a spatial magic to ensure messages travel through pulses in atmospheric Essence to receiving rings but you don’t have to worry about that part, just feed it Essence regularly and make sure it doesn’t run dry and I should be able to invite you for some bread and pomegranates wherever you are.”

Admiring how well it fits on her finger Lavinia nods, “Thank you, I’ll invite you for a hunt…if I remember to.”

He nods knowingly, “You’ll be busy after all this huh.”

“Ulx says he knows how to find the human that cursed me. Something about reverse curse marking or some connection thing. He’ll teach me how to do it myself before I leave.”

“Leave for where?”

“I’m not sure yet…maybe the dungeons again, that’s where I’ve met humans and they’ll have to know about him. If not there then...I’ll just travel, visit the other demon cities, go on fiercer hunts and find other ways to fight against the curse because Ulx’s magic lessons won’t be enough alone.”

“Oh…hmm.”

“What about you? What are you going to do after this is all over?”

Jonn’s lips tremble as he snorts, “Actually, I was hoping to come with you.”

Eyes wide Lavinia exclaims, “Really!?”

“Haha, yeah. I think you were right before. I am strong now and maybe I can keep up with you on your hunts or even help with your curse.”

“And you’re not mad about how things went the last time?” Lavinia almost whispers through the billowing wind.

Jonn shakes his head, “No, Lavinia, that wasn’t your fault. It was ours. We should’ve known better because, well, we’re older. Besides, its not like Seraph is gone forever and you’re not responsible for Corym’s issues either, that’s all us.”

“So you’ll come!” Lavinia grins excitedly, hopping to her feet.

Journeying through Reais alone is something she’s done all her life but her encounters in the Kimpe camp with Seraph and Jonn as well as the period in the dungeons with Hera have opened her eyes to the benefits of allies. She’ll need the extra hand especially in her hunts for humans, a concept she’s dreading to engage in given the power humans have consistently displayed.

Chuckling awkwardly, Jonn stands with her and explains, “Maybe, it really depends on if Corym recovers fast enough to see both of us go. Jelvun will have to die so Ulx will be the only Prime in the city, I think the Noble troupe will see that as vulnerability.”

“I’m insulted, Jonn. You think your Prime so fragile a few insane demons will bring my city down.” Jonn and Lavinia whip around and find Ulx ascending the Stelc, hands tied behind his back in his battle ready robes he fixes his gaze at Lavinia, “It’s time.”

Jonn and Lavinia share a solemn look as he hovers close, fishing out a ring from thin air, “If all goes as we intend then Lavinia will remain in Corym to learn about her curse…that will take sometime given her non-existent talent for magic but with her vambrace and other tools of mine it shouldn’t be impossible. At that time, you’ll be free to journey with her, Jonn. You’ve nearly become a master yourself and there’s little need for my permission, though I am glad you considered Corym’s need for you.”

Ulx hands the ring to Jonn and answers the unspoken question in his eye, “It’s all the strength you’ll need, do well.” Without saying anymore Ulx turns to Lavinia and grabs her hand, “We’re flying.”

“No, wait!” Breaking free before Ulx can zoom her away, Lavinia presses Jonn with a hesitant look, swallowing her words more than once before coming out with it, “Don’t…goodluck Jonn.”

Surprised at her words, Jonn nods with his brightest smile, “Goodluck, Lavinia.”