The Stelc’s top is scratched with runes and sigils that remind Lavinia of the GroveStaff. Jonn excused himself from what he was engaged in and flew Lavinia to sit upon the colossal demon’s back. She finds that the ancient thing actually has horns poking out each far side of its head or what’s supposed to be its head. Though it makes no movements, Essence starved Lavinia senses an enormous pulse of Essence flowing through pathways beneath the Stelc’s impenetrable crust.

Strangely, her hunger does not flare in response or threaten to overwhelm her with urges. Instead Lavinia sits cross legged, a cold, clean breeze takes through her mane as she watches the forest breath. From atop the Stelc, she sees the forest closer and better than on the hillside, and the scorched parts still recede into an overwhelming lush of greenery.

The view brings a measure of peace as it all but promises her survival and growth with its hidden bounty. It is a sweet but fragile peace as each sentence from Jonn’s mouth recounts tragedy after tragedy.

“So…while you helped Ulx steal and use the Stelc to…shift loyal and innocent Caldri and Trirax, the Prime Caldri gave his life holding back the Kimpe and their human…what happened to you? To Seraph?”

Lavinia glances at Jonn beside her, his single eyed gaze fixes on the horizon and hardens. Hearing from him now, seeing how much he’s changed and sitting with him, Lavinia realizes she purposely never thought of them dying. Not because it wasn’t possible, in fact, by Jonn’s account it’s a miracle he’s alive himself. The Kimpe prepared their coup on the inside with the Simak charging the gates on the outside and apparently, the Prime Kimpe saw fit to involve a human in the infighting. No, Lavinia refused to think of their demise because even more than losing the GroveStaff, losing Seraph and Jonn would mean she failed yet again to protect. She can't be so incapable.

“She…I know I said I flew her back to Corym before joining Ulx but...something happened on the way, before we got to Corym.” Jonn says with a deep frown.

“What? What happened?”

He struggles finding the words for a moment and then, “I talked to her about nonsense to get through the pain and she answered with her laugh, until she didn’t, she didn’t say a word for a long time and suddenly the colour drained from her, skin turning black and rigid. Before I knew what was happening she, she…she poofed.”

“Poof?”

He nods vigorously, “Poof. I fetched her Soul Crystal before it fell into the forest and that’s what I brought Ulx. I told him about what she suffered and the poof. He was mad in the chaos but I’ve gotten a proper answer since, he says she’ll be fine, that she’s not dead and she won’t die unless someone absorbs her Soul Crystal. He called it the price for immortality…time. She won’t be more than a Soul Crystal for years, maybe decades or centuries. He said he can’t be sure, it's different for each demon.”

Lavinia swallows his word in silence, taking their meaning with delicate, shivering breaths. Having been within her own Soul Crystal, Lavinia understands that this is what happens if all ESQ is lost and that she barely escaped sharing the same fate.

“I have a box…to keep her safe.” Jonn says and taps the blue crystal sitting on his belt. A faint stain of mana is released as he pulls a small black box out of its glowing edges. He snaps it open and true enough, a Pink Soul Crystal sits on a dark green cushion. “She’s Pink again, she’ll hate that when she wakes up.”

Seraph’s Crystal…will she wake up? Will I be there? Lavinia knew the answer to these questions innately, even if she wishes it not to be so; Seraph is in a state no one but Reais and its system can help her.

Alongside her epiphany of purposely suppressed questions, Lavinia realizes she also never thought of what comes after. All this time her mind has squared on returning to Corym and retrieving her GroveStaff, reuniting Seraph Squad and somehow getting strong enough to face a human like Henry Vanavil. A mission she now knows will require more blood and Essence than she’s ever consumed and more.

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She can’t wait for anyone to get started.

“Where is my GroveStaff?”

Jonn shuts the box, pressing it back into the crystal until it vanishes without a trace before turning his blotched eye on Lavinia, “None of this would have happened to us if only you did as Seraph asked, Lavinia.”

A venom of loathing drips from his words as a pulse of Essence travels through him and his enchanted garments. Lavinia’s peace shatters as she tenses, sensing genuine bloodlust and killing intent from Jonn as heat surges in his eye.

“Why didn’t you? Why couldn’t you? You’re strong. If it was you then…why?” His animosity dissolves into pity and grief, his lips curled into a distasteful sneer as he studies her face.

Lavinia inhales and faces Jonn without blinking once, “You’re right. I…I got distracted. I was greedy. I saw a Kimpe watching us that night but rather than wake you or Seraph or even continue standing guard over your slumber I chased after it. I wanted its Soul Crystal, I wanted to get strong because I’m weak and I’m still weak. I’m sorry.”

In the face of Jonn's confrontation, Lavinia struggles to put a name to what she feels. Responsibility? Failure? A combination of both most likely. Whatever it is, it has soured her thoughts since that night and driven her as much as the lust for power to return. To make things right.

Jonn looks at Lavinia as though her confession makes everything worse. He shakes his head, clenching and unclenching a fist, “Words mean little when Seraph isn’t here to protect us, when you weren’t here. You talk about being weak but… I have been a poor substitute for Seraph and you.”

Lavinia snatches his four fingered hand in hers, squeezing as she scolds, “No. You aren’t weak, Jonn. You’ve protected Trirax and Corym and—”

“Yes but for how long!?” He yells, voice breaking as he trembles in her grasp. “Ulx equipped me with magic and fed me every Soul Crystal we’ve blasted out of Kimpe without restraint but I'm still not strong enough, Lavinia.

“I’m scared, so scared because the Kimpe…their Prime, Jelvun, he is a vicious demon that has all of Corym in his hands thanks to his allies and we? What do we have? Everyone is looking to me like I’m going to be the next Ulx…I want to be the next Ulx…someday. But right now I'm not and we're losing everyone because of it. Help us, Lavinia.”

Lavinia’s mouth hangs wide open, unsure of what to say, conflicted in her tasks. Her lost hand has yet to regenerate all the way, the newly grown fingers are still soft and loose. Not to mention her ESQ threatens to reach the bottom if she doesn’t improve her diet soon. Jonn may think little of himself but beneath all the armouring of enchanted garments she sensed how much power he’s absorbed since she last saw him.

“Jonn…your power matches my own now and—”

“My weakness lets me know true strength, Lavinia and if we fought, even as you are now, you would still win. I don’t know what happened out there with you and frankly I don’t care. It’s too late now to care about anything in the past except fighting for the future. So won’t you help us? Like you were supposed to, like we agreed?”

Lavinia hesitates to answer. On one hand the guilt gutting her insides with every word from Jonn all but brings her to agreement. But now they are and the reality she faces isn’t the least bit pleasant. She’s weak, weaker than Jonn believes her to be and she’s just as scared too. It hasn’t been long since Henry gave her commands and though she’s never met a human outside the dungeons, something about Corym’s situation reeks of the Soul Reaver.

Jonn did say Jelvun brought a human to fight for him.

Lavinia shivers at the billowing breeze and turns away from Jonn, letting his hand free as she studies the crimson horizon of the forest with a heavy sigh, “I have to think about it, Jonn. I am…afraid too. Where I went…I almost…I must not die without killing Henry first and I can’t lose so much Essence that I’m hapless when he comes after me and I think your human has something to do with him…they all do.”

I would love nothing more than a feast of Kimpe but…humans are too dangerous.

The wind grows stronger and carried with it is a voice from above, “If that is so then you have no choice but to fight, Lavinia”

Gasping, Lavinia searches for the source and finds him quick. Hovering above their heads in a pristine cloak is none other than Ulx. She sneers on instinct, “Where is my GroveStaff?”

Ulx descends ever so slightly so Lavinia and Jonn don’t strain their necks as much. All three of his eyes lay upon her, sunken and swollen here and there with scorched blemishes from constant use of his ocular beams. Hands clasped behind his back Ulx nods at Jonn’s bowed form before fixing his gaze on her again, “My tower…my city is lost to villains that would see the civilised demon’s dream tarnished. Your GroveStaff is lost to the same rogues, specifically in the hands of the human Jelvun calls…Promethus.”