Soaring above the forest canopy, Jonn and Lavinia scanned below for the Kimpe that left with Dire Wolves. Lavinia didn’t understand their reasons to rush but seeing Seraph broken and hurt like that inspired her to give her all in the search. Jonn flew as high as he could to grant a wide vantage over the forest and Lavinia sniffed the air around the leaves they flutter past for the distinct scents of both Kimpe and Dire Wolves.
She worries they wouldn’t catch them in time, the wolves may have been malnourished and sick but they remained strong four-legged beast built for speedy traversal— if they don’t find them soon then it may already be too late. Jonn follows a direct path, skirting above the forest in the direction of Corym with Lavinia’s occasional orders to adjust his flight path but it isn’t easy on him either. He hadn’t come out unscathed from that burning tent, his Essence reserves were dangerously low as he’s repeated over the course of their flight. He was sacrificing patching up the many wounds he’d gotten from the Kimpe to soar through the forest at speed.
“I might have to drop you soon, Lavinia, or we’ll both come crashing down.” Jonn strains.
“A bit further, their scent is stronger now.” Lavinia says, flooding Essence through her eyes, nose and ears for a crude sensory enhancement. Since she levelled her senses in general had improved, especially her sense of smell and hearing but for a search this wide she’d need every little advantage she could muster.
With the enhancement she sees through the thick and flurry of the forest whipping by, slowing down images and catching greater whiffs of scents all while deciphering them as Jonn zips through at his highest speed— which didn’t come close to what Ulx had performed with her but fulfilled the job either way.
“I have a Crystal.” She says, careful not to say she how many as she was only willing to part with one of the crystals in her boot. “If you absorb it could you keep going?”
Jonn groans in thought, “I’m burning through my base Essence, if the Crystal contains more Essence than my base can…doesn’t matter, I’ll need to go back for Seraph once I’ve dropped you off.”
“I thought you were—!” Lavinia shuts her mouth and takes a big whiff of the air they zoom past, “They should be up ahead now!”
Jonn tightens his grip on Lavinia and begins to descend through the canopy, revealing the jungle within as she took in deeper breaths of air, bared her teeth and readied her claws. The sound and smell of violence wafted as they burst through the trees, arriving at a small clearing cramped with the Dire Wolves, the Kimpe and a nest of demons accosting them.
Lavinia grins and Jonn heaves her forward, “Here you go!”
Launched some feet in the air Lavinia marks her first target— the largest Kimpe among them {T-2/L-5— Kimpe}— glossing her claws with Essence she descends with a mighty, “Reais Smite!”
Her smite rends the flesh off the fiend’s backside before it threw itself off to the side where the nest of venomous winged serpents awaited it. Lavinia’s grin grew at the scene before her; two of the three Dire Wolves were downed from the hordes of winged-serpents feeding venom and spitting acid and of the four Kimpe that left the camp only the largest fiend and one other weren’t riddled with throbbing poisoned or acid burnt spots.
“Inspect!” Lavinia retrieved her dagger and slaughtered the wing-serpents daring to surround her with ease. She remembered them fondly now only because of the terror their nest has unleashed on the Kimpe— it wouldn’t have been possible to catch up with them if not for this assault.
{T-1/L-2— Jaui}
Dashing out after the large Kimpe, its yellow eyes were darker than any of its kind she’d seen and its arms were as thick as her head. It roared defiance as she approached, scaring off the swarming [Jaui] but failing to make note of Jonn lingering in the air. A short, concentrated beam slams into its temple, knocking it off balance and setting it up for Lavinia’s flurry of slashes.
The Kimpe’s thick hide bears the brunt of her attacks, gushing blood as Lavinia spins and twirls under its desperate swipes and punches. It flared Essence about it’s being, bursting with rage and roars out defiantly once more before lashing out with its tail, smacking Lavinia’s throat as she fails to duck under the swipe.
Tossed back, Lavinia coughs and swipes away the pesky [Jaui] slithering and attempting to coil around her— they might have served her purpose in halting the Kimpe but their nest was too full; a prolonged fight here would bring both she and the Kimpe down if she isn’t careful.
The Kimpe gives her no chance to think of a better stage, ignoring the bites, spits and burns from the [Jaui] it falls on all fours and charges at Lavinia. It’s body flares with Essence that quickly matches the yellow hue of its eyes; all the [Jaui] that come in contact fall along with the trees, the forest floor and the sky.
Lavinia’s eyes go wide as she sneers. Another illusion!
The Kimpe bounds for her as she strains against the whirling world turning into a maelstrom of sick yellow. She floods Essence throughout her being but her mind swirls at the groundlessness of the new existence the Kimpe forced her to perceive as it launches its fist into her chest.
Strangely, it does hurt. Her body floats within the illusionary spaces, tumbling head over heels away from the Kimpe. It leaps after her and she brings up her dagger for a defence only to find a small rock in her hand instead, clenching her teeth she searches for Essence within her, trying to shift the fog of yellow in her eyes and mind so she can defend herself.
It slams into her and again she feels nothing but a rapid downward descent through the eternal yellow. She knew the truth though and curses her recklessness in staring the hypnotic demon in the face. Essence refused her call, her arms, legs and even lungs denied her their existence and so she wails, “Jooonnnn.”
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But even her voice drawls away in the yellow. Shouldn’t have underestimated it. Lavinia’s senses continue to disjoint from her being till she feels like nothing but her own thoughts echoed into the yellow. Moments pass like this as she waits for something to happen, a saviour to lift her or death by the Kimpe’s burly fists to seize her.
But neither come, the yellow persists, eating away at her mind. She searches the yellow for the Kimpe as she calls on Essence once more, willing her Soul Crystal to fuel her heart, mind and body. She senses it beyond the yellow, a stain of Crimson among the sickening swirl of the Kimpe’s illusion. She continues to call out to it, will it to grow and consume from the little speck of red to a festering blotch of Crimson the soon envelopes all her sight as she banishes the yellow with her own defiant roar.
“Raarrrahh!” her eyes beam open and true enough, Essence surges through her every pore and blood pumps throughout her veins like a geyser.
[{Blood Rush} Active!]
Heaving in blinding rage and surging power, Lavinia watches as the gaping hole left in her chest by the Kimpe’s attacks swell back to order, her bones snap to place as she rises and faces the true world and in it she finds a new enemy in the middle of devouring the Kimpe she harboured a burning need of vengeance for.
Long, coiled and giant. The winged-serpent, [Jaui] constricting the yellow burning Kimpe hisses at her, its red wings spread to lift and a crest of flittering colours flare out at her in challenge.
{T-2/L-4— Jaui}
She meets it.
----------------------------------------
Name: Lavinia
Race: Demon
Class: Vampiric
Age: Immortal – 87 days.
Crystal Essence: [Crimson]- Lvl.1— 55.01ESQ
[Available Essence Points— 10]
Faith:30
Agility: 25
Intelligence:14
Perk: {Reais Smite}, {Blood Rush}, {Wave Shot}, {Crimson Blink}, {Inspect}, {Blood Art; Kinesis}
Soul Bond: Curse Marked; Master Henry Vanavil
***
Lavinia sees red. Her eyes bloodshot from the hypnotic beatings the Kimpe forced her body to endure tinted the world crimson with splotches of true colour standing out here and there. She didn’t care, heaving and panting as her ribs, legs and arms snap into place in a rapid drain of her Essence reserves, she would drain it all till it’s gone if it meant ripping off the Kimpe’s head.
The colossal Jaui watches her as she watches it, coiled around and upon itself, with the offending Kimpe ensnared between its folds, fighting fruitlessly against the Jaui’s strangulation and crushing tail.
{T-2/L-4— Jaui}
Pouring Essence into her arm Lavinia mutters through the burning haze of blood rushing throughout her, “Reais Smite.” A thick coating of Essence shrouds her entire arm as she presses down to all fours, barring fangs at the Jaui crushing her would-be prey and predator.
The Jaui starts to unfurl as Lavinia digs her foot in the dirt, growling in the tension, fighting against the blinding rage and bloodlust to think clearly. It’s hiss fills the forest, chasing away whatever demon would dare interrupt as it uncoils and stretches its wingspan with the Kimpe still trapped in its embrace.
Lavinia watches it, waiting for her moment and once the Jaui attempts to bite off the Kimpe’s head she strikes, “Crimson Blink.”
Appearing above its head Lavinia slams her Essence shrouded arm down as she falls, snatching a handful of the Jaui’s colourful hood and ripping it off as she descends onto its long, iridescent scaly body.
Extending her claws she smites and digs in through its tail and flesh, ignoring its screams as she pours out chunk after chunk of it until it hurls acid over her. Another flash of crimson and blood send Lavinia to the Jaui’s front where it gapes, hisses and thrashes against itself as acid corrodes through the deep wound she’s dug. Not sparing a second, Lavinia funnels more Essence, demanding all her Crystal would give her into a shimmering, whining ball.
“Wave Shot!” Blasting the ball at the Jaui’s bloody head and ripped hood Lavinia doesn’t stop to watch its effects. Searching herself for her dagger she gives up when she can’t find it and rushes at the screeching Jaui before it’s wings take it to the sky.
The Wave Shot implodes before she gets to it, slicing through more of the Jaui’s thick scales and spilling more blood onto the field. Hungry, she leaps onto one of the broadest wounds and sinks her teeth in, draining the moment she has a solid grip. The Jaui continues to screech and seethe venom from its fangs, without reaching its true target in the blinding fog of pain and agony on several parts of its body. Lavinia struggles to keep hold once it fully uncoils itself, spreading its wings to flap it some feet above the forest canopy in an attempt to wag Lavinia off of it.
Growling, Lavinia’s claws extend with coats of Essence, piercing the long, scaly demon as she clambers up after its head. Seeing this the Jaui performs a swift arc in the air, whipping itself about in a dizzying circle and wave before abruptly slamming its tail down with Lavinia on it.
The last, desperate shroud of Crimson spits Lavinia out safely beside the crushed and forgotten Kimpe. Drowning in its own blood Lavinia wastes no time ripping its throat out, bathing in the geyser of crimson that spurts out. Her manic grin returns as she leers at the abused and confused Jaui slithering through the forest clearing, searching for its nest to retreat into.
No escape! Willing 5EP into [INT] and another into [FAI] Lavinia roars at the Jaui, it notices her, alive, well and ready to kill it. The Jaui slithers into a poised position, ready to snap at Lavinia like a comet as she digs her hand into the Kimpe’s gushing throat and retrieves its gleaming, hot Soul Crystal. Not sparing it a glance, Lavinia crushes it in her fist, letting the Essence warp into her Soul Crystal.
8 ESQ Absorbed!
10 Essence Points Absorbed!
Crystal Essence Level 1—>2!
Ignoring the wave of lethargy rushing in as much as her blood continues to rage, she swells with the new fund of Essence, commanding it to cover her completely as the Jaui snaps through the forest, clearing the distance between them in a blink.
“Reais Smite!” Arrogant and unyielding Lavinia, leaps over the Jaui’s charge, escaping its snapping maw by the skin of ther teeth. She hovers in the air for a split moment before dropping her clawed fist into its massive head with all the Essence she can command.
A resounding crack of bone and then of earth fills the jungle. A blast of Essence, excess and volatile gushes through the trees and sears away the Jaui’s scales from its body as Lavinia burrows through like a toothed hammer. The Jaui goes still with Lavinia carving a crevasse in its head, funnelling its flesh into her mouth in a crazed moment of rage, lethargy and primal fury.
She roars, victorious as Blood and guts swirl around her in the dark brokenness of the instantly deceased Jaui. She blinks at the swirls of blood slicing and dicing through the demon’s corpse, her blood stops rushing and more sense of her surroundings feeds into her mind as she studies the many tendrils of blood with avid curiosity and surprise.
[{Blood Rush} Disabled!]
She blinks again, watching the tendrils pour from the air like raindrops as exhaustion traps her mind in a fog. Before she lets it take her, she pinches a piece of the Jaui she’s carved into and stuffs her mouth with it.