Frigid energy coursed through Jade's veins, spreading through her entire body. Frost crystalized on her skin, stinging and burning as unfiltered death energy sought to find an escape from the improper vessel it had become trapped in. In the moment Jade's fingers brushed the fragment she had only absorbed the tiniest splinter of its essence, but even that miniscule amount of cosmic power was a potent toxin to the mortal coil.

Jade cried out, writhing on the ground. Every exhalation, every utterance was accompanied by a puff of umbral energy. Black smoke rose from her skin in thin, curling wisps, the energy filtering out through her body like sieve. It wasn't dissipating fast enough. She could feel it burning her out, searing through the magical pathways that were woven through her body. They were still new and untested, nowhere near the strength required to contain such vast power.

Gritting her teeth, Jade forced herself to focus through the pain. If she didn't do something, this power would consume her. There had to be a way to expel it faster. She just needed a way to channel it.

Distracted, she didn't notice the approaching footfalls until Ves was already on top of her. The vampire had slipped free of her control in the chaos, cutting herself free from the binding magic while Jade lay insensate on the rocky ground of the pillar. She gave her a cruel grin, placing her hands on her hips as she inspected Jade's form.

"Fool." she sneered. "The living have no hope of handling the essence of death. That is our nature."

She placed her clawed hands on her shoulder, leaning closer.

"You should thank me. I'm doing you a favor."

Baring her fangs, the vampire bit down on Jade. New pain, sharp and focused, shot through Jade's neck like a hot poker had been jabbed into her flesh. She snarled, reduced to her base demonic instincts, shoving Ves away with all of her might. Ves was flung backwards, staggering away and clutching her face with her clawed hands. Black smoke billowed from her lips, slipping between her fingers and leaving her cheeks marred with blackened veins that stood out starkly against her sallow skin.

"You were saying?" Jade gasped, forcing herself to her feet and glaring at the vampire with a look of such vitriol she flinched, taking another step back.

That was all the opening Jade needed. She channeled mana through her legs, blinking forward to appear right in front of her surprised foe. She slashed with clawed hands, ignoring the sudden burst of intense pain that accompanied overloading her magical pathways while they were already buzzing with barely contained power. Jade sliced through Ves's robes, tearing jagged gashes into her flesh that left the other woman reeling. Power bled from Jade's hands, a small amount flowing into her body with every strike. Despite the vampire's assertion, the death essence seemed to have nearly as strong an effect on her as it did on Jade. Its potent, unrefined power was as anathema to the living dead as it was to the living.

But it still wasn't enough. Each strike only imparted a small amount of the essence. It was still burning away at Jade's core, and she was getting lightheaded. Her vision blurred, more bursts of pain accompanying the vampire's counters as she tore into her attacker, snarling with anger. Everything started to grow dark, the pain and power clouding Jade's mind. But there was something else, too. Sweet, sweet rage, so close, already within reach. She could taste it on her lips, feel it rolling from Ves in waves. The sensation anchored her, giving her something to latch onto. In a flash of insight, Jade knew what she had to do. The one way she could eject the power filling her all at once.

Vision blurring, Jade ignored her numerous wounds and Ves's slashing claws, grabbing her by the shoulders. She pulled her close, bringing their lips together before the shocked vampire could do more than growl in surprise, burying her claws in Jade's arms. She barely felt the impact, drawing in a breath and draining the woman's essence. The life force of a vampire was like nothing she'd ever tasted before. It was dark and bitter, carrying an unpleasant, almost tainted flavor. 'Kiss of Night' was only meant to work on the living, but a vampire was a creature that occupied the strange twilight realm that existed between the truly living and dead. Ves's body carried a spark of light, faint but vibrant. That was all Jade needed.

Her wounds began to heal as Ves stiffened, gasping in pain. Jade pulled her closer, draining faster. No longer charmed, the 'C' rank spell had only a limited effect on her. It was painful, but not truly deadly. That wasn't the point. Jade wasn't trying to defeat her with the spell, she just needed to give the power trapped inside her somewhere to go.

Using her aura as a guide Jade pushed, shoving the cosmic energy through the network that made up her 'kiss of night' spell and blasting it straight into Ves's body. The form of a succubus was a poor vessel for the essence and, given access to a marginally better suited container, it flowed easily between them. It left Jade's body in an instant, leaving her woozy and disoriented. She had just enough wherewithal to step away, breaking the connection between them before she accidentally sucked any of it back.

The vampire screamed, black veins spreading through her body. It didn't look quite as harmful to her as it had been to Jade, but the experience appeared far from pleasant. The distraction was more than enough to draw Ves's attention away from Jade long enough for her to seize Phantom from where she'd dropped it, step forward, and plunge the enchanted blade straight through her heart.

SCHIK

"Guh"

Ves stared dumbly down at the dagger protruding from her chest, and then looked up at Jade, eyes narrow.

"You'll… pay…" was all she got out. A moment later her body dissolved into smoke, leaving her empty robe to crumple to the ground in a bloody heap.

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The last of Jade's strength left her body and she fell to her knees in the center of the pillar, gasping for breath. Her entire body ached. It felt like an especially bad case of the flu, the kind that had left her bedridden as a teenager for over a week, too weak to even sit up. A strange tingling passed through her body, and blinking notifications fought for her attention in the corner of her vision.

She was too weak and tired to care. Slumping over on the rough stone, darkness took her.

----------------------------------------

Jade woke to a pleasant warmth spreading through her body. She blinked, awareness slowly returning as the bone deep chill permeating her being began to recede. When her vision came into focus the first thing she saw was Naomi kneeling over her, humming a soft tune, glowing hand on her shoulder.

"Easy." she said, gently pushing Jade down as she tried to sit up. "You were in rough shape when we got here. Take it slow."

"The vampires…?" Jade asked. Her voice came out raw and raspy. She coughed, accepting water from Naomi and drinking slowly.

"Ran off real quick like." Fenrin said, lowering himself to kneel beside them. The elf had blood on his face, but whatever wound had caused it was already healed. "They didn't stick around long after their friend ran off with the relic."

Jade could see Aylin, Siora, and Luis, all of them clustered around the divine fragment a short distance away. The mage was weaving a spell around the relic while the others kept a lookout. Knowing that everyone was safe helped her relax and she lay back, no longer trying to push past Naomi to get up.

"What happened?" Naomi asked. "I had to cast my new cleanse on you three times before the healing spells even started to work."

"I… may have accidentally touched the relic."

"Accidentally?" Naomi raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"It was about to roll into the chasm."

Jade briefly summarized the chase and battle with the vampire, Ves. When she finished, Fenrin whistled.

"You killed a level 25 vampire by yourself? That's impressive."

"Wouldn't have gotten her without the arrow you put in her back." Jade said, giving him an appreciative nod. "Nice shot."

"It's a lot easier when they aren't trying to hit you back."

"She's not dead." Aylin interjected, striding over to them. The mage stopped beside Jade, looming over her with a disapproving frown. "And you shouldn't have touched the relic. You're lucky to be alive."

"I didn't mean to. It just-"

"I heard." Aylin sighed, extending a hand to help Jade to her feet. She rose, feeling weak and dizzy but otherwise okay. "Thanks for saving it. I just wish doing so hadn't almost killed you."

"I'll be more careful next time."

"Is there going to be a next time?" Siora asked, concerned. "I'd rather not get ambushed by vampires again."

"You took care of one of them." Luis said, patting Jade lightly on the arm. "That's a good start."

"I doubt she's dead." Aylin repeated with a grimace.

Everyone turned questioning looks on her. Luis pointed to the pile of ash that was all that remained of the woman's corpse.

"Jade vaporized her, chica. I don't think people come back from that."

"Vampires do."

Fenrin's brow furrowed in thought, and he cursed under his breath.

"Sunlight." He explained in answer to Jade's questioning look. "I've heard it said that vampires have to be slain in sunlight to truly be vanquished. I thought it was just a story. Explains why they ambushed us here."

"Lesser vampires are easier to kill, but those three were true living dead." Aylin confirmed with a grimace. "I don't know how word of this relic reached the Blood Queen so quickly, but it clearly has. We should make haste for Estelhelm before she sends more of her minions after us."

"So, what." Naomi said, collecting her things. All of them were gathered on the broad pillar Jade and Ves had fought on, which was starting to get a little crowded. "She just reappeared somewhere else?"

"I pumped her full of energy from that relic." Jade said, pointing at the dark crystal. It was hanging from the mage's belt again, a new runic seal hovering around it. This one looked less intricate than the previous, and Jade got the sense that it was a quick and dirty version of the same magic. "She can come back from that?"

"Possibly." Aylin shrugged. "I'm not an expert, but vampires have a strong affinity for death essence. She's probably back in the blood witch's palace on the third floor by now." The mage's lips curled up in a slight smile. "With a hell of a hangover, after what you did to her."

"I'll take it." Jade grunted.

"Who exactly is the blood witch?" Luis asked. "Some sort of super vampire? You've mentioned her before."

"She's a powerful necromancer who rules the city of Gremnegar on the third floor. Few know exactly what takes place within its dark walls, but that cursed city is filled with undead, dark magic, and creatures like this." Aylin said, kicking the pile of robes and ash that remained of Ves.

"Delightful." Jade muttered. She had a sneaking suspicion that this vampire, if she still lived, wasn't going to take this defeat lying down. They'd have to be even more careful, from now on.

"I can explain more on the road." Aylin said, turning back towards the edge of the chasm. The other pillars leading to it were cracked and scorched from Ves's trap, but still intact. "Let's move on. They may have friends, and if they know what they're looking for, this relic is hard to hide."

"There's a sanctuary at the edge of the quadrant." Fenrin said, pointing in the direction they'd been travelling. "We can rest there and reach the city by tomorrow night."

Jade grunted an assent, following the others back to the road. She did make sure to snag Ves's dark blade first, though, finding it wedged in a small crack on the pillar beside her remains. Jade slid it into her pouch, resolving to examine it when she had a moment. First, she had something more important to do. She caught Naomi by the arm, pulling her aside.

"Just wanted to say… thanks." she said, shuffling her wings awkwardly. "You saved me again."

"That's the job." Naomi gave her a wry smile. "I should be thanking you."

"Why's that?"

"These healing quests would be taking me way longer if you didn't get beat to shit all the time."

Jade laughed, then winced, holding the side of her chest. Not completely back to normal, then.

"Glad I can help."

Naomi's expression turned serious.

"But really, Jade. There's one thing you should keep in mind."

"What's that?"

"It's okay to lose, sometimes."

Jade cocked her head, confused.

"We don't have to win every fight. If it gets too tough, too dangerous, it's okay to fall back and regroup. We can't help our home if we don't live long enough to see this through."

She had a good point. The relic, while important, wasn't directly related to their quest to save Earth. Risks were a necessary part of being a wayfarer, but not every gamble was worth it.

"It worked out this time." Jade said, but then she nodded. "But I understand what you're saying. You have a point."

Naomi gave her hand a soft squeeze, then let go. Together, they rejoined the group, trekking further into the depths of the dark, gloomy cavern. Left with troubled thoughts, and memories of a strange vision to sort through, Jade turned her attention to the stack of notifications that awaited her.

Some of them were quite interesting.