Chapter 11

Even with Lucy's mentorship Lavinia didn't understand everything about her and their groups purpose in these caves, this dungeon. Lavinia knew action more than words and so many of her teachable moments have been accompanied by action or the threat of action.

"…or die."

She recognizes a threat when she hears one, it's different from the growls and pacing of a challenge, it's different because of who's behind it. Henry— the Berserker's Chosen as she understands it— a dark haired man shorter than even Lucy wields no weapon. His torn shirt billows in wind that seems to grace him alone and his eyes hide the reason a Berserker like Nei would shut up in his presence.

His final words press against Lavinia as his gaze passes over her to Lucy and Ken. Lucy presses down on the worst of his wounds but whatever was keeping him alive this long seems to be wearing off as more of his bone crack under his own weight, forcing him to sit, vulnerable and defeated.

"Lucy?" Lavinia calls out hoarsely, her voice and use of tongue still not developed, but Lucy answers regardless.

Lucy nods knowingly and releases Ken to his wounds, he winces at her absence. "If Ken were…more conscious, he'd tell you that he'd never surrender to your ilk. Yes, I know what you are, how couldn't I?"

Henry scowls, "What I am has no bearing on the game, last chance, surrender the familiar to me or lose."

Lucy beckons and Lavinia grasp her hand, feeling it go numb to sensation as a cold power strains through her pathways. "This is more than a game or a test, it's more than that to Ken. Someone like you cannot win, you mustn't. Lavinia would only make you more arrogant and dangerous, I won't do it."

Henry dashes forward, his arm a spear that bursts through Lucy's chest, stealing her heart out on the other side, "Die then."

Crumpling to her knees Lucy squeezes Lavinia's hand, the ebbing power coursing through sets it ablaze as she rasps, "You have to know…Lavi.."

"Lucy?" Lavinia listens intently, bearing the scorch in her hand, arm and Crystal. She watches with wide eyes as Lucy's head bounces off the floor, her chest pooling out a river of blood that stains her feet.

{Soul Bond Severed}— Familiar; Master Lucy McNil

Latent Attribute Triggered!— +10EP to [INT] Attribute

[INT] Perk {Inspect} Attained!

The words make perfect sense for once, but the first paralyze Lavinia in place. Her feet soaking in her master's blood, watching her eyes dry out in the open air.

"Come here now, demon Lavinia, you will serve a new master." Henry says, tossing Lucy's still beating heart aside. Snapping his fingers at Nei he points at Ken breathing laboriously, "Finish that one and feed him a vial, tired of hearing him breath."

Lavinia looks up at Henry and he smirks down at her saying, "I see she put some sense behind your eyes, perhaps too much."

"Urk!" Ken groans at his chest caving in from Nei's palm.

"Inspect." Lavinia whispers under her breath, she watches Henry as her eyes light up with a flare. Through new lenses her vision of Henry changes— his left eye reveals its unnatural truth, a bony socket with nothing more than a rotted eyeball rolling around glowers down at her. His hair burns with a grey aura unseen by the naked eye and right above his head— 

{Level 20— Soul Reaver}

"Reaver."

"Yes, and you are a demon, a vampiric beast of Reais. My new pet."

"No."

"Yes, or do you wish to die as well?" He bends on one knee, letting Lavinia look down on him for once as he smears Lucy's blood all over her cheek.

Lavinia shivers, pulling away from his touch. He glares and snatches her chin, setting it straight whilst nearly breaking her jaw he continues smearing Lucy's blood over her face, "You will find I'm far more accommodating to your needs, Lavinia. You and I have special needs, all this time with those fools, you've been starved of growth. True growth, not this artificial, forced nonsense. You know what I'm talking about don't you?" Mouth forced shut, Lavinia can only grunt a forced affirmative. Henry grins.

Nei steps up, head tilted in deference, "Their souls await you, Lord Chosen. Should I retrieve our Caster for resurrection?"

Henry doesn't look away from his work on Lavinia's face, the random smearing of blood has taken on a pattern Lavinia's yet to decipher, "No, we never needed a Caster anyway. The Sniffer is a loss though, I cannot revive that to be useful thanks to the System, but we can always steal from another group."

"Yes Lord. And what of the demon? Will it join us?"

This time he smirks up at Nei, shaking his head he adds a final stroke to his bloody tapestry and says, "I can't make familiars, only thralls and you're too dumb to make familiars either. Keeping her here through intimidation might work, but this dungeon was never meant for her kind. She belongs out there with the rest of her cannibalistic ilk."

A spark of hope ignites within Lavinia at this. Would she live?

As if reading her mind Henry chuckles, "Don't get too excited, Lavinia. Lucy was right to subjugate a demon like you, it simply wasn't the right time or place. But I'll learn from her mistakes, you will serve me in the end. Oulkirak!"

{Soul Bond Active}— Curse Marked; Master Henry Vanavil.

At the single word Lavinia breaks down screaming as the blood smeared into a pattern of short curves eats into her face. "Ah! Ah! Stop! Make it stop!" She slaps her hands over her face, rubs dirt all over but nothing except the snap of Henry's fingers makes the agony stop.

"There, a leash for the pet." Henry says with a smile, returning to his pleasant visage. "You're free now, Lavinia, go out, eat, prosper. I will conquer these dungeons and earn dominion over all of Yetraltiz. And when it is time, I will return for you."