Chapter 16

Lavinia looks between the imposing three, her hand resting on the pouch all present claim a stake on. Even without a direct look at their crystals, the use of {Inspect} keeps her well aware of the power gap between herself and these demons.

The size of Essence each have stands at least twice hers in the case of their weakest and ironically largest companion. The first to speak and presumably their leader wields three times more Essence than she and sets the standard for the others. Their crystals would be worth a fortune and their flesh would have to taste good. Refraining from licking her lips, Lavinia reminds herself of the power gap— she'd have to come out alive from the fight if any of it is to be worth it.

Taking a subtle sniff at them, her gut demands the meal— despite the power gap there's something off about them, how they carry themselves. They couldn't be as threatening as the curly-tailed demons Lavinia fought last, much less humans like Ken or Henry.

Can I eat them?

The question persists even as the speaking demon sends his three-fingered hand out again, "How about it?" He says, the words slide off his lips as smooth as they would a human.

Taking a breath, Lavinia unclips the pouch from her belt, causing his fingers to curl excitedly. "Yours?" she asks.

"Yes. Give it."

Taking her sweet time, Lavinia drops the pouch of coins in his waiting hand, saying, "I found there." She points over where the grey-skinned demon rots away.

"Thank you." he says, snatching the pouch away into his shawl, ignoring the grey-skinned demon entirely. "It's a wise choice."

The hooded three turn to leave but Lavinia reaches out, snatching their leader by his skinny arm, "Wait. Answers?"

Even with his hand caught he doesn't turn back, his companions lean into her space, forcing Lavinia to let him go as he lets out an awkward chuckle, "Yes, yes. My word is my bond."

Lavinia nods and the demon pull back his hood. His companions do the same, revealing prism shaped heads with singular eyes screwed in pasty grey skin. Not a nose or ear to be had above black, rubbery lips. With their strange heads revealed, Lavinia notes for the first time just how much space they take up with their necks long and almost flimsy in comparison.

"Well, what did you ask, ahh, the coins. These are…coins, currency for the demons and residents of Corym. Traded for goods and service of all sorts."

Lavinia nods, "Essence coins."

"Close, Tokens, but yes, the life force of demons fuel these tokens. The higher the source, the better."

"Can I eat them?"

"Bwahahah!" the companion on the left bursts out laughing.

The leader blinks his one eye and says, "I suppose you can, if you try hard enough. Now, we've got business to attend to, we'll be seeing you around I'm sure."

"Wait! Where are you going?"

Looking over his shoulder he says, "Corym. Home." Pulling up his hood the strange Trirax demons climb up the beach.

Quick, Lavinia sprints down to the cave entrance, ignoring the eerie sensations it brings as she pulls the GroveStaff out of the sand and sprinting back up, "Wait! Wait!" she calls out to the three.

Again, only the leader stops to turn and answer. His disturbed frown vanishing into curiosity at the sight of the GroveStaff.

"Take me to Corym." Lavinia says.

He looks back at his companions, both holding back their laughter. Shaking his head, he raises his left hand and wriggles his fingers, "Sorry dear, no entry without invitation." His ring shines brightly and Lavinia notes each of them have one. Invitation. She nods and he waves, walking off with his company.

For a moment Lavinia watches their backs as they recede beyond the beach— she hasn't explored that far yet but now seems like a good time. Curling her fingers into a fist, Lavinia paces back and forth in place, mind and instinct in a stalemate.

Should she attack? She's already handed the pouch and they kept their word as they said. There's no need to start a conflict she possibly couldn't win, she's outnumbered. Her eyes land on the grey-skinned demon and she grits her teeth, tightening her grip on the GroveStaff. They lied. They must've. The pouch sat beside the grey-skinned, dead but there with his corpse. They only appeared after she found it so…so it couldn't be theirs right?

Her stomach groans and she decides.

Lavinia's fingers tighten around the GroveStaff's coarse surface. With a determined breath, she shifts her weight onto her back foot, her stance a testament to the nervous anticipation, the consequence. As if choreographed, her arm arcs back, then forward as her fingers set the staff loose at precisely the right moment.

Zipping gracefully through the air, the GroveStaff becomes a fleeting silhouette against the backdrop of the red scorn world. Its brass length rotates, creating a mesmerizing dance as it hurtles toward her target— the largest of the three.

It breaks through him and she bursts out sprinting towards them, reaching halfway before with an enraged roar the second [Trirax] aside from the leader pulls her hood back. Her single eye swells, bulging out of her strange head and glowing with bridling Essence.

A beam of Essence explodes the sand a foot ahead of Lavinia but she sprints through it. Another beam comes at her— this time from the leader himself— she barely dodges; the heat of the beam boils her skin as it scalds sand to glass in an instant.

Narrowing on him, Lavinia's certain now— this is what ended the grey-skinned. Essence floods through to her feet, with the extra help she dances between the blasts, closing the distance bit by bit as the lag between each blasts drags on— their large stores of Essence wasting away.

Sliding the dagger from her belt, Lavinia takes a breath, eyes steeling on the screaming companion, she mutters, "Crimson Blink."

In a disorienting, Essence draining spatial jerk, Lavinia materializes behind her. Quickly wrapping her elbow over the Trirax's neck, she presses her dagger into her side, eliciting a voiceless gasp.

"No!" the leading Trirax screams, his eye wide with rage and fear. He darts between the open space and his companion, and in a heartbeat flees for his life. The lead Trirax makes a quick getaway up the beach, his legs kicking as fast as they can carry him into the world beyond.

Groaning, Lavinia shifts her startled prey's neck aside and sinks her fangs in for a feast of blood. The Trirax trembles, her batting hands droop uselessly beside her as Lavinia drains her of blood before tossing her aside. 

0.903ESQ Absorbed!

Skipping over her body, Lavinia charges after the lead Trirax, retrieving the GroveStaff from the squashed skull of the first. It's fortunate the beaches incline ends here, the use of {Crimson Blink} thoroughly drained her of Essence, but it was strategic and worth it. Now to follow through. The lead Trirax is fast on his stringy feet, all that Essence put to good use trying to escape.

But there's isn't anywhere to escape to. Beyond the sand of the beach is the continuation of the wide, barren red land. A single haven of sprawling life, trees, vegetation and wilding demons stands far in the middle of all the nothingness.

Groaning, Lavinia shouts out, "Stop or I'll throw it!"

The Trirax doesn't stop for a second, speeding up even. Frustrated, Lavinia pools what Essence she can afford into hurling the GroveStaff at the fleeing demon.

It soars, reaching a peak and descending with a skull crushing force. With a loud and heavy thump it cracks the earth, embedding itself there but missing the Trirax entirely.

"Grrr!" Lavinia licks her lips, careful not to bite herself as she glares away at the escaping Trirax— he's taken the pouch and tokens with him. The taste of blood reminds her of the unfinished meal though, so she paces herself retrieving the GroveStaff and returning to the beach.