“Oh thank the system ya returned Mourns.” I raise an eyebrow to Stone. “She wouldn't stop questionin’ me, now that ya're here ya can satisfy her inquest.”

  I frown at that, I see Barbain shift her focus from the Dwarf to me. She is ready with a question but then narrows her eyes at me.

  “So you were dead for a month as Red and off collecting Elves as Violet. Does that sum up why you stopped sending me mail, Sara?”

  “I feel like that is a gross misrepresentation of what happened.” I stammer back.

  Glindinal slides pass me back into the room, “The Elves were busy trying to collect her.”

  “Seriously.” I give a glare that she just barks a laugh at.

  “Nevermind her, I still can't reach you, even now.”

  I frown at that. I touched her. Can you hear me now?

  Yes.

  “Another thing Cea robs from me then. Her aura is literally encompassing me.” I sit down in a huff. “Can you at least sense me? I can still feel parts of my soul that are out there.”

  She nods. Thank the system for that. Terrible if my … who are those out there. One is Cecelia…she was my…who was the other.

  “Sara?”

  “Sorry I was trying to remember who the soul pieces to the east were.”

  Barbain's face darkens, “Have you seriously forgotten your own mothers?”

  My chest clenches at her words. “I…I've been having a hard time remembering a lot of things. It's why I'm here, to claim a fire core from Gadvak.”

  “Thought your aim was to become undead and part of Gadvak dungeon.” Glindinal huffed out.

  Whose side is she on? “Its just one scenario.”

  “I'm hearing more awful things, Sara. What exactly would that serve?” Barbain glowers at me.

  “If I was undead I would siphon Cea soul from her till she was a husk. It’s just…she plans to seize me the moment I turn. I figured if I was undead in Gadvak, the dungeon could seize me first.”

  I earn a finger flick to the forehead. Rubbing the spot, I give an annoyed look at Barbain.

  “You're a devourer, why wait for yourself to be undead to siphon her soul?” Lea says off handily.

  I'm stunned at her words. Is that possible? Could I just start nibbling at her—

  I look up at Barbain, her hand on my shoulder, “Think about the implications before you change yourself. Preferably outloud.”

  Right, implications. “Right now any extraneous soul mana gets pulled to her. If I devourer her, I have to hold it in my own soul otherwise it would just return to her. Her being is so large, I could end up replacing all my memories with hers and still just be a fraction of hers. Fundamentally I need more soul. At least two thousand to hold her memories.”

  “Wouldn't eating her soul provide you that room?” Barbain asks.

  I shake my head, “It was never a one to one gain. Besides I can only keep about six years worth of memories currently in my head.” They all give me a look at that, “I don't understand it either, my Soul value far higher but I can't even remember my whole life.”

  “You seem more sketchy than what six years would imply.”

  I roll my eyes, “Ya well, I got doubled up on memory here. Two minds twice as much memory. I only get one soul on soul day though.”

  “So why can't ya just toss her soul out into your nebulous set of floatin’ memory?” Stone asks.

  “‘Cause new memories are staying with me now. I remember everything since I finished with the arcane core.”

  “So ya figure, ya have to make the bitch memories yours and it's goin’ to crowd out ya own self. That ‘bouts sums it up?” I nod to Stone’s words.

  “We really need to do something about this mana aura.” Barbain pokes me.

  I frown, “What do you suggest?”

  “I mean you were high enough to unlock [Drain Mana] right?”

  I frown but start to pull the mana into me. My body starts to overheat. Shit. I need to push it out. I form water mana and point to a wall. My arm seizes as the spell fails. Fuck. I fell over. Both Glindinal and Barbain are next to me while Lea runs over. My body keeps shuddering. I drain the water mana, then reform it as light. Drain to arcane. Back to light. I keep doing it till the bad conversion rate breaks it apart.

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  “Sara, can you hear me?”

  My eyes focused on Lea, she apparently had shoved the other two out of the way.

  “Sorry, it seems [Drain Mana] is a no go unless I have a way to use the mana. She is blocking me from externalizing it.”

  “Perhaps trinkets?” Glindinal suggested.

  I frown, “I'm sure she would burn out any [Drain Mana] based plate.” She gains the same frown.

  “But what if ya're using one? Stone throws out.

  Easy enough to test. I pop out my cover trinket I stole from this guild. It's been awhile. I gripped it and pushed mana into it. It doesn't activate. But the mana went in.

  “She stopped even trinkets.” Stone growls.

  “No, the mana went in, it's just not activating.” I toss the device to Stone. It disappeared the moment it left my hand. Right, soul bound. “Lincor tried to get me to use a trinket as well and it failed unless it was written in [Magical Math].”

  There is a snrrk from behind me, “You seriously made [Math] your magical language.” Barbain just starts laughing. I give her a side eye. She squeezed out a few more words, “You should still be able to use trinkets.” She steadies herself, “Try to think of it as just a mana interface and not a spell. Your arcane mana has intent and is probably trying to interpret the spell instead of running through the groves.”

  The trinket pops out again. More mana and it activates. I give a sigh of relief. I let go of the mana.

  “So why didn't Lincor tell me that?”

  “I dunno, never met the guy. I mean it's easy proof for figuring out someone got a magical language *snrrk* seriously [Math]?” I give Barbain a glare. “Sorry, that they got a magical language that isn't the same as the trinket they used. O systems I need to go home and tell Bea.”

  My glare seems to have no effect on her. Used to be a time when I could give her commands. Stop it. So it was just a test, no wonder he was excited when I failed.

  “So I need to make a trinket that lets me expend the mana I'll drain from her aura. That's not too hard to do.”

  “Its not a good idea.”

  I look at Lea. Glindinal asks before I do, “Why not?”

  “Because she will notice and try to stop you. It's her mana aura surrounding you. I only think she hasn't killed you so far is that she is not sure you will arrive at the castle.”

  “Leacea, you are quite right in that regard.” Cea voice emanates from the aura. “Sarcea, you are to return to Cea'nila at once.”

  “You've been using illusion magic to watch and listen this whole time.” I begin to shudder.

  “That is not my name nor is it hers.” Lea roars.

  “Only for now. Sarcea, if you don't do as I say I will kill everyone in here. Fancy living the memories of your friends. Their last moments will be of you watching them die.”

  “What is that you command?” I seeth out.

  “Just an etching on your soul. I am Sarcea, a vessel for Cea. I will replace my soul with hers.”

  I fell to my knees. I've lost. I lost the moment she died. I titter.

  “Stop that laughing.”

  The titter grows to a chuckle.

  “Sarcea.”

  I am laughing fully holding my sides, cheek to the ground.

  “Sarcea, I will start with Glindinal.”

  My laughter doesn't stop, “A mere mundane lich wishes to make demands. You are a soul powering a bit of flesh sustained by me. You want your soul consumed. So be it.”

  I can feel the aura warp as I laugh. Her magic she wove to speak breaks apart. It's pretty funny.

  “For every bit of undeath or soul mana you demand of me undead, I require a trade of your memory.”

  I begin cackling as my soul etches. The tears start to flow. Her mana aura begins to heat up. Wish to cook me to claim me, do you? I begin [Drain Mana] in earnest. My body heats up more.

  “Either I cease to exist now undead and you can wither away without your source of power or you can come up with some clever way to stop yourself from existing later.”

  Her aura flickers off, releasing the mana I had built up. It returns almost immediately. It doesn't weave any magic this time. It's waiting for me to stop laughing. I finally slowed down my madness.

  “Is your tantrum complete, Kill Glindinal.”

  I negate it, all my mana is emptied in the negation. I immediately start drawing mana from her aura again. I'm not fast enough.

  “Kill Glindinal.”

  My mind blanks as her aura lets me go.

  Sara's mana aura floods the room. Lea covers Glindinal in her own aura. A knife appears in Sara's hand as she rushes forward. She is bowled over by Stone.

  “Get out of here.” Stone shouts out. Sara attempts to swing her knife at the Dwarf. She is greeted with a punch in the head. “Awww Fark, what's her head made of.” He bellows.

  “[Drain Mana] all mental mana affecting you, Sara.” Barbain says, gripping Sara's head.

  I do so, regaining myself. Shit. I get to my feet, wide eyed. I ran out of the room. To the street. Towards the gate. It's closed. I pass the sleeping guard and reach the door. I can feel her aura come out of me. I force the door open and squeeze through. I'm immediately pierced by multiple dirt constructs. Most scrape against my scales. The uncovered back of my joints aren't so lucky.

  Damn it. I fell to the ground outside the gate. The constructs dig deeper. They scrap against my bones. I writhe in pain. I can't [Drain Mana] fast enough, my reserves being empty is providing enough room for the stolen mana to go. I can't force her to stop by holding myself hostage. My vision is blocked. Blocked by dirt daggers. They push into my eyes. I scream.

  “Lich, I demand the memory of your name.”

  Suddenly the other side of my tether writhes in agony. I feel that small part of her seep into me. I remember my mother cooing at me. “Cea.” She said, I can't see my mother's face. But her voice is clear. Calling me by my name. It's her name, I cry out mentally. I'm not sure I believe myself. It's the earliest memory I ever had.

  I can hear the not sleeping guard coming to the door I had left open in the gate. Damn it, my body shredded with these constructs embedded in me. They suddenly are pulled away. The dirt constructs start to push into me again. Not like this.

  An aura pushes over me. It pushes down on me, pushes down on the lich’s aura. I can't see but I can smell her. I groan.

  “Not even a day, and I already have to deal with you.”

  “Sorry for the hassle, Lady Ophelia .” I writhe.

  “Care to explain why you are breaking out of the city.”

  The dirt constructs slowly dissolve. “Well, it seems my body was being surrounded by an evil bitch's aura who was going to start killing everyone around me. I figure adding to my body count might be counter productive to me continuing to not be executed. So I fled the city in an attempt to prevent the worst. Please don't execute me again.”

  I can feel the displeasure radiate off her.

  “Considering it didn't take last time, I'm half a mind to incinerate you here.”

  My eyes finally return. I see a very cross human woman standing over me. I try my best smile, she is not amused.

  So If you see a scene that sceams cover just knock me over the head in the comments. And now that I wrote that, a cover comes to mind. Well can always guess which one. :)