The moment we left his chamber his aura around me lessened. It immediately led to her return.

  “Oh my, here I was expecting to lose my favorite source of undeath. I can not wait for you to exit, my goddess.”

  Deity raise to 7

  Wait is just being acknowledged by someone enough to raise that stat. Not even sure what it does. Nevermind. My thirst grows with each jostle. I need to deal with this at least.

  “You will surrender any memory you have of me being a goddess as compensation for your failure of our deal.”

  The illusion grits her teeth, not wanting to give in. I suddenly feel my soul fill with brief snippets of her glee at learning just how much more valuable I was to her.

  Deity lowered to 6

  “Since you have claimed compensation, our deal remains.” She sneers.

  Damn, but it is better than her knowing about me being a deity. She continues to float with me. Wary that I will claim she failed the deal again. I feel my body spasming. I don't feel the pain it should be causing. Just how burnt am I that I'm not feeling this. Only my damnable thirst is growing. My store of spare blood has already been drained. Please let there be a herd of sheep or something outside. Something that eats grass and doesn't cry too much.

  When we reach the exit, the Lich illusion picks me up with dirt constructs and carries me across the threshold. The moment she steps outside my thirst sky rockets.

  -----

  The Vampire turns her head towards her mistress who is thousands of kings feet away from her.

  “Ah perfect, my undead Cea. Time to return to me.”

  The subjugated Vampire begins to walk towards Cea'nila. The illusion of her mistress turns towards someone. The mana aura is pressed down and the Vampire turns her head to her new mistress.

  “So this is what happens when you die, can you revive yourself?”

  “Yes but not without the blood of the living.”

  “Does it need to be intelligent?”

  “Just alive.”

  Her mistress looks unwell, but she waits for her next command.

  “What is the closest Macknor Bear you can find?” The Vampire starts to turn towards the city, “That is not in that direction.”

  The vampire swivels and points south. “Three hundred kings feet.”

  “Let’s go.”

  -----

  The bear is drained. My mind is my own again. That was too close. I walk over to my saviour and heal the black lesions on her body.

  You have gained [Blood Magic 3] Basic 1

  Blood Magic 3 - if you can make flesh into blood and blood into flesh

  Basic - Using blood magic on yourself is just changing yourself, you no longer heal

  Gain 5 exp

  Wait, I thought I wasn't gaining levels during that trial. What does that mean? Am I even…stop it. I'll get to that later. First the person next to me. I step back to make room.

  “Thank you, Lady Ophelia Griugar. My debt to you grows.” I give her a bow, upon straightening up I tilt my head. “I thought I had left my pack behind.”

  “It had been vomited out of the entrance. Lady Sara—”

  “Cea.” I interrupt her reflexively. It hurts my soul.

  “Pardon.”

  “I go by Cea now.” My eyes refocus, “I made a vow to use it as my name from now on, for her assistance through Gadvak.”

  “That's a high price to pay, Cea. You know it's going to further cement her soul influence in you.”

  I wince at her words. “All the more reason to kill the lich, I made my vow conditional on her existence."

  “You think you can end her?”

  “Considering I'm slowly hollowing out her soul? Soon enough she will be nothing.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  She decides not to comment on that and instead, “The dungeon is not in lockdown but you have a third tail and were rather burnt a moment ago.”

  “A trial was given, either I become an undead and join his dungeon or survive. Also he will be expelling the cultist in a week's time.”

  “More work for us then.”

  I shiver at her words…actually I'm just shivering. I look down to notice I am rather naked.

  “Ah you noticed, it seems you burnt off your clothing.” She says with a wry grin.

  I pop out a knife from my soul. I began to separate the hide from the bear.

  -----

  “I feel like I am just arriving in Hilgard again.”

  “What do you mean by that, lady Cea?” I wince at her words. Specifically the last one she said. “You will need to gain better control of yourself.”

  “I know, it's still just raw. We should put the circlet back on me. That way I will at least think everyone is calling me that.”

  “If that is what you wish, lady Cea.” She hands me the circlet. Must never have taken it out of her pocket. Also weirdly deep pockets, did she fuel a storage space? Guess it's not impractical at her level. I put it on my head. Then look at her.

  “Cea.” I nod. “I am not sure how long that will continue to work. If you become comfortable with it being your name it will try to harass you in some other way.”

  “Best I got at the moment. Oh the Hilgard statement, I had a poorly shorn wolf pelt on me when I arrived.”

  “And now you have a poorly shorn bear pelt, I see.”

  Still didn't receive a skill for skinning it. Is there one or am I so bad at it my system will not grant it.

  “Come along, lady Cea.”

  “Thats not towards the capital.”

  She just gives me a small smile as she heads back to the dungeon.

  -----

  “You remember more now?”

  I nod. “Not just the bad things anymore. I feel like there is a bit broader base underneath all this Cea soul. But why are we waiting here?”

  “Well we sent two high level nobles in to kill Gadvak in an attempt to free you. My husband and I were unable to proceed ourselves. The dungeon would start to charge us with every monster it had. You got out before they got to him, it seems.”

  “Or they lost.” I say morosely.

  She laughs, “I would be very disappointed in them if they failed here.”

  She seems rather ambivalent to their deaths, or does she just not think it possible.

  “So you waited here for me? What of your duties?”

  “My duties are what slowed them to be honest. They would only delve while I watched the entrance in the evening. Didn't want you possibly wandering off. I think our caution was justified.”

  I open up my status screen to figure out—

  I hear their steps. I smell them. I rush to the entrance and jump into her.

  “Mom! Mother!”

  She catches me in a hug. My desire to split grows fiercely. To be able to hug both of them at the same time. Suddenly I am hugging both of them, a small bit of blood connects my two smaller bodies.

  “CEA?” I cringe as I hear it said in Mags's voice. “She said there is only one of you.”

  I look at myself and see the blood connecting my bodies.

  “There is, I just couldn't hug one of you. I don't understand how I did this.” I start to shudder.

  “Shhhh it's alright sweetie, it's alright.” It's comforting that I can still hear that.

  The two women walk my bodies closer to myself until I fuse back to one, I ignore how it felt weird while trying my best to hug them both.

  “I missed you both so much.”

  They carry me out. Mags noticed my circlet.

  “Why does she have that on her, Ophelia?” There is a great deal of anger coming out of her.

  “She put it on herself.” The woman accused said with a bit of indifference.

  “Explain.” Cecelia gets that particular tone that causes me to smile despite it being aimed at me.

  “Two reasons. I need more mental resist to claim that core and it stops me from correcting everyone I hear.” I say the last part in a whisper.

  “Correcting them on what?” Mags asks. I don't want to say it.

  “She took a vow to use Cea's name to survive Gadvak.”

  “Who would demand such?” Cecelia asks as I bury my face into her, wishing it not to be true. She pats my back.

  “The original owner of the name.” Ophelia deadpans.

  I squeeze harder. Cecelia squeaks. “Your pretty strong there, sweetie”

  I let go, “Sorry, I've been so used to being near three hundred strength.”

  Mags barks a laugh at that, "That's still quite strong, Cea. What is it now?”

  I look and then frown, “Three fifty three, I'm tier three again but my physical stats are only three-ninths because of my tails.” The mental ones are at least capped at seven hundred.

  The mirth loosen from Mags's face, “You're not two minds anymore.”

  “I.” I take a moment. “I had to merge to save my Red half. I so want to split but my soul is so fragile. I ate Violet's body to prevent myself from splitting. It made this my only body.” She scoops me into a hug as I start to shudder again.

  “Sorry, I know it's been hard, Cea.”

  “Please don't say my name, all I hear is hers.” I whisper. She winces but nods.

  Cecelia came up behind us. “You appear to have gone from wolf to bear, sweetie.”

  I bark a laugh out. “I burned my robes off. The fire core was hot.”

  Mags laughs at that, “Why didn't you swap to your attendant form then?”

  I frown. It just elicits more laughs from her. Hearing it broke my frown. I release the hug and will the arcane tail. Just one body this time. Cecelia's eyes bulge a bit.

  “Why are you Marie with five cat tails?” She tilts her head, “Actually pretty sure Marie doesn't have this many greys…silvers?”

  I grab a bit of my hair and take a moment to center myself, “It would appear Cea influences my forms. This is highly distressing. Shall we head back?”

  -----

  “Whats wrong.” Mags asks.

  “Nothing, ma'am.”

  “Cea.” She pauses, “Sorry, you're not my attendant but my daughter, you can be at ease.” She says gently.

  “Of course, my fire core trial killed all the spiders nesting in me.”

  My mothers froze, then slowly their heads turned towards me.

  “Sweetie, you weren't growing Macknor spiders in the capital were you?” Cecelia asked, a bit nervous.

  “Worry not, ma'am. They were a special spider my Violet half made for me. They lived exclusively in me and stayed tiny.” They only get paler as I continue, a bit morosely. “I had one in both my bodies before, but they both ended up in Red. Then they had babies but now they are all gone.”

  It was Ophelia who rubbed my back, “Sorry for your loss, lady Cea.”

  “You're not even using her name.” Mags growls at her.

  “I abide by her wishes. I don't need to tell you that the circlet has a limited time before it stops working. It hurts her far more when she has to correct you. And she will, I have no desire of seeing her blank face again.”

  Mags winces but nods, “I understand. I apologize Lady Griugar.”

  I smile as I am punched in the chest. My illusion dispels and I am back to being clothed in only a pelt. Damn it, I lost my adventurer card again. And I can't just drain the barrier with Ophelia standing there.

  “I'll go retrieve a guard to get you passage. [Countess] Magdeline, please suppress her mana aura, if you can.” Ophelia said.

  There is a bit of annoyance in Mags but she does. “Bitch.” She mutters. Cecelia nods.

  “Lia's not so bad.” I murmur. They both look at me as if I had grown a second head. I roll my eyes, “Well she is but she also has been keeping me safe. I owe her my life, twice over.” I think on that, “Which I guess that puts her one ahead since she also signed my first execution order.” I frown at that last point. Cecelia joins me in my frown.

  I yawn. My eyes droop. They look at me, eyebrows raised. “I haven't slept for three days, just a tad—”