A distortion in the air snapped her attention upwards, and Julia caught the moment the 'sky' split, and it dropped.

[Planar Portals (6 -> 7)]

The Soul was crying out, but it wasn't the same shrieking she had heard when overlooking the blood plains of the dretch. Instead, it was a sullen sound, whining, an adult toddler having a noisy tantrum.

She judged the direction it was falling and pushed her Flight power to get her there quickly. The Soul hit the rock while she was closing the distance, but she'd been close enough to see it smack into the Plain. The same ironic, silly plop. Soul meets rock. Rock goes plop, like a stone into a pond.

I mean, what the fuck is it with this rock. It's hard on my arse and legs but goes watery for these bastards. Whatever happened to 'it's the way it splatters that matters'. Has this place never heard that saying, I mean come on.

Neither the sound it had been making while overhead nor the oddly quiet energy of its impact had drawn any attention from nearby Pits. Instead of clicking claws on stone, there was but the same still air she'd known on reaching this Plain. The only thing that changed wasn't physical, but looming anticipation, like being in a packed room of people holding their breath ready to yell Surprise. Or the moment between seeing a lightning bolt outside your window, and the bang of the thunderclap.

Yeah, surprise mother-fucker, auntie J, likely has something for you. Though first let's peek under the hood shall we.

Landing near where the Soul had struck the rock, she took in the change of texture. The patch it had landed on looked like molten wax had been split. Her eyes scanned over it as she came close enough to examine the Soul. Its impact hadn't been completely ineffectual as far as the rock appeared. Since projecting from the patch of wax was a razor thing cut in the rock. A cut extended away from the 'wax', heading in the same direction it had seemed to fall.

[Flight [B](2 -> 3)

Fly [B] (6 -> 7)

Perception [B] (2) -> [B] (3)]

She couldn't see a depression in the rock, yet the 'wax' looked as flat as the plain. Through its membrane, she could see the Soul twisted and turning, caught between wax and rock. The power of the compression squeezing it tighter, not letting it explode outwards no matter the opposing force.

When she had examined it, the figure was certainly masculine, human but bestial in feature; oddly, she'd felt almost recognition.

Okay, not complaining about the watery nature they get any more.

Analysis

[Demon: Gestating Scouring Plains Lurker

Level: 1

Class: None

Health: 30

Mana: 10

Defence: 5

Attack Power:

Combat Power:

Details: Newly arrived soul undergoing its planar transformation into a Scouring Plain Lurker ]

[Analysis [Ap](2 -> 3)]

Soul Sight

The knowledge she had gained from the changing Succubus hadn't hit her as hard. The glimpses showed the Soul belonged to her girlfriend's father. Yet it showed a side of him she'd never known. From his perspective, she witnessed Andre's suffering at his hands. Their shared history dragged her into his warped Soul's depths; a mute witness to the growth of his sickness and the suffering Andre had endured in secret.

His early life with a loving family, the hidden sadism, the razored-edged contempt, the joy in maiming helpless things of growing complexity: butterfly, kitten, puppy and person. He learned the delight of cutting deep with simple words, watching the spark of hurt and pain flare so brightly. Learning to inflict pain and leave lingering scars in places so many were too stupid to even notice.

Venting his lust for control, power, and pain in all the ways he could against the most vulnerable of targets. Words weighted like chains, actions planned, verbal traps set, self-doubt on doubt piled high. Till he was sure he had them convinced that they were trash, and not worthy of anyone's trust, not even their own.

The knowledge had flooded into her without control, the wave of it looming ever higher from within him. Knew the wounds inflicted both physical and mental, repeatedly experienced tears drawn from her friend's eyes. Experienced him squashing Andre's hope and self-respect so completely with his planned cruelty, intending all along to mould her into his ultimate victim.

How could you do that to my friend? To anyone. Andre was your daughter. How dare you? But not just Andre—your entire family—you sick fuck.

Oh, Andre. Honey, why didn't you tell me? I don’t know how he’s here now. But don’t worry, I’ve got him now.

The last sharp memory he had, delighting in sliding a blade of pain into his eldest whore. Sharp barbed words digging into the wounds from her latest loss. As he stepping away to leave that Bitch's funeral, maybe he'd spit on her grave. The funeral procession on the shiny steps of that pathic place, making his day seemed so much brighter. Stepping off, railing so nearly in reach, as a shoulder, then a body struck him hard and directed him away. An empty grasp gained only air. As tipped off balance, the stones came up to greet him. Surprise and age costing time, a time he didn't have. The steep shiny steps turned into the blackness of the Abyss on impact.

She shuddered back as her venture into Soul Sight completed; recognition, flaring pain, and heated anger turned to Rage. Rage growing its own life as it grasped at the heat which had crafted her form.

So the universe shat you out into the Abyss, and now I get plumber duty. Bouncing doesn't count as flying you maggot.

Andre, I didn’t know it was customary to give someone this sort of funeral gift.

Julia stopped herself as she felt her own anger in her quick movement towards the 'wax'. The memories she had seen in her Soul Sight sickened her, and her heart ached for the damage it had caused through its existence. Not aching from him, rather aching for the rest of her friends and family, the people at his work tormented by him. No wonder her parents had never wanted her at his home, they weren't sure of anything but always said he felt 'Off'.

No, I can't let anger control me. Then it's just like the demons here.

But if I move on, then this turd will have time to gain strength. He'll have time to grow stronger, even if its Soul now appears as bestial as he was in life.

Stopping herself was hard, so much harder than she'd expect. The memory of tears, tears she seemed unable to shed burned bright in her mind. Oddly, that light guided her back to herself. It let her recognise the fury seizing her, a fury that shone with the same rage of destruction that formed the false veneer on her Ki.

Compassion and mercy give their own power. But there is another thing here, Justice; you squashed my friend, your wife, all your children. You hurt them over and over, even used my death to hurt her again. However, Justice and vengeance are not the same things, and vengeance is only that rage given another form.

Pulling herself to a complete halt, it was a long moment before Julia moved again. Now in quiet gentle motions, letting the Ki flow, she moved only in time with it. The movements a kata that grew more graceful as she relaxed into the peaceful guidance of the Ki. The scene as strange as a funhouse mirror, as she so contrasted the twisted, crushing distortions earned by the thing beneath. The monster under the wax became what it had always been, and Julia guided by the Ki in her Soul let her pain grow quiet. The ebbs and flows of Ki moved through her Mind and Soul, as it guided her meditation. It lapped through her being like gentle waves, till the unshed tears of pain turned to crystal prisms, beautiful in her mind's eye. She was done, just as it was reborn. As the wax broke to release it, her fist broke its skull. The strike had drifted downwards with a motion of tranquil grace, but the power had still shattered the Lurker before it could even raise its pincers in mindless Rage.

[Soul Sight (3 -> 6)

Ki Strike (8 -> 12)

Perseverance [Ap] (5 -> 6)

Demonic Lore (12 -> 14)

Meditation [Ap] (5 -> 8),

Meditation evolved into Ki Meditation [Ap] (1),

Applying Ki Meditation rank effects.

Ki Meditation [B] - Ki Pool gained x2 multiplier.

Ki Meditation [Ap]- Ki Pool multiplier increased to x3.

Mental Resilience [Ap] (12 ->15)

Demonic Shards gained: 1

Experience gained: 200]

Rising with that same grace, she stepped forward over the remains, not stopping to spare it another thought.

She knew now what poison formed the things hiding under this Plain; apparently, it was time for spring cleaning.