Queen's note: Grab some ice packs and hold onto your butts! It's going to be a long one.

Garnets

Chapter Twenty Five:

Darkness

For a moment, Lily stared unseeingly up at the hole she fell through. Her mind had to catch up to what happened as a teal and green misty form was coming back into the world with her. The young woman blinked as the cleaner drones squealed their alarm calls. Trying to peer down at her without falling.

Kia' pressed her muzzle against Lily's side, letting the human wrap an arm around her neck. Lily made a sound that was a mix of a groan and a whine, leaning heavily on the phantom wolf once sitting up as the new aches and scraps were announced. She hissed and pulled her shirt up, looking at the scrapes, but finding that although she was bleeding, Lily found it would be more of an annoyance over the next few weeks.

She had landed mostly on her feet, given how she had been crouching in the passage above, and just rolled backwards. Lily was also really glad she had a tetanus shot before the world ended.

It did not stop Lily from letting out her favorite curse at the situation. When that did not seem enough to cover it (because she had been careful -) she also repeated a few that she had heard over the years.

"Lily!" Valen's voice drew her attention back to the present.

"Oh that hurt," Lily looked around, finding the flashlight on the ground. She pulled herself up, still leaning on Kia'. Turning to see if there was anything on the wall to climb back up-

For a startled moment Lily was face to lower chest with an armored form. In that moment a double image was overlaid, seeing not a stiff still south of armor. But an armored body filled it out, as blood and fire erupted from his side all the while giving a human-like and primal roar as he swung his spear up.

A startled scream inadvertently came out of Lily, she reflexively ducked and reached up. But there were no flames, or thick fluids, though Lily could have sworn she felt both the heat and the splatter. "Oh God, oh…shite."

Lily took a few deep breaths, staring at the form in front of her. It, he, was definitely not alive, the somewhat concave look was more pronounced than the bodies in the training area. Not just from the killing blow as a part of his side open to show the mummified remains under the armor. Or Lily was just closer to this body then the others. Kia' was back into her full 'solid' phantom form behind her, growling as if she had seen that flash too.

There was an alarming creaking from above, reminding Lily of who might fall through the floor too. The young woman called up as she moved out of the way just in case,"…Ah, Valen, I… found the body of a Sentinel...?"

He definitely had similar armor, if not a little more heavy duty then the others. With a chest plate that was almost like John's, possibly an older model? Lily moved closer, reaching up to touch the emblem-like glyph she recognized. It was on John's armor, and his helmet, she had seen in on her father's… crucible. Lily let out a soft sound, looking farther up to the Sentinel's impasse helmet, seeing the mark there too between two of the ridge-like 'fins' that made a mock crown. She spoke almost as softly as she touched the Slayer's mark on the chest, "Oh, you were one of his weren't you?"

Lily winced as she realized she had left a pinkish red stain on the tarnished silver armor. Not that the old browns and almost black splattered, but dried liquids had not tarnished it in the first place. That's when she saw something familiar, and winced as she reached into the hole on the body's side. It was one of the flat oval gems that Valen had for his wolves, like the ones that John took from the other bodies. She looked around, spotted another more canine or lupine form farther down the hall and winced in sympathy. Holding the possible wolf soul close to her chest, near Kia's gem.

"Are you okay?" Valen's words brought Lily back to the situation at hand again, he was taking a few deep breaths from above as if to calm down before moving in the passage for stable footing, "Where are you? What's around? Is there a phantom down there?"

"I think I'm bleeding, but not bad," Lily said with a soft hiss, turning the light down to check her front and sides again, while carefully patting her back. The scrapes were still weeping but not a concerning flow. She looked back up at the Sentinel's body, stepping back and into the surprisingly solid mass that was Kia's phantom. As she was following the line of the spear he held. It was bracing him up, somehow.

"It's a dark hallway, Vega…?" She called to see if the AI had access to this area yet. Lily frowned as she realized that the spear was in the wrong position to be bracing the fallen warrior up. It was more like he was using the wall to brace the spear against something else. Following the spear with her light, scanning the ceiling where she fell the arch to…

There was a deeper, warning growl from Kia's phantom form, and for a few heart stopping movements Lily could not breathe as she was face to lower stomach to a hulking, dry monster. She held her breath reflexively, staring at the thing that Kia' was between it and her. The human herself breathed as she started to tell herself it would be okay.

It was mummified, the skin stretched dry over bones and around the calcium growths mixed with broken metal armor. It was alright, it could not hurt-

Lily saw the trickle of silvery fluid dripping from above to on the mummified demon. It was just starting to mix with that little bit of her blood up above her.

All at once as she gasped for air, Lily remembered those lessons Vega was starting with her. About the demons from hell, not just the different types, but about their physicality.

Most importantly they were not supposed to leave a body behind once killed.

"...Valen…" Lily could hear the fear in her own voice as the phantom form of Kia' snarled and pushed the human back away. She was just realizing the thing was not dark, as there was at least one faint reddish-orange light in the black eye sockets… looking down at her.

Lily backed up until her back was against the corpse of the sentinel. Looking up farther to the ceiling. Where the diluted but still liquid energy had been leaking possible for some time now. When she looked back down two glowing eyes were staring at her.

It was a soft creaking that stood out, the bulky creature tilted its head as it seemed to take a breath. Getting the scent of the blood in the air like someone getting a whiff of freshwater for the first time in dehydration.

"-Valen, Valen…! Get me out of here. Please, now, please- get me out. It- it's not dust- everyone said, Vega said, you said, John said they turn to dust and ash and it's not…!" Lily almost dropped her borrowed light and the second soul gem like stone in her hands. Then screamed as the speared demon started moving, stirring the air with the scent of dried leather and wax.

There was a sharp whistle from above as several things seemed to happen. Valen was breaking his way down, and a second blue wolf was dropping down the hole Lily had came from. Then the green- Lily was just able to realize there was a third green wolf phantom forming as something moved forward against her back.

Arms were wrapping around her, distinct and almost solid like Kia' was. It was not Valen as he was not fully through the floor, ceiling. The Night Sentinel phantom was very capable of interacting with the living, as this one that 'woke up,' was picking Lily off her feet. He twisted away from the spear, his own body and the reviving demon as it lashed out where she had been. Black claws digging into the dead body instead of living.

"Run girl," An eerie voice said, both aloud and not, as if it was echoing in her inner ear. It was not Valen, or Vega, as it was a lower rich tone, but it did not have to say the order twice. As soon as Lily had her feet down on the ground, she was leaning forward and trying to jump into a run.

It took three strides before she could get into a running pace. Passing the lump of dry fur that was the wolf remains, Lily glancing at it and seeing the jaws were latched onto something dark and leathery in death. Another pace and Lily saw where the same or another leak of liquid energy was.

A large, almost oversized, three clawed hand was swinging into her path as burnt orange eyes opened in the second demon. Who seemed to be wheezing and snorting as it too caught the scent of fresh blood nearby.

The emerald shaded, ghostly wolf launched forward, grabbing the arm and ripping it to one side. Just enough for Lily to make an attempt at a jump over it. More than happy to defend the young one from the creature that killed the wolf however long ago. Kia' appeared to help with snapping at the second dry demon.

Then Lily had her full running stride, her chest was already starting to ache but not burning yet. It was not that smart to run blindly in the dark hall, but the young woman was rightfully spooked. Aware just enough to need to get well out of the way.

Valen would need room to fight, but once Lily was running proper it was not like she could stop at first. Putting as much space as she could before rounding another corner and running into a closed door. She just got her arms up so it was not a head long run, yet still landed on the floor.

That helped to knock her out of the panicking state in more than one way.

Lily rolled over, fumbling with her mask until she could breathe again. Watching where she came from in the relatively faint light on the ground as the flashlight rolled to a stop on the other side of the hall. Leaving her in the now darkened corner and somewhat hidden in the dead end while she caught her breath.

"Vega?" Lily spoke after the ringing faded from her ears, after a moment she looked back and reached up. Trying to open the door, feeling a faint tingle but no real response.

Movement had her freeze, before the green form shook himself and walked around the corner. Cropped ears standing up in the wolf's phantom form, it had a shorter visible fur coat, before trotting over, with Kia' right behind.

Lily made herself breathe, at least having been introduced to Kia' she felt better as the ghostly wolf nosed against her. She wrapped her arms around Kia's neck, surprised at the other wolf giving a soft whine and laying down beside them. The young woman hesitated before realizing she still had the emerald like stone, now in her tool belt after hitting the ground.

"Okay… okay, hi, um. Sorry." Lily said to the new wolf, and a semi distant sound had her pause. Looking up with the ghostly wolves, both of their ears lifting though they likely could sense what it was better than hearing. But the animals, like people, living habits died harder than them.

The scraping sound had the wolves growling as Lily reached for the flashlight. Turning it off, it did not turn to complete darkness, but it did take a moment for her eyes to adjust to the faint glow coming off of the phantom wolves. As much as Lily wanted the light on, it would likely be as much a curse as a blessing in the dark. Making herself a beacon to whatever was out there.

Senses mostly back, Lily reached back and down, feeling over the soles of her boots. She lingered in the dead end to pull out two slivers of metal from one boot, and one from the other. Only then did Lily get up, using Kia's bulk to help herself up, and lean on in the dark. Biting down on a surprised sound as the green wolf moved to her other side. Just before leaving the hall. Lily made a face and pressed a hand off the center of her middle. Feeling some fresh wetness there.

Sweat or blood, or even a mix. The idea just hit her as Lily pressed both hands down on the ground and dragged them backwards a few feet.

Those mummified like demons had been responding to her bleeding right? That meant they were tracking by scent? Or something close to that as there was another wheezing sound in the darkness.

Lily guessed she left some sort of trace runny into that door. With this the demon might think she got through the door.

At least throw it off enough to get more distance or somewhere safer.

The ghostly wolves were staring intently to the left at the end of the hallway. Where the wheezing sound had come from. So Lily took that as a sign to go right, holding her hands close against her chest so as not to leave another easy trace to conflict what she just did. The green phantom wolf was the first to move, pacing soundlessly ahead to scout, as if knowing Lily was not a fighter. Likely it did, if not because Lily had his stone then possibly because of Kia'?

Or that whistle command from Valen?

The emerald-colored wolf faded from view down the long hallway, giving Lily a glimpse of several closed doors and a few other crossing halls. The soft glow from Kia' was her only real light. Making the impressive architecture a lot more imposing being barely visible and lit from below.

Lily had to grab Kia' to help keep her balance as they moved as fast as quietly possible. The young woman bypassed the first open door and took the chance at going to a farther hall. Ducking into it as there was another wheezing, this time much closer with a different type of soft glowing light before it showed up.

Kia' let herself be pulled out of the hall and crouched low as Lily did. More of a dog-like bow but her form seemed to lose a lot of substance and the glow. Lily dared to peer, not all the way around the corner but just enough to see a reflection across the hall in something metallic. Possibly a discarded weapon or something that fell off the wall.

It looked like flames were flickering over the creature's body. Open flames licking up the arms, making that smell of burnt wax, leather and… pork?

Lily reached up to check that her mask was still in place. Whatever that smell was, it was strong enough to get through the filters and the smell of the recently dispersed medication at this distance. She really did not want to know what it was like closer to the demon.

Even doubled over, and in a half crawling state, this boney thing was much bigger than the possessed she used to see on the platform. It was not as skeletal as the first creature she had seen by the Sentinel body, but definitely had sharp angles. It seemed to be missing a leg, thus resorting to a half crawl down the hall. Passing every few feet to sniff before dragging and pulling itself farther.

Lily eased back, not able to see anything clearly, but watching that hazy reflection. Only once it turned partly into the darkness of the hall she had been in… and something like a please hiss came rattling out of it, did she tensed.

It moved into that first hallway, swifter than its semi brittle, mummified state would imply it could.

The emerald phantom wolf formed soundlessly in front of Lily, head dipping to nose at the young woman. Taking that as a good as any sign, Lily got herself up and at first was trying to still be quiet following.

Then mid step Kia' nosed into her side, almost tripping Lily as the teal wolf solidified fully. There was a scramble and Lily more pulled herself up on the phantom and bit back a curse, then a surprised sound as Kia' kept trying to get under Lily as the demon shrieked at finding the door at the end of the hallway.

Something pressed on the back of Lily's mind, not sure where the idea came from. What the wolves could communicate through the stones, she had no idea, but riding on the ghostly wolf was a thing that Lily did not have on her bucket list. Kia' could not run, and Lily reflexively was more laying on the phantom. Arms wrapped around the thick next and holding on with her knees. Kia' following the other just a bit faster in four paws.

They were just about to the far end of the hall when there was a cracking sound, and something on fire nearly hit Lily in the back. Making her yelp and dodge the heat, falling off Kia' and looked back as she hit the ground. Feeling one of the phantom wolves grabbing over her right shoulder with its jaws and pulling her around the corner.

The demon pulled back cracking lips in a wider grin, showing off its broken teeth. It was lifting itself on the corner of the hall passages. Almost in a kneeling position, with the stump of its left knee on the ground. That same arm was swinging back, fire lighting on it's dry form and burning itself almost as much as the second fireball coming to life in it's palm. The demon's whole left forearm seemed to be glowing before throwing the 'solid' fire.

It launched forward as if about to stand and run after. The motion was more of a lunge as it howled in glee at the fear scent it could not pick up. Crawling as much as pulling itself after the mortal and the living blood it needed.

Kia' howled as the fireball hit her side, making the phantom dissolved and in turn the stone against Lily's chest was hot for a moment. She was twisting back to her feet, the green wolf letting go to lead only a step ahead of the human.

Lily had to remind herself to not look back as she got her running stride again. Just like on the sea platform that fateful day almost a month ago, Lily refused to look back, to waste precious time and let the monster in the dark get closer.

The emerald wolf bounded ahead enough to let Lily see it make a sharp right turn, then immediately to the next left into a room. Lily barely made the turns, slowing just that bit not to crash. Then her heart seemed to skip a beat at seeing the dead end cell like room.

And that was when the spectral wolf jumped up and slammed as much as his not really weight down on an almost hidden grate. It bounced with a metallic clang, just barely lit by the wolf's form, but enough that the human skidded as she dropped beside it.

A part of Lily's mind noted it was like moving a sewer's manhole, only she was hopped up in adrenaline. Shoving the thing over just enough space that Lily knew her hips could get through. More than willing to take some scraps as she swung her legs down inside as there was a crash in the hall just outside the door behind her.

Don't look back, Lily reminded herself as she dropped down while the phantom wolf jumped over her. Not really aware if she did scrape herself or not. There was a half a moment where her tool belt seemed to catch, but it was just the pressure.

Lily hit the ground of the passage, finding that it felt like stone rather than metal. Hinting she was in one of the lower levels at last. There were two snarling 'voices' and a flare of heat and a yip and canine-like whine. The stone in the left pocket of Lily's tool belt felt suddenly hot like Kias had. Lily launched herself forward in the sudden darkness, fumbling to find the nearest wall, getting the idea that this was a passage alike to the one she fell through.

Only the floor was solid this time.

The young woman really wondered if that was a good or bad thing as she felt the back wall, and the demon snarled above and behind. A faint light coming from it as it tore at the grate, only just able to shove its head down, its broad shoulders catching.

Lily turned, one hand reaching down to grab the flashlight from Valen, looking away as she turned it on the highest setting. Grinning as she also had a hold of her mask, dispersing the medicine as her chest was starting to fully burn now in this moment of stillness. "Fuck off!"

The demon howled, jerking back out of the grate as it was blinded, but before Lily could try to make a run past it to the longer passageway on the other side. A long, glowing hot arm was shoved down in the hole, the smell of burning wax, meat char and leather stronger than ever.

Lily held her breath, feeling the heat that was and was not exactly the same that rolled off the Slayer's whenever he returned from going to earth, or possibly hell. Yet there were no fireballs or flames like just a minute ago.

It took a second of staring, but she recognized that it was more of a desperate flailing of the arm then to cast whatever it was before. Magic? Energy manipulation?

It needed her, Lily's blood, to do any more of the so-called 'magic.'

Energy and blood fueled demons right? And here she was just out of reach, and the demon was starting to enter a frantic state.

Knowing animals and humans were dangerous in a survival state, Lily did not think she could just sit there as the metal creaked above. She turned the light down, surviving through her tool belt, finding a smaller hammer and… it was the thinner, Argenta saw-like tool. Putting the flashlight in her bra and making the light dimmer for a bit. Lily stared intently, watching how the long bony arm was swinging around. Noticing the glow was starting to fade from the limb, as if being pulled back into the core of the demon.

Not having too much time to think, Lilly swung as hard as she could at the inside of the thing's forearm. Feeling and hearing a satisfying crunch if it's skin and the 'weakened' calcium armor. Before the demon could pull away or try to swing for the human again, Lily was dropping the hammer and using both hands to drive the finer tool into the new weakened spot.

This time the demon screamed in a deep, rasping voice. Something spoken in Hell's language, almost familiar, like what Lily's mother had spoken once changed. It was pulling back and away as something very thick, black and smelled horrible fell out of the now open wound.

Lily yelled, the tar-like substance tingled and then started to burn. Not like an acid burn, or hot water but almost like what the wolf stones had felt like. Only just where the stuff was. She jerked back to avoid the other arm rushing down to try and grab her, just avoiding it as Lily pressed against the far wall while pulling her shirt off. Using it to get the tar off her arm and chest, then frustrated, Lily snarled inside the flashlight and threw her shirt at the flailing arm.

The demon howled in delight at feeling the fabric and pulled back. Not knowing at first that Lily was attached to her shirt.

The young woman lunged forward past the hole she came down before it realized it was not her that the demon had. Lily could not fully stand up but that did not stop her from almost running again. She grabbed the flashlight again to help show where she was going. A rough path almost backtracking before the demon seemed to realize it did not, in fact, have a hold of Lily. Even if the shirt it was shredding had some blood on it, the fabric was not a living being.

Lily paused to catch her breath, looking around as she came to a cross path in the short tunnel passage she was in. Hearing a scream through the vent she left behind, but then the scream was partly muffled. Suggesting that the demon was not trying to go in the passage but backtracked by the sounds.

There was a slightly fainter voice that Lily recognized. She winced but took the risk and yelled back, putting a hand over the soul gem of the wolf still on her chest. Maybe pushing it farther into her bra. "Valen! This way!"

The demon roared, hearing her general direction as well.

Lily swung the light back and forth, trying to pick where to go, and then paused. Tilting the light down and away as she stared at one passage, confirming she was not seeing things but that was a faint light. "That's as good as any."

If that was back in the power sections of the Fortress, Vega could control doors. Get them open and closed around her to slow the demon if not herd it where Valen could find it, or just starve it of energy again as it seemed on the verge of. Lily moved to that light, aware of roughly where she was. It was definitely where one of the larger closed doors were.

Everything was starting to hurt again, mostly in her chest and her heart. There was a half broken door in the passageway, with just enough space for Lily to get through. Grunting as she was almost stuck with her toolbelt, but a wiggle helped her fall through to the other side. There was another solid door farther along this passage, but also halfway down another grate to the left that let soft light in.

"Vega! Can you hear me yet?" Lily called, hurrying to that grate, reaching up. She felt around, and pushed with her arms and one shoulder. It was not as heavy as the first one but still a struggle to get it to move enough to pull herself out. "Ve…ga?"

Lily started to ask as she got to her feet in the chill air, seeing her breath as she stared up not at a ceiling but the vast expanse of space. It was impossibly wonderful and terrifying seeing space, with the moon in front of her, then turning to see the mass expanse of her burning world. Able to see the impossible massive, castle-like main part of the Fortress from the outside. She moved to her left, seeing the lights and 'windows' where the Atlan mech was. Another bridging area was across from where Lily stood, and a great hall or smaller palace was on another island with a human thick chain attached to it.

The young woman stepped back, putting her hands up to her head. Holding her mask as she realized that she was hyperventilating, needing to look away from the vast emptiness and focus on the stone of the bridge as she felt light headed and dizy. Everything was muffled, if from being semi exposed to space or from the rise and fall of adrenaline in her system.

Lily looked up at a dull thud, seeing the door to the Fortress side was being hit from the inside. Lily turned, looking for anywhere else to go. The tower-like building that had been behind her was as best as any.

The open archway shimmered as she neared, hesitating as it was like the shimmer farther out from the Fortress. Lily swallowed, carefully reaching out to see if the shimmer was a shield or wall like force field she read about. Her hand touched the cool energy, and then started to sink through it.

Taking a few deep breaths, Lily tried to push through, feeling tears burning in her eyes as something gave a dull scream behind her. Then for a moment as her eyes closed against the feeling, it felt like larger hands were grasping her forearm and hand. Pulling her into the tower as the Demon broke through the door. Lily hit the ground and rolled, but there was no visible phantoms of Sentinels, not even the wolf.

It almost looked like the garden level, but Lily realized she could smell water, and the surrounding statues were overgrown with some sort of broad leaf vines. Not as big as the squash, but that big, leafy green and oranges that grew on the statues, and the pool surrounding what might be a shrine in the middle of the room.

Lily rolled over, looking back the way she came, almost in a detached way noting how the demon looked in light. Likely it would not be as filled out even in full 'health.' It almost reminded Lily of the monsters from the old, old cheesy horror movies she used to watch. Larger head with swept back look, the glowing orange eyes and the ragged teeth. With long limbs the demon would likely be a good nine or ten feet if able to stand instead of a forced crawl with missing its right leg above the knee.

Pumpkin head? Was that the monster? It was like that but more refined in a way.

The demon tried to throw another fireball, Lily was not able to move but paused as it splashed against the energy field between them.

And then something wonderful happened.

Valen came out of the darkness of the broken door at a full run as he had spotted this second demon at last. The Argenta man did not hesitate to tackle the demon and knocked it flat on its front. He did not have armor on, but it did not seem to slow Valen down, nor that he only had one good eye. There was a long blade that had been in his prosthetic arm, that Valen repeatedly stabbed into the demon's back. It screamed at the added damage on top of the aged damage without any chance to heal.

Valen rolled off, no hesitation as he drove his blade through the mummified demon's neck. He then stood to drive his boot down, basically curb stomping the demon to weaken the leftover armor around its head before finishing it off. The demon's scream was cut off as it started to properly dissolve in a burning mix of char and ash.

"Lily!" Valen almost roared, turning as the ash swirled around him. He spotted the form of his charge as she was curling up in the main chamber of the tower. Running over, the man had to extend and flared out his wraith gift to get through the barrier, not sure how Lily got through. But Valon saw the blotches of darkness on her and pulled the human up and over. With the cool, almost icy energy still around him, the man pressed a hand to Lily's right forearm, and then to her chest.

"Hold on my little one," Valen soothed, his eyes shining a silver color. The blade retracted as the Sentinel extended and then shared some of his Wraith gift. Feeling Lily jerk but then wrapped her into as tight a hold as he dared to. "Shu, child, I know it might hurt, but this will protect your soul from the demonic blood."

"I don't…want this…" Lily gasped, frustrated, but the man knew it was not in reference to the Wraith gift. "I want to go back to before. I want my mom, my dad and the stupid sub 32's weekly issues. Fishing at night…"

"I know," Valan shifted, moving to cup his right hand against Lily's face. Smuggling a bit of ash but able to get Lily to look up at him as he shared the Wraith gift. "I know all too well my girl. The fear, the pain, the want for time to turn back when it never will."

The Argenta man dipped his head to press his forehead against Lily's head. Shifting to make her mask disperse some more of the medicine, but holding the human until Valen could tell she was not hyperventilating anymore. Curled against him as the only source of comfort. He wanted to complement her in staying ahead and away from the Archvile demon so long, but knew that was for another time.

Only when the human was still, the tears stopped once more did Valen move. Sitting up as the cool silver light faded, the Sentinel smoothing one hand down Lily's right arm. His thumb pressing down on the inside of her forearm where the thick tar like demonic blood had been. He watched to make sure her fingers were flexing with the pressure before she could make a fist on her own. Now that the wraith gift was active in her, where the tar had been was neutralized but it left a splotchy spot of no real pigmentation. The same would be wherever it had touched her.

"My chest feels heavy," Lily finally spoke after a while.

"It will." Valen nodded, "I shared my Wraith gift with you, it will feel like that for some time."

"Don't you need that?" Lily asked without thinking.

The simple but worried question had Valen smiling, lopsided from his scarring but still appreciated the concern. "I used less than I would have exerted in Hell, in the time I've been here. But it will keep you safe from most demons' effects."

Valen shifted as he stood up, still holding the smaller human against himself. Looking around and then gave a laugh at finding where they were.

"What?" Lily looked concerned, confused as she was carried to the center of the chamber. Being shifted so Valen could hold her with one arm and crouch on his heels. Pointing to broadleaf plants. Then to a lone plant in the low pond of water.

"See that plant?" Valen asked, "in the water. That is what your name is in Argenta. A lake lily. I thought they were completely extinct. If that is not a blessed sign for you girl, I don't know what else would be. Maybe I should find an old temple, where we can get you a wraith gift of your own."

"Not sure how that's possible." Lily said softly, not really sure what to think of getting a wraith gift, or the not so extinct flower. Her eyes focused to the back of the room, where there was an opening to space to the left and… several oblong stone things at the feet of each statue under the overgrowth. "Where are we?"

Valen paused, and then smirked as he stood, focused on the broken armor on the altar in the pond. "The King's Retreat. You must still have some of the Slayer's energy to get into here."

"It's not a mausoleum?" Lily asked, staring at the nearest statue.

"Why do you ask that?" Valen frowned, then followed where Lily was pointing to the stone slabs that looked alike to the images of the sarcophagus Vega had shown her recently.

Valen sucked in his breath, moving over to the nearest one, pulling the plants back as he held Lily against his chest. "This isn't a tomb, it was a sanctuary like the gardens. But now it's a last retreat for the surviving Sentinels of the Fortress."