Advancement

[Anastasia]

Another sip, a long one. Canderella doesn't reply at once, but finally scoffs, "It would be 21, wouldn't it?" she finally says. "I've seen it work and I saw the memory of what it did to the Child of Lifasa. Have you?"

[Ebiris]

"I've only ever heard descriptions, I've never seen it for myself," Alicia admits. "But the being in question was consumed with fear of 21 as their main drive when I spoke to them."

[Anastasia]

A sip. "Would you like to see the memory?" she offers, "I give you permission to view it from my mind. It struck me, because it showed many forms of what the Child of Lifasa could be. Many possibilities."

[Ebiris]

"If you'll lower your mental defences, I swear I'll only look for that particular memory," Alicia accepts the invitation, locking eyes with Canderella and probing her mind for the Child of Lifasa's death.

[Anastasia]

Aurora's courtyard, a portal open.

Chains. Ghostly and ethereal, all coming from the pregnant Queen Ilsenine. Sylvie's voice is heard, coming from her - her point of view, you realize. As chains continue to spread, wrapping around everything?

"I'm here. I think it has a sense of humor. I know what I need to do now."

Afina is there, watching the gate and calling, "Do something quickly, the alternative isn't pleasant. Annalise, get ready to close the gate!"

Ithea's voice, "Anything we can do to help," she asks as she hurries over to Ilsenine.

A book. In Sylvie's hand a book appears. She looks to it - and your mind recoils from it. Pure, unthinking terror takes you for a moment, an animal instinct to escape. Yet your divine will lets your master that, as you hear Sylvie say, "No. This is why I got involved with the entire wretched thing."

Jaela and Annalise come through the gate, as the chains wrap around them, unseen and ethereal and yet clinging to them. Sins. So many sins. You get a momentary glimpse of them, every single mistake and act of selfish evil they have done glimpsed.

Words. Terrible words, three terrible words.

The howl is unearthly, a scream as something comes out from the Queen. A thing connected to all the chains, spawning them. A thing that is many. A fetus, a king with a scepter, a great pit fiend larger than any you have seen before, a shapeless, nightmarish thing. All those and a dozen more are glimpsed before the light of 21 engulfs it, which causes it to draw in on itself and explode outward.

[Ebiris]

Do I recognise any of the dozen shapes or their significance?

[Anastasia]

They are all various infernal symbolism. Nothing truly remarkable by itself, but together and those chains - it could have dragged an entire world down, you feel.

[Ebiris]

Alicia sits back, no longer locking eyes with Canderella after witnessing that. "Symbolism. The concepts the Child of Lifasa was supposed to embody, of unstoppable infernal rulership. All of it stripped away by 21's power until there was nothing left," she concludes.

[Anastasia]

"My own thoughts," Canderella concurs, "Devils are so terribly gauche like that. Now...is this being something like the Child of Lifasa, recreated by 21?"

[Ebiris]

Alicia shakes her head. "The Child was never born for us to say what kind of being it would have been, but it was the product of long term manipulation of destiny and a discrete individual identity. This is both simpler and more unique, an amalgamation of three beings derived from magic only meant to create passing fancies."

She pauses after that, realising what Canderella might really be concerned about. "I don't believe they would have any power over you the same way the Child of Lifasa had power over those born of Lifasa. Only an insight into your methods and personality and the ability to use that as any thinking being might."

[Anastasia]

The slightest slackening, shoulders relaxed now. Canderella sips, "Far more tolerable an outcome. And you...let it go off on its own instead of nurturing it?" she asks, a sigh, "I have no desire to mother it, but neither am so reckless to leave it to its own devices. I'm not Sylvie and besides, Hell always carries a grudge and they aren't picky on how they satisfy it."

[Ebiris]

"They have the same right to an independent existence as any other, and a wealth of life experience to draw on," Alicia notes. "An offer was made to come to Sylica along with a warning that a being of such power would be noticed - there is as much danger in being at my side as there is travelling freely. Perhaps more. I made several suggestions, and had to warn them against investigating the Abyss too much when they showed an interest in that direction, but they ultimately seemed determined to go to the astral plane and find their own way. I had no good reason to prevent that."

[Anastasia]

"Hmph." Canderella rises at that, "Thank you for this, Alicia. I believe Ebony and I have a quest now. If he will not see the virtues of Sylica, then he may see the virtues of Aurora."

[Ebiris]

"Perhaps," Alicia has a sip of her tea. "I have some experience with handling beings of internal conflict - perhaps Ebony has mentioned Hugo? She likely hasn't mentioned much about where he came from however, or that he wasn't the only one there. Some were mindlessly hostile, others simply expired, their bodies unable to contain the warring natures inside of them. This being however seemed remarkably at peace with the drives of Chaos and Law that you and Gathgorian would have left it with. I wonder if Sylvie's nature acts as a bridge... or 21. It was created to understand Good and Evil, wasn't it?"

She hums at that thought and lowers her cup. "But I get off track. I was careful to treat this being gently and not restrict their options, nor give the impression that I coveted their power for myself. Gathgorian obviously has reason to hate me - I met him once and it was entirely disagreeable. Sylvie and yourself I at least hope think of me with benign neutrality," she smiles across at the succubus, "But there was no connection I could easily take advantage of, and I feared setting off a negative reaction by coming on too strong. You have an advantage there, however."

[Anastasia]

"A reason as well," Canderella says, "I'll make sure Ebony informs you how this turns out, Alicia. Thank you."