Walking down the streets of the city, Veronica felt a sense of amazement overwhelm her. Every building in the inner capital was amazing to look at. Some stretched up into the sky, making her have to lean her head back to take in the whole sight. Other buildings were intricately designed, suggesting some architecture of some far flung place. She was following Jack who was looking for an Inn in the capital.

She would have been more alert for pickpockets and the like, but the people on the streets made way for them due to Jack's presence. He gave off an intense aura that many mistook for a noble aura, still she caught several women glancing his way and she made sure to give them a look back telling them to stay away.

After some walking they discovered an ornate building with a sign in the front that said it was 'Dea Leno Delictio' and had three stars painted beneath the sign. There were several sculptures of what looked like little babies with wings and bows and arrows around the door.

Jack opened the door and let Veronica and Princess Falean in. Inside was even more extravagant, gold trim was everywhere along with several nude statues of a goddess in various poses. Following Jack to the counter, Veronica spotted a woman standing behind the counter.

She was wearing a sheet arranged to cover her body, but in such a way that emphasized her assets. She said "Hello, welcome to Dea Leno Delictio, one of the premiere three star inns in the city. How may I assist you today?"

"I would like to rent two rooms, one with two beds at least." Jack said.

"We do have several rooms available sir. If you are looking to rent many rooms, may I suggest renting out one of the Deluxe Suites? They have three rooms each."

"How much is the Deluxe Suite?"

"For the suites we charge by the week. For one week it is one big gold coin. For that you get full access to our room service, which includes three meals a day. You may also freely access our indoor pool and exercise center."

Jack nodded and said "That sounds fine. Here I want a deluxe suite for two weeks." He pulled out two large gold coins and placed them on the counter.

"With pleasure sir. For an extra large gold coin, you can call on our Priestess of Ishty."

"I'm sorry I'm unfamiliar with that goddess. Who is she?" Jack said.

"It is no problem, Her Grace Ishty is a goddess of Love and Sex."

"What do these priestesses do?" Jack said.

Veronica coughed and said "My Lord, the Priestess's offer sex as a way to get closer to their god."

"Oh. I don't need their services." He told the clerk.

"Understood, if you change your mind please visit the attached temple and we will be happy to see to all of your needs."

Princess Falean spoke up and said "What is love but the emptiest of deserts? All the love in the world is lost among the grains of pain that I walk through. Where has love brought me but to the edge of a nightmare..." Veronica placed her hand over Faleans mouth to shut her up.

"Sorry about that, she has issues." Veronica said to the clerk.

"Here are several keys to the suite. Have a nice day and don't hesitate to ask us for anything."

They went up the stairs to the fourth floor where they went down the hallway. Veronica looked at the doors and found they did not have numbers but symbols. "What is the symbol we are looking for My Lord?"

He showed her that the symbol that they were looking for was ♂. Keeping an eye for it, they eventually came to the room. Jack unlocked the door, and they went into the deluxe suite. Inside was set up with a large common room, with a small kitchen attached. There were three bedrooms attached.

The decor of the room was a mixture of those weird baby statues and various romantic paintings. Glancing inside one of the rooms, Veronica saw the art took on a significant erotic edge to it. There were several paintings of people engaged in several sex positions including several she had never seen before. "My lord will I be sleeping with you tonight?" She asked a bit hopefully.

"No, I will need you to stay with Princess Falean. I wish to sleep alone tonight. Okay, now that we got our rooms, I want to go check out something."

"What do you wish to check My Lord?"

"I was looking for someone who can deal with souls while we were flying here and found someone that is apparently a soulamancer."

Veronica frowned and said "I have not heard of that term my lord."

"I have not, it appears to be comparatively rare for them to exist. As far as I can tell it appears to be a form of Necromancy, but instead of focusing on undead, they focus on souls and spirits."

"Very Well my lord, is it far away?"

"It is, it's near the wall, not too far away from a graveyard."

Falean perked up and said "All that I lack is a casket but what do the worms care for wood? Bury me and let them tear my flesh, so I may return to dust."

Ignoring her, they walked back down and caught a carriage. It took them nearly thirty minutes to reach the place. When they did so, they found an incredible run-down house that looked out of place in the city. Veronica felt a hostile feeling arise when she looked at the place. While she was looking a figure passed in front of a window in the upper section.

Going up to the door, Jack knocked loudly at the door and a feeble female voice called out "Come in."

When they entered, they found a woman lying facedown on an old dusty couch. She moved her head and Veronica saw she was from the Far Kingdoms from across the sea. "Hello, we are looking for a soulamancer, I heard that you were one." Jack said.

"Food." The woman said.

"What?"

"Do you have food?" The woman said, and Veronica heard a loud growling coming from the woman's stomach.

Nodding Jack pulled out some rations and gave them to the woman who quickly snatched them from his hand and began to eat. Veronica was amazed at how fast the woman devoured the meal. When she had finished, she said "Thank you, I was starving. I am Madam Lian, third level Soulamancer."

"I'm Jack and this is Veronica my servant. This is Falean. Falean and I got a soul parasite, and we are hoping you would be able to remove them."

"I would have to take a look at your souls first. It is unusual to find a parasite that feeds on souls. It will cost you two small silver coins for me to take a look at your souls."

Jack nodded and said "That sounds reasonable."

"Wait My Lord. I must ask, why do you live in such a dilapidated place? Why were you starving?"

Madam Lian sat up straight and said "Are you suggesting I am some fraud?"

"No. But you may be crap, and I wouldn't want My Lord to squander his money." Veronica gave this woman a hard look.

"I assure you that I am the best soulamancer in the city."

Jack gave Veronica a look, and she shut up. "Forgive my servant she is just worried for me."

"It is no problem, but I will answer her questions. I was ravenous because I have gotten on the bad side of the Magic guild and I am currently experiencing a shortage of funds. Which has also caused my home to run down."

"How long ago was this?"

"Oh a week ago?" She said.

"Your home became like this in a week?"

"It's strange right? I think my home was built by some crappy contractors." Madam Lian sighed.

As Veronica was looking, she noticed a red liquid start to flow from the walls. Alarmed she pointed it out and said "What is that?"

"Oh that has been happening for awhile now. I think I have some sort of leak. At least it doesn't smell."

"It looks like blood." Jack said.

"Yeah, but it isn't. Not sure what it is. Strangest thing."

Veronica heard giggling and looked over at the door to the Hallway and saw a pair of kids with black eye's staring at them and they slowly sank into the floor. A bit alarmed, Veronica turned back to Madam Lian and was startled to see a woman standing behind the Soulamancer with long black hair concealing her face.

"I think your house is haunted." Veronica said.

"What? That is absurd. I'm a soulamancer, I would know if my house is haunted."

The long black haired woman floated up into the ceiling where an enormous gaping mouth appeared and breathed down at them. A cold chill enveloped them and Madam Lian shivered and said "Damn, is it already getting close to winter?"

Jack said "I wasn't paying attention, but now that I am looking, your house does seem to have several wandering spirits around your home"

"Oh are you now a soulamancer?" Madam Lian scoffed and stood up. "Here let me prove there are no spirits in the place."

She went to an old wooden cabinet and opened it up. She took out a large box and brought it over and placed it on the table in front of them. Opening it revealed an intricate device. "This here is a spirit resonator. It allows regular people to see spirits."

Madam Lian poured magic into the device, and it began to glow then it flashed. The spirits within the room fled away from the light and soon the room was empty. Madam Lian stood back and said "See? No Spirits at all."

Veronica examined the device and a blue screen popped up informing her more about the device.

"It looks like you are missing a piece to go with this?" Jack said.

"It was not a significant piece, look it still works. It was just a jewel. I had to pawn it to get some money."

"I see."

"Regardless, do you require me to take a look at your souls or what?" Madam Lian said.

"I do." Jack said and placed out the coins.

"Alright. Falean was it? Sit down, this is going to be a bit rough on you."

"Rough, gentle, what does it matter? We are all inching forward to our demise anyway."

"Wow, I deal with ghosts and even that is too depressing for me." Madam Lian said and placed her hand on Falean's head and spoke some magical sounding words, and a glow began to form around her hand. Madam Lian's eyes went white, and she spoke "Hmm this is a fascinating soul. She is suffering from a curse as well, got to be careful of that. Ah here is the soul Parasite."

For several minutes the woman stood examining Falean’s soul. Finally, she broke the connection and her sight went back to normal. Jack asked "So are you able to separate that parasite from her soul?"

"No, not without destroying her soul completely. It appears for some reason it resonated with her curse and now it's quite bonded to her soul. There are two things I could do, the first is I can sever the connection to whatever entity is connected to the parasite. Without being controlled her soul might be able to fight off it."

"How likely is that?"

"Not very likely at all I'm afraid. Her soul is in a fairly weakened state, it appears that she used some sort of strengthening agent that backfired and wrecked her soul. Plus even if I sever the connection there is nothing preventing it from being connected again."

"What is the other thing you could do for her?"

"The parasite has already consumed a large part of her soul, which is bad and good at the same time. By severing the connection, I could take the parasite and fully fuse it into her soul remaking it whole. However, the qualities of the parasite will be fully integrated into her soul. But it also would mean she would be resistant to whatever created the parasite."

"What are the downsides?"

"It's going to be incredibly painful for her. In addition I will have to connect her soul to you."

"Why?" Jack asked.

"It's because of the integration of the parasite. Her soul will need a new connection to continue to thrive. You are the best candidate because of the collar. Her soul has already registered you as her master."

"Can you do without the connection?"

"No, it will seek a connection on it's own, risking it leaking out of her body."

Veronica said "I would be willing to host the connection My Lord."

"No, this is my Responsibility, what exactly does this connection do?"

"I'm not entirely sure what it is capable of doing."

"What do you think, Falean?"

"I care not what you decide, my fate has never been mine to choose, why try to decide my destiny now?"

"In that case I must make the call to try it."

"Very well. It will cost two small gold coins. In addition you must guard me while I do this and let nothing disturb me or I risk destroying her soul."

"Understood." Jack pulled out the coins and placed them on the table.

Madam Lian placed both of her hands on Falean's head and said "I will begin. This will be painful, I'm sorry."

A glow emanated larger than the one from before and Madam Lian's eyes went black and Princess Falean began to struggle and moan. While she was doing that, Veronica noticed several spirits start to come out. They were looking ravenously at Madam Lian.

Jack said "I think they are attracted to soul energy Madam Lian is emitting. Veronica you will need to keep these spirits away, I feel other creatures in the void wanting to enter. I will keep them away while you deal with these spirits." Jack said and waved a hand and a blue box formed around Madam Lian and Falaen. Then he closed his eyes and grunted, and a glow suffused him.

One of the spirits that looked like a hunched old man started to claw his way towards them and Veronica said "I think not," She reached out and twisted her hand casting Turn Unsystem and the spirit was blasted back shrieking in pain. Several other spirits attempted to dash past her, but she pulled out her sword and filled it with the energy from Jack and slashed them back.

Behind her Veronica heard Princess Falean begin to scream in agony and the ghosts grew into a frenzy trying to leap past her only for her to bring up her shield hurling them back. Reaching over to the table she grabbed the Spirit Resonator and activated causing the spirits to back up for a second only for them to come right back.

Just then a black pool of liquid formed in front of her, and a large, towering figure emerged of a grinning woman and a horrendous long tongue. It leaped forward, battering Veronica backwards. Feeling the frustration of losing ground, Veronica yelled "Get back fucker!" Jamming her blade into its face causing it to flinch backwards.

A minor spirit attempted to sneak past and she reached and grabbed the hissing creature and used the monster capture skill. There was a flash of light, and a card fell to the floor. "Keep it coming bitches. I ain't got all day." Veronica said growled at them.

The large spirit roared and swung it's black talons at her and she blocked it with the shield and wrapped the shield around it pinning it. "Feel the might of My Lord!" Veronica said casting Turn Unsystem on it over and over again. Unable to escape due to the shield wrapping it began to take massive amounts of damage.

Madam Lian yelled "I'm almost done, here comes the final push."

Princess Falaen screamed even louder and the whole house started to vibrate and things began to float, the once hungry ghosts looked terrified and fled. Even the large one whimpered and shrunk, finally escaping her grasp. The whole house shifted and in walked a little girl with a terrifying grin.

"Do you want to play with me?" It spoke sending a shiver down Veronica's spine.

Veronica yelled "Looks like it's past your bedtime, Go to sleep." She cast Turn Unsystem, and it screeched in pain and began to deform in shape, leaking black goo all over.

It began to limp forward toward her cackling "Playtime, playtime going to play with my new toys."

"Grant me your strength My Lord!" Veronica said and dashed towards the thing filling her arm with the power from her lord and struck her fist into the thing. It hissed in pain and attempted to cling on to her, only for her to sever it's arm with her sword.

"I am his servant, and none shall get past me." Veronica roared and slashed at it furiously. It screamed in anger and split into two and attempted to sandwich her.

"Fuck off to the after life." Veronica struck one and grabbed the other. Slamming it into the floor, she attempted to cast monster capture only for it to slither out from her grasp and bite her. She could feel it feasting on her life force. Grunting in anger she ripped it's head off her shoulder and kneed it in it's grotesque face splattering black goo all over her.

The other one attempted to get by her, but she jabbed her sword into it, fastening it to the floor. "Feel the grace of My Lord!" Veronica said placing her hand on the spirit and channeling the full power of her lord into the thing. It shuddered and struck as the power seared it's ethereal form.

All of a sudden there was a bright flash and when she regained her sight the spirits had fled. Madam Lian was gasping and said "There I have finished the fusion, she is as good as she will get with my aid. The rest is up to her."