Isaac had left the room earlier than Mary had anticipated, cemented by the fact that she had discovered the paladin in the mansion’s primary welcoming room, sitting on the flight of stairs. The cloud woman had to suppress a shudder as she silently gazed at the titan’s statue-like form, black armor combined with the visible black liquid flowing over his rippling vine muscles down below the layer of ice skin.
“Isaac?” Mary called out carefully, not wishing to startle the titan from his musing. Mary sighed in relief when the rings of cyan light on black orbs shifted to her gently, his visage immediately taking a complete turn as his maw stretched into a weary smile. “Are you alright?”
“I am… alright.” Isaac stood up from the stairs, his body rippling and cracking with the sound of sloshing liquid and stressed ice. Stretching a bit, Isaac focused on Mary once more. “Where's Nat?”
Mary smiled in reminiscence at last night’s “sleepover” with Nat, the fun she had and the nostalgia it brought once more. “She’s about to finish preparing. All of her injuries are healed as well.”
“That’s splendid. We can move on once more--” Isaac felt a shiver crawl up his spine and he jumped as he felt something tap his back. “GAH!”
“Not without giving me my tome back.”
Alicia mirthfully smiled as her concealed presence was revealed to both of them, her apparel having not changed at all.
“Did she not bathe?”
Isaac felt the most sudden pain as a floating frying pan smashed against the top of his head, the shock traveling through his body in waves causing his ears to ring. Wincing, Isaac rubbed his head and bowed to Alicia apologetically.
“I do take a bath young paladinian.” Alicia glared at Isaac without any malice, before smiling once more. “You are early, Isaac Evan Wismon. Did you have a nightmare and therefore you failed to sleep?”
Isaac knew it was futile to lie, so he acquiesced to her wishes by simply nodding. “I would not like to speak of it for now, please.”
Mary looked to Isaac in worry, futilely scrying the bond she had with Isaac. The interference was still there as if it was still being occupied.
“It’s alright. But of course, my tome.” Alicia held out her hand in demand of the tome.
“I thought you had taken it from me, Madame?” Isaac’s warbled voice replied in confusion, with him worried that the black goop could spew out of his mouth at any time. Alicia gently smiled and came nearer to him before tapping his chest.
“It is still within you. Sealed, but stuck. I would prefer to get it now please.” Alicia smiled warmly, stepping back as Isaac dropped down to his knees, ready to perform it once more. The titan's gaze drifted to Mary in the embarrassment of what he was about to do. His chest plate split apart seamlessly and fluidly, moving to the side and overlaying each plate. With a clear view of his bare chest, Isaac opened it up.
With nothing more than an audible cracking sound, Isaac’s chest opened up like a blooming flower, bramble vines covered in the black goop snaking out and tasting the air as if it was their first time being out of his body as if they were alive. Unusually enough, the black goop continued to coil around the thorny vines, flowing and completely covering them yet adhering to them as if it was forced there by an unseen force.
Isaac grunted as his form parted deeper, granite core splitting open to reveal countless other books he had stored. The beating, chimeric heart lay within, pumping the black goo into the vines themselves. Oddly enough the area within his granite form was dry of any of the black goo, keeping the pieces of literature dry.
One of the vines snaked back in upon hovering near Alicia’s hands, returning to grab what she wanted. Coiling around something embedded into the granite surface, the vine pulled with all it's might, causing Isaac to wince as he felt something torn away from him. Without haste, the titan returned the accursed tome to its overseer.
Mary could only gaze on in silent horror. The addition of the black liquid and the utter revulsion she felt were a far cry from the previous times Isaac had done such a thing. Even with the terror coursing through her, she continued to gaze on in twisted fascination.
“Ah, thank you.” Alicia took the Tome of Demonic Possession, now sealed into a granite, ice and bramble vine casing. The granite formed what looked to be the frame while the ice made transparent walls encasing the tome. Vines crudely wrapped around the tome itself, the pulsing of the black goop inside them made them seen like blood vessels. Alicia gently caressed the goop covered vine and Isaac felt an odd feeling as that particular vine pressed into the palms of Alicia’s hands like a toting pet.
“Alright everyone I’m ready-” Nat’s voice cut off as Isaac turned to her, the titan's insides waving around in the air as the sentient black goop-covered vines slithered to her presence.
The shriek in Nat's throat died long before it was voiced as she comically fell onto her back, completely passed out in silent terror.
“Oh right. She wasn’t with us when you did that, Isaac.” Mary chuckled as Isaac pulled all of the vines back into himself, hugging his own body in embarrassment as his second set of hands and tail fidgeted.
“I’ll be storing this in my basement. Breakfast is ready, therefore please go to the dining room.” Alicia smiled before vanishing in a flash of light.
With a sigh the titan walked forwards, bending down to pick up Nat and carry her to breakfast.
“She’s going to have nightmares you know.” Mary chided, chuckling.
“I know, and I should apologize later...”