Cautious, viridian eyes followed Gerald’s every movement; even though Jillian’s frame was sickly and emaciated, her gaze was as unyielding and vigilant as it had always been. What was he grinning for? It wasn’t the first time he had done this. Furthermore, with his hand reaching to his neck, she would have almost labeled him as being embarrassed, but that too was not it. He knew something she did not, and Jillian did not like that. Had he not spoken up when he did, she would have certainly urged him to.

“We will face Hazzergash again,” he agreed, strangely amused by this – perhaps he felt the same kind of exhilaration that she did? – and claimed that they had, in fact, always been ahead of the demon lord.

“Didn’t seem like it in Gariel Downs,” Jillian dismissively quipped back at him, even though she knew he would prove his point somehow. When the little crystal slipped out of his clothing, the woman’s inquisitive eyes widened with a mixture of surprise, relief and desire. She immediately knew what it was without him telling her.

[i]The necklace! That son of a tarke had it all along! I’ve seen the stupid chain even, but never would I have guessed… he should have told me![/i]

“Hazzergash won't get his hands on his Demon Prison because we took it with us,” Gerald told her, confirming what she already deducted. Apparently he was so pleased with himself that he could not withhold a chuckle – something she was certain was a rare sight for him. While she was glad that he had kept the prison safe, she was bitter about having been kept in the dark all the same. For the moment, Jillian said nothing, her eyes glued to the crystal and her lips glumly pressed together.

“What, you thought I was actually so conceited as to announce myself as most important simply because I am me?” he asked, further rubbing in the salt. Her eyes, laden with poison, met his.

“I won’t lie; yes, I did. I know a lot of people who would have done that, and I still think at least a part of you also did,” Jillian admitted, then let off a sigh to calm her nerves.

“Look, I’m relieved to see that not all is lost, but why did you not deign to tell me sooner? It would have been better if I had known your intentions; do you not trust me?”

Jillian shifted her position, sitting up completely and putting the cup in one hand while resting it on her lap. With her free hand, she brushed her messy hair behind her shoulders, making a grimace of disgust as she did. She knew she was catching a cold already, but it would not stop her from plunging into the nearby lake later. She already began fantasizing about washing off the dirt and sweat that she had accumulated in Anaxim. On that note, she wondered if Gerald had any intentions of cleaning himself. He certainly looked raggedy enough not to care too much about cleanliness, but he had proven already to be more than meets the eye on multiple occasions. At the very least he did not smell significantly worse than she did at the time; she could only hope it would stay like that.