"The spike is useless in that regard... effectively. It has to be in a very precise spot between the 3rd and 4th rib to work properly, and even if one of us could get it lined up, we'd need enough time to shove it in the whole way, and then turn the dial on the end before they could rip it back out. You know how all those movies and shows about vampires make it look like it's super easy to shove a big bulky hand held pointy thing like a stake or a spike into somethings heart? Well, they're lying. It's actually quite the arduous task. It'll be made all the harder with the other bit of knowledge Miah imparted about Samathael." Lixi leaned forward, still clutching her knees to her chest like a small child, though she'd quelled the brief moment of grief for her brothers loss.

"Do you remember that amulet thing that Jeremiah showed you? Source of angelic power? It's a symbol that connects each specific angel to Yahweh and his strength. Apparently, thats how our friend Arminos was tied into all this. It was his job to steal back Sama's from the hall of records, where all the amulets of the fallen, damned, or deciesed angels are stored. They're not aloud to be destroyed, as to destroy the amulet would be to destroy that part of God's power that it represents, so they're all just, kept there. It's not as though they can be used by any other angel, they're each specific to the original wearer, and no demon can use them as they're tied into the life force of the stranger directly once they become damned. But half helled... well... we're something else all together I suppose. We're stripped of our power by having the amulet taken from us, but, we are not damned either, so, in theory, restoring ones amulet, restores their powers. So, theres a chance, that Joel's now got himself a full blown angel for a body guard, and non just any angel... the pure bread offspring of two archangels, who was next in line to become one himself before we... before he left."

She winced at the slip as soon as it was past her lips. Lixi had decided before she ever began to tell Martin of any of this that she'd not speak of Sama in any way that suggested any remaining tie or longing. She didn't know if it would so much bother Martin from a jealousy perspective, and was more concerned with assuring him that there was no chance of her deserting them or become confused as to what side she should be on due to her former loves involvement. "It isn't him anymore anyway." she whispered to herself in reminder.

"Basically... he's a powerful son of a bitch if he's restored. Plus whatever magic Joel's pumping him full of... FUCK!" She yelled loudly and slammed an open palm down hard into the sand.

The entire little world around her reacted to her outburst, changing with her anger. The sand slowly shimmered and gradually darkened into a gray shade, then eventually went to black. The trees seemed to wither and die, while the sky grew to a sickly shade of green with brownish red clouds in it's light-less sky. Even Lixi's milk white skin began to turn the sickly ashen gray it seemed to be when she made her deal with Shad. She was unaware of the change to her skin, and even more unaware of the hard bone ridge forming beneath her now wildly curling and knotting hair as spindly black horns threatened to form. In her mind she was dwelling on the hopelessness of it all, the futility of the fight, which lead her to a dark conclusion.

"Part of me wonders what the stranger things of all this... he... he doesn't want the world destroyed, as Joel does. From my knowledge, it has always been his wish to have it as his playground. He'd wish the human race enslaved, not wiped out. Joel has swayed many of the demons to his side... but not all of them by far... maybe, if enough are still loyal to the stranger, and he does not wish Joel's plans to succeed..." Lixi paused and laughed here, the frustrated laugh of exhaustion as she realized how crazy what she was about to say would have been.

She sighed, and relaxed her other arms hold on her legs. The sand paled and returned to it's pristine white, as the sky returned to it's ambient blue. each tree revived in turn, and the healing waters of the pool cleared back to their flawless clarity. Her appearance also shifted back to the soft human form.

"I really have lost it... haven't I? I'm make one deal with a demon, and suddenly I'm actually thinking about making an earlier trip to hell than the one I've promised just to make some insane plea to the man that ripped heaven apart in the first place. I just... I'm just not sure what to do Martin... I feel like a tiny bird trying to stop a tornado."