What is Strength?

"Take my king.. without taking any other pieces." -Vanth talking to Mareo when warning him.

With the Circle becoming bolder in their attacks on the Nation members, Lady Saffron decides that it is time to strike back. She leads them in an attack on the Nexus at the base of the giant tree in Nerva. The attack is successful, ending in the theft of the Thorn Nexus and Dark's promotion to an Enforcer of the Nation. Elated with their victory, the Nation prepares for the Circle's counteratttack, which oddly does not seem to come. While debriefing afterwards, Pyre suffers a vision of the future. She seems abstract symbols and shapes that, to her have no meaning. The event is brushed off as inconsequential but noted for the future. Dismissed, they are allowed to return to their normal duties in the Isles.

Tired, Pyre grants Vanth control and "goes to sleep". Dark, trying to make friends with the being that inhabits his love, engages her in conversation. Vanth makes obscure references to Pyre's physical strength being a problem in the future. Worried, Dark tells Mareo of Vanth's words. In response, Mareo calls Vanth to him for questioning about it. Over a chess game, Vanth hints that Pyre will signal the next attack against the Nation. She points out that in order to bring the Nation down, the Circle would not attack Lady Saffron directly. Mareo agrees to be wary and for the next week, he and Dark both continually question Pyre on her well being, much to her eventual annoyance.

However, one day Lady Saffron comes to the volcano, reporting that a small group of circle had attempted to attack her. The attempt was found laughable and dismissed. A day later, Pyre begins to fall ill. Her control over her gifts begins to deteriorate. She is plagued with "bad dreams", her healing gift becomes unpredictable, and her fire starts to escape her control. At first, she tries to hide the illness, but is soon found out by Dark and Mareo. It is also found that Vanth no longer has the energy to manifest. They struggle to find the cause when Lady Saffron also starts to fall ill.

Eventually, the cause is determined to be a magical illness that targets demons. Lady Saffron was infected first, but since Pyre's constitution is weaker than the succubi's, she exhibited symptoms first. Baal'it conducts a powerful spell that reverses the magical illness's effects and cures them. The group then heads out to deal the Circle another decisive blow for their meddling.