Wind roared, parting the skies and dispelling the golem’s magic. Where once snow and ice fell, now came a cool mist. The Earth’s thick glaze had been devoured by the hungry beast, snow and ice forming around the failing construct. With each new assault, the golem lost more of its body until the team’s efforts had managed to diminish its size. But with this new form came new complications as a quick, guttural incantation brought to life a row of smaller golems, all charging toward the team with heightened pace.


“Cass know any wards? Now’d be a good time to start using those.” Jaklo called to her as her issued orders to the rest of the team’s members. The group was now surrounded by much smaller golems and the slow but still threatening parent golem. 


“I might have a little something up my sleeve,” she called back to him, running to the Pit’s side, avoiding the tiny golems all the while. Cassandra brought her wand up to the black pillar spilling from the Pit’s mouth. With a single motion, a small tendril lept from the column and encircled the huddled group, marking the ground with sigils and pentacles that would act as the boundary for her spell. With another quick motion, the pillar of smoke began to dissipate. Cassandra knocked on the side of the cauldron while incanting:


[center][i]”Spark of Life, Eternal Flame,

Hear now the Hearth Witch’s cry;


Embers Ignite, Dance and take Flight,

Around and About, Along and Throughout.”[/i][/center]


The Pit began to pulse with heat once more, a bright flame ascending from the cauldron’s mouth, beating like a muscle. With each bright pulse, a wave of energy flew to the edges of the circle, which was large enough to house all members of the team comfortably with the Pit at its center. The sigils on the ground turned to ash, illuminated and given life by the spark above the Pit. A few stray golems tried to encroach upon the team, but were forced back by the newly erected ward, as well as burned and disfigured by the shield’s fiery properties. 

“The little ones shouldn’t be able to make it through,” Cassandra called out to her team as she finished making the barrier, “and it’ll deter the big one long enough for someone to figure out what to do about it."