Steadily chanting an escape spell, Hugh sudden ear-ringing scream resounded through the room. Artos looked up with slightly surprised eyes, to see him ripping metal bars as if it was nothing, Good thing I didn't get to his bad side. he thought to himself, Jests aside, it seems like he has attained a blessing of some sort but he's gonna get himself killed without backup he continued. The Halfling, Ellis suddenly rustled about near his lock and the door creaked open. "My thanks." he said, eyeing the Halfling before walking to the low hum of magic, his armor, weapon and pouches were all stashed in the corner. Really bad placement he thought to himself, putting on his beloved armor and placing Red Trinitiy in its ornate holster.
Eyeing a book, humming with power, he quickly grabbed it and stashed it in his pouch for later reading. Also noticing that Ellyn grabbed a spellbook, a song book in particular. Approaching her from behind while she was looking at and reading it, he placed his face near hers to get a closer look at the book, not realizing that this might be a tad too close for comfort. "Interesting, mind showing me the book later?" he asked her, face still nearing hers with every second. "Well, we need to go and help out Sir Hugh now." he continued, holding out a hand to the Elf.
Ellyn felt slightly uncomfortable the moment Artos was behind her and nearing his face to hers as he had a sneak-peek at the song book, but she shrugged it off thinking he won't do it again since it won't be that likely if he did. Upon hearing Artos's question she chuckled slightly and nodded 'I guess that's acceptable' she smiled as she blushed lightly while his face was nearing hers. Although she didn't feel anything yet she was hopeful that they will be great friends, that was until she felt warm inside again...
'why does he keep making me feel warm inside, I don't understand!' Ellyn thought to herself as the warmth kept growing 'I don't understand why I keep feeling so warm... I will maybe find out why later, but it's bugging me' It didn't help when he held his hand out and she gently placed hers on top of his, nodding. 'sure, let's go...'
"Will you two love birds take a break,... there will be plenty of flirting and everything after the fighting has stopped." Vivian commented on their talking. "Also don't worry about the sleep spell, it probably made things a lot better then you would think. At least we are closer to our enemy and our goal, saving us the foot work." She said as she rose up. Her hand pushing down on Ellyn's shoulder. Using it to help her get up off the floor. She then took note how dry her voice was and took her canteen that she picked up from the pile and handed to her. "Still some water in there, can't afford to have your voice go on us." She said as she looked into the hall. "Especially seeing as the dwarf just used up a lot of his energy." She added, she let that sink in a bit. "Meaning you and your boyfriend are our only healers." She said refering to Artos as the boyfriend. Speaking of which,.. her head darted to Varis and gestured with her head.
"I don't think we got to show off our skills to well,... lets show this dread lord what we can do." She had to pause though taking a deep breathe and closing her eyes. She then opened them, the room stopped spinning and the headache was gone. For how long, she didn't know. She would take advantage of that. She then relied on the moves she learned when she followed the path of the warblade. She followed mostly the Tiger Discipline. She then rushed in her blades turning to flames as she did so she swung her blades going for the necks of zombies as she made past Bjoric. She then leaped through the air decapitating two more zombies as she did so. She landed using her blades to stable her. She had a lot of catching up to do from the looks of it. The undead horde began to slow Hugh's pace though. "How many poor fools fell under this bastards spell and became his undead army?" She asked. Then one of the skeletons lunged at her after it was done cowering from the dwarf's spell. With shield and sword it shoved her to the ground. This time she controlled her fall into a roll and her swords spark and crack the skeleton's bones. Damn it, if only I had a blunt weapon.
Ellis watched the scene, he did not know what Vivian was ,but what ever it was it was helping those who got left behind. Then again her and Varis were the only people he did not know about. Hugh was a paladin, Sana was a gypsy, Bjoric was a cleric, Artos was some form of battlemage who could heal, Ellyn was a bard, but Varis and Vivian were a mystery. He shook it off, something to inquire later he supposed. He then noticed all the undead where focused on the tall folks not little him. He smirked and shiethed his swords and then began running underneath the legs. It was times like this he enjoying being a shrimp. He crawled and moved dodging swings from everyone. He even caught up enough to duck and roll underneath Hugh's large feet. He then continued not stopping ducking and rolling in between legs.
He managed to enter a room which had a chalice sitting in the center of it. He looked about as undead moved towards him. More specifically tall dark and scary himself. It was one hellish form of a ghost. He then saw past him and in the room sat Sana, on some stone slab. He ran and slid feeling the corpal touch nearly grabbing him and he sighed. His victory was short lived as he entered the room to see Sana, he was grabbed. He felt unearthly strength lift him up and he swung knocking its hood back and he looked into the terrifying visage of the lich. "Holy son of a..." The lich did not look happy at all. Then again you couldn't tell if it was sense half its face was gone. Specifically the parts that required him to use to smile. The lich then turned his gaze to Sana.
Sana was strapped and tied to a stone slab. Ellis looked up to see some kind of large spike attacked to a chain that was right underneath the poor girl. Ellis did not want that to come down and he began to fight the Lich, punching and kicking. The lich felt its head fly back a little and it stared at Ellis causing his fighting to halt. What Sana saw next she would not enjoy, probably leave a nightmare or two. Green bolts of energy shot out from Ellis and into the lich. His very life source was leaving him and he felt weak. This was it,... this is how Ellis dies, he thought until it stopped at a inch away from killing him. It showed on the halflings features. His skin was pale and veins could be seen. The lich placed him down in a way he could watch Sana.
"You will watch,...." He said as he began to prepare the ritual even further.
Despite all the undead, Hugh and Garekk were tall enough to see it. The poor halfling fighting for his life and surely looked like it had failed. Standing between them was the Wraith and a few more undead. Garekk saw that the man had his armor back and he began to glow.... "Um you look better equiped to take it on, I will fight the more physical ones."
Sana kicked up from the floor, arching her back deep and pushed off the stone, flipping up now that she had room. In the air, her body turned, legs wrapping around the gnolls neck even though her hair was still secure in his hand. Having gained enough momentum she bent forward and flung the beast head over heels, his grip finally releasing as he went crashing into the wall. Sana landed down on one knee, breath ragged. "I told you not to fucking touch me," she snarled as she lept and turned to run back to the group.
Cold fingers gripped her shoulder as an did, an undead skeleton slamming her onto the ground hard. "Son of a bitch," she groaned, rolling out of the way quickly and jumping up, her feet planting on the wall as she seemed to run up it before flipping, as she did, grabbing the skeletons head and ripping it off and sending it flying down the hall towards the rest she saw advancing.
Once again she tried to run to the group, to Hugh. Once again she failed as she felt some unseen force grab a hold of her and send her launching through the air, into the next room and onto the cold hard slab of granite. Trying to get up she felt her wrists and ankles being as tied into place. "Let me go you ass," she spat as she struggled to get free.
As she spotted the lich her eyes narrowed. "He is going to rip your essence to shreds," she hissed with a cruel and jovial smirk on her lips, hearing the rampage that Hugh was on, it wasn't like the man was being quiet. Sana knew she should be afraid but she was too enraged to even acknowledge the fear that tried to course its way through her veins.
Seeing Ellis rush in it hit her, not for her but fear for the little halfing. "Fuck that, I'm gonna end you," she spat as she arched her back and struggled to get her wrists turned enough to be able to start untieing herself. She wasn't as strong or fast as many of the others, she possessed no magic or enchanted weapons, no God watching over her. But she was gypsy, she had flexibility, agility and knowledge of how to get out tight situations.
Keeping her eyes fixed on Ellis screamed. "Hold on little one!" Feeling one of the ties give way, managing to free one hand she quickly started on the second. "Get your asses in here people!"
In one quick movement, Drizzak caught the vials, shook them and then guzzled them both in a hurry. He began to cackle once again as his cell became unlocked. These elixirs were different to the previous, mixed with different constituent ingredients but overall the same effect would come of them. Absolute carnage.
As his cell opened, Drizzak hopped over to the corner of the room and donned his equipment once more. Costume, dagger, crossbow and trusty pants. All were thrown on, and the costume bagged, as he began to froth violently at the mouth. He shook, more than usual, as his chattering cackle devolved into a high pitched shriek.
"Get your stuff, their in the corner. No time to stop, bring the fight to that hooded bastard."
Drizzak turned to his saviour, and smiled wide. Frothy red leaked from the corners of his mouth as he growled. His face elongated and thinned to become something of a snout, as his back exploded into a pair of membranous wings. His skin took on the same red tone and his fingers became long, skeletal claws. He became skinnier and... sleeker overall.
And then he burst into flames. Again.
Drizzak screamed with glee as he took off, one flap of his mighty wings sending him forward. "DRIZZAK TEAR BONE-FACE APART. PICK TEETH WITH TEETH!" His brilliant orange body burned a bright bee-line. Straight into the thickest part of the undead group as he collided with them in a puff of flame.
"I don't think we got to show off our skills to well,... lets show this dread lord what we can do." Varis meekly stared at Vivian as he stood in his now unlocked cage before slightly nodded and jogging over to their equipment. As he scanned through the pile, he noticed his dagger was gone. Having no idea where it was, perhaps stolen by some unholy, dead gnoll or perhaps one of his team mates accidentally took it from him, he grabbed his short sword and scanned for a similar looking weapon before his eyes finally settled on a similar sword with similar proportions. Varis backed away from the pile and began to swing the other short sword, making sure it was well balanced before finally nodding to himself.
Slowly, he turned towards the doorway where his allies had all run into, watching them as they fought hard to rescue their dear ally. At this point, Varis had no idea whether to fight or to escape -- something he probably would have done if he was the Varis from two days ago. He had no idea whether he would actually be worthy enough to fight. He was... afraid. Afraid of failing, afraid of not being able to make it in time. He had thought he was invincible, he had thought he was the best god damned assassin in the whole world... and he failed.
In other words, Varis turned into nothing less than a wuss.
As he and Ellyn were called on for flirting, he only tilted his head in confusion as social skills didn't come natural for him, as most of his life was spent on reading, understanding and memorizing tomes. He also noticed the slight tinge of red that was plastered all over Ellyn's face, "Are you sick, you look really red." he said, placing his forehead on her own to check her temperature, "This is how my mother used to check my temperature whenever I was sick. Hmm, you seem a little warm." he mentioned to Ellyn "Probably nothing." (Something like this) Also nodding at Vivian's note that they were the only potential healers in the group. He also noticed the Varis, his usual spunk missing, only fear and hesitance filled its gap. Slapping his back hard, he resounded him with a, "Varis, no time to standstill, we have to make it out of here alive."
Stepping through the broken doorway, courtesy of Hugh. The door was basically broken in half. He began silently chaning "Celerem Crura", a light blue hue spread around his legs and everyone in the room, augmenting their speed to a great degree. He also noted the attack augment that was placed on him by the dwarf, Three lunged from the front, and with a wide horizantal sweep, followed by a quick stab to the middle one, incapacitated the middle one and killed the remaining two. Pulling his sword out of the death-defying gnoll and jabbing it into it's eye socket, the juice spraying out and hitting Artos face. Fulgur Gladio he chanted, with the sword gaining a lightning hue and enchantment for a few minutes. The lightning fried the Gnoll inside and out. Pulling the weapon out and swiping in the air to get rid of the decaying blood.
A shriek then resounded the rooms, Sana was screaming at the Lich. He noticed a petite figure being lifted into the air, life force being sucked out. Artos began sprinting towards the open doorway but was blocked by two bigger skeletons, both with large weapons. "This... is gonna take a while" he said to himself, readying Red Trinity enchanted with lightning..
Ellyn looked to Vivian quickly before Artos once more, feeling some sort of goosebumps upon her ‘boyfriend??? why would his guy be my boyfriend?? he probably doesn’t like me in that way and he's probably more interested in someone else’ she would say this inside her head for a bit before seeing the canteen Vivian shown her, and gasping in delight as she held Artos’s hand she took the canteen quickly and took a drink, gasping when she was finished. Blushing that Artos checked her temperature with his own forehead the redness of her face just increased. Knowing she had to be strong for her team she finally nodded upon Vivian’s request and pulled back hesitantly, she knows she has a song of healing now and she can use that to her advantage, although it may take some time to perfect Ellyn knew she will perfect it.
As she looked to the hallway where all the action was happening she saw just how much blood is spilt onto the floor and suddenly felt the urge to be strong, she didn't want to let her team down and she needed to repay her WHOLE team for the trouble she caused, making things easier or not she got them all into deep shit.
Knowing that her throat is all the more better she will be able to finally sing, and with that she thanked Vivian and instantly had confidence in her eyes smiling untill she saw Varis and his complete fear-like state, she knew she could help him first; ‘Hey Varis!!!’ Ellyn smiled as she got up quickly and got her harp at the ready, finally playing her harp, quickly singing the song of inspire courage. She knew this would help Varis and her team as long as they could hear it, making sure she only targeted Varis for now;
'It takes strength to be firm, it takes courage to be gentle. It takes strength to conquer, it takes courage to surrender. It takes strength to be certain, it takes courage to have doubt. It takes strength to fit in, it takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to feel a friend's pain, it takes courage to feel your own pain. It takes strength to endure abuse, it takes courage to stop it. It takes strength to stand alone, it takes courage to lean on another. It takes strength to love, it takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive, it takes courage to live.'
Upon playing this song for Varis he should soon feel that he shouldn't fear anymore and that he is a courageous person.
“Hugh save Ellis,” Sana screamed out, blood curdling, as she reached over with her free hand; fingers working quickly as she suddenly felt an added strength come to her from Bjoric and shortly after that she felt her speed increase from elsewhere. Her fingers moved even faster, the lace freeing itself from the binds. A skeleton rushing her, she rolled out of the way, her ankles still bound. It fell onto the slab, Sana slammed her body back crushing it as she did before reaching back, her fingers finding their way into the eye sockets before she pulled hard as she sat up and flung it out from under her and through the air. The body hit two other skeletons heading for her and knocked them back. They weren’t dead but they were dazed and out of the way for the moment.
“I need my bow!” she screamed as she reached for her ankles and started to work to unlace them as well. If she could just get free she could be of better use. The room was large enough, the walls rough; she knew she could utilize the terrain to her advantage. With the added strength and speed she now had, combined with the rush of adrenaline flowing through her, she had no doubt she could be of better use than just lying on a slab waiting to be the sacrificial lamb. She needed her bow and arrow, if not that she needed daggers. She didn’t use them often but she could be just as deadly with such a short bladed weapon as she could a bow and right now all she wanted to do was to pull apart that Lich anyway she could, bare handed if needed. (Yeah, she ain’t cocky at all.)
Sanas body was damaged though. Being drug across the floor, her hair being pulled, and slammed to the floor and then the slab; it all had done damage to her. She was bruised and bloodied, especially around her wrists and ankles where the straps had rubbed her skin raw as she had fought to free herself. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the Lich and she knew its intent was on her. She needed to work fast and she was, but she didn't know if it would be fast enough.
Drizzak barrelled his way into the ribcage of one of the undead adversaries with reckless furiosity. He pulled his arms, legs and wings in to assume the fetal position, turning him into a fiery red dragon cannonball. A dragon ball. The impact rang out through the air as a terrible series of snaps as he burrowed into the enemy and pushed outward with all of his limbs.
The undead monstrosity popped like a bubble filled with fire as the plume of flame licked out into the open air, leaving Drizzak to roar triumphantly within its staggering leftovers. But that was only one down, and his fellows were in danger! The woman of the bow and arrow was in distress! One of the ones that freed him from his prison too, or helped to free him.
A debt does not go unpaid, dragon or goblin.
Kicking off, Drizzak rushed into one of the assailants closer to Sana and pulled the jagged shard of metal that he called a dagger from his belt. Flames licked at it for a moment, cleaning the blade of blood and dirt before he whipped it out toward her. His aim was good today, he noted as the dagger struck the ground near her head and stuck there. Easily within grabbing range, he thought. He screamed as he put his claws through the back of an undead beings head through its mouth.
"LADY USE DRIZZAK'S CUTTER. LADY FIGHT BACK. FIGHT BONEMAN WITH DRIZZAK."
SNAP OUT OF IT, VARIS! A voice screamed inside of Varis' head as he stood still, the two short swords in his hands drooping down as his wrists slowly became more and more angled. The voice inside of his head was quite loud, incredibly so that Varis had thought someone was screaming at him. He looked around the room, trying to find the source of the scream, trying to find the source of the voice. It was a voice he knew well, a voice that instilled fear into Varis, a voice that gave Varis' orders and commands.
It was his father's voice. His "father" that he had grew up with, his "father" that had trained him brutally in how to fight, his "father" that had told him that friends were nothing more but a way for his enemies to manipulate him, his "father" that had told him that allies were just people who would eventually betray you, his "father" that had told him never to trust anyone. It was his father's voice.
Varis, even though he grew a deep resentment for his father, had much to thank him for, for he was the one who taught him how to fight, how to kill, how to murder. He was the one who had taught him everything he knew, and for some odd reason, Varis went back on his training. Varis went against everything he was taught, everything he knew.
Suddenly, Varis could feel a hand hitting him on the back.
"Varis, no time to standstill, we have to make it out of here alive." Artos -- if Varis could recall his name -- looked at him before stepping through the broken doorway.
Varis took another step towards the door way, the grip on his two short swords becoming more much harder.
'It takes strength to be firm, it takes courage to be gentle. It takes strength to conquer, it takes courage to surrender. It takes strength to be certain, it takes courage to have doubt. It takes strength to fit in, it takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to feel a friend's pain, it takes courage to feel your own pain. It takes strength to endure abuse, it takes courage to stop it. It takes strength to stand alone, it takes courage to lean on another. It takes strength to love, it takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive, it takes courage to live.'
Varis could feel a slow resurgence of strength as he took another step, slowly looking over his shoulder at Ellyn before nodding, showing no sign of a smile or a grin, just a sign of an acknowledgement before stepping over the doorway, into the chaotic fray, his movements and attacks automatic and instinctual as two zombies approached him. He quickly dispatched of them with ease.
It wasn't until a skeleton came that Varis would have a bit of a harder time. A skeleton, armed with a long sword, approached Varis. With its bony arms clutching the long sword over its head, it swung down on Varis. Its movements slow and easy to predict, Varis dodged the swing and lunged towards the skeleton's rib with his short sword, it making a sizable crack upon impact -- although it was surely more damaging to the sword than the skeleton itself. The skeleton, raising its long sword once more and trying to turn its body to attack him, fell to the ground as Varis kicked it.
Knowing the skeleton was far from dead, Varis took off towards his allies, spotting Artos and running off towards him only to be stopped by another skeleton.
As Varis soon regained his courage Ellyn nodded back at him and stopped singing, running to the scene of all the current fighting and bloodshed, it wasn't long before skeletons surrounded her... She knew she had no time so she flipped through her book and grinned at one of the songs named 'irresistible dance' she quickly learnt it's notes as one of the skeletons dived for her and she gracefully moved to the side to continue reading these notes. Might have been simple but the skeleton went onto the floor and lost his arm, which makes things relevantly easier for her.
'let's see if I got this correct' Ellyn remanded to herself as another skeleton took another swipe at her, she quickly slapped her book back together with a bang, dust going into her face and coughed lightly 'uuugh! dusty!' after finishing coughing the second skeleton who tried to slice her indefinitely attempted once again. But she placed her leg in front of his bone-like stomach as he charged, charging too hard it was no surprise that his stomach went right through to her leg, and with a quick shake she lifted her leg and quickly slammed the heel back onto the floor, shattering the whole remains of him. 'well that was easy... now!'
She started plucking her strings around the rest of the remaining skeletons and started to sing irresistible dance; she hoped to get this right, she usually got the spells correct on her first try anyway...
'Freedom is dance. To be anyone i want, I am shy, I am beautiful, I am new, I am loud, I am talented, I am classic, to be anyone. A beautiful privilege Offed to all but expressed by few. A dancer knows the true freedom of being your self, whom ever that self chooses to be.'
The Lich moved to intercept, he picked up the dagger that was thrown to by the deformed goblin. He then swung at Sana with his free hand. The hand aimed at her face. He then used telekinesis to move the other straps pulling them tighter while the ones she escaped from shot up to wrap around her wrists and ankles pulling her down into the slab once more. He then moved back towards Ellis. If he could smile he would. He then took notice of the progress of the others and he frowned. The only thing keeping them from getting to him was the wraith and six more undead. He looked back at Ellis and then Sana. He sighed, knowing this was hopeless. He could kill them out of spite or.... Something worse. They don't where his container was or what it was. He smirked and looked to Ellis. He turned the dagger to rust and dropped it. He then rose up his hands and bolts of energy shot into him destroying his body. To others what would seem like smoke was actually his spirit. All the lich needed was a new host. He was given one and shot into the halflings body. To anyone not skilled or knowledge of Lich they knew nothing of what happened. The dwarf did not see and he doubted the bookworm would know from reading sense he had the only tome. He made sure of that right after he sent it away. Right now his spirit laid dormant in Ellis's body.
To anyone else, it would seem the lich took its own life out of cowardice. The only big real threat now was the wraith.
Vivian soon joined Hugh and Garekk in the antechamber. The chalice sat on a pedistal with jewels about it and a very shiny lid. She saw the lich just commit suicide and snorted. However, what was left were six skeletons and the wraith. "Artos, and Hugh... You two fight that thing me and the others will take on the skeletons." She said. She then flicked her wrist and snapped her fingers. All six skeletons including the wraith were engulfed in flames. The flames did no harm ,but that was not it's purpose. All six skeletons began to shake as if trying to put the flames out. The wraith did not fall for the trick... She then dropped a globe of darkness into the room. Same one that she dropped outside. Her and her companions were hidden and could not be seen by the darkness but the outlines of the flames she cast marked in place where the enemy was. This made things much easy. The party could attack in the concealment of the globe, while the undead couldn't see shit.
She took action putting her swords away and picked up a few skulls. She placed her hands withing and charged using the weight of her body to smack into skeleton tackling it to the ground. She then used the skulls on her fists to punch the head of her for until it shattered. The flames surrounding it went out.
Garekk saw what was happening and what Vivian had done and smiled. That was pretty clever. His sword was useless here. However, orcs were strong and he aimed to prove it. He put it away and charged tearing the shield from a skeleton and then using it to smash and crush its skull. It's flames also going out.
Ellis, he still felt little energy as he sat where he was placed by the lich. He felt weak, he felt..... Like dying. He didn't want to but he was so close to it now that he felt like it was going to happen. The lich hid itself well within. It's spirit hiding its presence with a clever spell. Waiting to leave at a perfect time.
Ellyn smirked as she kept playing to see more and skeletons moving towards her, taunted by the fact of what was happening and soon them skeletons just wanted to dance too the moment they were within Ellyn's vocal range for the type of song it was, it was very cheery and you just can't help but have a bit of a groove. All you could hear from her mouth was 'WOOOOOOOOOOOOO PARTY!!!!!' before repeating the said song. Grinning wildly as she thinks this is a great idea. She made them all follow her as if they were going to perform thriller or something, clearly enjoying what she was doing. In the end her hands got numb and she had to stop playing.
'ooooyeah... this is awesome!!' Ellyn shouted to herself in her head as she decided to knock all their heads off by clutching her harp with both of her hands (with great struggle). They had the delay of only 5 minutes and she may not be able to feel her hands but she could still feel her arms, so with that she decided to lob the heads off all the skeletons that are dancing, despite the terrible aiming she either had their heads lobbed off or crushed.
'Horaay for heavy harps!' She proclaimed as she rinsed and repeated with the swiping of her harp for the estimated duration. She didn't expect to lob them ALL off, but it would be a bonus if she could.
Hugh didn't realize what was happening with all his gear, as it seemed to appear on his body, including his falchion and tomahawk. He kept fighting hard, not particularly realizing that they were dying faster from his fists. He was too angry to notice anything other than getting to his destination. Before Hugh knew what was happening, everyone seemed to be falling in behind or beside him. He felt his anger letting in confidence, as he smashed through the skeletons.
The Dwarf wiped out all of the undead before his eyes, and with that, Hugh took off down the hall, headed for the chamber of the lich. He was stopped in his tracks by the six skeletons and a wraith. His eyes shown with fury, as he glared and growled at them, fists clenched and ready to tear them apart. He was too much in his zone to realize all the fighting the others were up to. He felt the songs of Ellyn and the spells of the magus. Everyone was working together all in this moment, for one purpose.
The orc passed him his hammer and he gladly accepted it from his keeping. He was ready to take any resistance in his path.
He finally heard Sana call out to him, his manner still angry. "Sana!" He screamed, "HOLD ON! I'LL BE THERE SOON!" He saw the lich from before, as obsessed as ever with immortality. Such is how a lich becomes a lich. "If you looked like that, why the fuck would you want to live forever?" He muttered angrily, not certain if anything or anyone heard him. After he said it, it appeared that the lich dispersed and died. "Looks like he heard me." He muttered.
His attention was soon brought back to the six skeletons and the wraith whom stood in his path. His anger was as strong as ever, controlling him, making him more determined to get to the finish line. He growled as his fury grew.
Right now, in this moment, nothing mattered. There was an obstacle in his way, blocking him from a simple life. The obstacles were blocking them all from ever seeing the light of day, so no matter what, everyone had to fight. All of this fighting meant something more to Hugh, more than just getting out alive. It was the last battle in the war for Hugh's happiness. He had already lost two battles in this war and this battle would be the one to end his war.
The skeletons were taken care of, and only the wraith stood before him. He gave a blood curdling war cry as he held his hammer with both hands and charged forward at the wraith. The anger in his eyes showed strong as he swung the warhammer at the creature. Every swing got stronger as he descended upon the wraith, forcing it back. "You will be destroyed! YOU WILL FIND PEACE." He said, giving his thunderous declaration to the wraith. He knew all too well how they came into existence, and he pitied those left to that existence.
Sana gulped slightly but kept working frantically at the ties to free herself. The dagger whizzed by her and she lunged for it, freezing in her place as the Lich reached her. "Get away from...." she began to spat but was cut short at his free hand connected with her face. It felt as if her cheek had exploded, the pain excruciating, causing her to half scream and half whimper as she flew back against the cold granite of the sacrifice table.
Her arms went above her head and a foot to each corner as the straps, with a life of their own, laced back around her wrists and ankles; restraining her back where she had started. Groggy from the hit Sana moaned slightly but was quickly jolted into acute awareness as the Lich seemed to commit suicide. Her eyes widening at the sight. Why had he done that? It seemed off but she knew nothing of liches.
Pushing the questions aside as the skeletons burst into flames and the room went dark. Frantically she worked to re-untie her binds. Working much quicker this time before she slid off the table and reached for the first thing she could wrap her fingers around, it was the thigh bone of one of the skeletons that had already been terminated. Picking it up she growled as she kept up and targeted the closest one; swinging hard at it and catching its shoulder, knocking it clean off. The bones could be heard shattering against the wall behind it.
"Turn on the fucking lights!" Sana snapped in the darkness, it may have been great for some but for her it wasn't. Her fighting style utilized her entire environment and without her bow she only had her agility left. Which meant in this darkness she was nearly helpless and after everything it really was pissing her off.
"Hugh, I'm okay! Kill that son of a bitch!" She bellowed as she took a few steps back, tripping over something and reached down to see what it was. Her bow and quiver! She grabbed it and let two arrows fly at once towards the skeleton she had dis-shouldered, sending it flying back and impaling it against the wall.
The two giant skeletons finally fell from their feets with Artos suffering light injuries. The fight itself wasn't terribly hard, but two of them would eventually get their enemy injured. Their durability was nothing to scoff at too. He also heard Ellyn singing her new spells, and appeared to have alot of fun from what he could hear with her laughing and bashing off skeletal heads with her... harp?
Hugh's rage could still be felt and heard, practically becoming a paladin/barbarian hybrid as of now. Artos, heeding Vivian's command, stepped next to Hugh and faced the Lich, with Hugh screaming at said Lich for many different reasons. He then apparently commited suicide, from the looks of it, Why would a Lich commit suicide... he thought to himself "Hm, yes, he might have heard you after all." he replied to Hugh.
Darkness met Artos' eyes yet again, though he was already familiar with this spell. Fire was then spewed from another spell casted by Vivian that caught them on fire, so that they were visible under the dark guise of the spell. "Mens Oculus" he chanted, thinking that he would need to see the environment so that he could maintain his footing against this agile wraith. Hugh, rage still welling up within him swung at the Wraith and managed to push it back. Artos, with the help of his augmented speed got behind the wraith as it was being pushed back.
Artos then sliced in a vertical sweeping arc but only lightly grazing it, but still charring a large chunk of it's back with lightning, with it wailing, even if a little. It swiftly turned around and slashed with it's claws, and not being fast enough to dodge, he blocked the attack with his left hand. "Quick little thing aren't you?" he said outloud, glancing at his bleeding left arm, with a sardonic grin he continues, "This is going to be fun." Licking some of his seeping blood. His scarlet eyes getting darker and his grin growing more deeper, more menacing. Artos had not been able to stretch his bones in a while since most of the fights he had were really easy, and now he has a chance for a decent fight.
As much as Ellyn was having fun she knew it was time to meet with the others and rushed to their side in complete speed. She doesn't know how she ran so fast with this skirt, maybe Sana will let her borrow her knife or something to cut the skirt so she will be able to move without all the restrictions and less chance of tripping over all the time. As soon as she saw at the scene she saw what was going on, the lich just dispersed out of nowhere and she was then bound by the darkness.
'Ugh!' Ellyn cried out, regardless of being able to see or not she doesn't know how to help from there on because she wanted to know. But she remembers a little something she read in her song book, so going right next to Artos after hearing his chanting she grabbed out her songbook and tried reading it, but alas, it wasn't the type of spellbook that glows like Artos's did, closing it in slight jealousy she placed it back where it was and decided to cast chordsong instead, damaging the wraith at the very least.
“…How long has this child been under this shadowy influence?” asked a robed man in gold plating, while carrying a tome in hand.
“M’Lord Inquisitor…” began the frightened mother huddled within the protective arms of her concerned husband as they both stood behind the armored priest under the archway of their child’s room, “…About a week, I-I suppose…He has spoken such appalling and dreadful things…No little boy should-“
“Speak such sinful words?” the Inquisitor interrupted with a raspy and powerful voice, keeping his gaze locked on the child whom blankly stared back within the softening confines of his cotton bed, “It is a wonder where he had come across such things...”
“Listen Sergei, you-“ the boy’s father interpreted the priest’s statement as a vile insult and nearly broke into a justifiable outburst were it not for his wife tugging on his old leather vest, silently pleading him not cause trouble with the robed man; the same golden plated priest with a warhammer in the other hand. The husband gave a quite sigh and stepped down from his chest baring stance.
Their son however seemed to have enjoyed the brief instance of hostility looking at his father with a gleefully smile no child should manifest. The Inquisitor though retained his observation of the child whom soon mimicked the man and glowered back. With his eyes narrowing on the child’s ever changing expressions influenced by the fierce harmonic resonance in the room, the Inquisitor brought his tome up and opened it up at a specified index. The boy’s expression began to show color as he watched the priest with new concern.
“I suggest you back up and remain out of the room until I say so.” Sergei said bluntly to the couple without facing them. The husband and wise hesitated but eventually complied with the priest wishes and eased back, still holding on to each other.
It was clear that the two cared deeply of their son and his well being. But at the same time, their worry had staked with the presence of an Inquisitor, a missionary whom everyone rightly feared and a judge who damns the wicked and monstrous to the cleansing flame. And now this Inquisitor was about to perform an exorcism on their son to rid him foul tainting influence. However knowing very well what the priest could do, they had little choice but to watch and hope.
The crimson golden priest suddenly began to chant aloud, speaking the holy texts of his sacred tome. Restrained by sheets interlocking his hands and feet their adjacent bed poles, the boy’s torso unnaturally shot up into their air as he howled in anguish, unable to down the Inquisitor’s voice out. The mother, naturally fearing for her tormented child nearly left the embrace of her husband only to be comforted by her caring life partner.
As the chant progressed, Sergei slowly brought his warhammer into the air, now glowing with a fiery aura while he stood up with his tome still in hand. The priest’s words rang with power, further tormenting the now screaming child whose body squirmed violently against the bed sheet restraints and his own voice tearing at reality with furniture and objects being thrown aimlessly at the Inquisitor who continued his holy preach as the hammer grew brighter and radiant, filling the room with warm and soothing light. More screaming ensued in presence of the light, causing the boy’s body to lash out and leap into the air
“In the name of thy Lord and Architect Pelor, I beseech thee in this dark hour…” Sergei chanted aloud over the child’s demonic screeching, “I call to thee to lend me thy power so I may smite the evil that dwells cowers within this innocent vessel…”
The room shook as the force that resided within the boy slowly manifested its dark shadow across the wall facing the Inquisitor. The dark silhouette’s face contorted in rage and fear, yelling in the most unnatural and scarring of sounds to intimidate and frighten. But the Inquisitor remained stagnant of any weary or unease thoughts and continued the incantation with more light blooming from his warhammer.
“I summon thee, spawn of Tharizdun, relinquish this innocent vessel from thy grasp and leave this plain of existence. My power compels you!” shouted Sergei as a pulse of light sprang out form the hammer, apparently harming the demon shadow as it’s cries echoed though the possessed child as a conduit. “My power compels you! Leave this plain of existence forever!”
The house seemed to shake apart as the shadow entity resisted the Inquisitors empowered demands but soon it could no longer maintain its control over the boy as light burned and pried the demon’s clutches apart. In one final act of desperate defiance, the demon emerged from its shadowy from and took physical shape, lunging at the Inquisitor. But the priest was already well prepared with his hammer raised high before bringing the heavenly fire induced warhammer onto the demon. The harsh connection between sanctified heavy metal and otherworldly flesh sounded off as the demon’s body instantly became limb and evaporated in cleansing light.
“Be gone foul creature…” the Inquisitor hissed.
With the dark essence now completely dissolved from the house hold, the many objects telekinetically thrust into the air fell harmlessly to the ground. The boy’s bedroom was littered in wooden debris but when the Inquisitor motioned for the parents to finally enter, they quickly closed distance with their boy and gripped him tight within their loving embrace. The child eventually came to and understandably cried in despair of his horrific trial.
With his work now complete, the Inquisitor blessed the house hold and gathered his belongings before making his way to the door before being intercepted by the mother’s relieved voice. “Th-Thank you so much M’Lord Inquisitor! How can we ever repay you for your blessed deeds…? The priest stopped inches from the door and gave a silent grunt before turning to the boy’s mother; clearly he didn’t like his name being said in association “Give your thanks to the holy church as they have sent you their missionary to cleanse your humble abode…”
Suddenly, the Inquisitor quickly turned his attention to a well sculpted idol placed neatly center on the dining table across the room, an ebony-like aura emanating from its deceptive form, the same aura as the demon’s. Giving a quick chant and channeling this magic through warhammer, a condensed surge of fire erupted from the ignited steel, disintegrating the idol in an instant.
“And for Pelor’s sake! Don’t accept cheap idols from shady street merchants!” he bellowed in irritation before making his leave from the home.
Closing the door gently, Sergei sighed; easing his tenseness from the entire ordeal. The family had apparently been tricked by a merchant whom claimed the idol was an item of good luck which turned out to be nothing more than a vessel for an evil spirit wanting a host to feed of. Luckily, the couple had identified where they had last saw the merchant…Or Witch as Sergei believed this shady salesman to be. With a provided course, Sergei set out to locate the merchant, looking forward to end yet another bloody heretic.
The room was dark, but the flames were high. Both in Drizzak's mind and upon his skin. His allies seemed more than tied up with their undead adversaries but there was aught he could do to help the out, even now at this critical juncture in the battle.
The flames from his skin lit up the surrounding area only slightly in this magical darkness, being magical in nature themselves. The mutagen still burnt throughIs veins as Drizzak growled at the reminding skeletons. His claws, long and wicked, twitched at the sight of the walking, clattering collections of cartilage and clammy white bone. He pointed at one, standing slightly further from the others, before pointing at the rest of the party that could see his brilliant flaming form in the devouring dark that engulfed them.
"WARMBLOODS. BONEMEN. GHOSTIE. SEE DRAGON BURN. SEE DRAGON TEAR. RIP. KILL."
His wings flapped, leaving an afterimage in the dark as the flames danced off of his body before fading into nothing. For a moment, he hovered of the spot. But in the next moment, the little dragon goblin moved to the solitary skeleton with such ferocity and speed that he burned across the field like a star I the night sky.
He collided with the skeleton, clattering loudly to the floor as he mounted it and stood atop it. With one swipe of his clawed hand, he detached arm from shoulder socket, before grabbing it and swinging upward. The skull of the creature was sent spinning toward the roof as its body was collapsed by a blow to the legs.
As the skull landed with a hollow clunk, Drizzak growled. He wished he could get his hands on the lich for daring to cage him. And for destroying his dagger, but this would have to do. He set his foot upon the skull with a huff, as the bones began to reform.
"WHEN DRIZZAK SAY YOU STAY DEAD, YOU STAY-"
With a resounding crunch, the skull collapsed into blackened shards. The reforming bones fell to an unmoving heap behind him. His fire still raged as he screamed at the remaining skeletons.
