Chapter 285 - The Target

All caught up again. I'll do my best to finish tomorrows chapter on time, though depending on how it goes it might be Sunday or Monday again.

It was a nerve-wracking descent into the lich’s dungeon. Hump did his best to keep his eyes on his feet and to avoid looking at the great drop to his right, but the flashes of battle still caught his eye. The winds of essence rampaged through the cavern, trapped within its stone walls, constantly building as more blessings and magic were unleashed, all the while the lich’s apprentices continued to chant their magic from within the barrier.

If this became a battle of attrition, Hump knew there was no way they could defeat an undead army like this. The only way was to destroy Lich Queen Irila.

The shaman led the way, carrying his massive war bow in hand, while his tattoos gleamed with essence beneath his tunic. Hump was pleased to have him. With Ashera missing, they needed a leader they could all count on.

Their only path down was the stone ledge walkway that curved around the other wall of the cavern to the depths below. When this had been a dungeon, Hump could imagine how perilous the journey must have been to reach the dungeon core. Not that it was simple now.

The path was littered with rubble and crushed undead remains from where Hump brought the roof down—not the easiest place to navigate with a massive drop to battle and carnage to Hump’s right. A few of the battered and broken bodies were somehow still alive, or at least, unalive. He wasn’t sure what the correct term was for undead. The creatures grabbed at them with whatever limbs they had left, but they were weak. Nascal and Finnian made short work of most of the creatures, allowing the rest of them to conserve their strength.

It wasn’t long before they neared the battle. Watching the battle unfold below, Hump’s nerves picked up. He wondered if the lich had noticed them yet. She’d recognised his spellbook, or at least, some of the power in his book. Would she come for it?

“Shit,” Celaine said, close behind him. “Watch out!”

An instant later, Hump sensed the terrible intent of essence aimed in their direction. Death clawed at him, coating his soul like oil. He ducked on instinct as a burst of purple power beamed overhead, exploding the wall barely six feet above in a shower of dust and rubble. Hump raised his staff overhead, envisioning a wall of essence to direct the falling rubble over the side of the ledge.

“Shield.”

Essence poured from his staff, forming a ramp. Because of its shape, he barely felt the weight of the stone as it struck and fell to the abyss below. Ahead of him, Nascal and Finnian worked together to keep the rubble off of the others. Aurora stared down at the rich, the dragon’s shoulders hunched as she snarled.

Between Hump, Finnian’s wind powers, and Nascal’s shields, nobody was hurt. They barely paused, continuing onward. The faster they could escape the stone ledge, the better.

“We’re going to die!” Walt cried out in Hump’s mind, his voice panicked.

“Not if I can help it,” Hump said. “You just focus on the lich’s phylactery. If you figure anything out about her throne, tell me.”

“I know, I know.”

Hump watched the battle as he ran, not wanting to be caught off guard again, another Shield spell ready on his lips if such power came for them again. Mist rose around the lich, slowly filling the cavern with her power, and sending a chill through Hump’s soul just from being in its presence.

Yunillia, on Itris’ back, positioned herself between Lich Queen Irila and Hump’s group as they raced for ground level, blocking a bombardment of low tier spells from Irila with swift strikes of her spear. When Irila launched her next beam of death, Yunillia was there for it, her spear radiating the strength of her seventh circle as it pierced Irila’s attack, sending out roaring streaks of purple essence. Yunillia screamed against the force and Itris opened his mouth to unleash dragon’s fire, combining their efforts to break her attack.

In that moment of distraction, the lich turned to the dragon keepers and raised her arms. She barked three words that Hump couldn’t understand, but he sensed the darkness in them. The cavern resonated with her power making the hairs on his neck stand on end. Bolts of undeath essence exploded from her, striking the ground like tendrils.

The bones of the fallen dead rose and reformed. Flesh melted and melded into monsters. Essence stones scattered through the air like stars, only to be swallowed up by newly formed bodies. Hundreds of blood covered, fleshy abominations and giants of bones stirred as Irila’s undead army was reborn. Their essence stone hearts pulsed a dark purple in their chests. They converged on the circle of dragon keepers, joining the fight. It was impossible to say which side was winning, but the progress of the keepers was stalled.

“We should help them,” Finnian shouted.

“We are helping them,” Ado said. “The lich cannot be defeated through pure strength.”

Hump clenched his fist around his staff as his eyes flicked to where Leif led the fighting from atop Brutus. The two of them rampaged through the enemy lines, seemingly ignoring the blows that struck their shields and scales as they fought. They were the hammer against the lich’s dark forces, and all around them the other keepers were the knives. Yet Hump could see the weariness of battle on all of them. Missing scales, bloody cuts, and tired faces—they could not fight forever.

Well, that went for most of them. His former squad member, Quin, fought with a thrilled grin on her face. Her and Jarni, her wolf dragon, were amongst the fastest of the keepers, each of them trailing the same silver essence as Vamir while they carved apart the undead around them. Tessa and Gawain fought on the left flank atop their dragons, wielding spear and bow as they slowly forcing their way into the enemy lines, while on the right flank, Rujan and his squad mates had created a defensive barrier of tightly weaved, thorned vines. A man he didn’t recognise stood just behind them, chanting as a storm of essence whirled around him, filling the cavern with ethereal leaves that popped with essence upon anyone they touched—a support blessing of some sort from the looks of it.

Bit by bit, they broke through the lich’s new foes and toward her apprentices. Whatever it was they were casting, it was clear the lich didn’t want the keepers to interfere. She moved to intercept them, but while Irila was certainly powerful, there was one thing she couldn’t match—the Stormcaller’s speed.

Blue light engulfed Yunillia and Itris like a storm granting them swiftness. They swept forward. With grace no creature as large as a wolf dragon should possess, Itris landed atop a monstrous flesh-slug, gripped it in his clawed foot, then pressed it to the ground like an eagle snatching a rabbit. Its heartstone shattered and the creature collapsed into a limp puddle of gore.

From Itris’ back, essence appeared in Yunillia’s left hand. Not a bolt of lightning like before, but a slender needle of power no longer than a dagger. The essence condensed, the blue becoming so bright it turned white, filling the cavern with blinding light. With a flick of her fingers, she threw it. The needle shot around her in a circle, so fast Hump couldn’t even follow it, but he could see the undead abominations left in its wake. Slain by just a touch.

Then Itris was back in the air, flying toward Irila with a roar. Yunillia’s spear coiled with lightning, then the spear was gone and she gripped lightning in her hand. Pressure descended as Yunillia’s soul took form as her weapon. This was the strength that only those of the seventh circle possessed, and one that practitioners could never match… at least, supposedly.

Shadow erupted from the lich, slowing Yunillia down and absorbing the strike, but she was close. Behind Irila, the needling of lightning appeared in a flash, floating there for just a moment as it aimed for her heart. Then it shot forward.

It was a blow that would end the life of many that faced it, but a change came over the lich. Hump sensed the dreadful power to the core of his being, and it terrified him. An aura of ghostly skulls and apparitions emerged around her, screaming and moaning in agony. The lich’s eyes shone with malice.

As the needle of lightning approached, the lich was calm. It was a blow that would end the life of many that faced it, but the lich simply turned and extended a hand toward it. She caught the blow with an open palm, purple power erupted from her in a vortex stream, engulfing and absorbing Yunillia’s power. As she closed her hand into a fist, the lightning bolt was gone.

“You cannot win against me,” Irila said, meeting Yunillia’s eye.

The two of them floated over the battlefield, essence rampant between them as if they were locked in a duel of will. A heartbeat passed and Yunillia retreated in a flash of light, reappearing a dozen paces from the lich, her face shocked. She breathed heavily, a touch of darkness tinging her lightning blessings.

Irila’s aura continued to flicker around her, chilling Hump to the bone. They were at the bottom of the stone walkway now. Aurora was in the lead with Finnian, but they’d all come to a stop at the presence of such overwhelming power. Yet even more disturbing was the state of Yunillia.

Hump hurried to Ado’s side. “Yunillia’s caught in the lich’s curse.”

The shaman seemed to wake from a gaze. “I know. We must hurry.” He turned to address the rest of the group. “Everyone—”

The lich’s cackle silenced him. The sound echoed through the cavern and Hump felt the weight of her soul press down on his. On instinct, he pushed back with his own soul, forming a solid barrier of will to keep her out. At his side, Celaine fell against him, gasping. He caught her before she could fall to the ground, propping her up.

“Focus,” Hump whispered to her. “Remember our training with Vivi. Form a wall against it.”

Celaine drew a deep breath, taking a few seconds before righting herself. The others didn’t suffer nearly as much, but lacking her second major blessing as the only third circle Chosen of the group, her soul defences were weak.

“Thanks,” she said. They stared at the lich as her aura thickened and the cavern darkened around her. “Is that a soul manifestation?”

Hump couldn’t tell what magic he was witnessing, but it was clear Irila’s mastery went well beyond that of death. This power encompassed everything. It rose through the cavern, filling it with her presence until there was no escaping it.

“It almost feels like we’re standing in a dungeon domain,” Hump said. “Her soul should be in her phylactery. I don’t know how she could manifest it here.”

His eyes went once more to the crown on Irila’s head.

“Are you sure her phylactery’s not the crown, Walt?” he asked.

“No, Hump!” Walt shouted, his voice panicked. “Look! Look at the throne!”

Hump turned to the throne but saw nothing but the same dark shadow as before. With an effort of will, he activated his Spirit Sight. Wisps of ethereal, white essence rose from underground. His eyes widened. He recognised the sight of withdrawn Brilliance anywhere. Was that how the lich created her phylactery? He couldn’t imagine withdrawing his soul and placing it outside his body like that. Even a few seconds of separation was enough to drain the colour from the world. If they could destroy that… it was no wonder it would end her.

“You will all die here,” Irila said, as if savouring the taste of her victory, “and then there shall be nobody left to defend Owalyn.”

“Owalyn cannot fall to the likes of you,” Yunillia said. She’d managed to regain some control of her essence.

“Is that what you think?” Irila chuckled. “Has my magic not already proven how wrong that statement is? Before you is a queen from time immemorial.” The chants of her apprentices suddenly went silent. “And in my possession is a weapon that can slay gods.”

Yunillia’s eyes went wide. “No.”

She turned to the giant spell formation in the centre of the room, but it was already too late. Essence rose from its centre, widening into a cloud overhead, and then it exploded.

Hump was blasted back, striking the wall of the cavern. Around him, the others struck it too, other than Finnian, Aurora, and Ado who all managed to remain on their feet. Ado’s blessings rose around him. His tattoos shone with light, and the spiritual form of some giant four-legged beast appeared before them, shielding them from the eruption.

The cloud passed, and ahead of them Hump saw the dragon keepers quickly recovering and returning to the fight. Yunillia and Itris were shrouded in a cloud of power, emerging unimpeded. Essence continued to rise into the sky from the white stone at the centre of the formation—the former dungeon core.

But they were alive.

“Your spell appears to have failed,” Yunillia said.

An uncontrollable laugh escaped Irila. “Is that what you think? You were not the target, Hound of Owalyn.”

She unleashed another spell, and the fight was back on, the two monstrous women trading blows once more. This time, the dark light to Yunillia’s power did not fade.

“Mother’s mercy,” Glys whispered. “There’s nothing we can do.”

“This is far from over,” Ado snarled. “Do not give in to fear. Push back against her influence. This is the lich speaking for you, Glys. Remember who chose you. We are Chosen of Owalyn!”

“But… how do we fight this?” she asked, a helpless look in her eyes. “If not even the Stormcaller can face her.”

“Yunillia is doing her part in holding the lich back,” Ado said. “We must do ours.”

“Look at the throne,” Hump said, pointing. “Look, she’s drawing her power from beneath it. The phylactery is there, we must only find it.”

“And find it we shall,” Ado said. “Finn, get moving. Nascal, Hump, I want you on watch for any attacks coming our way. Let’s go.”

As Hump and the others reached the bottom of the cavern, Aurora led the charge into the undead at the bottom, leaping forward and hitting the nearest ranks of lesser undead before they had a chance to move. She tore into them with raging fire and teeth, smashing through others with her claws and tail, pushing forward while the rest of them filtered into the battle behind.

They were so close now. So close to the throne, they just had to push onward. They didn’t need Yunillia or anyone else so long as they destroyed her phylactery.