Taki looked back over her shoulder, her eyes alight with cerulean fire.

"A shaman is always prepared."

As cryptic as the reply was, it wasn't meant as such. With her guardian at her side, the shaman's magic flared over her body once more. There was a greater intensity than before, an almost palpable density to the gathering spell. Bright, cerulean light spread over the group and formed a protective shell¹.

As Gwendolyn rushed forward with her own mighty weapon, Taki lifted her body clear of the heavy maul's path. Finding purchase on the column itself, she used her immense strength and sudden shock provided to finally tear through the last of the it's defenses. She let out a triumphant hiss as she dropped to the ground and stepped back from the shattered pillar.

It's dark magics were collapsing, sputtering and fizzling out as the entire structure began to crumble. Ancient timbers, and hewn stones gave way to the weight of time. The sound was cacophonous from within the spire, a cascading echo of crashing stones, breaking wood and protesting metal. Outside the shaman's protective barrier looked like some besieged castle's ruins within a matter of moments, rubble strewn across most of the main hall. One wall had been completely destroyed in the collapse, buckling from the lack of support. That tipped the entire collapse and sent it crashing down mostly to one side of the base.

Taki looked to the others and their various expressions and smiled, a knowing, motherly kind of smile.

"Well, that's the first hurdle... let's see if we can find the puppeteer hmm?"

The glowing shield protected her from any falling debris, it’s magical sheen dissipating as the tower was brought low before them. Magical energy released, bathing the party in a rejuvenating light that mended the effects of poison that had befallen them earlier. They were ready for this.



Gwen met Takis smile with one of nervous anticipation. There was a lich in the rubble somewhere, waiting. Dark magic flowed all around them with the columns collapse, making discerning any specific source exceedingly difficult for her glasses. Debris of stone and iron littered the forest, and it seemed as nothing had survived the fall. There were even two extra corpses in the rubble, presumably also unearthed mages. Though, her other senses said otherwise. A disgusting scent of evil, closeby, she should have been able to see it already, but looking around there was nothing but rock.



A spike in energy ignited her senses, shit. “HE’S ABOV-“ Gwen shouted, before a wave of magic washed over her from Nikivek. “VVVEE UUUSSSSS WWWAAA” Her shout was abnormally elongated, and her movements slowed to a crawl. Even the hair she bound into a ponytail waved slowly through the air as her head turned at a snails pace to meet the lich king. Another twist of his wrist, and the snow that touched the cobblestone foundation of the tower for the first time in centuries bent to his will. A white flurry surrounded gwendolyn before she could react, encasing her in a dense swirling vortex of freezing water.



The maids Mori and Millicent immediately turned to look, and lashed out with their own magics on impulse. Lightning and Fire lept up to meet the wizard, before they too slowed to a crawl midair. The electricity and flame frozen halfway to their target was a sight to behold, Nikivec turning to the group, emotionless, and ready to kill.
Arcane Glasses
Arcane Senses
Slow
Water Prison
Lightning Bolt, Flame Bolt
Spell Suspension x2

"May the light's grace bring peace to your broken soul..." Taki's voice was solemn, quiet as she spoke. For all the fury she was capable of, the shaman was tranquil in that moment. The glowing aura surrounding her body changed, from something like cerulean flame to a gentle golden mist that clung to her scales. When she turned her gaze to the sky, there was a swirling galaxy of stars dancing within the crimson. The bitter cold and creeping, inky darkness of the tower seemed to recoil at the shaman's building magic.

Overhead, the bleak grey skies shifted and stirred, opening seams in clouds hardly discernable from below. Columns of light flooded the surrounding area in warmth and an invigorating radiance. The pillars of light coalesced into a glowing orchestra of instruments, and began to play a haunting battle hymn¹. Nikivec avoided the beams as though they were some sort of attack, realizing a moment too late the error as the first notes began to play. They opened their mouth to speak, to cast some protective or retaliatory spell. When nothing happened, the emotionless expression turned to one of irritation and surprise.

That same moment, the clouds above Nikivec parted and bathed him in a column of light. Now center stage to his own personal spiritual orchestra, Taki's attack was unleashed. The spotlighting beam pulsed with a brief golden flash, widening as it intensified into a searing beam². She looked to Gwendolyn and company to check on their condition, hoping the combination of spells would give them enough time to recover.

---

1: Symphony of Light [Spirit Shroud]
2: Piercing Light [Spirit Shroud, Overwhelming Magic]

Mori nodded at Taki, and turned her attention back to her master. Taking the moment of reprieve the druid had granted them, Mori took a wide stance, and pulled a fist in an upwards motion.



Gwendolyn slowly grasped at her throat, water swirling around her faster than she could comprehend. This was quite the deadly combination, as her reaction time was far from enough to make even an attempt to escape before continuing to twist around the bubble that entrapped her. The light was fading from her eyes, a few bubbles escaping her mouth before a pillar of stone erupted up from underneath her. The noblewoman careened upwards and outwards away from her watery prison as time began to come back to pace. Shit, if she had come alone, that would have been it.



Millicent rushed over as she hit the ground nearby, extending a hand to help her master up. Gwen grasped it, wiping the water from her brow, and summoning her maul to her side. Nikivek glared at Taki, his skull smoking lightly from whatever occured before she was freed. A wave of his hand frees the lightning bolt that hung in the air, allowing it to strike him. The electricity curled around his body, eventually settling onto the brim of his cloak. Whatever was causing him to levitate ended, and the lich landed almost silently on the ground.



A soft flurry of snow obscures the mans figure for but a moment, but that was all it would take. Nikiveks form changed rapidly, particles of ethereal energy blowing softly in the wind as his entire body dissolved into a mist. The ghastly form of the lich king glided across the battlefield, directly towards the still dripping Gwendolyn. A swing from her maul passed directly through the ghost before it consumed her, dissapearing within the noblewomans body.

1 Mold Earth
2 Cancel Spell Suspension
3 Arculia Mantle absorbs Lightning Bolt
4 Phantom Curse Phantom Form
5 Phantom Curse Possession

"Don....'t." The shaman tried to stop what was happening but wasn't exactly sure how to prevent it. They wouldn't have long before friend became foe, and that wouldn't be good for anyone involved. While the symphony overhead trumpeted a soothing and encouraging melody, her mind raced towards a solution. There was one common trait she was aware of with Liches, a crux that was both key to their longevity and the downfall of their ilk.

"Ladies, whatever you do, pin your master down and do not let her speak... I'll try to find the Phylactery and put this specter to rest. Buy me as much time as you can, and disarm her as much as possible or we're going to be in trouble."

Plan in hand, Taki called out to her spirit guardians¹. The trio split up and scoured the ruins of the tower, tracking the 'scent' of Nikivec's spirit to it's tethering source. They moved through the tower with trained and methodical purpose, but there was a good deal of ground to cover. That was compounded by the group's own choice to topple the tower and it's dark magics, but it didn't seem to slow the shaman² or her guardians much.

Days like this made Taki thankful for her many spiritual interactions, and the various changes each one brought to her life. Without their gifts, she would not be able to live such a life or support so many others. Keta and Ryu at her side, they darted deeper into the fallen tower on the trail of Nikivec's spirit in hopes that they could stop the Lich from forcing the group to fight an ally.

---

1: Spirit Guardians 2/2: Keta 4/4, Ryu 4/4
2: Surface Scaling, Silent Step, Cat's Grace, Geomagnetic Sense [Passives in use]

The maids collectively nodded, before turning their attention to their master. Gwen was doubled over, face grimaced in pain as her gauntlets clutched at her forehead. Millicent and Jess leapt into action, each grabbing an arm whilst Mori leapt for the legs, sending the whole pile tumbling into the rubble. Their masters eyes and mouth flashed green, before loud ethereal chanting began to escape from her lips. (1)



Millicent slapped her hand onto her masters mouth, muffling the spell that was attempting to escape before it could be cast. Jess stared at her master, cold sweat dripping down her forehead. The struggle was intense, but luckily, Gwen didn’t really have that much muscle at all. All of her equipment was laden with magic, sure, but spending time in the gymnasium was not her sense of a good time.



Regardless, something of power must have had an effect for the second she was allowed to speak. The wind picked up over the valley, and the sky darkened with increased snowfall blowing in the maids faces. It was bitterly cold. and unless Shitakibo could find the source of the magicians power, they would be forced to let go before long, or start losing fingers.


1 Snow Flurry Creates a large storm of fluffy and fast-moving snow. This causes the tempature to drop, maing the area much colder. And while the snow does no damage, it can be difficult to move in and obscures vision ever so slightly.

Darting over rubble and through broken corridors, they entered a room strewn with all manner of tools and containers. A large bed lay crumpled against the wall, bookshelves collapsed in piles, an armoire overturned and splaying it's contents... Nikivec's room. There was little doubt in the shaman's mind, considering the entire room felt like standing too close to some ancient undead.

"Spread out, find the vessel... it might be flashy, it might be as plain as could be... but it should carry the stench of their decayed spirit."

Keta and Ryu nodded, then went to either side of the room to scour it's contents. Taki strolled right through the middle, stopping occasionally to inspect an overturned drawer or pile of fabrics. She squatted near a large, heavy desk of darkly stained cedar. The scent was quite familiar and often good for keeping most pests from a room. It's bronze inlays were finely crafted, as were the ivory knobs and handles. While pilfering through the drawers, full of bizarre formulae and gruesome illustrations, Keta popped her head out of a large pile of glassware. In her maw, she held an ornate crystalline decanter filled with a swirling, pearlescent ichor of sickly colors. Taki had never heard the cat growl so deeply, it's sound making her scales vibrate from the middle of the room. Holding out one hand, Keta brought the container to Taki.

"Well done, please stand back for this part."

Reaching into her cloak, the shaman pulled out a length of strong woven cords with a pocket in the center and a loop tied in one end. Along with it, she pulled out a pair of projectiles, one a coppery orange and the other a swirling patterned steel. She loaded the steel shot into her sling, swinging it around with the motion of wrist to build momentum. Her lower body tensed, feet and tail anchoring the shaman to the earth as she twisted. On the first rotation, the bottle was released, sailing in a slow arc over the room. The second rotation came with a wide, overhand throw of the sling¹, sending the seeking shot out through a gash in the collapsed tower. Reloading as she retrieved the sling, Taki planted herself firmly at the end of a third rotation, snapping the sling forward² in a fashion similar to a whip. It made a thunderous cracking, which was followed up shortly after by a sharp thwack as the first shot struck the Phylactery. The crystal hummed as it resonated, before a second deeper thud impacted the bottle. The coppery slug burst into dozens of metallic fragments, which created a bright flash and the sound of popping, sizzling electricity.

Thousands of tiny, glittery fragments filled the room as the crystal was shattered, it's putrid contents turning to ash and dust before a drop could make it to the ground. Taki peeked through her upraised arms, anticipating another trapped object, but it was eerily calm and pleasant. Even the room she was standing in had lost some of it's dark dankness, so she thought to call out to the maids.

"Are you all okay out there?! Gwendolyn, are your wits your own?!"

---

1: Sling [Returning], Firing Seeking Slug {Shooter's Sense, True Hunter}
2: Sling [Returning], Firing Static Slug {Quick Draw, Piercing Shot}

The vile green glow coming from her eyes and seeping from between Millicents fingers exploded into bright white beams as a surge of energy leapt forth. All was light for a moment, and then, silence. The howl of cold snow died down as great magics bound to this valley for centuries dissipated into the weave. The call of the shaman penetrated the sudden calm, bringing the maids back to their senses.



Gwen’s eyes had stopped glowing, and her mouth was still. Millicent let go of her grip, waiting for anything to happen. A long moment passed before Gwendolyn inhaled deeply, thirsty to fill her lungs with something other than ghost dust. She shot up, shaking the maids who clutched her off to catch her breath.



“Fine, I’m fine. What happened? Is it over?!” She shouted back. The maids collapsed backwards, relief and exhaustion taking over all at once. Gwen had no idea what had occurred since she was ejected from the swirling water. The day hadn’t passed that much, so it couldn’t have been too long.



The aura of magic blanketing over the valley acquiesced to the loss of it’s masters power. Dark clouds began thinning, tumultuous snow flurries calmed to a pleasant fall. The sight of four black birds caught Mori’s eyes as she laid back to relax. She smiled.

"It is done... Nikivec is put to rest. You should commend your companions, they were quick to act and willing to get in harms way when it mattered."

Taki wasn't sure how to tell Gwendolyn what had happened exactly, but there was time and help to figure out approaching it later. For now, they needed to gather what remained and return it to the Mage's Guild.

The atmosphere felt quite different as Taki returned with her Guardians and a battered box full of scrolls, books and stacks of notes. Picking her way through the rubble strewn ruin, she finally made it back to Gwen and company. Setting the box down, she took a seat on a slab of fallen stone and took a few deep breaths to collect herself.

Taki stared at her own arms for a few moments, remembering the sensation of Gwen's spell cutting through the forest. It was quite a bit unsettling, to experience such pain and loss as if it were her own. While a part of the shaman understood that it meant her connection to the natural and spiritual world had grown immensely in depth and breadth, she felt it's weakness acutely in that moment. If she were in the presence of some greater destruction, would it shatter her psyche and flood her body with immeasurable pain? Just what did this path have in store for her future?

This task was done, now they could put things to rest properly again. Once things were gathered, the shaman would use her House Key to bring Shuchu through. Together with the golem, they would easily be able to move things safely.