But before its attack could be launched, it stopped short and screeched. "Why… why is my Lumina with you?" he pointed at the girl. The blue fire in his eyes had flared up in fury.
Atropa looked at her still glowing bracelet and angled herself to hide Lumina away from the lich's sight. In response, Briar took a few steps ahead to shield her.
"To think that I have been waiting for a thousand years to take my dear Lumina back." The lich cried almost in anguish.
"And yet, she would only fall into the hands of an unworthy witch!" as he raged on, the darkness had overpowered the light that had been emitting from his staff and started whipping around him.
The ground shook in response to the mana he had unleashed.
"Thousand years? This lich is that old?" Atropa asked while bracing herself from the incoming attack.
"We have to be extra careful… this one seemed to be one of the ancients, a remnant from the age of Darkness." Briar said as he remained on guard.
Atropa was a bit surprised at the information but she composed herself.
"That meant that this one is more powerful than just an ordinary lich." She then produced a handful of precious gems from her pocket.
"Give me back my Lumina!" the lich screamed as he unleashed his attack.
The darkness that had been whipping around him had turned into massive whip and had aimed for the two.
Briar was quick and sliced through the attack which cut the whip of darkness into half. But instead of disappearing the darkness had reformed and reshaped into several flagella.
They kept on attacking the prince incessantly. But Briar was able to deflect some of the attack and severe the others.
In order to help him, Atropa's eyes glowed red and a yellowish pentagram formed.
With a sudden burst, vines of light emerged and wrapped around the darkness. It gradually crushed the opposing force and they both disintegrate into thin air.
"Damn you, little witch!" the lich roared. He raised his staff and a pillar of flame rose. When he pointed it towards the girl, the pillar had spiraled up and swerved to engulf Atropa.
In response to that attack, Briar cut off the remaining whips of darkness and ran towards the girl.
"Darn it! I won't make it in time." He gritted out. So instead of intercepting the attack, he concentrated his mana on his left fist and then he punched the ground.
As he injected his mana on the surface, the ground shook and a large wall of earth had rose in front of the girl to shield her from the fire.
"Thank you very much, your highness." The girl smiled in gratitude. "I never thought he could use multiple elements."
For now, the fire could not harm them due to the wall of earth. Although it could not reach them, the heat made Atropa's cheek a bit red.
So just to make sure that they wouldn't be scorched to death, Atropa had erected another barrier as additional blockage against the attack.
"Don't mention it." Briar breathed as he approached her. "That lich could use multiple elements and they are quite powerful at that. How are we supposed to defeat that?"
"Well, we wouldn't be able to kill it unless we can destroy its phylactery. And judging its appearance, I doubt that he had his phylactery with him." Atropa said. "We can only buy time until Attie will be able to find its phylactery and we can destroy it."
"So how are we going to fight it?"
"Were you able to recover your strength, your highness?" she asked while she strengthened her barrier, the wall had already begun to deteriorate and a crack had already appeared after it had received a barrage of attacks.
"I wouldn't be able to say that I have recovered with full power but I might stand a chance fighting for a few more minutes." He answered while assessing his strength.
"A mage's weakness is usually close quarter combat. But we already lost an advantage when it comes to distance. He already made the attacked first." She said as she tried to fortify their defenses.
"We should have stopped him from casting his spell…" the girl mumbled while laying down some of her precious stones on the ground. Attie had begun helping her scatter the jewels.
"Any idea on how to counter attack." He asked. He had been readying himself for the worst.
"The barrier will not hold for long." He pointed out as few more cracks had marred the barrier.
Atropa turned towards him after she placed the last gem. "Can I borrow your sword?"
The prince readily offered the weapon. Atropa took it and knelt down. A white pentagram formed as she muttered an incantation.
Her right hand glowed and using her index and middle finger, she wrote the sigils on the sword. The estoc glowed as the sigils formed intricately on the blade.
After the incantation, Atropa returned the sword to the prince. "This could negate that darkness he is using. We have to get ready." She said as the crack on the barrier grew bigger.
"I never thought you could enchant weapons." the prince said as he got himself ready.
"I just acquired it after Lumina chose me as her new owner." she answered. Then she focused her attention towards the lich. "We need to move near him."
"We can try destroying that staff although it is not its phylactery. It seemed to have serve as the magical tool which stores his spell." The girl said after reading a parchment that Attie gave her. It contained an assessment of the staff that the lich was using.
She turned towards Attie and order. "Find the phylactery and inform me once you found it."
Attie winked before she jumped and disappeared. Briar was a bit taken aback when the little once vanished from view. But he just kept quiet.
Focusing her attention to the prince, Atropa produced and offered a vial for him. "I will have to strengthen you further and assist you in the attack. This isn't much but this will give you a buff for a few minutes."
"It is already enough." He said as he downed the entire potion. He had glowed for a few seconds after the fluid had entered his system.
Just then a sound of something breaking was heard and a quake shook the ground. The barrier broke and the fire had almost reached the pair.