Emilio saw the slender silhouette of green hooded figure standing before him. He couldn't tell with the cloak if it was a man or a woman, but he assumed the figure was his teasing witch. He panted as the figure lingered on the edge. "Hey! Witch!"
The figure turned and an attractive blonde elf faced him. Her eyes were brightest blue that he had ever seen outside of the heavens above. Emilio took a couple steps back. She looked young and wore garments that hugged her shapely form. He watched the rise and fall of her breasts that peeked from the edge of a loosened brown leather bodice.
She rocked on her heels and drew a slender blade from beneath her cloak. "Good afternoon, Squire." A smile spread across her lovely lips and Emilio flushed another said of red beneath his visor.
"I am not a squire, witch."
"And I am not a witch," she moved into a guarded stance though she did not advance closer. She stood where the island met the open sky. He saw it was a precarious position but he would not press an advance there- he did not relish the idea of falling to his death. "But surely a squire of the Sword would know the difference."
Emilio's grip tightened on the pommel of his sword. He wanted to do so many things to this woman. "Until I have something else to call you, I name you, Witch."
The elf's eyes sparkled mischievously as she stepped backward into what should have been open sky and did not fall. Had he misjudged the length of the island? "You can call me, Leanhaun. What of you, Squire?" Her ears perked as Bill's barking grew louder.
He gritted his teeth. Why am I hesitating? I am wearing Maraium plate, she is barely wearing clothing. My reach with my sword is longer. "You face, Sir Emilio Arand of the Templars of the Holy Sword."
She pursed her lips together and laughed. "Might as well be a squire if you fear to tangle blades with me, Sir Emily."
'Oh you…' Emilio had enough and rushed at the elf, bringing his blade down in a arch on the mocking woman. His sword sliced through the image of the elf as he slid to a halt at the edge of the cliff, cursing. "You all me coward and refuse to face me. I bet you stuff your bodice too!"
The elf laughed again as he found her behind him, out of range of his blade. There was a pink flush on her cheeks, he hoped he had struck a nerve. "Do you intend to find out?" She pressed her free left hand against her breast with a smirk. "They feel pretty real to me. Is it common for templars to stuff codpieces?"
He hated Leanhaun the more she talked. He roared as he rushed at her. His blade met no resistance as it sliced through her image. "Just wait until I get my hands on you!"
"It seems like your helmet is making it hard for you to see me. I haven't moved. I'm just waiting for you to place your big strong hands all over me," Leanhaun taunted off to his left this time.
"Shut up, Harlot!" Emilio growled as he tried to get his bearings, trying to determine where her voice coming from. 'Maybe, I can get her to reveal her true location if she's using illusions to distract me.'
"I bet, you aren't really pretty. You are really some withered husk of witch with pox, and spiders hiding in your hair!"
Her laughter danced on the wind around him, whistling through and echoing in his helmet. Emilio saw movement at the edge of his field of vision. He realized that the elf was taking advantage of his blind spots. He took a step forward and watched the movement to see how the mage would react.
"Says the man in a helmet," came Leanhaun's quick reply. She materialized in front of him again but he watched the edges of his vision for movement. She fanned herself with her hand, "It's so hot out here. Don't you think?"
Emilio grunted. Sweat was pooling at the base of his neck but he wasn't about to admit it.
With a flourish, Leanhaun removed her cloak and held it in her left hand, the thin blade of her sword remained in her right. The wind caught the cloth and it fluttered to the left. He looked to the nearby foliage for a moment to confirm the wind direction and he saw the movement again as the cloak flew free of Leanhaun's hand and wrapped itself around Emilio.
A snarl and the audible snap of teeth came quickly from his right as he struggled to free himself from the cloak. "Bill! Hold!"
Emilio inwardly cheered, he finally had some help to balance out Leanhaun's illusions. He heard the large mastiff's rumbling growl and a struggle. He freed himself of the cloak and prepared to strike down the elfess.
He found Bill entangled in thick green vines and the mage, heading down a trail he hadn't noticed before. Emilio cursed and cut Bill free, the vines that ensnared the dog fell lifeless to the ground once the Maraium blade touched them. "Come on, Bill! Let's catch her!"
The Church dog barked in eager agreement and ran ahead of Emilio. The templar charged down the trail, trying to keep his feet on the uneven, loose ground. As he moved he realized that they were too high up. 'This was a small island in the middle of a lake. Why is this suddenly a mountain?!'
Emilio slid to a halt and looked from the sky to the trail on which they stood. His eyes caught the symbol of Teiwaz's Holy Sword on the breastplate of his armor and found it was glowing red again. His heart sank to his stomach. 'Maraium is supposed to negate magic!'
He dreaded it but he looked over the edge and found that they were above the island and the lake. "Bloody hell. This isn't worth it," Emilio muttered as he lowered his sword. "Elf! Tell you what! I'm not in the mood for murder today. What do you say that neither one of us dies today? Let's agree to not kill each other and go back home," he yelled down the winding path, uncertain if it truly existed or if Leanhaun had found a way to bewitch him through his armor.
He reached up and unbuckled his helmet, there was no point to wearing the thing if she was just going to push him to his death or if it didn't actually prevent whatever it was that Leanhaun was doing to him. He looked upwards for confirmation from the heavens that he would not be struck down and met the gaze of the blonde elf staring down at him.
Amber eyes locked with blue for a long moment. Leanhaun smiled and he found himself smiling stupidly back. He was grateful that his face was already flushed from running around like an idiot so she wouldn't notice he was blushing.
"This shrine can't stay here any longer. I have to send you home," Leanhaun replied simply. "Your armor makes it hard for me to move you."
"How did you get me here then?" Emilio stood gaping at her. Bill growled beside him, the dog's bulk pressed against Emilio's leg.
"Effort." Leanhaun didn't look away from him. "Stay where you are, or fall to your death, the choice is yours." Her voice didn't carry the tone of a threat. He was breathing heavy, his body ached and the armor felt heavier each moment- he was happy to not have to move. 'Let the damn witch keep her magic stick.'
"Fine, let me off this bloody island," Emilio conceded.
Leanhaun raised her left hand and murmured softly. Emilio strained to hear what she was saying. He didn't trust her but he didn't feel like he was in danger. Bill stood firmly beside him, heckles raised, ready for the command to go after the elf. He saw the gleam of sweat on her face, perhaps she had not been lying about the difficulty of what she was doing.
The earth groaned beneath them as the island descended towards the lake. Emilio felt his stomach lurch upward as the rest of him shifted downward. He pressed against the closest tree to steady himself.
It seemed simple enough. He felt his ears pop as the air pressure changed. He watched a few confused birds fly by them. The shadows elongated as Saule shifted position over them. Leanhaun's voice droned on, he didn't understand elvish so had stopped trying to make out what she was saying. He watched her from the respectable distance and waited.
Emilio's world listed sideways as a sudden shift in gravity jolted him. Bill yelped in dismay as he scrambled to stay on solid ground. Emilio grabbed onto a branch as the mastiff slid by and hooked Bill's collar. "Elf!!" He gritted his teeth as he searched for the elf, hoping for an explanation.
He found Leanhaun above him, precariously balanced at the edge of the rockface. In her hand was a large gnarled branch, that reminded him of the carving inside of the temple. 'That damn elf had the artifact this entire time! 'She and the staff glowed as she rushed forward beyond his field of vision. Her voice was strained as she finally yelled her response, "Hold on!"
The air crackled and the sky darkened as lightning crashed down. The ground beneath him shifted again, and he quickly righted himself and went after Leanhaun. She was fighting something. He wasn't about to let himself be further humiliated by letting some elf fight for him while he clung uselessly to some tree. Bill growled as he launched himself ahead of his master.
They barreled into the shadow of a large serpent, its thick body was dry and brittle and its toothy jaws snapped menacingly at the petite figure of Leanhaun. "Is that a zombie lindwyrm?!" Emilio gaped at the monster and looked down at his sword, which suddenly felt like a large stick against such a creature.
Leanhaun grunted as her magic struck the creature and only made it angry. "You came out here and didn't know what you'd wake up?" Part of the creature's coils were blackened from where it had been struck by lightning.
Her voice jarred him back. 'Of course not!' He wanted to yell. His rifle was destroyed but, he could still do something. His hand tightened on the grip of his sword as he rushed forward, roaring a prayer. 'This creature is magical. I still have my sword. I can do something!'
He swung his sword at the lindwyrm's head as its jaws snapped at Leanhaun's darting form. She retreated behind him as his blade connected, slicing a chunk out of the creature's dried scales. His heart raced as he felt the disruption of the flow of the Word surge around him as he thrust the sword deeper into its skull. 'Maraium is magebane. It disrupts magic.'
Its roar rasped, and wheezed as it flailed against the blade trying to free itself. It crashed into him and threw him into the air. Emilio gasped as the island and the sky bled into each other. He futilely clawed for purchase as the hardened rock of the cliff slid away from his fingers. "LEANHAUN!"
The dot of green was a speck against the azure of the sky in his field of vision. He opened his mouth to scream and found it filled with water as everything faded to black.