Shadow harbored no inclination for dawdling and swiftly he conjured a vast orb of incandescent white flame hurling it skyward before them and to his irritation the expected reaction failed to manifest.
Under his breath he murmured, 'Moon Pulse.' His palms radiated an incandescent wave of energy that cascaded through the firmament immersing their surroundings and unsatisfied he found himself grappling for another solution.
'Lunar Vortex.' He declared and in response a whirlwind sprung into existence before him and expanding rapidly and the vortex commanded the clouds and the very atmosphere to bend to its will.
He propelled himself towards the cyclone, his right hand striking its core with resounding force and suddenly the scenery morphed transposing them before the ghostly desolate temple once more bathed in the radiant glow of the moonlight.
Lily astonished remarked, 'Had you executed that from the start we might have sidestepped all of this.' Her thumbs up and ebullient smile belied her critique.
Shadow scratching his nose replied, 'Excessive usage of my abilities leads to fatigue.'
Suddenly the enigmatic figure they had initially clashed with sauntered toward them with a cunning grin adorning his face.
'Intriguing but inadequate.' He taunted shaking his head.
Lily confounded retorted, 'What's inadequate?'
'Your powers are insufficient even to graze me; only he presents a challenge.' The man responded condescendingly gesturing towards Shadow.
Stung Lily lied, 'I was merely showing restraint.'
The man's laughter echoed ominously upon hearing her retort and he proposed, 'Let's ascertain the truth of that.' With a snap of his fingers their surroundings morphed once again.
They found themselves amidst a labyrinthine cityscape, the streets snaking around them, and an eerie chill pervaded the air, the atmosphere was unsettling and the spectral howling of the wind or perhaps unseen entities seemed to scream directly into their minds. In response to the phantom cacophony Lily instinctively covered her ears and her sensitivity to the spectral noise seemed heightened, a fact she attributed to her hay fever.
'The cityscape is identical, but this is an illusion.' Shadow clarified gaze focused ahead.
'Can you dispel it like you did the last one?' Lily inquired; her voice laced with trepidation.
Shadow shook his head.
'This illusion is of a different type.' He explained adding that his unique ancestry granted him proficiency in illusory arts but this particular one was a challenge to him.
Upon hearing his admission Lily recognized that his method of dispelling illusions would no longer serve them, and their only course of action lay in navigating towards the luminescent center of the city. As they ventured into the city's narrow arteries darkness cloaked their surroundings and Lily harboring a secret fear of the dark felt a frisson of trepidation creeping over her but still she couldn't display vulnerability as a spirit deity and managed to maintain her facade of courage.
A sudden echoing howl resonated through the air followed by the sight of countless red eyes hurtling towards them and as the figures drew closer they emerged as spectral forms swathed in ragged hooded cloaks of cerulean and indigo seemingly hewn from the fabric of light.
'Wraithkin.' Shadow grimly uttered an edge of annoyance in his voice.
As the spectral beings approached their arms extended several meters a sight that sent a wave of dread through Lily eliciting a sharp squeal from her.
'Damn they're unsettling.' She managed to say.
The wraithkin's elongated arms terminated in black talons that tore through the air towards them. Acting swiftly Shadow interposed himself between Lily and the advancing onslaught and drawing a pair of moon-white curved daggers he repelled the incoming strikes.
'Moon Dance.' He intoned and with agile grace he soared above them.
He descended upon a wraithkin plunging his dagger into its eyes and the creature emitted a piercing shriek before dissipating into the ether and Shadow replicated his actions with successive wraithkin as they delved deeper into the labyrinth. The labyrinth transformed into an impenetrable wall of black swallowing all light.
Twenty minutes into their relentless battle it was Shadow who bore the burden of combat leaving Lily feeling ineffectual and guilt-ridden and her regret was compounded by the loss of her spirit deity abilities and each wraithkin's death wail tormented her ears making her cautious to remain concealed behind Shadow.
When he finally landed next to her the toll of the prolonged fight was evident on his countenance.
'Regrettably targeting their eyes remains the only effective strategy.' He sighed.
'I apologize for my inability to assist.' Lily admitted chagrin evident in her voice.
A sudden realization dawned on her prompting her to question him, 'Despite my dual-class I'm weak. Why did you choose me?'
'I need your help to escape Elysium. I possess no recollection of how I ended up here and each attempt to remember results in a horrible headache.' Shadow confessed before reengaging the wraithkin.
After a grueling journey they finally arrived at the city's heart, a circular plaza paved with marble and exhausted they rested with their attention drawn to the centerpiece, a marble statue of a man in armor cape flowing behind him, his hands firmly gripping a sword aimed skyward. His countenance was stern and resolute and at his feet lay an assortment of food offerings and incense sticks indicating recent worship indicating it was an altar of sorts.
Intrigued Lily asked, 'Who does he represent?'
It was apparent the statue depicted someone important.
'That's Larcuz, the city's founder, a Lunarian who hailed from the moon. My aunt claims we share blood but that's a common assertion.' Shadow replied.
Lily cast her gaze between Shadow and the statue, but the marble's pallor made discerning any familial resemblance a futile endeavor.
Their contemplation was interrupted by the grinding sound of moving stone and turning around they witnessed their entrance sealing shut replaced by a circular white wall.
'That was a short break.' Lily lamented anticipating the inevitable challenge.
Shadow also rose his gaze fixated on the statue and suddenly the statue's eyes ignited with a ruby glow.
Startled Lily exclaimed, 'Is it launching a beam?' And panicked.
The sound of stone fracturing echoed followed by visible cracks spreading across the statue and abruptly an enormous spectral figure erupted forth bearing a striking resemblance to the defeated wraithkin.
'So, it's the boss. If we defeat him, we'll escape.' Lily deduced astutely.
The ghostly figure let out a chilling laugh before correcting her coldly, 'I am not a wraithkin but The Ethereal Inquisitor, here to toy with you.' Suddenly the environment shifted.
They found themselves on a sunny battlefield under a clear blue sky and the lonely rustle of the wind was their only company. The Ethereal Inquisitor's form underwent another transformation changing from black to a kaleidoscope of shimmering starlight interlaced with shadow, its figure constantly in flux and a staff crackling with spectral power materialized in its grasp. A penetrating glow emanated from it as if it could see into their very souls and Lily shivered a sudden bout of dread prickling her skin into goosebumps and couldn't help but wonder what kind of monstrous entity the librarian had sent to face them capable of inducing such fear.
Surrendering to her trepidation she knelt and declared, 'I concede.'
The Ethereal Inquisitor shook his head replying icily, 'Prove your worth or perish both of you.'
Lily's gaze shifted to Shadow standing steadfast at her side and guilt gnawed at her; after all she was the one who had dragged him into this predicament by accepting his assistance.
Shadow however flashed a reassuring smile declaring, 'We've formed an alliance, so we face this challenge together.'
Steeled by his words Lily stood upright facing The Ethereal Inquisitor her voice ringing out defiantly, 'We are ready.'