The narrow passage spiraled downward, the air growing colder and thicker with every step. The faint glow of the runes along the walls flickered, as though struggling to maintain their light, casting jagged shadows that danced like living creatures. The oppressive silence was broken only by the soft shuffle of boots against stone and the occasional nervous cough from the knights.
As they descended deeper, Lysandra felt a growing unease. The atmosphere was suffocating, and the faint metallic tang in the air reminded her of blood. She glanced over at Alaric, who was leading the group with steady resolve, his sword gripped tightly in one hand. His face was set in a grim expression, though his blue eyes betrayed his tension.
"Anyone else feel like we're walking into a trap?" Roderic muttered, his voice low but loud enough to echo slightly in the confined space.
"Because we probably are," Lysandra replied dryly, her voice sharper than she intended. The combination of the eerie environment and the dull throb in her leg was wearing on her patience.
Alaric shot her a glance, the corner of his mouth twitching into the faintest hint of a smile. "You're not wrong," he said quietly. "But if there's something—or someone—controlling these ghouls, it's likely down here."
They continued downward until the passage opened into a massive subterranean chamber. The air was damp and heavy, carrying the faint sound of dripping water. The chamber was lit by an eerie green light emanating from massive runes carved into the walls and floor. At the center of the room was a raised platform, its surface adorned with intricate carvings and bloodstains that had long since dried. Around the platform stood a series of large stone pillars, each etched with ancient symbols that pulsed faintly. At their bases were piles of bones, some human, some not, all arranged in grotesque patterns. The faint stench of decay lingered.
"Gods," Roderic whispered, his grip on his sword tightening as he surveyed the room. "What is this place?"
"A ritual chamber," Alaric said grimly, stepping closer to the platform. "Whatever was being done here wasn't meant to be found."
Lysandra followed him,she noticed faint footprints in the dust near the platform, as though someone—or something—had been here recently. Her gaze lingered on the runes carved into the platform, their lines sharp and deliberate.
"These runes…" she began, her voice trailing off as she crouched to get a closer look. "They're not just for binding or summoning. They're siphoning something. Power, maybe? Or life?"
Alaric knelt beside her, his brow furrowing as he watched Lysandra studied the carvings futher . " These runes are connected to the ghouls. Whoever activated them is using this place to control them." She said.
Before Alaric could respond, a low growl echoed through the chamber, sending a shiver down her spine. The group froze, their weapons drawn as they scanned the darkness for the source of the noise. From the shadows beyond the pillars, a figure emerged—a tall, gaunt figure cloaked in tattered robes. Its skin was ashen and stretched tight over its skeletal frame, and its glowing red eyes burned with a malevolent light. In one hand, it held a twisted staff, its surface adorned with the same runes that covered the chamber.
"A necromancer," Lysandra's under her breath.
The necromancer raised its staff, and the runes on the walls flared brightly. The piles of bones at the bases of the pillars began to shift and rattle, pulling together to form skeletal creatures with glowing green eyes. The air grew colder still, the oppressive energy of the chamber intensifying.
"Defensive formation!" Roderic barked, rallying the troops as the skeletal creatures began to rise. "Protect the prince!"
Lysandra gripped her blade tightly, stepping closer to Alaric as the skeletal creatures began to converge. "Guess we found the source of the ghoul problem," she said, her voice laced with dry humor.
Alaric gave her a faint smirk, his eyes locked on the necromancer. "Stay close. If we take out the necromancer, we can break their control."
"Easier said than done," Lysandra muttered, her gaze darting between the approaching skeletons and the necromancer. "But I've got your back."
The battle erupted in a flurry of steel and magic as the skeletal creatures lunged at the group. Alaric and Lysandra moved in sync, cutting through the onslaught. The necromancer watched from the platform, its staff glowing brighter as it directed the creatures with sharp, deliberate movements.
"We have to get to that platform!" Alaric shouted, deflecting a skeletal blade with his sword.
Lysandra nodded in agreement, her blade flashing as she struck down another skeleton.
The necromancer's glowing eyes flicked to Alaric as he fought his way onto the platform, a new intensity burning within them. With a sharp motion of its staff, the runes on the walls flared brighter, and a surge of magic pulsed through the chamber. The skeletal creatures that had been focused on Lysandra turned their attention to Alaric, converging on him with terrifying precision.
Alaric gritted his teeth as he swung his blade, cleaving through the nearest skeleton with a sharp, fluid motion. "You want me?" he growled, his voice low and resolute. "Come and get me."
The necromancer raised its staff, and a bolt of green energy shot toward him, crackling through the air like lightning. Alaric barely dodged in time, the magical blast grazing his shoulder and sending a wave of searing pain through his arm. He stumbled but recovered quickly, his sword at the ready as he pressed forward.
"Alaric!" Lysandra shouted, her eyes catching the necromancer's calculated movements. It was orchestrating the attack, guiding the skeletons with an almost surgical precision. She could see Alaric was being pushed into a corner. Her grip tightened on her blade as she moved, her injured leg protesting with every step. But she didn't hesitate. "Hold on, you stubborn fool," she muttered, pushing through the pain as she charged toward him.
Alaric swung his sword in a wide arc, shattering another skeleton, but the necromancer's magic surged again, and two more rose to take its place. He glanced back toward Lysandra, his expression tight with determination. "Stay back!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos. "I've got this!"
"Like hell you do!" she shot back, slashing her way through a group of skeletons that had moved to intercept her. "You think I'm going to stand here while you get yourself killed?"
The necromancer snarled, its jaw twisting into a grotesque grin as it raised its staff again. A new wave of green energy crackled through the air, this time aiming directly for Alaric. He brought up his sword to deflect it, but the force of the blast sent him staggering backward, his boots skidding on the stone platform.
Before the necromancer could strike again, Lysandra reached his side, her blade slicing through a skeleton that had moved to flank him. "You're welcome," she said, her voice tight with effort as she turned to face the necromancer.
Alaric shot her a quick glare, though there was a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. "I told you to stay back."
"And I ignored you," she replied flatly, her focus locked on the necromancer as it began to chant again, the runes around the chamber flaring in response. "You're not the only one who gets to be stubborn."
The necromancer let out a guttural laugh, its staff glowing brighter as it pointed directly at them. Another bolt of energy shot forth, and Lysandra pushed Alaric aside, the blast grazing her shoulder as she twisted to avoid the worst of it.
"Lysandra!" Alaric shouted, steadying her as she stumbled slightly.
"I'm fine," she gritted out, her voice sharp as she straightened. Her eyes burned with determination as she locked onto the necromancer. "We take it down. Together."
Alaric nodded, his grip tightening on his sword. "Together," he agreed, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.
They moved in sync, cutting through the skeletal creatures that surged to protect the necromancer. Lysandra darted to the side, her movements quick and precise as she drew the necromancer's attention. Alaric used the opening to press forward, his blade flashing as he struck at the creatures guarding the platform.
The necromancer snarled, its glowing eyes narrowing as it directed its magic at Lysandra, another bolt of energy shooting toward her. She dodged, rolling to the side and coming up with her blade ready. "You're going to have to try harder than that," she said.
Alaric seized the moment, charging forward and bringing his sword down in a powerful arc. The blade connected with the necromancer's staff, shattering it in a burst of green light. The necromancer let out a bone-chilling screech, its magic faltering as the runes around the chamber dimmed. Lysandra didn't hesitate. She lunged forward, her blade finding its mark as she drove it into the necromancer's chest. The necromancer let out one final, guttural cry before collapsing, its body crumbling to dust.
The remaining skeletons froze, their glowing eyes flickering out as they fell lifelessly to the ground. The chamber grew silent, the oppressive energy dissipating as the last traces of the necromancer's magic faded.
Lysandra straightened, breathing heavily as she wiped her blade clean. "Well," she said, her voice strained but steady, "that was fun."
Alaric sheathed his sword, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he smirked faintly. "You have a strange definition of fun."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a small smile as they stood side by side. As the dust settled and the eerie green glow faded from the chamber, the remaining troops regrouped, their expressions a mixture of exhaustion and unease. Roderic stepped forward, his sword still drawn, though his stance was more questioning than defensive. His sharp eyes scanned the remains of the necromancer and the lifeless skeletal creatures scattered around them.
"What in the hell was a necromancer doing here?" he asked, his voice cutting through the silence. "I thought they were extinct—nothing more than myths from the old wars."
Lysandra sheathed her blade, leaning against one of the cracked pillars to catch her breath. "They were supposed to be," she said grimly.
Roderic frowned, his gaze turning to the shattered remnants of the necromancer's staff. "Even if one survived, why here? Why now? ...This isn't some coincidence."
"It's not," Alaric said, stepping toward the platform. His expression as he surveyed the ritual carvings and bloodstains. "This was a staging ground—a place to build power."
"And the ghouls," Roderic muttered, his brow furrowing. "They weren't just random attacks, were they? They were being controlled."
Lysandra nodded, her tone sharp. "And used to sow chaos. They wanted to weaponize them."
The group fell silent for a moment, the implications settling over them like a heavy shroud. Finally, one of the knights spoke up, his voice hesitant. "But how could Lord Halvard not have known about this? A necromancer, ghouls attacking outside his walls like this?—this kind of power doesn't go unnoticed. Right?"
Alaric's eyes narrowed, his voice laced with suspicion. "That's a good question."
Roderic crossed his arms, his tone skeptical. "Halvard's either behind this, a fool, or complicit. And none of those options sit well with me."
Lysandra pushed off the pillar, her sharp gaze cutting through the room. "He must knew something," she said firmly. "Maybe not about the necromancer directly, but no one lives this close to a place like this without noticing… something."
"Agreed," Alaric said, his voice cold. "And when we return to the manor, he's going to give us answers."
Roderic nodded, though his expression remained uneasy. "If he's hiding something, we'll get it out of him. But if this necromancer wasn't acting alone…"
"Then there's someone else pulling the strings," Lysandra finished, her voice low. "And they're still out there."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of the revelation pressing down on them. Alaric turned to the troops, his voice steady but firm. "Secure the area. Gather anything that might give us more information. We're not leaving this place until we're sure it's safe."
As the knights and Shadow Blades began to scour the chamber, Lysandra glanced at Alaric, her voice quieter now. "If Halvard knew more than he let on, this whole region could be compromised."
Alaric met her gaze, his expression hard. "Then we'll deal with it. One step at a time."
She nodded, her hand brushing against the hilt of her blade. "One step at a time," she echoed, though her mind was already racing ahead. Whoever had orchestrated this wasn't done yet, and she had a feeling their next move would be even deadlier.