The way ahead was obvious, but the path was filled with corpses.

The team deliberated their strategy. “So, I think Jean should be our main damage dealer and maintain the area cleansing spell, Gio on defense and scouting, and I’ll heal, and debuff the monsters,” Chandrika said softly to avoid prematurely stirring the corpses ahead.

“Sounds good to me. How are you doing, Jean? You’ve been maintaining that aura for a while now.” Gio noted, examining his friend.

“Not too bad. It’s a low mana draw, but I’m not used to maintaining a spell for extended periods like this. If anything, I am grateful for the chance to put my shortcomings into perspective. My father always said that I should be able to maintain [Astral Deva Form] for hours, and that spell is harder to maintain.” Jean said.

“Well, let us know if you need a break. We can figure something out to try and ward off the air for a bit if needed.” Chandrika remarked.

Walking forward carefully, Gio summoned a pinprick of light with [Prismatic Shape]. Carefully, he attempted to launch the tiny projectile at the nearest corpse, hoping that only one of the monsters would awaken.

The strategy was a tried and tested adventuring strategy, covered in class. Many dungeons were full of inert monsters, and they would “aggro” (adventurer shorthand for become aggressive towards) mortals when they perceived them.

The corpse stirred when hit with the small radiant projectile, black miasma erupting from the skull as it lifted from the ground, chest first in a surreal manner.

The sword-holding corpse began slowly walking towards Gio, empty eye sockets leaking blackened air. “You know, the illusions in the Silver Circus get this part spot on. I feel like i’m watching a horror movie but in real life.” Jean joked, attempting levity.

“I kinda wish they’d stay in the movies. I hate how it’s moving. The movements are so off, it’s eerie.” Chandrika replied.

Chandrika put out her hand, summoning an enchanting whirl of golden, red, and orange mana. The tendrils of glittering magic leaped from her hand, bespelling the shambling figure.

“[Witch's Mark]” Chandrika intoned. The wave of magic sunk into the bones of the skeleton. The skeleton slowed to a crawling pace, and the sword it held dropped to the ground, barely being held onto by a bony hand as it dragged across the floor. The noise awoke two more skeletons, raising and emitting black smoke behind the first.

“Shit. My bad.” Chandrika winced.

“No big deal. One at a time, like we talked about.” Gio reassured.

Jean stepped forward, using a spear of light to cleave the skull of the skeleton in two. The skeleton attempted to parry, but under the affects of Chandrika’s curse, it was unable to move in time. A red light flowed from the corpse to Chandrika.

“Eww, I forgot about that part of the spell. It steals a part of the victim’s mana. I guess I can work with undeath mana, but it feels gross.” Chandrika winced. She summoned an ethereal floating skull, emitting a halo of golden light.

“[Skull Lantern]” she intoned. Gio felt like his fatigue began to wash away slightly under the soft glow of the skull.

“Is that… a buff that uses necromancy?” Gio asked, eyes alight with curiosity.

“Yes, but I find it to be highly distasteful to use under regular circumstances. I abhor the way it feels to aspect undeath, death, or ghost mana. I only cast it because I received some from the witch mark and I didn’t want to transmute it back into something else.” she replied.

To have a spell in your spellbook that you have and don’t even like. Will I ever have that kind of problem? One day.

Gio stepped forward to one of the other targets. Using [Hairline Fracture] and a well-timed strike, he crumbled the arm, then the skull of a spear-holding corpse.

Jean finished off the other, while Chandrika cursed the corpses rising behind them. She spent the additional mana from the kills on the floating skull, which was aiding the group more than Gio expected it would.

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“Spellcaster!” Jean called out after bisecting another two corpses, trading places with Gio.

A robed skeleton at the back of the hall began gurgling out a foul stream of mana in varying shades of black and green. The cloud of decay erupted forward, causing Gio to curse.

“[Reflect] doesn’t work well on dispersed magic! Does anyone have an air spell?” Gio said, panicked.

“[Breath of the Wisp]” Chandrika chanted. A warm breeze flowed out from her, alighting the corpses with blue fire, and driving back the malignant cloud. Chandrika’s spell left tiny floating balls of fire that danced about, lighting the hall in a pretty azure glow.

“Your magic is very alluring to the eye,” Jean spoke. “My house magic is very… showy, but not very pleasing.”

Gio stepped in front of the formation, batting away a spike of black ice from the skeletal mage in the distance. “[Shattered Reflections]” he uttered. Invoking his synergy, and peppering the corpse with shards of its own magic.

Stepping forward carefully, the party advanced. Chandrika picked up the mage’s spellbook, binding it with [Moth’s Binding] and handing it to Gio.

“There’s that ruined house mark on the spellbook too. I wonder what this place was.” Gio pondered.

Chandrika manipulated the floating skull lantern over the edge of the spiraling stairs. The staircase, while wide, did not go very far. The next landing downwards was only a few meters wide and had a large, sturdy door in an alcove.

“For a spell you don’t like to use, I sure love the way I feel right now. How does it work?” Gio asked, prompting a nod from Jean.

“The witches of my country are big on respect for the dead. The skull lantern takes fatigue and is symbolic of eternal rest. It also works as a ward against lesser incorporeal undead and is generally thought to be a good luck charm. We have a holiday at the end of autumn where we fill the streets with these lanterns.” Chandrika recounted, looking reminiscent

“I love that. What a cool tradition.” Gio spoke, smiling.

“We should take a moment to rest here. Whatever is on the other side of that door doesn’t seem to be coming this way for now. In fact, if it’s locked, we might have to figure out a way to break it down.” Jean stated, drawing nods from the others.

_____

Alexander Anaximenes

“Come on, you fools! We have bones to rattle!” Headmaster Vespertine yelled, flying out into the open sky.

Alexander rode a great skeletal beast that had, at one time, been a great whale of some kind with altogether too many eyes and limbs. The brilliant behemoth was lit with red and white magic symbols. His mount was not nearly as fast as Eudoria's, but he was happy to be at least in front of some of the other professors, some of which were too slow for his tastes.

The faculty of the Crystal Ring Academy had largely mobilized, with most staying to mind the other students and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy at the school. The remaining twenty-something professors flying through the sky towards the Great Tower represented some of the more expeditious members of the school board, and a powerful force to proceed into the untamed dungeon outside of the purview of the Manse.

Alexander had not spent much time in the heights of the great tower, but, under different circumstances, would have been happy to see the lich again. Baphelus was a magnetic personality, and always made for a wonderful conversational partner.

Eudoria insisted that they fly from the Flight Deck to the great tower as a show of force, probably for some exhausting political reasons. Alexander could not fathom the need to posture to the student body, or perhaps the Gilded City beyond the walls of the school, especially while students -students of his- were endangered.

I suppose there’s a difference in breadth of experience. She is worried about making moves that span centuries, while I’m just trying to keep my kids alive. I prefer my perspective.

He tried not to be bitter. Eudoria was frightening on good days, and today was not a good day.

With nearly suspiciously good timing, Eudoria slowed down perfectly to match Alexander’s pace.

“You don’t look very happy with me, Professor Anaximenes.” the aged woman spoke. She was gliding through the air on streams of lightning, yet her words were as if they were spoken directly to his ear. Her gaze appeared to be directed behind him.

“ I know that this seems backward, but the students who witnessed Chandrika's collapse have already started rumors. If we don’t show them that we’re here for all of them, they’ll worry. And when students worry, they do stupid things. Baphelus already has the gates set up, we’re going to spread out in teams to the usual highways. We’re going to find your students, Alex. I promise you.”

Alexander did not soften. Intimidated as he was by his former teacher, and as much respect he had developed for her, he still felt a familiar edge. “I certainly hope so, Headmaster.” his voice was devoid of mirth.

Eudoria grinned at her fellow instructor.

Alexander was unaware that his magic had begun adapting to his emotional state. Wisps of deep red smoke roiled off of him, standing atop his great bone beast as he was. The other faculty steered clear of the trail of red that billowed across the sky, as it began manifesting legions of bloody, furious visages.