As Maya embraced her new form as the Spectral Nightbringer: her fur became enshrouded in writhing shadows similar to the once that had once clung to Sophia's armor. And her membranous wings now shimmered with a bright crimson hue.
The masked man slowly got back to his feet just as Maya finished her transformation. She spared a quick glance to her left and saw Sophia lying on the ground: who was now back to her normal self, albeit unconscious.
Turning her attention towards the masked man, who had just managed to stand, Maya lifted a wing and swung it to unleash [Shadow Slash]: sending a powerful wave of dark energy that rapidly hurled towards him.
The attack knocked the masked man back and sent him crashing against a pillar. The shadows that followed the slash still lingered in the air as the sound of the impact echoed loudly throughout the chamber.
After the masked man slid down the pillar and landed back on the ground; he glanced at Maya with a resolve that matched her own. He extended a hand forward, he began to cast [Greater Light Binding] again, summoning swords of pure light into the air that rapidly homed in on the Shapestealer.
Anticipating the incoming attack, Maya activated [Spectral Shroud]: the shadows around her body wrapped around her completely and caused her to vanish from sight just as the swords of light were launched towards her. The blades flew to where she had stood moments before, slicing through the air but hitting nothing.
Taking advantage of her invisibility, the Shapestealer dashed towards the masked man swiftly. While he was still turning his head left and right to search for her, Maya gripped his body with her jaws and lifted him up.
Maya then started to toss him around like a ragdoll, slamming him into the ground over and over again before throwing him against pillars and pulling him back just to do it again. And all the while, she remained completely invisible: making it almost impossible for the masked man to fight back.
The Shapestealer finished things off by tightening her jaws and slamming the man against the ground as hard as she could. As the man lay reeling in pain, Maya released him from her jaws and re-manifested fully. She moved over his head and unleashed [Acid Spray], spitting out a torrent of sizzling acid from her mouth.
The acid ate through the man's mask and head: ending his life almost immediately. However, just as the masked man finally went limp and the threat seemed neutralized, Maya's ears twitched, as she caught the sound of rapid footsteps drawing closer.
She looked up and saw nearly a dozen more members of the Harbingers entering the chamber, each one with weapons drawn: ranging from swords to rune-scarred wooden staffs. One of them pointed towards Maya and signaled the others to prepare for an attack: whether to charge at her or to cast their spells.
But Maya immediately unleashed her [Sonic Screech]. The powerful soundwave caused everyone in the room to clutch at their heads and fall to their knees, overwhelmed by the unbearable noise. Even the chamber itself seemed to rumble slightly under the force of the screech.
With the Harbingers momentarily incapacitated and distracted by the pain, Maya dashed towards them, one by one, she took them out in quick succession, tearing them apart with her claws and jaws or even consuming them in a display of wanton slaughter.
Afterwards, Maya turned towards Sophia and ran towards the Paladin, opening her jaws wide open to consume Sophia. However, as she drew closer, a flicker of recognition caused her to stop.
Shaking her head in an attempt to dispel the lingering bloodlust, Maya began to pace around the room repeatedly. After a moment, she reverted back to her human form and took deep breaths.
As her breathing slowed and her mind cleared, Maya glanced towards her hood and noticed Maple still nestled inside: safe and asleep. The sight of the fox was a small comfort at the least.
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With her composure largely regained, Maya walked back towards Sophia and examined the Paladin closely. She was relieved to see that Sophia appeared mostly unharmed now that the corrupting shadows were no longer upon her. Maya then kneeled down and reached out to wake the Paladin: who was already on the verge of awakening, likely stirred by Maya's screech earlier. Sophia's eyelids twitched slightly, and her breathing had become more pronounced.
However, as Maya leaned in, she was overcome by a sudden coughing fit. Black blood spilled from her lips and onto Sophia’s face.
The Paladin awoke and pushed herself up. However, when she saw seeing Maya, she instinctively jolted back, breathing heavily in shock and confusion.
"Wait, it's just me," Maya said.
Sophia nodded slowly, her breathing gradually steadying as she glanced around the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where are we?"
Maya began to reply, "No time to explain, we need to-" but she was abruptly cut off by a violent cough. She clutched at her throat as she fell to her knees, coughing up blood.
Sophia rushed to Maya's side and cast [Heal] in an attempt to alleviate her condition. However, the spell instead caused Maya to cough even harder and expel more of the black blood.
Sophia, realizing that a more specific approach was needed, quickly shifted her strategy and attempted casting [Remove Curse] instead. As the Paladin's spell enveloped Maya, she winced in pain: the sensation sharp and intense. However, after a few moments, Maya's breathing began to steady.
With the immediate crisis abating, Maya slowly wiped the black blood from her lips and turned to face Sophia. "Thanks."
Sophia helped Maya to her feet and asked, "How do we get out of here?"
Staggering slightly as she found her footing with Sophia's support, Maya replied, "I... know the way out, but we need to find Valor first."
"Any idea where he is?"
"Not exactly, but he should be in one of the prison cells."
"So, we'll have to sneak around." Sophia said.
"Definitely." Maya replied.
Sophia turned her back towards Maya. The weight of her armor seemed to press down on her more than ever right now. "Help me leave this armor here then."
Maya nodded. "I still have that storage rune from earlier; I think we should be able to store your armor inside."
"Good, so what are you waiting for?" Sophia prompted.
Before acting on Sophia's request, Maya's gaze drifted back to the altar where the golden branches were placed. "I'll be right back; gonna take those branches with me first."
***
Maya and Sophia left the chamber and began to navigate the dimly lit passages of the cavernous Harbinger's hideout once again. They kept to the darker recesses of the cavern, avoiding the main paths where they were more likely to encounter the Harbingers.
Sophia now wore a simple brown tunic and pants that allowed her to move silently alongside Maya. The only other things the Paladin had with her was her sword which was sheathed and tied to her waist.
The two's progress through the hideout was slow as they avoided patrols and solitary members of the Harbingers who were searching for them. The duo communicated with nods and subtle gestures to avoid making too much noise.
After what felt like hours, Maya and Sophia stumbled upon a prison area. It had rows of cells carved into the rock, some with doors of thick wood and others barred with iron.
With a shared glance, they decided to split up momentarily, each taking a row of cells to expedite their search for Valor. They moved from cell to cell and looked into each one of them for any sign of the beastman. Most cells were empty, some contained prisoners who shrank back into the shadows at the sight of them, while others were occupied by figures too far gone to notice their presence.
However, as Maya neared the end of her row, a familiar grunt caught her attention. She rushed to the source and found Valor in a cell, looking worse for wear but alive.
The beastman's eyes widened as he saw Maya. He then approached the prison bars. "You gotta get me out of here!"
"Calm down, that's the plan." Maya replied.
"Is Sophia alright?"
"She's fine, now be quiet."
Maya approached the lock on Valor's cell with her mithril dagger in hand. She inserted the thin blade into the lock. The lock was a slight challenge, but Maya's hands and the mithril dagger's fine edge made quick work of it.
After a moment, the lock gave away with a soft click. Valor gently pushed the door open, careful to avoid making any noises. As the door swung open, he stepped out of the cell and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, you have no idea what those crazies wanted to do to me," he whispered.
Maya moved back and hid her dagger. "Yeah, and I don't really want to know."
As the Shapestealer looked around for Sophia, she noticed the Paladin standing in front of another cell down the corridor. Sophia was signaling for her and Valor to come close. Maya gestured to Valor to follow, and they quietly made their way towards Sophia to see what had caught her attention.