“... And so I just switched with her and sent Rasha’s soul to rest in my body. You know the kukuls? That hex was actually created by using twins’ innate powers as an example. But how did you break the barrier? …”

Lorelei knelt on the cold floor, her fingers still digging into the shoulders of the young Binshi before her. She could feel Castor’s penetrating glare on her back and, in all honesty, her own mind was blanking out right now, but they didn’t have the luxury to delve into the intricacies of Binshi magic.

Lifting her hand to stop Rasha… Rish’s flood of questions, Lorelei said in a strained voice:

“We are pressed for time. Can you hex in Rasha’s body? Or can you switch back with her? Many lives depend on this.”

The young Binshi blinked surprised, finally taking in Lorelei and Castor’s disheveled appearances and their anxious expressions.

“What exactly is going on? Did the Blood Plague get worse?”

“No,” whispered Castor. “There are vapirs on the temple grounds.”

“Kudash-kudashi! How!?”

“No idea. Doesn’t matter.” Lorelei tugged the Binshi’s sleeve. “Neli is facing several of them as we speak. We need to help her first before anything else. Tell me you can help, please!”

“I can and I will! Lead the way!” Rish scrambled to her feet but almost immediately lost her balance and only Castor’s quick actions prevented her from falling back down. “Darn it! These legs feel like mush!”

Lorelei too stood up and nervously looked at her friend who was hanging on Castor’s shoulder and madly stomping the ground. Her distraught gaze didn’t escape the young Binshi, and she grinned back.

“Give me a moment. Rasha’s a bit out of shape. My… her foot will be kicking monster behinds in no time.”

Lorelei opened her mouth to argue. To say that after spending days in a death-like state without food or drink, Rasha’s body was probably more than just out of shape. Adding to that the fact that the soul residing in said body was not the original one, and the picture was getting grimmer. However, Lorelei just bit her tongue and nodded. Pointing out all the problems wouldn’t increase the success rate of the plan. Her plan. If what she had come up with could even be called a plan.

Squaring her shoulders, Lorelei slapped her face, to the utter astonishment of Castor and Rish, and then turned her attention to the nearest of the two rods that had created the corner points of the barrier. Golden sparks still ran up and down the metallic shaft, filling the air with hissing and sizzling. Without much hesitation, Lorelei grabbed the rod, wrestling it out of the floor all the while her heart ran wild in her chest.

How big was the chance for the pole to suck back the holy powers that had just settled in her? Or maybe even pull her soul out together with them, leaving her an empty husk for some ghost or saint to slip in? What if it disrupted the fine balance of the constrained energy, causing her body to explode and kill everyone? It was a stupid, idiotic action! Just another one of many. Why was she even doing it? Because some broken part of her mind insisted that this was the best weapon they had at hand right now to fight against a demonic being like the vapir? Because she had already touched the pole once and had survived, so the second time wouldn’t be much different?

This was irrational and crazy!

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And yet none of her fears came true. The golden staff slipped out from between the stone slabs with a screech and… that was it. At most, Lorelei felt a sliver of holy power flow into the rod, circulate along its length, and then flow back into her body, similar to how a river briefly looped out into a meander before continuing its usual course.

A heave left Lorelei’s chest, and it wasn’t the only one.

“P-playing around with artifacts is dangerous, my lady!” Sternness, horror, and relief somehow managed to mix into Castor’s voice.

“I reckon, you’ve mentioned this already,” replied Lorelei dryly. She hurried and pulled out the second staff with a bit less apprehension before turning back to Castor. “Is it alright for you to touch those things?”

“Probably…” The youth squinted. “They seem dormant… for now. But channeling holy powers and activating them is beyond me.”

“Nevermind. Having a club in your hand is better than running around unarmed.” Lorelei gave him one of the rods and he took it like it was a hot potato. “Are we all ready now?”

“I swear, the Duke’s craziness has rubbed onto you!” moaned Rish and looked around, missing the darkening of her friend’s expression. Her eyes fell on a pair of chancel lamps hanging nearby. She swiftly blew out the flames and took them down, swinging the pair around her body a couple of times. “Flexible and made of solid silver, and with some nice cleansing herbs inside to boost. Not as good as a knife or a dagger, but it should do for now. Now we are ready.”

“I’ll lead the way,” said Lorelei and stormed towards the door.

The rain had mostly turned into a fine drizzle, hanging over the gray garden like a silver veil. The smell of wet earth and colendro flowers filled the after-storm air. In the unnatural quiet that reigned between the trees, their steps and Rish’s half-audible chanting were the only signs of life.

The panic in Lorelei’s heart grew. They had taken too much time to break the barrier. And after that, they had lost further precious seconds while she was questioning Rish. It was all her fault! Facing several vapirs, how long would Neli even last?

‘Please, Fathers, let us not be too late!’ she silently prayed and gripped the golden staff even tighter.

It wasn’t difficult to trace back their steps to where they had left Neli, but when they arrived, everything was calm and silent. Two bodies lay tangled in the mud amidst broken branches and trampled flowers.

“No!” Lorelei screamed, just as Rish shot past like a bolt of lightning. A surge of silver snowflakes erupted before her, hissing and bursting into tiny flames the moment they touched the black sludge and the lifeless beings on the ground.

Finally reaching the mangled corpses, Lorelei slowed her step, unsure how close she was allowed to go. She saw her friend kneeling beside them with a stiff expression, but since the Binshi didn’t caution her, she decided to approach them. Tears welled in her eyes as she studied the headless bodies. Judging by their attire and the small stature, those two mud-covered wretches were a pair of cursed novices.

“They… look to be around Jessup’s….” Lorelei choked and felt the urge to vomit.

“I’ve purified the remains. There is nothing much we can do for them.” Rish stood up and looked around like a hunting dog. “That way.”

A trail of overturned earth, mud, and splintered trees was clearly visible to the right. As they followed it, an assortment of hands, arms, pieces of clothing, and tar-like blood splatters showed them the way.

Lorelei’s stomach turned again and cold sweat ran down her already-drenched back. She leaned on the golden rod like it was a crutch and breathed deeply through her mouth. A shaking hand landed on her shoulder before it was almost immediately retracted.

“L-look away, my lady,” whispered Castor hoarsely. “Close your eyes and lean on me.”

“And let those things take me by surprise?”

“Well said,” chimed in Rish. “How many vapirs were there?”

“Four.” Castor moved closer to Lorelei and had his staff pointed toward the trees. “If you count the first one - five.”

“Then there are now two left.”

Lorelei abruptly averted her gaze from the severed head grinning at them from between a net of roots, only to spot something more disturbing.

“Blood… red blood! Merhek!”

Just as she cursed, a pained scream echoed over the trees. A human scream.

“Stay close to me!” shouted Rish and sprinted in the direction of the holler.

Exchanging a brief glance, Lorelei and Castor rushed after her.