Going deeper into the forest was like a rabbit hole. It was endless miles of a dark sea of trees with no path and seeable light insight.
“This place gives me the creeps.” Lyra wrinkled her brow and twisted her neck from side to side, analyzing her surroundings. “I feel like I'm being watched.”
“Well, you aren't crazy because you are being watched.” Lyra completed one hundred and eighty to Alivier with, ‘I'm sorry, could you repeat that?’ “I only mean to say the creatures here have sensed you for a while now, but many of them sense your abilities are strong and know they will likely be eradicated.”
Lyra had to hold in her annoyance from yelling at Alivier. Instead, Eamon spoke for her with the same level of disbelief as Lyra.
“That's a bit of omitted information you left out there, Alivier.” He could feel Lyra’s annoyance rise from her aura, even without Keysync.
“Let's keep. Moving.” With gritted teeth and a forced smile. Her palms tightened so they would not hit something or someone.
Once they had reached an open field, they heard fighting and war cries in the distance. The three rushed off in the direction of the commotion.
On the premises of the battlefield were civilians being surrounded by several men and women Locksmiths fending off hordes of Fiends. One group, in particular, caught their attention when they saw Master Thaldin, Jalen, and Elessa protecting children from the menacing winged creatures with fanged beaks and talon claws.
Sprinting into action, Lyra and Eamon slashed at a few Fiends on their way to their friends, aiding the other Locksmiths. Bright, blinding light shot out at the leftover Fiends as Alivier eliminated them and freed the trapped Locksmiths and civilians to flee the scene.
Once Lyra and Eamon sliced through a wolfish fiend, they aided their tired friends and faced off against the Fiends who growled or screeched at their interference.
“Lyra? Eamon?” Elessa exclaimed. “How did you guys get here?”
Lyra smirked. “Thought we’d crash this party and get it really pumping.”
Elessa laughed. Missing the spirited-eyed young Locksmith.
“I am grateful that you both came when you did,” Jalen said, taking down an incoming flier. “Have you by chance seen Rylia and Gav?”
“We have,” Eamon grunted as he took out another Fiend. “They’re safe with our friend. A commander of a cohort in Valerian.”
Master Thaldir whistled. “You kids are certainly gaining influence and meeting exceptional people. Proud of you both. Have you also seen Sorrel?”
They shook their heads. Their faces showed defeat as did worry on the other three’s faces.
“Gav said that Sorrel led some Fiends away from him and Rylia so there wouldn’t be so many. We were hoping that he might have been here.” Lyra told them with a heavy heart. She swung her sword, striking the heart of a Fiend.
“Well, that’s no matter,” Elessa said with defiance in her voice and in her attacks. “Sorrel is strong and we believe in our friends. Now what do y'all say we finish cleaning this mess so we could look for him?”
“Right!”
Together the group finished eradicating the Fiends were eviscerated. Some of the Locksmith’s returned to the scene to help and offered to take back any civilians remaining.
Once calm, Elessa hugged Lyra, and then Eamon, glad to see that they were well and okay. “I’m so happy to see you both. It already feels like a lifetime ago since we last met.”
Lyra sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. “They do say I have that effect on people, but yeah, it’s really good to see you all. I just wish Rylia…”
Elessa frowned, nodding at Lyra’s unfinished sentence. “She got worse when you both left. I think that first Magycte Beast attack really shook her. I don’t think she’ll be continuing as a Locksmith anymore.”
“Then, this is going to be really difficult because a Magycte Beasts, no, an Ultimate Magycte Beast is what’s causing this Altar appearing in Isselgrade.” Eamon clarified to them.
“An Ultimate?” Jalen questioned, with furrowed brows. “Don’t tell me those things are getting stronger now?”
“I, too, would like to know more about this Ultimate and why these ‘Altars’ are showing up,” Master Thaldir said, rubbing his long gray beard, old blue eyes filled with cumbersome worry.
“Perhaps I may be able to shed some light on the subject before we proceed to the final boss.” Alivier told them, approaching from the sidelines.
Lyra crossed her arms, raising a brow, and twisting her lip at him. “Huh-uh, and don’t omit or leave out anything.”
He gave her a cheeky smile. “I wouldn’t dream of doing that twice to save face from your wrath.”
“Smart man.” Eamon nodded.
Lyra snorted. “As he should be.”
Alivier explained in brief detail about why these Altars had started appearing in places that had a Magycte Beast appear from an Ethereal Rift, followed by, the truth that the Children of Deimos were, in fact, real and had some kind of hand in all of this for their Master and their plan; possibly even taking the Codex.
That left to explaining about Alivier’s purpose as a Lictkrieger and how a warrior of Lumos was to protect what Lumos had created from those who wish to do it harm.
The three Locksmith’s nodded, satisfied by the explanation.
“Very well,” Master Thaldir said. “We should take this to the Ultimate, shall we?”
“What?” Lyra exclaimed. “We can’t let you guys fight this thing. You should make it to safety with the others, or… find Sorrel.”
“And let you three have all the fun?” Jalen said, massaging his broad shoulders, then proceeded to run his hands through his dark hair. “I’m worried about Sorrel too, but he can hold out. I know he can.”
“And,” Elessa added. “From what you said, the faster we take out this Ultimate running the show then this Altar fades away. As Locksmith’s we are here to protect our home and the civilians in it. That’s just who we are.”
“We could use more distraction with Sly and Cassandra out of the picture,” Eamon said to Lyra. “Besides, would you stay behind if this was reversed?” he whispered the last part to her.
Lyra snorted. “Not in a million years. What am I saying, of course, the more the merrier to get things back to normal.”
Now as a unit of six, they proceeded to where the aura was strongest and the Ultimate Magycte Beast waited.
They could see an enormous plant beast from their cliff perch with a wide gangly mouth that revealed thousands of sharp teeth and a vine-like tongue seeping nutrients from the ground. The beast's plant-based feet were rooted to the ground for stabilization and energy usage.
The plan was simple: Elessa and Lyra would charge in with a frontal attack, with Jalen and Eamon as backup offense. Master Thaldir would stay near Alivier to attack anything disturbing him while he gathered power.
With everything planned when Eamon noticed a black-haired figure move from out of his peripheral, behind a couple of boulders. “Wait, is that who I think it is?”
They all turned to where Eamon was looking, and Elessa responded with wide eyes. “That’s Sorrel!”
Jalen frowned. “And from here, it looks like he’s injured.”
“Okay, new plan,” Lyra interrupted, sensing the tension high seeing their friend in a dangerous predicament. “Eamon and I will do the frontal attack distraction. Meanwhile, Jalen and Elessa will go to Sorrel to get him to safety. Master Thaldir stays where he is. How’s everyone feeling about that?”
Nodding agreement, the team broke out into their positions.
Lyra and Eamon approached the Ultimate to announce their presence and keep their attention on them while Elessa and Jalen went to rescue Sorrel.
The Ultimate Magycte Beast roared and pounded its vine foot into the earth, shaking the ground and causing rubble to jump from it.
“We'll need to give both Elessa and Jalen enough time to rescue Sorrel, and give Alivier enough time to cast that light Essentia.” Lyra reiterated the plan to everyone as they faced off.
“You doing alright back there, Master Thaldir?” Eamon asked, not taking his eyes off the Ultimate.
Master Thaldir barked out in laughter. “No need to worry about me kids. I've been fighting all kinds of Fiends and Veilspawn for years. Nothing will happen to your friend long as I'm standing.”
“A comforting thing indeed, much obliged, Master Thaldir,” Alivier said.
“How should we go about this one?” Eamon asked as they approached the Ultimate.
Lyra pursed her lips together, shaking her head. “This thing will probably have vines. Look at its feet; it's keeping itself on top.”
“Mmm, good point. We could both go low and do a cross-slash attack.”
Lyra's eyes widened as an idea came to her: “I've got an idea. Let's get a boost from our Kesync.”
Eamon followed her lead. With their link intact, the power of Essentia flowed through them.
Give yourself a boost of Zephyr. You'll use the wind's speed and attack it from the legs. Once it's down, I'll knock it unconscious, and then we double-team it.
Eamon nodded. Sounds like a good idea. Let's go for it.
Eamon crossed his arms together, holding the Escrima sticks tightly. Zephyr flowed around him and his weapons. He snapped open his eyes and dashed straight for the creature.
The Ultimate thought it came to attack him head-on and used a vine arm to lash out, smashing into the ground. Eamon dodged out of the way. He charged for the roots of its feet and leaned forward; his arms stretched back to give himself more momentum.
Once he was close enough, he slashed the Beast's legs, snapping them from the ground.
Lyra jumped in the air and whizzed forward. She brought her sword down, cutting it deep.
Eamon now!
Eamon and Lyra both attacked the Ultimate Magycte Beast at once. The Beast roared in pain and sent a beacon call for other Fiends. They emerged from the forest and headed for Master Thaldir and a channeling Alivier.
Master Thaldir grunted as he swung his weapon at the Fiends that came with the Call before they attacked Alivier.
“I think it's weakening!” Lyra called out as they hacked and slashed together. However, to their dismay, the creature was no longer stunned, reached out a vine tentacle and directed it toward Lyra.
“Lyra, watch out!” Eamon shouted. He dropped his guard and dashed for Lyra, colliding with her.
They fell to the ground as the vine dropped and smashed into the earth.
“What happened?” Lyra shouted. They lifted their heads from where they crashed to the ground to see the Ultimate Magycte Beast standing.
“Guess it's stronger than we thought.”
The two of them got to their feet, preparing for another plan, when several more Fiends began to overwhelm Master Thaldir and Alivier, who had to stop his spell from helping fight off the murderous Fiends.
“Shoot, we have to help!” Lyra started to sprint in the direction of Master Thaldir and Alivier, but the Ultimate slapped a vine arm down to the ground with a loud thud, blocking their path to their friends.
“Looks like someone doesn't want us to leave,” Eamon said, eyeing the vines that blocked them. Lyra backed up as the two stood back to back.
“So, what do we do now? We're trapped, and now that Alivier is busy fending off the Fiends, He can't forcibly send the Ultimate into oblivion.”
When all seemed hopeless, a snap cracked the sky, and several Fiends disappeared into a smoky haze.
“Need any help?”
“Sly!”
Jumping down the cliff's edge in a low crouch, she rose with cat-like grace and a grin.
“I heard from both Elessa and Jalen that you could use my help. Must be a tough one.”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
She was glad they had gotten Sorrel to safety, but she was even more pleased when Elessa and Jalen returned, with Cassandra in tow, but with her Tierney and….
“Aurora?!” Lyra exclaimed. “Why did you bring them here?”
“Cassandra said the same, but Tierney foresaw that Ultimate would be a bit of trouble, and I couldn't let them stay behind.”
“Or let them stay with civilians! Gav was there.”
Sly smirked. “Now you know that girl wouldn't let me leave from her sights, let alone if she knew you were close.”
“Maybe we should talk about this later. It's starting to snap out of it after your attack.” Eamon interrupted the two.
“Rightfully, so. You'll have to scold me later, Lyra. For now, I'll charge in to attack; you are my backup, and Eamon will provide support if need be. The rest of our party will fight off any Fiends in the surrounding area.
Lyra grumbled. “Fine.”
The three of them broke out in formation. The Ultimate roared in fury at their plan. It called more Fiends to stop them, but they were expecting that as Elessa and Jalen double-teamed the approaching Fiends while Cassandra hacked and slashed at them. Eamon did a spin tackle and lunged at some incoming Fiends.
“Keep up the pace, everyone! I'll have to tap into some power reserve for this one.” Sly called out.
They did not know what that meant, but they knew the A-ranked Locksmith had tricks up her sleeves that they had never seen before.
An aura reserve of power flooded from Sly; those close to her could feel the energy particles radiating from her like pulsating sparks. She moved with such precision and agility that she was almost a blur.
Lyra and Eamon could barely keep up when she had seemingly teleported from the left mid-air, attacked, disappeared, and reappeared to the right to strike again.
The Ultimate roared in agony at such close range. It fell to the ground with a crash, shaking the earth underneath their feet. Sly sliced down an invisible whip Slash, cutting the Beast in half, and shouted to them: ‘Lyra, Eamon, Now!’
Without hesitation, Lyra and Eamon nodded to each other. Bringing their weapons back, they drew power from the Wellsprings, collecting all the Essentia available.
They zoomed forward together in perfect sync and yelled out a battle cry. They shouted, “Cross Slash Ascent!” A blinding light of rainbow colors swirled around their weapons as they attacked the beaten-down Ultimate.
The Beast, paralyzed, hollowed in pain.
“Now it's my turn,” Alivier said and shot out a beam of white light that catapulted toward the Ultimate.
It exploded in a shadowy mass as it died away. As the Magycte Beast faded away, so did the Altar.
The Locksmiths cheered as the Altar returned to its former town of Isselgrade.
•†•
They had no time to relax or engage with anyone. Lyra, Eamon, and their traveling party needed to continue to Sylvanbrook. They hoped their next stop in Elmsworth would not cause them issues. They warned the Locksmiths about the Altar and the nefarious plan the Children of Deimos had up their sleeves.
As they made their way to Elmsworth, despite the dark cloudiness in the sky, they realized that there was no Altar present. The town was barren and looked untouched by Fiends or Magycte Beasts.
“What's going on here?” Lyra questioned, looking around the town in case she missed something. “There should be an Altar here, right?”
Eamon agreed. “It seems to match up with other recent events. Right, Alivier?”
The blonde-haired Lictkrieger hummed to himself and eyed his surroundings as if trying to figure out something.
“Something is amiss.”
“Then, let's find out what's going on at the Outpost,” Sly told them. The group all nodded and made their way to the outpost.
They had not expected the Outpost to spiral, with groups of civilians huddled in different sections of the Outpost and Locksmiths scurrying about trying to aid whoever needed them.
The party stared in confusion, glad that many were safe but confused by the situation's outcome. They approached the receptionist's desk, where a woman with dark, long brunette hair and brown eyes was trying to help some civilians.
“Sloan!”
Brown hair swept across the woman's cheek, and her wide gray eyes met Sly's.
“Oh, thank you, Lumos. Sly, you're okay and the two Ashbourne children too.”
They approached the front desk. She apologized to the civilians so she could speak to them.
“Sloan, do you know what's been going on?”
She bobbed her head. “We heard Lyra on the radio when an Altar, you called it, attacked Troér. The Locksmiths here did not take any chances and escorted any civilians here. So far, besides the occasional irate Fiend, there was nothing unusual to what you had described on the radio.”
The group sighed with relief. They were glad that Elmsworth was safe, and maybe, just maybe, that meant Sylvanbrook was, too.
“Have you heard anything from Sylvanbrook?”
The look on her face fell, causing each of their stomachs to churn, expecting the worst.
“We haven't had a connection with Sylvanbrook for a few days now.”
Eamon's face displayed a sudden shock, Lyra’s expression from surprise to sadness to fear.
Her heart fell in her chest at the thought of something happening to her grandfather, her mother, and everyone she knew at Sylvanbrook. Her home.
‘No,’ a defiant voice called out, snapping her out of her grief. ‘Stand up and keep fighting. That is what it means to be a Locksmith. Don't let the fear win.’
“Lyra?” Eamon called out to her.
She noticed that Sly was looking on with worry, as were Cassandra and Tierney, with a wide-eyed fearfulness in Aurora’s eyes as she gripped her hand.
Lyra smiled and stroked the girl's hair.
“I'm fine. Let's save our home. We won't let The Children of Deimos or their Altars take our home.”
Sly nodded with a grin of approval, seeing how much she had grown. Eamon, too, nodded as eager and confident as she was because he would not let the only home he had known run amok with darkness. Everyone else agreed that they should do something and save the people of Aurum from the shadows that lurked beyond.
•†•
A hazy smoke blocked off the entrance to Sylvanbrook. Cassandra’s entire body cinched as memories of that fateful day rushed back and hit her.
“It's here…” her voice quaked. Her hand gripped the hilt of her weapon, Stigma, but she could not bring herself to stay calm as fear collapsed around her. Her eyes dilated, and her breath caught in her throat, unable to process reality.
“Cassandra? Cassandra!” Tierney cried out her name, shaking her. Tears streaked her brown skin as she wailed at her to snap out of it but met with a blank stare of a woman not fully healed from the losses, the burden, and the guilt that she could not save them.
“Cassandra! Cassandra! Snap out of it!” Lyra called out to her. Eamon tried, too; even Aurora hoped to snap her out.
It was not until Sly stepped forward and slapped her cheek with an outstretched hand that the snap echoed, and there was silence. Cassandra gripped her now red cheek and looked at Sly with more coherency in her eyes.
“Death is a tragic thing, you hear me? You won't know how many men and women, Locksmiths, I've called friends and family that died in the line of duty. Too many. I've shouldered their deaths with me, but you know what I don't do?”
She was silent and let Sly speak.
“I don't let myself be buried with them. I mourn them, yes, grieve them, always. But what I will not do is punish myself for their deaths.”
Cassandra blinked. Tears fell down her cheeks as Sly spoke to her, without anger or pity, but someone who had lost so much and was able to pick themselves up.
“You will be sad and grieve, but you will carry all those soldiers with you proudly. They will only be able to rest when you do. Carry on for them, avenge them, even, but let it not be in anger or sadness but honor.”
Cassandra sniffed, nodding at each word and phrase. It would be hard to move on from the grief, but Sly was right. They could not move on unless she did. She'd carry on and carry them with her until they all could be free.
“Thank you, Sly… I appreciate that, truly. I keep losing myself in the past, but I must look forward if I wish to heal.”
Sly placed a hand on her shoulder. “And heal you shall.”
With matters settled, the party retreated into the thick mist. They could barely see any signs of life or buildings.
“Something’s there!” Aurora said, causing everyone to stop moving.
Lyra was not sure how she could see in all the fog.
“Is it an enemy, Aurora?”
She furrowed her brows. Squeezing Lyra’s hand, knowing she could not see her expression.
“I don't know… they have… weapons.”
Unsure if that meant friend or foe, they unsheathed their weapons regardless. They would fight to the death if it meant saving their home.
Lyra was the first to cry out, enraged, and brandished her sword to attack whoever was beyond the mist. They dodged the blow.
She hesitated for a split second. In most cases, it would have landed her dead, but this time, Lumos gave her the foresight that this was no enemy.
“Wait, Leo, it's me!”
The person, Leo, recognized her, too. “Lyra? What are you doing out here? It's dangerous out here!”
Despite not being able to see his full features. Lyra knew the mousy, brown-haired, fair-skinned boy who trained at her grandfather's guild. He was often clumsy but never gave up and kept trying even when he failed. He swore he'd make it to Lyra’s level one day, and she accepted it, telling him she'd want a fight with him soon.
“Yeah, I know that. Some of us Locksmiths have spread about Sylvanbrook to patrol and ensure no civilians were left behind and that no Fiends breached these borders.”
“And have you witnessed anything strange? Like something appearing from out of nowhere?” Sly asked, ready to explain to him.
“Yeah, the Altar appeared sometime after the Strega appeared. Then, Master Ealdred told everyone to patrol the cities and bring civilians to the guild for safety. If there were any Fiends to eradicate them, but Magycte Beast, stay away.”
Even though they could not see each other, Eamon and Lyra gave each other a look.
“Is it true that Magycte Beasts are real?” Leo finally questioned.
Before anyone could reply to him, Alivier stepped forward and answered.
“They very much are now what you said about a Strega; where are they?”
Lyra and Eamon knew little about the Strega, except that they were from the Aurora Federation and covertly operated within the Web of Scarlet. They engaged in heinous and illegal activities like collaborating with the Primal Weavers.
“He was with Master Ealdred. They were trying to drain the Altars' powers from seeping what life they took from Sylvanbrook.”
Before Lyra could respond, Alivier answered first, and she could feel his power leech off him, which made her cringe.
“Show us.”
Without saying any more words, Leo led them to where the Strega and Ealdred were located.
•†•
The fog seemed to get thicker as they went deeper into town, but Lyra knew the landscape and that they were nearing the forest with the old warehouse. Trailing behind the others so they would not lag and get lost, each held onto the other as they walked the forest pathway and up toward the open field.
The fog had thinned, making it possible again to see that the warehouse was no longer present and that an Altar, twice as big as Troér and Isselgrade, was in its place.
At the forefront was an unknown male, the Strega, wearing all black. The other male figure was Ealdred.
“Grandpa!” Lyra called out, high-pitched and childlike, glad to see that he was alive given the circumstances.
Ealdred turned around, surprise lacing his features, seeing the party approach him—except for Alivier, who moved with purpose and bloodlust that oozed out of him.
Ealdred stepped in front of the Strega, who was working on an incantation as he moved his lips. Eamon noted it was similar to how Locksmiths closed Rifts, except he encased a barrier around it.
“I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to pass or hurt this young man.”
Alivier cast a glare at Ealdred. The retired S-Rank Locksmith did not move even though he could sense Alivier's power rivaling his own.
“A brave and defiant one you are. I can see where Lyra gets it. You don't know who you're dealing with.”
Ealdred grinned. Though not at all kindly, if not business-like.
“They haven't shown an inch of malice, unlike you, who radiate bloodlust. Perhaps they fight for honor, justice, and truth. ``
Alivier snorted. “Honor? Justice? Truth? Those words shouldn't be mixed with a Strega, let alone a Primal Weavers dog.”
That caused a slight movement from the Strega. Seeing it all unfold, Lyra could not idly sit back and step in before things got serious.
“Okay, Alivier, backup,” Lyra said, extending out her sword and putting distance between him and Ealdred. “Whatever issue you have with that man, leave my grandfather out of it.”
As if a light switch flipped in his head, Alivier turned the serious expression on his face to one of humor and pulled his lips into a wide-cheesy grin that seemed to rub Lyra the wrong way.
“Leave them alone, Lictkrieger. I only stopped at the Altar as my Master told me to. We can settle things when the crisis is averted,” The Strega said to him.
Alivier snorted. “There wouldn’t be a crisis if the Codex wasn’t taken.”
At the accusation, the Strega turned to face Alivier partially. The darkness in his hazel eyes glared at him.
“You think the coven did this?” He sucked his teeth. “Of course you would. I should not expect anything less from a Lictkrieger. You believe in one thing and one thing only.”
“What more proof do I need? You are an active participant in the illegal trade of the Web Scarlet. A black market that sells heinous and horrid things, like body parts. Need I say more?”
“Alright, enough of this debate,” Sly stepped into their dispute. She eyed them both, threatening them to speak. “This is not the time or place, as you two clearly see. I do not care who did or said what. All I know is that these Altars are affecting our home, so if you want to stop this, you’ll settle your differences like good children and work together.”
Knowing she was right, they both nodded and called a truce.
“Alright,” Sly said, turning to everyone. “Judging from the structure and the power this Altar is giving off, it’s deadly stronger. We’re going to need everyone’s assistance that can help fight. Those unable to will return to town with Leo to safety.”
Lyra bent down to Aurora and took her little arms in her hands. “I need you to be a big girl and go with my grandpa. He’s a good man. You know I’ll return, so no worries. Is that okay?”
“But…”Aurora’s lip quivered, and she bowed her head in defeat. She wanted to say more but held it back not to upset the situation further like Sly said. “...Okay.”
Lyra looked up at Ealdred, knowing that while he was strong, he would–
“That won’t work,” The Strega called out to them. “Sorry to say, Locksmith, but I will need the Sentinel’s power. All your powers would be handy, but his power level is astronomically stronger.”
Lyra wrinkled her nose. “And who are you again?”
“Malakyh El-Amin. I’d shake your hand, but as you can see?” He said, shrugging his shoulders while maintaining the magical barrier around the structure from going haywire.
“So, what you’re saying,” Eamon said, looking at the structure himself. “You need outside power to seal it and inside power to close it. Yes?”
“That is correct,” Malakyh nodded after a moment of silence. “I had an inkling someone would make their appearance sooner or later. Thankfully, it was sooner.”
“So, you gambled if someone would appear?” Cassandra accused.
Alivier's arms crossed, and he shook his head. “And that isn’t suspicious at all.”
Sly sighed. “Enough of this. Fine, Ealdred stays here with Leo, Aurora, and Tierney. Cassandra, are you–”
She shook her head. “No, I’m coming. Eventually, I have to face my fears, and I feel he is down there.”
Sly nodded. She looked to Lyra and Eamon, knowing that they were ready. “Alivier, you’re coming with us since you can aid us in defeating the Magycte Beast.”
“Ah, and to think it was because you didn’t trust me around the Strega.”
“Oh, it is definitely because of that, too, but at least you know where your shortcomings lie.”
Alivier pouted, feigning hurt. “You wound me, Sly.”
Ignoring him, Sly returned her attention to the group. `The goal is to lock the Altar from the outside and defeat the Ultimate Magycte Beast inside. This is a do-or-die mission. We protect Aurum and its civilians no matter what. Let Lumos guide us to victory!”
The party cheered in unison, and those who were to fight entered into the gates of the Altar.