*It's painful, being so limited,* Rine stated as he oversaw the assembly of the construct in the forest this evening.

Ivy looked on in awe as her master worked. Dozens of pairs of phantasmal eyes oversaw hundreds of spectral hands hard at work, each pair of appendages performing specific tasks. Some hands, seeming to be made of fire, melted and molded scraps of mythril, orichalcum, and adamant into various shapes, after which hands made of water and ice carefully cooled it down. Other hands then took each completed component and added it to the humanoid-shaped form that was slowly but surely taking form. Only a couple of hours after they met with the Midnight Witch, and he was more than halfway done.

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Master Rine," she carefully noted, "but you hardly seem limited from here." Her brief experience with her master had taught her one thing, and that was if you gave him the chance, he'd talk all day about anything you asked him about.

The master made a small sound, somewhere between consternation and humor, then admitted, *I admit that I am capable of things if given sufficient time and resources, but at my full strength I could have simply turned stone and sand into the materials I need, then form them into the shape I needed with a thought, instead of this inefficient assembly system.*

He paused, then a group of hands stopped, realigned themselves, then started over on the piece they were assembling. *Of course, if I had my full power, I'd hardly need to assemble this creation.*

Curious, Ivy asked, "And what is the purpose of this... thing, Master Rine?"

*A body,* he stated bluntly. Seeming to realize that was hardly an explanation, he added, *With sufficient use of biomancy, I could, conceivably, cultivate an organic body capable of housing my mind. However, that would take considerable resources to initiate, plus it would take too long for it to fully form for it to be ready before tomorrow night, nevermind the time it would require for me to adjust to being in a body of flesh and blood once again. Such a body would have many restrictions, as all living things do, so I'm putting that off until and unless I truly need it.*

*I could create a new skeleton out of adamant, but such a form would be little more than a puppet held with strings of magic and would require a significant amount of concentration to keep it held together. Such a body would be useless if it becomes necessary for me to step in during the conflict tomorrow. I need a battle-ready body, and it needs to be one that I can immediately step into and use with minimum adjustment.*

A pair of hands manifested and made a gesture towards the rapidly assembling construct. *As such, I am creating a... quasi-golem, I suppose is the best way to describe it. 'Bones' and 'skin' of adamant to make it nigh-unbreakable; 'muscles' and 'tendons' made of orichalcum to give it unimaginable strength; and 'nerves' and 'sensory organs' made of mythril to allow it to feed me information on a level above those of the average human. This body will be a physical powerhouse, even if I am still limited to a fraction of my full magical might. Combined with the armor and weaponry I had you assemble for it, I should be able to deal with any vampires or vampire lords that the king and his agents aren't able to deal with themselves.*

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

*While I wouldn't want to test this body against something as mighty as a dragon, it should be more than enough to deal with anything expected in the assault tomorrow night. Between you dealing with the warlocks and myself stepping in if and when necessary, I have no doubt that we're fully prepared for whatever may happen tomorrow night.*

Ivy nodded in understanding. Her master had briefed her on what was expected to occur tomorrow night, as well as her role in the fracas, should it prove necessary to step in. It was not yet her time to step in as Lily's protector, as certain tasks still needed to be completed. After tomorrow night, however, she would finally be ready to fulfill the role she had been elevated for.

*Heh, clever girl,* Rine said, surprising the ascended wretchling.

"My liege?" Ivy inquired, confused.

*Lily started reading the books I left for her,* the lich explained. *I figured she would, sooner or later, although I admit that she went for them faster than expected. Her hunger for knowledge rivals my own when I was her age.*

Concerned, Ivy asked, "Is that a problem?"

*Even if it was, she has a right to know what she's in for,* the lich stated. *Being able to fully free me will require her ascending to a level rivaling my own power. While undeath should not prove necessary, possessing that kind of might is not something to accept lightly. She deserves to know everything that will entail.*

He paused, then mused, *She's responsible for someone her age, so I think that given time, she'll be able to handle it better than most. Honestly, if I'd known just how far my own path would take me when studying the mystic arts, I can't say I would have continued on as I did.*

Studying the assembly of her master's new 'body', the royal goblin asked, "What do you think she'll do?"

*I'll honestly say I'm not sure,* Rine admitted. *She's lived in a kingdom where the powerful often abuse those beneath them in the social hierarchy, but it is also trying to undergo reform. She has friends both high and low, and that will mean that she's invested in both sides of the struggle.*

*At the same time, the power she'll one day obtain will render such things as aristocracy and royalty meaningless, as she'll eventually be more powerful than any nation on the planet, or even all of them combined. That's a heavy mantle to bear. In my time, I had others who bore similar power and responsibility, and if they weren't very good at the job, they were at least trying their best and we were willing to support one another. She'll be bearing that weight on her own, and that will be much more difficult.*

"Does she have to?" Ivy asked. Then clarified, "Carry it on her own, I mean."

Rine looked at Ivy, looked as if he was going to argue with that, then seemed to turn thoughtful. After a few minutes, he admitted, *Food for thought, I suppose.*