Rosalyn’s heart sang when she saw Mother Cham run into the room alive and well, even if she was screaming incomprehensibly while she was doing it. She was kitted out for a fight with her armor of glowing energy and gleaming silver cesti in both hands, a fact that did not escape Rosalyn and filled her with even more joy. Mother Cham had somehow gotten her arm back! However, before any greetings could be shared between the two a strange doll-like woman in a porcelain mask and a fine velvet dress dropped from the ceiling and started clawing viciously at Mother Cham’s back and spine. The only thing that save her was the aura that she had projected around herself as she angrily charged at the lich on the other side of the room. After taking one more ineffective swipe, the newcomer pushed off of Mother Cham’s small form with both legs and pirouetted through the air gracefully, landing with a soft sound and without a single bit of fabric from her outrageously ornate dress out of place between Mother Cham and the lich. Mother Cham landed briefly on her back before rolling forward coming to her feet in a low combat stance that faced both of her prospective opponents.

“Quit toying with your food! Kill the girl and retrieve what you came for, you fool!” the strange woman screeched “I will take care of this nuisance. We can talk about your punishment for making me wait so long after we finish here.” The lich balked as a momentary look of panic flashed over his face before it returned to the blank, almost lifeless look of a person trying very hard not to think of a very bad thing that was going to happen to them in the near future. “Yes, mistress. Right away, mistress.” The lich bowed low to the new opponent as she charged at Mother Cham and forced her back into the hallway, their fight obscured by the bend in the hall.

The lich, whose whole demeanor changed, watched the flashes of light and sound that occasionally erupted from the hall for a few moments before he turned his gaze toward Rosalyn and she couldn’t help but shiver. She instinctively knew that she was outclassed and that this was going to be a much different and more difficult battle than the one she had with the ghouls. All she had to do was hold out long enough for Mother Cham to defeat her opponent and jump in, which she was sure she could do as long as she had Serena’s support. As if to punctuate that thought the subtle aura of blue energy began to hum and thrash across the surface of her skin. A truly hideous grin spread across the face of the lich and Rosalyn shivered again “I don’t know what kind of magic you are using little duck, but it won’t save you from me. Playtime is over!” The lich raised one desiccated finger and a beam of pure darkness shot straight toward Rosalyn’s chest.

Taken entirely flat footed by this new attack Rosalyn was only able to stare ahead like a surprised deer and was not going to get out of the way in time to prevent a hit. Thankfully, Serena had obviously recognized what the lich was about to do and willed the blue energy encompassing the body of her young companion to congeal into the form of a massive circular shield that met the beam head on. The lich, laughing all the while switched from his finger to his entire palm increasing the energy flowing from him and the shield exploded into motes of blue light tinged with dark purple. “I see! You are getting outside help aren’t you? It makes sense, I don’t sense any real power coming from you. If I had known that shooting a null beam at your heart would have given me the answer I would have done it before I lost those ghouls. Still, very unsportsmanlike of you to use outside help. Here, let me help you make things right!”

Extending both arms above his head, a bubble of translucent grey energy shot from in between his hands and quickly expanded to fill the chamber. Rosalyn stumbled and nearly fell into one of the pillars as the hum of the borrowed power left her body. Suddenly, every part of her body weighed a thousand pounds and she almost passed out where she stood. However, Rosalyn was able to barely hold onto her consciousness. Leaning against one of the pillars for support she was barely able to stand at the sudden loss of energy, and was about to ask Serena if she was okay when a pained growl erupted from behind her inside the opaque surface of the prison.

“Ahh, I see. Your helper is in there. I had wondered what that was, but I guess I can still figure that out after you die.” The lich raised his finger once more and making a finger-gun gesture he took aim at Rosalyn. Willing her unresponsive legs to move Rosalyn was sure she was about to die for real this time. That was when a loud screeching cry pierced the air “REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” as Birdie leapt from the lich’s side and knocked his arm wide with his cudgel. This caused the dark beam to go wide and cut across the surface of the pillar a hair’s breadth from Rosalyn’s head. The beam sliced deep into the stone as cracks spider-webbed across the width of the pillar. Rosalyn stared at the pillar for a moment as an idea began to form in her mind before turning back to face the lich.

Birdie was holding onto the lich’s arm for dear life as the undead creature violently shook the little guy to try and dislodge him. After a moment the lich composed himself and sighed. Looking down the thoroughly wild-eyed little kobold he raised the arm that Birdie was clinging to and rearing back he used his other arm to punch the kobold in the face. A loud crack sounded as Birdie flew across the room and landed on the ground in an unmoving heap. Rosalyn’s chest seized when she saw this and an involuntary scream of “No!” escaped her lips. Finding her strength once more, Rosalyn stood and faced the grinning lich in a loose ready stance. Putting up both hands, she smiled confidently back at the lich “Well, I have to win now. You hurt my kobold.”

Chuckling softly the lich raised his hand once more and aimed the dark magic at Rosalyn. “Well, it has been a hoot, and I wish we could play more but I have to appease the mistress.” Expecting the attack this time, Rosalyn stepped to the side and around behind the white pillar as the lich followed her movements with the beam with an almost bored look on his face. The attack continued to chip away at her cover as the lich slowly walked around the edge of the room to get a better vantage on Rosalyn. “If you come out and let me shoot you in the face this will hurt us both less.” Rosalyn scrunched her nose and stepped to the side of the pillar facing the energy wall to avoid the beam of death that had bored through the thick pillar and almost clipped her arm. Deciding that distracting the lich with conversation couldn’t make her situation any worse, she yelled out “I think I shall pass on that, thank you very much. Still, I am impressed that you can destroy these pillars. I have it on good authority that they are close to unbreakable and immune to arcane power.”

Sniffing, the lich continued his slow chase around the side of the pillar, still slowing slicing away bits in his unhurried quest to murder Rosalyn. Watching the pillar for signs her plan was working, she smiled broadly when it swayed under the constant barrage of the lich’s attacks. “Despite what those imbeciles started calling me during the war, I am Geroth the Mage Breaker, girl. No one in this world knows more about destroying magical lattices and constructs that I do. Not even the Master can match me in the field of Anti-magic, a fact that whoever is hiding behind this energy barrier learned when I sealed their influence off from this room.” Seeing her chance while the lich was talking, Rosalyn jumped up and pushed against the wobbling pillar. She was rewarded as the cool material popped and cracked, but she couldn’t quite get enough strength behind her push to finish the job. “Ahh, I see. You want to crush me with that pillar. Pathetic. Sadly though, your time is up, as I tire of this little game.” Raising his other hand he pressed all of his fingers to his thumb and a piercing beam of energy shot forth, much faster than the slow cutting beam that he had been using before. It cut through the remaining center mass of the pillar at a frightening speed, and even though Rosalyn had been on the lookout for one of the lich’s attacks and had made to jump out of the way, she wasn’t prepared for one of this speed.

Fire shot through Rosalyn’s senses as the beam pierced her lung and she tumbled to the ground in a heap, idly, almost detachedly, noticing that the contents of her satchel had spilled along the floor when she fell. She wanted to say something witty to the lich, call out to Serena, or maybe even see if Birdie was okay, but she couldn't seem to catch her breath. She tried with everything she had to bring in a deep breath, but it wouldn’t come. Instead a rattling noise emanated from her chest and she started to violently cough up blood. “Tch, you are a quick one aren’t you. If you had not moved I am certain I would have gotten your heart. Oh well, a little suffering builds character. It will be interesting to see if you bleed out first or drown in your own blood.”

Still struggling to breathe Rosalyn watched as the unbreakable magic pillar snapped in half and smiled in triumph even as the edges of her vision darkened a little more. Her family would be avenged, Serena would see to it.

Serena was blind to what was going on outside her prison. Whatever the lich had done was disrupting the small amount of power that she was able to squeeze through the gaps in her prison and her link with Rosalyn had been severed. She wasn’t even able to exert any pressure on the cage to let in sight or sound. She was trapped. “If only I could exert more power…”

That was when she felt the shift in the prison walls, and Serena knew just what to do. She pushed.

Cham was unsure what this creature she was fighting was, but she knew that she had to hurry and kill it. “You are in the way thing. My kid is the other room and I am here to save her.” Charging forward and connecting with two swift punches with the cesti she was holding in her flesh and blood hand. She had unfortunately dropped the other one during the initial scuffle. Also quite unfortunately, the creature became incorporeal right before her blows landed, even though she had imbued them with all the power she could in an effort to end the fight quickly. It then lashed out with several whip like tendrils that cut through her aura and left burning wounds behind where they struck.

Cham, hissing at the pain, stepped in and spun low to trip her opponent with a sweeping attack that also slid through her opponent like it wasn’t there. The creature started laughing before a silky smooth voice, wholly different from the screeching tone that she had directed at the lich emanated from the mask, “You can’t beat me you know. I am immune to the power you wield and you can’t touch me with your normal hands. I am inclined to let you live though, if you give me what I want.”

“I don’t have the phylactery, creature.” Throwing its head back and laughing again, Cham was disturbed when the doll-like mask of her opponent split open and a truly monstrous amount of teeth became visible. “That is a secondary objective for me. I want your arm. You don’t even know what it is do you? What power it can lead to. Give it to me and I will call off Geroth. You can both leave alive!”

Frowning down at her new appendage, Cham narrowed her eyes and made a fist. “Fine! Take it!” Leaping forward like a jumping animal she ran all of her remaining power into her new fist and drove it into the creature’s face. It sighed in annoyance, but then let out a surprised yelp as the blow actually connected, shattering the mask and causing black ichor to spew from a hole in one side of the creature’s head. The teeth that were visible before now showed through the sides of the wound as an unearthly screech emanated from somewhere deep in its chest as it fell to its knees clutching at the ruins of the mask.

Seizing the opportunity, Cham ran back into the main chamber to stop the lich from hurting her kid, just in time to see Geroth shoot her in the right breast. The beam pierced her, and she fell stunned to the floor, obviously unable to catch her breath and started to cough up blood. Panicking at the state of her kid, she momentarily despaired at her own ineptitude at healing. She was one of the strongest fighters in the Sisterhood, but she couldn't heal her way out of a wet paper sack. This is why she usually carried potions with her when she went on combat missions. Slapping her hand to her forehead in a classic facepalm, she mummured to herself “Where are those damn potions?” Fumbling at her belt, Cham dug into the pouch she had stored the potions she had brought with her and froze as she pulled out a shattered bottle. “No, no. no!” Cham shouted as she threw the broken bottle to the ground and charged at the lich for the second time that day. “I’ll destroy you!”

The lich, turning with his staff in an attack stance was ready to meet her charge head on. That is, he was until the large white mass of energy in the center room exploded and pushed them both flat on their backs. Jumping quickly to her feet despite the ringing in her ears, Cham was surprised to see a tall, and very naked, silver haired woman standing over Rosalyn. She was holding her hand and tears flowed freely down her face. Leaning in, she kissed the dying girl’s head and turned to face the lich, her eyes emitting a deep blue fire and a clearly defined urge to commit murder.

Serena pushed at the confines of her cage, and for the first time in a century she felt the walls give. Joy and happiness warred with worry in her heart. The tiny little human girl who had charmed her in such a short time and declared that she would set her free had done it. She had not only kept her promise, but she had done it in the middle of a fight for her own survival. Serena was beside herself with worry over her. After all, what happened outside to destroy the supports of her prison?

Still pushing with her considerable might, Serena let out a joyous noise when she felt the energy holding her in this place give a satisfying ‘pop’ and then she was out. The lich and the little halfling were on their backs. Then she saw Rosalyn, lying still on the ground in a pool of blood. She was watching Serena with a bloody smile on her face. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, as if she was having difficulty breathing. Letting out a muffled sob, Serena instantly compressed the mana of her body and took on her human guise and gently kneeled next to her, grabbing one of the dying girl’s hands in her own.

“No, no, no. Child, I was going to show you the world! I was going to…” Serena whispered, tears streaming down the cheeks of a form she had not assumed in a century.

“Pr...omi...sed…” Rosalyn choked out and Serena’s heart broke a little more as the girl slipped a little further into the dark. Bending over Serena placed a gentle kiss on her head before turning to face the lich, who was just starting to get up. Serena stood up and walked calmly to her target.

Nodding to the halfling she said, “You are Cham, correct? Rosalyn told me of you. Can you heal her?” Shaking her head, Cham looked at her in despair, “Not well enough to fix that. At best I can ease any suffering, maybe give her a few more minutes.”

“Attend the girl then, do what you can. I will deal with this filth. Do not be alarmed if you see a dragon.” The halfling gave Serena a strange look before she nodded and ran over to Rosalyn, her palms glowing with clearly radiant energy.

“Now about you.”

Letting go of the compression, she grew to fill the space of the room and she let loose the full power of her rage, breathing a cone of force constructed of mana so pure that the lich just floated away as if he were made of dust that had been carried away from the wind. Sitting on her haunches to catch her breath, Serena was watching the little halfling do her best to ease the pain of the dying girl. At some point the little kobold that had latched onto her had gotten up and limped over to her as well, and he was currently letting out a pitiable whine of sorrow and digging through his pile of refuse looking for things that might help save her life.

Serena knew the truth though, they were too late. She didn’t have anything that could save her, the only thing she had was…

Interrupting that thought a black shadow shot past her head and tackled Cham from behind, knocking her away from the rapidly fading girl. A black mass of tentacles and teeth wearing a fine dress hunched over and grabbed something from the ground and then just as quick as it came was gone again. Narrowing her eyes, Serena compressed her mana again and walked over to be with Rosalyn in her final moments. She had closed her eyes, but was still breathing, even if it was even shallower than it had been when she had first broken free. A faint smile was on her face, but the effect it had on her features was ruined by the blood seeping from the corners of her mouth and her nostrils.

Kneeling down and grabbing the hand that Cham did not have on the dying girl's chest they traded glances as they waited for her to die. “You know, you raised a fine daughter.” Grunting in response, Cham squeezed the hand in hers a little harder. “I really mean it. If she had been my…” Trailing off a new train of thought popped in her head.

“I can save her.”