Rather than accept Shaya's help, Galo growled and rushed past her, a spear tip skidding off his breastplate as he closed in with the skeleton who stabbed him. With a roar, he lifted the maul over his head and brought it down – the weapon wobbling and falling towards the enemy more than a real swing. The creature deflected the clumsy blow somewhat, but the maul still connected with its shield arm and demolished it. Despite the severe damage, the skeleton gained ground and continued the battle with its remaining arm, driving him back as he stumbled to recover from swinging a huge weapon while injured.

Samorn’s music picked up from behind them, the tune slower than her usual with only the occasional rising crescendo to mark moments of heroic action. Rather than fill her with courage and power, Shaya felt the burden of her exhaustion lifted from her shoulders and the pain from minor cuts from flying pieces of bone fade away.

I always thought Azurite mages were the worst, Shaya thought, but I can’t imagine entering battle without Samorn by my side. Being able to manipulate and influence the full range of the human mind – for good or for ill – is far more powerful than I gave it credit for.

Shaya fared better against her two opponents, staying in close against her first enemy and using her height to drop blows towards its head. As it tried to give ground, she slammed her shield into its, sending it stumbling back. Before it recovered, her crow swooped down and tore the chainmail hood off its head, and she followed up with an overhand chop to its exposed skull, smashing it.

Another spear thrust towards her while she was committed to her attack, but Apricot stepped in next to her and pushed the spear out of the way. Rather than counter with a killing blow, the short, lithe woman took a quick swipe at the enemy’s shield, pushing it aside as well – leaving it completely open against Shaya.

She knocked the enemy’s shield further aside with her own and slammed her axe into its head, hearing bone crack despite the chainmail absorbing some of the blow. The enemy staggered, but Apricot whirled behind it and pushed it back towards Shaya. Another chop from her axe left her with a more satisfying crack as the creature fell apart.

Shaya was impressed. What Apricot lacked in raw strength, she made up for in momentum. She acted without hesitation as well, focusing on what she could accomplish in any given situation rather than killing blows.

An arrow howled past her, punching into the remaining skeleton’s skull and throwing its attack off. Despite the arrow burrowed in its ‘eye’, it righted itself and went for another attack, but the arrow was all the opening Galo needed – his maul slammed down into the monster’s head, driving the skull into its chest cavity.

“We don’t need your help!” Galo yelled at her, then stumbled to a knee from the force of his attack.

Planting the head of his maul into the muck, he leaned against it heavily. Blood pumped from his armpit, Shaya almost wishing it had been on the side of his heart given everything she’d seen and heard of him.

Una may not be serving Azreon out of any sense of loyalty or joy, Shaya thought, eyes narrowing on the man, but you’re just as sadistic as he is.

“Shut up and let Ren heal you,” Shaya snapped back, “you won’t be able to lift that stupid maul because you just tore your wounded muscles.”

Galo’s response was an unintelligible growl. He tried to shove Ren away from him, but the lithe man smacked his hand out of the way with his enhanced strength and got to casting his healing spell.

”Don’t worry,” Ren said as he kneeled next to Galo, “I’ll be gentle. Though Shaya’s right: the tearing you caused is too severe to get you back into the fight now.”

With the immediate vicinity cleared, Shaya took a moment to survey the area.

Zaal floated in the air above them, arms behind his back as he observed the battle with a passive expression. Sapphire light glinted in his eyes, and Shaya hoped that meant he was using his foresight to ensure they all survived this madness.

The right flank was well in hand, Ralus and Oraeus dropping another three skeletons as they fought in unison. Though Shaya noted that Ralus’ spectral scythe didn’t seem to disrupt them like it had the zombies – were their spirits reinforced against that kind of magic? Rather than leave the limbs it touched limp, they simply spasmed for a heartbeat before returning to normal which Ralus couldn’t take advantage of even with his new acrobatic fighting style.

Azreon fought a few feet ahead of them, his blade a blur as he battled against a half dozen skeletons. Two blades of hardened light floated about him, parrying and blocking spear thrusts as he advanced into the enemy’s ranks, each of his swipes removing a limb. Any time Ralus or Oraeus moved in to help, his bladework would expand to cover that area, making it too dangerous for them to approach.

What an idiot, Shaya’s eyes narrowed on him, but damned if he isn’t skilled. Controlling even one spirit weapon is still difficult for me, I’m not sure how he’s controlling two with such dexterity while also fighting.

Beyond Azreon, Shaya spotted the tall hill he had mentioned in his report. They were a few dozen meters away from it, and Shaya was surprised at how unnatural it looked. Its surface was craggy though, unlike the soft soil seen everywhere else in the rot-smelling swamp. Directly ahead she could see three caves, a tall central cave at the center with two smaller ones to either side, lower in the hill and mostly submerged in the swamp.

Before the central cave stood a tall human in a dark robe, bony protrusions sticking out through tears in his clothing. Coiled around the person’s neck was another Umbresnake, larger than the others they had encountered in the swamp, swaying rhythmically as it watched the battle unfold.

The figure lifted a robed arm, skeletal fingers emerging and pointing towards the new arrivals. Beams of necrotic, spectral energy shooting from its fingertips and hurtling towards Shaya’s team. Shaya saw this coming, rushing forward and deploying her death ward before the group like an enormous shield.

The beams smashed into it, entropic energy pouring over the shield from the points of contact and sending fractures throughout its surface as if it were glass. The beams were stronger than anything Ralus had thrown at her, but she’d come a long way since they first sparred a month ago. Rather than spread her aether out around a wide, cylindrical ward, all of her aether was focused in a smooth, rounded plane before her – deflecting some of the energy away from the shield and leaving plenty of power to absorb the rest.

“They’re mine!” Azreon shouted, punching through the skeletons he was fighting and rushing towards the rogue mage and the Ur, the spirit of Serra flying behind him.

Shaya noted with rage that he didn’t actually finish off the skeletons he rushed past, however.

“Stop!” She shouted, “It’s a trap!”

The glory-seeking noble didn’t deign to respond, picking up speed as he cleared the skeleton’s reach. He wore full-plate like the rest of his lance, but while bronze was heavier than iron, mythrite was much lighter. Shaya wasn’t even sure if she could keep up with him with her longer legs and lighter armour.

“Gods damn it,” Shaya snapped, turning her attention to the problems he left behind, “I’ll take the center – Ral, Rae, right flank – Ral, take the alacrity potion! Apricot, guard my left!”

At least he had the decency to cripple some of the enemies he left behind this time. We don’t have time to screw around with these things with a rogue mage throwing magic at us, we need to be able to retaliate!

The necromancer raised their hand again, this time tracking Azreon as he ran towards them. More spectral beams spat out from their fingertips, raking an invisible ward around Azreon. Entropic energy sizzled against it, visible cracks forming as distortions in the air as the ward fractured. Another volley of the bolts followed, Azreon unable to dodge them despite his unnatural speed, chunks of his ward breaking away under the barrage.

The idiot’s not even going to make it.

The necromancer raised their other hand and, rather than point it at anyone, simply snapped their fingers with the sound of chalk breaking in half. Shaya caught a brief glimpse as a body floating in the swamp muck was limned in amethyst light, then a heartbeat later there was a cacophonous boom as the it exploded. Azreon staggered as bone shrapnel slammed into him, but Shaya couldn’t tell if any managed to pierce Azreon’s fullplate.

Before he could recover his footing, the Ur-Umbresnake riding around the necromancer’s neck unleashed a blast of caustic gas. Unlike its lessers, its breath traveled dozens of feet, washing over Azreon and causing him to vanish from their view. Shaya heard glass shatter – Azreon's ward giving way.

You threw your life away for your stupid pride, Shaya glared, deflecting another spear thrust with her shield and riposting by chopping her attacker in its skeletal face.

The gas around Azreon swirled, blowing away, and Shaya saw him moving again, all three swords whirling to generate gusts of wind. The necromancer nodded, impressed by the display, but looked unconcerned despite the noble’s speed.

“Get’em Azreon!” Galo called from behind her, “Bring them to Astoria’s justice!”

What’s the real trap?

Then the earth quaked, and Shaya’s eyes widened as the hill moved.