"It seems solid," Tinuviel said to herself, sitting on the back of the creature. "But," she stuck her hand into the creature. "Hey that's cold!" She pulled her hand out and watched as the shriveled, life-drained hand returned to normal. "Hmmm, that's an interesting reaction."
"Do not do that again," the shadow commanded. "The master requires you to be unharmed."
"Master...are you mazoku?"
"No...I am not."
"Then why do you have mazoku?"
"Aren't you scared at all?"
"Not really. Now how exactly can I put my hand through this bird, and still be able to ride on it?" She scratched her head in thought.
The shade ignored her as it shifted its awareness to regard the dragon close behind it. As soon as they landed, this girl's friends would be on them. Somehow he did not think that this is what his master had in mind when he was sent to collect the elf-girl. There was something funny here, these winged shades were usually much faster.
"My master is not going to be pleased with me," the shade sighed.
"It won't be a problem!" The shade turned to the source of the voice in time to see a black blade slice down and through its dark, insubstantial form. Zangulus grunted as he sat down on the back of the shadow creature's back. Tinuviel looked at him and scrunched her face.
"Hey, when did you turn into a person?"
"I didn't turn into anything," Zangulus snapped.
"Then how did you get here?" Tinuviel asked in confusion. "And what happened to the shadow thing?"
"Girl, you are in a very bad situation, you most likely are going to die," Zangulus explained patiently. "Aren't you the least bit afraid?"
"Why should I be?" Zangulus managed to avoid face faulting off the beast. "Oh my, that is a perfect example of pre Kouma War architechture, I wonder what it was made for, is that where we're going?"
Zangulus resigned himself to dealing with the girl, as sanity stretching as that might be. She might make a good hostage against the others later.
"The shade was destroyed," Val grumbled in his dragon voice.
"Did she toss some of that water on it or something?" Xina asked, she was sitting up near where the neck met the head..
"No there is some older man with a black sword," Val answered.
"Black blade?"
"He was hanging from the side of the thing since before we followed it. I think he stabbed the blade into it for a hand hold or something."
"Zangulus," Xina snarled.
"That's the guy that attacked you?" Val asked her.
"Yeah," Xina snarled. "As soon as he lands, let's gut him."
The circle was ready, he could cast the spell, but first he wanted to see what he had to deal with. When the spell was cast he'd spend some time locked away, protected and unreachable. Of course, while his transformation was occuring, his minions would arise in force. Then he would have a strong border prepared for his arrival. And the true conquest would begin.
A piercing cry ripped through the night sky beyond his walls. The necromancer strolled out to the window, and saw the dragon pursuing his shadow raptor. The necromancer's eyes widened and he ran back to the center of his circle, grabbing the mazoku's staff as he did so. He needed to cast the spell now!
As the beast landed, Zangulus dragged the girl off of it, interrupting a discourse on proper methods of maintaining such a building. The bounty hunter absent mindedly sliced his blade up through the shadow creature, causing its life force to dissipate into nothing.
"Come on girl, I don't want to be here when your friends land."
"That's weird," Tinuviel said, unconcernedly looking up. Zangulus looked up for a moment and saw the shadows along the ceiling being drawn inward. "I wonder what's doing thaaa...."
Zangulus dragged her along following the withdrawing shadows. Behind him he heard the dragon landing, but he was already inside.
"Damn it he's getting away!!" Xina shoutted.
"Xina, wait for us!" Xalan called out, running after her. His sister stalled as skeletons and zombies started bursting from the ground. Jol leaped right over her and the ranks of undead disappearing after the bounty hunter. Xina drew her sword, these mindless creatures weren't much of a threat, even to her. Then remembered the last time a mass of undead had appeared around her.
"Oh no!!! Not again!!" Xina back pedaled just in time to avoid a pair of quick fired Megido Flares. "Wait for me to get out of the way!!!" More undead were raising already, and shades could be seen in their ranks.
"Go on!" Janus shouted. "The dragon and I will hold these minions!"
"Val?" Xina asked.
"Go!" the dragon, now in human-form, wearing sort of a thrown on robe from somewhere. Then he crushed an attacking skeleton. Xalan, Xina and Amethyst smashed their way through the horde with the other two following behind and then blocking the way further into the building.
"I can't smell anything in all this stink," Xalan snapped.
"This place is evil," Amethyst shivered. "After we rescue Tinu we should raze it too the ground."
"Hey, could you let go of me," Tinuviel shouted. She snatched a vase that was one of the few un broken artifacts in the hallway. "Look at this vase, it must be older than..." she smashed it into the back of her captor's head. He fell to the ground and let go of her. "Oh, damnit, I broke it. What happened to you?"
"Dangerous sense of humor does not cover it." Zangulus complained as he stood up.
"I don't know who you are," Zangulus turned to face the voice and saw Jolrael standing there, sword in hand. "But get away from her."
Xina pulled ahead of her brother and Amethyst, following the shadows. She knew that the staff was there somewhere, and Zangulus would be there too, with Tinuviel.
"Hurry up!" Tinuviel shouted.
"Xina-san, please wait for the rest of us!" They all turned a corner into a huge room emanating dark power. In the center of an engraved circle was a twisting skeleton surrounded by dark power. Xina immediately recognized the staff in the thing's hands.
"You fools are too late," the undead monster snapped. "I am reborn, and within a season I will rise to rule this world!!!"
"Is that everything," Janus asked as he charred another skeleton.
"I think so," Val muttered. "We must have used up the place's graveyard. Those shades are easier the second time around."
"Good, its just us then," Janus laughed. Val turned in time to see the dagger sink into his shadow.
"Traitor," Val spat.
"I was never on your side," Janus corrected him. "And now, without you, Xina and her father's staff are mine."
"FIREBALL!!" Val shouted. "LIGHTING!"
"WINDY SHIELD!!!" The fireball bounced up into the ceiling and the stone work collapsed on both combatants.