Chapter 20 - Nineteen (1/2)

I go the closest I felt comfortable with to the staff. The farther away the worst it is to Manipulate the shadow, but I trained a lot this last days; is a very handy skill.

I let the shadows go up the staff in the form of void-black snakes, but not touching or moving the staff until they reached to top.

'Now'

I pull the staff away, throwing it to the other side into another room, and before the necromancer could react my brother launches a Fire Ball at him.

Without waiting I dash to him even before the flames start to dissipate and jump up the table right at the back of his neck, but surprisingly one of his back hands grabs me.

Ugh, my neck.

Before he could break it my brother throws an Explosive Ball that messes the whole room, but the necromancer still refuses to let go, only giving me space and room to breathe fire on his arm.

Catching my breath I jump back, waiting the smoke to clean up to see the damage. His back arm fell down, burned and melted, to the ground, and half his grim and now livid face was all but bone.

Still, for a surprise attack, it didn't leave enough damage. Rolling the staff farther out of the room with my Shadow Manipulation, I start to growl at him, using Intimidation, to keep his focus on me.

”You-little-rascals” He says, pausing, sounding even more angry then if he had shouted. ”You shall pay by become my new servants. Come!”

From his hands a green mist starts to form, taking the shape of a skull. Then another. Then another, until the air is filled with this flying skull-mist kind of creatures. They start laughing, banging their teeth in the other, making a clashing eerie sound.

They quickly went flying in my direction, but I manage to dodge them while I extended my shadow until it reaches the Necromancer's feet. He quickly speaks something and break the crystal in his hand before I lock his legs and pull him, distracting him and throwing a Fire Ball at his face, while my brother send another from his back.

Unable to move, one was bound to reach.

The Fire Ball in front; mine; was blocked by his back arm, rendering it useless as the other since both apparently were undead material, and burned really nice.

But the one on the back; my brother's; was blocked… by a wind attack.

That came from the body behind the necromancer.

-Appraisal Completed –

(Short version)

Race: Lich (High Undead-commanded)

Level: 30

Element: Wind, Dark, Undead

Ineptitudes: Fire, Light, alive by command.

Status: Freshly made

Shit. Big Shit.

We had cleaned up beforehand the parts around the cattle of the undead because he may be able to use them, but I never thought he could create one, a high level at that, so quickly.

'What should we do brother? Retreat?'

'No, focus on the necromancer, the other is only a puppet, we only need to cut the strings, just try to block his attacks for me ok?'

'Ok kind off'

Kind of what? No time to ponder, the Lich starts to stand as the necromancer tries to free his feet, invocating more of those skulls.

It became more difficult to dodge as the Lich threw Wind Blades at me, but it didn't seem to be familiarized with his new body and abilities.

We should end this quick them.

I thought of some possibilities beforehand, and as commanding undead was one of his abilities, I counted on some miscalculations of our part, though that level scared me.

My brother used another Explosive Ball, barking and calling the Lich attention to himself; which was easy for his beacon type form. The necromancer wasn't fooled, however, the mere second he wasted blocking his attacks was enough for me to stealth away; I used my Shadow Manipulation to make a silhouetted of me to look as if I had entered a shadow, deliberately letting him see a glisp of it as it entered another shadow from the opposite side.

He sent the Lich up to my brother, but I wasn't as worried as I normally would be; I have trained him this last few days to learn how to take care on his own, and today he will be put to test. Better get the necromancer then, even more now without support.

So when he went and attacked the silhouette-lure, I didn't waste time and jumped straight at him, breathing fire midair, but he was quick and sacrificed all his skulls to form a wall in front of him.

Unable to reach him like I planned, I throw another Fire Ball at him to safely jump back. He was furious, I could see clearly in his face, but we planned well, taking any resource he could use.

Ding – Title earned – Strategist

Annoyed he attacked with a green mist, covering the room like a gigantic clawed hand, passing thought the objects like they weren't there. Not trusting that my shadow would protect me I quickly retreat out of his reach, going back to zero.

Attacking a few more times we walked all over the room, up against the shelves, close to the doors, back to the tables, until he reached some of the drawers and took three crystals off.

”You little shit, making me use my resources, I will make you work like a slave!”

Them he crunched them in his hands.

Like the skulls, some smoke from the color of the crystals started to rise, taking shape and landing on the floor.

Shit.

They were probably the creatures that owned the crystals. They didn't seemed very stable, coming and going from their form to mere strips of light and mist, but the claws that touched the ground let marks on them.

Double Shit.

I looked at them and used appraisal:

Electric Snake: A big blue snake with horns running on the back until its tail, known to hunt in cold waters, using electricity to paralyze its prey.