225 Cleansing Ritual

Grace letting loose the first arrow passing through the ghost with no effect. "They aren't fully formed yet," Pichard informed us as he manifested a large golden triangular shield. Holding it up high defensively readying himself.

"Are there normally this many?" I questioned holding out my wand readying myself.

"A little more usual but nothing out the ordinary," Seraphine answered as she skewered the first ghost through its head with her spear as it let out a very loud ghastly wail. The tip of her spear glowed golden burning away at the ghost from the inside out as it shrieked in pain evaporating from existence.

"Stay sharp there's quite a few," Ezechiel yelled as he began dispatching ghost with his crossbow as a cacophony of wails roared out from each and every Ghost.

With an outstretched hand, Laila shot out a golden bolt form her hand piercing through a Ghost dispatching it in one spell. Teaming up with Grace shooting firebolts in conjunction with her shots quickly dispatching ghosts one after another, but more and more ghosts kept forming faster then we could dispatch.

"How long do we have to keep this up?" I asked as we began to back up to maintain our formation.

"Not much longer," Seraphine answered letting out a bright flash from her shield against one Ghost that charged at her momentarily blinding it allowing Pichard to dispatch it with a swift slash of his sword.

Adjusting her gauntlets Daisy picked up her maul and began to channel her energy as she walked forward and a set of six beams of light beamed down around her as six heavily armoured soldiers wielding great swords appeared readying their swords instantly swinging at any nearby ghost within reach.

We kept this up for what felt like forever, Daisy Seraphine and Pichard holding firm in the front against what felt like an endless stream of Ghosts with the rest of us staying at ranged dispatching as many as we could.

"What's going on?... Are you sure this is normal?" I questioned again

"No, it defiantly seems a lot more than usual," Seraphine answered swiftly dispatching ghost after ghost with her spear and shield.

The sounds of horrified human screams could be heard in the distance suddenly, "What is that?" Laila questioned looking in the direction of the scream.

"Must be scavengers, but what's spooked them?" Ezechiel asked looking in the distance.

"Laila, Ezechiel you two go check it out, we'll finish the cleansing," Seraphine ordered making the two sprint off quickly.

"This feeling doesn't feel good," Pichard answered looking to the side and looking back at us with eyes of shock.

Quickly looking at the direction he did, the horrifying scene of innumerable Elven bodies and body parts seemingly began twitching to life. "Seraphine this isn't good," Pichard informed her.

"Yes, I sense very dark necrotic energy as well." She answered still dispatching the ghosts in front of her. "Let's end this, Daisy do you have a Sun Beam stocked?" She questioned Daisy.

"Let's do it," Daisy said dropping her Maul and began to meditate as her Guardians carried on protecting her from harm.

"Pichard you ready?" Seraphine questioned as she let out a large flash from her shield that blinded all the ghosts momentarily even blinding me for a few seconds.

"Let's do it." Pichard agreed, dispelling his holy shield and began casting a spell in unison with Daisy and Seraphine. Three large beams of light struck down on the ghosts utterly vapourising them all completely.

"Why didn't you start with that?" Grace questioned stowing away her bow.

"Don't let up, whatever is stirring the Dark Elves awake is still going on, I have no idea what is happening," Seraphine answered.

"Paul said they were fleeing from something a dark being, something of a failed God." I answered her in a panic.

"Well... it would be great if Atlantis shared that information earlier with us," Seraphine answered

"It's bad I sense a lot of undead in the area, thankfully not all of them are being roused," Daisy informed us her eyes glowing golden yellow.

"How about Laila and Ezechiel? what's there situation?" Pichard asked.

"They should be safe they are near the outer edge of whatever is happening here," Daisy answered.

"Okay then, firstly we need to find the source of what's rousing them," Seraphine explained as the corpses of innumerable Dark Elves began to slowly rise up like zombies slowly but inevitably making their way towards us.

"Judging by the point of origin should be here," Daisy said taking a scan around.

The green mists between our feet slowly became a dark black making us all slowly look back where the ghosts primarily spawned. The black mist began coalescing into a grotesque monstrosity, letting out an ear-deafening wail that shook me to my very core. "By any chance is that the dark being?" Seraphine questioned grasping her ears trying to shield her ears from the wail.

"I'm not sure, but if it is we need to run!" I shouted back to her.

"What do you know?" She questioned.

"Umm...." I began rummaging through my mind trying to remember what Paul said, "It has a life-sucking aura, a death stare and magic." I answered in a panic trying to remember all I could.

"Pichard Death wards Now!" Seraphine ordered in a panic hearing what I said, making Pichard cast a spell on all of us giving us all an almost invisible shimmering gold aura around us. "We're retreating now! 30ft minimum." Seraphine ordered holding her shield readying to defend herself pulling Daisy back and making the rest of us fall back, clearing a path through the DarkElves making sure we were safe.

Something felt off, for some odd reason the roused Dark Elves showed no hostility just slowly strolling towards us having no intention to attack us, just slowly strolling towards us. "Pichard send the signal!" Seraphine ordered making him nod causing him to shoot a large bright flare into the sky.

"What's the plan?" Grace questioned, her bow and arrow still aimed at the monster.

"We'll hold tight for reinforcements, we have no idea what we're dealing with," Seraphine answered as more and more undead Dark Elves appeared.

"Who's coming to help?" I questioned in a panic.

"Well we're the most qualified outside my mother and Archbishop but we just need some more back up for the Dark Elves." She answered as numeral Dark Elves some even looking like odd parts forced together. "Grace save your ammunition for those in our immediate threat range, we don't want you running out of arrows when that thing decides to act," Seraphine ordered pointing at what seemed to be fuelling everything.

"Pichard hit it with a guiding bolt," Seraphine ordered making Pichard nod holding out his holy symbol shooting out a bolt of holy energy straight into the monstrosity.

It let out a deafening gargled screech of pain as huge lashers erupted out of its body, without warning one shot out straight towards Pichard, "Watch out!" Seraphine screamed barging him out the way holding her golden shield up high bracing for impact.

With a resounding crack, she took the impact miraculously only getting pushed back a step or two but her shield had a huge dent and crack just from one impact. "We need to fall back that thing is stronger than anything I've ever seen." She said dropping her now mundane looking shield to the floor and began pulling us back.

I instantly began reaching for my badge, "Paul we need your help!" I yelled into it hoping I was in range for him to hear.

All the lashers began violently lashing out at all the Dark Elves pulling them into itself..... and with each and every Dark Elf I could swear I can see a minuscule part of it became real along with a sense of pure dread.