The Necromancer's Daughter

|| ten ||

"Ilva Sevrusa!" Rebecca heard Lucille's voice amongst the darkness. She saw a bright white light spark and for a moment she saw the mother witch fending off the ghouls. They were heavily outnumbered, though. And although the spells were successful in hitting them one by one, the ghouls were just too many to be defeated.

Rebecca managed to free herself from ghouls with the potions they stocked earlier. It was enough to distract them, but basic potions to shun and dissuade the ghastly beings can only do so much. She couldn't see where she was going as the ghouls blocked every inch of light, but Rebecca kept herself in frantic motion. She never stopped in fear of the darkness getting to her again.

"Gotcha!" Rebecca felt a hand, a human hand, grab her by the wrist. "Ilva Sevrusa!" To her relief, it was Lucille. "Come here, I'll get us out!"

With hands clasped together, they were able to evade the hovering ghouls until they reached a far wall. "Oh no," Rebecca gasped, realizing they were cornered. Without hesitation, Lucille waved her free hand and destroyed the wall, creating an opening for them to escape.

They slipped out as fast as they could, never turning back at the wretched cottage that almost got both of them killed. They weren't too far away when a blood curling scream made Rebecca stop and turn around. "Kaven, help! Aaaah!" It was Jili.

She pulled Lucille back, and the woman stared at her. "But Rebecca..."

"We can't leave them there." Another scream reached her ears. "He wants me. The only one he wants here is me. They shouldn't be a part of this." She held Lucille's hand tight. She prepared herself to fight her if she insisted to leave the two strangers. She knew Lucille would flip her in a flick of a finger but she wouldn't turn a deaf ear to their calls for help.

"Alright," Lucille rescinded, to Rebecca's relief. "But don't let go of my hand. Don't ever let go of my hand, you understand?"

Rebecca nodded and the two of them came running back, stopping only when they were about ten feet away from the cottage. Rebecca was just about to ask if Lucille had a plan when the older woman spoke, "I'll break one side of the house and draw the ghouls out that way." She pointed to the left. "When I tell you to, pull out them out the other way, okay?"

"Wait, what!? H-how do I even do that?"

"Just keep your hands on mine and think it, believe it! You have magic in you, remember? I'll channel my magic to you to help you out." Rebecca didn't know if she could do this, but she'd do anything to save them. "Ready?" Lucille asked in haste. She nodded.

Lucille closed her eyes and focused all her energy to her hands. What she planned to do was temporarily override The Necromancer's control over the ghouls and cast them out of the house. It should give Rebecca enough time to get the people out and for all of them to escape.

This was no easy feat, though, because controlling the soulless spirits required her to teeter on the thin line between good and evil. She will need to use dark magic, and not let it consume her, however tempting it might seem to cross over. She doesn't know if she's strong enough to fight it when it comes for her.

But a dire situation called for dire action. She prayed to the Goddess for strength and guidance. She then willed some of her magic to flow over to Rebecca, which the girl felt as an electrifying force running through her veins. Lucille heaved, raised her free hand and finally chanted:

Altered spirits that once had souls
Now turned to darkness, turned into ghouls.
Without free will, you do as told.
Now with this hand I'll take control!

A wisp of grayish smoke formed from Lucille's lips and swirled around her hand. Rebecca watched as Lucille's pupils expanded until all of her eyes turned to black. She gasped at the sight of her turning into something dark and sinister.