This wasn’t the first time that Lucretia had been called to handle the spirits underneath the haunted lands of the phantom lords nor did she feel it would be the last. After the success of the previous venture she was gifted with some serious perspective regarding the spirits there. The deeper you went the more violent and powerful they would be. She hadn’t even gone past the fifth floor and they already were capable of killing people without much issue.

That was also before her body started to seem different; before she could keenly sense things. That she was stronger, faster, more graceful. It made her itch for fights that she couldn’t see and hunt after prey she could barely tell were there. This was just a long line of personal tests that she couldn’t quite understand. Like she was slowly getting to a point where she could handle more.

Traveling to the same location as before; meeting with the same priest as before all she could sense was the man’s fear. Anyone that could handle spirits like she did was someone they weren’t sure if they should trust but trust they had to. She’d be led to the same door where she found that there were more lit torches down there and the mumbling from the priest brought a twist of her head in his direction.

”E-ever since your last visit the spirits in the first five floors have been… muted. They fled to lower levels and the population of humans have moved away from there like the damned being freed.”

”Are there more humans or the like further down?”

”M-mostly bodies controlled by spirits or p-people you’d consider undead.”

Lucretia’s eyes narrowed a bit and look down the staircase before making her way down. She’d pause at a very particular spot; she could still remember the ghost that she had run into at that point that had been a guide. He had been a gentle kind soul that she wished in earnest would be more common. Sighing she’d continue on; the butt of her assegai meeting step after step as she hurried along.

She had to go find more ghosts; see if she could maybe clear more floors. Even if she only cleared one past the initial five she’d be a little more content but that would also require her to delve deeper into this place. Which… wasn’t so much a problem as it was just something she signed up for.

”Priest was acting awfully jumpy for some reason…”

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The further that Lucretia went the more she understood the priests’ jumpy nature; the place was completely silent. No wailing, no groaning, no spirits, no homeless living. Just dead silent graves and the dead laid properly to rest. They were so used to how it shouldn’t be that they forgot how it should be. It brought a small smile on her face as she passed by the now fixed locales of the catacombs but she still had a job to do. There was one big spirit that had been a problem for them and they wanted it taken out; but they wanted it to tire itself out first so the woman would have to make it angry before dispatching it.

Gripping her spear a little tighter as she approached the precipice of the fifth to sixth staircase the woman cocked her head to one side. She could hear the angry vibrations of something below and would start the descent. There were no extra ghosts, no extra spirits like last time. Just the vibrations of something big. Bigger than life and angry. She could feel the hair on her body stand up from the energy and anger of the spirit and once she entered the location she understood why.

The place was a pigsty, things were broken, statues and caskets overturned. It looked like someone had gone through a rampage here before she had even arrived. On the other side of the level she could see a single spirit, crouched down; hands on it’s head and the waves of anger rolling off of it like pulses. She’d sigh a little bit and start to approach.

”Now I know you’re angry about how this place is. How it’s been mistreated but you can’t just do what you’re doing and upsetting the peace.”

Lucretia’s lawful approach was bound to piss off someone and she was right when the spirit’s body hiked as she berated it for acting out of turn. A spirit was raw and powerful; full of emotions, full of magic and full of the hopes or dreams that it had before. It was mad to be still wandering like this. She’d bite on her lip as she saw it start to turn red near the hands and feet.

”Your home was trashed; where you were laid to rest defiled. I understand. But you need to calm down.”

Lucretia knew that the spirit would get mad at her and she’d visibly flinch as it started to stand up. Limbs unfolding to degrees that weren’t natural. She had been used to these things before but how they varied from location to location never ceased to amaze her. The groan that followed suit was more like a beast than a person and she’d raise a gauntleted hand to sort of ward off the ghosts anger.

”I need you to focus on something other than the anger you’re feeling right now.”

All I wanted was peace and I couldn’t even have that. Why should I care what the living want when they can’t even let me rest?

Lucretia gritted her teeth as the waves of anger slammed into her; rolled over her shoulders and dissipated behind her. If this ghost was left to it’s own devices it could be a serious problem for others later…

[971/2000]

The ghosts initial actions of standing weren’t inherently evil or threatening but when they lashed out it was like a whip. One that lucretia avoided barely as it slammed into one of the pillars nearby. Lucretia wasn’t expecting the pillar to just turn to dust and pile on the floor. Her eyes widened a little bit and she’d hop back a few times as the ghost let out a screech of anger. This spirit was absurdly powerful and lucretia could quickly understand why. It had feasted on the souls that had been on this floor which was why it was dead silent in here. The prior experience had a lot of whispering even as she dealt with the bigger spirits.

”You wanted peace yet you’re inviting me to attack you like this! Share with me your woes and not your anger!”

Lucretia snarled and rolled to the side as the spirit slammed it’s hands down in a fit of rage; the floor crumbling and the dirt underneath showing. It was powerful enough that it was aging things it hit rapidly. Or it was just breaking them down. Either way it would be a problem if Lucretia was even grazed by it. She was far faster than the spirit was thankfully. But it was quickly getting up to par with her as it’s rage increased.

One hand nearly got her but lucretia’s reaction was to flick her wrist; the assegai slamming into the ghost as though it was actually physically there. The enchanted weapon causing the ghost to grunt and be sent flying away from her. It looked surprised; the red that had been on it’s arms and legs receding a bit. Fear radiated off of the ghost for a moment before it roared in anger. Shaking the very halls until it teetered off into a dissatisfied shriek of rage.

Even the nine heroes don’t let me rest? Or are you just a pretender?

It’s voice whispered and lucretia paused, looking down to the weapon. She didn’t claim to be Shaka Zulu. She never would; that would be disrespectful. Lucretia shook her head and pointed the weapon at the spirit.

”Long gone I’m afraid. I simply wield the weapon and try to do my best to protect those using it’s power.”

It’s power? Tch! You barely understand the things you have. Your own power could be greater than any weapon but you either pretend or don’t know what true power is.

The ghost snarled and Lucretia hopped back again; eyeing the spirit while trying to figure out the best way to handle it. It had cooled off for a moment but it’s angry eyes stared deep into lucretia’s soul. Finding something it either didn’t like or didn’t expect it’d recoil and hiss.

A Werewolf wields a weapon of that sort? Preposterous! You overstep your bounds cursed!

Lucretia flinched at that insult and would have said something were it not for the ghost shrieking again before making an attack against her. She’d bring the weapon up and she felt her arms ache as the ghosts’ talons hit the weapon. The latter of which glowed faintly as if warding off the ghosts attack from it’s wielder. The ghost itself looked as though something hit it and it blinked in abject surprise…

[1,519]

The spirit was powerful for sure and lucretia felt her body ache anytime it grazed the armor or weapon she wielded. The ghost however also was not as fast or nearly as strong as lucretia initially believed. That or it was expending too much energy trying to turn the things it struck into dust. But it was clearly becoming evident to the werewolf that she was going to be okay if she played it safe. The warrior gritted her teeth a bit as she felt the ghost’s hands against her armor. For a moment it seemed like the latter would hold but.. She felt it turn to ashes around her body and the ghost hissed softly.

No more of this filth stopping me.

Lucretia hopped back a bit; noting that the spirit looked to be a little more haggard with that. She’d grit her teeth slowly as she could feel her own essence being under attack by the ghosts’ last touch. She’d twirl the spear in her hands with a semi practiced ease before glaring at the ghost who slowly started to walk forward.

Even your beastial transformation won’t be enough to stop what’s coming.

”Then it’s good that I have more than just my own beastial transformation.”

The ghost blinked, a look of confusion crossing it’s face before Lucretia’s body started to grow. Her own limbs taking the shape of Shaka Zulu’s lion shape. She had used it maybe once or twice before. Never really in proper places but spots she felt it was needed. She stood so tall that the ghost had to look up even with it’s own form distended as it was. It’s eyes grew wide as lucretia’s piercing blue eyes stared down at it.

She barely fit into the catacombs like this and were it not for the prowess of this form it might have laughed but this was an earnest threat. It’d take a step backwards; looking around as though trying to find something to feast on. Finding nothing it’d shriek in defiance.

Just because you take that form means nothing!

Lucretia growled a little bit and lunged forward. Her spear driving forward like a bolt of lightning and the ghost had to throw itself prone to avoid getting skewered. One hand coming up to drag against one of lucretia’s arms. It’d hiss in pain as it’s body was wracked with the effects of it’s own attack. While also causing lucretia’s offhand to go limp. She’d glance down at it and noted that for the most part it was fine. Just had a lot of it’s strength removed.

She’d tut a little bit; spinning the spear in her hand before making the second attempt not even a moment later. Slamming the spear head down and into the floor. Sending up tiles and a plume of dirt from where she struck. The ghost at the dead center of the strike. It looking surprised and hissing again as it was unable to free itself. She could see that it wasn’t going to be sticking around for long with how lucretia had pierced it.

Heroes always forget the people that they crush underfoot. You think you’re any different?

”I’m not a hero. Just someone trying to do the right thing for those she cares about.[/i]”[/b]

T-then why come here at all? Was this place really that much of a threat????

”Had you escaped you someday could have been.”

The ghost blinked, opening it’s mouth and then closed it again. Looking as though Lucretia had truly stumped it. It’d close it’s eyes after a moment and with one last shuddering breath that it didn’t need to take…

M-maybe then… I can just rest instead.

”Everything will be okay. I’ll fix this place up or at least get the priests to.”

...Th… Be… nice…

Lucretia watched the spirit dissolve into nothingness and felt her form sag after she let the lion go back into the spear. Rubbing at her arm she’d sigh again and just head back upstairs. The priests seemed really surprised to see her so soon but after explaining what had happened they quickly gave her her payment before sending her on her way. They had work to do after all.

”...Hero huh?”

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