Finally they were a step closer to their goal of stopping the cult. However, as they arrived at the underground caverns that the Fae believed the cult was hiding in she couldn't help but notice Nozrum was unsettled. "What's the matter Nozrum? You seem to be getting restless, is this place familiar to you?"

Ryuko's words earned a nod from the elderly sage who peered deeper into the darkness. "This paths leads to an underground city..." An underground city?! Like the type the dwarves build in the mountains? Or the rumored dark elves lived hiding from civilization? Yet before she could voice her excitement the man shook his head. "This city was founded by a particular mortal. A dark elf called Ilthurin."

Ryuko couldn't help but find her excitement stirred as she listened to the man's explanation while they delved deeper into the caverns. "Ilthurin was renown for detecting the way otherworldly forces considered the people of Earthland as a pawn in some sort of cosmic game and desired to find a way to sever any sort of otherworldly influence upon Earthland. One of his most powerful feats was when he slain a Demon Lord and carved a helmet out of his skull that allowed Ilthurin to call upon the fallen to rise again."

Ryuko's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're saying we are entering the domain of the sorcerer who invented Necromancy?" Wary to say the least Ryuko's words made Nozrum brush aside her concerns. "Ilthurin died long ago and most of his followers perished when the church of Illumin banned necromancy, in fact this city was raided during the crusades, but perhaps the cult came here in search for relics or forbidden knowledge."

Hearing these words Ryuko knew what course of action to take next...

WC: 300
Total WC: 300/1800

Silence followed those words as Ryuko stepped into the gloom of the tunnels ahead and even as her tail swayed behind her in excitement, the fiery blaze in her eyes made it clear she was excited. Not the sort to keep a headstrong child waiting the Sage walked next to her. Fortunately for them they didn't need to wait long because as the underground city and its majestic gates came into view a pair of cultists spotted them and instantly went for their weapons! Only for one of them to suddenly find himself rushed into headlong by the confident dragon girl who had tackled him into the wall. Meanwhile Nozrum turned his attention toward the other cultist.

While this man brought out his own sword Nozrum casted his spell. "Magic Shield" A series of runes appeared in mid air and the man had just enough time to see the lights of these runes burning brightly before a blast of energy struck his magical shield. His sword shook in his arms as his muscles strained in effort as the blast pushed against his shield before, with a flash of light and a cry of pain he was hurled backwards into the darkness as the spell's energy blinded and shattered the magic shield. The man disappeared from sight as smoke obscured the dark cave where he was thrown into and as the echoing booms of his impacting upon the walls resounded Nozrum hurried toward the young girl.

He paused as he saw the blackened trail of the wall before spotting Ryuko dragging the cultist who she knocked unconscious up to her feet. His eyes could feel the anger inside her pupils as if the young dragoness was keeping a raging inferno bottled up behind her lips. Just the sight of her frustrated at failing to get information and her opponent showing such apparent fear made her furious. The ancient sage understood well that he had to show her that using restraint was good, that there are methods to defeat someone without killing him. "Can I try?"

Nozrum's words made Ryuko pause, letting go off her grip on the cultist who cowered in front of the pair. Nozrum crouched down in front of the cultist, raising a hand toward the cultist's head, a feeble glow releasing from their grip as Nozrum started to peer into the memories of the cultist.

WC: 401
Total WC: 701/1800

"Wh-What?!" The cultist exclaimed in confusion as he gazed around in growing panic as strange images entered his thoughts.
"Wha..." Ryuko gasped in confusion as images flashed in her mind, overwhelming her just like Nozrum's vision. The pair observed images of an immense corpse buried in the ruins of the city, at least that's what it was supposed to be, but as the visions intensified and a series of crimson tendrils slithered over its skull. The eyes of the corpse came alive... Nozrum, having to take a moment to steady himself, looked up to meet the cultist's face.

"What happened next?" the Sage inquired. "... he didn't die." the cultist responded "The master found him sealed within a well of ice in the depths of the sanctuary here..."
"Do you happen to know why he was there?" Nozrum inquired. "The master... said she hears Vortigern's voice... Calling out, telling her to revive him." the man explained while Nozrum in return was left to ponder upon these revelations.

"Master? As in that black haired woman?" This description earned a nod from the cultist who had appeared resigned to his fate as if he knew fully well he would never leave the tunnels in a living form.

"She is not the kind of person you can cross." the man grimly announced. Nozrum in return offered a sympathetic nod. "Please be silent for now, our destination is the heart of the city and if the ones who came here believed that you helped us, then she might be unwilling to listen."

Even as their way into the city was granted the cultist kept silent to honor Nozrum's request. The two quietly made their way deeper into the underground caverns, but now their goal had been clear. They had to reach this sanctuary and prevent the cultist leader from reviving Vortigern! If they had his corpse, and the rumors that said the master heard Vortigern speak out to her, then they had almost everything to set in motion a disaster!

WC: 340
Total WC: 1041/1800

Rushed footsteps resounded on the harsh rocky surface as the duo made their way deeper into the underground city. How many cultists had come to stop them? At this point she had lost track of the trail she left in her wake. With each corpse that fell the more she felt her initial excitement make way for concern. "Is this Vortigern the same dragon from your story?" Ryuko asked, to which Nozrum nodded his head firmly. "It is likely, although I am certain he was slain during our fateful battle as I watched his corpse fall toward the surface, it is quite possible that the cult is being manipulated."

Manipulated? Were they planning to use the corpse of Vortigern as a vessel instead of truly reviving the ancient dragon? No, they were still missing too much information for her thoughts to be anything more than conjecture at this point. Spending time pondering about what-ifs would get them nowhere... In the end their goal remained unchanged: Stopping the cult by any means. Finally they started to reach the inner sections of the city, and across the plaza she could see a large temple of some sort, perhaps a sanctuary of sorts that the cultist mentioned earlier?

WC: 200
Total WC: 1241/1800

However, if she wanted to get passage into this sanctum it seemed the cultists weren't about to let her enter without a fight. Several of the cultists came rushing in from nearby alleyways, clearly alarmed by how deep they had entered the underground city.

While some seemingly were casters, as they stayed back and started chanting some sort of incantation one of the cultists brandishing a spear lunged toward her! Ryuko however remained undaunted in the face of this opposition, and with the cultist's weapon thrust toward her the dragon girl nimbly dodged sideways, her hand surrounded by red scales as she unleashed a fierce punch into the cultist's stomach. The natural strength that came with her species was enough to send the cultist reeling backwards and into one of the chanting cultists!

Nozrum saw a golden opportunity in this and scribes several runes in the air that soon lit up a yellow color as electricity surged wildly toward the cultists, electrocuting the collapsed pair and rendering them unable to continue fighting.

But that didn't change the fact there was still a remaining threat to deal with! Ryuko swiftly lowered her hand down toward the surface, causing the earth to mold together into the shape of one of her favorite summons: a Stone golem. The golem intercepted the rain of fire bolts the cultist had cast, slowly approaching the cultist who was being backed away despite the fireballs being pelted onto the golem till the golem slung his massive arm, knocking the cultist into the nearby buildings!

"Now let's go and see what these cultists are hiding-" Ryuko chimed as she took a step forward but all of a sudden it felt like the entire underground city was shaking! An Earthquake?! No, this seemed more like something different. The high density of mana that was surging toward the sanctum and the piercing sound that threatened to tear through her eardrums... It was akin to a dragon's roar!

"Are we too late?!" Nozrum worriedly stated but Ryuko was already darting deeper into the cavern. There was no way she would allow something as evil as Vortigern to walk the land again. They had to stop him no matter the cost!

Rushing after her Nozrum hoped to warn her to show caution, that the cult might had not played their last cards yet but unfortunately he was too late. As Ryuko opened the door and charged inside she felt her body freezing in its tracks, the oppressive aura that came from the corpse of this creature in front of her being so much that even she was aflicted by it. Nozrum meanwhile felt as if something had restrained him, and looking at the walls he noticed too late the contraptions that were placed there: a trap?!

The sound of clapping resounded through the Sanctum as a woman's voice accompanied it. "A bit later than expected~ But finally our special guest has arrived. I see he even brought an additional companion, but let it not be said I am a inhospitable host: I will permit her presence on this glorious party."

From the shadows a raven-haired woman appeared, a sly smirk spread across her lips. "Took your time to get here Nozrum, Vortigern was almost worried you wouldn't be there to see his glorious return." Yet Nozrum only glared in defiance toward the woman. "You don't know the evil you're toying with woman!" Yet The master of the cult merely chuckled. "Oh~ but I do~ I also know the fact we couldn't start this event without your special guest~" The woman's grind only widened as she turned her attention toward Ryuko...

WC: 620
Total WC: 1800/1800