Oasis

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Scraps of knowledge from the other life suggested that goblinoids such as the Uhar and the Not Uhar were generally quite weak compared to most humanoids, if that held true here as a surprising amount of things seemed to, then it was entirely possible that the injured guard really was down and not just faking it.
"Reminder... Your strength is in the upper levels of average humanoid potential with my assistance..."
Lumina commented, reminding the rat that it was basically being optimised constantly by the cheat code rock it swallowed, perhaps it would be worth discussing with Lumina the exact things it should be doing with Ratty's body later, boundaries were important even and perhaps especially with their strange partnership.

Edric apparently decided to check the downed guard and flipped them over, there was a notable dent where the hammer had impacted, and the beginnings of a red stain seeping into the ragged armour it wore.
"This guy better hope his boss isn't too hard to kill... And that the other guys feel like patching him up... Crush wounds can be really bad".
Edric sounded like he spoke from experience, and as a former farmer it wasn't too hard to see how he might have acquired said experience.

As Ratty chanted a strange void sensation began to fill them, it was an indescribable shape that seemed to want something... Until it seemed suddenly to fill right as the hammer was swung, cloaking the weapon in electrical charge as it struck the ground with an unexpected amount of force, cracks rapidly spreading along the floor and walls and in mere seconds, collapsing the ground beneath them, there were surprised sounds from Edric and Lizzy as they too fell the fortunately not too large distance to the floor beneath them, kicking up surprisingly little dust, the Lord seemed to prefer his personal sanctum cleaner than up above.

As the dust brought down with them cleared and the room they were in became visible, it also became clear that they were not alone, as there were nine shamblers in there at the edges of the room, as well as five more crushed beneath them that didn't seem to be moving.
The shamblers were a mix, some were human, some goblin, and even what seemed like a couple of elves... And now they were turning towards Ratty and the others, crumbling weapons grasped and hostility evident.

 

[Fyrra]

Getting a slightly more thorough visual on the wounded guard at least got a wince out of the one who caused that wound: that looked, and smelled, like blood, and on top of that there was also the possibility of internal bleeding, rather than the force of the strike simply being enough to break the skin. The explanation and reminder from Lumina echoed in their host's own thoughts, measuring strength in human terms, and while the ratling stared, an observant companion might see it mouthing the words "that wasn't supposed to-" before the creature abruptly turned away.

Perhaps holding back a little bit might be considered in the future, possibly even the near future, but at this junction the little one simply couldn't find any room for sympathy after every non-forceful measure taken thus far had faced rejection, and the consequences of turning back included more people turning into those shambling husks that didn't appear to feel themselves being set ablaze. However cold the ratling might feel about thinking this later, recovering from that wound was the guard's problem, and any other injured adversaries were the uhar's problem, whenever they got free.

Edric was right in his assessment, though: that guard's fate could very well depend on how quickly his boss falls, as well as the mercy of the uhar in general. The other sentries seemed more keen on delivering victims to their doom. Case in point, the collapsing floor.

There was so much to take in from the mere act of cracking the floor open that the ratling couldn't focus on its landing! The creature squeaked in astonishment as it landed on its rear, both at the actual damage done with the relatively tiny hammer, and the presence of an electrical discharge: was magic partially powered by poetry? That was so dorky! And cool! And... improperly translated? There was certainly a loud clatter throughout the halls, but that came from the floor collapsing, not a thunderous hammer announcing its collision. At least the stonework didn't conduct electricity, or this outcome could have been even more shocking!

"Oww, flexed too hard." Cue a blink as the rat dragged itself back to its feet, making eye contact with several of the shamblers as they drew their weapons. If facing down a guard was difficult, drawing steel against the tragic victims of this plague was worse. The way they grasped their poorly-maintained arms suggested they weren't the bitey kind of shambler, which just made it worse: these people still retained some level of intellect, and given the makeup of this bunch, it suggested that the person responsible for this had been at it for some time. Still, as the ratling needed a moment to grasp its hammer again (the recoil on hitting a wall with the force of a wrecking ball was intense!), and the shamblers had yet to close the distance, the difference in numbers presented a problem. But the rat had the solution to all problems!

A rock!

Reaching into its bag for a stone, the ratling wound up for a rough pitch... and just as it was ready to let the stone fly, the creature stopped. It wasn't holding one of the rubble-bits. That was a glow-stone in its hand.

Cue another blink.

The glow-rocks were moved away from the patrol routes for a reason, Edric had mentioned: that guy was just full of interesting and relevant information. With no other alternative that didn't involve bloodying up a bunch of innocent people, the rat decided now was the time to see just what the shamblers were so afraid of about these stones, and focused on the one in hand to activate it.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

On the plus side this world WAS full of magic and basic herbal mixtures that seemed as effective as any scientifically produced medicines, so assuming they could perform something like basic surgery such a wound could turn out to be survivable and maybe act as a lesson to the foolish guard who drew a weapon in such a situation.
Perhaps asking about medical techniques could be yet another future project, knowing what could and couldn't be treated could heavily influence combat.

As the shamblers approached, fortunately slowed by manoeuvring around the massive amount of rubble that Ratty had brought down with that hammer strike, Ratty's companions prepared for a fight, Edric had one of his swords out in an almost professional looking manner while Lizzy.... Well it was hard to tell how exactly a mage could prepare but she LOOKED ready at least.

The glow stone was an interesting choice, the shamblers seemed almost hesitant as Ratty held it up, even before activating, and once it was active they actively stopped their approach, the things REALLY didn't like those stones it seemed... Maybe it was worth throwing one to see exactly why they were so adverse to the stones? After all they still needed to get through them before the less easily warded off forces arrived to investigate the massive crashing sound from a floor collapsing near the prison cells.

 

[Fyrra]

Hammer in one hand, stone in another, the ratling stared down its adversaries as they closed in, thinking on different ways to adapt to fighting other opponents, and possibly these ones too if they were still indeed among the living. Of course, this was far from the ideal time to just knock one down and get a... pulse reading? Huh. Where could that idea have seeped in from? At the very least, a hammer-swing with both hands was probably overkill depending on which part of the body it struck, especially with the side of the hammer that wasn't blunted, but on the subject of breaking arms as an alternative, what if the ratling just avoided swinging for body parts entirely? Knocking a weapon from a warrior's hands was... possible? A smaller target, for certain, and even more difficult if the adversary was as quick as Edric.

Speaking of Edric, it was curious that he could wield a sword, and having him along made the formation less... intensely dependent on the rodent drawing everyone's attention? It made fighting for one's life a little bit less stressful.

"Here, catch," the rat called out as it passed the glowstone at whichever group of shamblers were closest together, before immediately reaching for a second one and lighting it up, "What're you so afraid of, anyway? It's just starlight."

All the urgency in the world couldn't make this ratling stick to the plan and get away from the source of this loud noise before reinforcements showed up, if it there was something to experiment with. Something about observing the results of poking at dangerous things just hit all the satisfying buttons, though a more thorough test might have to wait until later if observable results beyond scaring the shamblers away took time.

"Okay. On ten, I turn around and we charge down the hallway." That makeshift prison upstairs was an indicator that the room directly beneath it also had a large open space, right? Or would it mean the opposite? Apparently architecture was not in one of the rat's knowledge pools.

"One." The creature bent its knees, ready to spring.

"Two." A little twist to get the turn just right, a little more focus into the current stone...

"Ten!"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Their grips are... Lose, Disarming should be possible".
Lumina declared, having been examining the enemy for any signs of weakness other than their slowness.
"They seem to only acquire a firm grip and speed up immediately before striking".
Lumina continued in a robotic tone, finding it easier to speak like that in a combat situation, less trouble getting the point across that way.
"Failing that... A disarming strike may also suffice".
Something about the second suggestion of disarming seemed to imply that Lumina was NOT in fact talking about their weapons in that situation... After all removal of limbs would certainly stop someone fighting and was more or less survivable, and who knows? Maybe growing limbs back was possible in this world.

The glowstone struck the shambler even as they tried in vain to dodge it, causing a flash of light from the impact as the stone shattered, despite not being throw hard enough to normally do so.
More interesting was the effect, the shambler that was struck simply dropped as if it's strings were cut, eyes still open and some twitching suggesting it might still be 'alive'.
However by now some had apparently scooted close enough to attack, with Edric awkwardly parrying a strike from an axe and slashing at the arm holding it, which didn't seem to work at making it drop the weapon.
"I believe these may not be... Alive".
Lumina stated, hoping that would give Ratty less reservations on going all out.

Lizzy and Edric were taken by surprise as Ratty ran before ten was supposed to come, but reacted fast enough, following after through a gap in the shamblers until they came upon a door, it looked out of place, black and glasslike, obsidian perhaps? Covered in strange markings, though it seemed unlocked, and a horrid smell seeped through the tiny gaps between it and the frame it sat in.

 

[Fyrra]

That the shambler should fall upon making contact with the glow-stone was fascinating stuff! A pity, then, that it could not be observed without first cutting through the remainder of its entourage as well as any reinforcements that might have shown up. Everyone seemed able to hold their own, so it might have even been prudent to make sure the miniature crowd couldn't follow everyone further into the ruins before running away.. but that would cost time and possibly a few wounds, pending how effective everyone was at disarming a small mob, whichever way they could.

Lumie's little monotone deadpan puns were the best, though. Something about the little rock's delivery felt familiar, possibly even nostalgic. Was there someone the creature knew who shared that mannerism?

The rodent paused as it approached the door, wafting the air away from its nose with a squeaky little grumble. However inviting an unlocked door appeared, the creature glared at it like it was an obstruction all the same, either from all the runes or something else. Something about this portal seemed fishy, and not in the good way, but for what it's worth it was an excuse to check in with everyone: fleeing from the sluggish hoard could not have been great for morale, but it had already been demonstrated that those things were slow.

"What a stench. We thought it was bad up top, but this is so much worse... how is everyone holding up?"

The ratling listened to its comrade's replies and, assuming there were no requests to not continue prodding at things, started digging in its bag again. Eventually the creature produced one of the non-glowing stones, and gently threw it at the door to see if that would cause any reaction. Then it tried again with the door-handle.

"I, errm. One moment. This smell is just too much."

And, like any child given some way to make a big mess with comparatively little effort, the ratling stepped up in front of the door once more, setting the glowstone in hand back in its bag, and... danced in a little spinning motion, moving its arms around in a hazy wave. Then it stopped, mouthing a few words to itself with a confused expression, before resuming and repeating out loud.

"Toward the rot and the dust
that does our nose a-pester,
we glow forth a gust
to whence the forest's wounds fester!"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"This door is enchanted... Deeply and with complexity".
Lumina stated, having of course been examining the strangely decorated door, it would do no good if it's host was to perish from a simple trapped door after all! Though Lumina did briefly consider whether it would be able to take control if it's host was reduced to a shambler, hopefully that would never need to be tested.
"Spells... Seem to be intended to keep things within, but do not in any way bar entry, it may be difficult to leave quickly however".
Basically it seemed like entering was fine but leaving was hard, was that so the 'lord' would not need to worry about his prey fleeing without permission?

At first, there was a similar feeling to before with the lighting spell, the strangely shaped emptiness appearing and beginning to fill with energy... But then something seemed to go wrong as the air in Ratty's lungs was expelled in a powerful single breath that left their lungs aching, and upon attempting to take a breath, it became clear that it was impossible as the air around them was blown away.
Just when it seemed Ratty might be about to black out, the now filled shape within Ratty was torn apart and sweet air returned, looking around, Lizzy and Edric were catching their breath as well, though were not as badly affected as Ratty had been.
"That spell... Was not correct".
Lumia declared, unusual levels of distress present in their brain speech.

 

[Fyrra]

Where the crackle and bolting of electricity had proven itself not just helpful but defiant of the stone floor's lack of conductivity, wind elementalism had proven itself a force to not be pushed around lightly, and after gasping for air for a good moment, the ratling found itself and its friends just on the verge of blacking out before they could breathe again, the child in particular moments from falling prone, coughing. Thank goodness (and Lizzy!) for the masks keeping any putrid contaminants out while the trio recovered from this mistake.

When the creature finally caught its breath, it groaned in frustration. "That was... unwise. Fine, this place can stink all it wants to. Fffffffaaaaaaaaah," it nearly cursed aloud, "How're you two holding up? That was intense. I think, maybe I should just stick to hitting things until I get to know magic's other sides a little better. Hitting things... and that dream-snot. Oh, the dream snot. That could have brought that guard down more gently... Ugh, too early for regrets. I am making too many mistakes today."

After a moment the creature rubbed at its forehead.

"I believe this door only opens one way. One of us could stay behind to open it again once it closes, but that would run the risk of being alone when the guard pokes their nose in. Slaying its creator might do something to the magic too, but if it doesn't, I suppose walls, floors and ceilings are merely suggestions when it comes to me, so there's still a way out even if we get stuck. I guess we're already too far in to turn back anyway, but are we ready? I don't know much about vampires beyond their existence, so I wouldn't be able to identify one if I saw it, but is there anything we should know about them? I have this... ominous feeling, it could be one, or it could be something related."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Gods... Cursed mages..."
Edric grunted after a minute of catching his breath, he'd yet to have what could be called a purely good experience with mages! Whether it was that dumbass performer lighting a field he was working in on fire, the mugger who froze his legs or this latest thing... He always seemed to be the butt of some magical mishap...
"No uhh, no offense..."
He added after a minute upon recalling that he was currently with two apparent mages, he did not want it to seem like he was insulting or cursing them, he knew some folks could get VERY touchy about taking any gods in vain either.

"Using magic without extensive practice beforehand is... Ill advised..."
Lizzy declared, having recovered fully in a surprisingly short time, she must just be used to magic not doing what it is supposed to the first time around.
"At least... The air is a lot cleaner now? I think you kicked up and blew away almost all of the dust".
Lizzy was ever the optimist, sure the air did still smell and feel a bit musty but it was leagues better than before.

"If it's a vampire I don't think we'd need to worry much".
Edric spoke up.
"All the ancient strong ones are long gone, nowadays it's like... Hundredth generation at best, barely stronger than an average human, hell I met a vampire once who got bullied by Gora's Sister".
Apparently vampires were known enough that even a farmer could know them personally, and were not overly discriminated against, probably, he did mention that this one was bullied.

 

[Fyrra]

"No, no, you can say that. My apologies. I'll do my best to keep it from happening again."

Apart from the rat-child's mishandling of its own powers bringing about immediate consequences, something about either the tone of Edric's voice or the look in his eyes seemed to tell a story of facing trouble at the hands of what was beginning to sound like a privileged group in the society he'd fled from. If the memories that the child had dug up beforehand were anything to go by, there was probably a very good reason it wasn't up to verbally defending itself from this perceived slight.

Lizzy's advice got the rat to stare at her for a moment, as if to ask if she was actually suggesting they grab one of the goblins for use as a test subject later. Of course, the rodent would approve of this suggestion, and probably Lumie would too, but it was still a surprising thing to interpret, coming from her at least.

"Not that we dislike your idea, but keeping the source of this rot around as a test subject carries a risk, even if it's not safe for eating."

And with that, the ratling finally took its first step through the doorway, flicked its ears, and prepared another strength-boost for whatever lie ahead. If Edric said it probably wasn't a vampire, then it was probably something else, or probably something old that's had a long time to sleep in this abandoned and wrecked tower. Either way, helping the uhar meant that negotiation was probably off the table at this point: best to strike hard and fast when the opportunity arose.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

He seemed a bit surprised, though it only lasted a moment before his serious face returned.
"Rare to see such a humble mage, though... From what I've seen of you two, I shouldn't be surprised, either I've just had bad experiences or you two are not the norm in any way".
Edric commented.
Really though he barely knew either of them but could tell neither were like the pompous, arrogant bastards he had encountered so far in his admittedly limited travels.

"Keeping the?..."
Lizzy was visibly confused until she managed to catch up to what she assumed was Ratty's mindset.
"Oh no! We VERY rarely used live targets or one to one situations for practice.... I'd meant just... A wooden dummy or blowing smoke from burning foul smelling plants... Just for you know, understanding the basic functions of a spell before using it at it's fullest! I spent a month casting tiny embers at pieces of wood before I used my first fireball on an animated target".
Her first fireball was a fond memory, even if the instructor had berated her for destroying the entire target and making it impossible to 'accurately determine effect'.

As Ratty stepped through the doorway there was a faint resistance, like walking through jelly, before as soon as it started it was gone and Ratty was through, Lizzy and Edric did not seem affected at all as they followed through the doorway.
As soon as they entered the stink returned, they were in a large, stone room mostly lacking in furnishings, except of course, for a single throne, it seemed to be made of bone and rotted hide, with many missing chunks and signs of new 'materials' being used for repairs, and sitting atop it was a man cloaked in the rags of what had possibly once been fine clothes.
"Ahh, finally, some offerings of true quality..."
He voice was dry and almost sounded disembodied as he climbed to his fight and strolled forwards, torches lighting up with blue flames as he did, illuminated the room, in the centre was a circle of strange runes, spattered with blood both fresh and dry, while corpses ranging from skeletal elves, to fresher humans and Uhar littered the room.
Finally the man's face was illuminated, or rather the lack of it, white bone emerged from the darkness of the hood, covered in seemingly endless runic carvings while two burning blue flames to match the room's lights seemed to pierce all that they fell upon.
"Those foolish goblins were so useless, even if they spoke the old servant tongue... It would take them years to break these shackles but you... You may be enough".
He stared at Ratty, giving off the energy of a beast licking it's chops.
Edric and Lizzy meanwhile seemed to have no idea what he was saying.

 

[Fyrra]

This was the actual worst: apparently the door's magic kept the stagnant air inside the chamber, meaning that last bit of magic was spent for nothing, and to top it all off the Lord was... pretty much what the rat was expecting in a worst-case scenario: some form of aged undead, impervious to natural decay. Worse yet, he seemed like both the sort of person who'd probably know what happened in this jungle before it became devoid of life, and the sort more interested in sating their appetite than having a conversation. Besides, powerful spellcasters with magic circles prepared in advance of a meeting were not for trading words with. Trading words was for after securing advantages or victory.

Or for taunting, or provoking a monologue? For the rat-child's part, it hurled a stone in place of the standard greeting, but picked right back up with its acknowledgment of the blue torches illuminating the area for Edric's benefit.

"Ah, son of a lich. You must not have had much to offer them, no bones about it, but how long have you been down here? Know you what happened to the previous people of the jungle? What of Selall?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The stone simply stopped before it could strike the lich, as if hitting some invisible barrier, which considering how much magic would likely be needed to become such a creature, was likely exactly what had happened, hopefully it wasn't the indestructible over powered type of barrier and could be broken with some effort from the rat and friends.
Fortunately this barely seemed to phase the lich, at least not enough to stop talking, perhaps he had been lonely? Whatever language he was using was clearly different from human or elf, it was sort of like how the Uhar spoke but still very different, and he had declared the uhar useless so maybe this lich wanted to talk at someone now that it had the chance?

"I offer them the servitude that their kind has always craved, to allow them to serve a master who will carve a great swathe through this world, of course they would gain some dregs of power or land, it was always enough for the Múl... All they needed to do is break these insufferable chains that I admit I could not break... Until now".
Okay so it seemed he was stuck?
"Look"
Lumina declared simply as it began to highlight some almost totally invisible chains leading from seemingly random parts of the walls and attaching to the lich, though they did not seem to be restraining his movement in the slightest.
"The previous? This land was ruins long before me... Indeed it's beautiful energy of death and despair is what made it almost ideal".
So this lich was old enough to be trapped in a ruin, yet not old enough to know what created them?

"Hmm... You do not speak the language of the Múl... Indeed you have strong magic within you, truly you will be a delicious feast..."
It looked like talking time was over as the lich's eyes glowed brighter for a moment, and the corpses around him began to rise up as he sat down on his throne, taking up a dusty glass with a strange swirling energy within.
"Do try to die quickly would you? I am eager for my freedom".
With those words the undead lurched forwards, these ones were faster, likely due to the presence of their lord, and Ratty would have only moments until the nearest of the dozen or so undead had reached them.

 

[Fyrra]

First the bird man, and now this lich: from what the ratling could gather from dragging words out of its adversaries, it might be a little worrying just how similar their grand designs for this jungle compared amongst themselves. After all, this was more or less a measure of who had the biggest stick to wave around while barking threats, no? It certainly wasn't a conversation of any historical merit: even the bag of bones appeared to have nothing in the form of answers, at least that he was willing to share. But then again, what lord shared anything, in the history of anywhere? Anything apart from disappointment, rather.

"Wow, same plans and everything. My condolences about your cage, though. It's too bad you allowed yourself to get confined here, but that is scarcely our concern."

Skelly-man must have struck a nerve, to switch its supposed prey from archaeological curiosity to outright provocation. That may have been inevitable from the name he'd chosen for himself, Hopefully the companions were watching earlier for long enough to know that the stones shared among them could be put to use against the lich's servants as they closed in: the stones could hypothetically be replaced, but their lives could not. But, just in case they weren't, the ratling drew its hammer back out with both hands, putting its strength into a wide, sideward swing meant to cleave through several bags of bones at a time.

"I truly wish I could return your sentiment, however we both know you are going to taste awful. Please tell me you were at least sensible enough to contain your soul inside a parchment or something, because-"

Because, what? The ratling had no desire to consume this creature until it made a persuasive argument on the subject of feasting, and even Lumina seemed to prefer the thought of incinerating and exterminating whatever this thing was. For a moment mid-swing, the rodent wasn't sure what it was getting at, until a ping from deeper in its memories made itself known.

{Remember to supplement your diet with bone marrow, to keep your bones from becoming brittle. It promotes good health and your body is still developing.}

"-well, I suppose how bad you're going to taste is scarcely your concern."

Come to think of it, those chains were all attached to different portions of the wall.... and not the floor, where the ominous magic circle was. In the spirit of spite, this room was just brimming with interesting targets.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"ALLOWED?!"
He seemed angered by that, clearly his long confinement was a sore subject, it would almost be relatable if not for the almost certain fact that someone like him had done something very deserving of an eternity if imprisonment.
"I did not ALLOW anything! It took those humans years to push me back, they could not slay me and only trapped me here with the aid of those demon spawn of the forest! Even that would not last without the long sleep... I have been awakened for less than a week and already I am on the verge of my return!"
It seemed the angry lich had dropped some historical tidbit, but alas it seemed he was not going to speak any further.

Lizzy and Edric were both alert and fighting, Edric was duelling one of the undead, though was clearly having trouble, these ones being much better at the use of their barely functional weaponry, notably the lich seemed to be glancing at each undead as they attacked, was her... Controlling them? Whenever he looked their way the undead would speed up and become more dangerous until he looked away, this potential weakness was reduced by the fact that his eyes seemed able to move independently of each other and were not blocked by minor things such as staring through his own skull.
Lizzy at least was having a better time of it, having lit one of the undead alight with a precise casting, she did have the problem of needing to run away frequently to buy time for another spell though.

Ratty's swing was effective, the first undead that it hit was broken in half, while a second was knocked against a wall with the sound of cracking bones and squishing meat, not a very fun sound or indeed, smell.
However neither undead seemed to want to stay down, the top half of the cleaved undead crawling with it's one intact arm, while the other, now notably hunched to the side began stumbling back up.

 

[Fyrra]

"Entire years of just letting it happen, you say~?"

{Demon Spawn of the Forest}? What an amazing title!

The ratling may have succeeded in enraging its adversary into losing all desire for conversation, but evidently it wasn't in the creature's nature not to kick someone when they were down... or at least, not this particular individual. Not doing enough experiments with the undead bodies on the way here had its own unfavorable consequences too, but as long as the lich was content to play armchair-lordling, that was a problem that could be addressed at a mildly aggravated pace.

A good hammer swing was certainly enough to push a couple of these creatures back and obtain some breathing room, but a wide, arcing swing might not be appropriate if more of the horde started closing in: parrying was tricky in a crowded room. That the shambling bones still approached even when bisected was still curious: if shattering the spine did not stop them, perhaps the head was the only vital component? Or perhaps the head was unnecessary for operation? There was only one way to find out!

Turning its hammer to face the other direction, the ratling spun about and hopped in place, swinging its warhammer once more in a sideward arc and using the height to target the skull of the creature fighting Edric, at which point it dropped back into a one-handed grip to fish out a glowstone.

"And nearly a week spent trying and failing to puzzle your way out of this cage. I suppose you would consider the verge of escape a matter of years, given your... physique. And the entire plan hinges on this cute little snare you've set up? Oh, how would you feel if we just dirtied up all your hard work~?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Even crushing it's head didn't stop the undead, the lich's direct presence apparently enough to puppet them even without something as normally important as a head should be.
The glowing rocks however had a MUCH more notable effect, with the shamblers momentarily backing away, two of them as a result falling apart as the lich's control over them was momentarily broken, so it really was his magic keeping them going, and losing it even for a moment was enough to end them, and it seemed he couldn't regain control either, at least not easily.

However it seemed the presence of the stones was enough to make the Lich take them more seriously, as he stood up from his throne, and even though his eyes were still swivelling to keep track of and direct the remaining undead he almost seemed to be somehow still staring directly at Ratty.
"Those damned stones! I should have known better than to trust those Múl to have destroyed those thrice cursed rocks! Now I shall have to directly intervene, such a waste of energy!"
With a wave of his hand several of the carvings upon one of his arm bones lit up and a wash of blue fire flew towards Ratty, before it even reached them it caused a crackling pain, clearly being hit by it would be very unhealthy, meanwhile though Edric and Lizzy had teamed up to guard a corner where Lizzy was preparing something complicated by modifying one of the large runes drawn upon the floor.

 

[Fyrra]

Test Subject #2: Lich Boy

Subject's presence or effort boosts the str- okay wow that's hot, why does it burn from that range, evade evade evade evade!

Diving out of the way, the ratling rolled back to its feet after hitting the ground: not the most comfortable maneuver on the stone flooring, but worth it to keep a grasp on both the hammer and stone it held. As long as it the glowing lights kept most of the minions at bay, that wide, cleaving swing would be of little use, but at least the rodent had accomplished its first objective: establish itself as the most threatening thing in the room. The less this lich focused on Lizzy and Edric, the better.

"Come now, what's so special about these stones? All they do is emit a little light. What's so upsetting about- wait, I like the lights out too. Anyway, since you've finally risen from the grip of your chair..."

The rodent singled out one of the invisible chains Lumina highlighted earlier and made a quick dash for it, wiggling its fingers in anticipation of another fire-shot, ready to dodge another flame before reaching in an attempt to grab onto it. If it was possible with Lumina's help, great, and if not, there was another way to coax the skeleton away from its throne, though the rodent felt loathe to destroy even more of the ruins than it already had.

"...it's time to get dragged to the floor of your lair!"

Cue a big tug-and-pull. While it could stand to reason that, being a lich, getting dragged around might not hinder its spellcasting very much, but for some reason it looked like Lizzy's plan might need him closer to the magic sigil in the center of the room? And if not, then running all the way up to the lich's throne still felt like the more dangerous option in comparison. And if Lizzy's plan worked, great! If not, then the warhammer would finally be used for its intended purpose. Perhaps both? But, perhaps not with a thundering element.

But what about sundering?

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"The opponent's entire body is a magical catalyst... Every Bone is inscribed with spell components and runes... Beware this one's magic, he can cast spells in a moment that would take the Lizard companion many minutes and much more preparation".
Lumina explained in the robotic sounding 'battle tone' that it often used to avoid any stuttering or word struggles.
This Lich had turned himself into a spell book apparently, and was basically cheating to cast without a cooldown or telegraphing, though he did seem to need to look in the direction of a spell, or to do anything, his flaming eyes directing the whole battle while his body barely moved, was he perhaps animating his body like the other undead?

The Lich of course didn't tell Ratty WHY the lights were such a terrifying prospect for undead, even when you intended to kill someone and believed yourself to be fully capable of such an act, it was incredibly unwise to give them the details how you weakness worked, and as brash and impatient as this lich was, he didn't seem to be THAT stupid at least, perhaps, if he had known of Ratty's nature and presence within the area, he would simply have gone back to sleep and avoided attention for a little longer...

As Ratty moved for the chain the lich fired off another spell, this time a relatively slow moving beam of lighting that seemed to crackle and writhe to escape the bounds of the spell that only barely held it in check, this spell was clearly lethal, and even as slow as it was relative to normal lighting it was fast enough to hit the rat, or at least it was until Edric threw his sword at it, the lighting immediately moving to attack the metal object instead... Did Edric know about conductivity? Or was this just a farm boy instinct telling him to attack the scary thing? Either way he then went back to fighting, smashing the one undead still focused on him in the face with a shiny rock, breaking both the rock and the zombie, farm boy had some pent up stress to dish out.

Finally Ratty reached the chain and grabbed for it... Only for their paw to pass through with a stinging sensation that ran through the entire body.
"Hah?! That was your plan?! No physical being can take hold of those chains, did you really think I would not have tried myself?"
The lich seemed amused by Ratty's failure, accidentally giving the needed clue to Lumina.
"Deploying magical Solution..."
With that statement a thick magical barrier almost like transparent gloves covered Ratty's hands, it made it VERY hard to move them and was a little tiring to manifest, but it did the trick and allowed the tug to succeed, apparently bags of animated bones were not overly strong when it came to unexpected tugs of war, and the lich went tumbling in an amusing show of shock, going right into his own magical circle.
Finally Lizzy seemed to have decided that her mess of a spell had been cooking long enough and cast it, the secondary circle she had taken and modified glowing bright enough to hurt, before tracing across the floor and into the main circle, co-opting it's stored power in a grand conflagration that hurt the ears and eyes as it created a raging inferno contained wholly within the main circle, the sound of cracking and shattering bones filled the air, barely audible over the roaring flame before finally, Lizzy fell to her knees, totally drained dry by the spectacular spell, and the fire finally cleared, air rushing in to fill the space where a blackened skeleton stood.

However... It was far too early to claim victory.
"You...."
The words didn't seem to come from the skeleton, but rather rang out in the air around them as it stood up, massive chunks crumbling and falling away.
"You... Interlopers... So... Much... Work... Destroyed... The bones... Of over... Two hundred... Mortals... Gone..."
As it stepped out of the circle the last of the bones crumbled away, revealing a vaguely skeletal apparition of blue flame not dissimilar to Lizzy's soul fire spell, somehow seeming to radiate rage as it glanced at Lizzy, chains similar to those that bound it moving forth.
Edric attempted in an unwise move to block one... Only to be impaled through the chest by a shimmering chain, that oddly seemed to leave no wound or blood as it pinned him to a wall, the other chains subdued Lizzy, alive strangely despite her lack of ability to resist.
"That... Beast... Will be needed... You however... And your... Parasite... Will burn".
On the word burn more blue flames lashed out from the lich's body to strike Ratty, singing fur before even making contact.

 

[Fyrra]

For rushing into the primary threat's main chamber and not figuring out ahead of time that this was a lich trying to escape its imprisonment, everybody was really on top of things with this mission: Lumina identified the tether, Lizzy put the magic circle on the floor to good use, and Edric not only kept himself afloat but still had time to pull a daring (and risky) rescue! Of course, the sword he was using might prove ineffective in a fight with skeletons anyway, as would the sickle, but the guy was quickly establishing himself as a sharp and reliable ally, on top of any ulterior motives the rodent might have about helping him.

The rat-child, however, was making blunder after blunder this evening, even when its plan of provoking the unliving daylights out of the intimidating lich and dragging it in front of a more experienced spellcaster had gone off without a hitch. The flaw here, sadly, was that the plan that was pulled from the usual place did not extend beyond this step, and for the entire time the creature goaded its adversary, it puzzled over how to destroy a lich, and hit a dead-end at every logical conclusion.

The answer to everything: a rock? It failed the first test... or rather, it passed the first test by revealing the lich's shielding, and by extension, made it clear that a glowing stone used in the same manner would be wasted, but failed to produce practical results.

The hammer? Possibly relevant while there were still physical bones to swing at, IF one could close the distance between rapid-fire projectile spells capable of straight-up ending most living things on a direct hit. The distance here was a good thing.

Magic? The spells this rodent could cast quickly enough were untested, and not meant for combat. Anything else was too slow.

Exorcisms? {Absolutely not.}

The only things the rat had going for it as Lizzy and Edric were neutralized were the knowledge that escaping effectively was impossible, and the lack of a panic reflex that would surely have overtaken any other sensible creature in the face of a centuries-old lich, not that mentally beating one's head against a wall was any better a state of mind.

"You know, it's funny. I was dreading the day I had to match wits with somebody, but meeting you was fortunate: were it anybody else, I would be out of my depth." - nor was continuing to prod the furious zombie wizard! He'd already found a way to remove the companions from the fight without killing them; that in itself was a miracle, but the rat-child needed more time to come up with some sort of plan. Even with everyone in prime condition this was a bad situation, but in a solo fight?

Wait, Mr. Lord needed them alive? For their bones?

{Do not call attention to it. He is petty, and those two cannot be replaced. Keep his attention.}

In an instant the ratling went from distracted to bewildered. That mental voice was very much not Lumina, yet it was strangely familiar, perhaps even nostalgic. But it was also a headache to process, and it carried with it an internal burning that made it difficult to look away from the lich. In the next instant, the creature planted its feet firmly upon the stone floor, emboldened, and when the "burn" flame flew, the ratling dodged back to its original position, landing on its feet without even stumbling, much less rolling.

{Pattern established. He is stuck on a cooldown, and too tilted to use his flame to corner us into a follow-up chain or bolt. Good.}

What's a cooldow- (ping) - But that's so dumb!

{Is there anything about this week that hasn't been dumb? Hammers ready: shield-breaker.}

Cue a blink. Whatever this voice was, it seemed to know more than it was letting on, even if it lacked control of the ratling's body. Its intense tone suggested an enmity of some kind, but any analysis beyond that was better off postponed. The rat-child drew its hammer back out, and just as it understood the meaning of the strange term this inner voice had used, it pieced together what was meant by it: Fire, Bolt, Chain, Fire, The lich's next spell would most likely be another attempt to fry the rodent with lightning..

There was no plan, but the ratling could at least stall for a moment longer.

"Sundering Hammer-Charge!" the creature bellowed, its grip on the item in question tightening. A direct hit from the bolt of lightning would slay it outright, so focusing its energy onto the weapon was risky enough: it only had one chance, one metal armament with which to divert a direct hit. It needed to count, and hopefully saying the words aloud would convince the lich that its foe was planning to charge forth in a foolish last-ditch effort to strike up close. Surely even a fool wouldn't pass up the chance to use a melee combatant's weapon as a lightning rod. After all, the magic was asking for it: the third component of the three-word phrase practically begged for an electrical intake.

If the lich responded with a lightning spell, great: the rat would let the hammer fly on a collision course with the apparition. If not, then the charge forth was going to be very painful and fiery, and hopefully Lumie had a shield for that.

{Remember to double-tap when you get through.}