Chapter 39: The Battle of Darkmourn Manor

Vito managed to slash Duke Ashcroft’s helm and caught a glimpse of his face. He seemed younger than expected, and he didn’t have the fine, trimmed beard he once boasted in his portraits. The duke’s eyes flashed blue as he decided to end his fun. “Breath of Ymis.” Cold wind ripped around him and blasted Vito away as he restored his helm.

“Tears of Undine!” Iris unleashed a torrent of water in the icy jet stream. Her water froze into numerous frozen spikes that shattered against Ashcroft’s armor. He roared in pain as a few shards managed to pierce his body. Healing magic was the bane of undead creatures, and the priestess Iris stabbed him with divine healing water.

Delwyn caught Vito before he flew too far. “I swear to Ivalis if Parsifal doesn’t activate that-” she grumbled.

A wave of light radiated through the ballroom and covered the entire manor and forest. Duke Ashcroft went to one knee and slowly healed himself. “A sacred ward…? Now that is interesting.” His voice was still just as firm and brimming with power.

Vito and Delwyn exchanged looks. Both suspected that Parsifal had found the phylactery. They readied themselves to attack again. The sacred ward weakened him, and it was clear that he was still wounded from Iris’s attack.

He growled in anger as he stood up. “Come.” A single word echoed from him. Skeletal claw erupted from the ground and grabbed Iris’s legs and arms. Her staff was knocked away, disarming her in preparation for Duke Ashcroft’s attack. He extended his hand toward Iris and conjured ice magic in his palm. “Fury of Ymis.”

“Iris!” Vito ran toward Iris and wrapped his arms around her.

“Vito!” A tear rolled down Iris’s cheek.

The Shard of Valorance glowed bright blue on Vito’s belt. A divine whirlpool formed and blocked the lich’s attack. The skeleton claws were washed away, allowing Iris to embrace Vito. She smiled and pressed her lips against his. He was surprised by the sudden contact and allowed himself a moment to enjoy her soft lips. “You’re far too reckless, but thank you.”

Vito grinned and put his hands on her hips. “Now is not the time for this, amore mio.”

Iris playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

The Shard of Valorance floated between them. “Later, then.” Vito took it and used Scan. A part of its power was restored and given to Vito. He gained two new titles: Master of Valorance and Keeper of Water, the latter of which allowed him to use Iris’s elemental skills.

Vito took her hand. “Let’s finish this.” She nodded and commanded the water alongside him. The whirlpool gathered in a single sphere that floated in the air before them. Vito aimed the Shard at Ashcroft and joined his voice with Iris’s. “Riptide of Valorance!”

A powerful stream of divine healing water erupted from the sphere. Duke Ashcroft attempted to freeze it in place, but his efforts were in vain. He roared in pain as he was blasted against the far wall.

Duke Ashcroft froze the stream of water and shattered it into ice and snow in his hands, casting a winter wonderland in the darkened ballroom. He stood tall and slowly advanced on Vito.

Vito released Iris’s hand and caught the Litdaiu when Delwyn tossed it to him. He ignited the flame blade and drew water around the Shard as he ran at Duke Ashcroft. He crossed the two blades together, creating a thick cloud of steam that obscured his and Ashcroft’s vision.

He moved back to avoid a mighty strike that carved a deep fissure in the ground. Delwyn leaped into the air behind Ashcroft, her magic swirling around her. “Radial Strike!” She swung down and crashed into the lich.

Vito and Delwyn stood on opposite sides of Duke Ashcroft. They watched him rise from the crater and roar in anger. “Arise and fight!” Skeleton knights burst from the ground and attacked Delwyn, Iris, and Amelsia.

Vito just barely parried a strike as he looked at his friends in concern. The lich and his knights were still strong, even with the sacred ward weakening them. A full brawl erupted in the ballroom, and he was left to take on the lich by himself. “I will take my time breaking you. Then I will move on to them and bury what’s left of you together,” the Ashcroft growled.

“You’re not the first lich we’ve dealt with, and you won’t be the last,” Vito boasted. He calmed his mind and focused on parrying Duke Ashcroft’s wild slashes. He was faster and stronger than Vito, even with the advantages afforded by his titles.

“Come on! Is this the best you can do?!” Vito antagonized Duke Ashcroft. He hoped to rile the lich up enough to make him sloppy. He narrowly evaded the wind shears from Ashcroft’s mighty slashes.

He waited for an opening to lunge forward with the Shard of Valorance. Ashcroft caught his wrist before Vito could stab him in the chest. “Poor form, boy.”

“I have not yet begun to fight. Sacred Water Blade!” Healing water wrapped around his knife and extended forward, denting Ashcroft’s armor.

The lich growled in pain and anger as he tossed Vito away from him. He restored his armor and charged at Vito to crush him.

Vito created another blanket of steam with water and fire to evade another potentially fatal strike. He moved to the side and kept his distance as he unleashed another Sacred Water Blade.

Ashcroft bellowed in agony as Vito’s attack sliced the back of his knee. He stumbled and fell to one knee while he reeled in pain. Vito charged while he healed himself and stabbed the water blade through a gap in the armor around his shoulder.

Vito left his blade embedded in Duke Ashcroft’s arm and drew Litdaiu for a follow-up attack. Ashcroft summoned his dark weapon and swung just as Vito moved to behead him.

The ballroom doors burst open before their weapons could collide. “We found it, boy!” Gloribrean proudly announced. Parsifal held the phylactery, an ancient, ornate cylinder. Gold leaves and feathers wrapped around the silver tube that held Duke Ashcroft’s immortal soul.