Chapter 40: Ashcroft's Legacy

“No!” Ashcroft raged. Parsifal stopped his charge with a light barrier while Vito retrieved the Shard of Valorance as he joined his friends. He decided to ignore Parsifal’s use of an element for now.

“What happened to destroying it?” Vito urgently asked.

“You kill the king while leaving his army standing,” Parsifal replied while handing the phylactery to Vito.

Iris took the Litdaiu while Vito scratched the phylactery with the Shard of Valorance. Duke Ashcroft growled in pain and collapsed to his knees, a similar scratch appearing on his armor. “Banish your minions,” he commanded in a calm and even tone.

Duke Ashcroft slowly rose to his feet as his armor and the phylactery healed. The monsters all fled the manor with a snap of his fingers.

Vito could feel his anger and resentment. It felt unusual to have someone’s very essence in his hand. A part of him wished he could give someone else the responsibility of what must be done. He didn’t know what would happen to Duke Ashcroft once he destroyed the phylactery. Those portraits of a good man passed through his mind. This was the man who founded a village for the people who built his manor. What would turn a good man into a monster?

He stepped closer to the lich and spoke. “Take off your helmet. Now.”

“Why? So you can see my eyes while you destroy me? I won’t give you the satisfaction.”

“No. I want to know what happened to you. From what I read, you were once a good and kind man. How did you become like this?”

Duke Ashcroft grumbled with anger once again. “My father was betrayed by those he called friends! They are the true monsters!”

“Your father?” Parsifal asked. “Are you not Duke Oswald Ashcroft?” The lich fell silent.

“His friends betrayed him, and he fled all the way out here to protect his family, right?” Vito pressed him.

“It doesn’t matter.” The lich was resigned to his fate. He walked to his throne and sat down, accepting the inevitable.

Vito gave Parsifal a quick look. The mage sighed and dimmed the sacred ward while Vito walked across the ballroom to the lich. Vito pulled off the lich’s helm. An angry young woman looked back at him. She had pale skin and long white hair. “You’re Duke Ashcroft’s daughter.”

“Yes. I am Morgaine Ashcroft,” she introduced herself. “It is not a pleasure to meet you.” Her armor melted into smoke and revealed a pale blue noblewoman’s dress to match her eye color. She sat back on her throne and crossed her arms beneath her chest. She was not nearly as tall or muscular as the armor suggested, though she was still slightly taller than Vito.

Vito lost all intention to destroy her. She was not the monster they expected. “I’m sorry. You’re just as much of a victim as we are. Our father was cut down by a man he trusted. That same man plotted with others to overthrow this country.”

“We are not the same, boy!” Morgaine snapped. “My father was framed for treason. Even after he proved his innocence, we were hunted by those who framed him.” Her face softened. “I watched my mother and brothers die while I lay dying near them. My father avenged them and did his best to save me. His only recourse was dark magic.”

“He turned you into a lich,” Iris concluded.

“Yes. He created this dark area to act as a fortress to protect us, and he taught me all he knew before old age took him.”

Vito considered the phylactery in his hand. Morgaine observed him, her eyes reflecting the despair and acceptance she felt. He finally placed it in his bag for safekeeping and sheathed his knife.

“My name is Vito DeCapio, and like you, I lost my life to treachery,” he introduced himself. “I got lucky and found a new family.” He extended his hand to her. “There’s room for you, too.”

Morgaine huffed and turned her head in indignation. “You came here to kill me and steal my home.”

“True,” he admitted. “However, we expected some evil monster, not a lost one. Your father built this place to protect his family. Somewhere across those centuries, it became a prison to keep you here. It’s time to lift the veils and turn this place into a home of light and life again.” He kept his hand out to her.

Morgaine’s eyes widened. She looked at him, the centuries of loneliness and sorrow laid bare. The lich quickly regained her composure and took his hand. “It’s not like I have a choice. You stole my phylactery, after all.”

Vito lightly chuckled and shook her hand. She was cool to the touch, but he did not doubt that she would warm up to them. “Welcome to the family, Morgaine.” He gained two new titles: Lich Master and Undead King. It seems Morgaine’s domain became his.

He released her hand and grinned. “Why don’t you lead the restoration efforts? You know how it looked when it was at its best. We’ll provide the funds and workers, just tell them what to do.”

Morgaine hid her surprise and stood up. “As you should. You trespassed here, you know.”

Vito smirked. “You invited us in when you opened the doors and called your armies off.”

She scowled and stomped away from them. “I did not!” Her cute voice echoed through the ruined and battle-scarred ballroom.

Delwyn sighed and sheathed her weapon. “I’m never getting that Lich Slayer title, am I?” She lamented how the battle ended.

“Why are you so determined to collect rare titles?” Vito finally asked.

Delwyn gave him a sharp look. “The imperial knight Elise claims that she has over one hundred rare titles, and that she’s so much better than I am! I’m going to beat her at her own game and get way more rare titles than her.”

“Elise does have over one hundred rare titles. The royal sage confirmed it himself. It’s why she’s an imperial knight,” Parsifal cooly informed her.

“She stole a title from me! My party was fighting a dragon, and she jumped in to get the final hit. We didn’t even know she was there,” Delwyn fumed. “She’s a fraud.”

Vito put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We’ll avenge you after we finish avenging Greye. We’ll even look into the Ashcroft conspiracy while we’re at it.”

“You’d better.”