39: The Soul Flower: Dark Lotus Maiden

The ratiss didn't appear to be smarter than the average eight year old human. They could follow orders and had their own motivations, but when it came to code and sophisticated talk between the adults, it seemed to go over their ears.

Liran gave Rat and Aiden the task of tracking the map.  And they made sure they had their contingency plans secret from their escorts.

"Hmm, what's this space?" Rat frowned at the splotchy clearing on the map, and gasp when they entered it to see a bubbling and hissing swamp within a vast, internal cavern system.

The ratiss laughed as they scampered over large lichen rocks.

Rat hopped off to test the ground.

"Guess we follow them for now." Aiden suggested.

They carefully stepped across the rocks, which acted as flagstone paths and caught up to the three ratiss. Near the center, the black, oily water bubbled and spat around them, stirring a foul mist about the air.

"Careful you don't fall into the water." A ratiss cackled and smirked when he saw Liran and her party swaying on the rocks.

The three ratiss climbed the stone steps up a cliff to perch on an overhanging ledge. They sat to watch the show about to begin.

Liran caught a glimpse of the ratiss's red eyes and sighed as she smoothly unhooked and unsheathed her lute, humming a tune to activate her sound magic. Both her lute and muslin wrapping floated before her.

Calmly her hands gathered her lute and began to play a melody to break the illusionary spell cast around them.

Everyone shook their heads clear.

"Lady's smart." One of the ratiss jumped up, excitedly.

"Stupid. Stay down and watch." Another grumbled and snapped the excitable rat's tail.

"Wei that hurts."

"Stupid Chen. Just watch. Boss said if Bard dies, we take the map and her lute."

The other quiet rat sighed and shook his head. "It's best Bard stays alive. Boss can't beat the Air Sprite remember? That's why she sent Bard."

'Oh yeah!" Chen piped up, remembering their instructions. "Xiao's so smart."

Xiao groaned.

Meanwhile Liran and her friends were tottering about the rocks, trying not to fall into the rising swamp water. Icky centipedes flew out to attack.

"Eewww!" Bosnia screamed like a frightened child and hugged Annoying Imp's side.

"Terra Magic: Will of Protection!" Annoying Imp bellowed, stirring gunk into the air to form a hard, black, shield of rock that he caught and held before him and Bosnia.

Aiden cast a repel wave spell to protect them from wave attacks. The bugs slammed into his magic barrier and shattered.

Liran changed her tempo to a rallentando to make the air feel heavy and the enemies movements slow down and become sluggish. Her music was being countered with a high-pitched and ugly wail. A slender and busty witch rose from the swamp, gathering silk-like material from the oily water and fashioning it into a slinky robe. Glowing lotus earrings and dangled from her pale lobes.

Now she comes. The Dark Lotus Maiden. Xiao frowned. Unlike his brothers, he wasn't wishing this vile creature on anyone. His eyes narrowed as he peered at Rat.

"Hey, Bard. This is the Dark Lotus Maiden. You best her, we play nice!" He called out.

Rat frowned. "What's that ratiss playing at?"

Liran nodded. Her lips curled into a knowing smile as she changed her song. Her strings cast an even and almost repetitive rubato that slowly caused the swamp to gradually freeze.

The Dark Lotus Maiden wailed out a sound attack to counter Liran's and lifted her arms into the air to send more bugs flying at them.

"Sol Blood Code: Shatter Wave!" Aiden bellowed and panted for breath, as his spell cost drained his stamina to a dangerous low.

Bugs were shattered into particles.

Liran increased her strumming into the entire swamp and was frozen stiff. She then switched to the first verse of Shi-an Non to suppress and drain the necromantic magic from the witch and swamp.

The witch screamed as her form faded. The magic gathered into a large orb for Annoying Imp to suck up.

"This better not put you into a coma." Rat frowned.

"It'll be fine." Annoying Imp gathered the dark lingxi into him and let out a mighty burp.

The ratiss turned tail and ran ahead.

They followed Liran's lead to the other side and ledge, where Rat and Aiden checked the map for the next exit that led to a stone staircase up to another level.