Mage And Wolf
Chapter 160

Chapter 160: Chapter 160

"So, do we have a plan for finding the Phoenix nest?" I ask hopefully. I don’t know the first thing about actual Phoenix, just a bit of mythology.

"I can sense fire elemental mana fairly well, and Karl should be able to do it at least a little. So we’re going to head up the hill tonight and see what we find. If there are still Phoenix feathers there, they should give off a distinct aura of fire." Elder Song sounds excited, and I know he likes playing pranks just as much as I do.

We Shadow Meld for safety and head up the side of the mountain. Once we get near the top, Elder Song and Karl both point west towards another point, one that looks like a dormant volcano crater.

"This way, we can both feel the flow of fire energy in that direction." Karl whispers, my sharp hearing having no problem catching his voice over the wind.

As we get closer, we sense other energy, people fighting in the volcano crater. A Virtuous Sect and a Sect that seems to practice demonology have met and are having an intense battle.

Tiny Imps are fighting alongside the red robed cultivators, while the White and Gold Robed cultivators prefer swords to energy attacks and tiny demons.

"The Fire Energy is under their feet, perhaps a cave in the volcano?" Elder Song suggests.

"We’ll have to search, but first, we need to get rid of the idiots. They’ve got a bunch of Immortals with them, who will see through our Shadow Meld." Karl says softly looking over the battle.

"I might be able to scare them. Remember the battle at High River Sect? I can sense almost as many fallen here. I don’t know what the big deal is, but it’s been a bloodbath." I suggest.

"How would that solve anything?" Karl asks confused.

"Chaos theory. If everyone is attacked, they’ll think there’s a third party here to wipe them all out and hopefully retreat." I smile.

"And if it doesn’t work?" Elder Song, for once the realist asks.

"Then we sit here and watch the show until we come up with a better idea?"

"Karl, did I ever tell you how the sect banned her from making judgements calls on what is evil and what isn’t?" Song laughs softly and Karl snorts in amusement.

"No, but you can tell me now, we will have a while either way. Go ahead and bring out the zombies, I want to see this in action." Karl says.

I focus on the lingering souls and find something odd. There’s a concentration that we can’t see from here, in the far side of the depression. I think it’s a Sect Compound, and by the number of dead, it’s already fallen, or close to it.

I dump every bit of energy I’ve got into raising them all as close to full strength as I can manage, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. Karl and Elder Song sit on either side of me, and Karl wraps me in a white blanket that matches the snow.

Chaos doesn’t even begin to describe what’s going on down there. The zombies are attacking everyone. Not just their former enemies, everything they see, like a horror film back home. And they’re fast. Not just jogging zombie fast, but cultivator fast, much better than my previous attempt.

I have made a small miscalculation though. There’s more zombies than survivors at this point in the battle, whatever set them off it was a total fight to the death, no survivors allowed.

"This is insane. Look at that mess." Karl breathes, impressed.

"There’s way more hidden behind the barrier." Elder Song adds. "The way things are going, that barrier is going to fall. I wonder which of these forces is the defending team?"

That’s a mighty good question. While we can see who is fighting out here, there’s no indication as to who the base belongs to.

I’m going to say the Virtuous Sect is on defense." I vote from under my blanket "Their white and gold outfits match the surroundings pretty well."

"Good call. The shield is holding up well though, I think the zombies pulled the fight away from the center of the compound, so we might have to go down after and check." Elder Song suggests.

"Want to do a big production of it? Set off some explosions on the far ridge line, as if we drove away their attackers, then we can march in, you do a big showy ritual and I dismiss the zombies, buying us eternal gratitude from whoever is alive in there?"

"Oh, that’s good. I’ve got just the thing." He takes out a collection of ritual masks and some flashy matching robes.

"So we’re going as a theater troupe?" I laugh.

"Better than going as Devil Cultivators. Word of the Shadowed Blade’s reformation won’t have made it this far." Elder Song Shrugs.

"In that case, I shall go as Dragon Priestess Royalty." I giggle, changing under the blanket, as the Royal Robes won’t displace any clothes I am wearing and it is seriously cold out there.

"Oh, that’s good." Elder Song finds something that Vaguely matches and Karl changes to his own Royal Robes.

Whatever their previous issues were, the two sides are working together now. Elder Song shoulders my backpack and hands me a pair of dance fans to "make it flashy." Before creating a series of explosions along the rim of the valley. A bunch of zombies turn and rush our way as we walk down, going for Karl and Elder Song because I haven’t given orders otherwise. I make a shooing motion with a fan, silently ordering them all not to attack my companions and they turn back to bother someone else.

"It’s more fun if you do it." Elder Song whispers and I’m lifted into the air on a flow of wind magic.

In a flash of inspiration, I use the black and white energy Dragons as a platform to hold me aloft while I do a fan dance, grabbing everyone’s attention. I even order the zombies to stop and look at me. Once the dance comes to a crest and I can see that I’ve got every eye on the area focused on me, I wink at Karl who casts a spell on my throat to amplify my voice.

"Begone restless spirits and be at peace." I intone, Karl’s spell making it sound impressive and ominous, while carrying to the ends of the crater without shouting.

A sudden rush of energy pours through me, all the recently deceased in the area passing through me to the other side, as I requested without considering the consequences. This is part of my actual duties as High Priestess that I’ve almost entirely ignored. The dead did fine before me, so why bother right?

That rush of energy feels better than it has any right to, and I can see Karl smirking at me. The Death Energy is so thick everyone can see it, a miasma passing into me as the souls pass over. A few minutes later it has faded and all the zombies are just bodies once again.

[That should get them on our side to let us search for the Phoenix nest] I send the thought to Karl who whispers it to Elder Song.

"Thank you all so much, you have saved our Sect." One of the white robed cultivators says as their red robed opponents flee. I was right, they were on defense.

"What brings you here, wandering cultivators?" The man asks, checking us over and fortunately not giving me any glares or dirty looks.

"We sensed a strong Fire Energy source in the area and came to investigate. When we arrived it seemed you were in a world of trouble, so we felt obliged to intervene." Elder Song tells him in his most benevolent of tones.

"And who might our Savior be?" The Elder asks me.

"You can call me Young Miss, everyone else does. I’m a Priestess of sorts, an exorcist if the word is uncomfortable." I explain.

[I guess a Death Priestess is Vaguely like an exorcist, but it’s a bit of a stretch from exorcist to Necromancer] I can hear Karl’s laughing voice in my head, but his face is stoic, as suits the situation.

"Might I ask which might Divine Being you follow that grants you the power to vanquish so many undead in a second?"

This is my favorite part. Even Karl is showing signs of anticipation at this guy’s reaction. Elder Song hides it better, but his reaction was pretty good when he found out too.

"I have been blessed by the Black Dragon, God of Death." I smile politely while I watch the gears in his mind grind to a halt. They might not worship the Dragon Gods, but most fear the Death God no matter where you go.

His face goes from shocked to confused to stunned and then freezes somewhere in between. Meanwhile his companions have backed up a couple steps with looks of total horror.

The man finally closes his mouth and stammers "You? You’re the Priestess of the Death God we heard had come to this continent a year ago?"

[Hey, I’m famous] I send to Karl and smile at Elder Song.

"Oh, you heard I was here? I’m honored you thought I was worth remembering. Perhaps we could talk more over tea? This mountain top is a bit breezy."

Elder Song is giving me the "What are you doing?" look, but I’ve got a plan. They’re going to lead us exactly where we want to be. Inside the Sect. No way is there a treasure in this mountain without them noticing.