Round 9 Transcript

Seraphine’s Detect Magic flares, and the green‑black glow from the gateway arch deepens into a single, humming monolith embedded in the stone wall; its surface is etched with runes that pulse in sync with the unseen necromancer’s breath.

The monolith's humming vibration sinks into my teeth. I step forward, raising my silver holy symbol between us with both hands. Divine light spills from its surface like liquid gold, pooling at our feet and spreading outward in a shimmering circle to encompass Merrin, Varrika, and myself. "Stay inside the barrier," I say firmly, not commandingly. "We don't know what those runes do or where the necromancer hides, but my goddess's protection will keep us shielded from most dark magic."

The air within the ward feels cleaner, easier to breathe, while the space beyond it grows heavy with greenish shadow that curdles against the barrier's edge. I turn to Merrin and Varrika with measured calm. "Merrin, take your best look at where those skeletons came from—find the necromancer's hiding place or any more immediate threats. Varrika, if another wave comes, you'll have the front line secure."

I begin a silent prayer, channeling healing energy into myself so I can maintain this ward for as long as needed. The divine light pulses in sync with my heartbeat, ready to meet whatever emerges from the tower's depths.

I track every movement inside my peripheral vision while I assess this monolith situation with cold tactical precision. That vibration is necromantic resonance—it's pulling death energy directly from somewhere nearby to fuel these skeletons and whatever comes next. The runes pulse with purpose, not random decay. Someone's controlling them. My wings shift restlessly beneath my cloak as I calculate angles of attack and defensive positions. Varrika's right—the more we hammer those sigils, the faster we draw attention from whoever's hiding behind them. But standing here exposed is inviting a pincer movement. I raise one hand, fingers tracing an arcane pattern without actually casting anything yet. Merrin, if you can pick that lock in thirty seconds while Varrika and Halie keep pressure on those bones, we might bypass the whole mess entirely and save ammunition. If not— my voice drops to a tone that cuts through the nervous energy—we fall back behind those rocks and let them come to us where we have cover. Halie's light shimmers across my skin, warm but insufficient against what I sense gathering. Stay sharp. This necromancer is probably watching us right now, deciding whether we're worth revealing himself or not. Let's make him think twice about it by moving intelligently instead of charging like angry bulls.