Chaetris sighs. "Pythia, stay with them. Hopefully his sight with return soon and whatever is affecting Cerise will pass. I'm going to go make sure Kael is ok." She follows the sounds of his terrified screams.
"Got it!" Pythia replies.
As Chaetris heads outside after Kael, the other three remain behind on the bottom floor of the observatory. Cerise quickly regains her motor function, though Percival still cannot see.
Outside, Chaetris quickly finds Kael as he is returning up the hill toward the observatory. In the moonlight, the pair of them can see an owl flying rapidly south in the night sky. The observatory is quiet, though the light still shines ominously from the top floor.
"Aaaaaaaaaaa-huh?" Kael grimaces and turns around just as quickly, rushing back to the fight until he sees the rest of the party relatively unscathed. He takes mental note of Percival's condition, but brandishes his sword. "One way or another, we can't leave things like this with the necromancer. I have a feeling that owl is a familiar of some kind, and he was looking for help. Either we work things out with swords, or end his foul experiments permanently."
Pythia nods. "You're right. Besides, we've got this! I can feel it!"
She pats Percy on the shoulder. "I'll help you up the stairs and direct you, okay? Just swing when I tell you to!"
"That man needs to die." Cerise said far too calmly as she stretched her muscles. "Likely he has wasted his most powerful spells. Now is the time."
Chaetris pulls out her own bow and readies an arrow. "Ok, lets do this." She looks over at Percival, "Are you going to be ok?" Concern evident on her face.
"Chaetris, hold your shots to interrupt his casting. Focus on him. Don't waste time with his zombies. Try to surround him. Do not bunch up." Cerise said as she moved back towards the stairs.
On the bottom floor of the observatory, in a macabre dining room full of scorched corpses, Percival looks entirely lost. Emotions somewhat settled down after the battle, the young man stares through his hands as if somehow this could restore his sight. But it does not. With a quiet voice, barely suppressing panic, he speaks.
"Guys, I... I still can't see. Can we wait until it comes back? It is coming back, right?"
Kael claps Percival on the shoulder. "What magic can do, I'm sure it can undo. But we probably should deal with the Necromancer first, while he's vulnerable. You can stay in the back, maybe Pythia can find you something interesting to hold onto."
Not the best pep talk, but hopefully enough.
Pythia smiles at Percy. "Listen dear, I know you're scared. But, I need you to hear what I'm going to tell you, okay? YOU DON'T DIE HERE. And you'll soon have your vision back. But, right now, we need to take on that necromancer upstairs. Yeah?"
She gives Percy a big hug.
"If you aren't up to facing our destiny head on right now, it's alright. I can do it for both of us. But, at least come with us. I'll get you set up in a corner where you won't hurt us, and you can just swing if you hear something come close or we tell you to, alright?"
Right before we go up the stairs, and she's about to cast those prep spells I mentioned, Pythia's going to listen to see if she can hear the undead moving around, of it Phee is still fighting.
Chaetris lays a hand on Percival's shoulder, with quiet, gentle words she gives what comfort she can. "Look, I know you're in a darkness you haven't had to deal with in a very long time. We all learned how to see in the dark down there with the dwarves. But right now, we need you. This Filge guy is worse than all the corrupt mine foremen in town. We have an opportunity, (as Pythia would say, a destiny) make things better here. You can still help do that."
The young man, blind and clearly still uncertain, takes a deep breath and nods, gripping his longsword.
As the group heads cautiously back up the stairs, all is quiet.
As you climb the stairs and the upper room comes into view, you immediately notice the necromancer and his skeleton assistant across the room with his floating ghostly hand and the pair of zombies nearby. There is no sign of the tomb mote. There are still marbles scattered across the ground.
The necromancer speaks aloud in a taunting voice as you're climbing.
"You'd be best to turn back. The authorities are on their way..."
Kael hopes that their brief talk of tactics has left an impression on Pythia and that she doesn't go charging ahead again... but doesn't hold much hope...
"Stay by my side Pythia..."
Without a word Chaetris ascends to the top of the stairs and looses her arrow at the necromancer. Enough talk. He's not listening.
Pythia freezes as her eyes roll up into her head, showing only white pupils. Her lips move, but no wounds come out. The warnings and prophecies she mutters are unheard.
With a gasp, her eyes return to normal and shouts, "Look out!" For once it's not too late...
Remembering what she promised, Pythia takes Percival by the hand and guides him up the stairs, placing him in a space right at the top of the stairs and to the side.
"Alright, Percy, there's some nastiness coming our way, but we've got this! It's going to come from over here," She grabs his hand and waves it around the proper directions, "And over here. Behind you are those marbles, remember? Don't go back there. I'm right here beside you, and on my other side is Chaetris. The others are behind us still, but I'm sure Kael will join us soon. Ready, hon?"
"Here... we... GO!"
Cerise moved up with Chaetris and raised a hand toward the zombies.