[h3]Artemisia de Chauret[/h3]

Cecilia commanded, and Artemisia followed. It was not an arrangement that they had exactly planned, but at the moment it seemed to work, and that was what mattered. Galloping after the speeding spearwoman, her horse somehow managed to keep the pace, likely spurred on by the urgency and chaos around them to her incessant cracking of the reigns. Her spells flew out at the designated targets, smacking against any adventurer, soldier, or miscreant that threatened to slow their advance. When they’d needed it, she shot out the occasional healing spell or buff, making sure everybody was in tip-top shape to continue their push. Despite their unfamiliarity with each other, in the heat of the battle, they seemed like a well-oiled machine, the trademark of a set of well-seasoned adventurers. 

Artemisia cracked an offending man’s helmet open with a lightning strike, sending the man sprawling permanently on the ground. She stuck mostly to the trademark spells of a common wizard; although she had a couple more interesting spells up her sleeve, she wasn’t sure how well accepted they would be between Cecilia and Locke. Regardless, their reckless dash towards the center meant quick, simple spells were more efficient, anyway. 

Thankfully, the need for more powerful or complex magic was obviated by the path Cecilia had chosen; except for the odd adventurer or squad of soldiers, the resistance they encountered was few and far between. When they did encounter resistance, however, it was quite annoying; perhaps, their attire and belongings stood out just a little bit too much. 

With their route, they somehow made it to the center of the ruins, and even better, it appeared that they might have beaten everyone to it. Trotting to a stop on her horse, she gave it a well-deserved rest before breaking out her own hydration, breathing out deeply after she’d had her fill. Looking at the landscape of the interior ruins along with her fellow noble adventurers, Artemisia could see the ruins of a once great castle. More curiously, it seemed to be dominated by glowing crystals that littered the ancient stonework, possessing an energy that was no doubt of the magical variety. 

“It would be better if we stuck together. I’ll continue to follow, at least as much as I can on horseback,” she replied, still unwilling to leave her steed unattended. “Now, these magic crystals don’t natively grow here. I wonder if it’s an affect of our little heavens rock?”