"... I thought as much," Velvetica replied with a sigh. Gisela's comment had only confirmed her suspicions. Something happened here, and it didn't appear to simply be necromancy. Where were the cultists? Why was there so much blood? If it were the work of undead, perhaps they simply retreated inside, but...

Had something come from within the tomb? No, as per Roger's report it didn't seem as if there was any time for a retreat. The cultists outside would have been able to flee if something came from within.  The fact their camp was destroyed but there was no-one in sight implied the threat came from outside, but...

What was the threat in the first place? There simply wasn't any evidence of anything, and the fact Gisela commented so specifically on it implied it wasn't something she expected to be here. Shouldn't she have expected necromancy?

Kayliss's entry into the tomb revealed the location of the cultists.

It was clear they had fled inside, perhaps in an attempt to defend themselves. But whatever had attacked them had been overwhelming.

While there was plenty of blood, the bodies were largely unharmed. The killing blows had been swift and almost surgical, an incredibly sharp, sizable weapon thrust through the chest or severing the head.

It was a methodical killing of every single remaining cultist.

Once Kayliss signaled for support, Velvetica commanded her forces onwards. Whatever was in the tomb must have swiftly altered the nature of the situation, even more than the bloodstained and ransacked camp. But more than that, it also signaled a lack of any sort of trap or other immediate danger.

Indeed, the site of the cultists methodically, thoroughly slain, would not have been an unwelcome one.

If it had been at the hands of her Lions.

But an unknown part had been the perpetrator, and the Steel Princess truly had no idea. A far too clean, far too percise killing. Even one skilled in assassination would be hard pressed to kill so many with such precision.

"... We have no choice but to uncover what happened here."

Velvetica sighed. This was on Veltan land, after all. Such an even had to be understood.

The tomb was not a particularly pleasant place. Unlike those of adherents to the goddesses, it was decorated with grimacing faces and strange animal-human amalgamations. Antlered men and other unusual creatures. Velvetica had heard of folk deities that shared some traits with the figures depicted on the walls, but there was a certain hostility to the carvings. Perhaps, rather then symbols of worship, they were intended to be warnings to keep trespassers out.

The last chamber of the tomb was not particularly deep, and not a single trap or living cultist was encountered before they reached it.

A figure in black and gold robes, clutching a skull-tipped staff, lay dead. around him were corpses, laid out carefully and adorned with candles. It was clear that efforts to raise the dead had been made here, at the very least.

But that was not all that sat within the chamber.

A girl stood there. She was perhaps in her teens, by appearances, Velvetica's age or slightly younger. Her features were soft, elegant perhaps, and framed by lengthy, pale blue hair that matched the shade of her eyes. Her skin was of an unnatural shade of white, one that was not seen on any living human.

It shone in a way slightly different from ordinary flesh, as well.

Her body was clothed in a pale dress with blue decoration, and atop her head was a pointed, wide-brimmed hat.

"Oh?"

She spoke softly, turning to face the Lions.

Her fingers possessed joints, like a doll's. Briefly visible was a similar joint at her wrist, before her frilled sleeves fell over it again.

Beside her stood a creature shaped vaguely like a naked human woman. But it was positioned in an unnatural fashion, knees bent backwards, two sets of arms supporting its large body in an almost spiderlike position. It was hairless, its eyes and expression black, and the joints at its limbs indicated that in spite of its abominable appearance it was some manner of doll.

Another set of arms ended in curved blades, each dripping with fresh blood.

"Ah, you must be the Veltans, I presume," commented the figure, waving her hand idly as she did, "I hadn't seen any of the others around here for some time, so I expect you were the ones who elected to deal with this cult. Alas, it seems you are too late."

A smirk crossed the girl's lips.

"... And what are you doing here, Witch?"

There wasn't a single moment of doubt in Velvetica's mind.

The doll girl was a Witch.

"My my, how hostile," responded the Witch amiably, though she was still smirking, "And here I thought you may approve of my handiwork. It's not as if I did anything you didn't plan on doing yourselves, is it?"

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