[color=1a7b30][h2]Rezello[/h2][/color]
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[quote]The morning star swung true, smashing the Captain's helmeted head and sending his already bent posture to slam down against the paved ground. The morning star's protruding spikes penetrated the metal helmet, and for a while, remained stuck on the captain's head until Rezello yanked it free.

It felt real; the impact, the recoil, the sensation when the spike hit the captain's head. The feeling when you were sure that man's head was already caved in like a watermelon. Yet, no trace of blood could be seen as the captain lay unmoving before him, and then for a while, all Rezello could hear was the cacophony of dark whispering that suddenly intensified, voiced by begrudging, shadowy spectators.

As if conforming, That the blow was fatal, the captain was dead, and there was no mistake in that. [/quote]
Rezello stared down at the corpse of the captain as he pulled his weapon from its crushed head, its spiked end showing no traces of the flesh and bone it had shattered. His focus on the body was soon broken by the sound of the whispers that surrounded him, and as he turned to join the others - who had just finished off their own group of attackers - the burning city around them was flooded with light. The whispers faded as the glow engulfed everything around them, and as quickly as it had enveloped their surroundings, the light disappeared and the party returned to reality, with wounds and fatigue the only evidence of their clash with the phantoms.

While Vesemir checked on the returned, Gray Flame suggested they press on, his warnings of fading respite quickly evidenced by the sudden howling of winds, upon which travelled otherworldly moans that seemed to eminate from the nearby buildings. Without hesitation or question, the party moved forward, making their way through the ruins towards their goal. as they moved out of the denser sections of the city ruins, the presence of the shadow-phantoms seemed to thin, restricting themselves to the interiors of the abandoned buildings that lined their path. After some time, they reached the library.

[color=a2d39c][i]This ought to be interesting. There were rumors of the hidden contents of Lasse's library even in my time, but I never had the opportunity to look into them myself.[/i][/color]

As the party - minus Forbann, who remained behind to guard the entrance - made their way through the building, Vesemir began another speech, recalling events surrounding the invasion of the city by the prince of Isrion and his attempt to assault the library while civillians took refuge in its walls. Rezello recalled something he had learned in his youth - Isrion, one of the old human kingdoms prior to the unification that created Westernant. Scheel was built on lands that were once part of Isrion; recalling the phantom captain's accusation that he was a traitor, he wondered if there could've been some connection between the two, or if it was merely a coincidence.

That train of thought was broken when the party reached a locked door, which Vesemir opened with a small, thin rectangle; some form of key - enchanted, most likely - of a design Rezello was unfamiliar with. The door opened to a large chamber that was in remarkable condition, given the length of time it must have gone neglected. At the opposite end of the room, guarding a doorway that seemed to be their destination, stood a statue of an imposing armored knight, wielding a warhammer of solid steel. A single crystal was mounted in the center of its unusual helmet, resembling a single eye, and as the party discussed how to deal with it, the crystal lit up, a combination of magic and intricate mechanisms coming to life as the golem awoke.

[color=a2d39c][i]Ah, a golem. Classic defense construct. I'd let the others focus on the precision strikes against that crystal, and as long as its attention is focused on your companions, put your strength to good use and try to find some openings in its defenses to break through before it slaughters all of you.[/i][/color]

With a flash of light, Rezello's bec de corbin was once more in his grasp, turned so as to strike with its hammer head. As the spirit in his mask advised him on what to do, he had already begun moving to circle behind the stone warrior while its attention moved between Carnatia's illusions, Engelbert, and Fia. [color=1a7b30]"As long as its focus is elsewhere"[/color], he spoke, winding up his weapon for a swing, [color=1a7b30]"I'm going to try to find a vulnerability to exploit."[/color] Though he knew little about fighting golems, he knew plenty about fighting armored humanoids, and if the exposed areas of plate armor translated to weak points in the golem's physical defenses, the back of the knee would make for a suitable opening. With one leg already slowed by Fia's frost magic, he aimed his strike at the knee of the other.