A ducking soul-snatcher!

Bardeelus was not a hero, and he wasn't a villain either. He was a nobody until a day ago, who preferred being a nobody, for survival's sake. 

Life felt much easier when he was considered a powerless failure, but now, all of a sudden, he had to make plenty of instant and possibly rash decisions! It was frustrating!

He wasn't a murderer, and didn't have the mind of one who craved blood either, but in the heat of battle there wasn't a thing which he wouldn't try! He had locked on to an enemy who was within the shadows, and by all means, attempted to kill and enslave said enemy!

"Shit," He grunted.

"What? What are we dealing with here?" Audera panicked.

"Nothing apparently, they're gone!" He said. 

Every fraction of this situation was confusing, but he didn't get to pick what the Promonus Ruins threw against them. They had to survive, it was the main goal. Their senses were heightened in cooperation, even if they panicked more than any deers ever could.

"Are you fucking with me? What did you hear then?" Audera scolded.

"Heartbeats, plenty of them. Had to be like six people… at least six." He said.

"Guess someone's messing with your head, because I didn't hear a single thought so far. Even your brain blacked out for a moment." Audera pointed out.

Now they didn't know whose senses were stronger, but that didn't matter. The issue at hand was too mind boggling, and could use a stronger magician to figure things out!

These couple of friends hadn't progressed much, and to them, it felt like they had panicked about nothing so far.

They were alive, and supposedly alone too as no one had attacked them physically, but that confused them greatly. It didn't seem sane, to fight something that might not exist!

Bardeelus was clueless at best, but he held on to what he had felt, and said. "Don't know how, but something definitely tried to attack us. Why else would she faint? Erdeta's out cold, and that can't be random."

"Got a point there," Audera agreed, although she had been a bit skeptical for a moment. "Let's just appreciate the fact that we are still alive, and mostly sane. We'll figure this out."

Afterwards, she checked on the aforementioned lady. "I hope she won't die on us, though.. It took guts to get here in the first place, most would shit their breeches ~ we gotta push forward, she needs help." 

"Yeah no kidding, we risked everything already." He agreed.

They wanted to shake the other awake, afterwards, but weren't given the space to do so. The situation escalated once more, just when they caught their breath!

"A duck?" Bardeelus whispered, but he was too nervous to yelp or scream.

He took a few steps back in the meantime, and caught Audera's attention too. She sensed that the other was freaking out, but couldn't figure out why.

"What now?" Her whisper pierced the dense air.

"Demon duck! It's a soul snatcher!" Bardeelus yelled out, "I can hear every heartbeat… someone stuffed twelve people in that fucking glowing duck!"

"Oh," She sighed.

Frustration was an understatement, for both of them. Bardeelus was close to pissing himself over some duck, but Audera did not see the same creature, or anything at all.

These ruins still felt as empty as they found them, regardless of how intense things got. Within this panic, however, she figured out what was happening.

"Illusions… well this is rich, someone's messing with his head, and it took me this long to figure it out." She thought.

Audera hadn't bothered to talk sense to him though, as she had a feeling of how it would play out. He was in a world of his own right now, so it was better to find the root of this problem instead, and rip that root out like one would pull on a broken tooth!

"Feel my heritage, mind master!" She spoke out loud.

Afterwards, she walked right in front of Bardeelus, and yelled at the dark corners of the ruins. "Cleanse thy intent, respect my upbringing! I interfere consciously, today and right here!"

One would think that this was a conversation, but no, she summoned a spell. The spell named 'conscious interference' had one intent, and it was to break another illusionist's magical influences; It caused literal ripples in the air!  

Unless two of the same art were fighting one another, this spell always worked. One illusionist had to respect another illusionist's will, regardless of factions or ideologies!

This was a bond which no other school of magic had. Illusionists cared about each other's heritage, more than anything else!

"A young one, good." Someone spoke out, from within the darkness ~ His tone was naturally harsh, as if it had one setting only. 

This confirmed that they hadn't been alone here, and better yet, the illusions were put to a halt as requested. Bardeelus was brought back to his senses, and now he took rapid, short breaths as if he had kissed death on the lips!

"Gods damn you! I could hear so many screams of the dead. Fuck you and your pet duck!" He complained.

Since the illusions had been put down, he could clearly sense where the enemy was now. Furthermore, he understood that one man had messed with him so far! 

The walls of illusions diminished, and he had the chance to unleash his fury on this one particular enemy now, but he chose to wait. He didn't know who they were dealing with, and Erdeta was possessed as well, which reminded him of the task at hand.

Bardeelus remembered that it wasn't the best idea to rush, nonetheless kill, anyone they met down here. Better yet, he wasn't depended on to lead the conversation, as Audera took over instead. 

First, she scolded. "Quit yelling about the duck, man! You saw worse things before."

Afterwards, she waved her torch towards the darker portions of the ruins below, and said. "Mind master, I know you're still there. I plead to find common grounds, we didn't come here to fight you." 

Bardeelus listened in to that request, and he couldn't help himself from interrupting. "Why are you talking like that shaman back home? He was full of shit, and you're way too hot to talk like that! You're not a grandma now, come on…"

"These words represent my whole heritage! Know your limits!" She scolded.

Silence stretched out afterwards, for a good ten seconds, as the irritator didn't comment any further. 

Instead, that old, gravelly voice took over. "I see that your necromancer isn't the brightest. Unique nonetheless."

"Bright? Heh, that's for torches…" Bardeelus cackled.