Vendrick spoke quietly and hurriedly, well aware of the imminent danger, but unlike Ashe Ban had no patience for such things. The little behemoth waited approximately half a second before huffing in frustration and charging the rock beast, head low to bring his horns to bear. It was a comical sight; the small pig-like creature rushed towards the colossus of stone with such fervor that it seemed like an an ant charging wildly towards a boulder.
"Ban, no! That thing is-"
Hush, he will be fine. You must focus Ashelia, this is important.
True enough, Ban seemed in little immediate danger. The rock golem was simply too large and slow to react to his charge. The little beast drove his horns into one of the construct's legs, the loud crack of shifting stone following him as he bounded away. Twice more he charged, each time striking the same spot a little harder until a fissure formed just above a joint.
Of course, this was exactly what the young behemoth wanted. Instead of jumping away after the last charge he swayed in place as if stunned, only to jump away at the last second as the colossus slammed down it's leg. Instantly the fissure worsened, tearing a howl of pain from the construct that turned to a full blown roar as it slammed into the ground, its incredible weight tearing its own leg apart.
Now, Ashelia. There will not be a better time. Focus, breathe deep, and pull me through.
At his insistence Ashe poured every ounce of her will to the task, concentrating on the sensations not of this world, but the one that lay along side it.
There.
As she focused, she could feel it far more clearly than before. The bonds that tied her to the spirit world, to Vendrick, to her friends, and to the spirits she knew so well felt solid now, where before they had been wispy, insubstantial things. It seemed so simple like this, with so much power flowing through everything. Without moving a muscle she laid her will on Vendrick's and pulled him through the veil, her mind and mana giving life and form to a being that had long since moved beyond the mortal coil.
The strain was immense, as if she were pulling against the weight of death and time combined. She held on while the bond ate away at her strength, hungrily devouring it until she could no longer stand. Hazy black fog crept into her vision, but just as she collapsed a pair of hands caught her. A pair of hands she knew well, but had never imagined she would feel for real. They lowered her softly to the hard stone floor and brushed the hair from her face, comforting her as she drifted off.
"You did well. Get some rest, I will take things from here."
Stepping away from the unconscious Ashe, Vendrick briskly rolled up the sleeves of his coat. It was a strange feeling, being able to do that after so long. This false life was only temporary, but it was exhilarating nonetheless.
"Now then, I suppose some stretching is in order. It has been far too long, after all. I would not want to pull a muscle."
At a wave of his hand spectral blades formed in the air around the downed golem, some harrying it while others struck fissures in its hide as Ban had. It howled in anger but there was nothing to be done; losing one leg had hobbled the already slow creature, and in short order its remaining limbs crumbled alongside the first.
"Ah, good. I was worried I had lost my touch," Vendrick quipped, enjoying once again having vocal chords. Looking past the beast he noticed Nao was approaching the end of his puzzle, and decided he might as well end this. His time was limited after all.
"For the finish then. Aelum orus. Selah min tas, kolah min rol. Mien tae, et siura min taivos." He slowly moved his outstretched hand in a circle, a trail of pale blue glow following its wake that swiftly coalesced into four points of light, each surrounded by a small halo. Each shimmered with barely restrained power, highlighting the strain and fierce determination on Vendrick's face.
"Kalora bin soh!" He shouted, and each of the four points flared brilliantly as streams of blue light lanced out, converging into a single beam that punched clean through the rock golem's head before arcing down to cut through its body like butter. Then, in an instant, it was gone. The spell was short lived, but in that brief moment it had torn a hole through the ceiling and gouged a terrible path through the creature and the stone wall behind it. Exhausted, he took a moment to catch his breath, but his eyes were on the glimmer of sky through the hole he'd made.
"Let that be a warning. Prepare yourself deceiver, for soon all the lies in the world will not hide you from me."
After a bit of rest he gathered Ashe in his arms and joined Nao, the door finally opening to reveal that whoever had summoned them had long since left. Unconcerned, he gathered the two masks and addressed Nao.
"I am Vendrick, in the case you had not guessed as much already. I am most certain Ashelia has mentioned me before, and with your memory I would be very much surprised had you not. Regardless, I deeply appreciate you risking yourself for Ashelia's sake. She has had far too few friends to rely on in her life. That is largely my fault, so it falls to me to give thanks that you have stayed by her side."
The ghost king raised a hand, noting that it was beginning to fade away. "I have little time remaining, so I am afraid I must ask you to pass that thanks on to the others. I would tell them myself, but why would they believe me? After all, ghosts are just superstition, are they not?"
Vendrick winked, then faded out of view completely, leaving a probably very perplexed Nao to bring Ashe back through the portal with only Ban for help. Curiously, the two masks seemed to have disappeared as well. For all intents and purposes it appeared coming here had been a waste of time, but perhaps appearances were deceiving. Fate does work in mysterious ways, after all.