The laboratory had become a crucible of power, thick with magical energy from the mask that lay at the center of the table as the sorceresses poured their combined might into it. One by one, the ancient runes of Elder Speech flared to life, their glow spreading across the artifact.
Sabrina Glevissig's face was pale, beads of sweat dripping down her temples. Her hands trembled as she channeled her magic, her voice strained with the effort of maintaining her focus. "I am about to faint. This mask is... it is consuming more power than I have ever channeled. I feel like it is draining the very life from me, pulling at something deeper than my magic..."
Triss was in no better state. Her breathing was ragged, her arms shaking with the effort of maintaining her focus. "I told you... I did my best on my own and it was like a vortex. I have never experienced anything like this, and I have been through some terrible magical trials."
Margarita Laux-Antille gritted her teeth, her voice tight with exertion. "We are almost there.. Just a little more. I can feel the seal breaking.."
Philippa Eilhart stood at the head of the table, her expression calm, her hands steady. She seemed almost unaffected by the strain, her power flowing with ease. Beside her, Sheala de Tancarville was equally composed, her ancient magic feeding into the mask, were they trying or not was not obvious.
Sabrina gasped, and she said in desperate exhaustion. "I cannot... I cannot keep this up much longer.. I feel like I am about to collapse.."
Triss's voice was ragged, but determined. "Just hold on. We are almost there.."
Philippa's voice cut through the strain, calm and commanding. "A bit more, and it will be ready to use. Focus, do not falter now, we are so close!"
Sebastian stood near the door, his yellow eyes fixed on the scene before him. His hand rested on his sword, his senses attuned to the corridors beyond. He could feel the power building, a pressure in the air that made his skin prickle and his medallion vibrate against his chest. Something was about to happen, something momentous and dangerous.
'Just a little more, he thought. We are almost there. Then I can go... I can find her.'
The minutes stretched into an eternity. The glow of the mask grew brighter, its runes blazing with a light that seemed to burn through the room. The sorceresses strained, their voices rising in a chorus of incantations that echoed off the stone walls.
Then, all at once, they stopped.
The light faded. The mask went dark, its runes dimming and the pressure in the air vanished, leaving a sudden, oppressive silence.
Sebastian stepped forward, his brow furrowed in confusion. "But... it is no longer glowing. Did it fail?"
Philippa held the mask in her hands, a thin smile playing at her lips. "Of course not. We just broke the seal on it. The glow was the seal resisting our power. Now that it is gone, the mask is dormant, and ready to be used."
She lifted it, turning it over in her hands with the reverence, as if she had just acquired something priceless. Her fingers traced the runes, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "It is done."
Sebastian felt a chill run down his spine. Something was wrong. The air around Philippa seemed to shift, his medallion began to tremble again, more violently than before.
"Wait," Sebastian said, his hand tightening on his sword. "Something is not right... hand it over.."
Philippa ignored him. She raised the mask to her face and placed it over her face.
The mask glowed.
A surge of power erupted from Philippa, a wave of energy that sent the other sorceresses staggering back. The temperature in the room plummeted, frost spreading across the stone floor. The candles flickered and died, plunging them into darkness lit only by the eerie glow of the mask.
Philippa's voice was cold, triumphant. "Thank you for bringing a very useful instrument for me. I needed something like this to proceed with my plans." She turned to face them, her eyes gleaming through the mask's eyeholes. "And a foolish scapegoat as well."
Triss said with dawning horror. "What are you doing?"
Sabrina stepped back, her face pale. "Philippa... what have you done?!"
Sheala did not answer. She smiled and raised her hand, a portal swirled into existence behind her. Without a word, she stepped through it and vanished, leaving the others to face the chaos that was about to unfold.
Sebastian reacted instantly. His hand shot forward, fingers curling into the sign of Aard. A wave of telekinetic force erupted from his palm, aimed directly at Philippa.
The spell struck her, and dissipated like water against stone. Philippa did not even flinch.
"Foolish," she said, her voice carrying the weight of absolute contempt. "You think you can stop me with your petty sign magic little witcher? What you just delivered to me is a treasure of great value... and a powerful weapon too if used properly."
She raised her hand, and portals started to open all over the castle. Through them, a terrible cold seeped into the rooms, frost spreading across the walls, the floor, the ceiling. From the portals emerged frost hounds, their bodies wreathed in ice, their eyes burning with malevolent light. One of the portals opened above the summit chamber, and the sound of screams echoed through the castle as the frost poured in.
Triss staggered back, her breath misting in the sudden cold. The frost was spreading too fast, the ice creeping up her legs, threatening to engulf her. She gasped, her magic flickering as she tried to shield herself.
Sebastian's eyes blazed with fury. He raised his hand, and a wall of fire erupted between Triss and the frost, pushing back the ice, shielding her from the onslaught. The flames roared, their heat cutting through the cold.
Philippa's voice carried a note of genuine surprise. "Interesting. I knew you were strange, but this is... unexpected."
Sebastian's voice was a snarl, his body wreathed in flames. "You fucking bitch... I should never have trusted you."
Philippa laughed, a cold, dismissive laugh. "Yes, you should not have."
She raised her hand, summoning a lance of pure frost, and hurled it toward Sebastian. Triss interposed herself, her own magic flaring as she deflected the attack. Sabrina joined her, her voice sharp with outrage.
"Philippa! What are you doing? This is madness!"
Philippa's voice was cold, dismissive. "I am proceeding with our initial plan. A plan I did not need to share with you."
Margarita hesitated, her eyes darting between her sisters. Then, with a heavy sigh, she stepped toward Philippa, her voice carrying a note of regret. "I am sorry, Triss. Sabrina.. But she is right."
Triss's voice was a desperate plea. "Margarita, no! This is not who we are! this will be the end of us!"
Philippa's smile was triumphant. "Wise choice, sister. Because they will die here, or they will be the ones blamed for this." She gestured toward the chaos unfolding around them. "A witcher who failed to protect the king, teamed up with Merigold that was working secrelty for Nilfgaard, together they used a magical artifact to unleash monsters on the Northern monarchs. It sounds convincing enough for the peasants. And that is all we need."
Triss's voice was a cry of anguish. "This is madness! You have completely lost it, Philippa!"
"This is what we have to do, Triss! We are losing power every single day that passes. Soon, the mages will be hunted like animals. We need to grow back into the old days, when we were respected almost like gods, untouchable. We need a kingdom of our own, here in the North. A kingdom strong enough to withstand the Empire. And even if we cannot withstand it, we can force it to settle for peace, I have plans for everything, plans I know most of you would be against.." Philippa said.
Sebastian attacked.
His hand shot forward, a massive fist of fire erupting from his palm, roaring toward Philippa with the force of a meteor. The flames consumed the space between them, their heat blistering and fierce.
Philippa countered with a wave of frost, the fire and ice colliding in a cataclysmic explosion that sent shockwaves rippling through the laboratory, destroying its walls.
"Interesting power.." Philippa said. "It's not magic, that much is clear... But this toy you brought with you is even more interesting." She tapped the mask on her face. "Sorry, I cannot save your princess.. I have a better use for this mask."
She summoned a lance of ice and hurled it toward Sebastian. He moved with lightning speed, his sword flashing as he split the lance in two, the shards of ice scattering harmlessly around him. He lunged forward, his blade aimed at her neck.
She opened a portal beneath his feet while his sword was inches away from her.
Sebastian fell through, the world spinning around him as he was hurled through space. He crashed into a mountain of snow, the impact driving the breath from his lungs. He lay there for a moment, stunned, surrounded by snow.
Then he rose, his body erupting in flames, melting the snow around him. His voice was a roar that echoed through the frozen wasteland. "PHILIPPA!"
/-\
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