All of Leiken's hopes about a laid back dive into the dungeon with friends had gone straight out the window when Que had alerted.

Something was up ahead and he had a standing notion that whatever it was, wasn't going to be the peaceful calm that he had so longed for. Sure, there was the likelihood it would be nothing big, and they would easily handle it and move on. But then again, there was always, always the ever looming chance that it could be the Skull, and Leiken wasn't sure if he was ready to face it any time soon. He just wanted a nice, easy, comfortable dive into the dungeon with those he could call family. Was it really so much to ask?

Apparently the answer was yes.

"Hmmm. I don't like the looks of that archway up ahead. Especially with the way Que is acting towards it." It was Euele who voiced her thoughts first, Leiken still scrambling to reason with his own. "The room beyond it looks rather large and rather open. I think we might be in for a ghost fight." Her ears flicked slightly and she huffed a sigh. Judging by the look of irritation on her face, Leiken's assumption that she wanted a peaceful dive was correct.

"Great. And we don't have Fetch with us to handle it." Hawkes groaned, their tone despondent. "And it's always a toss up of whether or not the ghost can pummel us into the dirt or not, or if it's in a good mood." Their ears pinned. "It's been a while since I've gone down here with you guys, has anyone gotten unusually good at kicking ghost ass while I was gone?" Their voice was hopeful.

"I have been working on learning some new spells. It seems there is a strain of magic directly created to defeat manifestations such as ghosts. I don't know how well it will work, but I assure you I've spared no expense to try and learn how to defeat such foul things." Leiken didn't want to be the one responsible for fighting the thing off, it had been almost a year now since the first time Euele and the others had tried to rely on him for in his first ghost fight, and they had all almost been killed. He wasn't confident in his ability to defeat it, but at least now he had something he could say he'd worked towards.

"That may help us then." Solace's ears perked. "I bought several oils for my poleaxe that may help with this. When we enter the next room, if Leiken can hold them off for even a minute, I'll be able to apply the oil and help. Supposedly, said oil can make corporeal weapons affect the incorporeal." Xir expression was hard to read, but Leiken couldn't help but feel their heart swell with confidence. If Solace was able to help, that would mean they might actually just survive this. 

Euele took a step forwards, readying her staff. "I don't have new magic, but I've been honing what I do have. I think I'll be prepared as well." She stomped one hoof. "Shall we?"

The others nodded, starting to follow after her into the room. Hawkes had just begun to proclaim they hadn't perfected their ghost fighting yet when they stepped into the arena and were met with the bonechill that indicated a ghostly presence. Torches around the arena lit with flame one at a time, eventually casting light on a huge ghostly crowd, all silent and bleary, strange shapes in the dark that seemed neither equine or anything they knew today. At the far end of the arena, the expected ghost stood, a tattered and wavering reflection of a courser that had been here in the past. It reared, mouth tearing wide open, yet not a single sound echoed around the room. That would soon change, each of the four knew well, but for a moment, they were lost in the strange eeriness of it all.

Que growled, her fur standing on end as she bore her fangs, the first and, for a second, the only sound in the strange stillness of it all.

In a flash, it was like everything was happening all at once. Solace reaching for xir poleaxe and a vial, the practiced motion swift and deaf to the sudden chaos that sprung around xem. Leiken had his wand and had already shot off a spell, sending the ghost reeling as it charged towards them in a wide, well practiced circle. Euele had a sphere of light floating it above her head and was chanting something, the orb growing brighter and brighter before she kicked it towards the ghost with a frightening blast that send glowing streaks of dirt into the air. Hawkes was chasing the ghost, with Que on their heals, trying to smack it with their mighty blade. 

They could do this. 

After all, they'd done it before.