Opening the Mage Tower (2)

"Only forward, no way back?" Green stopped trying to return to the passage. He turned and followed the path ahead down.

Just then, footsteps came from the distance—"tap, tap, tap"—along with the clear ring of metal striking the stone floor. The sounds were unhurried and rhythmic, almost pleasant to hear.

Green's heart tightened. He stopped at once and looked toward the sound, on guard.

As the footsteps drew near, they stopped behind a stone pillar in front of Green. A little girl's head peeked out from behind it. She studied him warily, then stepped into view.

She was an exceptionally pretty little girl in a small magic robe trimmed with dark gold. A metal band held her shoulder-length hair back. Her large, almond-shaped eyes and pale violet lips made her look exquisitely delicate, though she could not have been more than eleven or twelve. In her right hand she held a Magic Staff taller than she was, planting it against the ground with every step. That was the source of the metallic tapping.

Green watched her and thought, What an adorable little girl. There's something about her eyes and brows that resembles Cristiano. Could she be an ancestor of his Lineage who died young, then became the Tower Spirit of this Mage Tower for some reason?

Striking as the little girl's entrance was, Green was a Necromancer. He could tell almost at a glance that she was no living person, but a spirit. Her spirit body was so solid, however, that it had nearly taken physical form. She could affect the world around her, making her look almost alive.

The girl stopped a little over ten meters away and said in a childish voice, "Are you Fidix's son or his grandson? That bastard lied to me! He sealed away the