Sandcastle Kingdom

Oh wow, a powerful wizard? That's certainly intriguing.
She felt a little bad for what she put Glacius through, but gladly Samantha reasoned with him...
Of course, she mentioned a grandson. She barely looked over 30, and she had grandchildren?
Then she remembers: powerful wizard. Suddenly things make a lot more sense.
Given they were introducing themselves with a fair amount of flair, she figured she might as well sell herself, too.
"I am Empress Ocean Lily... Former. My home in the sea, too, was destroyed by monsters, and since then I've helped the kingdoms of Land and Sky prosper as best I can. I live around Sapphire Bay now and occasionally explore the Marina Mines. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Kopis, I'm sure we'd appreciate the help." She says, finishing off with a deep sigh.
"The Sand Serpent is a dangerous monster... With a flash of its eyes, it can dust you. Unless you're careful or have some kinda eye protection, you'd basically have to fight it blind... Of course, no one in the Dust Jackal Tribe had magic or useful supernatural powers." She says, informing Samantha of the situation with a new hint of confidence

Glacius kept his gaze pointed onto the female hedgehog, making sure she didn't make any movements that could be considered hostile, just in case she was lying. However  the male couldn't help but feel a little out of the loop...or left out? In the introductions everyone had these flourished titles and backstories to boot. Glacius? He was a wannabe hero who happened to eavesdrop in a conversation whilst he was training his speed. 

"No...no it does not make me feel any better. I'm a hedgehog. I like sand and dirt. I don't have wings. Flying just ain't my thing." He crossed his arms, sighing slightly. "Alright, so we got a wizard, an empress...and a...Glacius..." He said, thinking about what his title would be. "Man...I want a cool title. 'village peasant' Isn't really a cool title..." He huffed. "I could be able to override the sand snakes flashy thingy with my own light. Mixing streams could cause the flash itself to dissipate or at the very least..." He snapped, a wall of light appearing in front of him. "I can block the streams from hitting us? Hopefully..." He shrugged. "I'm not sure if it's a type of light I can control... so option 2 is probably the best bet..."

Samantha was quite surprised, both by Lily's status, and this ability this serpent apparently had. No wonder this place went to ruin so suddenly...

"Ah, I see... If it's that powerful, I may be able to aim blindly by tracking its magic."

Then Glacius spoke, comparing his status to theirs and showing off a bit of his power...
She wasn't quite sure about that strategy, but she was no scientist, maybe it did work that way.

"My, my! Power over light, I see! With that kind of power, perhaps you'll be upgraded to 'Local Hero Glacius' after today, hm?"

She was rather amused, hearing of both of their abilities.
Of course, similar to Glacius, she felt out of place among the three due to not really having powers, but she wasn't upset. In fact, between the two she had renewed confidence!
"This is great, in our last attempt two of the five of us had powers, but they just... weren't suited for the fight. They all survived gladly, we just retreated..." She explains, her confidence trailing off into a more sheepish tone, before she continued. "But though our numbers are fewer, you two seem to have the perfect abilities to increase our chances. Wonderful!"

After this, she walks forward, deciding to carry on finally...
Through the bazaar there was a light breeze, subtly blowing sand but not so much to be an irritant, like a sandstorm. Cloth that made up some of the tents and shops flapped in the wind. Anything that was being sold was likely destroyed and/or buried for a decade, utterly worthless.
As the three left the other side of the bazaar, the sandcastle entrance filling their view like a mountain, almost to an overwhelming extent... there was a strange aura nearby.
Was it... from the castle?
No, it was from the sand, as if buried...
She swings an arm back to signal the two to stop.
The air was stagnant, and chilled, despite being in a desert in the afternoon.
It was as if the air itself was slowing down, falling to order. A strange vibe, something familiar...
"Do you too feel that...?" She whispers, before looking down.
What was casting those shadows on the sand? It wasn't their shadows. And were the shadows moving, the sand, or both...?

Light. Such a thing was an interesting word. Glacius had control over it to the point of not just emitting the stuff, but manipulation and feeling the already existing natural light. He had never tried to control light emitted from another being though, as he didn't think he could. Maybe later, if he could find an ally with similar abilities to his own, he'd try. However light was a physical thing. Unlike darkness or dreams, light was tangible, and could be blocked. It also came in many forms, including radio, ultraviolet, micro, and infared waves. Visible light was just such as small thing, and yet, it's all he knew how to control. It didn't stop him in studying all forms however. 

The hedgehog gave a thumbs up at his own statement, grinning at his knowledge. "trust me, when it comes to light, I know it best. I'll be able to block it's eye flashes one way or another." he bumped his chest with his own fist, showing a confident smile. 

"Local?" He tilted his head. "Oh I'm uh..not from around here. Just passing by and thought I could help." He shrugged. "Sure, I'd like my name to get out there, but that's not too horribly important. I'd rather save lives and be unknown..." 

He glanced over to the sea turtle companion, whom was smiling at the aspect of their chances. 5 people the last time? All of them were alive apparently but that's not exactly great. 2 more people than their current team count and they couldn't take the beast down. Still, despite some inner doubt, he gave a thumbs up and smiled. "course our chances are better. I'm here!" 

Glacius walked along the group, humming and keeping behind Ocean Lily, despite how impatient he was getting. He didn't get the caution. They found only one living being that wasn't a flower, and they seemed friendly enough, and he had only been informed of this snake thing. Hadn't they been through here before? Why couldn't they just go? Glacius kept trying to think on why a repeated journey seemed to be taking forever, until he was stopped in his tracks. His ears twitched and his head tilted in confusion as he looked at the area ahead, seeing nothing wrong. "Uh..." he started, now swiveling his head to look around. When he was asked if he felt something, his immediate answer was "The air got cold?". He didn't feel very off. Then again, he wasn't from around here.

Samantha smiled at Lily's renewed confidence, she was glad to help out such a kind person.

She also heard Glacius, and how he'd prefer his fame to be.

"Ah, I think I can understand that."

She smiled at his confidence as well.

Samantha walked with the two, humming along with Glacius, and while they approached the sandcastle, she wondered what the threat they were about to face was going to be like. A giant sand serpent... It was like something out of a movie!

But then she immediately tensed up, she felt it, the power, the aura... The chill.
Samantha sees the shadows move, and readies a spell, ready to attack behind herself as soon as they were about to run.

"I do." "We must be careful now, darlings..."

Her tone was now significantly less jovial than before...

The caution was mainly cause there was a chance the snake was in the sand and could sneak up on them. Indeed, if they were out and they weren't being careful, they could easily be killed.
This wasn't the snake though.

Ocean Lily was glad Samantha noticed the weird vibe, though she understood that Glacius might not understand.
It was around that moment that the sand started to swirl, similarly to a whirlpool, causing Ocean Lily to step back a bit as she felt sand move from underneath her feet, making her think she'd be sucked in.
But instead of sucking down into the earth, it began to form into a small mound, bubbling almost like water as it rose from the ground, then two smaller mounds follow after.
The smaller mounds moved somewhat frantically, separating from the ground occasionally while almost seeming to claw forward like hands.
"What in the name of the Gods is going on...? What is this thing?!" She almost whispers exasperatedly, utterly dumbfounded by what she was seeing...

Eventually, it seems to have fully formed, a glob of sand with two arm-like appendages slightly taller than Ocean Lily. The front of it opened up, revealing a spherical crystal that was started to glow a bright white. This felt very familiar...
The creature made very robotic-sounding noises as it charged up the crystal.
Whatever it was, it wasn't natural.

"We have to move!" She calls out, before running as fast as her short, stumpy legs could carry her massive turtle body.
It was surprisingly fast, but of course she's grouped up with two hedgehogs and she's an approximately 6-foot tall sea turtle.

Glacius was quite confused at the situation at hand. He, despite his animal origins, had really strayed away from deserts. Sand was coarse...plus, it got everywhere. Still, the hedgehog definitely wasn't a stranger to combat, nor was he so inattentive to the point he wouldn't notice sand unnaturally moving. "what the..." he began, looking at the now whirlpool of sand swirling in front of them. He thought it was quick sand...or some variant of the stuff, but quick sand was supposed to pull you down...not make some..hill. 

Glacius hopped back, his hands now shimmering with light as he prepared for any oncoming conflict. His eyes narrowed and his usually talkative and smiling demeanor shifted to a neutral expression. "Hey... I'm not one to tell you how your desert is supposed to work but...." he pointed at the building mound, which was now taking shape into something different. "THAT ain't natural!" He yelled out. Despite the facial expressions changing, he still had jokes. Great. 

The hedgehogs eyes followed the sand's movements, keeping track of where it was going, and immediately trying to read where it might go next. At first he thought maybe mutated sand mites or some sort of large bug, but when the sand started to stand up, gaining what looked to be appendages and a body, with some sort of core, the first thing he could think of was a golem...which he could confidently say he's never fought before. Humans, Mobians, and the occasional flaming trash can was really all that was under his belt. He was just hoping cats with swords and a guys with guns were stronger than whatever this thing was, or else he might not have the happiest of times. 

Of course, when Ocean Lily ordered the group to move, he followed suite, not giving any time to attack, catching up and pacing next to the turtle from his position, just in case she wasn't fast enough, however she was surprisingly nimble for her size and age. He figured the other woman could keep up or at least shield herself with her magic, but if need be, he'd quickly look to help her as well, despite how much it may hurt him in the process. 

"What the hell is that thing?!" He asked, his hands still shining a bright white as he ran next to the turtle, staying "charged" to release any energy that may be needed for defensive purposes.

Samantha was prepped to strike behind herself, but it was in front of them instead, this works!

Upon seeing the target, she puts a hand out in front of her, hops toward the now running Lily and shouts:

"Agilao!"

This causes a large firey explosion to manifest on the abomination.
As soon as it would cast, Samantha was now effectively skipping to both strafe and follow behind her comrades.

She just hopes that did some damage.

"I don't know what it is, Glacius. I just know it's got a powerful crystal in it and it's charging up something." She calls out as she continues running to find some kind of cover, though she noticed Samantha using magic as she ran.

At the same time as her spell hit, the golem fired off its laser. It seems that it was tracking them, but was moving fairly slowly, so the laser stuck a few yards behind Samantha. The resulting explosion was fairly large itself, a white sphere of energy spewing outward from where the beam struck, and once it dissipated all that was left... was glass in its place. The beam had glassed a few square yards of desert just behind Samantha!
Of course, the spell landed, and being made of sand itself the result was to be expected. This might've actually been why the beam didn't hit her...
The explosion burned away some of the shadowy marks in the sandy body of the creature, causing it to seemingly stumble and fall apart, the target having been glazed vand breaking away.
It stumbles in the direction of the three, before slowly pulling more sand into its form. It begins to move closer to them again...

Ocean Lily watches this...
The fire seemed to do something, even if very little. If attacking the sand didn't do anything...
"Perhaps... aim for the crystal! It might be what brought the sand to life! Striking its body won't do more than slow it down..."

Glacius kept his gaze darting left and right, his eyes and head swiveling as he tried to keep track of Samantha, Lily, and the "creature". In all honesty he didn't know what to do, but the shining white gleam in its abdomen was a start. However, before he could send out an attack, a beam of energy flew behind Samantha, glassing the sand behind her. Luckily, the hedgehog was ok, due to making the creature stumble with her own magic. Glacius took note of the charred sand and then the glassed sand behind the group. "Gods...lets try and not get hit by that..." he muttered. 

He kept his gaze on the creature, watching as the attack that hit it made it gather more sand around it. So the sand obviously wasn't a weak point. However, the sand did seem to morph around the crystal that initially charged up an attack. Sure, the thing had an opening, but with him moving, the creature moving, and the aspect of it probably not allowing an attack like that happen again, he doubted he could hit it with a beam of light. However, if he could keep it occupied. "Lily, I can't guarantee I'll be able to hit it with a beam head on!" he shouted out. "I'll gain it's attention, see what I can do from up close, Samantha, get another shot ready, target it's crystal!" 

Immediately, Glacius turned, running back and towards the creature. Dangerous? Sure. However this seemed like a more likely chance. Besides, if that creature's crystal was quartz, diamond, or any other hyper reflective gem his light would have to be supercharged to do anything to it. However, that doesn't mean a good strike or another explosion wouldn't do the trick. The male ran past the creature, calling out with a small whistle, stopping on the other side of it, but not close enough to get sucked into any sand. "Yoo hoo! Big guy!" he grinned, throwing a ball of light straight into one of it's sandy appendages. "Did you know that albino hedgehog is considered a delicacy in some countries? Get yourself a taste!"

Well, her attack certainly did something! It made sure she wasn't fried hedgehog!
She had a feeling the crystal was the weakpoint, but it was worth a try, right?

"You don't have to tell me twice, darlings!"
She replies, as she casts once again:

"Agilao!"

Manifesting yet another explosion on the monster, this time on its crystal, still strafing all the while.

...She's just going to ignore that felony that Glacius just spewed for the moment.

"Be careful, Glacius!" Ocean Lily calls out like a concerned mother as she watches the young hedgehog run at the golem, shoot at it, and mock it as a distraction.

And indeed, the golem seemed to turn to face Glacius in surprisingly robotic fashion for a sand mound filled with ghosts, before it's crystal started glowing again.
Just then, there was another explosion... and then another, as the energy within the crystal exploded out in a bright flash of light...

Gladly, no one was within range, as rather than glassing the sand, there was now just a decently large crater where the golem once stood.
Samantha's fire attack severely damaged the crystal, but whatever that crystal was... was dangerously powerful. It quite literally just erased the sand a few yards from the center of the golem.
Ocean Lily watched, blinking. "I shouldn't be so surprised that worked... I swear I've seen that before, though. The crystal and that bright light..."

The hedgehog kept his gaze fixated on the golem like creature, making sure any attacks that may be coming his way were spotted so he could dodge them. However, he was glad his distraction worked, the creature turning towards him like a robot. "weird..." he muttered, his attention wavering for just a second. However when he focused back towards the creature, he noticed that the crystal was glowing again, similar to the charged attack that flew towards Samantha. "I think I overstayed my welcome!" he grimaced, turning to run. 

Glacius got out of the area just in time, an explosion of energy blowing behind him. He could tell from the noise alone that it was something BIG. He whipped around, turning to see what exactly it was. However, there was nothing but a charred crater where the creature had once been. He sighed, ruffling his quills with his fingers. "whoo! Giant sand castle 0, team anti snake 1!" he grinned, punching at the air. "whats next? More sand creatures? the snake? We can take em!"

Samantha covered her eyes as the beast essentially self-destructed, a sigh of relief following afterwards.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if more were to appear down the line, let's keep an eye out, from now on."

Samantha then looked toward the cheering Glacius, giving a small smile at the kid's delight.

"Don't get cocky now, darling, I doubt they'll all be so weak."

Just a Friendly reminder, she does her best to not sour his mood.

Though she appreciated that everyone was safe and, in fact, had gained a boost in confidence after defeating the monster, she noted Samantha's words...
Indeed, Ocean Lily should've known this place better than any of the three, like the back of her hand. And yet? She didn't know that thing was in the ground.
So what could possibly be in the castle...

She takes a deep breath, and steps toward the castle again. "Indeed. It's best to keep on guard - who knows what other surprises may be ahead..."

Glacius punched at the air a slight bit more before wiping under his nose and grinning. "Cmon! Just cause I got a confidence boost doesnt mean I'm not wary. Its better to go into a fight with a smile and a puffed out chest rather than doubting yourself. Trust me, I'm ready for anything they throw our way. No matter how strong." He chuckled, patting himself down after he got his words out. "besides, if it's following video game rules, none of them things are stronger than the snake...granted this isn't exactly a video game but... ya get the idea, right? Weak minions protect the strong boss. If we can't beat these things, then that snake definitely ain't goin' down. I'm sure we can take 'em though! It took one direct hit on the crystal to make that golem thing go boom."

The hedgehog sped over to Ocean Lily, grinning up a storm as he brought out another question. "Sooooooo, what's next? Living sand storms? More golem thingies? mini snakes? A giant scorpion? or did the snake only have one minion...cause if so thats pretty lame...at least the robbers and stuff from my village had a group of like...three or more." He informed the pair. "I feel alive~"

Samantha gave a grin, the kid was naïve, but the logic was sound.

"Quite right, darling! Onward!"

With that, Samantha went into a skip, still following Lily, but y'know, with skips.

At the very least, there's that. Both were of much higher spirits, and all that's left is getting to the center of the castle.
She still couldn't shake the strange feelings, however...

"There might be mini-snakes, it's children, but I'll admit, last time I did this there were no issues... I never saw that thing before, so... who knows what else is ahead." She says as she heads off toward the castle's entrance...

The entrance was a large arch, more than ten times her own height, though there was no real door to go through... Just step on inside.
The inside was dark.
Very dark...
And it was unsurprisingly dusty, making it harder to breath.
The walls and floors had a very rough, sandstone texture, and in the shadows one might see the contours of very tall figures and shapes.