"Are you sure? It seems to want us to try ..."

"Try as you might you will not succeed," it chortled again, giving the barrier one final test with a finger before hearing that it was to be dismissed, it made out well this time around.

"Dismissal ... right ... umm ..." Nina flicked through the pages of the notes then glanced back at Ishtar. "The ritual lasts for half an hour before ending if not renewed or you can end it prematurely if you desire by chanting this passage ten times."

Right, right...dismissal. Ishtar studied the passage to make sure she understood. Then she slowly tried to begin the chant hoping that the creature would be dismissed as Nina said it would be. It would be then that the duo can even begin to hope that to deal with the cultists and give the police a chance.

The creature was readily dismissible. It was not strong and the spell was simple enough for the two girls to handle. Even so Nina shuddered when it was done and said with.

"That was creepy." Nina gazed at her. "Ok, how are we going to approach this? Are we going to check the place out first and try dealing with whatever is there then alerting the police so they can go in, are we going to try to snag Milly and the others first or are we going to do this ourselves?"

Yeah, I am glad we are finally done with that creature. It really freaked me out. Ishtar shook a little at the thought of it somehow getting free. However that was in the past now as the creature no longer existed, having been sent back from wherever it came from.

It was then Nina asked her how they were going to deal with the cultists. Well, if we are trying to sneak in, we need to bring as few of us as possible. The more of us the more likely we will get caught. Though if we can get Milly to help us that would be great. Although I don't know if she is going to make here in time. It sounded like the ceremony was going to start soon.

"Yeah, your right. Still, I guess ... oh, wait a sec, duh, Milly's already out that's why we got her notes in the first place so it looks like it's up to us. It sure did seem that they were starting soon or that thing was otherwise unconcerned about interference as if it was taunting us with the whole impotence of the matter but we got to try something."

She considered the warehouse district for a moment. "There only about five minutes from here so we should head out before it gets too dark."

Ishtar nodded to Nina, We will need to head out now then. Hopefully they won't be expecting anyone to interrupt them. Still we will have to be very careful as get into the district. It is probably going to be dangerous.

Ishtar took the lead as they headed out, the fear of danger to others made her at least temporarily forget her own fear.

"Right."

It was a short walk to the factory district, an area in town that was booming long ago before the depression hit. All appeared normally here though, their was no forlorn feelings in the air or nothing watching them as far as they could see.

"It's quiet, do you think they have alarms or wards in place? I'm not sensing anything."

Ishtar looked around and took a few deep breaths as she attempted to feel anything that was magical. I would think they would, but I do not feel anything either. Maybe they have the alarms and wards closer into the buildings. I guess we should be quiet as we move closer. Ishtar looked around at the factory district, it was all abandoned and she did not like being around here this late. Still the two of them had to find the cultists and see what they can do to stop them.

The sky was splashed crimson with a swirl of colors looming on the horizon because of the setting sun as the two made their way onward. The feeling was a little troubling, was she right or was someone so powerful that they concealed wards from them?

Ishtar did not know for certain but felt a little better a few minutes later when she felt something near one of the buildings, a lingering magical aura which she determined was a ward of some sort concealing something. Nina seemed to sense it as well as she gazed in that direction wearing a frown of her features.

"Do you feel that? A masking ward I think."

Ishtar could feel something as well, though she was not at as accomplished as Nina. Y-yes, I do. It feels like a bit of tingling sensation. The masking ward, would help suppress any suspicions that anything was going on here. Not even a magic user such as the two students would spot anything going on in a place like this. We should check out that building.

The young woman started heading over to the building where the ward seemed to be coming from. She signaled to her friend to be careful as the two tried to be as quiet as possible.

"Yeah, it feels like it."

Nina went over as well, little hands sliding against the wall as she felt around, then paused, her hand suddenly on a doorknob as the entire door was hidden from their sight. She assumed that their were hidden windows as well and as she gazed at the door stupified for a second she pressed an ear to it and listened. After a moment she glanced at Ishtar.

"I don't hear anything."

Ishtar was surprised when Nina hand revealed the doorknob. In a matter of seconds an entire door was revealed, surprising the two. The police would have never found this on there own they would have simply walked right by it. It was then than Nina listened to the door and told her blue haired friend that she didn't hear anything. Ishtar blinked in disbelief for a moment and then put her own head against the door.

I do not hear anything either. We should open the door quietly and sneak in.

"Agreed." Nina nodded then cracked the door opened a little. She listened from outside as she peered inside giving her eyes a second to adjust to the darkness within the chamber before entering the large room beyond.

From the inside numerous windows were clearly visible though from the outside they were merely brick at least on the ground level. There were two levels here, most of the second floor was non existant save for a cat walk that spanned the building.

There were offices up there and on the opposite side of the room was another door which Nina slowly walked to rather then the stairs leading up to the catwalk. She got close to the door and paused, their was clearly someone of the other side chanting, no multiple people that chanted a chorus. Nina gazed at Ishtar in the darkness as if about to ask her opinion about the matter before going wide eyed.

Ishtar watched Nina opened the door a little and then followed her friend into the building. The blue haired girl eyes initially had troubled adjusting to the darkness so the young woman simply followed Nina until her eyes finally adjusted. It was then that the blue haired girl to could see they were in a large room big enough for to be at least two floors. However Ishtar could only see the catwalk above them.

The young woman turned her gaze back down to ground level only to find that her friend had moved over to the offices that on the opposite side of the room. The young woman quietly caught up with Nina as they approached the door. Even not being next to the door, the student could hear what sounded like multiple people chanting some sort of chorus in a ritual. Ishtar looked over at Nina to see what she thought, but Nina seemed to frozen in horror as her eyes had gone wide. Ishtar got chills down her back, as she turned to look and see what Nina had spotted.

It was beyond description really, a vague shape in the darkness, limbs ending in a sea of tentacles with eyes all over it's body. Different colors, shapes and sizes lined it's body and a massive maw was in it's chest lined with jagged teeth. It had no head either. It was nearing them too, surprisingly quick it lashed an "arm" at them. There were three of four tentacles branching out of it all with a life of their own as the tentacles streaked towards them.

It let out a shrill wail, high pitched and piercing that left no doubt to the fact that it was heard as Nina attempted to evade it only managing to fall as one tentacle secured her ankle and jerked her off of her feet.