SOUL FORGE (CLOSED)

Late morning turned to early afternoon as Lady kept up her brisk pace along the dirt path cutting throught the hills. The sun was high and bright overhead but the cloud of Shadows ever present on the horizon was enough to dampen any day. A hot breeze blew through the pines as they rounded the top of another hill and into a copse of trees that would run for leagues in either direction She had been trying to avoid taking then into places that could be Shadow nests, dark places where they could fester and brew out of the sun.

Coming to a stop, she wiped the sweat from her brow and glanced back at the two Guardian's behind her. Alex's face was pink rather than its usual pale complex and Eyrth looked the worse for wear, loping behind them at an exhausted gate. It was hard for her to remember that they were not quite as built from training as she had become.

"We will rest here for a minute," Lady nodded, as the two finally caught up, "But we cannot stay for long. We must cover much more ground before nightfall and traveling at night is much more dangerous."

Pursing her lips, she let out a long whistle between her teeth and a piercing cry from above answered. Raina blended into the sky and passing clouds too well to be seen until she dropped into view at the tree tops carrying the small bag of supplies. The thunderbird let go of the bag and the swordwoman caught it with ease before the bird swept over to Lady's shoulder settling with large talons clacking against her armor.

"Thank you, Raina."

With a quick tug, she opened the leather draw string pouch and pulled out a small water skin and another bag of dried deer meat. Ery looked as though he needed the water first, since his mouth was slightly open trying to get relief from the heat. She handed him the water skin with an encouraging nod. "Drink, friend. It will be some time before we come upon a well."

The bag of jerky, she gave to Alex. "It was your kill that supplied the meat. You should get to taste your own work first."
 
Alex smiled proudly as she took the bag of jerky from Lady. "Thanks," she said. It came out sounding a little breathless, as she had only just sat down. As it turned out, hiking was just as little her forté as running was.
She took a small bite from the jerky and let out a content breath at the delicious taste. She held out the bag to Eryth. "You should taste this when you're done with the water, it'll make you feel better." Her expression turned more doubtful. "You do still have a taste for jerky, right? Despite-" She gestured vaguely at Eryth's entire body.
 
Eryth took the water thankfully, downing a fair portion of the skin in big gulps. "Thanks, I really needed that."

He passed off the water skin back to Lady before took a seat on the ground, tail twisting around to his lap while he shifted his bare feet. He was happy to be here... sort of, as happy as one could be while fighting things, but he was helping Lady reclaim her home. It was as worthy a cause as any other, even if it did make him exhausted now. His change seemed to give him an edge in terms of speed and skill, but he severely lacked the endurance Lady or even Alex had.

"I should, I fed my frillies back home dried meat sometimes. They seemed to like it." Eryth took a piece from the bag, tongue flicking at it out of reflex. The smell was similar enough to home, and the meat would have been much fresher than anything he could find packaged. He nibbled at it as he tried to get some relief from the heat of fighting, though a nap sounded very good right about now.
 
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Lady let the two Guardian’s rest for a moment as she kept her eyes on the tree line. The breeze cutting through the branches and underbrush made the shady path look as though it were already alive with creatures lurking beneath the surface. Knowing that the Shadows had broken the barrier and brought themselves into this sector made every one of her instincts buzz. There would have been a time where such a place would have been pleasant to her. Growing up on the plains where there were no trees to make up a forest, left her amazed by other areas in Otherworld. Now, the trees meant shade, and hiding places for Shadows. She had to be ready at any moment.
Eryth handed her the water skin, pulling her out her thoughts and she gave him a small smile. He had drank a healthy portion of the water, but he had needed it most. “Thank you,” she nodded, before tipping back the skin and sipping at what remained. When she was done, her hand nudged Alex. “Drink.”

When they were finished, Lady packed up their remaining supplies and gave Raina a small nibble of jerky before sending the bird back into the sky. “The gate is not far once we reach the other side of the trees. A small hour’s walk if we keep pace. Let us continue.”

With that said, Lady tossed her braid over the back her armor and continued into the trees. The road had obviously not been used in a long time. What once had been a great thoroughfare, beaten into the mud with wheel tracks and foot paths, was now littered with leaves and a few wild flowers popping up in the sunny spots. She chose their path deliberately staying in the brightest portions, and when the light shifted on the trail, so did their track. Besides the road being over grown, the small forest was unsettlingly still. No birds chirped or animals rustled through the trees. Only the sound of the wind making the leaves whisper met them as an undercurrent to their footfalls and Lady’s armor clinking from time to time.

Lady kept her left hand rested on Sperest’s pommel. The weapon was warm, even through her gloves and felt ready as if it were ready to tackle whatever waiting for them. A humming container of energy begging to be released. Leaves crunched under her boots, but another sound pricked into her ears. A shuffling sound? It was faint and ahead of them. Squaring her jaw, she drew Sperest with a metallic shink. The blade glowed in the shade, giving off a pleasant warmth. “Stay behind me. If I order you to run. Do not hesitate, whether I am with you or not.”

Jogging down the path, she rounded a bend in the road where a gnarly rooted oak encroached, blocking part of view. Suddenly, a glint of metal flashed and a resounding clang echoed through the trees. Sperest met the attackers sword with a quick block and broke it in two with ease.
The owner of the weapon, a lithe man with chiseled features and strange eyes that were entirely white. Behind him were several more men who looked exactly like him, mixed with a few women. The women wore all white and each had an etheral beauty that shifted, as if their forms were not quite solid unless you looked closely. The attacker looked to his broken blade with a fierce gaze, only to have it drop as he saw Lady.

“Lady,” he gasped, “You came.”

His blank eyes shifted to Eyrth and then Hazel, taking a good look at both of them, glanced back to Lady. “And you are noteh alone.”
Lady sighed in relief and sheathed her weapon, looking over the group. “You had to abandon Perro’s Castle?”

Closing his eyes, the man nodded. “Theh Shadows leaking in, takeh part of theh castle. Some of theh White Women and Spartoi still trapped inside. I am sorreh we have failed you.”

She looked at the thin number of the dragon-teeth men and the pitiful looking women. These people were road weary and hurt and there was was nowhere for them to go now. They were all looking to her for help, and thankfully she had more to offer than a simply barrier.

“ You have not failed. You have given me the time I needed to find help, my friend,” she replied, gesturing to Alex and Eyrth, “ Four men, go along with the women to the shores, and call for Reius. He will take you to the Carenium.”

A shocked murmur rolled through the crowd and one of the ghostly women looked the three of them uncertainly. Lady squared her shoulders, knowing their concern. “It’s the safest place now. Go, and find refuge.”

The ranks were rearranged and as the Spartoi not going with the refugees came to stand behind Eyrth and Alex in formation. Ten men with completely ivory eyes, no hair, and greek style armor filed into two rows of five and stood at attention after giving a salute to the two guardians. “ It is an honor to serve along side you.”

With the ranks ready, Lady nodded to the rest of them. “Go and be safe.” They nodded, each of them giving grateful looks. A pale lady reach out to Eyrth and grasp his scaled hand. Her hand was soft and warm though her form was hard to pin down. It shifted like the sunlight through the trees, but still stayed the creamy pale no matter how fluid her face was. Leaning up to match his height, she kissed the nurse on his cheeks. “ The Women of the White thank you...many blessings of knowledge and bravery to use it.”

Then she turned to Alex and took her by the shoulders and kissed each of her cheeks, right and then left.. “The Women of the White thank you. Blessings of knowledge and the bravery to use it.”The shifting woman returned to her group, giving them one last encouraging look.

“Forward,” Lady announced.

The warriors behind her snapped to attention with a sharp clank that echoed through the trees despite there being less than a dozen. They marched through the rest of the forest at double time in the afternoon heat. If there were people still left alive, she wanted to find them as quickly as possible. The rest of the Spartoi would not have left if they thought it was a possibility they were left alive, but there was still hope. The White Women were smart and the dragon-men strong.

When the edge of the small forest came to the end of the hill where it was easy to see the open, rolling hills of Sector one. In the distance, massive castle made of white stone sat on the horizon. Even from that far away it looked large, with tall walls encircling dozens of towers and halls. It might have been a beautiful sight, had there not been writhing tendrils of shadow rising into the sky above and wrapping up to the tops of almost all of the towers. Seeing how quickly they had spread made her heart pound a little with the shock of it, but she kept her surprise away from her expression. Sperest pulsed under her palm and she gave the pommel a gentle squeeze as it called for her energy. “Soon.”

Calling everyone to a halt, she gave everyone a moment to rest. They would need all of it they could get before their first battle began and she needed time to devise a plan that didn’t involve getting them all killed.



OOC NOTE: Lady and the Spartoi are available for collabs if you want to talk or have questions. (You might learn something if you do ;) ) The next post will include the beginning of your first battle along with an updated map.
 
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Walking through a forest was supposed to be a relaxing activity, or so dozens of anti-stress sites had told Alex. Back in the human world she had scoffed at the idea, and Otherworld certainly hadn’t changed her mind on it. The forest was too thick. If an army of monsters were to surround them right now they wouldn’t even be able to see it. Alex didn’t think she had ever felt this on edge in her life.

It only got worse when Lady pulled her sword, when she told them to run on her command. Alex had her hand on Coraxe’s handle when suddenly it turned out their ambushers were friends of Lady’s. She sighed in… relief. Not disappointment, right? She frowned and tried mentally tapping into Faliq. The bow was restless again, but when was it not?

She was so busy trying to get Faliq to settle down, that she would have barely registered the strangers if their strange appearance hadn’t caught her attention. They were all… oddly beautiful. It was quite overwhelming.
By the time Lady called all of them to a halt for rest, Alex’s mind was reeling. She was surrounded by strangers, they were about to head into battle, and a beautiful woman had just kissed both of her cheeks! Not to mention Faliq was practically vibrating in its spot, strapped on Alex’s back still. She wondered if Forge weapons could somehow move on their own accord.

She realized she needed to get rid of this tension somehow, so she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry,” she began. She wasn’t sure if it was simply because she hadn’t spoken for the past 15 minutes, but her voice sounded uncomfortably loud in her ears. “But ehm, who exactly are all these people?” She directed her question at Lady, not caring for the moment if she was being rude to the newcomers.
 
"I, uh..." Eryth scratched at the back of his frill, a little out-of-it from the heat of the mid-day sun. "I don't actually know a whole lot about mythology either. Mostly I did a little bit of writing and creative stuff between jobs so..."

He shrugged, not really knowing what to do at this point. It still seemed surreal to be here, even after so long, but every time they saw something new, something he would have scoffed at before, it just felt like a dream. His tongue shot out briefly, tasting the smells of the warriors. They didn't seem too unlike other humans, but the tinges of energy he could feel off of them and the hint of ash and scale his own mind might have inserted.

"What are we expecting up ahead?"
 
Lady watched the tendrils of shadow writhe over the building as her mind worked. This was only the first time her two Guardians had been out, and this was a difficult task ahead. Sperest's warmth grew stronger underneath her grip, as her blue-green eyes scanned over the area. The Spartoi were warriors and they would be patient as they was long if that's what it took to devise a plan, but her fellow Guardians were curious and understandably nervous. At Eyrth's question, she left her thoughts behind and looked to the scaled nurse. It was time.

"Gather up," she nodded to them all, "And I will tell you."

She waited until all of the Spartoi and her two Guardians were surrounding her to tell them what she thought.

"I think these Shadows have used the gateway inside the the keep to break through. The surrounding area is not full of them, but the castle looks to be overrun with very strong Shadows. Strong enough to withstand the full light of day. So they must becoming from an already over taken source. They will seek the deepest part of the castle first to grow even stronger before spreading to the area and will take any form that makes that easier. If there is anyone left alive they will be in the catacombs surrounded by runes. We need to find them."

Shifting on her feet, Lady gripped Sperest a little tighter and looked to one of the Spartoi. "How did you escape the first time with the keep overrun?"

"We broke tru deh section of deh drain m'lady. Et leads into deh sewehs and guttahs from deh catacombs. It was ovah run though. Deh White Women make a seal behind so none can folleh."

Lady nodded and as her eyes traveled over all of them. It seems their seal had worked, at least for the time being, but also meant that way was closed unless the seal was forcibly removed or dissipated by the creator. A plan formed in her mind and she smiled a little. It was a risky plan, but everything they did now was risky.

"Eyrth and Alex, you will be escorted through this drain into the catacombs to conduct the rescue."

"M'lady...the seal..."

Lady's eyes flicked to Alex and she raised a brow. "I believe you know how to break a seal. Go through the drain and search the catacombs for the survivors. There will be shadows but I will keep those to a minimal by staying top side and drawing them out to defend the portal itself. It will pull away from those areas to defend its source if it has to and I intend to make it do just that. This also means that you must avoid any shadows you see in the catacombs for as long as possible. Stealth will be your ally until absolutely necessary."

One of the Spartoi looked uneasy at Lady. "And do yeh tink yeh can do des alone?"

Lady chuckled and shook her head. "I am not alone." With long whistle, Raina swooped down from her perch in a nearby tree and settled with her long sweeping feathers onto Lady's shoulder plate. "Raina will be with me." The bird gave a piercing cry, as if it were asking someone to challenge her.

"Any questions before we press on?"
 
Alex frowned. How to break a-? Her eyes widened as her thoughts traveled back to her first night in Otherworld. The carving in the wardrobe. Great, so that was a usual occurance here, apparently. Seals. Her eyes flicked over to Coraxe for a second. Its pommel was glowing faintly, as if trying to communicate to her that yes, it could break seals.
Alex wondered if this meant she had some piece of responsibility she didn't want. Strangely enough she also felt a tingle of excitement. In the back of her mind she realized that if this were a video game, she wouldn't leave a single seal intact. But then, video games had such a handy save-option. Oh how she wished there were checkpoints in real life.

At the end of Lady's speech, Alex finally spoke. "I have a question. If stealth is of importance here, isn't it way too risky to send such a big group inside?" She motioned at the warriors standing all around.
 
Eryth gulped. The whole thing sounded botched. Not only was he asked to sneak and fight through a catacomb, but do it all while knowing Lady was going to be all alone topside as a distraction? It was nuts. Thoughts were racing through his head. Catacombs full of the undead rising up to fight them like at the beach, the sheer stench of rotting flesh assaulting his tongue. He was black scaled now, and he would be harder to see in the dark of the tunnels.

Was that racist?

His tongue flicked out nervously, his grip wringing at the handle of Corbin.
 
Lady turned to Alex and smiled. The woman was smart and always pointed, which made for a good leader given time. "Aye, which is why you will all be splitting off into pairs. The catacombs are deep under ground and are said to run for miles. The spartoi and the Lady's of the White are the only ones who can navigate them well. You do not want to become lost down there and there is a greater chance of finding the survivors. I will keep the shadow mass occupied enough to pull most of its strength from below."

She wouldn't be able to beat the Shadows entirely but with Sperest concentrating her energy she could seal it away and keep it from spreading further into the area. It would only be possible with her full focus and it would be more dangerous for everyone to have them at the gate to take it head on. Her new guardians didn't have the stamina or the experience for it yet.

"Pairs?" Eryth asked quietly, his anxiety clear in his voice. "Are Alex and I splitting up then?"

Eyrth's apprehension was obvious and in part she didn't blame him. This first mission was a difficult task for traditional guardians, much less someone so raw from the human world. "Aye, a spartoi to go with each of you. Unless you would rather take a group of three. I will abide by the decision if that is what you choose. " They were as much guardians as she was and she valued their opinion. She did wonder if they would consider all of the consequences of going as either a pair or trio.

Alex tensed up a little at the dilemma. She was in no way eager to split up, but part of her knew that if their Soul Forge weapons were the only effective ones against the Shadows, then they might not have much of a choice. After a moment of consideration, she opened her mouth to speak. “I think we can cover more ground by splitting up. If any Shadows stay behind down there, it’s important the two of us can reach wherever we’re needed quickly.” She turned to Eryth, making sure he saw her sincerity when she said: “You know, seeing as you already unlocked one of your skills, I’d say you’re probably stronger than I am. You don’t have anything to fear down there.”

"Eyrth?" Lady encouraged, "Is this the way you want to do this? Once we go in, there is no going back."

"..." Eryth squeezed at the handle of his weapon one more time, mustering himself for another battle. Alex was right, they would be able to search for people easier as pairs than as a group, even if it meant he was thrust into a situation more or less alone. "You're right, pairs would work better. I'm ready."

Lady nodded and then looked to all of them. "You get in, you find the survivors and you get out. Do not come to the gate no matter what happens. I will be attempting a seal." The Spartoi nodded back understanding and then came to stand alongside Eyrth and Alex awaiting their command. "This is where we part. With success we will rendezvous here. Stay close to the Spartoi and good luck, my friends ." Lady gave them and guardians salute and a small bow before turning on her heels and starting at a jog down the hill, her honey colored braid swaying behind her.

Now that they were on the verge of beginning the battle, Alex felt a rush of something akin to excitement flow through her. She instantly knew it was Faliq’s doing, but she found herself not minding it. She could use the energy. She turned to the nearest Spartoi. “Where will we enter the castle?” she asked.

"Deh drain is on deh north side on deh retaining wall," the Spartoi said to Alex immediately, as if she were his commanding officer, "Deh drain is partially sunk into deh river side. Do yeh swim?"

Alex nodded. “I’m no champion, but I won’t drown.” She turned a grin to Eryth. “What about you? Think your new scales have given you any cool underwater skills?” Or was she mixing up reptiles and fish? Either way Eryth would know.

"Er... I don't know about underwater skills, probably some very tiny drag benifits over bodyhair but I don't have webbed toes or anything. I'm not sure how these digitigrade legs will work in water compared to plantigrade, but I guess I'm about to find out."

Alex stared blankly at Eryth for about a second. Was she going to admit she barely understood any of what he’d just said? She decided it wasn’t important, and they were too near enemy camp anyway to admit to weakness! “So, shall we head to that river, then?”

The spartoi nodded and started walking down the hill into the grasses. The others followed suit silently as the captain brought them closer and closer to the castle. The closer they came, the darker the skies became, almost as if someone put a film over the sun. They came upon a small creek and followed that to a wider body of water than ran along side the white stone retaining wall. "Now we get in deh river. Remember tah keep ye'arrows up, M'lady." With that warning, the spartoi slipped into the water quietly and waded toward the wall where a drain waited.

Eryth followed in. The water didn't feel all that strange to his new skin, it was pretty much just as wet as any other time he had waded into a pool. His larger feet did seem to help him walk on sand and mud better, of course, but the water itself was no different. The feeling of drag on his tail was quite different though, and he still couldn't quite shake the feeling that something had grabbed onto his spine somehow. Though some lover grabbing him by the tail wouldn't be all that bad, now would it? He shook his head, trying to push the thought away. "Not now." He mumbled silently to himself as he dipped Corbin into the cool water as some sort of punishment against the foul-minded weapon.
 
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The Spartoi paddled over to the wall, edging along the reeds in the cool river water until they came upon the drain. The heavy iron bars had been bent apart far enough for one person at a time to slip out but there was a rune carved in dripping red liquid over the top, revealing the blood seal made by one of the White Women. They stood to the side, to avoid being seen by any shadows that might be lurking and waited, listening carefully.

"We wait for deh Lady t' start attack," the captain whispered to the two Guardians, "She starts an' then ye break deh seal. We split to pairs and go in. Yeh'll hear deh sounds, trust meh."

*******

Lady took a deep breath, calling on her energy and her focus as Sperest glowed warmly in it's sheath. This was not going to be easy, but there was no room for doubt. The Shadows had to be contained for they spread any further into the sector. If she could just stop them within the portal, it would keep them at bay for a little while longer until they could strike at the source of the darkness. It wasn't a permanent solution and the castle wouldn't be safe to live in, but it might keep them from losing before they had even begun.

The castle gate had been closed and sealed as well, but it she wasn't worried about stealth. Her task was to make as much of a show as possible to draw attention and the first thing that had to be done was ridding the gate of it's seal which would take some force considering it was not a skill inherent to her or her weapon. With a fluid motion, she grasped Sperest in her right hand and slid the blade from its sheath. It was already arching with sparks of energy, built from her adrenaline and anticipation for the battle ahead and glowed brightly against the dim sky. Lifting the blade into the air, Lady called the weapon's power to her. The sky opened up and flashed with a bright light as thunder rolled into the clouds The single bolt of electricity struck down from the sky and through her bones, to the weapon in her hand. This was the critical moment, build too much an burn or release without focus miss her intended target. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the electricity to the seal over the gate. The explosive energy met with her target and shattered the wood into splinters. A small pulse of breeze rippled from the blast as the seal was broken and the light faded away.

The move always made her body feel numb and a bit tired, but she had built her stamina to account for most of the effect. With the seal gone and the gate open, Lady took her blade in both hands and charged forward into the dark courtyard.

****

At the sound of the thunder rolling and the hard crack behind it, the Spartoi captain knew Lady had begun. He nodded to Alex and Eyrth, confirming it was time to move and pointed at the drain. "Ye break deh seal now."
 
Alex nodded, trying to look like a proper Guardian and not a newbie who barely knew what she was doing. Part of her knew the far-off explosions and battle sounds should probably have been the main source for her being uneasy, but that wasn't the case. If anything, Faliq responded quite positively to them.
As long as those sounds remain, Lady is still alive.
Alex didn't bother trying to determine whether that thought had been her own, or Faliq's. Maybe it had come from the both of them.

Banishing Faliq from her mind for now - your time to shine will come, shut up! - Alex unsheathed Coraxe and held it closer to the seal. She made sure to keep an eye on its pommel, watching the glow intensify as it neared the dripping, red blood seal.
"That should do it," she mumbled.
 
The seal above the drain began to glow just as the Baku's seal, brighter and brighter until it flashed and faded away as if it were never there. Once the seal was vanished, Coraxe's glow faded until the blade returned to its ordinary sheen. There was another crackling sound from the sky and some of the dragon men flicked their white eyes upward. They had to be fast. One of thr Spartoi sidled next to Eyrth and gave him a firm nod. "I go with ye, Guardian."

The Captain of the dragon men pointed to the rest of his remaining company and they paired off, leaving their leader to accompany Alex.

"When ye enter, we go left and ye- he nodded to Eryth- go right." Then without further delay he entered the drain with the water sloshing at his ivory ankles.
 
Eryth slipped in behind the ashen man, keeping Corbin's head up and over his shoulder in the darkness. His tongue tested the air, a heavy blanket of mildew and stagnant air overcoming him. For some reason, it almost didn't seem as bad as he normally would think, even with his enhanced senses. His eyes soon adjusted to the darkness, and he looked behind him to make sure Alex had followed safely.

He was almost excited to be here now, ready to fight, yet the fear did not leave. His mixed emotions stirred up butterflies in his gut and a wave of vertigo hit out of nowhere. He shut his eyes tightly, forcing himself to recover. His metal-clad claw came up to his snout scratching at his scalp to hide his face.

Corbin felt lighter in his hand, agile, ready. That must have been why he was torn again. He wanted to be nowhere near a fight, and Corbin wanted nothing but to fight.

Well, that and the other thing.
 
Alex entered the drain with Coraxe sheathed, and Faliq back in her hands. She felt a restless feeling overtake her, and waited impatiently for her eyes to adjust to the darkness so she could see. Faliq grew restless with her, and she gripped the bow a little tighter as she nocked an arrow. Just in case.

This was where they would split up. She looked around for Eryth, and gave him as best of an encouraging nod as she could manage with her nerves.
 
Eryth nodded back, turning once more and starting down the dark tunnel and trying to muster some air of determination. Whatever was down here, it was about to meet a very frightened, armed lizard. Hopefully that was as dangerous of a combination as he thought it was.
 
The darkness seemed thick and almost suffocating inside the catacombs but nothing stirred so far. The captain of the Spartoi followed along the rough hewn walls of the sewers next to Alex, keeping his white eyes trained on the darkness ahead.

The further they ventured from the drain, the sloshing sounds of the other half of the search party began to fade and there was less dim light to walk by. Only the sounds of the Spartoi pairs and Alex could be heard over the trickle of water as they waded. The Captain inspected the smaller woman beside him. She seemed confident but green, and hearing her admit that she had yet to use her bow for something besides simple arrows was not exactly heartening but Lady had chosen her for a reason. The woman didn't simply choose to do things on a whim.

"We need'a light," he whispered to her and the Spartoi pair following them.

************

The Spartoi stepped through murky waters next to his Guardian partner the light filtering through the drain was fading quickly and none of them wanted to be caught in the dark should Lady fail. Glancing to the strange lizard man. The Spartoi had come across several Guardians with changed or exotic features borne from the Forge, Lady included, but this was the most extreme he had ever witness. He briefly wondered what the man looked like before his day in the Carenium. Whatever he looked like it was still impossible to hide the expression wild nerves on his scaled face. He needed the man to be a lizard Guardian and focus. "Ye got'a light, sir?"
 
"I... I don't think so. I can still see, sort of. I don't have infrared vision or anything though, not one of those species." His hand reached for the satchel at his side, slipping inside to find a squeaky, fuzzy ball. "Emee??"
 
Alex thought for a minute, not sure how to answer the demand. She certainly did not carry around a torch or anything of the sort. Now would be a great time for Faliq to reveal sudden iluminating powers. But, as Alex sent a question mark to the back of her mind she had come to think of Faliq's corner, all she got back was what felt like the mental equivalent of a shrug. It would have annoyed her, if it hadn't been the most in-sync she'd felt to the bow since she'd gotten it.

"Well, if you've got a flame, I suppose I could try to light one of Faliq's arrows on fire and shoot it down the hallway," she quipped. In the meantime though, she kept one eye focused on where Coraxe rested in its sheath, wondering if maybe the knife would be so inclined to showcase its glowing pommel in a time where it would actually be useful.
 
The small house sprite stirred from his nap at the feel of Eyrth's claw and his pink nose poked out of the satchel, sniffing at the air. "Ery!"

A murmur came from the Spartoi group and Eyrth's partner gave him a curious look. "Ye carry housesprites in ye pocket?"

******
Coraxe remained dull and silent as ever in its sheath.

"Spartoi have no magic an' ye need 't save ye arrows," the captain said, "There is'a a split in'the path an a room soon. We find somethin' there. Ye just be careful with ye steps."
 
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