Rythian Enderborn hacked through yet another tangle of branches, cursing Lalna, Xephos, technology, and just about everything else under the sun. Behind him traipsed Zoey and Tee, two very different companions. They had been walking for two days and a night now, and their food supplies were running low. Zoey was wounded, the dinosaur was restless, and morale was generally low. They had seen a large building up ahead, and were heading for it in the hope that whoever lived there would deign to lend them a hand, but there was something of a problem. Between them and the building was a thick forest, with few breaks in the canopy and an undergrowth thick enough to stop a rampaging golem in its tracks. It was slow going, to say the least.

"Zoey," Rythian called over his shoulder. "Are you sure there's nothing that robot arm of yours could do to help? This is damn tiring." She examined her prosthetic doubtfully.
"I suppose I could use the plasma cannon. But that might just burn down the forest. A bit. Sorry." He sighed.
"Never mind. We'll keep going - hey, it's not that far." They looked up. The building was a little closer, of course, but still definitely a long way off. "Let's just take it one step at a time." Suddenly, the bushes rustled and a scaly nose emerged, followed by the rest of the bow-toting dinosaur.
"Tee!" Zoey exclaimed. "I didn't even notice you'd gone..." He growled softly, and held out a piece of parchment. On it was a crudely-drawn picture of the tower and a small building next to it. A barely-recognisable rendition of the Strife Solutions logo was emblazoned on the tower.

"He must have been scouting," Rythian mused. "Let me see..." He stopped in his tracks at the sight of the logo. "Oh, goddamnit!"
"What is it?" Zoey looked up at him, concerned. The mage sighed and leant back against a tree.
"They're greedy businessmen and lovers of technology. Everything we're against. We can't go to them for help." His cyborg lover looked dismayed, holding up her right arm.
"Everything we're against, Rythian?" She'd put up with all his anger for the majority of this journey, she'd been injured badly thanks to his feud with Lalna, but to be dismissed as evil by the one she loved...

He shook his head, looking down.
"I'm sorry. It's just...the damn scientist. He did this to us. I should have killed him with that portal trap."
"I know," she sighed. "It's not science we need to fight though. And honestly, I don't think it's Lalna either. Can't you just let this go?" Rythian looked back up at her, violet eyes glinting.
"Zoey, I love you. I want you to be safe. But until the man who injured you and cast us out is dead, I'm not letting anything go. We have to steel ourselves for this last leg. I promise you, Zoey. Lalna Jones will die by my hand, and we will be free."