Shift in the atmosphere
"So you mean to tell me that you put me up to this whole thing?" Sindel asked skeptically and shifted in her overstuffed chair. Dran sat across from her and extended his open hands in response, "That's what I said yesterday evening, isn't it?" He said matter-of-factly, all the while examining Sindel's disbelieving facial expression. The night before, when Sindel had come running with wounds to spare, Dran had offered the high-priestess a place to rest. She had stayed in the chambers across the hall from where Dran resided; a luxurious suite with plush carpets, wonderfully carved furniture, lots of space and a spectacular view of the Waterdeep's confusing forest. Although Dran had offered to help Sindel with her multiple wounds, the stubborn priestess insisted on healing her own cuts and burns. The next morning, after a good night's sleep and a simple breakfast served by Dran's right-hand man, Sindel sat down with her host to discuss the previous night's disturbing string of events.
An undeniable look of frustration squirmed its way into Sindel's icy blue eyes, "No!" She yelled, still unable to retain her temper, "You don't understand! I hate Masoj and San-Raal, what I did I did because I wanted to." She banged her fist on the arm rest of the chair and then flexed her hand from the sudden shock. She couldn't get herself to believe Dran about the mind manipulating incident, it just didn't make sense. She hated the drow wizards from the moment she met them and the fight that had happened the night before was imminent; Dran simply had nothing to do with it. Dran's hand went to his forehead, "Sindel, I've explained this before. The fight felt right to you because it went in agreement with your true feelings, the only thing I did was to make those feelings a little stronger." He explained patiently, knowing that two enraged and ill-tempered clerics would get nowhere in this conversation.
"And you did all of this to bring me here?" She said, not in disgust but in confusion. She cast another glance about the richly-decorated room and figured it was fit to meet her standards. Dran nodded slowly, "I don't want you to take part in the destruction of my temple, is that not clear enough? Let your foolish teammates have their moment, they never wanted you around anyway." He said, the words causing Sindel to turn away haughtily, "You, of all people, were the last person I expected to see as a part of Khelben's death squad. You hated him and he hated you, what was he thinking asking you to do favors for him?!". The disgusted look on the high-priest's face was crystal-clear; his normally calm and rather mysterious way of speech had abruptly yielded to his quick temperament.
Sindel couldn't disagree with Dran's logic; both she and Khelben had been at odds during the time where her presence among the raiding party had been requested. If it had been up to her, she would never have chosen to call on one of her enemies for a mission of the sort. Unless of course, Khelben had done it on purpose, "Maybe Khelben asked me to go because he wanted to anger you by sending someone whom you knew and had spoken to hencewise to take down your temple...like some kind of sick irony." She commented suddenly, coming out of her thoughts and looking over at Dran for a second opinion. The clerical overlord wasn't quick to reply, he expected as much from Khelben and maybe even more, "Or maybe he wants to rid himself of you too." He said after a moment of silence then registered the confused expression painted on Sindel's face, "Its easy enough to understand, Sindel. Who knows if Khelben believes that the mission that you and your team are on will be a success. Perhaps he didn't expect you to return at all." He explained with a casual shrug of his wide shoulders.
That didn't satisfy Sindel one bit, "Than why would he have bothered to gather the best warriors, clerics, thieves and mages he could find? He went all the way to the Underdark for god sakes! And anyway, why would he send away a whole group of perfectly adept people to get killed? It just doesn't make sense, Dran." She protested, shaking her golden locks and steeling a glance out the small window to her side. She knew she was right, but still the mystery of why exactly she was asked to join the party remained. "No, I really think Khelben wants to tear this place down. The raiding party isn't a dupe, it's a real attempt." She concluded, still staring out the window when Dran didn't respond. Outside, the morning promised the day to be warm and generally nice; there was a complete shortage of life around the reclusive temple though, and although that was a normal occurrence for the temple's peculiar location, it never ceased making Sindel a little nervous. Suddenly, she wondered how her party was doing.
Dran remained quiet for a bit of time and watched Sindel peer out the window. How uneasy she seemed, sitting as straight as a rod in her chair with her hands clamped tightly onto the arm rests, it was as though she expected the sky to fall down on her. Dran wondered if it was his fault and frowned; Sindel had to believe him when he said he was on her side, "I suppose you are right about Khelben, I did carry it a bit too far." He said finally. Sindel turned to look at him again but her eyes hid something, "Dran, are you afraid?" She asked sharply. Dran drew back in surprise and shook his head, "What do you mean? Of you?" He asked, his emerald eyes going wide. A cocky smile smoothed Sindel's full lips, "No, not of me silly...of my team." She said, "Of my ex-team." She then corrected pointedly with a reserved sneer. She waited for a moment as Dran seemed to think of the best response.
Sindel's use of the word `ex' struck a cord in Dran's mind; had she really deserted the raiding party on the count of Masoj Hun'ett and San-Raal Dragonsphere? Or was she planning to go back? Another, more prominent question pried at Dran's head; would she fight against her team to help keep Darkmoon alive? The sound of Sindel's finger nails tapping on the wooden arm rest of her chair pulled the high-priest from his thoughts, "In a way, yes. I'm afraid because I can't get to your party to tell them that I have no intention to harm them. Even I tried, I'm afraid they would only get confused and think I am playing mind games with them." He began to answer Sindel's question and the priestess cut him off, "Like you did with me?" She added slyly, getting a wicked stare from Dran. "And further more, the fact that I can't reach them frightens me because then they will continue to ravage Darkmoon! I've been watching them from the moment of their arrival and I've known their purpose ever since. Everything they've --and you've-- encountered has been part of my attempts to stop the destruction of my temple." Dran continued frantically, desperation showing on his face. He swallowed thickly and hoped he was getting through to Sindel.
A cool breeze floated into the room and Sindel found it appeasing, "I've tried to tell them, Dran. I've tried to tell them what you told me about Khelben and they did exactly as you expected, they became confused. And then Will," She paused to frown deeply, "proclaimed that you were brainwashing me and he got everyone to follow him in the annihilation of your temple." She explained with a sigh, "With Will around you can be sure that the raiding party is coming your way." She tucked her legs beneath her and yawned sleepily, then it hit her for the first time; she wasn't out there fighting away at a horde of monsters and clerics, busting her butt healing bloody wounds and yelling at her team to get in gear. Instead, she was sitting in a luxurious room, with someone she could actually talk to, no weaponry on her in the least, and all the time in the world to sit back and relax in a clerical environment she knew so well. Now she knew the relief that Dran had asked her about the night before when she had almost fainted, now she knew what he was talking about.
Confidence is what Dran felt when he saw Sindel getting comfortable in her chair, "I appreciate your efforts with your stubborn teammates, I assure you." He spoke lightly and shook his head in the hopelessness of the whole situation, "But how will they realize that I'm not the enemy?" He asked. Sindel leaned her elbow on the arm rest of her chair and put her chin in her palm, "I don't know...I really don't know." She breathed and watched in amusement as Dran mimicked her posture, "I guess we'll have to wait and see. Where are they now?" She asked off-handedly, curious to know what progress the team had made without her presence. A loose smile crossed Dran's face, "The Test of Faith. They're going to pass it and get proper admittance into Darkmoon's upper chambers." He said somberly, a hint of hopelessness in his voice.
"Test of Faith?" Sindel asked confusedly. She had left the party the night before they had entered the Test and didn't know what Dran was talking about. "It's a test I make my clergy pass before they are admitted within Darkmoon as true members of the cloth. When it is passed successfully, the cleric may work within the spires of the temple, where we are now and a few floors below us." Dran elaborated and flicked back a strand of his brown hair. The explanation pleased Sindel, "Oh. But if they pass the Test, that's not going to be a good thing. They'll be closer to taking you down, won't they?" She commented quickly.
Unexpectedly startling to Sindel, Dran burst into sobs of laughter and his green eyes seemed to flare, "What are you worrying about?!" He managed when most of his hysteria had gone by, "You and your team will be heroes!" He cried, throwing his arms out to show grandeur, "You will have rid the Waterdeep of Temple Darkmoon and its oh-so-evil high-priest Dran Draggore!" He added, his voice dripping with sarcasm -and a bit of animosity, Sindel noted. Fighting futily to hold back a chuckle, Sindel spoke up amidst her host's sudden outburst, "What are you talking about? Maybe my team will be heroes, but not me!" She leaned out of the side of her chair to get Dran's attention back.
"What do you mean?" Dran uttered suddenly, his sarcastic glory coming to an abrupt end. It was Sindel's eyes' turn to flare, "I won't be a hero, Dran." She said with a devious smile that seemed to make time stand still, "I'll defend Darkmoon here with you...as your high-priestess," She declared, "as Darkmoon's high-priestess!" She cried, her voice raising with delight and greed altogether. Dran's sly smile mirrored Sindel's, "Brilliant then!" He said, his voice sounding like a hiss through his barely-moving lips. He was thrilled that Sindel had finally accepted his earlier offer of the post of high-priestess of Darkmoon; she would prove very useful, and she was incredibly powerful too! What a great day it had proved to be for Dran, and as he looked at the determined expression on Sindel's face, he gathered it had been equally fruitful for her.
"And don't worry, Sindel." Dran said darkly after a moment, "The closer your team gets to me, -to us- , the harder they will find it to execute their task." He steepled his fingers and flashed his high-priestess a wicked smile.
***
The bright green lock made a subtle clicking noise when Nightshade inserted the key into it. The area was deathly calm and the entire party was silently getting ready for battle. Once the key was inserted, it disappeared and the iron gate ahead of the party creaked open to reveal a fair-sized dark room. Nightshade ran to the back of the party and drew her sword as, beside her, Pryzma flipped through her spellbook. At the head of the group, Will cleared his throat, "This is the mantis nest Elyxya and I were talking about," He whispered back to his crew, "I don't know if there are any adults, but if not, this'll be an easy killing." He stated quite truthfully. Will and Elyxya had taken the party back to the gate they had found earlier and with the help of Nightshade's key, the mantis nest was no longer a mystery.
"I see something shining over there." Pryzma declared quietly from the back, pointing out to the back of the room that lay gloomily silent ahead of them. As the rest of the group narrowed their eyes to catch a glimpse of this `shining object', Meeks' voice cried out overly loud, ruining the party's stealthy silence, "I'll get it!" And within the blink of an eye, the polearm-wielding warrior had disappeared into the mantis nest. Following Elyxya who was the first to react, the dumbfounded group tore into the darkness before them. So much for the element of surprise!
Meeks was indeed at the back of the room, reaching out to grasp an emerald gem that was safely implanted within an eye-shaped niche. "Its dark and scary!" Izzy whimpered from somewhere in the back, once again her comment was ignored. "Got it!" Meeks said happily and took the shimmering gem into her hand, then she jumped back in surprise as it exploded into a thousand streams of eerie green light. The light filled the room and the party got a glimpse of what surrounded them; on the floor along the left and right wall were two twin rows of about five mantis eggs. Each egg was about waist-high and rounded, green goo covered their surface and seeped onto the floor.
"Oh, crap." Meeks chuckled uneasily as the ten eggs began to pulsate and wobble. She remained staring at the gruesome sight until Elyxya's voice yelled, "Meeks, you idiot!" And the eggs began to break open. The light that the gem had created had woken the young mantises and they probably wouldn't be happy to have been disturbed. "I'm so sorry!" Meeks yelled back at her party and the blade of her halberd came up as the egg closest to her broke open. To her surprise, a full-grown mantis leaped from the egg and chirped its high-pitched chirp; she swung at the thing's head and wondered how such a tall creature could fit inside the three-foot egg. "Everybody take a mantis!" Elyxya's voice yelled as the nine remaining eggs shattered apart, "They're unarmed!".
The group charged forward and scattered. Magic tore at each corner of the room and excited screams came from the sword-wielders. Although the mantises weren't armed, they were still quick and tough to get at. And worse yet, they moved about constantly! Elyxya found herself smiling at the thought that the king mantis and his army of armed mantises had already been defeated by Meeks and Masoj, what a relief! She watched as the mantis before her dodged and ducked her blows and waited for an opening. When the thrikreen didn't give, Elyxya decided to get rough; she threw herself at the mantis and knocked it off its feet, then plunged the curved blade of her new scimitar right through its chest. "Nothing like the direct approach." She mumbled contentedly to herself, pulling herself off the dead creature and brushing off her chain shirt.
San-Raal, Masoj, Nightshade and Pryzma gathered the four mantises they were battling and cornered them at the back of the room. All four teammates, even Nightshade who was using her magic for the first time since the beginning of the quest, simultaneously launched magical attacks; death spell, finger of death, lightning bolt, and power word kill. Four mantises fell to their sudden deaths and four invigorated mages smiled proudly at one another. "Lightning didn't really fit the picture," Nightshade, the lightning bolt's caster, said a little disappointedly, "but I'm not quite as good as you three." She finished with a casual shrug. Pryzma patted her friend's back as Masoj and San-Raal looked on with wide grins, "The bolt was good, Nightshade. You fried the mantis...that was the object of the spell." She said with a nod. Nightshade smiled smugly and looked over at Masoj and San-Raal; the two wizards gave her a wink.
Near the gate at the other end of the room, things weren't going so well for Izzy. The little thief was squaring off against two mantises, and even though she was the one with the weapon, she didn't feel she had the advantage. "Go away! Shoo!" She screeched at the top of her lungs and swung her short sword wildly without aim. The mantises responded to her screaming with shrieks of their own, only deafening the poor little lady. The mantis on her right succeeded at batting away her sword, leaving Izzy completely helpless. "Elyxya! Will! Masoj! San-Raal! Meeks!" She screeched again as the mantis that had batted away her sword picked up the weapon, "Help me!" She broke out in cold sweat when the thrikreen thrust the sword at her. She backed up, and just as Meeks and Elyxya ran in to help her, she fell into the other mantis' arms. The creature picked her up and, with amazing strength, threw her over it's shoulder and ran from the room with her. Elyxya screamed at the mantis and then followed as Meeks ran after the creature.
Back in the room, the rest of the mantises were being finished off and their bodies were already dissipating into nothingness. The scene with Izzy being carried away by a mantis warrior was viewed by the entire team; and while Pryzma and Nightshade laughed themselves hysterical, the rest of the team tore after the escaped creature.
The renegade mantis ran at a very high speed and succeeded in losing Meeks and Elyxya when turned the corner that lead to the `stone lips' room. "He can't go far!" Elyxya yelled at her friend who was running ahead of her, "We'll catch him in the electrical pod chamber! He can't run for long!" She added and looked back in haste to see the rest of the team on her heels. Meeks turned the corner that the mantis had turned a second ago and stormed back to the top of the Test of Faith stairs, the team's old meeting spot, wondering why on earth the mantis had taken Izzy. "Shit." She cursed as she realized she'd lost the mantis. She slammed the butt of her halberd down and looked around for a possible route when Elyxya appeared at her side with an excited expression on her motherly face, "I'll check the rooms we slept in last night, maybe it's hiding from us!" She declared and ran past Meeks to examine the rooms to the left.
The rest of the team came running in then, panting and confused. Meeks didn't wait for anyone to ask her questions she wouldn't be able to answer, "I'm going to check the electrical pod room." She said quickly and disappeared into the path of de-activated pods. The team was left alone for a moment, and then Elyxya re-appeared from the left chambers, "The mantis is gone." She said and threw out her hands desperately, looking at her gawking team. "And so is Izzy." Will commented sourly from beside San-Raal and Masoj. He closed his eyes and couldn't believe what had just happened; how many people get kidnaped by mantis warriors? For the love of god! A thought popped into San-Raal's mind then and he pointed to Elyxya, "Elyxya, didn't you say that the mantises are creatures from another plane of existence?" He asked, his eyes shimmering with excitement. Elyxya frowned, "Yes." She said quickly, not sure where this was going. San-Raal ran a slender hand threw his thick white mane, "The mantis has probably taken Izzy to its plane then." He figured with a smirk. The group fell silent at the proposal, and Elyxya shook her head, "What for?" She asked the wizard, not getting his sense.
San-Raal meant to answer but there was an interruption. "Gone!" Meeks called grimly as she reappeared from the pods and joined her crew, "No mantises, whatsoever." She repeated bluntly. Elyxya scowled at her friend, "San-Raal says that the mantis took Izzy back to its original plane of existence. It just took her and brought her there." She resumed before Meeks asked questions. Meeks looked over at San-Raal and he nodded, "That's what I said. And to answer your question Elyxya, he probably took her there as a slave of some sort. Maybe something else, but I've no clue." He spoke with reasonable conviction.
A thought came into Masoj's mind and he began fumbling about his robes, "I think I can help--well, not me but-" He said and produced the little onyx statuette of his magical panther. The crew turned to look at him and they shot him incredulous stares. A frown crossed Masoj's face, he hated being doubted, "The panther I used in the catacombs resides on another plane." He began to explain as most of the team crossed their arms over their chests, "Perhaps he can find Izzy. I mean it's a long shot, but what have we to lose?" He concluded with a smile and flashed the little statuette for everyone to see. Will nodded along with Meeks and Elyxya, "I think it's worth a try. Go ahead, Masoj." He said casually and the two warriors at his side smile in anticipation.
Masoj tossed the statue to the ground and called his panther; immediately the regal feline appeared from a dark wisp of smoke. "Gwen!" The elated wizard cried and crouched down to stoke his pet. "I think we should just let Izzy die." Nightshade whispered to Pryzma somewhere from the back. "I think that's a pretty damn good idea." Pryzma whispered back. After licking Masoj's face several times, the great black cat became attentive to his master's instructions, "Gwenwhyvar, you are to return to your home and search for Izzy. She is short with long curly red hair and-" He paused in his words and shook his head, "-well you've seen her before. We believe that a mantis took her back to its original plane of existence, we need her back. If you find her, bring her; unless of course, it's impossible." He finished his commands with a hug for his pet and the panther then de-materialized.
"That was it?" San-Raal asked, his voice filled with disbelief, "You mean the cat will actually do as you say?" He raised and eye brow and watched as his friend got to his feet. Masoj straightened his thick robes and looked over at San-Raal, "He's smart." Was all the drow answered. The deed being done, Will plopped down on the ground and sighed, "Now we play the waiting game." He said curtly and soon enough the entire party was sitting on the ground around him. On everyone's mind was the mantis affair, and so someone had to bring it up again. "What kind of test is this?" Nightshade asked disdainfully, desperate to reveal her true feelings about what's been going on, "I mean, if only one person were to take this test, they'd be dead! Think of all we've been through, that's not something that one person could handle all by themselves." She commented and received the curious stares of all her teammates. Beside the angry thief, Pryzma nodded her understanding, "That's very true. Just take the mantis nest for instance; if one sole cleric would have ventured in there and would have mistakenly awoken those mantises, that person would have died within a few seconds!" She pointed out with wide eyes, "And what about that other army that Meeks and Masoj went through?" She cast a glance at the two in question and they were holding onto each other's hand, "That's crazy stuff! What's going on in here anyway?" She rocked back and hugged her knees. The group seemed agitated now and thoughtful.
Elyxya was next to share her thoughts, "What if the two armies -the nest and the one in the pod chamber- were mistakes. What I mean by that is, what if we weren't supposed to face them? The mantises in the nest wouldn't have awoken if Meeks wouldn't have torn that green light gem from the wall; maybe that was meant as a test of judgement. You know, making the right decision?" She opted wisely and the look on a few members' faces told her that she could be right. Meeks grinned suddenly, "Yeah! And I don't think that the mantis army in the pod chamber would have been a problem if I wouldn't have thrown my dagger onto that precise plate that made the wall disappear. I makes sense, right? Maybe the mantis armies are mistakes." She said brightly. The group kept their smiles wide and their comments in check; everyone knew that Meeks had been the cause of both mistakes, but no one wanted to bash her considering the two mistakes hadn't proved fatal.
"Let's say you're right about the mistake thing Elyxya. Than where do we go next?" San-Raal uttered, leaning against the wall and tapping his fingers on his spellbook, "We've been everywhere we could go." He added and pursed his lips, then shook his head and said, "And what about the bone key I found? Where does it belong?". A grim moan coursed through the group then and before anyone got depressed, Masoj spoke up confidently, "Let's just take this one step at a time. We can figure out where to go next once Gwenwhyvar comes back with news about Izzy." He said and no one cared to contest his notion. The group had almost forgotten about Izzy for a moment, but now she came back to their minds.
"Poor Izzy," Will said with a sigh, "she really tried to do her best around us." He looked around for some support and got Nightshade and Pryzma's wicked grins instead. "Her best isn't good enough, Will." Pryzma said sharply, "Every time she tried to fight, she ended up causing more trouble. She whines all the time...and Nightshade's a far better thief than Izzy. In fact, Izzy's never done anything for us except carry a torch." Pryzma spat disgustedly, Nightshade swelling with pride at her side. Will's horrified expression died down once he'd looked around the group and noticed that no one really cared to defend Izzy, "That's a horrible thing to say, Pryzma." He gulped, unable to accept that she had a point. Nightshade rubbed her hands together like a mad scientist, "That's a horribly accurate thing to say, you mean." She corrected with a sneer. The group felt silent for a moment and Will realized that once again he'd started a bad conversation. "You two could at least have a little pity for her," Will tried with a desperate tone, "she did lose her only friend." He pointed out; now he had a point.
Expecting whole-heartedly to get a somber nod, Will looked over at Nightshade and Pryzma. To his demise, the two began to clap, "Good job Sindel!" Nightshade cried with faded yet true enthusiasm. Will's hands went to his temples and he wondered how come those two hated Izzy so much, she'd never done anything to them! And Sindel, well Sindel was just a mean old--oops, now who was acting up?
"Hey what about Sindel? What's up with her...has she telepathically contacted you yet?" Meeks asked Will, startling the high-priest in his thoughts. "What? You were reading my mind, Meeks?" Will shot back, a little surprised of being interrogated on what he was just thinking. He cooled down when Meeks drew back in confusion, "No, she hasn't contacted me yet. I have no clue where she is now." He said, his mind going ninety miles an hour with separate thoughts concerning the priestess in question, "Do you guys have any ideas?". The group seemed to think for a moment and then heads began to shake...all except Meeks', "Maybe she went to Dran." She said simply, figuring that's where she would go if she would have been in Sindel's position. Will shifted uncomfortably and winced, "I've thought of it, and let's just say I hope that's not where she went." He responded and everyone knew Will was thinking some pretty nasty thoughts right then.
As a relief from the dismal state of mind that had overtaken the group, a wisp of smoke appeared beside Masoj and soon the shape of a great panther came into the material plane. The entire group drew breath and turned their gazes to the cat, their expressions expecting. Izzy had not come back with Gwenwhyvar. Masoj knelt before his pet and grasped the regal feline's face with his slender hands, "Gwen! You did not find Izzy?" He asked with a deep frown that mirrored everyone else's. As if in shame, Gwenwhyvar lowered his ears and bent his head to lay them atop his powerful front paws; a whimper escaped the cat and everyone understood that their rescue attempt had failed. Masoj bowed his head much like the cat had and then, without turning to face his team, said, "I apologize everyone. Gwenwhyvar was not able to find Izzy." He closed his eyes and felt a kind of inner failure but dismissed it when Meeks' hands squeezed his shoulders optimistically.
"Oh lord, that's the second one we lose now..." Will's voice lamented from amongst the small group. Masoj dismissed his panther and turned to face the others along with Meeks. Meeks rubbed Masoj's arm out of nervosity, "Maybe Izzy'll come back." She exclaimed hopefully and forced a smile to back up her words. Beside Elyxya and San-Raal, Nightshade and Pryzma wore wide grins, "It's best not to bet on it." Pryzma hissed contentedly, figuring the mantis warrior had done a great job at ridding the party of Izzy. Nightshade nodded her approval, "We will do just as well without her. You will see." She added proudly and knew her words were just; she was really the only thief the party needed, Izzy was never really a big help.
Will shot the two women a reprimanding glare, "It all sounds so cruel to my ears." He began with an exasperated hand gesture, "Izzy was part of the initial team. She spent weeks of training for this expedition, it seems like such a waste." He shook his head and looked at his raiding group. Elyxya took the decision to not dwell on the party's loss, "Look guys, maybe we can see it like this." She said and got to her feet, she drew out her scimitar and spoke matter-of-factly, "It'll be lighter traveling, less people to worry about. We won't have to feed her --not that it was a big problem or anything-- but still, you all know what I mean. We started with eight party members and now we're down to seven, I don't see a problem with that at all. It'll be less people for Will to heal, that helps a bunch!" She paused for a moment and registered that the whole group was listening intently, then she bent down and looked Will in the eye, "And although I'm sorry to admit it, Izzy was never that much help. Ever." She pointed out and winked as Will rolled his eyes and shifted uncomfortably.
Elyxya's pep talk effected Meeks first of all and the brash fighter got to her feet and pulled Masoj along with her, "Elyxya's right. As long as we all take care of the people that are left," She looked at everyone in turn, "then we've nothing to fret about. We're all proficient at what we do so we'll be fine." She concluded and Masoj nodded in agreement. San-Raal blinked and jumped to Elyxya's side, "I am not going to sit here and mourn someone while I could be taking down this wretched temple and satisfying my hunger for revenge." He said with conviction and wrapped his arm around Elyxya's waist. Now the entire group stared at Will. Will stared at the group. Will stared into the electrical pod chamber straight ahead. Masoj and San-Raal walked behind Will and grasped his shoulders, pulling him to his feet as Meeks chuckled and cried, "Just agree you stubborn fool!" And soon the cleric was brushing off his robes and giving the team's wizards a vengeful stare.