p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fea354486ee140314a9ce17836159056"Going through the dark void of the portal felt very much like being sucked into some black ooze, the darkness almost feeling like it was sticking to Ed and Olly's armor and the skin of their faces. Olly was used to the feeling, but she could hear Ed's restraint as the tightening darkness made his shuffling feet even more hesitant. She instinctively reached out and grabbed his forearm, feeling his Pelorian gauntlets under her gloved hand. Pulling him closer to her, they both emerged from the darkness to have the sense of hot humid dampness surround their senses. Ed took a deep breath as Olly's eyes adjusted to the darkness of what she could guess was the entrance into the Yuan-Ti temple. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7fce765df2bd09e78142844bc11932e4"Although the space they were in was a mini-plane by itself, the space the portal occupied still lay underneath the City of the Dead, so if the temple were to collapse, the space under the graves would as well, trapping them forever in this darkness. Olly tried not to imagine suffocating underneath layers and layers of earth as she walked a little bit more into the temple entrance. The walls were nothing but slick rock, the stench of old moss and dirt coating the bottom cavern floor. A tunnel led to where firelight flickered against the walls, but Olly was hesitant to go very far without Ed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="483c08bd4b194812b0b410f305954c25"As Ed himself got his bearing he noticed everything around them, although his vision was not as clear as Olly's. Olly could make out every nook and crack in the cavern wall, but unfortunately her partner could only guess what things were lurking in the corners of the entrance. Olly closed her eyes and felt out ahead of them, hoping she wouldn't run into any cultists just yet. Her focused mind felt a few of them, but the rhythm of their heartbeats told her whoever was up ahead was fast asleep. Her senses picked up little things waiting for them, things that would snatch and grab and stab if they weren't careful, traps laid out for anyone daring to come closer without invitation./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3e8b1a045a101fa09023ef5304a9b22d""Ed" Olly whispered "Step where I step and no other place. The cultists have littered this place with traps. One wrong move and we are caught or dead."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="85e7452df88286cca7890181f88a4fad""Got it" Ed whispered back, propping his shield in front of himself in case a flurry of arrows decided to find them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4cfc9e522e7925e9fc97fe906959a0d9"Very carefully, Olly began moving forward, her bow drawn and an arrow already knocked for her first encounter. She knew that it was going to be near impossible to get through the temple without being spotted, but if they kept their presence down to a minimum, they might have a chance to survive. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="df1f25c28ffaed865e238aff62e3e1e1"As they walked out of the entrance Ed spotted four guards, two on each side posted in front of a monolith of a pyramid. Ed could see sections of the pyramid that stacked high on top of each other until the very top was flattened, a stone altar sitting high and menacing above them, the cherry on top Ed mused. It must be where the Yuan-Ti would make sacrifices, letting the blood or what was left of the body spill down the steps when they were finished. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e0e2c470125a57f369b6cce77c6d058f"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Gruesome"/em Ed thought to himself "em style="box-sizing: border-box;"All to achieve being a big ass snake.../em"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a87b571c2e48eaeb1c61cf7de003dec1"Olly looked back at Ed and pointed to the sleeping guards, making a slashing motion with her hand. Ed grimaced, unsure about the violence Olly was suggesting. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="398742fb8efe66f8899889573bd24fe2""What?" she hissed "You thought we would walk out of here holding hands with everyone?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e912b4e7bb2ae16b8a8c323f23b94d63""They are sleeping" Ed hissed back./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c0221a53dded9bf71e3ed83b29b49523""Then they will die dreaming, a luxury most do not get" Olly said with a hint of darkness in her voice that reminded Ed that Olly had killed all manner of people and creatures. He had watched her himself behead a manticore and called it mercy.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="20d30ed18bdcbee92bc7680b2fa2cc16"Huffing at his clear reluctance, Olly snuck to the first two sleeping guards and slit their throats, her other hand palming their mouths to muffle the last fighting breaths. Ed watched his partners eyes as she did this, the dead-pan look of just doing what needed to be done, all emotions void in her face and stance of her body. It was eerie, watching her move so quietly that if he had his eyes closed he would have never known she was approaching from behind, the blade of her dagger swiping across the other two guards throats like spreading butter on bread. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e8b49305ceb42066fa4b0e3acfb8039a"Olly looked more than annoyed as she finished her work, coming up to Ed and wiping her dagger clean off with a rag from his side pack./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="da9e0e398d9e1808f94a83c4fbaacb90""If you hold back through the whole temple we won't get far" Olly said looking him in the eyes "I'm sorry that this isn't the way you want to handle things, I know you would rather choose the peaceful road, which is usually how I like to do it as well, but there is something you need to understand as we go through this. These cultists worship a snake deity that would gladly have you for a snack. They don't think about anything but themselves and will be quick to turn on you and even their fellow worshippers just to get ahead. When we get to the Abominations, they will eat you the moment the opportunity presents itself. Mercy doesn't have a place in this hole. They are canon fodder and they have my brother. I will slit a thousand sleeping throats if it means getting him back safely. Do you understand me Cleric?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="deabfeff3bdd9f0b5c7078a5dc5f0a97"Ed heard the low venom in her voice, the danger that everyone had always talked about with the Duers. Although this young woman in front of him barely reached his shoulder, she was a killer, and he knew that her value of life differed from his own./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="14ce075e822f89b8cdc984cde642fcac""Yes" he said in a low voice "I understand."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="21223a60908f72f543d0d9ef90e83bd3""Good" Olly said handing him back the cloth she had taken from him "We should move from the bottom, the dungeons will probably be on the first or second floor."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2d74e036fcfa804c821cca08e67ee66c""As you wish" Ed said nodding, still thinking about the dreaming cultists that just met their end. He would bless them if they had time, but the Aasimar was already going for the temple entrance. Ed thought he would just have to get used to moving forward, not looking back at the enemies they had slaughtered. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="27ac4df49782a59a5bec12c9f3360f46"The entrance had two large pillars made out of white stone posted in front of the heavy doors covered with vines and grime. On the pillars, ancient writing was carved into the stone, but Ed could neither make heads or tails of it, the hollowed out squiggles and curves foreign to him. Grabbing the Dawnstar, his gauntlets lit up to dimming light as Valor's voice echoed in his head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="da98f33f872d5cf6384008e2762d45ce"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Looks like a bunch of squiggles and nonsense"/em Valor mused./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="66898facd87f4c228fe8cdc11010e659""Very funny" Ed said quietly out loud, catching Olly's attention as she watched the Cleric speak to his reliquary "Tell me a little of what it says."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f5380ccff987b490f0237b03eb5a59e0"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Very well" /em Valor said, his tone deflated from it's no nonsense owner em style="box-sizing: border-box;""It sums up to be a form of ancient Undercommon depicting how the Yuan-Ti were created. A deity named Dendar is mentioned a lot. Seems the Yuan-Ti need his blessing to achieve "fulfillment" it says, with enough sacrifices to him and him alone. The text is a lot older, which means this temple has been here for some time, although not very well kept in shape if you ask me."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="763bebe3e7328e09a05704bc98924d92""Any warnings about traps or anything of the sort?" Ed asked as Valor's magic made the squiggles and curves form into hazy words Ed could almost make out in Common./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="953570833c7ab8b6f0809b722bbc3966"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""None that I can see, just a lot of listing nobility and who has changed."/em Valor answered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e95251b8eb6b8a80abd78b7e72c611dc""What's it saying?" Olly asked coming up beside Ed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c19a49ef6b4bded001b6b3620869c41b"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Oh it's the one I like"/em Valor said em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Have we told the semi-Celestial how we feel yet?"/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1a1b36af709d29c5f9aa098eaf89bd6c""No!" Ed said mistakenly out loud again "And this is not the time to discuss that em style="box-sizing: border-box;"thank you/em."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fe36b199390d92f1ebb7f07e13c38339""What is it saying?" Olly asked now more curious, watching the red blush streak across her companions face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e10aaa7c853749712a4f70a781344161""Nothing!" Ed panicked "Nothing of importance."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="abe7a83a84821e2f4f6c763132cd6ce1"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""RUDE" /em Valor huffed in Ed's head but the Cleric shook off the talking Solar and focused on his companion./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="476816078496afa35d64191c1098c0d6""Nothing really important on these ones" Ed patted the pillar "Just a lot of nonsense is all. Something about a big snake god named Dendar. The cultists look to him for transforming. That's all..."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f77a6c909deeea3646ee18c61309a69d""Alright" Olly eyed him suspiciously "But I don't fully believe you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="244d4d119562fb7561ea420af39b9a4a""That's fair" Ed said blushing a bit as they headed inside the temple, the darkness thankfully covering his embarrassed face from his friend. The air smelt even more thick as they walked through a hallway with more carvings of how the Yuan-Ti deities came to be, a mythology explained in pictures and relics lining the walls. A faint glimmer of firelight made the surroundings visible, but the two had not seen another enemy yet. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b4f0d4508f3736b641233b9ed934a085"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""You cannot just bring that up"/em Ed scolded Valor in his head em style="box-sizing: border-box;""This is definitely not the time or place for span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"that/span discussion."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d2b4f734efcc6ce0326e9b5f7c6d1d45"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""You forget young Alphonse, I can hear your thoughts and feel what's in your soul. You want this girl"/em the Solar said amused that he made the Cleric prickle./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e77071db6734a934ee5b968dbc08b640"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"You/span need to learn boundaries" /emEd scoffed mentally./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4944ead7c3ac67d3110526b1d49f430d"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Boundaries aren't a thing when you are ethereal"/em Valor noted to Ed em style="box-sizing: border-box;""And you took ownership of the Dawnstar, which means I'm your problem regardless. So again, have we told the little angel how we feel?"/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f1e5f4ce349ca9a9e102600743be12c9"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Again, no"/em Ed mentally grimaced em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I haven't spoken any words, I've only reassured her that I'm her friend, which I AM."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="35d82c6e6979bea0300a6302b48d8613"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Pathetic"/em Valor huffed em style="box-sizing: border-box;""How are we supposed to achieve greatness when you can't even woo a woman."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9dd332707c9e2bae448f8abd9b09496d"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Oh, I can woo"/em Ed said defiantly em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I'm just not going to woo in the middle of a snake infested temple."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b1d1f06434d1085dbe6a1b60e07f0325"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""As you please"/em Valor said and Ed could swear he could feel the Solar shaking it's Celestial head in his own em style="box-sizing: border-box;""But beware young Cleric, if you wait too long, you'll wait too late."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e98e49d3c4a2b60c99a5935540d8f5f6"Ed let his hand go away from the staff of the Dawnstar, needing a break from his mental companion to think to himself alone. He had mused with himself in private of telling Olly his thoughts, how he wished to continue this adventure with her, how he didn't regret the time he was having with her now, how lovely she really was.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3836aa9c07520ed208556106fd6c0d3a"No, not the time for all that. Not when the temple was now before them, columns of high pillars stretching up to the stone ceiling where vines hung down like the snakes that no doubt were living between them. The sand colored stone around them was decorative with ruins and hieroglyphics of the Yuan-Ti, a singly hallway leading them in further into the temple. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d54009dcb071ffb59a85709bc85b575f""Ed, do you hear that?" Olly whispered with a hint of fear as Ed quieted his thoughts to listen to the low chanting he could hear echoing out from further down the hall. It was almost impossible to figure out where it was coming from, the ancient language sounding more like a sing song of hissing than actual chanting, but guttural words were said in between hisses giving off a horrible melody that sent shivers down Ed's spine. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="26ac34fa85f81fbf8e49dd4d217010a5"Olly held her bow out in front of her, her poise low and stealthy as her eyes went in their formation when looking for enemies: Down, Left, Right. Left, Up, Right, and then Down again. Her feet felt every inch that she took, the tip of her foot examining every stone before she stepped on it. Snakes were one problem, snake people were an even bigger one, and in this place they had full advantage. It wasn't just her life at stake, but she had Ed and Nole to worry about. If they messed up, they were dead. That was final. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="44799f82ed98d0b2969e54a5f45dee78"The hallway was lit with torches that were five to six feet apart down the hall, the pathway taking a singular left that made Olly stop before continuing. She motioned a finger to her lips at Ed and pressed herself against the wall, her head poking out real fast to check for a guard or beastie guarding the way, but alas, nothing but a small curved statue in the corner leading to another long empty hallway./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7144651417dcb04bf7857edde4751515""Something's not right" Olly said in a low tone "There should be more people around. Those voices can't be everyone. Unless..."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="feb4b5485deeed0a4e6a8bf76a8d9508"The thought of Nole being strung up and sacrificed made her heart race. Were they too late? Was she sneaking around carefully for nothing when her baby brother was about to have a knife in his heart? /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6a33bb1900c9757d04f06f26ed9f9bba"Olly suddenly quickened her pace, not thinking now where her footsteps lay as long as they hit the stone as she broke out into a near run./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="759e9b73c4d9c16fc1b052b5ee88795b""Wait Olly!" Ed shouted trying to keep up now that his partner was in a full sprint down the hallway "What about trap-"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="16df57ced0720ba60dfbdcbd0b4fbce1"But before he could get the full word out, a hiss and pop made Ed's heart nearly stop as the hallway suddenly closed off from both ends, a large solid rock wall coming down trapping them. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5fc0b9469a7eb075ccfb6dfcaee54544"Olly nearly slammed into the rock wall as it came down, a frustrated scream escaping her as she fell back, the hissing now getting louder as the air around them grew tight./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e002d44fc2da2aea04f80511fd664d7b""No" she gasped, feeling the poison creeping in the air "No! ED! ED, GET YOUR CLOTH AROUND YOUR FACE!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cbc5685e8d8bf6a1591113a25c2cc079"Ed fumbled as he dropped his shield, his hands going for the yellow neck scarf of his vestments, the poison was working fast as he felt his legs start turning to jelly below him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ef882c0fc7bdb24ec8a2a8454452b350""NO! ED!" Olly gasped again as she tried to wrap her own face with a dirty cloth she had randomly grabbed out of her bag, but it was beginning to feel too late. Her body was going numb now fully, her legs and arms immobile as she dropped hard to the ground, the paralysis setting in as tears still streamed from her eyes watching her companion do the same. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4f1ee89eb3e3869794706add71f0d354"Ed's body fell beside her, his eyes glazed but focused on her as his mouth moved to try and tell her something, but even Ed's voice was fading away from her. Fuzzy darkness was setting in Olly's vision, and a burning hatred that was coursing through her body to try and beat back the paralysis was to no avail./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="42a076586549c5c191f90e5e6e29c463"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""No"/em Olly cried out in her head em style="box-sizing: border-box;""No this can't be it. Nole...Nole I'm so sorry. Ed...I never...I ever told him..."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7002e8cd5dfa70e33faecc19cfcdbe56"Then, darkness./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7c639fe2db7d9b6b5301f47205f5030e"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="92472f4ce2cbfb633f74cc0956576ee9"Ed felt his head pounding before he felt the sandy floor beneath him as he woke up, eyes hardly able to focus as he sat up from whatever tight position he had been in. His bones cracked and ached, knowing his body had been tossed not too gently to wherever he was now. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7460e915a68f792fbfb415208c4b93fd"The walls smelt even more damp and musky, a buried kind of scent that made it hard to breathe correctly. Slowly, Ed's vision started to clear, and the fuzzy haze of his surroundings became more apparent that he was in a lot more trouble than he thought. He saw tight metal bars that cascaded across in a row across the hollowed out rock that was a prison cell. A small hole in the ground was all he had for relief, and the walls looked caked in what he hoped was just really dark dirt, but from the coppery smell that hit his nose when he got close told him it was span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"not./span /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5d40d53aba2ca712bfbef8ce9ce058ae"Suddenly he felt to his side and his heartbeat picked up to the point he thought his heart might just dance right out of his chest. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="22b61a8ce97f90b1c70a558e8fc263e9"His Dawnstar was missing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="47cae3bcd0b3bdd1d09dacfc92682d9b"Shield and sword were one thing, but the ancient weapon that housed a huge Celestial power was something that should never fall into the wrong hands. The Dawnstar had the power to bring this whole place down if it was wielded that way and Ed had never truly tested out Valour's might before. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6bb24979eea34e47ad172c6386c4d6f3"Going to the bars of his cell, Ed tested them out with his own personal strength. Thank Pelor, he still had his gauntlets, the golden clasps that encased his forearms still able to gleam in the torchlight of the prison cell. He braced himself as best as he could against the sandy floor, not too much grip for him to balance on as he did his best to push and pull against the bars. He could feel the metal start to bend ever so slightly, but he feared he would cause too much noise and alert whatever guards he was sure were nearby./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0ba0e65e378ca3df510c06977462153b"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Well, at least there's one way"/em he mused to himself, aware for the first time in a long time he didn't have Valour to answer him back. Now that he could figure out his escape, he wanted to know where his companion was./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="da5ea8103293dd487c40163012fef74c""Olly?" he hissed into the air, but nothing came back to his call. He was alone in this dark place, the torch light barely giving him light to look into the other cells that sat empty save for a few skeletons./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0b4c361ce9d791f07542208b4051ff21"Now he had lost his Angel, and his Dawnstar./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ce0adfd8f3c5e8c93d40c4d9baff934f"This was shaping up to be a dicey situation./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f15955af03f61b94ed7fc993d7650c65"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="43a829e46df851a9316f85a4472b7f5b"Olly felt chains around her wrists and immediately woke up, her groggy mind full alert as she breathed deep to get the paralysis out of her system quicker. Her eyes darted around as she realized she had been dragged to the outside of the temple, a stone viewing platform that was a level below the altar above her. At the altar, there stood the red scaled Yuan-Ti abomination, his golden eyes with deep black slits for pupils staring down at her with what she could only guess was curiosity, and disgust./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cc2eecb68ac59bd2e262c28fb39afb2e""My lord" a voice said from beside Olly that made her jump. Two Pureblood cultists approached her with very pleased looks, one priest was a tall burly figure that must have been a man at one point with his face mostly snake now, and a wiry small thin priest that had scales growing over his body, his snake tongue flickering out from that twisted smile he had set on Olly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a4b5bef48f417295b67af2a9fe763f08""This is one of the intruders" the thin one said gliding his hand above Olly that made her shiver. She quickly looked down at her chains, figured them to be steel, and easy to get out of if she had time, but the voice above her halted her thoughts./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; position: relative;" data-p-id="d33091f932a79a084d53c73ab37485c6" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="690cea71727b4fa87fef32b5d7fd80f6""Is this what you were looking for?" the Abomination said to Olly, her head whipping up to look and see her baby brother dangling in the Yuan-Ti leader's grasp. Although he was limp and seemed lifeless, Olly could make out his shallow breathing. His electric blue hair hung in front of his face, the sides now shaved down to his scalp. He was wearing a black sleek outfit which must have been his rouge disguise he was using before he was captured. But thank Mielikki, he was alive, if only a bit. He must have been under the same paralysis from how his body swung in the Abomination's clawed hands./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4b439465ad476bf7dce022451250094f""Nole!" Olly yelled afraid that the sacrifice would happen in front of her "Put him down!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d78062f1f64de2ae7e0d8939098a7c3e""Two Aasimar's my lord" the thin one spoke again "It must be a blessing from Dendar himself! Now you may ascend, my lord Hitotee, and so may Lady Nessalli! Your future brood shall be the most powerful of our kind yet."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; position: relative;" data-p-id="ab62b1c8b3dfaa51172eae37b6ece739" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="30c57520f3d5d983aa8f31f0b8281a6d""Yes my love" a female cultist said behind the giant snake "Olteh is right. We may ascend together, at the exact moment. Destiny has put them in our possession to use."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="25ac5d088e88319f2388e2cbdeba3dd6"Hitotee looked down at his female Nessalli, and even Olly could see the adoration in the creature's eyes. Nessalli stood about a head and a half below her mate, and although her skin was a now pale green with shimmering scales all along her face, arms and torso, there was something off about her eyes.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9e3c71aebec16f7c0f6c04e85cfd711b""Listen to me!" Olly said now loud so everyone could hear her clearly "Release me and my companions and we will leave this place, but if you refuse, I will killem style="box-sizing: border-box;" every last one/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;" of you./em I swear this, by my name as a Duer!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="77179bcaaf8ab07b3c8f444c878e2d30""A threat that will go unanswered" Nessalli hissed at her mate "She has no power anymore and knows it. Throw her in the dungeons along with her companions until the moon has crested over the horizon!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="85b7d969aef990872864ae5ab492fbbe"Although the order was given out by the female, the priests did not move towards Olly until Hitotee nodded his head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="aae1d080e387abeb589a92f64f0ae7ba""Zihu" Hitotee said tossing Nole's limp body to the big burly priest "Take this one away as well."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="79dee7b16bff7194292e2552c16fd6f9""Nole!" Olly gasped, watching her brother hit the floor hard in front of her. She looked up at Hitotee, feeling hate and anger course through her veins, her whole body burning brightly now. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="31b648dd3d2b7d93a4465221a6b47ef8""Yes" he said coming down from the altar to her "Let that hatred sink into you. Let it fuel you so that your power may come into me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="56b2b639bf903cfe3b6039063db37461""You want her?" Nessalli said above them, a hint of jealousy in her voice that made it even more obvious./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b208d6673af4eafd636fef9f3850d651""She has more power than the small one" the snake man said before turning to look at her "And you will not need it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5e4d6aaf7d0e263bcd50ea0029d3ae6b"Nessalli visibly huffed but accepted. Olly gritted her teeth as Zihu picked up Nole and threw him over his shoulder, his hands going for Olly's chains. But before Olly could plan on wrapping the chains around the priests throat and choking him, Olteh came up from behind her and pricked her arm with a dagger stained green from the same poison that had trapped them. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e0b399c0e966289de933e0ad1d49a100""Relax, a prick will only cease your movement for a small time. We don't want any of this nasty stuff going through our lord when he consumes you, flesh and bone, now would we?" he said with a another twisted smile. Before Olly could respond, her body went limp in Zihu's grasp like her brother, feeling her own body dragging across the stone floor, hitting each step with a thud. She no doubt would feel every bump and bruise when the poison wore off, but for now, she was trapped inside her body without feeling. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e9e68a9df0319e46ccfce47050b1816b"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I'm going to kill them I'm going to kill them I'm going to kill them"/em Olly kept repeating in her head, promising every limb that was paralyzed that they would get their vengeance when she ripped this place apart. She promised the last thing these priests that drug her so casually into old musky dungeons would see would be her blade popping out their eyes. Fire burned and raged inside of her, a all consuming fury that she wanted to release but couldn't./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="594d3e287f9528a5d98460436e9642aa"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Getting frustrated isn't going to help you"/em she could hear Atticus in her head, and answered the memory with a scream. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"She/em wouldn't be in this mess at all if Atticus were here! She would have his help, or he would have kept Nole at home where he was supposed to be to finish his training.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c2cf200adc3dcef28d9e23f9a0d8aaec"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""But you aren't here"/em she said to herself em style="box-sizing: border-box;""You left me and Nole here alone."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c1008202ed4f8ca54a78de11865821d2"Her anger was starting to dissolve, now twisting it into sadness as the cell was now in her vision as the priest Zihu tossed her on the sandy floor. She smelt the horrible musk and wished she could gag on the dirty air. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b1352a06b47a567323bcc83ac27cc5a0""Sleep well" the snake priest hissed at them, his unnatural deep voice knowing she could still hear "In five hours the Red Moon will crest over the horizon, and then your blood will go to Dendar. If you should think of escaping, these cells will be reinforced with a binding spell, and we would hate for your spines to be crushed before the ceremony. However, it may may the digestion easier so, do what you please. Know that no matter what you try, his lordship and his lady will have you by the full moon's rise."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c61274892a67f0cfeb2ede0d2fd7555f"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Fuck you"/em Olly thought, wishing she could move a finger to show him her response, but the priest closed the door of the cell, a shimmer of light sparking over the cell bars. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c6addace0ab2c0a628e3bb96e4350178"Now it was time for some work, no more just sitting around. Olly made it her goal to just be able to close her eyes, her vision blurry from having them open for some time now, and focused her energy to be able to give a small blink./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3e47dd825cba72bccc8ced171b441985"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Awesome. Next"/em she thought to herself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="60c770bba1cb073000d5f95fd4322d4e""Olly?" she heard a voice echo out from somewhere and her heartbeat hit rapid fire. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6261a70876a22e97b61cea93a284486e"Ed! That was him for sure!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5e03ff7efb1a0e31f9d3321de9b5398d""Olly if that's you please answer me" Ed desperately asked, his voice a little cracked from being in the dungeon for so long. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4160891352d631b6b20d1fc8ed753932"Olly forced her body to groan out, small and pitiful, but it signaled Ed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fb5395e532e73ad3a40c25aac7fb541d""Olly what did they do to you!?" his voice cried out, underlying fear coating them as she heard him move towards her cell. He must be in the one right next to the one her and Nole were in. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6ff8a365be6e4869192e4dee799ffec1"She tried to moan again, the air coming into her lungs and out as she forced herself to make noise, desperately trying to will her limbs back alive./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="47abc7f345a9387fbb17c823ebe1114a"Smashing now. Tiny rocks hitting her face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="608ba2fcd88e1eaf4ef570457082f00f""Gods! Olly!" she heard him nearly scream. He wasn't beside her though, but he could see her. She tried to get her body to roll to the side towards his voice, her teeth trying to grind together with effort as she very rigidly slumped to the left, her eyes now being able to focus on a hole that had been smashed into her cell./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="43204b76afa3a3a82491c022bf6bdc97"It was only a head big, and reinforced steel bars halted anymore progress her friend would make as she now saw his twisted worried face staring at her. She felt such a wave of sadness then, seeing him staring at her with such worry and fear, his whole arm trying to reach through the hole to grab her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6b954ca52485e79a6523d5c7eb00e527""If you can just roll over to me I'll heal you" he grunted as he tried to reach her further, but his hand was a few feet away still. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="473370b04da30b42f8cb1e669bcd4c0d"Olly wanted to tell him to just stop, to just rest. He could smash the whole wall and still not be able to get any closer to her. Just like in real life, she wouldn't let him in. Always keeping him at a distance, too afraid of what might happen. Peren really had cursed her, cursed her with this fear of ever being really loved. And now a man had come into her life who followed her despite her misgivings. Him trying his hardest to reach her.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f3b468b1ae4146972894c054c43c9adc" It wasn't going to help anything, they were trapped.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e88fc951b7f1dda670e763513894fa59" span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"And it was all her fault/span./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="93d76b17e8b7267185167edbb1e53a72""Olly?" Ed said watching her eyes as tears started to drip down her face, a silent cry that she couldn't get out fully as she just stared at him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2ed093fb7f82ee26c5c6b9188ffd0c31"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Gods, what did they do to her and Nole?" /emEd wondered as he watched Olly's limp body shiver and shake as she cried, her eyes closing and opening slowly to him. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e6230ac9593c2be48f54262ae2776639""em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Shhhh/em" he hushed her "Olly it's okay. It's going to be okay.."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="76f959bb889cb3d91c6b6a96991acced"He knew if she could shake her head she would have. He couldn't take this, couldn't watch her cry again and not be able to do anything about it.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6444261956487f675ceb38e39780a263""Please" he said in such a gentle voice "If you are sad because we are here, please don't be."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b43298d8d8c211b85a227ee2a0d8a0b6"Olly could at least furrow her brow slightly enough that Ed saw her confusion. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="666f552218a84ceaa1e807f3c0d7d650""Olly" he breathed "I'm not sad because I'm in this dungeon. I'm not mad that we got this far and then got trapped. I don't regret that I followed you to Waterdeep, and I'm never, ever, going to regret promising to help you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="511e7739821f0edebf928c309b68db74"Olly listened to him, still wondering how he could be so calm when it seemed like there was no hope. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1579c7a7c4aa222fffc1daccbea735e8""I'm sad" he said "Because I can't touch you. I can't help you, I mean" he said taking a deep breath. If Valour were in his hand, he would be scolding Ed for not just saying what he meant./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="99b1d69619d24cecc3e4207fdcef7292"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Well if there's any time to do it, it's now"/em he thought and then took another deep breath before looking at Olly through the hole./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c258ae1aee94825e5737c1dd1f31e079""Olly, you are the greatest thing that's ever happened to me" he said with such a soft tone it made Olly quiet her thoughts just to listen only to him "And any decision that got us here, it was mine as well. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, and it was with you. I knew that since the moment I first saw you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3236bae12a7945582eb91a1e86f6ecee"Olly couldn't believe what she was hearing, but it had touched a deep part of her that hadn't known real kindness since... since she was a child./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0d7b6b5aa1e050e4ef72259f6871b738""And I promised you" he said "That we were going to get Nole home safely. I intend to keep that promise, no matter what."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b3a2753838cfe835bc2fc991502dbd25"Then, Ed began smashing at the walls once again, the hole growing bigger and bigger until a cry from the guards sounded out. Olly watched as Ed stopped, facing off with the cultists that came to his cell before shooting a small dart into his arm to stop his relentless smashing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d4da8de6be0f5877b75cc1bcd1cedb1d""Nice try" he grunted as he fell to the ground "Too bad that's not going to work."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7f6527484c604bd81ad0d120af1d4c31"Ed smiled as his left hand glowed over the spot where the dart had hit, the poison not working it's magic as the cultists ran to go get someone with actual muscle to deal with the Cleric./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c1f9b909f6d04dc589997e30f56c12a2"He looked over at Olly and smiled "See? If I can get them running imagine what you will do when you are better."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="83561ffe8ce008c379857e0967749d31"Olly smiled then, feeling the muscles stretch across her face. It was a good sign as she flopped her arm around, trying to get in the position to lift herself up from the ground./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d2015c15a088a76c74613558607a9acc""Ed" she got out hoarsely, the weird feeling of her jaw working again before she spoke "It's poison. The daggers."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7d95f5671b0385eb7fbf733cddb4e9a6""Yea" Ed said hissing as his wound started to heal over "I felt it pretty good after we got gassed. When we go up against all of them we gotta watch for darts and arrows too. That guy was fast with the one that got me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d3365bdaca160db8b434d275072434f2""Not going to make it" Olly coughed as she was able now to lift herself up to her knees, her head still bent and limp, but at least she was up off the ground./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0186f5b653831aa0e1943b0ab5364109""Don't say that" Ed said seriously, his frown hard against his face "We are going to make it. I promised you. I just have to get my Dawnstar back."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f1a20f91ce24bf5962c79af0cf35b99d""How?" Olly looked up at him now "I don't even know where my things are."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="91fc886f3f3bb1bf0cc82949096a42e0""Easy" he said now with his usual grin "Just sit back and watch."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7fce765df2bd09e78142844bc11932e4"Although the space they were in was a mini-plane by itself, the space the portal occupied still lay underneath the City of the Dead, so if the temple were to collapse, the space under the graves would as well, trapping them forever in this darkness. Olly tried not to imagine suffocating underneath layers and layers of earth as she walked a little bit more into the temple entrance. The walls were nothing but slick rock, the stench of old moss and dirt coating the bottom cavern floor. A tunnel led to where firelight flickered against the walls, but Olly was hesitant to go very far without Ed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="483c08bd4b194812b0b410f305954c25"As Ed himself got his bearing he noticed everything around them, although his vision was not as clear as Olly's. Olly could make out every nook and crack in the cavern wall, but unfortunately her partner could only guess what things were lurking in the corners of the entrance. Olly closed her eyes and felt out ahead of them, hoping she wouldn't run into any cultists just yet. Her focused mind felt a few of them, but the rhythm of their heartbeats told her whoever was up ahead was fast asleep. Her senses picked up little things waiting for them, things that would snatch and grab and stab if they weren't careful, traps laid out for anyone daring to come closer without invitation./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3e8b1a045a101fa09023ef5304a9b22d""Ed" Olly whispered "Step where I step and no other place. The cultists have littered this place with traps. One wrong move and we are caught or dead."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="85e7452df88286cca7890181f88a4fad""Got it" Ed whispered back, propping his shield in front of himself in case a flurry of arrows decided to find them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4cfc9e522e7925e9fc97fe906959a0d9"Very carefully, Olly began moving forward, her bow drawn and an arrow already knocked for her first encounter. She knew that it was going to be near impossible to get through the temple without being spotted, but if they kept their presence down to a minimum, they might have a chance to survive. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="df1f25c28ffaed865e238aff62e3e1e1"As they walked out of the entrance Ed spotted four guards, two on each side posted in front of a monolith of a pyramid. Ed could see sections of the pyramid that stacked high on top of each other until the very top was flattened, a stone altar sitting high and menacing above them, the cherry on top Ed mused. It must be where the Yuan-Ti would make sacrifices, letting the blood or what was left of the body spill down the steps when they were finished. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e0e2c470125a57f369b6cce77c6d058f"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Gruesome"/em Ed thought to himself "em style="box-sizing: border-box;"All to achieve being a big ass snake.../em"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a87b571c2e48eaeb1c61cf7de003dec1"Olly looked back at Ed and pointed to the sleeping guards, making a slashing motion with her hand. Ed grimaced, unsure about the violence Olly was suggesting. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="398742fb8efe66f8899889573bd24fe2""What?" she hissed "You thought we would walk out of here holding hands with everyone?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e912b4e7bb2ae16b8a8c323f23b94d63""They are sleeping" Ed hissed back./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c0221a53dded9bf71e3ed83b29b49523""Then they will die dreaming, a luxury most do not get" Olly said with a hint of darkness in her voice that reminded Ed that Olly had killed all manner of people and creatures. He had watched her himself behead a manticore and called it mercy.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="20d30ed18bdcbee92bc7680b2fa2cc16"Huffing at his clear reluctance, Olly snuck to the first two sleeping guards and slit their throats, her other hand palming their mouths to muffle the last fighting breaths. Ed watched his partners eyes as she did this, the dead-pan look of just doing what needed to be done, all emotions void in her face and stance of her body. It was eerie, watching her move so quietly that if he had his eyes closed he would have never known she was approaching from behind, the blade of her dagger swiping across the other two guards throats like spreading butter on bread. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e8b49305ceb42066fa4b0e3acfb8039a"Olly looked more than annoyed as she finished her work, coming up to Ed and wiping her dagger clean off with a rag from his side pack./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="da9e0e398d9e1808f94a83c4fbaacb90""If you hold back through the whole temple we won't get far" Olly said looking him in the eyes "I'm sorry that this isn't the way you want to handle things, I know you would rather choose the peaceful road, which is usually how I like to do it as well, but there is something you need to understand as we go through this. These cultists worship a snake deity that would gladly have you for a snack. They don't think about anything but themselves and will be quick to turn on you and even their fellow worshippers just to get ahead. When we get to the Abominations, they will eat you the moment the opportunity presents itself. Mercy doesn't have a place in this hole. They are canon fodder and they have my brother. I will slit a thousand sleeping throats if it means getting him back safely. Do you understand me Cleric?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="deabfeff3bdd9f0b5c7078a5dc5f0a97"Ed heard the low venom in her voice, the danger that everyone had always talked about with the Duers. Although this young woman in front of him barely reached his shoulder, she was a killer, and he knew that her value of life differed from his own./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="14ce075e822f89b8cdc984cde642fcac""Yes" he said in a low voice "I understand."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="21223a60908f72f543d0d9ef90e83bd3""Good" Olly said handing him back the cloth she had taken from him "We should move from the bottom, the dungeons will probably be on the first or second floor."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2d74e036fcfa804c821cca08e67ee66c""As you wish" Ed said nodding, still thinking about the dreaming cultists that just met their end. He would bless them if they had time, but the Aasimar was already going for the temple entrance. Ed thought he would just have to get used to moving forward, not looking back at the enemies they had slaughtered. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="27ac4df49782a59a5bec12c9f3360f46"The entrance had two large pillars made out of white stone posted in front of the heavy doors covered with vines and grime. On the pillars, ancient writing was carved into the stone, but Ed could neither make heads or tails of it, the hollowed out squiggles and curves foreign to him. Grabbing the Dawnstar, his gauntlets lit up to dimming light as Valor's voice echoed in his head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="da98f33f872d5cf6384008e2762d45ce"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Looks like a bunch of squiggles and nonsense"/em Valor mused./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="66898facd87f4c228fe8cdc11010e659""Very funny" Ed said quietly out loud, catching Olly's attention as she watched the Cleric speak to his reliquary "Tell me a little of what it says."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f5380ccff987b490f0237b03eb5a59e0"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Very well" /em Valor said, his tone deflated from it's no nonsense owner em style="box-sizing: border-box;""It sums up to be a form of ancient Undercommon depicting how the Yuan-Ti were created. A deity named Dendar is mentioned a lot. Seems the Yuan-Ti need his blessing to achieve "fulfillment" it says, with enough sacrifices to him and him alone. The text is a lot older, which means this temple has been here for some time, although not very well kept in shape if you ask me."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="763bebe3e7328e09a05704bc98924d92""Any warnings about traps or anything of the sort?" Ed asked as Valor's magic made the squiggles and curves form into hazy words Ed could almost make out in Common./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="953570833c7ab8b6f0809b722bbc3966"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""None that I can see, just a lot of listing nobility and who has changed."/em Valor answered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e95251b8eb6b8a80abd78b7e72c611dc""What's it saying?" Olly asked coming up beside Ed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c19a49ef6b4bded001b6b3620869c41b"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Oh it's the one I like"/em Valor said em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Have we told the semi-Celestial how we feel yet?"/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1a1b36af709d29c5f9aa098eaf89bd6c""No!" Ed said mistakenly out loud again "And this is not the time to discuss that em style="box-sizing: border-box;"thank you/em."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fe36b199390d92f1ebb7f07e13c38339""What is it saying?" Olly asked now more curious, watching the red blush streak across her companions face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e10aaa7c853749712a4f70a781344161""Nothing!" Ed panicked "Nothing of importance."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="abe7a83a84821e2f4f6c763132cd6ce1"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""RUDE" /em Valor huffed in Ed's head but the Cleric shook off the talking Solar and focused on his companion./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="476816078496afa35d64191c1098c0d6""Nothing really important on these ones" Ed patted the pillar "Just a lot of nonsense is all. Something about a big snake god named Dendar. The cultists look to him for transforming. That's all..."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f77a6c909deeea3646ee18c61309a69d""Alright" Olly eyed him suspiciously "But I don't fully believe you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="244d4d119562fb7561ea420af39b9a4a""That's fair" Ed said blushing a bit as they headed inside the temple, the darkness thankfully covering his embarrassed face from his friend. The air smelt even more thick as they walked through a hallway with more carvings of how the Yuan-Ti deities came to be, a mythology explained in pictures and relics lining the walls. A faint glimmer of firelight made the surroundings visible, but the two had not seen another enemy yet. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b4f0d4508f3736b641233b9ed934a085"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""You cannot just bring that up"/em Ed scolded Valor in his head em style="box-sizing: border-box;""This is definitely not the time or place for span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"that/span discussion."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d2b4f734efcc6ce0326e9b5f7c6d1d45"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""You forget young Alphonse, I can hear your thoughts and feel what's in your soul. You want this girl"/em the Solar said amused that he made the Cleric prickle./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e77071db6734a934ee5b968dbc08b640"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"You/span need to learn boundaries" /emEd scoffed mentally./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4944ead7c3ac67d3110526b1d49f430d"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Boundaries aren't a thing when you are ethereal"/em Valor noted to Ed em style="box-sizing: border-box;""And you took ownership of the Dawnstar, which means I'm your problem regardless. So again, have we told the little angel how we feel?"/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f1e5f4ce349ca9a9e102600743be12c9"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Again, no"/em Ed mentally grimaced em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I haven't spoken any words, I've only reassured her that I'm her friend, which I AM."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="35d82c6e6979bea0300a6302b48d8613"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Pathetic"/em Valor huffed em style="box-sizing: border-box;""How are we supposed to achieve greatness when you can't even woo a woman."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9dd332707c9e2bae448f8abd9b09496d"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Oh, I can woo"/em Ed said defiantly em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I'm just not going to woo in the middle of a snake infested temple."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b1d1f06434d1085dbe6a1b60e07f0325"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""As you please"/em Valor said and Ed could swear he could feel the Solar shaking it's Celestial head in his own em style="box-sizing: border-box;""But beware young Cleric, if you wait too long, you'll wait too late."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e98e49d3c4a2b60c99a5935540d8f5f6"Ed let his hand go away from the staff of the Dawnstar, needing a break from his mental companion to think to himself alone. He had mused with himself in private of telling Olly his thoughts, how he wished to continue this adventure with her, how he didn't regret the time he was having with her now, how lovely she really was.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3836aa9c07520ed208556106fd6c0d3a"No, not the time for all that. Not when the temple was now before them, columns of high pillars stretching up to the stone ceiling where vines hung down like the snakes that no doubt were living between them. The sand colored stone around them was decorative with ruins and hieroglyphics of the Yuan-Ti, a singly hallway leading them in further into the temple. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d54009dcb071ffb59a85709bc85b575f""Ed, do you hear that?" Olly whispered with a hint of fear as Ed quieted his thoughts to listen to the low chanting he could hear echoing out from further down the hall. It was almost impossible to figure out where it was coming from, the ancient language sounding more like a sing song of hissing than actual chanting, but guttural words were said in between hisses giving off a horrible melody that sent shivers down Ed's spine. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="26ac34fa85f81fbf8e49dd4d217010a5"Olly held her bow out in front of her, her poise low and stealthy as her eyes went in their formation when looking for enemies: Down, Left, Right. Left, Up, Right, and then Down again. Her feet felt every inch that she took, the tip of her foot examining every stone before she stepped on it. Snakes were one problem, snake people were an even bigger one, and in this place they had full advantage. It wasn't just her life at stake, but she had Ed and Nole to worry about. If they messed up, they were dead. That was final. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="44799f82ed98d0b2969e54a5f45dee78"The hallway was lit with torches that were five to six feet apart down the hall, the pathway taking a singular left that made Olly stop before continuing. She motioned a finger to her lips at Ed and pressed herself against the wall, her head poking out real fast to check for a guard or beastie guarding the way, but alas, nothing but a small curved statue in the corner leading to another long empty hallway./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7144651417dcb04bf7857edde4751515""Something's not right" Olly said in a low tone "There should be more people around. Those voices can't be everyone. Unless..."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="feb4b5485deeed0a4e6a8bf76a8d9508"The thought of Nole being strung up and sacrificed made her heart race. Were they too late? Was she sneaking around carefully for nothing when her baby brother was about to have a knife in his heart? /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6a33bb1900c9757d04f06f26ed9f9bba"Olly suddenly quickened her pace, not thinking now where her footsteps lay as long as they hit the stone as she broke out into a near run./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="759e9b73c4d9c16fc1b052b5ee88795b""Wait Olly!" Ed shouted trying to keep up now that his partner was in a full sprint down the hallway "What about trap-"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="16df57ced0720ba60dfbdcbd0b4fbce1"But before he could get the full word out, a hiss and pop made Ed's heart nearly stop as the hallway suddenly closed off from both ends, a large solid rock wall coming down trapping them. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5fc0b9469a7eb075ccfb6dfcaee54544"Olly nearly slammed into the rock wall as it came down, a frustrated scream escaping her as she fell back, the hissing now getting louder as the air around them grew tight./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e002d44fc2da2aea04f80511fd664d7b""No" she gasped, feeling the poison creeping in the air "No! ED! ED, GET YOUR CLOTH AROUND YOUR FACE!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cbc5685e8d8bf6a1591113a25c2cc079"Ed fumbled as he dropped his shield, his hands going for the yellow neck scarf of his vestments, the poison was working fast as he felt his legs start turning to jelly below him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ef882c0fc7bdb24ec8a2a8454452b350""NO! ED!" Olly gasped again as she tried to wrap her own face with a dirty cloth she had randomly grabbed out of her bag, but it was beginning to feel too late. Her body was going numb now fully, her legs and arms immobile as she dropped hard to the ground, the paralysis setting in as tears still streamed from her eyes watching her companion do the same. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4f1ee89eb3e3869794706add71f0d354"Ed's body fell beside her, his eyes glazed but focused on her as his mouth moved to try and tell her something, but even Ed's voice was fading away from her. Fuzzy darkness was setting in Olly's vision, and a burning hatred that was coursing through her body to try and beat back the paralysis was to no avail./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="42a076586549c5c191f90e5e6e29c463"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""No"/em Olly cried out in her head em style="box-sizing: border-box;""No this can't be it. Nole...Nole I'm so sorry. Ed...I never...I ever told him..."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7002e8cd5dfa70e33faecc19cfcdbe56"Then, darkness./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7c639fe2db7d9b6b5301f47205f5030e"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="92472f4ce2cbfb633f74cc0956576ee9"Ed felt his head pounding before he felt the sandy floor beneath him as he woke up, eyes hardly able to focus as he sat up from whatever tight position he had been in. His bones cracked and ached, knowing his body had been tossed not too gently to wherever he was now. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7460e915a68f792fbfb415208c4b93fd"The walls smelt even more damp and musky, a buried kind of scent that made it hard to breathe correctly. Slowly, Ed's vision started to clear, and the fuzzy haze of his surroundings became more apparent that he was in a lot more trouble than he thought. He saw tight metal bars that cascaded across in a row across the hollowed out rock that was a prison cell. A small hole in the ground was all he had for relief, and the walls looked caked in what he hoped was just really dark dirt, but from the coppery smell that hit his nose when he got close told him it was span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"not./span /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5d40d53aba2ca712bfbef8ce9ce058ae"Suddenly he felt to his side and his heartbeat picked up to the point he thought his heart might just dance right out of his chest. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="22b61a8ce97f90b1c70a558e8fc263e9"His Dawnstar was missing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="47cae3bcd0b3bdd1d09dacfc92682d9b"Shield and sword were one thing, but the ancient weapon that housed a huge Celestial power was something that should never fall into the wrong hands. The Dawnstar had the power to bring this whole place down if it was wielded that way and Ed had never truly tested out Valour's might before. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6bb24979eea34e47ad172c6386c4d6f3"Going to the bars of his cell, Ed tested them out with his own personal strength. Thank Pelor, he still had his gauntlets, the golden clasps that encased his forearms still able to gleam in the torchlight of the prison cell. He braced himself as best as he could against the sandy floor, not too much grip for him to balance on as he did his best to push and pull against the bars. He could feel the metal start to bend ever so slightly, but he feared he would cause too much noise and alert whatever guards he was sure were nearby./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0ba0e65e378ca3df510c06977462153b"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Well, at least there's one way"/em he mused to himself, aware for the first time in a long time he didn't have Valour to answer him back. Now that he could figure out his escape, he wanted to know where his companion was./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="da5ea8103293dd487c40163012fef74c""Olly?" he hissed into the air, but nothing came back to his call. He was alone in this dark place, the torch light barely giving him light to look into the other cells that sat empty save for a few skeletons./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0b4c361ce9d791f07542208b4051ff21"Now he had lost his Angel, and his Dawnstar./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ce0adfd8f3c5e8c93d40c4d9baff934f"This was shaping up to be a dicey situation./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f15955af03f61b94ed7fc993d7650c65"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="43a829e46df851a9316f85a4472b7f5b"Olly felt chains around her wrists and immediately woke up, her groggy mind full alert as she breathed deep to get the paralysis out of her system quicker. Her eyes darted around as she realized she had been dragged to the outside of the temple, a stone viewing platform that was a level below the altar above her. At the altar, there stood the red scaled Yuan-Ti abomination, his golden eyes with deep black slits for pupils staring down at her with what she could only guess was curiosity, and disgust./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cc2eecb68ac59bd2e262c28fb39afb2e""My lord" a voice said from beside Olly that made her jump. Two Pureblood cultists approached her with very pleased looks, one priest was a tall burly figure that must have been a man at one point with his face mostly snake now, and a wiry small thin priest that had scales growing over his body, his snake tongue flickering out from that twisted smile he had set on Olly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a4b5bef48f417295b67af2a9fe763f08""This is one of the intruders" the thin one said gliding his hand above Olly that made her shiver. She quickly looked down at her chains, figured them to be steel, and easy to get out of if she had time, but the voice above her halted her thoughts./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; position: relative;" data-p-id="d33091f932a79a084d53c73ab37485c6" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="690cea71727b4fa87fef32b5d7fd80f6""Is this what you were looking for?" the Abomination said to Olly, her head whipping up to look and see her baby brother dangling in the Yuan-Ti leader's grasp. Although he was limp and seemed lifeless, Olly could make out his shallow breathing. His electric blue hair hung in front of his face, the sides now shaved down to his scalp. He was wearing a black sleek outfit which must have been his rouge disguise he was using before he was captured. But thank Mielikki, he was alive, if only a bit. He must have been under the same paralysis from how his body swung in the Abomination's clawed hands./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4b439465ad476bf7dce022451250094f""Nole!" Olly yelled afraid that the sacrifice would happen in front of her "Put him down!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d78062f1f64de2ae7e0d8939098a7c3e""Two Aasimar's my lord" the thin one spoke again "It must be a blessing from Dendar himself! Now you may ascend, my lord Hitotee, and so may Lady Nessalli! Your future brood shall be the most powerful of our kind yet."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; position: relative;" data-p-id="ab62b1c8b3dfaa51172eae37b6ece739" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="30c57520f3d5d983aa8f31f0b8281a6d""Yes my love" a female cultist said behind the giant snake "Olteh is right. We may ascend together, at the exact moment. Destiny has put them in our possession to use."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="25ac5d088e88319f2388e2cbdeba3dd6"Hitotee looked down at his female Nessalli, and even Olly could see the adoration in the creature's eyes. Nessalli stood about a head and a half below her mate, and although her skin was a now pale green with shimmering scales all along her face, arms and torso, there was something off about her eyes.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9e3c71aebec16f7c0f6c04e85cfd711b""Listen to me!" Olly said now loud so everyone could hear her clearly "Release me and my companions and we will leave this place, but if you refuse, I will killem style="box-sizing: border-box;" every last one/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;" of you./em I swear this, by my name as a Duer!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="77179bcaaf8ab07b3c8f444c878e2d30""A threat that will go unanswered" Nessalli hissed at her mate "She has no power anymore and knows it. Throw her in the dungeons along with her companions until the moon has crested over the horizon!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="85b7d969aef990872864ae5ab492fbbe"Although the order was given out by the female, the priests did not move towards Olly until Hitotee nodded his head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="aae1d080e387abeb589a92f64f0ae7ba""Zihu" Hitotee said tossing Nole's limp body to the big burly priest "Take this one away as well."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="79dee7b16bff7194292e2552c16fd6f9""Nole!" Olly gasped, watching her brother hit the floor hard in front of her. She looked up at Hitotee, feeling hate and anger course through her veins, her whole body burning brightly now. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="31b648dd3d2b7d93a4465221a6b47ef8""Yes" he said coming down from the altar to her "Let that hatred sink into you. Let it fuel you so that your power may come into me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="56b2b639bf903cfe3b6039063db37461""You want her?" Nessalli said above them, a hint of jealousy in her voice that made it even more obvious./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b208d6673af4eafd636fef9f3850d651""She has more power than the small one" the snake man said before turning to look at her "And you will not need it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5e4d6aaf7d0e263bcd50ea0029d3ae6b"Nessalli visibly huffed but accepted. Olly gritted her teeth as Zihu picked up Nole and threw him over his shoulder, his hands going for Olly's chains. But before Olly could plan on wrapping the chains around the priests throat and choking him, Olteh came up from behind her and pricked her arm with a dagger stained green from the same poison that had trapped them. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e0b399c0e966289de933e0ad1d49a100""Relax, a prick will only cease your movement for a small time. We don't want any of this nasty stuff going through our lord when he consumes you, flesh and bone, now would we?" he said with a another twisted smile. Before Olly could respond, her body went limp in Zihu's grasp like her brother, feeling her own body dragging across the stone floor, hitting each step with a thud. She no doubt would feel every bump and bruise when the poison wore off, but for now, she was trapped inside her body without feeling. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e9e68a9df0319e46ccfce47050b1816b"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I'm going to kill them I'm going to kill them I'm going to kill them"/em Olly kept repeating in her head, promising every limb that was paralyzed that they would get their vengeance when she ripped this place apart. She promised the last thing these priests that drug her so casually into old musky dungeons would see would be her blade popping out their eyes. Fire burned and raged inside of her, a all consuming fury that she wanted to release but couldn't./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="594d3e287f9528a5d98460436e9642aa"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Getting frustrated isn't going to help you"/em she could hear Atticus in her head, and answered the memory with a scream. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"She/em wouldn't be in this mess at all if Atticus were here! She would have his help, or he would have kept Nole at home where he was supposed to be to finish his training.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c2cf200adc3dcef28d9e23f9a0d8aaec"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""But you aren't here"/em she said to herself em style="box-sizing: border-box;""You left me and Nole here alone."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c1008202ed4f8ca54a78de11865821d2"Her anger was starting to dissolve, now twisting it into sadness as the cell was now in her vision as the priest Zihu tossed her on the sandy floor. She smelt the horrible musk and wished she could gag on the dirty air. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b1352a06b47a567323bcc83ac27cc5a0""Sleep well" the snake priest hissed at them, his unnatural deep voice knowing she could still hear "In five hours the Red Moon will crest over the horizon, and then your blood will go to Dendar. If you should think of escaping, these cells will be reinforced with a binding spell, and we would hate for your spines to be crushed before the ceremony. However, it may may the digestion easier so, do what you please. Know that no matter what you try, his lordship and his lady will have you by the full moon's rise."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c61274892a67f0cfeb2ede0d2fd7555f"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Fuck you"/em Olly thought, wishing she could move a finger to show him her response, but the priest closed the door of the cell, a shimmer of light sparking over the cell bars. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c6addace0ab2c0a628e3bb96e4350178"Now it was time for some work, no more just sitting around. Olly made it her goal to just be able to close her eyes, her vision blurry from having them open for some time now, and focused her energy to be able to give a small blink./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3e47dd825cba72bccc8ced171b441985"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Awesome. Next"/em she thought to herself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="60c770bba1cb073000d5f95fd4322d4e""Olly?" she heard a voice echo out from somewhere and her heartbeat hit rapid fire. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6261a70876a22e97b61cea93a284486e"Ed! That was him for sure!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5e03ff7efb1a0e31f9d3321de9b5398d""Olly if that's you please answer me" Ed desperately asked, his voice a little cracked from being in the dungeon for so long. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4160891352d631b6b20d1fc8ed753932"Olly forced her body to groan out, small and pitiful, but it signaled Ed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fb5395e532e73ad3a40c25aac7fb541d""Olly what did they do to you!?" his voice cried out, underlying fear coating them as she heard him move towards her cell. He must be in the one right next to the one her and Nole were in. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6ff8a365be6e4869192e4dee799ffec1"She tried to moan again, the air coming into her lungs and out as she forced herself to make noise, desperately trying to will her limbs back alive./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="47abc7f345a9387fbb17c823ebe1114a"Smashing now. Tiny rocks hitting her face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="608ba2fcd88e1eaf4ef570457082f00f""Gods! Olly!" she heard him nearly scream. He wasn't beside her though, but he could see her. She tried to get her body to roll to the side towards his voice, her teeth trying to grind together with effort as she very rigidly slumped to the left, her eyes now being able to focus on a hole that had been smashed into her cell./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="43204b76afa3a3a82491c022bf6bdc97"It was only a head big, and reinforced steel bars halted anymore progress her friend would make as she now saw his twisted worried face staring at her. She felt such a wave of sadness then, seeing him staring at her with such worry and fear, his whole arm trying to reach through the hole to grab her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6b954ca52485e79a6523d5c7eb00e527""If you can just roll over to me I'll heal you" he grunted as he tried to reach her further, but his hand was a few feet away still. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="473370b04da30b42f8cb1e669bcd4c0d"Olly wanted to tell him to just stop, to just rest. He could smash the whole wall and still not be able to get any closer to her. Just like in real life, she wouldn't let him in. Always keeping him at a distance, too afraid of what might happen. Peren really had cursed her, cursed her with this fear of ever being really loved. And now a man had come into her life who followed her despite her misgivings. Him trying his hardest to reach her.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f3b468b1ae4146972894c054c43c9adc" It wasn't going to help anything, they were trapped.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e88fc951b7f1dda670e763513894fa59" span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"And it was all her fault/span./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="93d76b17e8b7267185167edbb1e53a72""Olly?" Ed said watching her eyes as tears started to drip down her face, a silent cry that she couldn't get out fully as she just stared at him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2ed093fb7f82ee26c5c6b9188ffd0c31"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Gods, what did they do to her and Nole?" /emEd wondered as he watched Olly's limp body shiver and shake as she cried, her eyes closing and opening slowly to him. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e6230ac9593c2be48f54262ae2776639""em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Shhhh/em" he hushed her "Olly it's okay. It's going to be okay.."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="76f959bb889cb3d91c6b6a96991acced"He knew if she could shake her head she would have. He couldn't take this, couldn't watch her cry again and not be able to do anything about it.../p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6444261956487f675ceb38e39780a263""Please" he said in such a gentle voice "If you are sad because we are here, please don't be."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b43298d8d8c211b85a227ee2a0d8a0b6"Olly could at least furrow her brow slightly enough that Ed saw her confusion. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="666f552218a84ceaa1e807f3c0d7d650""Olly" he breathed "I'm not sad because I'm in this dungeon. I'm not mad that we got this far and then got trapped. I don't regret that I followed you to Waterdeep, and I'm never, ever, going to regret promising to help you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="511e7739821f0edebf928c309b68db74"Olly listened to him, still wondering how he could be so calm when it seemed like there was no hope. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1579c7a7c4aa222fffc1daccbea735e8""I'm sad" he said "Because I can't touch you. I can't help you, I mean" he said taking a deep breath. If Valour were in his hand, he would be scolding Ed for not just saying what he meant./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="99b1d69619d24cecc3e4207fdcef7292"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Well if there's any time to do it, it's now"/em he thought and then took another deep breath before looking at Olly through the hole./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c258ae1aee94825e5737c1dd1f31e079""Olly, you are the greatest thing that's ever happened to me" he said with such a soft tone it made Olly quiet her thoughts just to listen only to him "And any decision that got us here, it was mine as well. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, and it was with you. I knew that since the moment I first saw you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3236bae12a7945582eb91a1e86f6ecee"Olly couldn't believe what she was hearing, but it had touched a deep part of her that hadn't known real kindness since... since she was a child./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0d7b6b5aa1e050e4ef72259f6871b738""And I promised you" he said "That we were going to get Nole home safely. I intend to keep that promise, no matter what."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b3a2753838cfe835bc2fc991502dbd25"Then, Ed began smashing at the walls once again, the hole growing bigger and bigger until a cry from the guards sounded out. Olly watched as Ed stopped, facing off with the cultists that came to his cell before shooting a small dart into his arm to stop his relentless smashing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d4da8de6be0f5877b75cc1bcd1cedb1d""Nice try" he grunted as he fell to the ground "Too bad that's not going to work."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7f6527484c604bd81ad0d120af1d4c31"Ed smiled as his left hand glowed over the spot where the dart had hit, the poison not working it's magic as the cultists ran to go get someone with actual muscle to deal with the Cleric./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c1f9b909f6d04dc589997e30f56c12a2"He looked over at Olly and smiled "See? If I can get them running imagine what you will do when you are better."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="83561ffe8ce008c379857e0967749d31"Olly smiled then, feeling the muscles stretch across her face. It was a good sign as she flopped her arm around, trying to get in the position to lift herself up from the ground./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d2015c15a088a76c74613558607a9acc""Ed" she got out hoarsely, the weird feeling of her jaw working again before she spoke "It's poison. The daggers."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7d95f5671b0385eb7fbf733cddb4e9a6""Yea" Ed said hissing as his wound started to heal over "I felt it pretty good after we got gassed. When we go up against all of them we gotta watch for darts and arrows too. That guy was fast with the one that got me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d3365bdaca160db8b434d275072434f2""Not going to make it" Olly coughed as she was able now to lift herself up to her knees, her head still bent and limp, but at least she was up off the ground./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0186f5b653831aa0e1943b0ab5364109""Don't say that" Ed said seriously, his frown hard against his face "We are going to make it. I promised you. I just have to get my Dawnstar back."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f1a20f91ce24bf5962c79af0cf35b99d""How?" Olly looked up at him now "I don't even know where my things are."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="91fc886f3f3bb1bf0cc82949096a42e0""Easy" he said now with his usual grin "Just sit back and watch."/p
