A shrill cry greeted them deep in the belly of the grotto. It belonged to a horrified Miss Papaya, who waved her wand wildly, casting spell after spell of healing. The recepient of her efforts, Ser Eyrisunn, found himself surrounded by a swarm of shade-seekers. Ever had only read about them in books. They bore the look of fireflies, glowing white in the dark like floating specs of stardust; but the locals believed they sought the dark because they were lost spectres from another world. In their current state of aggression, they burned ferociously, as though flames escaped from candlewicks, flying at the paladin without mercy. Eyrisunn countered their attacks with the steely resolve of his shield. He did not catch every blow, however, for a patch of his beard looked to be scorched by the furious flame.

"S-Ser Eyrisunn!" Papaya called to him, every onze as anxious as before. "Ser Eyrisunn, please! Watch out! Halt! Halt !"

He did not seem to hear her. He was running along a seashell path, crossing over sea waters that had gathered at the bottom of the grotto. Further he ventured, collecting a dozen ghastly flames. What did he think he was doing? Papaya continued to run after him, vigorously waving her magicked assistant; but her short legs could not equal the paces of the tall Roegadyn, and she had only then left the sand to step upon the shells. Ser Archer and Ever quickly joined her side, each of them taking an arm, swinging her along that she not fall behind.

"Eyrisunn!" bellowed the archer. "Ye'll get yerself killed!"

"Then ye'd better catch up!" roared the paladin back, swinging mightily his sword. It cut through three spectres, extinguishing them instantly. Yet more poured around the Roegadyn as he reached the end of the path. It took him to a bank of sand upon which giant corals of various colours grew.

"There's too many of them," said Ever, watching the swarm grow into a sea of flame. "If we get any closer, we'll burn."

"Can yer spells reach him, Papaya?" asked Ser Archer.

She answered his query with an attempt to send her spell. It danced upon the branches of her two-pronged wand; then, it flew across the way like a silver-winged fairy and fell upon Eyrisunn in a burst of light. The scorch upon his beard was unmaking itself as the spell dissolved into nothing.

"I-I can go faster," said Papaya. "Please, you must rid us of them all!"

There was no time to spare. Ser Archer readied his arrows, showering the swarm with arrows launched three at a time. Each arrow miraculously found its mark, giving Ever pause. Had his eyes been sharpened by years of practice, or was it sheer dumb luck? The urgency of the situation impressed itself upon her further, having observed the sweat upon Miss Papaya's brow. She would tire out, or else run dry of her magical resources, sooner than later. Thus did Ever summon the courage to raise her scepter and weave a spell of her own swarming flame; and, emerging from the dark, her sea of fire washed upon the wall of firebright spectres, a dance of heat mingled with heat, expelling the enemies until the spell was exhausted.

"At least half should be gone," said Ever, taken aback. "I watched them burn out with mine own eyes!"

"They keep comin'," said Ser Archer. "I seen 'em. We've gotta get 'em at the source."

"But—Ser Eyrisunn!" protested Papaya. "There's no time!"

"Stay here," said the archer. "I'll take care of it."

He disappeared as soon as he said this, leaving the conjurer and thaumaturge to continue launching their spells. Where she could, Papaya switched her healing lights with wild winds that swatted the spectres out of existence. Ever crafted a careful web of lightning, which effectively zapped those pesky flies in kind. Eyrisunn's sweating face was visible through the flame for an instant. Soon, a rush of fireflies filled the gap, compelling the mages to renew their efforts.

"Where in the Seven Hells are they coming from!?" bellowed an agitated Eyrisunn, whose shield spun in a marvelous display of grace nonetheless.

"There must be—" Ever started, but her tongue was rendered immobile. She spied him there at the source of the nefarious flames; the archer pushed his hands between the lips of a giant clam, luminously lavender, stubbornly shut. Did he mean to pry it open bare handed!? "You idiot! You absolute loon!"

A crack, then an ungodly shriek. The clam's mouth came loose at his prying and, with another tug, was sundered in half. He tossed the shell into the water and quickly rejoined the group, loosing arrows at stray spirits along the way.

"Did no one see that!?" Ever protested, calling forth a ring of blizzard at her feet. It was not her intention. The magic in her soul had simply responded to her incredulous rage. Fortunately, it quelled the lingering flames, returning the grotto to its former peace in blackness and shadow.

Eyrisunn heaved a great sigh and sat upon an errant stone. If he had seen, he was too tired to care overmuch. Papaya fretted over him feverishly, dousing him with her cool, restorative magicks.

"Are you alright, Ser Eyrisunn?" asked sweet Papaya, with saucer-wide eyes.

He merely grunted in reply. Ever slipped her hands in her pockets, choosing to look elsewhere while she calmed her nerves. She did not much like the idea of an angry Sea Wolf. He towered over them all and could pummel them if it struck his fancy; or he could abandon them mid mission, claiming the risk to his life too great (a likely excuse for his pride). She glanced toward the archer, hoping to learn what he made of it. His face betrayed no anxiety; upon his lips lingered a smile of great relief.

"It will just be a little more," Papaya reassured them. "Ser Eyrisunn, are you feeling, ah… How is your comfort level?"

"My… comfort level?" The knight did not smile. His eyes narrowed. "My. Comfort level."

Papaya bit her lip. She did not suspend the flow of her spells, but she did avert his piercing stare.

"My comfort level should have been just fine," said Eyrisunn Solksthalsyn, each word low and steady, "should your spells have reached me in a timely manner."

"O-Oh…" Her spells ceased. The Lalafell pressed her hands to her cheeks. "I…"

"Where was your fortitude," said the paladin, the passion in his voice beginning to rise, "when I most needed you, Miss Papaya? Why did your spells slow? Why did they weaken? Did you not think your lack of courage would put us in danger, Miss Papaya?"

"Hold on—" began Ser Archer, frowning.

"And then, after so grand a display of your cowardice, do you inquire after my comfort level, Miss Papaya?" Head held back, he bellowed, "How comfortable do I look!?"

"You can't possibly think she is to blame," said Ever, crossing her arms. "She told you time and again to stop. Why did you not heed her ? Your life was in her hands."

"You mustn't waste your breath, Miss Starfall," said Papaya, tears trembling upon her long eyelashes. "He is right, of course. He is absolutely right. Oh, Ser Eyrisunn… I have failed you on so many counts. Please—Please accept my sincerest apologies. Perhaps we should make for the exit, and you should enlist in a better abled healer. There are many at the Adventurer's Guild, I am certain…"

Eyrisunn pressed his lips thin. "There is no need for that."

"But there is, Ser," said Papaya. "The truth is—The truth is that—I was not entirely honest with you from the start!"

"What! What do you mean?" said Ever, sharing a look with the archer.

"Oh, it's awful, Miss Starfall! I'm awful!" sobbed Papaya. She directed her next words to Ser Archer with large, apologetic eyes. "You see—I'm not—I'm not at all an experienced conjurer! When you assumed that I was, I should have spoken up! In truth, this is my first venture with a party of four. Before this, I was only ever on my own, and I did not make any adventuring friends at the guild, nor the Free Company at which I enlisted. You were the only one kind enough to approach me, let alone make friends. So, when you suggested an outing, I… In my excitement, I mistook your intentions. And then it was too late to clarify them!"

Ser Archer blinked. "My intentions?"

"Your intentions," said Ever, "in asking a lady on an 'outing'."

The archer did not comprehend her words. He scratched his head, chewing upon the thought. Papaya's countenance turned a bright shade of crimson, which she attempted to disguise by mashing her cheeks, a hand upon each of them. It only served to enhance her look of anxiety and emphasize the glow of adoration in her gaze as she awaited Ser Archer's answer.

"It ain't so bad as all that," he finally said. "We've all gotta start somewhere."

Papaya withered, disappointment clearly masquerading as guilt. "I-I suppose, but…"

"He's right," said Ever, with a shrug. "This is my first venture as well."

"What!" The archer gaped at her.

"Miss Starfall!" said Eyrisunn, aghast. "How could you?"

"What?" Ever wrinkled her nose. "No one bothered to ask me. And you know what they say about those who assume."

Ser Archer drew his brow together, mustering all the mental strength he could to puzzle out her logic. Then, he tilted his head and tapped his chin.

"Besides," said Ever, ignoring the archer's struggle quite willfully, "it is as I said. The fault lies with you, Ser Eyrisunn. As our senior, you should know better than to charge ahead without a thought for the rest of your companions. And you dare blame Miss Papaya?"

The Roegadyn huffed. "Those are strange words coming from a two-faced woman who, not moments ago, instigated a fight between herself and the very subject of her defense."

"I intend to apologize for my misconduct," said Ever, undeterred, "but not before you apologize for your life-threatening and mission-endangering mistakes. Do not try to deflect the blame here, Ser Eyrisunn. Set an example! Are you a white knight or aren't you?"

The paladin's meaty lips twisted into a frown. "Perhaps." He fished out a handkerchief, pure as the driven snow, and offered it to Miss Papaya. "I pray that you will forgive me, Miss Papaya."

Papaya took the handkerchief gratefully and dabbed at her eyes. "Forgive you? But, good ser, there is nothing to forgive."

"I'm afraid there is, my lady," said Eyrisunn, with a deep sigh. "I should not have assigned the blame to you. In doing so, I have disgraced myself and cast doubt upon your honor. That you pledged your support under such circumstances was a risk; but is that not what adventurers do each day?"

Papaya nodded meekly. "I suppose so…"

"And ye kept him standin' the whole time," added the archer, patting her shoulder. "A testament t' yer skill, that is."

"And I must again emphasize that it was our armor-clad friend here who charged ahead without you," said Ever. "You did all that you could within your power to keep him alive. Not to mention the fact that he made the decision itself to take on so many foes without your preliminary say in the matter."

"Aye," said the archer. "We're a team. We work together."

"That we are," said Eyrisunn, lowering his eyes. "But my shame goes deeper. Truth be told, I sensed you might be a sprout, but I pressed on. I wished to survey this grotto quickly, that we might return before any others succeeded in our stead. If we find any evidence of the Reavers, the credit of our names will improve in the eyes of the guild. Our success is imperative."

"Imperative?" Papaya fluttered her eyelashes. "Why?"

"Are your fortunes so low?" asked Ever. "Surely, there will be other opportunities for gil and other chances to prove ourselves."

The paladin shook his head. "My wife is to have our second child by the next moon. It has been difficult enough to support our first. As you must well know, Miss Papaya, the higher an adventurer's name, the easier it is to find work."

"You have so much experience," pressed Ever. "Surely, you've been adventuring since before the Calamity. You ought to be rolling in gil, unless you're spending like a drunken sailor."

"Aye, that be true," said Eyrisunn, "but I was a coward in those calamitous times, and I was not at Carteneau."

"That makes us all nobodies," said the archer, starkly cheerful. "Ain't that a thrill?"

Eyrisunn stared into space, decidedly less excited by this prospect. Ever was making to ask what in particular made the archer a nobody, but at that exact moment, the pretty Miss Papaya burst into giggles.

"Four nobodies, come to take on a shipload of pirates!" she said, her shoulders shaking, her pigtails bobbing along. "We may as well be dead!"

"Dead!" Eyrisunn sprang to his feet. "Do not forget that we are here on reconnaissance, Miss Papaya. If we find them, we ought to call upon the Yellow Jackets for reinforcements."

"Ye mean if they don't find us first." The archer skipped ahead, then did a cartwheel, laughing. "And if they do, it'll be a feckin' ride!"

Ser Eyrisunn frowned with much disapproval but, in lieu of a clever retort, he opted to follow his companion in silence. Papaya hurried along, though with much less difficulty than before.

"It may well come to pass," said Ever, pocketing her hands. "Do you not recall, Ser Eyrisunn? Reyner made it quite clear that our resources were limited. It's best that we strive to do as much as we can now, lest we lose out on the bounty."

"Besides!" The archer pirouetted eagerly down the seashell path. "Ye'll have a hell of a tale fer that pretty wife o' yers, should ye live through it!"

"Aye," said Eyrisunn, with a great sigh. "One hell of a tale."