Ren✧

Electricity arced through Sergei's body, causing him to spasm and his muscles to seize. He lurched suddenly, nearly falling to the ground, but managed to catch himself before the goblin could further gain an advantage on him. He gripped his knife and plunged it into the shaman's chest. The blade cut through the thin flesh and rended painfully through the goblin's sternum. The goblin made a hollow choking sound as its lungs began to fill with blood. It struggled, trying to get away but it was too late. Preoccupied, Sergei was unable to dodge away from the ray of frost launched at him by the other goblin. The concentrated blast of ice magic, struck him in the back, causing Sergei to gasp at the intensity. He was looking forward to leaving The Dungeon and taking a nice warm bath. He had put his body through a lot in the last few hours. The goblin he had stabbed was still weakly fumbling with the blade that Sergei held firmly in his hand. Putting the creature out of its misery, he took the knife out and stabbed the goblin again. There was barely a reaction to his attack, the goblin going limp almost immediately. He was reminded why he preferred to fight without a weapon, without a blade specifically. He felt like a butcher.

Hey y'all, I just wanted to post here for some sense of formality idk. My most recent post will probably be my last. I enjoyed my time in this RP, but it's not in the cards for me right now. I wish you all the best. See ya!

Amir chewed thoughtfully on the biscuit. Again, only now did he realize he hadn't eaten all day. He had only been this focused a handful of times before in his life, each time when following one of the many threads of fate that Myria weaved into the fabric of his life. He may not have uncovered anything new, but that did not bother him. He had been set upon this path for some reason. He trusted that Myria wouldn't lead him astray. And he was beginning to trust that he would make the right decisions at her behest. "Well, thank you for your time, at least," Amir said, getting up from the chair. Levanna seemed genuine enough, he hoped that Galatea's government could be better trusted than the one he grew up in. Levanna gave instruction for their accommodations, Amir nodded, eager to return to his temple. As he was leaving, he looked back on Levanna. "I know I've already said it, but Emily is important. I hope you'll do right by her." Having said his peace, Amir walked back out into Galatea, finding his way back to the temple. The light of the sun was practically gone from the sky, but he could still see a few dark outlines of clouds overhead. He inhaled deeply and exhaled the weight of the day. He was greeted by the same elder at the temple who led him to a private chamber where he could rest. He gave him thanks and was left alone with his thoughts. Amir thought about the events of the day, why he was in Galatea in the first place, and what the coming days would bring. As the scent of lavender gently dulled his senses he could feel the presence of Myria in his mind. Not as a vision or as a prophecy, but as comfort. Fate, and the hands that guided it, he was beginning to understand did not often make drastic moves. He was just one pebble cast into a river. "You just wanted me to show Emily her fate," Amir's voice was low and strangled by the sleep that was consuming his thoughts. Amir did not know what his future held, but he did not think he would spend another night with the other watchdogs. Their story was different than his.

Sergei readied his saxe knife, waiting for the rat to pounce. He saw the creature sit back on its haunches, the muscles in its hind legs tensing. The time to strike was coming. However, before he could, the world went black. The chanting of the casters behind him filled his ears and darkness shrouded his vision. He yelled out in surprise, slashing wildly. He felt his blade graze the rat's side, but it did not stop the creature, from clawing into his chest, sending him stumbling backward. The cuts were superficial, but Sergei didn't know where the rat was. "Sergei, choose a direction and get out!" "You got it!" Sergei moved to get out of the darkness. As he did so the pain of another rat bite slashed through his leg. "Fuck off!" Sergei shouted, exasperated. He again slashed down at where he thought the rat might be but hit nothing but air. He needed to get out of the darkness if he was going to be of any use. He stumbled out of the area of effect, appearing on the southern border of the spell. He took a few more steps back, just to put some distance in case the giant rat followed him out. He again readied his blade. This time, if he got the chance, he was going to gut the stupid creature. "I'm out! Do whatever you were going to do!"

"What's taking so long? I thought you clones were suppose to be good soldiers or something like that!" "Watch it," Halfsies warned over the commlink, "I haven't been a soldier in a long time." Halfsies slowed his crawl through the cramped ventilation shaft as the voices of the B1s came through. Clankers talked too much, he thought. Which was funny because, for all intents in purposes, there was ever very rarely a moment where a droid actually needed to speak. He supposed it was just programming to make the Separatists feel more comfortable. Oh well, it meant more intel for him. "Captain? What do we do?" "Activate the secondary motion turrets on all levels except the hangar and the bridge. If they breathe too hard, we'll know it." Gotta love a good cue. Halfsies thought to himself. He activated the sonic pulse built into his arm, sending the grate that blocked his entry flying off its screws. He immediately took aim at the deckhand that was moving towards the controls to turn on the motion turrets. One shot. Two shots. Three, for good measure. He couldn't waste time trying to clamber out of the air duct so he turned to fire at the droids, even though his range of motion was severely impaired. As his laser bolts sizzled through the room, he brought the comm link to his mouth again. "Gotta be quick boys, Droidekas are coming in hot and if we don't get this done soon, they're gonna blast us into deep space." Once he was certain that he had cleared the droids, Halfsies crawled out of the air duct, awkwardly falling onto the floor. Picking himself up, he began to work on lifting the emergency doors.

Amir nodded, though a bit taken aback by Emily stepping out of the room. He had hoped that she would be willing to present the experiences of the day to Levanna with him. Perhaps he expected too much. She had just lost her mother, her last living parent, and had just had her first experience deciphering visions from Myria. The fact that she had even come with him here was more than he should've asked. After Neasa departed, Amir turned back to Levanna, a woman he still did not trust. He couldn't help but feel like she was hiding something. Or, maybe he just hadn't given her a chance to be transparent with him yet. It was hard to tell where his own paranoia ended and true corruption began. "I apologize for not being present today. The guiding hands of fate steered me in another direction." Amir gave a soft smile at his own statement. He actually sounded like a real watchdog for once. "Maybe you already know the story that I am about to tell, but there had to have been a reason that Myria wanted me to learn of it the way I did. So, I beg you to be patient with me." Amir recounted the events of the day. He told Levanna about the visions he had received this morning. The crowd huddled around the burning pyre. The faceless man. The indecipherable and deafening thrum. He spoke of the Briars and watching Emily's mother turn to stone. He recounted her last words and of his suspicion of a curse on Galatea. He felt hesitant to talk about Emily's visions, they were her's, after all. "I feel as though Ms. Briar is at the epicenter of all this somehow. I guided her through a meditation this afternoon and the strings of fate are tied into a tight knot around that woman. She spoke to me about a man named Simon. He is of concern to you, yes?" Amir leaned back in his chair. Only now did he realize how tired he was. He had barely felt the day passing but now it felt like an eternity before he had last rested.

"Please hurry Sergei, it cannot be safe to stay in the spores!" "I want me to be here even less than you do, believe me!" Sergei's legs burned as he met the rest of his teammates at the staircase. The spores stung against his skin, he resisted the urge to brush them off with his hands, trying to avoid getting them on those too. The clatter of wooden spears against the archway that overlooked the stairway accompanied their journey to the next floor. Forced to go down the stairs one at a time, Sergei fell to the back, a step behind Estellise. "Saved my ass, again," Sergei said, keeping his voice low. "Thank you." He grew nervous as they descended, knowing that this floor would be more difficult than the others. They were all running low on resources and if things went south, he wasn't sure they would all make it out. His apprehension didn't matter much, however. Regardless, they were going to have to fight their way out of here. He could only hope that luck favored them. Coming to the end of the stairwell, Chris whispered a hasty plan to Estellise and then charged into the room. Lana quickly followed. It wasn't until they had moved out of the way that Sergei was able to see the entirety of the room. There wouldn't be any opportunity to sneak past the goblins this time. "I'm going to try and clear the way for you and hopefully draw the casters' attention." Sergei looked back at Estellise for a moment. "When we get back to the tavern, first round of drinks are on me." He ducked out of the cover of the floor's entryway, catching the sight of Chris and Lana tag-teaming an unexpectant goblin in his peripherals as he ran for the goblin that stood between Estellise and the casters. Pouring the last bit of magical energy into the transmutation runes tattooed on his body, Segei's skin grew rough and dense. Propelled by his sprint, Sergei lept at the goblin seated atop the giant rat, easily dismounting the smaller creature and bringing it to the ground. He smashed the goblin's skull against the stone ground. Once. Twice. Three times. Crimson coated his palm as he pulled it away, the goblin's brain matter now leaking onto the cavern floor. A sharp pain lanced through Sergei's calf. Shouting in pain he turned to see the giant rat had turned and bit him. He backed a foot or two away from the rat, drawing the large saxe knife that had sat dormant in its sheath until now. He would wait until the creature lunged again, giving him an opening.

Amir could see Emily's hesitation. She didn't trust him completely, yet. He could understand that; they had only met a few hours ago, after all. He hoped he could earn her trust, however. She was someone that he really did want to help. Get her the answers, the closure, she deserved. "Very well," she agreed, "I do have business with the Nuumu watchdog as well; I’d like to check on her preparations for my mother’s rites. My father’s as well, so I will follow you to her at the very least.” Amir nodded. "Then let's go." They exited the temple together, grabbing their shoes before stepping back into the streets of Galatea. Amir thanked the temple keepers and elders before taking his leave. They traveled in relative silence for a while. Finally, Amir spoke up. "You'll have to excuse me if at times I can get a bit mission-oriented. I don't mean to seem dismissive of the losses you've suffered." He punctuated his sentence with a silence that he hoped would communicate sincerity before continuing. "I still feel very new to my role as a watchdog and I think I am trying to prove myself to the others and to Myria." Maybe it sounded like an excuse, but it was true. Walking up to Levanna's office, Amir and Emily past Olivander who seemed to be leaving. He and Neasa seemed to be finishing up a conversation with Levanna. He thought about introducing Emily to Hinder's watchdog, but before he could Olivander was gone. Amir stood awkwardly in Levanna's doorway. "Good evening. My name is Amir, watchdog to Myria." Amir still didn't trust Levanna, but she was the only way he figured they could get more information. "Ms. Briar and I have some troubling news we would like to talk to you about. And I am sure Emily would also like to talk to you as well, Neasa, if you wouldn't mind staying. " 

Endo and Grawbacca joined the firefight, affording Halfsies some more cover. He could get used to having the massive Wookie on his team. They quickly dispatched of the droids and Endo took off down the hall. "Not cool, I was going to do that." Halfsies grumbled, now Endo would look super cool if he got to their object first. Of course, after skimming the dossier he wasn't so sure he wanted to succeed. On one hand, yes he did because otherwise he'd be out of a job and probably all future jobs. And he did need those to stay alive. But, also, something didn't sit right with him taking in someone that was working to free slaves. Tricky business. He thought to himself. It was all made trickier now that the ship knew they were there. Blast doors had sealed, reinforcements had been alerted. Maybe going after the fleeing clankers would have been more productive. He shrugged. There weren't too many options now. "Alright, Graw, my man. I'll get us to the control room, no problem. Just give me a quick second and I'll get you an all-access pass. Try not to miss me too much while I am gone." Halfsies took the long way around to the access tunnels. That was the downside to being the smallest one on the team, he had the luxury of crawling through all the hot and dark places. It would've been enough to turn the clone on if it wasn't so uncomfortable.

Sergei sprung up from the ground, thinking he had outmaneuvered the mushman, but they were quicker than he thought. The sharp jab of the wooden spear caused him to cry out in pain. If adrenaline and years of mercenary experience hadn't taken over his instincts, he would have paused to laugh at how awry his plan had gone. Fortunately, he had been in enough bad spots to know he needed to act fast. Sergei pivoted on his heel, avoiding another jab by the mushman. He concentrated on focusing his the lasting potency of his spell for a burst of speed. The thing about the mushman moving in unison, as creepy as it was, was that they grouped in pretty unfortunate positions. Now he was facing down a near-perfect line of them. His tattoos flashed green as he barreled into the nearest mushman. His shoulder landed solidly in the musman's "face". Glancing briefly at the mushroom cap he made a quick guess that the creature was pretty top heavy. Bringing his shoulder up, he gave the creature a final shove into the mushman behind it. His actions caused some spores to shake loose and fall on his skin. Turning tail, he began sprinting for the stairs again. He had misjudged and the mushman didn't fall to the ground, but it did stumble into the one behind it, slowing them down. "Estellise! Got enough juice to slow that one down?" He pointed to the third mushman that hadn't been affected by his maneuver.

The mushroom creatures moved with alien-like synchronicity. Sergei briefly wondered if they shared a brain or if they had a brain at all. The goblins and kobolds, they made sense to Sergei. He even felt pity for them. However, these things were so far removed from what it was to be a human. He wanted nothing to do with them. He just wanted off of this floor. He was moving too quickly for the creatures to strike him, though he did catch their attention, which is exactly what he was hoping for. He could only pray that his party could deal with the few that he wasn't able to draw away. Sergei tucked his head and sprinted for the stairwell. He was faster than them, more agile. If his luck held out, he could slip through the reach of the nearest assailant and make it to the other end of the room before any of the others could get close enough to strike. With that plan of action in mind, charged with little hesitation for the nearest mushroom. Just as he entered the range of the creature's spear, he tucked and rolled to avoid the biting end of the weapon. The unforgiving, rocky ground would not be kind to him, but it was preferable to being skewered. He could nurse his bruises later. "Homestretch, let's go!"

I suppose Simon Weatherson’s current stint is significantly different from what he used to do, do you mean something like that?” Amir nodded thoughtfully, listening to Emily explain who Simon Weatherson was. He could see that Emily had relaxed at hearing his interpretation of her visions. He, however, wasn't put at ease. This was all far more complicated than anything he had ever dealt with before and each new revelation only brought more questions. He wondered if maybe he should have stayed with the group for longer than he had. It must have been several hours already. He wondered if they had caught wind of any of this. "What do you mean? How is he different?" "He was a performer- I think he was an actor," Emily said. "I remember seeing him when I was a child out at the amphitheater. Now, of course, he's much more interested in preaching to his cult than his performance. That is what has changed." A cult. It would be far too big of a coincidence if Simon's actions weren't related to the curse that had polluted Galatea. The Briars weren't the only ones being affected, they were all in danger. "I think it's about time for me to return to the other Watchdogs. You are free to accompany me, if you choose. I think it's time we spoke with Levanna."

Chris and Lana moved to intercept the nearest of the mushrooms. Sergei fought the temptation to charge into battle to cover them. He hadn't thought about the fact that the creatures might have dangerous spores until Chris shook some loose with his swing. If he got up close and personal with these creatures, he'd be covered in the stuff. The last thing he wanted, was for Estellise to have to spend more magical energy on him. He looked back to Estellise who had mustered the energy to throw another spear of light at the relatively unfazed fungal creatures. "I'm going to split their attention! Keep going!" He gestured for Estellise, in particular, to continue hugging the left side as Chris and Lena kept the closest of the threats occupied. His speed and reflexes quickened by his magic, Sergei made a break for the small gap in between the closest of the mushrooms and the next wave. His hope was that by splitting the party, the creatures would also divide their attention. As long as Sergei maintained his momentum, he was fairly certain that he could stay out of their reach and avoid whatever effect those spores would have on him. As he approached the pair of mushrooms, he slid low on the ground, a few loose rocks digging into his calves. Dirt was kicked into the air as he attempted to quickly change direction and break through the center of the approaching creatures.

Grawbacca took Endo's place as the person to take the lead. Halfsies shrugged; it didn't matter what order they went in, he privately thought. Both Endo and Graw were giants compared to himself, which meant more blaster burns for them and a lot less for him. "I had a dream during my nap. It involved a commercial for Bosskman and Bossk's Men. I blame you." It took Half a second to realize that Endo was joking with him. The former Clone Trooper chuckled, glad to see that at least someone had a sense of humor on this ship. "Now that sounds mighty sexy, Endo. Next time, invite me." He gave his new friend a wink and a pat on the back. A tinge of longing hit his chest. There were days where he missed the camaraderie of the Clone Army. He missed shooting the shit with his brothers and eating in the mess together. He shook the memory from his head. They belonged to a different man, to a different clone. The interior of Tartarus II was revealed behind the film that separated the two ships. The image of fried clankers flashed by the opening. Halfsies could just barely see the image of their quarry run by, Grawbacca's massive frame obscuring most of the scene. "How did you know they would cross there?" "I just did." Call it intuition, a sixth sense, experience, whatever. Halfsies had worked with Jedi before, seen them use the Force. He wondered if there was more to this target than Bossk had let on. Or, maybe he was just looking for things that weren't there. Either way, it was time to breach and time was of the essence. "On second thought, fellas," Halfsies covered the few feet that separated the space between himself and Grawbacca in two quick steps, diving between the tree trunks he called legs. Readying his blaster arm as he went head first into Tartarus II, Half fired a half dozen rounds at the battle droids that had prepared to fire on them. He crashed into another, using his momentum to bring the clanker to the ground. He wasted no time getting his footing, planting his metal leg squarely on the droid's thin neck and snapping it. His first barrage of blasts had destroyed two other droids that had begun to take aim at Graw. The element of surprise would be wearing thin. "Come on, boys, cover me!" Once Graw and Endo had entered the ship he was prepared to turn tail from this fight and chase after the Zabrakian.

"Bring her back, alive. I don't give a swamp rat's ass if one of you loses your heads." "I'm sure they can just install a new one, no biggie, boys." Half whispered to his comrades, chuckling as he flexed his robotic fingers. He leaned back into the chair, letting out a sigh of content as Bossk lectured on. The big lizard boss man had a thing for threats and theatrics. I'll kill you, this. Don't come back, that. Half couldn't help but think he took himself too seriously. Life wasn't all doom and gloom. Sometimes it was kidnappings and theft! "See you soon, Bosskman!" Halfsies called out as Bossk's transmission chirped out. He turned to Endo and Grawbacca. "Did you see what I did there? Bosskman? Sounds like bossman?" He laughed at his own joke. "Anyway, ready to destroy some clankers?" Halfsies threw his poncho over his shoulder as he moved to prepare for their departure. ... "Best of luck!" Halfsies looked back up to where he imagined the AI was. "Thanks so much, dollface. I'll be sure to bring you back something nice." "That's our cue. I can pop down first, unless either of you two gentlemen want to volunteer." Halfsies looked to Endo and Grawbaca, both of them towering over him. "It would be my pleasure to take up the rear, good sir." Half gave a small little bow as he gestured for his new teammates to take the lead.

“Okay,” she said again. “I guess, did you make anything out of that? I think I know- I think it helped, but if you have any additional guidance, I would appreciate it.” The world spun back into focus. The storm clouds fade into wisps of incense. The tall bonfire shrinks back into the candles. And the stone is replaced by the soft flesh of Emily's hand. She was soaked to the brim in sweat, which wasn't an uncommon experience when communing with the gods. Amir was a bit damp himself. He let go of her hands, taking a shaky breath in. Exhale. Inhale, this time more sturdy. Exhale. Emily's visions had been intense, more intense than most. "The storm," Amir said, "The rain, it didn't hit. Neither did the lightning. I think this means that whatever caused the petrification of your parents, it won't affect you." Amir paused, hesitant to continue interpreting Emily's dreams. He had a sinking suspicion that Emily was going to blame herself for the deaths' of her parents. "However, I fear it may continue to hurt the people around you. I do not believe your parents died due to disease, I believe it was a curse. And the presence of the sundered temples, it makes me believe that it is the power of an old, forgotten god that has cursed you." Amir was haunted by the familiar scene at the bonfire. This was something he could not make sense of. Eventually, he knew it would make sense. Myria's message always became clear over time. However, he worried that if he did not discover the truth soon, it would be too late for Emily. "I would like to help you, Emily, but I need to know more about you. Have you had any other strange experiences lately? Dreams? Is there something going on the island? Has anyone new come into your life recently?"

As the group entered the next floor of the Dungeon, Sergei prepared to rush into battle ahead of his teammates. He had just watched Lana almost plummet to her death and Estellise was running low on energy. If he distracted whatever threat was there then maybe they would be able to escape the floor relatively unscathed. For the tenth time that day he wondered if maybe the group was too inexperienced to be attempting what no one had ever achieved. Sergei took a deep breath, exhale as he activated his speed spell. His tattoos flashed green. This time when he activated the magic, a sharp pain stabbed into his abdomen. He was running low too, it seemed. The number of times he had switched between his two staple strategies had used more energy than he was used to. Sergei's form of magic had very real physical consequences if he overexerted himself. Not that Estellise's didn't, but it almost seemed as if her magic was channeled from an external source. Sergei knew that if he pushed his body too hard, changed its composition too often, it would take its revenge on him. He would just have to grin and bear it though. They had another floor to get through. The next floor was humid. The air clung to Sergei's newly restored skin, sinking gently into the exposed flesh that only an hour ago had withered by the touch of the kobold's fire magic. He, at first, could see no immediate danger on the floor. It all seemed very peaceful, if not a little too quaint. However, as the large mushrooms began to shake and quiver, Sergei realized that everything was not as it seemed. He took a deep breath, preparing to draw this new enemy's attention, but was stopped by Chris' words. “Uh, left-hand rule?” he said, gesturing at the semicircle route he wanted to take. “Just like the other ones?” "Let us do our best not to attack them unless we have no other way forward." she warned as she moved to the sides of the room with the others. "There is no telling what sort of spores they might have." Sergei was almost embarrassed by his own train of thought. However, he nodded, seeing the value of their plan. "Come on, let's be quick about it then." He stuck to the left side, moving out in front of the group in case the mushrooms were quicker than they thought.

“Ah, yes, follow me.” Amir gave a final look back to the petrified form of Ms. Briar, a solemn look passing over his face. Emily led the two of them through Galatea back to the town square. Amir looked up at the clouds as they walked, occasionally looking back at Emily and Neasa to make sure he hadn't wound up lost. Which was something that happened to him pretty often. As they walked, the sun on his back, he began to ponder about the situation they had stumbled upon. If he hadn't just watched a woman die he would have almost found it funny. A cosmic coincidence that the day that he and his fellow Watchdogs visit Galatea is the same day that Ms. Briar succumbs to the curse laid upon her family? No. He was beginning to see the guiding hand of Myria. Sure, he did wish that she was more upfront with him. From what he had witnessed around the other Watchdogs, their gods tended to be more direct. Still, he could appreciate the artistry. Emily directed Neasa to the temple of Taros before turning to Amir and grabbing him tightly around the wrist. He startled a bit but did not pull away. “Is there a way for you to tell me my fate? Or what will happen if I perform a specific action? I’d like to request your guidance.” "Telling you your fate, that might be tricky. But guidance, guidance I can do." Amir looked around the square before spotting a temple emblazoned with a beautiful stained glass rendering of the same symbol that peaked ever so tastefully out of his robes. "It's your turn to follow me." Amir led Emily to the Temple of Myria, located at the eastern end of the square. The white marble of the facade sparkled in the sun. It was a beautiful sight, one worthy of a place of worship. Stepping through the doors, Emily and Amir were embraced by the wafting trails of incense. The interior of the temple was dully lit, small clusters of candles providing the only light other than what streamed in from the glass window. It created a beautiful tapestry of shifting light and color on the polished floors. Small altars to Myria lined the outer walls, several acolytes kneeled at them in prayer. Their forms were hunched, deeply relaxed. Amir was familiar with such form. Prayer to Myria often resulted being drawn in to sleep-like consciousness. Fate, he had learned, was best interpreted beyond the awakened world. It took a moment for anyone to notice that Emily and Amir had walked into the temple. Eventually an older acolyte, one of them temples elders roused himself from where he kneeled at the larger alter that sat in the center of the room. "Greetings," Amir bowed his head in respect, "My name is Amir, I am a Watchdog for Myria." He pulled back his robe to reveal the entirety of the mark on his chest. "I am here to request a private space where Ms. Briar and I can consult the Dreamweaver." The elder nodded, a kindly smile wrinkling his eyes. "Follow me." Before they moved further into the temple, Amir removed the wooden sandals from his feet and gestured for Emily to do the same. They left them at the front door with the other pairs of shoes. The temple elder led them to a private room, carrying a single candle with him that he used to light the incense in the small chamber. After making sure there was nothing else that they needed, he departed, closing the door behind him. The private chamber was furnished with a small altar, surrounded by pillows. Faint trails of smoke drifted off the incense, making the room smell powerfully of lavender. "Shall we commune with the goddess, then?" He took Emily's hands, their bodies on opposite sides of the altar; their hands clasped above the carved symbol of Myria. "Breathe deeply and slowly," Amir voice, already gentle, became languid and soothing as he began to coach Emily through the meditation. One had to achieve relaxation to be able to talk to the goddess of dreams. "Let yourself be pulled into Myria's realm. It is one you have visited every night, your mind knows its touch. Seek her guidance and ask her for answers." He gave Emily's hand a soft squeeze. "Do not be frightened of what you may see, her answers do not always make sense right away. And I will be with you, you are not alone."

Sergei chuckled a bit as Chris choked on the liquor in the flask. He deftly caught it as Chris switched it back for his own waterskin. "Sorry, I guess I should've given you more warning. My family owns a bar, so it slips the mind, sometimes." As soon as he said it, Sergei regretted his statement. He was growing comfortable with these people, which made it harder to hide his relation to the Allagi family. He fell silent, hoping that no one would pay his innocuous comment much mind. Sergei listened to his comrades muse and ponder about their motivations to venture into the Dungeon. He understood and empathized with what each of them said. His own motivations were a mix of everything they said. His life had quickly become one that revolved around the Dungeon, and any other curiosity that piqued the interest of the rich and powerful. He sought adventure and without a family fortune to bankroll such desires, Sergei had to rely on the coin purses of others. "There are things in this world that nothing can buy." Estellise carried on, explaining her own desires. Sergei nodded along, but couldn't help but think that money sure did make it easier to attain all those things were supposedly impossible to buy. Still, she was right and if there were something that Sergei could empathize with, it was the desire to make something of oneself, to achieve something beyond what they were born into. "Respect," Sergei concurred at Estellise's sentiment, "Respect and self-fulfillment." He looked to the Fereis, finding that he understood her a bit better now. Perhaps, liked her even better now. "Plus, the requests for my mercenary services will no doubt skyrocket after we are the first group to ever secure the Spark." He joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

in the process of watching Clone Wars,,,I could be tempted by either of these

With the flames dispatched, Sergei laid on the ground of the cavern, staring up at the ceiling. Burns covered the length of his right arm and most of his chest. They laid angry and red on his skin, painful even in the fairly still air of the cavern. With the rest of their enemies either dead or fleeing into the unknowns of the dungeon, Sergei allowed himself a moment to breathe. "Goodness, that was more trouble than I had anticipated." A shaky laugh that was more breath than anything else rattled out of Sergei's mouth. He couldn't have agreed more. Gritting his teeth in preparation for the pain, Sergei rose from the ground. His burns shrieked in protest and he couldn't help but let out a grunt of pain. He looked around for his clothes. The breezy tunic he wore beneath his leather cuirass was damaged beyond repair. Nearly half it had burned away entirely and the rest had been torn apart by his frantic attempt to put out the fire. Fortunately, his leather cuirass was salvageable. Blackened in some parts, but had managed stay in one piece. Sergei awkwardly shuffled over to the armor, groaning as he picked it up. It would be too painful to don it now, so he was content to just hold it. "Here, everyone stand together somewhat. I shall have everyone in proper shape before you know it." Sergei looked at the spellcaster with some skepticism and concern. She had expanded a great deal of energy in that fight. Sergei himself was feeling drained just shifting between two simple transmutation spells. He wondered how Estellise could possibly keep up going at this pace. This, he thought, must be the strength of being a true member of such a powerful family. Estellise said her prayer, the magic washing over the group. At first, the warmth was uncomfortable, causing his burns to itch as they slowly began to repair themselves. They were quickly replaced with a nurturing warmth that caused Sergei to gasp. The warm embrace of his mother's arms, a rare moment where he had successfully tore her attention away from his other siblings. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. Appropriate, Sergei thought. "Thank you, Estellise." Sergei looked like he was preparing to say something more, but then closed his mouth. He joined his comrades in a moment's respite, grateful to not be in a fight even if it was just for a short while. "I'll uh, try not to get stabbed as much." "And maybe fall into less pit traps, huh?" Sergei poked fun, swiping the canteen from Lana's hands as she finished a sip. He took a small sip and then offered it to Estellise before grabbing at the flask on his hip. "And maybe something a little stronger?" He took a hearty shot from the flask, letting the whiskey coat his tongue before letting it slowly warm his throat and stomach. He tossed it Chris' way. "Good shot. Thanks." He said, gesturing towards the daggers.

“False hope?” Emily's voice was incredulous. “My mother is either going to be dead soon by your hand or continue to suffer and end up lost to me later, what hope is there between those two options? You cannot give me false hope; I lost it all when Doctor Wendell failed to treat my father. As I said, I’m working to keep my mother from the same fate.” Emily turned to Neasa, clearly ready to accept the passing of her mother before it had even happened. "You misunderstand, I am suggesting that we ask Myria to alter fate, to sav-" “Emily!” Amir was interrupted by the cry for help, no doubt coming from Ms. Briar's bed-ridden mother. The baker's daughter rushed to her mother's side, quick to find the source of her discomfort. Amir watched on, the love evident on Emily's face. He wondered how she could just so easily accept that someone so close to her heart would die. How could she not cling to the bond? Amir thought of his own mother, a pang of sorrow and hurt striking at his chest. He almost envied Emily, at least her family was separated by uncontrollable circumstances. She would not carry the weight of betrayal on her shoulders. “There is no hope for me, Emily. I’m sorry to have been such a burden. Do good, Emily. Take care of yourself.” Tears welled up in Amir's eyes as he watched the terribly sad scene unfold. He stood in the doorway, not wanting to intrude on the moment. It seemed that they were too late. Emily's mother gave her hand a final, warm squeeze before succumbing to her illness. As her final breath past her lips, Amir shivered. It was like she was breathing on his neck. “Ina͠ni̷s...͝” The recently departed's flesh turned to stone, the bed she laid in sagged under the weight, and Amir could hardly do anything but stare in disbelief. Emily had said her mother was ill, but this was no disease that Amir had ever encountered nor heard about. This seemed like something far more sinister. "I'm afraid cremation might not be possible, if that's what this disease does." Neasa said with almost speculative interest. She seemed relatively unbothered by what they had just witnessed. Amir looked wildly towards her as she and Emily discussed what to do with the body. "If you would be so kind as to show us to the temple square, I'll make investigating this disease my greatest priority. The best I can hope to do in the immediate present is cut the problem out at its heart, then help with the cleanup once the matter is resolved." Amir shook his head at Neasa's relative callous demeanor. This woman had just lost the last of her family. If being a Watchdog meant that they had to look on the plights of the world with an emotionless heart, then Amir would be happy to do things wrong. "We are so sorry for your loss, Emily." He moved to comfort her. "I can't imagine what you must be going through. I wish there was more comfort that we could provide," Amir looked up to where Neasa still stood in the doorway, "but I assure you that Neasa will see your mother's soul peacefully to the Ashwood." "Is this how your father passed as well? Did your mother's final words mean something special to you?" "You can see my father outside in the garden," Emily said. She gestured towards the bedroom window, where the stone visage of a man indeed lay among the orchids. "The only thing I have to say about my mother's final words is that my father said the same." This, Amir was certain, was no mortal affliction. This was a curse.

The kobold ducked beneath Sergei's swing with the staff. He mumbled in frustration, he swung again at the kobold but it had scrambled outside of his reach. It turned to face him, its eyes burning with fiery magic. Sergei took a step to advance on the creature, but before he could cover the distance, he felt his clothes catch ablaze. Sergei dropped the staff in his hands, the cracked skull clacking against the earthen ground. He began to desperately pat at the flames, wanting to squelch them. The flames burned his hands and his body grew painfully. He screamed in pain, throwing any sense of grace to the wind. He tore at the clothes, ripping them from his body. He threw his leather cuirass to the ground and ripped at his shirt. His burned, raw flesh laid bare to the cool, underground air. Still, fire chewed at his garments and burrowed into his body. Regaining his senses, the giant of a man dropped to the ground and began to roll about. "CHRIS!" He roared, "Kill it!"

Sergei was wrenched from his moment of remorse as the explosion of the fireball erupted further down the hallway. His head whipped around, trying to peer through the smoke to see if Lana and Estellise were okay. For a moment, he couldn't see them but then he heard Lana's voice. She sounded like she was in pain, but at least she was alive. Sergei's attention was drawn by the sound of more fire roaring down the hallway. The shamanic kobold had shot a jet of flames at Chris, who had just barely managed to avoid it. Sergei grit his teeth. He could do more good for his group if the threat was neutralized. They could lick their wounds afterward. He took off down the tunnel, following Chris's lead. He let his durability spell fade and cast his speed spell once again. Exhaustion pulled at his limbs, but he ignored it. He ran past Chris, his magic propelling him forward. The kobold was quick to react to his approach, he fired another jet of flames. Sergei roared in pain as the fire scorched his right shoulder, the flames licked at his flesh. He pressed forward, moving through the fire to get to the fleeing kobold. Finally, he reached the small lizard and ripped the magical staff from his hands, the flames ceasing. He gave the staff a quick spin and swung it at its original owner.