-----Surprisingly, the thing is not dead although it descends as if greatly weakened. Its eyestalks on top of it droop along its sides.
-----Suddenly, Garrison appears over the mists as he runs up a defeated ogre and leaps at the thing. His battleaxe swings in his right hand and thuds loudly into the side of the monster's side opening a wound between its rough plates.
-----At the same time, Lovan is heard intoning his own favor to the Rager. "May the Fear of the Rager's Fury come upon you!" he shouts. However, over the next moment, the results of the spell are unsure although the monster roars in anguished pain.
-----The creature sinks into the fading mists where its outline can still be detected with Garrison standing beside it. The woodsman quickly lifts his weapon high over his head and brings it down very forcefully. It smashes into the monster and the evil thing slumps to the floor thudding loudly as it strikes the stones.
-----For a moment, everything around the adventurers is quiet except for the snapping of the flames in the cauldrons.
-----Sol emerges from the mists, his breathing laboured, looking around quite urgently for any hostile creatures.
-----Garrison groans as the mist slowly fades. Gripping his side with his left hand as he carries his battleaxe in his other hand, he staggers and limps toward the doors. Passing Lovan, he mutters, "Damn good, Lovan. Whatever you did there kept that eye tyrant from . . ." His words fade as he focuses on Mirian's body lying by the door. He glances at Sol and Sarah, noting the injuries Sol appears to have just sustained. He then continues toward the fallen dancer.
-----Raven is seen holding Rinda closely to him. Their voices are low, but the huntress is seen to nod in a reassuring way.
-----By now, Romney kneels and holds Mirian in his arms. For a few moments, he finds that he cannot speak. "May the Holy Redeemer shield your soul," he manages before something seems to catch in his voice. He lowers his head and holds Mirian's pale cheek to his forehead.
-----Lovan stares quietly at the dead monster in front of him. He momentarily glances back at Romney without emotion on his face though his eyes reveal . . . something sad. He then turns back, silently observing the vanquished thing and its troop.
-----The flames continue to crackle and occasionally a stifled sob is heard.
-----Sol's blade returns to its sheath uncleaned. Haunted eyes seek out Sarah and once spotted, the Gorian picks his way across the hall to her. Not once do his eyes stray to the dancer's prone form, though a flicker of a glance confirms Rinda's living condition. Once Sol reaches Sarah, he checks her over his eyes before pulling her into an embrace, whispering in her ear, "Well done, love."
-----A few moments pass before Sol lets go. As he does so, he asks Sarah, "I... need... t'keep searching this place. Starting wi' tha' balcony up there." Sol indicates the two stairs jutting out of the wall some twenty feet up. "Would we be able t'use yer cloak, secure Dread's rope t'give more access?"
-----Sarah is confused. So many conflicting emotions are riding through her pale body. She's desperate to help Mirian, relieved at Rinda's recovery, but most of all she's overjoyed with the destruction with what is fast becoming her favorite spell. And that feeling disturbs her greatly. Thank Destine for Sol. As he hugs her, the mage squeezes him back with both arms, holding him very close as she lets herself shed a few tears on his strong shoulders.
-----"M...Mirian." She says quietly, too scared to ask the whole question.
-----"She didn't make it." Sol intoned under his breath, which made the truth of the dancer's fate finally settle in his mind. He shuddered slightly as he hugged Sarah for all he was worth.
-----As Sarah is informed of the dancer's fate, she slowly lets go of Sol and climbs up the balcony, her cloak writhing like a spider behind her. She attaches the pirate's rope, and waits for Sol to come back up to her. Every second he's away she gets more and more anxious.
-----As soon as the rope is lowered, Sol begins to climb hand over hand, clambering when he reaches the edge. Once up, he grips Sarah's arm above the elbow and gives it a gentle squeeze, before looking around the area from his new vantage point.
-----Rinda makes her way over to Romney as the guard holds Mirian's body. Without a word, she puts a reassuring hand on Romney's shoulder.
-----The guard gives a silent nod and carefully lets the dancer lay back in repose. Standing, he quickly takes his cloak and wraps it around her, covering her beautiful face last.
-----As Raven stands behind Rinda, he casts a cautious glance toward Sol and Sarah before scanning the rest of the chamber.