From there it was clear she needed a little more reassurance. She was falling into the same despair pit Lammy was slowly crawling out of. "Well," He moved in closer, wrapping an arm around her. "You can still feel my hand, right?" His free hand slid to her bare one, his voice kept as low as hers. "Maybe we could guide each other in the mean time?" That sounded like a bit of a flirt, so the druid went in for the save before his face got hot. "You and me and Eranah and that mopey archer, probably. We'll all help find a way out of here." He added. "We might not see our families or hear our gods for awhile. In the meantime, we could get drunk and enjoy each other's company. Catch up now, attend to business come morning." The thought ran through his mind a second time. He was glad he was going through this trial with friends.

It was at that point the full reality of the situation hit her. Without so much as a word Eranah stood up and went to stand outside. Moving to the side of the building she sat against the side of the building. Inside she was downright petrified and sobbing but outwordly she only looked up to the sky. She knew she would be ok eventually, but never before had she been separated from both home and the strength knowing she would inevitably return provide. She may die, but always she returned to the astral sea, reborn to serve Ilmater again as many times as was needed. Now, in a place removed from the gods themselves, she had no way to be sure. The ending of all that she was was a possibility. It was the worst possible thing she could imagine.

Lily managed a smile at Lammy's words, squeezing his hand gently. "You're right. The three of us went to Hell and back together, if anyone can find a way out of this mess it's us."

After a moment of thought she tilted her head and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Get drunk and enjoy each other's company? Lamont LaSalle, are you trying to seduce me?" She grinned at him. "The nerve of some people, to say such a thing. And to a member of Torm's clergy no less!"

"S-seduce?!" Lammy replied with his own grin. "Maybe a little bit..." He added through partially inaudible mumbling. He partially thought of just spilling his guts right then and there, just to make his thoughts known while he still had the chance. That was gonna stay an eternal debate, until he had a few more drinks in him, most likely.

"But seriously, we haven't seen each other in such a long time. I figured we could at least share a few more laughs. Y'know, take advantage of this bleak situation we've been thrown into...Might involve getting drunk..." As if proving his point, he went towards his shot glass, and downed it. He then took to the beer, gulping down the rest of it before he could fully feel the liquor. Coming back from all of it, he burped and grimaced at the dull fire in his chest.

"Ever heard of the saying 'liquor before beer, you're in the clear? Beer before liquor, never been sicker?' I'm doing it right...yeah?" He wondered.

"Lammy, I don't drink except for sacramental wine, so how would I know?" Lily said as she looked over the collection of alcohol. Hopestone gave her a side-eyed look, then glanced at Lammy, then shook her head. She nodded to Hopestone, who set her the same thing - she did it in fairly quick sequence, then leaned over the bar, looking like she'd been kicked by a mule.

"Hell's balls." Hopestone muttered. "Anyway, there's a staircase over that way that leads to rooms. I don't keep them locked, but there's a bar on the inside if you want some privacy, and they'll probably be more than a little dusty. Shouldn't have any rats or similar problems, though, I've hexed this place against them and anything that gets past me doesn't get past Lord Whiskers. Speaking of which if you run into a very large housecat or a smaller puma leave him be."

"For as long as you're in town I'll offer whatever help I can, in exchange I'd appreciate if you'd keep me apprised of what you find out. If nothing else I might be able to make your travels into a decent story."

Lammy could only look on in surprise as the paladin tackled her drinks, and about as expediently as he did (if not faster). "She doesn't drink, she says..." He mumbled and smirked and crossed his arms. Lily snorted. "I don't drink, Lammy. This is a special occasion." She rubbed her mouth and shuddered. "Blaugh, Nine Hells, stuff tastes almost as bad as that time I got Ankheg blood in my mouth." She said low enough that Hopestone couldn't hear. Lammy looked towards their hostess as Lily took a second to recover. "Thank you again, for all of your hospitality." He said, slightly louder than he thought. Then, peered back towards the lady paladin.

"So, it's been like two years since we've adventured last. What've you been up since then?" He asked her.

She paused a few moments before continuing. "After the Battle of the Moor I went back to Waterdeep to report the events to the Temple, and also to give them Faith's Fire." The patted the hilt of her sword. "They decided that my actions said I was worthy of the sword, though, so I got to keep it. After that I was assigned to work as a guard for a Waterdhavian diplomat trying to broker a peace between Neverwinter and Luskan."

She took a sip from her beer to wet her mouth. "That did not go well. Seemed to at first, we'd gotten to what should have been the end of the negotiations, a representative of the Hosttower of the Arcane and Lord Nasher Alagondar ready to sign the treaty. Then just before they put ink to paper the Hosttower guy sends a light into the air and Luskan soldiers come out of nowhere." She shakes her head. "Lord Nasher didn't even blink as soldiers started pouring out of every home and cellar, just sighed and drew his sword, blows a horn, and then tells us we just need to hold our ground for a few minutes. Take cover in a cellar and within ten minutes a hundred of the Neverwinter Knights come charging into the village, lances ready." She shakes her head. "The craziest part? After we got out Lord Nasher didn't even plan on attacking Luskan for it. Apparently this is so typical of them that it wasn't even worth going to war over."

"Uh...heh...wow." The Druid was at a loss of words a bit. "You've...you've been busy, huh?" He leaned back in his seat, downing another long swig of beer from his cup. "Sounds a lot more exciting than what I've been up to!" He chuckled.

"A Paladin's work is never done." Lily said with a shrug. "Speaking of which." She muttered her Control Word, the latches, straps, and arming points of her plate loosening, and began to remove her armor, starting with her gauntlets and working her way across and down her body, revealing the soft cloth padding she wore beneath. "So what have you been doing, Lammy? Somehow after the Crusade I don't think you decided to get a job herding sheep."

"Nah, I left the sheep herding back at the homestead." He replied, managing to peel his eyes away from the not-so-sensual strip show. "After we split, me and Sheeva kinda just...freelanced around. We collected bounties, found lost items, protected struggling families, rescued cats out of trees. Y'know, the usual. Made a little bit of gold for my troubles, sent it back with Amaya. (You remember Amaya, right? Pigtails, taller than you, shorter than me?)

"I actually ran into her again a few months back, and we travelled around for a bit. Got a ton of magic training done, with lil' sis as the mentor. She suggested I look into the other elements, but I decided to stick with fire for the time being. I can conjure fireballs without barely even thinking about it now!" He thought about showing her right then and there, but considering all the hard alcohol in the area, it wasn't really the best idea.

Sheeva flapped down from her perch in the rafters, landing in one of the adjacent seats. "Chi-weirk! (And, she's with child as well!)" She added with some excitement, with in turn, made Lammy excited.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget?! I'm gonna be an uncle!" He announced. "It's still kinda early, so we don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but I know we're gonna have another druid in our family!" He was beaming a bit, and took another long swig of beer to calm himself down. "Amaya was on her way back to the homestead to tell our parents the news. That was like, a few days ago. Then...this...happened." He gestured about the tavern.

She reached over and clapped him on her shoulder with her now-bare hand before starting to work on her other arm. "You haven't had such an uneventful time yourself, albeit less insane than what tends to happen when I'm around." She grinned.

Lammy couldn't help but grin back. "Heh, yeah. But, insane is easier to endure when around you, Y'know? Like, you make insane doable." He replied with a chuckle. The druid pondered in that brief moment, recounting significant moments leading up to the present.

"...It's kinda funny, thinking back. Actually being able to reminisce on some of our accomplishments. Wouldn't be able to think back on these things if I was still home. I'd probably still be a lazy, jobless bum if I'd had never met you guys. Still blaming the world for my own shortcomings." He smirked, voice lowering. "You've had more impact on my life than you know, Lily. Really, changed me for the better." He admitted sheepishly, staring into his cup.

She smiled at him, her cheeks reddening a little bit. It took her a few seconds to work out how to respond, taking a sip of her drink. "You sell yourself too short, Lammy. Even if me or Eranah or any of us hadn't been there you still would've come, would've fought the good fight. You've got a heart like a lion."

"If I've got a lion's heart, then you've got the...bigger...lion's...heart." He stumbled a bit on his words. He could name all the strong, courageous animals in the world, but couldn't think of one just then. His brain was going a mile a minute, as was his pulse. "Seriously, watching you fight, or tackle a situation, or rally us together...I was never not inspired. Felt like I wanted to be you just as much as I wanted to be...with...you." His mouth and head were moving at two different speeds, and that little ditty kind of just slid out before he could catch himself. Now his face was red.

"I, uh..." Lily went a similar shade of red. "Um." She glanced around the room. This was not the situation she wanted to have a conversation like this. Quickly she formulated a devious plan, finishing removing the plates on her boots and setting her armor aside. She belted Soul's Fire back around her waist, then glanced over at the others.

"Hey, I need to get some air, I'll be just outside." She tilted her head at him, trying to indicate that he should come with her. Lily had many strengths and good qualities, a strong sense of subtlety wasn't one of them.

"O-oh...er...umm..." Lammy wasn't exactly sure how he was to react to her reaction. Now that his feelings were out in the open, he thought she might've been turning him down. Either way, he stood from his seat, ready (if hesitant) to follow her.

She stepped out into the cold air. The sun had finished its descent sometime since they'd stepped inside, and the moon lay high in the sky, a crescent but blazing as bright as any full moon Lily had ever scene. She looked up, and felt a chill run through her stomach. The stars were so strange here, alien patterns in the sky, and no sign of the Tears of Selune in the moon's wake.

She stepped down the street a short ways from the inn, then turned around, looking at Lammy. Truthfully, she had no idea what she was going to say. "I, um..." Brilliant, Lily, she thought. "I missed you." She managed to get out.

A little voice poked into her thoughts. No, really? You missed him? Why don't you tell him something else blindingly obvious, preferably something you already told him in more words.

"You, uh..." She stammered, then just decided to hell with it. "You made all the dark places seem a little brighter. I don't think I laughed as much in the whole time we were apart as I did in the little time we were together.

Something tingled in the back of her neck, she took it for embarrassment. The little voice in her head calling her an idiot didn't help matters there.

There was an...unexplainable sensation buzzing through Lammy's brain. Could've been the alcohol. Between it, and Lily's words, he was far too focused on the moment to notice the chilly night breezes passing through his clothes. He closed the gap between the two, the Druid taking up her hands. Warm, soft, but firm and powerful all the same. He felt she could save the world all by herself if she wanted. "I don't think I could've brightened those places without you." He leaned in slowly, his forehead touching hers. "You've filled me with so much hope..."

She looked into his eyes. She wanted to say something else, but no words came to mind that made any sense - half of them seemed to be in different languages, and most of the rest were gibberish. Lily swallowed nervously, then mustered that courage that let her stand against a dozen screaming Orcs without flinching, led her back into a blazing building to find one more life, and gathered more of it than she ever knew she had, leaned forward and kissed him, quickly and more than a little clumsily.

It was partially expected, but Lammy was wholly surprised nonetheless. Either way, he was lost in the moment now. Nothing else, just the Druid, and the Paladin. He leaned back in, holding the kiss longer than just a frantic peck. Introduced some tongue to the equation. It grew longer and warmer still, and his hands began to move on instinct, exploring and caressing the curves of her padded waist.

Lily slipped her arms behind him, pulling him against her, running her fingers into his hair and holding him tight. She felt so foolish for not doing this sooner - but at least she did it now.

Then, an intense shiver traveled up and down Lammy's spine. Was it the anticipation of the moment? Or just the weather finally getting to him? Paired with it, was a minute stench on the air. Something unnatural, feral, and close. Wasn't Lily, obviously. Made him remember that being outside after dark wasn't the best mode of action in this town. It brought him out of the moment, if only briefly. "Lily, wait." He pulled back the tiniest bit, just enough to talk. His voice kept low and soft. "Let's go back inside. Don't want anyone worrying about us." He added, really not wanting some sort of monster ruining the moment.

Lily sensed it too, a cold thrill up her spine that had nothing to do with the warmer feelings the moment was giving her. She slipped her hand from around him reluctantly and nodded. She started to head back inside when she noticed that they weren't alone, her other old friend sitting against the wall of the inn not ten feet away from them.

"...hi, Eranah." She said, her face burning so hard she was certain it was glowing in the night. "It's, uh, getting kinda dark, so we were just thinking you might want to come back inside."

Brilliant cover, Lily.

There was an immense amount of happiness welling up in Lammy in the awkward moment. He stifled a laugh, holding back from busting a gut. "Lily, I think she saw everything!" He loudly whispered to her, continuing to lead her over the threshold.

"Shut up, Lammy." She ground out. Eranah was the last person she would have wanted to see that. Not because she felt like she had looked like a fool, although she did, but because she had the sneaking suspicion she was going to have either A: a visit from her discussing proper propriety with such matters please merciful Torm no, or worse: a visit where she imparted her age old wisdom. Lammy on the other hand, just chuckled some more.

Contrary to what either of them were expecting, Eranah hadn't even noticed the two of them were out there until they had spoken directly to her. Too lost in her thoughts, or more accurately, mental breakdown to see them. When she was directly spoken to however she did her best to put on a brave face. Not wanting her two friends to worry about her, knowing she would eventually move past this certainly, though she doubted it would be any time soon.

"You're right, I probably should head inside." Eranah replied as she did her best to put on a smile. Standing up and walking inside right past them without so much as a mention of what it was pretty obvious they were doing if she actually put her mind to it. For now however she was still trying to process everything. There were no gods here, likely no astral sea or even a connection to it. For all she knew, death was death now. Thousands of lifetimes ended completely, so far as she knew it was unheard of. As firsts went, it was not one she looked forward to possibly experiencing.

Eranah's somber tone did a lot to dispel Lily's high spirits. She gave Lammy a vague head gesture like she thought he'd understand what she meant, then moved to Eranah's side.

"Hey, Eranah." She adjusted her posture and her expression as she walked, going from Lily Beckett the girl to Lily Beckett the Paladin again. "We stopped an Archduke of Hell together. Some spooky prison plane isn't going to hold us for very long. Pretty soon this'll just be another adventure of ours to tell some Bard about."

Lily found herself heartened by her own words. As she turned them in her mind she thought they were right - they had faced down an Archduke of Hell and foiled his plans, a feat that by any rational measure was impossible without the backing of an army and a few archmages. Although admittedly she suspected their victory there owed more than a little to the intervention of the Gods. Now, though, it was time for them to stand alone, and she was not afraid.

As the Paladin moved in to console her Cleric, the Druid was quick to follow. He may've wanted to straighten his face to correspond to the mood of the changing situation, but he was far too high on cloud nine to come down just yet. Besides, a small grin and upbeat disposition could do much to alleviate a somber moment. "Heh, spooky prison plane...rolls right off the tongue." He chuckled, following the two back inside. "But yeah, Eranah, a obstacle like this shouldn't even slow us down." He reassured softly, pushing his own negative thoughts further into obscurity. "Hell, i'm beginning to think of this as a little vacation! I mean...s'not the most alluring vacation spot, but...we're away from most responsibilities, right...?" He was kinda unsure about that.

"Lammy, have you ever heard the phrase 'tempting fate'?"

Apparently someone had, because not ten seconds went past it before the door suddenly shuddered under a battering ram barrage that could be described as knocks if you lived with an ogre family, or perhaps thought that knocking was a form of martial arts. Hopestone said something that none of them could understand, but it sounded pretty obscene, and moved over to the door, snatching the sword from its hanging behind the bar. She moved to the door and pulled it open a crack.

"Daskard, you're still alive."

The door got shoved open and a large, aging man entered, a red cloak wrapped around his body. His head was shaved except for two strips of hair along his cheeks, a look that had Lily giving him the side-eye. Behind him were two men wearing heavy armor, and compared to the gate guards they had the bearing and gear of actual soldiers.

"Hopestone. His Lordship has become aware that we have guests within the city. They are ordered to accompany me to meet with His Lordship immediately."

"See, Lammy? Tempting fate." Lily sighed. "Give us five minutes." She moved over to her gear and began donning her armor, Daskard watching with barely concealed impatience.

Lammy's smirk instantly dropped into a look of disappointment. "Awwww maaaan!" He whined, shoulders slumping down like a spoiled child denied a new toy. "This could've been a nice, calming (for the most part) night! But then this had to go and happen!" He thought, reluctantly looking on as Lily fetched for her armor. Sheeva flapped up to his shoulder as he collected his staff.

"chiwierk? (What's all this about?)" The hawk queried. "Good question." Lammy quickly replied. "Hey," He addressed the red cloaked individual. "Daskard, i'm assuming? His Lordship? Are we celebrities now?" He asked.

"I'm guessing the Baron wants to grill you about how you came to be here." Hopestone said. "Travelers don't just -come- here. This has never been the most traveled land in the world, but ever since the War two years back no one comes. The borders of the land are choked with mist and people who travel into them don't come out again."

"Beyond when we were brought here we didn't see any mist." Lily said as she finished with her armor, affixing breastplate to backplate.

"Strange...perhaps it has finally passed.

"This is all very interesting." Daskard said, tapping his boot. "But his Lordship has demanded your presence and he is not a man to be kept waiting."

Lily snorted. "It's a good thing none of us are using the privy then." She approached Daskard. "Alright, lead the way."

Eranah stood up and got prepared even as she spoke to their attempt to console her.

"It isn't so much that. I know we'll get home, it's just. Mortality is something of a foreign concept. I understand it, but I've never exactly experienced it. I die, and then I return to the astral sea to be reborn. While the loss of that life is sad, it is by no means permanent. Memories and impressions from them persist, but this time... not even the gods are here. There may be no connection to the astral sea, it could be if I die here...that's it. Thousands of lifetimes simply ended. It just is a lot to take in and realize. That this time, death may very well be a very permanent thing."

She spoke as if it were only the three of them there, she didn't particularly care if these people heard about what she was. Chances were, if they didn't know what she was it wouldn't matter, and if they did know she was a Deva they would already have an idea of what she was saying.

"Well then, it's just that simple, innit?" Lammy placed a hand on the Deva's shoulder. "We won't let you die. Not until we're out of this dimension..." That sounded better in his head. "Or, we won't let you die at all...? I don't want you to die here, is what i'm trying to say. We've protected each other before, and we'll continue to do so for as long as we need to." He gave the Cleric a hopeful grin, following Lily back out.

Riding on a hunch, he sniffed in the direction of Daskard and his lackeys. "Sweat, metal...nothing alarming..." Didn't seem like these guys were the mystery stench he caught earlier. Really only added to his skepticism over the plan. "Did we really have to do this now? Couldn't it have waited til' morning?" He mumbled.

"SCREaWW! (You didn't seem to have a problem being outside just a few minutes prior.)" Sheeva piped up. "CHIREE?! (By the way, what did you and Lily go outside to do?)" The Druid didn't immediately answer, and instead stared wistfully into the back of the Paladin's head. "We...had a heart-to-heart." He replied, breathlessly. If the boy were anymore animated, his eyes would've turned into hearts as he thought about her.