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Unlike the others, Zell was not restrained by the need to be polite or understanding.

"Lily-Pad, are you fucking mental?" His perfectly calm tone was a comical contrast to the question itself.  It was muted incredulity.  "This can't wait 24 hours?"  Zell looked around at his comrades' faces to check that they were hearing the same thing he was.  It sounded ridiculous.  Of course, this [i]was[/i] a ridiculous world they were in - metal ninjas and giant centaurs running about the place - but the fact that Lillianna was so insistent on leaving the group for some random ghost she'd known for five minutes showed a loyalty flimsier than a dandelion in a tornado.  "He's dead - no offence, love," he added to Sister Gwen.  "We've got living people here who need our help, not to mention [i]you're[/i] the one the magic attacks."

It was no use.  It was like she was under a spell and couldn't grasp the fact that she was leaving them up shit creek without a paddle.  And why this couldn't wait one extra day, when they didn't even know how long that ghost'd been dead for, was beyond him.  Zell was pissed.  He didn't even say goodbye.

"Screw it," Zell said as he stood with his hands on his hips, watching the two women go.  "We didn't need a wizard in our first battle. We'll get by without one now."  He listened to James as the Cleric got them back on track.  At the change in formation, Zell just said, "Fine," but he was suspicious of James, thinking that their leader might be trying to protect him because he didn't possess any magic.  The thought of such a thing made him even angrier, but he held it in.  A potential plan slowly came together while Zell stood, promising himself over and over that he wouldn't let anyone die tonight.  He would never forgive himself if he survived and one of his comrades didn't.  And he wouldn't forgive Lillianna either.

At the camp on top of the hill, Zell snacked on some beef jerky from his rations while he paced back and forth, keeping an eye on the entrance to the temple while thinking about what they might face.  When Barracker gave them all the information he had, Zell was listening and nodding as he took it in, still pacing slowly up and down with his hands on his hips.  It seemed that nothing would brighten his mood until Adam did his druid-thing and pocketed a few acorns, bringing a teethy one-sided grin to the Englishman's face.

"Props on the creativity, Adam.  Not a bad trick, mate."  He was extremely impressed.  "Not bad, at all."

After Fenna threw in her two cents about the route they should take, Zell agreed at least in part.  "You're probably right; I doubt we'll get to the wraith without having to contend with any cultists.  But I reckon if we go down the main corridor, we are announcing ourselves."  He shared his gaze with everyone.  "I don't mind going straight down the middle, but it won't be stealthy, I'll bet that much.  So it's either puzzles, locks and kicking through the front door.  Or it's a quiet job the long way around.  We can't have both."  He gestured to Barracker.  "I commend your bravery volunteering to be a decoy, n all that, but I think our resident monster hunter should be in the fight with the monster.  Whatever we do, we should fight as one."

He looked at the darkening sky, feeling the anticipation in his gut.  He was ready for whatever came next.