"But you'll live. Let's close you up, then you can catch a nap."

"Oh, I will live alright! Deviant was her voice when she said that, as if telling the Death itself to scram. However, the next thing that happened was Jazdia biting one of the rolled bandages as the needle dived in and out of her flesh. Yvonne was so focused on ensuring the wound was properly sutured she didn't notice Jazdia's mild twitching and grimacing, probably regretting some of her choices in life while at it, or perhaps reconsidering if this entire quest was worth it.

Or She might have also been wondering if she should have brought a stronger anesthetic...

"Phew! All done. Sparky, you still awake? Sit up a bit, will you?."

"I am awake. Is it done?" Letting the bitten bandage fall, Jazdia moved her palm from her face when she heard the not-so-glorious announcement. It was the first time she did not frown when Yvonne called her with that name.

"Still gotta bandage you. Then we're finished for real"

Trying to square her shoulders, the elf pushed her body up and sat straight. The drug was still blocking the pain, but she could feel her then-severed muscles touching and the grating sensation from the threads. It was unpleasant, but seeing no more blood dripping from the wound was relieving.

"Sure, but let me do my bit, hand me one of those gauze pads."

After Jazdia applied what looked like a sticky piece of white clothes, Yvonne leaned forward to wrap her torso with a bandage. Her relatively shorter overall stature brought their face so close to each other, and Jazdia, with no reason in particular, pecked the noblewoman on the cheek.

Chuckling, the elf took the roll from her and continued the wrapping. "I told you let me do my bit. Don't worry, I still owe you one after this."

Rose watched in horror as the flaming menace paused, then grabbed her sister completely unprovoked, then began menacing her with a savage fire-imbued mauling, before dropping her suddenly as the "tin man" with the fireball for a head slammed an axe into his back, dropping her into the smoldering hot debris she had just prior been trying to extinguish.

Said flaming menace bounded across and through the threshold leading into the guard's barracks, just to their left.

She stood there blinking in disbelief, as her sister snarled, pushed herself up from amidst the burning ruin despite the sizzles and fumes of burned flesh and hair mingled with the acrid chemical reek of the fire, went back up on two feet, then turned to face her while clutching her neck where Ted had savaged her.

"DAT DO IT! ROSEH!! BOOS' MEH!"

She knew better than to question her sister when she got "Serious" like this-- Even though she was always afraid of seriously hurting her beloved sister doing this. It was always a risk, and always painful and harmful to both of them, but sometimes there was just no other way...

... And this time, it looked like that might indeed be just the case...

She did not relish the idea of what this would do to both of them, or how they would feel, possibly for days afterward... But they *NEEDED* to get Cedar out of here. If Lily had a plan, it was more than she did right now.

She hoped it was a good one.

She closed in safely behind her sister, as she stormed off the sizzling, rapidly drying, and in some places, scorched, blackened, and beginning to ignite blankets, and toward the threshold of the guard's barracks, facing Ted with deadly intent, where she stopped just out of arm's reach of the smoking, charred, and (curiously) "Fire dripping" bear man. She put her paws on her sister's shoulders, drew a deep breath, and did her best to focus on what Lily needed done...

---

Lily glared at Ted with a burned and bloodied face that framed bright white incisors, bared for all the world to see. She was beyond angry.

She was murderous.

If they were to get Cedar out of here, this mother-fucker (if only she knew how accurate that epithet actually was!) needed to be rendered incapable of stopping them. He had proven himself to be unnaturally durable, and the odds of ever dealing enough harm to him to actually subdue him that way were too long for her to contemplate. (of course, numbers bigger than the mid 100s were too high for her to properly consider anyway...) That left only a few options, and this was the best idea she could come up with.

Her magic was not exactly the greatest. She had figured out how to "Soften" rocks so that she could carve them with tools made of the same rock-- a very handy trick for rapidly cutting arrow-heads, fashioning knives, carving cups, bowls, plates, and other very useful domestic items with. On her own, the most she could manage was getting one soft enough to just "Squeeze" in her paw, like it was a lump of particularly hard cheese. Not really soft and pliable like putty or clay-- More like a hard cheese. That was plenty soft enough to cut with a stone tool, and was perfectly adequate for the vast majority of any and every need of that spell she could readily think of. This spell, plus one for heating stuff up or starting small fires (which was naturally, GREAT for getting the fireplace started so her sister could cook dinner) accounted for the entirety of her "Offensive" spell repertoire. Since this son of a bitch was already on fucking fire, the latter effect would surely just be a waste of her, and everyone else's time-- and besides, they had ENOUGH fire to deal with right now.

That only left "Soften stone"-- and she needed something MUCH softer than hard cheese. She needed "RUNNY AS ALL GET OUT, SLOPPY, STICKY, WET MUD" kinds of soft. And for that-- She *NEEDED* Rose.

She hated putting her sister through this. It left her with a headache that could last for days, burned both of them everywhere they were in contact with each other (and contact WAS required!), felt like liquid fire inside her, overwhelmed her senses, was near impossible to "correctly" control, and was generally "Not a thing they ever liked doing." It was only for emergencies, and last resorts.

Gods damnit, Cedar had better appreciate this.

All these thoughts blasted through her mind in less than the space of time it took for her to suck in a deep, resolute breath.

"NOW ROSIE!" she bellowed, then winced as the acrid smell of burning skin and hair erupted from her shoulders and from her sister's paws, at the same time a searing and unholy burning sensation burst through her and threatened to overwhelm her if she didn't focus and use it right away. It always stunned her "Just how ungodly powerful" her sister actually was-- If only she had the where-with-all to actually *USE* it.

She gritted her teeth, focused the spell through her right foot, then stomped the ground with it, where it immediately "Splooshed" from the impact, spreading forward in front of her like a quivering glob of jelly, then underneath Ted. "Gelatinous", but getting soupier and soupier the more she channeled that unholy force rocketing through her into it, culminating in the "Runny mud" consistency she had aimed for in just enough time to watch him barely register that his feet had sunk completely out of sight into the unnaturally goopy flooring, before she lifted her own out the spot she had made, sending the floor under (and around) Ted instantly firm again.

She gave her foot a shake, then shooed her sister off her shoulders and winced in pain, both where she had been touched, and in her poor aching head and chest. She doubled over onto the floor and vomited from the stress, while her sister leaned against the entry way on her shoulder, and whimpered, clutching her seared and smoldering paws in distress.

(pant) (--heave--) "..... Git... out... 'AT .. You .. SUM.. BITCH.." she coughed, both from the now increasingly acrid smoke pouring out behind her, and from the strain of her labors.

She flicked her foot, and felt the solidified "stone mud" clinging to it clack and scrape on the stone beneath it.

This was not going to be fun to clean off later.

This had BETTER hold that fucker.

Yvonne helped Sparky sit up, following some more instructions about the stuff... huh, sticky gauze. That's so convenient. Even without help, it's probably feasible for self-care with this kit. Well, feasible. Definitely would feel so messy.

They got rather close for her to wrap the bandage around, enough to feel each other's breath. Yvonne didn't think too much of it, instead idly noticing that the sky's somewhat brighter than when she had started, a very dark blue instead of pitch-black. An idle musing broken by a soft sensation at her cheek.

"Whuh??"

It's always the unexpected that gets you. The surprise lasted long enough for Sparky to steal the bandage from her hands, the mercenary blinking rather dumbly a few times before inching away to give the elf some room to work. That's just so bloody confusing, she thought that Sparky's not interested in her? Way to send a mixed signal.

Or maybe she's just overthinking. But then again, no one knows what an elf may think at any given time.

"Oh you. You really shouldn't be moving." That said, Yvonne did nothing beyond an exasperated sigh as she scooted back and started cleaning the tools. Well, as clean as it could get. There's only so much liquor in that flask, and it's probably mixed with blood at this point. She need to find the time to properly boil it later...

...come to think of it, what took the infiltration team so long?

Louise gathered some camp logs to long lasted their camp fire until morning. Waiting the infiltrator team on their spot. As she settled first batch of woods, she sat next to Athena. Seated on her knees. She looked at Athena with a gentle smile.

"Madam Voltspear. How about laying your head on my lap?" She said to the cat woman. To be fair, she wanted to head pat the cat woman like a house cat.

---

Athena turned to look at Evan more appropriately as he lay on the grass. He posed another question involving her fire. If he wanted to learn how to conjure it for himself, Athena had no idea how to teach him. Much of how just just realized on her own she could do it, she wasn’t sure how she could convey such a method to others.

“No one has asked before, and I wouldn’t know where to begin.” Athena said. Watching as Evan lay in the grass, and the warmth of the fire, Athena felt tired. Her arm in pain, she wasn’t sure if she could properly rest. As though Louise could tell, she came over after the fire started growing. Offering herself as a pillow. Athena was hesitant but ultimately decided to lie down anyway. She winced as she initially used her bad arm to lower herself, but recovered to the other until she was also flat against the ground.

Evan winced as the vicinity got brighter due to a campfire lit. He could feel it, tiny holes peering into the thin layer of ice armor around his right boot. A hint of sparkling smoke, pouring downward.
"It is warm..." Evan affirmed to himself. He scooted over, moving slowly with his left arm and legs, facing upward like an upside-down spider, then let out a soft, pained breath as he settled just beside but not too close to Athena and her thigh-pillow Louise, intent on using them as heat shields against the treacherous warmth of the campfire.

Something ticked him off. A different spot of heat on the opposite side, his left side. Evan glanced at it, and it was truly so. Jonas Delving's partizan, stuck in the outer wall of the compound.
Thinking about it, was that what injured Jazdia?
"Athena... You also use spears... right?" Evan glanced at her, while pointing at the black-gold weapon with his left hand.

He heard yellings. And he hated, loathed it. Though his presence in the arena was to make Mother proud, Ted can never get used to human-like voices. Jeering or booing makes no difference it hurts his ears all the same.

So when one of the bears yelled to call her sibling, partially blinded Ted found again which way his brutal maulings and jaws had to be directed, thus rushed toward the direction of that voice. Smoke and blistering scars were what remained from his balded head. His thick manes, silky facial furs, and the smooth muzzle his Mother often caressed were all gone now. They took it, took all until there is nothing left.

That Armor and Orb things emerged from swelling fire and raised his axe to welcome his persistent assault. Ted forced his sticky eyelids to open and recalled one of the emergency stances he had practiced hundreds of times. His enemy might be armed, and armored, but he was bigger still, so when the weapon came down he was prepared, the gladiator-bear lowered his body and leaned forward, letting the axe bite deep into his shoulder. Using both hands, he immediately grappled the axe by its belly and used his entire bulk and arms to wrest the weapon away from its owner.

Before he could succeed however there was another yelling. Suddenly the floor under him started to liquefy. Smelling the danger from it, Ted tried to push away his adversary, but his legs had been sunk into the surrounding floor. Realizing that foul magic is at play here the Gladiator-Bear resorted to grabbing the Fire and Metal man by the pauldron and had him sinking with him.

Until finally the sinking stopped abruptly.

Still grabbing the Fiery Armored thing by the pauldron, Ted's realization was mostly centered around the fact that he had been trapped with his enemy rather than acknowledging that the floor had been rehardened again. In utter rage and desperation, he removed his grapple on Bartholomew's pauldron and started mauling his torso to dismantle him. Red cracks started to appear not only on his injuries but also on his palms and started to spread onto his claws.

___

Meanwhile, Widernia lazily opened her eyes after feeling the cold sensation of a metal instrument impaled her chest. Now there were two of them. How generous. If not desperate. Still, as the process of breathing becomes a lot easier, a weak yet mocking smile curled on her lips upon hearing their demands to unlock the cells.

"So what if I don't want to?" she purred. "Kill me?" the mage then paused to breathe deeper, feeling the poorly oxygenated air around her, eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. "It's burning, isn't it? All of my life's work..."

Location: Underground complex, Lab area, Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

As Solomon slipped into the area in a shadowy flicker and soon knelt down beside Widernia to perform his work, Veronica quickly got out of his way and relinquished her role as the redheaded mage's lungs, her gaze a little glazed from the endeavor, as she idly licked the blood clean from her hands, tongue darting out to captured any crimson flecks on her lips. She wouldn't even pretend to lie to herself and say it was for cleanliness purposes, as she finished and redonned her gloves with newly pristine pale hands. She was hungry, but though what she had just imbibed was merely a drop in the bucket of her overall reserves, not even fit to be an appetizer, it helped take a smidge of the edge off.

She was holding her breath again to shut out the worst of the still omnipresent scent of freshly spilled blood, as she quickly collected her medical kit and sealed the remains of the healing potion back up, putting both back in her backpack and slinging the latter back over her shoulders. Those same shoulders sagged in a bit of relief at Solomon's positive prognosis, as the vampire leaned down to scoop up her scythe again, along with the mage's staff. With this treatment, Widernia would live... for now, just as long as nothing made things worse.

Veronica's eyes narrowed at the mage's words, her mouth opening to respond, before she paused, eyes widening.

It took her only a few wide strides to reach the corner leading to the larger area of the lab, and the sight beyond made her eyes widen in horror, as precious research and evidence burned merrily from a fire that had not been there only a minute ago and was currently blazing a long trail across the floor, consuming a bookshelf and horrifically tormenting the large bear that was most likely a victim in all this. Veronica allowed herself to breath again for but a moment and recoiled at the thick, acrid smell of chemicals and smoke, along with the stench of burning flesh and hair, and she could only blame her prior ignorance on her bloodlust and focus on her medical task.

"Wha-? Who?!" Her lips twisted into a snarl, as she determined exactly who through process of elimination. Solomon would never have done something as mad as set a chemical fire in an unknown mage's lab, which meant it had to be those two bears! Turning on her heel, a furious growl escaped the vampire's throat, as she strode back over to Widernia, mind whirling. Because suddenly, they were on a fucking time limit, and she didn't have time to address the fools responsible or do anything else for that matter with the time and care they deserved! The only ones here who could survive suffocation and toxic fumes were herself and Solomon. Everyone else, friend, foe and the very one they'd come to rescue alike would perish, and soon.

"Careful," she said dangerously to the redheaded mage, her body stilled like a coiled snake, "your continued survival is dependent on your adherence to our little deal, no matter how impromptu. As for what we'll do if you don't?" Her gaze tracked to the darkly swaddled man beside her, as her expression hardened. "Sometimes, it's nice being friends with a necromancer." Slitted crimson eyes returned to boring down at Widernia, a promise of violence in them from someone that didn't have the luxury to be patient. The mission and the lives of her team came first. "You will aid us in life or in death. In only one of these cases, however... shall you do so willingly."

"Thanks to those fools, we don't have time to entertain dissent," she hissed out. Her grip tightened on the shaft of her polearm, and if her knuckles weren't already so pale, they would have whitened considerably beneath her glove. "We will try to save this lab and as much of its contents as possible, but we have to prioritize lives first!" she barked. "The longer you waste our time, the less chance that anything will remain!"

Her gaze snapped to Solomon. "Please tell me you can someone you can call that can handle that mess back there?" Her lips twisted into a grimace. "Because if it spreads much further, we won't be able to go back the way we came." She jerked her head towards the yet unexplored tunnel. "That must be the escape route. I don't know how far it goes or how long it'll take us to rejoin with the others, but it's going to be our only option soon. We can't take our injured through that inferno."

---

Bartholomew stepped ever closer, his axe ready to descend on the tripped beast lying on the floor. The fire had eaten away at the fur and skin of the bear, streams of hideous liquid fire dripped from its wounds. The enraged bear wasn’t through, though. With vigor, the beast turned and charged for one of the bear sisters. By now the two had joined up, them abandoning quelling the fire. Bartholomew wasn’t having any of that. Standing in his path, the animated armor brought his axe down right into Ted’s shoulder, a move the beast intended.

For a moment, Bartholomew gripped the beasts remaining fur in one hand, his axe in the other. All the while the bear wrested the armor, loosening his grip over his double bladed weapon. Before he lost it though, the bear sisters enacted their plan. The ground below them gave way, and both the armor and the bear sank as though it had turned into quicksand. The sudden change in terrain caught both fighters off guard it seemed. For just the moment, the two paused as they made sense of their new situation.

“Well now. This is what I’d call a cage fight.” said Bartholomew.

“Sorreh mista tin man. I don’ think I c’n free ya.”

“Ha! This is fine.”

Though whatever ritual they performed worked as intended, it seemed to have taken some toll on the girls. Lily coughed and was breathing heavily as though they had just finished a three hour run. But even so, she looked proud of her work. Having regained her breath, she even started to laugh a little.

“He's an ass! Make him feel like one for sticking you like that!” shouted Lily.

“Yeah! Beat his ugly face in! Look what he did to Lil!” followed Rose. Their work done, Bartholomew laughed himself. Pulling his axe free, he let the shaft slide through his grip, halting the axe dangerously close to the bearded edge of the blade. Meanwhile, the fire continued to spread as any remaining glass bottles shattered in the heat and the contents spreading. With no one attempting to fight the fire, it was getting steadily worse.

Now that they were trapped together, Ted gave up grappling the armor instead went to beating him. While he was able to endure several hits, new scratches, dents, and pits were being carved into his chest plate. Using his free hand, Bartholomew attempted to block some of the incoming hits, but being this close to the bear made it hard to block all of them.

“Sorreh mistah.. we gotta go-- you gunna be aright?”

“Ya aready made a fiyah.. it aright ta leaves ya?”

“Haha! The heat never bothered me anyway. Go on then. Save the good bear. Leave this beast to me.” said Bartholomew. When the window arose, Bartholomew would use his blade equipped hand to return blows against the beast. Trading attacks with each other while the fire burned around them.

"Gotit mistah!"
"Thanks agin!"

The bear sisters darted past the fire towards the next room containing the prison cells. Bartholomew stayed where he was mostly because he didn’t have much choice. Not that it mattered. His foe was trapped along with him, and the fight was not over, yet.

Near the prison cells, Solomon noticed Veronica as she ‘cleaned’ off her hands, but didn’t comment. They were on short time, in more ways than one. Solomon was a little taken aback by Widernia’s response. She held a lot of pride to be this close to death and still be defiant.

“I would listen to her. I have not known her to fail following through with her promises.” said Solomon. He packed up his supplies while he kept eye on the redhead’s recent bindings. They were holding, and it looked to be containing the bleeding well enough. He stood up, dusting off some of the debris from his legs.

“Yes, unfortunately, the lab is on fire. I have a couple allies I can call. But the one we need requires sand. I don’t know if there is enough time for him to conjure as much as we need.”

It was getting worse now, the fire spread uncontrollably and more cabinets were already burning. The flammable liquid had already crept around them. The fire started to reignite Ted's fur now, and at the most unfortunate moment, one of the red bottles burst in front of him, sending a splinter of glass, cork, and burning liquid to his face. To his bloody nose.

Yet Ted was not stopping, the air he breathed out from his injured muzzle was as hot and fumed as the surrounding smoke. Bartholomew anticipated the next mad attack and had a blade stab deep into Ted's forearm, and what came next was a tense pause, like a small prelude before the the wick ran out and ignited the barrel of gunpowder.

And finally, the Gladiator Ted lost it, following an ear-splitting roar was a brutal and continuous pounding. Sharp edges or hard metals, he did not care anymore. Injuries marred his muscular forearm. The fire burned his entire body, exposing his skin he almost looked pinkishly bald.

But he kept pounding, and mauling and pounding as cries of anger were ripped from his throat. Until his claws almost fell off from their sockets and his forearm was so calloused they looked like a pair of terracotta with blazing cracks rather than ones made of skin and muscle. Bartholomew's metal body endured, blow exchanged, until he realized that his living adversary had started to be as tough as himself.

Finally, in a single pulverizing downswing, Ted managed to detach Batholomew's arm from its invisible, unliving socket by crushing it against the hardened floor. A crack formed on the overturned tiles, the blow was so powerful that fire and burning liquid were withdrawn from them. Ted struck again, like a hammer trying to demolish the floor that trapped him and his enemy, again and again in multiple places. Retaliations from Bartholomew started to lose their effectiveness. A glow pulsed in the place where the heart should be, and after final pounding, Ted the Gladiator raised himself up from his stony restraint.

_____
Everyone heard that roar, and Widernia smiled smugly at the implied threat, but immediately cut them short at the idea of saving the lab. "It's too late for that," she said, mustering strength into his legs to stand, but she could not. Her vision was still black and white, and her hands shaking.

So she grabbed her staff instead.

Those... people were understandably alerted, but the red mage paid their cautiousness no heed, and remained smug, as if knowing whatever they would do to her was not making much difference... now.

With a single tap on one of the bars, a controlled electric current spread rapidly to all three cell doors. Glows outlined some runic letters, and when they faded again, the sound of locks being disengaged could be heard. Widernia adjusted her position and leaned on the bars, panting, yet still smiling mockingly. "He is coming for you!"

At this point, fires had engulfed almost the entire lab, and the smoke was almost unbearable. Still, the fire that blanketed the floor was shallow; one could run through and make it back to the main entrance if they were willing to burn their soles and withstand the pain.

The poisoning blaze and smoke, however, was the least of their worry, for Ted the Enraged Bear was breaking free, hell-bent on finishing the fight. There was no going back now, not for him.

Cedar was not sure what the hell was going on, but the sounds of Ted screaming cut him to the bone.

"O...Oh.GaAwd.. Tehh..Ed.." he rasped, tugging at his straps as the cell door flew open.

For the first time, he realized that veronica was there. He looked at her with a look of pure despair, then at Widernia. "Wuh...Wuh.. Di..Did.. ya.." breathing was hard, the air was burning his lungs."Does tuh hims.... Gawds... Ya kill..killin...im... Noo....--SAVE.. IM!!"

Lily and Rose rounded the corner mere moments later, then shoved Widernia against the wall from behind to push her out of the way, and bolted into Cedar's cell.

"FUCKS SAKE! WHUT DEY DO TUH YOU!?" shrieked Lily, looking at her brother's wizened form strapped into the bed, before angrily fumbling in her bag for her cutting knife, then setting to work on his restraints. No time to unbuckle, just cut and fucking run.

Rose was equally distraught, ripping the tubing out of his arm, and sending a small spray of blood into the filthy room. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Smelled like it too.

"Lih... Ros...... Noo... Yous.. Yous.. YOUS CAint.. CAINT BE.. Noh... Noh Here.."

The sound of Ted's approach intensified, as Lily scooped her brother up over her shoulder. He was ... So light...

Rose rounded on Widernia, Teeth bared, anger in every part of her sending all her fur standing on end. She reached out with scalded hands and grappled for Widernia's neck, but was prevented bodily by Veronica.

"WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?!" she bellowed at the mage defiantly all the same.

She was hung over, her hands felt like they were on fire, and her heart pounded in her chest. Lily had Cedar over her shoulder now, and carried him like a limp dead animal out of the cell towards her sister.

"We dun gots time Rosie!" she said, but just as she was passing, Cedar seemed to become possessed with some kind of deeply held resentment and rage, as his own shriveled paw, covered in sloughing fur and radically withdrawn cuticles around his claws reached out and grabbed Veronica's shoulder and held tightly, while staring Widernia in the face with eyes that could cut stone.

"MAKE.. IT... STOP!!" he demanded.

"He... HATES.. YOU... YOu knowww..." he rasped, as his hand slid off veronica's shoulder.

As Athena felt her pain on her wounded arm. Louise gave her head pat and gently comb the cat woman top hair her bare skin hand. Sweetly look at the yokai. Is it okay to rub below her chin and other sweet spots of a house cat?

"You sure you are fine with your damaged arm? I do have supplies to clean and bandage it." Louise said to laying down cat woman on her lap. On the other hand, Sylphy is already fall asleep on the blonde squire woman's head.

Varya Chandrar

Varya was convulsing in agony, audibly screaming from the pain. He must have done something especially heinous in a previous life to be inflicted with such physical suffering. After what felt like felt like forever the aftershocks finally dissipated, the runes disappeared and the bars opened wide. He didn't know how it happened, but he was thankful. Varya two handed his war-hammer, turned to Veronica and looked her in the eyes poignantly. He put his shirt over his mouth and nose to filter some of the toxins lingering in the air. "I'll cover our rear. Once we're through, I'll fire a bomb arrow and seal off the other tunnel so the brute can't retreat. If you have anything else in mind I'm all ears." The situation was bad. He could only hope their mysterious benefactor could distract the beast long enough for them to escape to less treacherous terrain, then just maybe they just might have a chance to bring the beast down.

Varya looked at the fire standing between them and the stairs. He knew he would have to run across the burning floor with great speed to escape. Considering he was barefoot, he steeled himself for the pain he would have to endure if he were to survive. This was going to hurt.

---

Athena lay down awkwardly trying to ignore the pain in her arm. She even considered letting Evan ice it because at least then, it could be dulled more than she could ignore. She lay with her eyes closed, not sleeping, but listening to the fire. If it was not the fire, she distracted herself with Evan’s questions.

“I use a spear.” said Athena, she turned her head to see if she could see it. "I think it landed over there." She weakly waved her right hand towards the other side of the small crater Delving created with his attack. It was stuck in the ground at an angle, the blunt end out. Her hand wave was only towards the general direction. Though Athena could see it, the darkness would have made it hard for anyone else. Locating her spear reminded her that she also needed to retrieve her shield. It had taken the front of Delving’s attack. Though it messed up her arm, Athena could only imagine how much worse it would have been without it.

Pressing her right arm into the soft grass, Athena attempted to sit back up only for Louise to keep her down. Athena's arm was starting to feel like it was covered with pins and needles, and Louise was concerned about its condition. Athena looked up at Louise, posing the same question she did Evan.

“You know medicine?”

As the cat lady inquired about medicine with Louise, she turned down her phone and looked at Anthena with a sweet smile. "I do have some knowledge about medicine. My father taught me herbs during my forest hunting with him, and Lord Thernous taught me something more advanced with his knowledge."

Athena listened to Louise talk about her experience with medicine. At first, Athena was hesitant. Herb gathering was fine in a pinch and good for general first aid. But for the wound Athena had, it didn't feel like enough. However, some of the worries she had were calmed by the mention of Thernous. Athena learned that Louise was under his employ, but she didn't know that the lord was sharing some of his medical knowledge with the young ward. "Do you think you can? Do you have everything you need? It would probably be better than the embedded leather, but I'm afraid if it's removed, the bleeding won't be stopped again."

"I usually tend to my fellow wards since I was joined under Lord Thernous. Erwin is mostly the one who gets frequently sent to me to be tended to. My medical bag can first aid three people, including myself. It is better to have it until the doctor on our team has arrived," Louise replied.

Athena paused to give it some thought. It was difficult because now that her attention was more focused on it, the lingering pain in her arm was starting to take over her mind. Closing her eyes tightly, Athena nodded. "Alright. You're probably right. It's probably better to have something done now than wait for it to get worse," said Athena, letting her face relax once again. She winced as she lifted her arm, testing its strength. Slowly, she placed it back down as she awaited Louise.

Louise nodded at Athena. As the catwoman trusted her arm on her, she grabbed her medical bag and opened it. Readied up her clean gauze. I cut off the whole leather arm and started removing the foreign object, trying to minimize the pain that cat women have, just like her regular job during the time she was a ward of Lord Thernous. She used the tourniquet method with a belt and strap tightly wrapped after the elbow on the affected forearm. Wrapped up with a clean gauze on the bleeding area until no blood is shown at the gauze layer level. She then kept the arm above the heart level of the cat woman.

As Louise finished with the wrapping, some of the pain subsided, providing some relief. It still hurt to move or touch, but the odd numbing sensation disappeared. The wrapping did darken with blood, but thankfully it did not continue bleeding. Athena could wait easier for either Thernous or the doctor.

Location: Underground complex, Lab area, Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

"Better get summoning, then," Veronica said to Solomon with a stiff nod, her scythe already shrinking in her grasp. Her eyes narrowed at Widernia, but she still let the mage retake her staff from the vampire's other hand. For a moment, Veronica remained tense, as the cages unlocked. And she didn't quite untense until both Cedar and Varya had made it out of their confinements.

Words of concern stopped before they ever passed her lips. This unfortunately wasn't the time for pleasantries. As long as they could at least move or fight, that would have to be good enough for now. She could spare sympathy after they all got out alive. Instead, she merely nodded at Varya's proposed role. "That will do, thank you."

Her thoughts were flying, as the bellow of ursine rage rippled through the area. Glancing around her, her thoughts first turned to thoughts of fight and then quickly turned to the far more reasonable flight. At this point, they had too many injured, and the longer they stayed here, the more chance her team's lives would be endangered and the mission's entire purpose be undone.

At Widernia's final exhausted taunt, Veronica's eyes narrowed. Tucking her now fully shrunk scythe away, she stepped up to Widernia. "Seems I'll need to carry you. Now's the time for you to focus on pacifying that bear. We'll be moving fast, and I'd hate for my grip to slip due to unexpected... interference." Instead of speaking immediately, however, the redhead mage seemed to ponder for a bit, before reaching to unclasp one of the necklaces around her neck and hold it out, an ivory affair, dangling from silver chains. Veronica eyed the object with suspicion but dared to take it, frowning. "And this does?"

"Something to make your grip firmer." The mage huffed, not even trying to be cheeky anymore. As everyone's attention seemed to be distracted by the sound of pounding and fire burning, Widernia pased again, taking her time to either planning something or calculating her options.

"Can any of you lot channel magic? Hold that ivory and whisper something to calm that... stupid piece of work. He obeys his master's wishes. He always does, and that trinket does just that. He hates me as much as he does to you all, so you must not fail."

"I see," Veronica murmured, regarding the amulet critically, her frown growing, before she finally made a decision. With her bloodlust currently this high an her full remaining concentration required to soon chart a path out of here, she couldn't afford to gamble on how much of her mana this magic item might guzzle. "I'm-" Thirsty. "-low on mana right now." She handed the amulet to Cedar. "Take it. You'll probably make better use of it than I on the move. If you don't have the strength for the task, well... I suppose Solomon could give it a try."

Eying the sister bears, she added. "As for you two, focus on carrying Cedar, so he can work undisturbed. You're the only ones here strong enough to move him and keep pace with the rest of us, I bet." Saying so and stepping into Widernia's personal space, it would be with a bit of initially awkward shimmying that Veronica hoisted the mage into riding on her back, her hands both occupied with firmly clasping the redhead's thighs to keep her secure.

Glancing at the rest of the group, she waited until everyone seemed readied then moved to the corner that led into the burning main room of the lab, eyes squinting at the irritating smoke and heat of the blaze, as she picked out what looked like a safe route along the far wall. All the while, she could see Bartholomew still brawling with the titanic bear, whose injuries were now... simply horrific. "Don't fight the bear unless you absolutely must! We're getting out of here first, making as straight a shot as we can! Cedar, we're counting on you! Solomon, I see a route along the far wall, but can you clear us a safer path?"

---

Solomon slowly bowed his head in acknowledgment to Veronica. He could tell by the vampire’s voice that she was in a hurry to leave. They had Cedar and Varya was up and ready to lend his support once again despite his ordeal earlier. Widernia wasn’t in much to argue, but she also wasn’t in a condition to aide them as they demanded. Instead, Widernia offered her necklace, the items she used to tame the raging bear, Ted. As they were figuring that out, Solomon set to work on calling forth his summon.

Focusing through the impending disaster, black energy surrounded by faint wisps of silver started to condense in his palm. A dark glow that absorbed the light around it also grew, a stark contrast to the flickering light of the flame just outside the room. The energy snaked from his hand into the ground, out of the way of his allies who were finalizing their holds on those who couldn’t walk.

“I call thee Matteo, deserted within the arid wastes. Heed my command and come forth.” Solomon spoke softly. The energy of black darkness and silver slivers sank into the ground. The stone cracked and crumbled as grains of sand started seeping through the crags. A hand emerged from the growing pile of rubble and then a head. Leathery gray skin held tightly to the skeletal frame slowly crawled out of the pit. White fabric crawled from the broken earth climbing up the figure and wrapped him completely. Once he was emerged, the man stood blankly towards Solomon. The figure was shorter than everyone else, dressed in white clothes akin to what one might wear to ward of the hot desert sun. Eyes completely white, the figure looked up at Solomon.

“W-Water. Please water…” the figure requested.

“I will give you water, but time will not allow me now. Please, I require you to smother the flames and clear a path for us to leave. I promise you water once we have returned above ground.” said Solomon. The figure looked down at the ground in disappointment. Solomon placed a hand on Matteo’s shoulder, reaffirming his promise.

“I can do it.” said the accursed wanderer. Both he and Solomon turned to face the opening of the room. Orange glow from the fire caused shadows to dance against the wall. Veronica with Widernia and the twins with Cedar ready to depart. Crumbling stone and scattering wood among the blaze was still audible as Ted continued breaking free of his stone shackles.

“Friends! You’d better leave. This beast has found his second wind, and I’m currently disarmed.” shouted Bartholomew. Though he lost his left arm, Bartholomew continued to use his other to stab at the beast with his axe. Still letting out battle cries to match Ted’s roars, Bartholomew was not ready to give up now that he had lost an arm. “I’ll hold him for as long as I can.”

Solomon turned to Veronica as she questioned whether Solomon can make a path through the fire. He placed his hand on Matteo’s back, confirming his newest called friend should be able to. Matteo took a couple steps forward. As he did so, thin lines of sand fell off of his clothing leaving behind a trail. That sand soon began to vibrate as though an unfeeling wind was stirring it. Further trails of sand started to follow from the crevice Matteo had emerged from, and even some of the dust that collected among the cravices of the wall and ceiling. Any small bits of stone, glass, and gravel started to consolidate around Matteo, forming a thin whirlwind around him.

“Stand back.” said Matteo. Thanks to the sand below the floor and the sand he himself was able to conjure, it took little time for the accursed wanderer to have accumulate a decent amount of sand. In one smooth motion, the sand traveled to the ground and smothered a bath through the fire near the closest wall directly to the exit where the party first arrived. The flaming liquid was either pushed aside, or smothered out as the sand traveled through and over the blaze. It was a path large enough for the party to pass the remaining inferno without having to cross any actual fire. After the path was created, some of the sand started to return to Matteo, condensing around his feet, ready to collect more and extinguish the remaining of the flame.

“Come, get everyone out.” said Solomon. “I’ll stay behind to make sure you get out as safely as possible.”

“Better hurry.” Said Bartholomew. He continued to wrestle more than strike Ted now, attempting his best to keep the enraged bear from freeing himself completely. It was obvious to anyone who would witness it that the flaming armor struggled with only one arm.

Lily shifted Cedar's weight over her shoulder, trying to keep him from pressing on where she had been burned, (or where Ted had savaged her), while Veronica passed the small ivory trinket to him. He looked at it confusedly and made a voiceless "how? with what?" expression. Her heart let out for her brother, as she fished in the fur in her neck for the small blue scarab, pulled it free of its fluffy prison, then slid the chain off her neck, and around his, and gave it a pat, silently. A look of stunned wonder crossed his face, before he nuzzled her silently. It was a weak, and pitiful nuzzle, but it radiated genuine love, affection, and thanks.

Without hesitation, the tall masked man had set to work, calling another ... being... from wherever he called them from. Her lungs hurt. It was hard to breathe. She looked at Rose, and she was all bristles, teeth, and eyes, but ready to throw in beside her carrying their brother, and quickly scooped up his other shoulder to carry him between them, in haste if needed. She could tell from the stifled cough, that she had the same problems from the fumes as she did, though maybe less, from not trying to fight the fire herself.

---

Cedar held the two charms, one in each hand--the chains having been slipped over his withered, balding head. He looked at the tiny blue stone insect in his haggard paw, remarking how incredible it was. ... What he would have done for this.. just a few days ago...

It wasn't really the way magic was 'supposed' to feel. Magic felt like excitement, energy, vitality, and life inside your veins, eager to get out and take on the world. It could also be calm, soothing and gentle, like the whirlings of a summer breeze through your fur. This was... Something else. This was like a blanket had been wrapped around him, warm and ready.. Something outside yourself, but standing passive, waiting for you to pull it in, and make it yours.

It was not how it was supposed to feel. But it was something.

---It was something.

The other though? He had no idea. He didn't have time to think about it long-- he was vaguely aware of Solomon and his latest summon snuffing out the hot glow from around the corner, as his sisters began to move in earnest like they meant it. --And he knew deep down they did. He tried to think what would best calm Ted-- Everything he had tried to say to him had only somehow made things worse between them. Made Ted even more jealous. More angry. More hateful... What could he possibly say to him? His mind wheeled and came up empty many times in the shortness of a heart's beating as he was carried forward and around the corner.

And then he saw him.

Saw Ted. ... What was left of him.

All at once, his heart and mind raced. Visions of Kaitlyn Stritzel, the woman who had forced herself on him more times now than he could count, erupted in his mind unbidden and unbridled. He could hear... He could FEEL the wailing horror of the woman, cloying and howling through his skin; Pounding in his heart-- imagining her reaction to what she would see had happened to her "boy", "Her Ted."

That phantasm of the imagination merged, and fused with his own horror at seeing him that way. Deep down, he knew he had fallen in love with Ted in his own way. It had been that love that had kept him alive down here in this hole of misery and suffering. That had given him the courage and will to keep on living, and to face the cruelties visited on him daily; with measured resolve.

Whenever he looked at Ted, he saw Oak. The brother that he had chased bugs with. That he had suckled their mother beside. That he had chased their father's legs and played tag with...

... And the one that wanted nothing more to do with him, and who's face only contorted with contempt when he came to visit.

... The touch of humans... can be so cruel...

The visions combined into a symphony of unexpressed passion and need. How he imagined Stritzel would feel. How he felt. How he imagined Ted must feel right now, and without even knowing it, he held the ivory trinket firmly in his left hand, closed his eyes, and DARED TO FEEL IT ALL, as it poured out and through him, sucking at the ephemeral magic surrounding him; giving substance to the pain and anguish he felt, and morphing into that women's voice. Thin. Wavering. Desperate, and fragile. It screamed of vulnerability and passion.

"Oh God---"

it called inside and through him, shrill and mortified.

"Teddy! My Teddy! What have they DONE!?"

Then breathy, broken, and full of despair.

"....No!..."

"Teddy, Not here! Not like THIS!"

Before becoming more forceful, even vindictive and pained.

"Teddy Please! Just RUN! Run! Don't die down here, Teddy! Don't waste it on THEM! Don't waste your LIFE Teddy, JUST RUN!"

The bravado of the passionate plea faded, consumed by the breathy desperation once more, before ending in a mere whisper.

"Come to ME! Come to ME Teddy! ....COME TO ME!..."

"...I can't bear to be without you ..."
"... I love you..."

Then, just as suddenly as it tore through him, the voice was gone, leaving him clutching the hateful ivory talisman, with a sour and sick pain in his stomach.

His sisters had not stalled even a single moment, and had been traversing the room the whole time he had been consumed by the emotional deluge that had just ripped through him. They were drawing close to where Ted was-- battling the flaming head thing that he remembered from the tower fight with the wizard Asevor... He really needed to have a trip away from home that did not end in fighting like this some day... Gods.. He hoped.

It was his own turn now, to use his own voice, as the pair rushed him past, and out of arm's reach.

He reached out anyway, clawing at the air.

"Come.. wit.. Us..."

he rasped, as his sisters rushed him through the hall, and pulled Ted out of his sight.

Ted The Gladiator was so lost in a rage that he did not notice one more fighter had joined the fray. Bartholomew was still holding him from completely breaking free from the concrete. The tin man shouted something, but all words were lost in him, lost in the fire and desperation, and isolation. They had killed mother, they are killing him, they have to die with him.

Until another migraine struck him again, cringing in the middle of the subsiding blaze, the mysterious voice is coming again, and every word he heard felt like there was a hammer beating his injured skull.

"No... no Mother!" He bellowed, "You run from them... They here do bad to you! MATHA!!"

There was another wave of sound and whispers. So strong it numbed the pain from Bartholomwew's axe attack. The great bear clutched his head. and did all he knew best when being put in a stressed environment; that was to let it all sorted out in a fit of rampage. He knew he was stupid, he knew he should listen to... mother?

A realization dawned even slower than usual, but it did, and it came with a new purpose.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted, still in delirium, mad like possessed, but rather than trying to take down Bartholomew, he tried to escape from the Armored Undead's grapple this time by swatting him aside with what remained of his strength. It didn't work well, but that didn't stop Ted from clawing, and again pounding the rest of the concrete with his hardened forearm.

____

Meanwhile, the group's attempt to escape from the laboratory was met with minimal obstacles.

Cedar's plea was lost in the fire, and even if it somewhat got through Ted's thickened skull, there was less reason for the Gladiator-Bear to heed his call. Or even to remain calm upon hearing such a proposition.

Sands opened paths for them to tread through the burning tiles, and considering that they had avoided further contact with the enraged Ted, they managed to reach the antechamber leading to the first basement... several moments earlier before Ted the Gladiator escaped from his concrete shackle and Bartholomew'swerestling, and proceeded to charge through, with all of his balding and smokey mass toward the empty tunnel leading toward Strritzel's mansion.

Cedar suddenly started fighting his sisters, trying desperately to turn back toward the side hall they had fled past.

"W..eh... Go.tta... 'elps 'im!" he rasped. "He.. dun know.. no be'er... Deys .. deys gun. kill'r fer sures..."

"Dis" (hack) "'at ladeh as wants ta roll ya" (bark, cough, wheeze) "da hay Cedah?" Chided Lily, just before her brother's claws dug into her arm and shoulder. She bellowed, dropped him, then looked at him in shock.

"Da Hell ya doin!? She got ya all fire' up AT bad bruh? Don' hurt US-- we's 'ere ta gits you out!"

"IT.. AIN'.. Funnneyh..." he protested indignantly before over-exerting himself, then slipping to the floor with his head bowed. "Uhs.... Seened a man.. git blowed up.. ... Fang..horn... No' 'ere tuh..... Please.. No' 'ere.. tuh.."

Lily and Rose looked at each other with their ears pulled back, then at Cedar with grimmaces of extreme displeasure. Lily sucked in a troubled breath, then coughed clear fluid onto the floor beside her before voicing her dissent.

"Cedah-- 'at SUMBITCH tried tuh rip muh throat ou'-- 'en rubbes muh nose in 'at fire back ere-- AN YOUS WANTS TUH SAVES IM!?"

"He a right ass, Cedah!"

"Sss...soos... Oaak.. .. He's.. MUH.. asshole.. bruthuh..." He looked down at the floor, and started crying. "..An uh. loves him.... " He looked back the twins, eyes wet with tears, but sharp, hard, and resolute. "Ted's.. MUH asshole... Tuh... We GOTS TA SAVE ... HER... Ta saves... HIM..."

"HE GOT A NAME?!"
"Yeah... Ted.."
"An' wutserface, as we gots to 'saves'?"

He waited an uncomfortable amount of time, just staring harshly into Rose's face with an expression that could curdle milk. (or at the very least, make village children wet themselves) then finally answered. One word. Harsh. Contempt filling every syllable. "..KAITLYN..."

The girls looked at their brother, then at each other a second time, as the sound of beating from the metal door continued.

"At' door's locked-- Gunna take 'skinless wonder' a righ' minute. We gunna help 'im, we bettah catch's ups."
"...Righ'..."
"You bettah be righ' 'bout dis, Cedah..."
"Uh hopes.. so.."

They rolled their eyes, as they scooped him back up again, then headed THE WRONG WAY toward the locked metal door leading up into the mansion, instead of the SANE, SENSIBLE, CLEAR, SAFE, and PROPER exit, the way they came in, shuffling up the stairs behind the bloody massacre of flesh that was Ted, the Gladiator Bear.