Split
Split
----> Aegeon, Alliandra, and Conner ready themselves for the return trip. Tilwic hands Alliandra a largish, deep orange-colored gemstone and informs her to use it to buy whatever necessary items the marryk cannot supply her. He gives Aegeon final instructions to protect the cleric with his life. He then bids farewell to the returning trio and moves towards where Meggana has returned to take a further look at the hole.
----> "A hole is nothing more than an absence of what once was."
----> "What?"
----> "I understand your desire to dive into the unknown, but the macaques are a very intelligent species of primate," the Blackrobe continues. "If they avoid this blackened chute, then so should we."
----> With that, he walks back to where Yohon is gathering supplies for the journey through the interior of the temple. He is picking some fat, orange berries from some nearby bushes. Alasdair is intent on picking the marryk's brain regarding his experiences inside.
----> "That thing you told us about," the bard begins, "what was it?"
----> "It was a horrid, evil creature."
----> "Yes," Alasdair agrees, "but what was it? A rat? A lizard? An insect? What did it look like?"
----> "Dark. Oozing. Silent." The color of Yohon's burgundy hair reflects in his silvered eyes. "It looked like… Death."
----> Alasdair recovers from an uneasy moment and asks more questions. "Those Others you met: did you kill... uh... destroy them all?"
----> "We did not 'destroy' all the Other, "Yohon replies. He quickly adds his justification. "There were too many of them and of enough of us."
----> "How many were they? How many were left?"
----> "It is hard to say. We did not explore the entire temple. During combat, some ran and others took their places."
----> Tharg and Conner begin saying their good-byes.
----> "Tharg make Conner-brother proud," the dark-haired barbarians says, hugging his blonde brethren. The friendly macaque has not left Tharg's broad shoulders. "Monkey help keep Tharg safe."
----> Conner nods as they end their embrace. He extends a hand to Tharg. They grasps one another's forearms in a barbarian's handshake after which they beat their chests and go their separate ways.
----> Alasdair and Yohon stop talking and Yohon points up to where Grant has hailed them from the top of the lowest tier of the temple. The crafty dwarf hollers that he scaled the side using one of the two ropes hanging down the backside of the stone structure.
----> The group says their good-byes and good-wishes to the three individuals who are returning to the mainland. They part. One group reenters the jungle at the top of the valley while the other moves to the rear of the structure.
----> The group approaches the rope. They stare up at the 40 or 50 foot climb. Yohon yanks hard on one of the cords, testing its integrity.
----> "That bite mark that your friend, Sarrek, had," Alasdair resumes, "did you see how he got it?"
----> Yohon shakes his head. "It was dark. Too much was happening at once. I did not see."
----> Alasdair nods his head and watches as Yohon swiftly and skillfully ascends the rope to join Grant at the top.
----> The others succeed at the same feat, their climb looking much less dexterous than the practiced marryk.
