Val pauses at Vark's words and nods. "If you think we should destroy it, should I try? Or... what do you think, Vark?"

Vark is about to retort to Jex’s line of thinking, not sure what the assassin was implying but ever-ready to defend himself against Jex’s criticism… until the mask slips and the man crumples. Vark bites his tongue and looks down with pity at him until Val speaks once more.

“I… I don’t know. Magical items like this can’t usually be destroyed with brute force but…” his eyes trail down to the weapon in Val’s hands. “Rook is magic too. It could work… I’m just not sure. That’s why I suggested we hide it somewhere. Once we’re back in Sheercleft I could take it to Aury’s study, and then once we free Aury I’m sure he’d know how best to deal with it. I think that’d be the safest option but… if you guys are intent on destroying it now I guess it’s… worth a try?” Vark’s voice wavers as he says this, imagining a hundred ways that smashing a demon’s prison into an eldritch horror’s sending stone could go wrong.

Aiden had knelt next to Jex...or Matteo...to say a prayer for the honored dead, but stands as the conversation continues. "If you wish to try breaking it, Valaith, I will not stop you," Aiden says. "But your weapon is not just a weapon. It is a link to your kin. And it has tinges of the demonic. I do not know how these magics would react if you would try." After a few seconds of quiet, he continues, "If we take it with us, I will carry it."

"AAARGGGH!!! " Thurston smash the spot were Marcellus fell and thunder shakes the ground, then he turns to his friends

"You promised me!! You told me that we were going to destroy him!! not to study, not to gain knowledge not nothing... just DESTROY IT!!! We cannot allow this... disease to spread further in the world. Sometimes, even if you love your dog, if it gets rabid you must kill your dog... Last time we started contemplating or studying this things we ended up entangled with demons.... have we learnt nothing? Need to know how to destroy it? fine!!! " he says still venting "But be fast about it and destroy it!! Look what that thing almost did to our home " he points to the Sheercleft fallen and wounded. He looks at Vark "Rikkazarik is a sacred weapon. Count with it to destroy it if necessary and if you can learn how to do it in your mentor's house I will go with you... " he stops that train of thought "Wait... do you need it to free him? if not we cannot wait for him to be free, we must destroy it first. And... what do you need to free him? now that this... " he opens his arms to signal the battle "is done we can concentrate on freeing him I guess. "

Vark flinches from the paladin’s outburst.

“I DON’T want to study it Thurston! I… I don’t even want to touch it again… I just think it’s safer to wait, I don’t want either of you to get hurt by it if your hammers are unable to smash it. We’ve seen what it’s capable of.” He breathes, releasing the tension that’s grown in his body as the conversation has turned. 

“And… yes, now that Sheercleft is safe I would like everyone’s help in freeing Aureaonus. He’s trapped in a prison of elemental air and to free him I need something called the Sigil of Earth. It was in Sheercleft but somehow a group called the 99 Hundred took it and brought it to Sarameia. Aury is our best bet for dealing with this thing,” he jabs his spear to indicate the black stone, “And for dealing with Matthew.”

Aiden grabs the Norscan by the shoulders. "Your blood-fire runs hot, bróðir," he says. "Peace. The battle is done. We will not study him. We will destroy it. When it is safe to do so. Vark is right...attempting this here, in the field of battle, would be foolish. We do not understand what we are dealing with. And we cannot simply leave it. I would rather it stay with us than fall into the hands of someone else." Lightning sparks in Aiden's eyes. "I will not let whatever it is harm any of us. I swear it by the blood of my father."

Thurston grabs Aiden's forearm and takes a deep breath. As the cleric can feel how the tension finally starts to leave his shoulders he  nods in acknowledgement and respet. 

"You speak with wisdom bróðir. You two do" he says looking at Vark too " Frogive me. You know sometimes I act before I think. Let's regroup and take care of our wounded, and let the victoriuos drink and rejoyce. We should send word to Sheercleft to let them know. And tomorrow Vark, we could start planning how to free your mentor, not only because he can help us, but because it is important to you." he says grabbing now the young half-orc by the shoulder. "Archanost." he says looking to all of them now " We have fought braverly today, The Aesir must be pleased. I am honored to be one of you and thank Thor and the AllFather to sent me this way. I cannot think of better company to go to battle... and to celebrate later " he says with a smirk looking at Val now. "Let's go, our men awaits. I think they deserve some words from our Lord..."

Aiden's vision goes black as he picks up the stone. An unending starfield stretches out across the void in front of him, spiraling on and on into eternity. A voice reaches out of the inky blackness to caress Aiden's mind.

 "Yᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴo-"

A resounding thunderclap and a flash of lightning cut the voice off as Aiden's own will and Thor's divine protection wrench Aiden back to the here and now. Gingerly, Aiden places the stone into his pack.  

Matteo watches with caution, nodding to Thurston's comments on the battle. He waits with concern as Aiden picks up the rock and gives a few seconds for the stone to come to rest in his pack before he speaks.

"Vark, if your friend is trapped we must help him, we can't leave them imprisoned. Jex knew Sarameia, he grew up there, it is a big place and powerful, this is going to require subtlety and care, not marching in looking for a fight."

He glanced around at the heavily armoured and bloodied group.

"Do you know more about where they took it? The 99 hundred are necromancers, known to few and they could be anywhere in the empire, I don't know of their strongholds or places of power."

Vark shakes his head.

”No, I only know what I found in the codex’s library, so it was pretty old. I know they worshipped Talona though. I could ask Matthew but…” he gulps, realizing he hasn’t fully explained the quest his patron has tasked him with. “He wants the Sigil of Fire, he needs it to release Arawn from a prison beneath the Sarameian imperial palace. He asked me to steal it from the silver dragon that currently protects it. So… I don’t think he’s gonna be too helpful unless we do that. Annnnd… I’m worried he might get upset if he realizes I’m prioritizing the Sigil of Earth instead of what he wants.” he admits. “I guess I could try and tell him we want a storm giant’s help in order to deal with the dragon, might calm him down if he does get upset…”

Thurston was walking towards their soldiers when he hears Vark

"Wait.. what? He wants us to free another demon... of course he wants us to free another demon... We can help you freeing your friend but... another demon like himself? why would we do that? What makes Mathew think that we are going to do such a thing?"

“Don’t worry I already told him I could never convince you guys to do something like that. If it were up to him I think he’d have me go on my own..” he says, clearly not having ruled that out as an option. It was the very basis of his pact with Didymus after all.

”Either way it’s a distraction from helping Aury. That has to come first.”

"Indeed... and forget about doing that alone. You'll get yourself killed! Any of us would tryng to that alone..." Thurston thinks for a moment " You see.. a relationship in which the other threatens you or send you into suicide missions... maybe it's not worthy. You own nothing to him. Whatever he did for you, you repaid it ten times with what you have done already. Just... think about it" he says before patting Vark's shoulder, quite gently to be the Norscan, and leave the half-orc with his thoughts and going to salute the surviving Naked Guard.

"The Sarameian vault.. " 

Matteo rises to his feet.

"Jex always wanted to break in. To him, that vault is like the prize fruit of the orchard. You should not listen to him if you go there, he will risk everything to get inside."

Vark does his best to smile and nod at Thurston’s reassuring words, wishing he could see things in terms as black and white as the paladin. 

Then Mateo stands and confesses what seems to be a personal secret of Jex. Are the two personalities really so distinct? 

“He… he wants to break in just for the sake of it?” he asks. “Or… is there something inside that he wants?”

Matteo shakes his head. "He would undoubtedly enjoy the treasures from within the vault, but no, for him it is the ultimate test. To get into the most guarded and protected vault known to anyone where all who have tried have failed, would be proof of his skill." He looks at the ground with some measure of shame. "I think he needs to prove himself because of something that happened when he was very young. He is more insecure than he seems, constantly fearful of rejection or appearing short of anyone else, it's why he always shows off and works so hard to be the most lethal. It's also why he never really settled with a group before."

the continued stream of Jex’s inner thoughts and motivations sets Vark’s jaw hanging open.

”O-oh.” Is all he can manage to say. The complicated relationship he’s had with the half-elf has is suddenly all the more nuanced. In fact, they clearly have more in common than Vark would have ever thought; the man’s haughty self righteousness a manifestation of the same insecurities that cause Vark to doubt himself constantly. 

“I’m… I’m glad that we’ve met now, Matteo.” he places a hand on the man’s shoulder and gives a soft smile before gently nudging in the direction of home.

”Let’s go home.”

For the defenders of Sheercleft, the aftermath of the battle for Quenlan pass is a complex tapestry of triumph and sorrow. Despite their victory, the conflict has inevitably exacted its price in blood from the villagers and their allies. Nevertheless, there is an overwhelming sense of joy and relief at having successfully repelled the Cambrian invasion and safeguarded their home from the looming threat. Hugs, cheers and tears of happiness are shared as the realisation sinks in that their sacrifices were not in vain.

Still, amid the celebrations remains a keen awareness of the sacrifices made. Friends and comrades lie fallen on the battlefield and the survivors mourn their losses. Grief is palpable as they pay their respects to the fallen, the bodies laid out with honour. Tents where the wounded can be attended to are set up and those with knowledge of healing work tirelessly to mend broken bodies and spirits.

Amongst these souls are a small number of Cambrian soldiers and peasants who could not, or failed to flee with their countrymen. Most look upon those who they so recently faced across the field of battle with fearful eyes and many amongst Sheercleft's own seem more than ready to deal out retribution to these unlucky few.

Thurston walks towards the cambrian prisioners. Defeated, broken and scared some of them raised their chins as the tall Norscan look upon them with a stern look. 

( He will use his divine senses to look for traces of the same corruption that consumed Sir Marcellus ) 

" Give them water " he finally orders to a couple of rough looking soldiers that had followed him, a man and a woman. " And treat their injuries the best you can and we can afford. I will speak with our Lord. " he says to the prisioners in his booming voice " Have no fear, your lives are not in danger as long as you pose no treath to our home." 

He then turns, his cloak bellowing behind him and goes looking for Brundir.

Brundir rode throughout the battlefield, calling for all manner of sub-commanders to be found, ordering them to begin the hard work that always follows the bloody. Collect the dead, find and treat the wounded, hold prisoners for account and questioning, and all other manner of recovery tasks. Once the general mass of the army was set to a purpose - or at least one that didn't require the dwarf's direct hand - Brundir surveyed the field for the other Acharnost. Thurston was not hard to spot as his helm sat above the heads of nearly everyone else.

The Norscan was near a group of Cambrian soldiers who abandoned their weapons and were now sitting in a mass surrounded by a ring of Sheercleft soldiers. Brundir could see the pleading eyes looking up at him, but he held little regard for his recent enemies. "Thurston! I got'a hand it t'ye: Yer work with Marcellus pro'bly had these ones shittin' their pants. Might not even need a guard if they think lightning's comin' down on'em." The dwarf takes a long, careful look over the crowd, trying to determine if there's any in the crowd that may still pose a threat. He turns Stonebrow around, putting the boar ahead of them so he can address his ally in relative secrecy. "What're we to do? We can't kill'em, an' settin'em loose just makes a problem later."