Well if things hadn’t exploded after Ato came back. Vasha went full rage on Orel. Apparently, there was a little barbarian in her waiting to get out. His laugh was deep and loud. She nutted him! No matter how funny this appeared, the truth of it was that Orel was right. Deep inside, he believed everyone knew it accept for Vesra. This was one of those moments where her kind nature might get one of them killed.

With a broken leg, he wasn’t going to swim fast. The blood in the water was going to attract those sharks. Anyone behind the little goblin would get attacked first. That was easy for Vesra to say because she’d be in the front with Ato. Immediately people began diving in the water.

Ellangil, Vasha, Orel, and the idiot goblin remained. “Vasha and I am going next and you two can squabble about pecking order after that. I really don’t care if either of you even make it to the next junction. Both of you are bleeding and there is no way you’re getting out in front of us.” 

"Vasha, whatever you are planning, do it now," the barbarian says, waiting for her by the edge of the water but ready to withdraw blades should it come to that.

"Vesra.. " He smiles, his sharp teeth barely noticeable to the Kor in the darkness. "I will remember. And Vashie. Good names." He was happy that he chose the group he did. The others didn't seem to know what they were getting themselves in to, and they paid the price. This group was strong. But even better, this group was interesting. 

The others began popping up, and so the goblin waited in the darkness with them. The group must gather before venturing forth. He accepted the snack from Vesra, and placed in his component pouch for later. 

"Her real name is Vasha," Vesra corrected as an afterthought. "She'll probably kill you if you try to call her Vashie. Only I-"

Her words were interrupted as Veythe surfaced. Before she could even ask the question, the human answered. Her sister was coming. She helped the bard out of the water, letting them all relax on the beach and wait. 

Sitting in the corner of the cave, Kayn starts to tap the water on the cave-floor with his foot. "When was water in cave?" He asks with each little splash. 

Ellangil could see it in Vasha’s eyes. He knew that death look all too well. Vasha came at Orel with both weapons hoping to finish the human in one fell slash. Unfortunately, the first attack missed and the second attack nicked him like a bad shave. Ellangil withdrew both of his weapons to step in, but Orel was combat savvy and stepped in to the barbarian ignoring the female Kor. He knew that for the Barbarian to rage would make this situation even worse. So much so, that he was willing to ignore the opportunity that he presented to Vasha by moving. Using the advantage, she swung the hook and inflicting a wound to Orel’s side as he moved passed her to swing at Ellangil.

And swing he did, Orel’s blade cut the barbarian right across his chest and sending the muscular human to the ground. Vasha’s eyes widened not really expecting this to play out the way it was. Both she and the barbarian had been arrogant enough to think they would make quick work of the swashbuckler. Only too late did the pair see the folly in their ways. In pure anger, the Kor woman jumped upon the back of Orel and grappled him, applying a deep rear naked choke that immediately had Orel’s eyes protruding.

The two tumbled to the ground, and Vasha squeezed with all of her might. The rogue twisted and turned but could not find the escape he so desperately searched for. Vasha wrenched it tighter going for the kill. During this Ellangil miraculously awoke from the slash, shaking his head and trying to gain focus on the present situation. Grabbing his bastard sword off of the ground and lifting himself off of the ground, he was about to attempt a slash of his own across the fool rogue. But with one more clean pull, Vasha choked the very consciousness out of Orel.

Vasha released her grasp and kicked the fool to the side. Ellangil could not help but laugh as he dropped his hands to his knees to catch his breath, his life barely hanging on. Vasha had saved him. He fell to his knees. By the gods, it was fate that brought Ellangil in contact with the future mother of his brood.

"Vashi...a is back and so is Barbarian. We can go now?" Kayn winks at Vesra before standing from his corner of the dungeon, eager to get this last leg of the journey done with. "I am excited to see suns again. I told you she will be ok." He taps his foot in the rising water as he says this, for emphasis.

They were gone too long.

Vesra could see the water slowly rising, and with it her anxiety bubbled up into her throat. By the suns, it shouldn't have taken them this long to swim there. A minute, maybe two. But not this.

The druid was about to swallow her own fears and swim back when her sister finally surfaced, the barbarian in toe. "Vashie!" Vesra practically tackled her sister in a hug, relief spreading across her face. "I was so worried, what took you so long?" She held her sister's face in her hands, searching for an answer. Vasha was normally an open book to her, but her twin's expression was practically unreadable. "Are you alright?" She asked earnestly.

"We can't wait for Gerbur and Orel for long," she said nervously. "The water level is rising. But they should be right behind, right?"

"It's ok," Vesra murmured into her sister's ear, holding her close. It must have been awful to watch such a terrible scene unfold. "I'm just glad you're safe." She gave Vasha one last squeeze before releasing her and approaching the water's edge.

"I guess this means we are ready to go?" The kor asked, trying to exude a fake confidence that she in no way felt. "Deep breaths."

With the entire group residing in the branching tunnel, gathering their wits and taking some deep breaths, they submerged themselves once again, hoping that Ato's words were true and that he wasn't lying to them. They certainly placed a lot of trust in a merfolk they only officially met an hour or two ago, but perhaps they were a true group beginning to form.

Diving into the water, the group swam through the dark tunnel, following Ato's light, who needed to remain close in order to light the way in the lightless tunnel. It was peaceful, down here, in its own weird way. The water was cool, but not cold. The lighting was soothing and easy on the eyes. And it was silent: the only noise present coming from the swooshing of feet as they continued on their way...

But the journey didn't come without its own issues. Veythe's exhaustion from the dehydration was taking its toll, and she began to find herself slowing down, so tired from the fighting and receiving nothing to drink. Vesra saw this, and while doubting her own abilities, turned around to help Veythe. Grabbing her by the arm she pulled and tugged, trying to get her to go faster, but to no avail... until a current seemed to come in from nowhere, propelling the two of them along. Soon they were caught up to the others, who likewise were swept up in the current. Within twenty seconds, the group had already travelled half of the tunnel's length, arriving at the mouth of the tunnel which ran into the wide ocean. Being pushed out of the tunnel by this unknown current, they looked around, seeing the vast ocean. The water was clear, allowing them to see the base of the ocean about 40 feet beneath them, sloping downwards as the ground turned further away from the cliff. Looking upwards, the beautiful sight of the sun twinkling with the waves just twenty feet above you was heartening, and the group quickly swam to the surface.

Gasping for air when you reached the surface, everyone took a moment to relax, catching their breath, and looking at their surroundings. The position of the sun seemed to place the time at approximately 4:00 p.m. Facing north, they saw the docks of Affa approximately 200 yards away, and began swimming over their, eager to be done with this ordeal. Ato guided them to a pathway merfolk would use when entering and exiting the ocean to go to Affa. Receiving several strange looks from the merfolk-dominated population who were in that area, the group made their way onto the dock and out of the water, crashing onto the ground with relief. It was over. Almost.

Kayn sprawled out on the sand, allowing the suns to bake his thick skin. He was panting, hard. He wasn't the most athletic goblin, but he had the constitution of a horse. The heat of suns felt wonderful. He started to scrape his back against the hot sand and, when satisfied he turned over and did it on his front. Small sprays of sand flew out as he did this, some of it spraying atop Vasha nearby. Finally he turned back around and sat up, a large toothy smile on his face.

"Goblins good in caves, but I love the suns," he points up at one of the suns as he says this. "This will be good," he says with a tone of finality. He stands and dusts off his clothes before turning to the rest. "We ready?"

There had been a moment, maybe halfway through the caves, that Vesra had become sure they wouldn't make it. Between herself and Veythe, the swim seemed too long and arduous. It was just when she was beginning to lose hope that the wave had come along and carried them all to safety.

"Thank you," she whispered to the water, once she was out on dry land. "I'm sorry I was afraid of you before, next time I'll do a better job of trusting you." The druid had realized, without a shadow of doubt, that the water had come to her aid. Perhaps Kayn was right about all of this Invoker stuff. The Kor druidcrafted a flower and placed it in the water as a second form of thanks.

"Does anyone need medical attention?" Vesra asked to the group at large. "It may take me a minute to dry off my bandages, but I can still help."

Kayn rushed over to Vesra and handed her his hand. "I broke a claw," he said, "I think when I got pushed by the water I started scrambling and snapped it on a stone. Water makes claws all bendy." It was true. One of the poor goblin's claws had broken off. It'll grow back in time, but he was fond of that claw. It was his picking claw. "I don't know if maybe you can grow it?"

"Ummmm," Vesra cast druidcraft, creating a tiny vine that wrapped around where Kayn's claw used to be. A single pink flower sprouted out, acting as a new and prettier nail. "That's the best I can do?" She said hesitantly. "If you give me your claw, I can turn it into a really cool necklace you can wear later on?"

Kayn looks at flower quizzically. A snack on his finger? He was hungry, he just realized. He bites the flower and slurps up the vine. Delicious! For some reason all of her food was delicious. "Is very tasty! But the water took my nail, so it is gone." He extends his finger out one more time, "Can I have another?" 

Ato led the group to safety, his light (well, Veythe's really, thanks to her magic) guiding them along the tunnel through the darkness. Once clear of its confines and in the open ocean, it was up towards the light and air.

A short swim to the shore and they were safely out of the water and back on dry land. He didn't explain himself to the mer, nor justify their stares, instead warning them off with a look, and his hand upon the newly acquired spear.

He let his new friends (were they that already? It seemed odd to think they may be, or nearly.) each enjoy the moment, back in the sun. For him, the open sea had been the prize, but for the air-breathers, he knew it was this instead. He was glad to see Vesra talk to the water, and not surprised. Troubled perhaps, but she had a good heart. His own injuries could wait, so he ignored her offer of healing so that Ellangil and Vasha could be helped first.

"Kayn is right," he finally said, prodding the group along. "We haven't completed the test until we make it back to the vampire's expedition house and claim our victory."

"It's not food," the kor protested half-heartedly, but knew it was no use. Vesra sighed, kneeling down so that she was eye level with him. "I'm sorry, Kayn, I can't fix it and make you a new nail. I'm not nearly as powerful as you seem to think I am."

"Yet," he responded. Soon she will be, he knew it. He retracted his hand and asked, "If not food, then why do you give them to us? We are not lovers." The prospect was quite ridiculous. He wasn't even sure if the breeding was possible. "Flowers make very tasty snacks. They make your breath smell like good plants," to express this he breaths in her face, "See?" He thought maybe she just wanted everyone to smell good. That must be why they wear them. "Is it because we smell bad? That is why you give them to everyone?"