Panic! At the Cave

Illandria followed behind Xi as quietly and as quickly as she could. Xi's calm command sent a shiver up her spine. He clearly sensed something that she didn't. Her eyes darted around frantically as she searched for anything that might be amiss. There was no one. No guards, no wenches, not even a drunk pirate. They were going to blow the place with them inside, weren't they? Her heart rammed in her chest, and without another thought, she grabbed Xi's hand and started sprinting as fast as her short legs could carry her.

No. She couldn't get them killed here. This would all be her fault, because she was too stubborn to listen and too proud to let Xi take the lead. She cursed at herself, and gripped his tighter as the impending panic started to settle on her. The more she thought the more her mind spun into a maelstrom of fear.

Suspicion

A fire burned in the pit of his stomach from her question. He was free and he had more than enough to tear that entire cave apart stone by stone. "If I had my way of it I'd kill everyone here and let the Maestrom sort out the corpses left behind. But I'm sure the Church of Saint Adama would cringe at having to find spaces for more bodies as it were."

Xi took lead walking briskly, but cautiously, down the cavern halls. He naturally had a soft step but Illandria was noisy by comparison. It wasn't even that she took clumsy steps, in fact it was surprising she could walk as soft as she did but her foot steps still echoed against the walls. Fortunately, besides the sound of her footsteps the only thing he heard was their own breathing. There breathing and nothing else. No murmurs, no footsteps, not even the sound of drunk Roegadyn boasting of their triumph.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a chill ran down his spine. It was too quiet. "Illandria... we need to get out of here, right now."

Up to No Good

Illandria grimaced as she watched the man fall to the ground. The sight was grim, but it was unfortunately something she had become accustomed to during her travels. She was mostly thankful that the plan went over well and they had the chance they needed to get out.

Illandria examined the door that the Roe had opened. She doubted many heard her scream, but they needed to keep moving, just in case. Illandria's thoughts were interrupted by the creaking of the cell door. She stood and walked to the door, offering Xi a weak smile. She gingerly took her grenades from Xi before putting them in their proper places in her now tattered coat. Her gun was not there... That certainly put a damper on things for her.

"Alright, before we go on... do you think we've stalled them enough to go get help, or should we do more damage before we leave?" she asked. With her small handful of grenades and the bomb materials they had here, Illandria could do some real damage in such a small cave.

Fulfilled Promises

Xi stood quietly in the shadow of the room as the roegadyn guard entered the chambers and a confused look formed on his face at the cell door pushing open without being unlocked. A smile grew on the lalafell's face when he took in the man. Tall, a sickly shade of green and knuckles that were practically raw. This was the roe that took pride in pummeling his face in.

"What's goin' on in 'ere!?" He immediately went on guard pulling a blade from his waist, but only a little too slow.

He moved his hands swiftly in a series of positions and when the last gesture was made a strong gust of icy wind exited his lungs turning the guard into a giant frozen statue. Xi took a few steps forward from his hiding spot and watched as the roegadyn's eyes barely followed his movement. Taking the sword from his frozen hand, causing the ice to weaken and crack, he grinned and the split on his lip stung and tore open forming a new trail of blood that he let his tongue clean up.

"I promised myself I would kill you first."

Stabbing through the ice a long crack formed that sent the ice breaking to pieces and the man falling to the ground without so much as a final breath. Xi climbed over the mountain of a now fresh corpse and began going through his person. His daggers, smoke bombs, and some of Illandria's grenades but their knives and gun were nowhere to be found. Still it was more than he could have hoped for as he began handing her things.

Tucking his items back into his clothing, he stood up and walked over to the cell door and held it open for her with an informal bow. "Shall we?"

A Cry for Help

Illandria acknowledged that Xi had a point, though she was simply going to aim for the brute's temple. She nodded and moved to the back wall of the cell. If she could lure the man inside, Xi could swing the door closed on him. She eased herself down and onto the floor. Once Xi was in place and out of sight Illandria took a deep breath and let out a blood-curtailing scream. 

She hoped someone would come. They still wanted to use her so they'd need her alive... Hopefully they'd be concerned enough to at least come into the door and tell her to shut her trap. Luckily, her prayers were answered. Another burly Roegadyn came and poked his head into the door to see what the noise was all about. 

"Oioi. Lass. Can't have you giving away our position," he grumbled. 

You Call That a Plan?

Her scream sent a shiver down his spine and Xi regret having to take such harsh methods especially when he heard her gagging behind him moments after. The door was open in an instant and he listened to her plan. It was crude.

"Do you really think you have the strength to knock out a burly Roe?" He tucked the tool back into his braid and flung his hair back over his shoulder. "If he doesn't collapse, he will be very angry when he realizes what happened. How about you scream and I will deal with the hard work."

Something is Better Than Nothing

A scream tore through Illandria's throat, before she could slap her good hand over her lips to stifle it. They didn't need to have the guards come in, concerned. Tears stung her eyes and she could feel her heart trying to leap from her chest. She tried to hold back the bile in her throat that threatened to rise. Soon the pain began to ebb away and she removed her hand. The Lalafell turned around when she heard the click of the cell door. She got an idea. She grinned as she wiped the saliva from her hand.

"I've an idea," she grinned, "I need you to scream as if I've hurt you. When the guard's curiosity catches him, and he comes to see what happened to you, I'll swing open the cell door on his head to knock him out and take his keys."