Lyra knew she would be targeted by one of the bandits but was surprised to see it wasn't Gerritt. He was focused on Alex. She caught the motion of a slim man darting between the fighters on a path to her. She caught the eyes of one of her party with a nod, then launched her whirlwind spell. Containing it to such a tight space to not impact the others was incredibly difficult but she pinpointed a spot before her and launched it as the greasy man lunged into the space. Then, he was no longer a threat. She could direct her attention to party members who needed healing now. -=- Bingg found himself suddenly airborne, spinning, and flung to the left. He landed inelegantly and lost his wind as his sword bounced away. As he struggled to his knees, head spinning, he tried not to lose his stomach contents. Instead, he lost an ear. Then the other as he turned his face from the pain. Next went his nose. Screaming in pain and terror, he managed to reach his feet and face the terr

Alex floated amongst tart clouds and warm music. He could feel energy seeping back into his worn body and a faint red glow surrounded his head as his eyes slowly tracked movement before him. They were hidden behind a veil of abstraction for his safety, but he knew the Gods were watching him. The first emotions he recognized were elation and relief. He'd done something the Gods were happy about. An image of the portal collapsing rushed by, and he felt Agron's pleasure. Ffornexa and Ullentra were pleased as well. The mission. He needed to close the portals! Agron's impatience spiked, but Ffornexa slipped forward, and Alex felt... expectation? More? The portals were only part of the mission? Now Agron and Ffornexa were very pleased, and Alex felt that like a pressure wave rushing at his mind. Ullentra intervened, and the red glow surged momentarily over his mind, taking him from their presence. When Alex's perceptions returned, he felt Ullentra's anger directed toward the o

Flipping open the end cap, Alex tipped the tube, and a rolled sheet of flexible material slid out. When he unrolled it between his hands, it became a stiff square and maintained this shape. He looked at Eon. "Place your hand on the middle of the map," the drone instructed. The sheet was remarkably light, so he held the edge in his left hand and placed the palm of his right on the center of the square. The entire surface pulsed with a gentle light and then displayed a wireframe model of GreenTree Dynasty. Controls appeared along the outside edges of the map. Some were easily deciphered, while others he'd need instructions for. He touched a symbol resembling a book, and a guide appeared. "Holy shit!" Dale exclaimed. "A complete map! Do you know how valuable that one artifact is? This party and each of our one hundred best friends could retire for life on just that!" Alex snorted in amusement. He recalled what Eon said about the drones. "Does this map work outside the city?" "N