Everlong

The Sacrifice

Ed felt the chains strain against his wrists and cursed himself for a moment for talking so big to the Yuan-Ti acolytes that they felt the need to chain him in the very room they beat him in. Now as he heard all the action going outside the room, he wished he were free to help and know exactly where they stood against all the cultists.

Seeing the way Olly's face had twisted up at his departure made him feel guilty, but he knew what he did was right. He had to get the focus off of Olly and Nole, hopefully the Dawnstar would be enough tempting power that they would make the stupid mistake of trying to use it first before sacrificing the two Aasimar's.

As Ed heard something very hard slam against the door of his room, he could hear a voice call out in a very disappointed manner.

"Come on Oll, I wanted to toss him" Ed could hear the young man's voice nearly through the door.

With the sound of a grunt and a shove, the creaky wooden door opened to reveal the two angels Ed was trying to get the cultists away from.

"How's it going handsome?" Olly joked with an exhausted smile at her friend.

"I think I would be doing better without the chains" Ed smirked back and rattled his hands comically.

"Nole, help Ed with those while I gather some things" Olly said as the young man with electric blue hair came forward. Ed admired his Scourge mask, the giant gaping holes where eyes were supposed to be as the mask's mouth twisted in a silent scream, but as he lifted it to get a better look at the chains, he could see just how young Olly's brother was.

Now that Ed could get a closer look at the young man, he resembled his sister in everything except gender. His face, round and full of freckles sported the same glowing white eyes and exceptional smile as his hands gripped the cuffs of the chains.

"So, you are the Cleric?" Nole asked as Ed watched the metal melt like water in the Aasimar's hands.

"That's right" Ed said "And you must be Nole. Olly's talked a lot about you."

"Are you two done with the pleasantries?" Olly said as she strung a few poisoned arrows into her quiver "Because we are still in a temple full of people that want to kill us."

"Like they have a chance now that we are all together" Nole joked.

Ed went over to where he had watched Zihu put the Dawnstar back before being knocked into the ground, but as he opened the chest, there was nothing but a few cobwebs.

"Uh oh" Ed said out loud as the siblings turned to him.

"What now?" Nole asked as Ed turned to his companions with hardened stare.

"We have to find the Dawnstar. I thought that they had stored it in here but must have taken it out while I was being thrashed around" Ed said closing the chest with a loud thud.

"Who do you think has it? Hitotee? Or the priests?" Olly said growing concerned with the look in Ed's eyes. She knew the reliquary was important but didn't know how it could be actually used.

"The priests were talking about making me into one of them so I could use it. I bet the priests have taken it to get a closer look. Although if they touch it, Valour will burn them to crisp" Ed said.

"Nole" Olly said getting an idea "Concentrate and see if you can feel out the acolytes. If I try and do it, I might not have enough energy for the fight later."

"I've never really tried that before except with you" Nole said shifting his lanky figure.

"It's easy" Olly said coming up to him, her petite frame small against the young lad who was a near head taller than her but rested her hands on his shoulders as if she were ten feet tall "Just close your eyes, breathe. Look within and concentrate on what you want to find with your divine sense. Picture it as if you were about to reach out and touch it, then the rest will come naturally."