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-----Sol takes the moment provided by Sarah to retrieve his Lathanian blade. He resheathes his shortsword in favour of the longer blade. First giving the party a once over glance, Sol then takes point again and begins to move when Sarah does.
-----The party then continues its forward motion with its strange undead escort in tow. The creepy distant moan of some unearthly wind is heard when no one speaks.
-----Luckily after a few minutes have passed, Shema and Bradley relax and Raven and Romney find they can put them down. The two guards, after showing they have full movement of their bodies, hurriedly assume their positions at the coaxing of the others.
-----Now, just a few yards in front of them, the Dark light shines the brightest. Strangely, the origin of the light does not come from ground level but ten feet up from the forest floor.
-----As they approach, the four adventurers can recognize the Darkening Crystal spinning wraith-like in its evil spindle. It appears to be situated on top of a large outcropping of rock. There is no doubt that to reach it they would have to climb the rocks.
-----Below the Darkening Crystal there is a large cave opening from which a misty reddish light comes. No sound seems to issue forth from the entrance.
-----As everyone surveys what is in front of them, a shocking revelation comes. The light blue color of the magical protection begins to flicker and slowly fade in the dome about them. A feeling of intense cold begins to hover around everyone.
-----Raven turns to Sarah, "We need to get you next to that gem and quick." Raven turns to Sol, "If we worked together, put her on our shoulders so the gem would enter our globe." Raven looks at the fading globe, "Well?"
-----"Fine wi' me." Sol stakes his longsword into the ground, and stands ready to hoist Sarah with Raven's help, up onto their shoulders. "Rinda, can ye watch th' cave, warn us if something comes out? Th' rest o' ye, prepare t'tackle these walking corpses if this dome gives way first. You feel like hell if it does, but if this doesn't work, we'll have no choice."
-----The huntress keeps her eyes on the mouth of the cavern as Raven and Sol lift Sarah onto their shoulders. The four guards face in different directions with their weapons drawn looking for the first sign of trouble from the undead.
-----The flickering blue of the dome rises somewhat with the young mage. Just as it touches the height of the rotating Darkening Crystal the blue fades as the color seems to be absorbed into the deadly light. For a moment, everyone catches their breath as they realize that the magical protection is gone. Sol and Raven especially grimace anticipating the cold deathly grip they had experienced once before.
-----Suddenly, something miraculous occurs. The Darkening Crystal stops spinning. Its purplish demonic light pulses somewhat and fades!
-----As Raven and Sol sets Sarah gently down, they notice the evil Darkness beginning to slowly lift like a nightmarish fog. The dim outline of trees in the distance are seen as the bright sunlight filters through where only a few moments ago it could not.
-----Sickening thuds are heard and as everyone looks, the undead zombies that had followed them, fall limply to the ground. With the sound of breaking glass, the dead Darkening Crystal falls from its spindle and rolling down its rocky perch lands a few feet from the adventurers in front of the cave opening.
-----Not far from the cave opening, everyone notices that a small stream full of dark water runs from off in the distance toward the cave. The water seems to ooze slowly and disappear under the rocky wall beside the opening. There on one side a strange small boat is tied on the nearest bank. The small craft looks as though it could carry three people at a time.
-----In the growing daylight, everyone squints, getting used to the brightness again. Suddenly, a shrill mournful shrieking coming from somewhere deep inside the cave interrupts everyone�s uplifted spirits.
-----Romney and Abram shoot glances at each other as if to ask, �What now?� Bradley�s eyes bulge in the young guard�s head expressing the wear this experience has already had on him.
-----Raven looks towards the cave, "Well, we came to destroy this cult and they�re holed up in that cave." Raven readies his bow, "Well, Sol ready to finish this?"
-----"Only enough space for three people." Sarah muses, glancing at the boat. "That's a problem. Should we just walk, then?"
-----Raven says, "Trust my feet more than a strange boat."
-----"Good point." Sarah says.
-----"I'm ready." Sol answers Raven as he moves over to the gem and picks it up, "Probably shouldn't leave this lying around." He comments as he reaches over and dumps it into his backpack.
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