Neither magic nor poultice can bring Asif alert again, though, and he remains lying some distance away from the others with a heap of skeletons about him.
The desert sand is warm beneath the body of the sleeping Arab, his body shaded by tall desert palms, his ears soothed by the lapping of waves upon the shore of the oasis. A place of peace, no pain or anxiety, no memory of past or future. Just the present state of nothing. Peace is suddenly disturbed by shouts, a woman's voice crying, men arguing, someone pulling at your clothes trying to wake you. A dreadful smell invading your nostrils. Why? Why? Then the wave of pain cascading down upon you. Pain.... Pain, Aten save me...air...air...I cannot breath! An outrush of bile...gashing from your throat...a scream...is.
Tag moves over to the critically ill Arab. "He looks so peaceful. Perhaps his Aten is cradling him," Tag clears away some of the bones and takes off his cloak, gently placing it under Asif's head.
"Asif, your time is not yet upon you. Come, mio amico, back to the living for you are sorely needed."
Familiar voices clamor for attention. Legs and arms kick wildly in their attempt to bring the body to the surface of the deep waters of the Nile. Kicking free of the constraint of armor, the flaming sphere of Aten can be sees glistening upon the surface above. One more effort and to life shall this Arab return. A loud groan issues from deep in the chest of Asif...a sound which echoes in the confined space.
"Its no good I can't raise him," Tag shakes his head. "Asif this is no time to go dying, do you hear. Rhune is in danger!"
His shouts do not raise the Arab, though, who continues to murmur, but does not regain consciousness.
Ullar and Taglio benefit from Augustus' tender care, but are still quite weak. Surely between the whole group, a ten-year old girl could knock them over with a broom handle.
Ullar, feeling terribly weak just sits, panting against a wall. He feels so tired. "Can we rest here? I'm sooo tired," he asks the group.
"Yes," agrees Forte in a tired voice, "rest would be good."
Kyo nods, "Rest is good, then Kyo help get us out."
Taglio turns to the others. "We have been subject to a different sort of assault from above, Si. Perhaps our winged 'friends' though it is hard to see how they would have lifted such a large rock. Is Rhune here or is she trapped above?"
Xania goes into a long string of curses, "Yes, she is, dammit. I should have killed her! The stupid crazy bitch. She attacked me and accused me of trying to steal Asif from her. I color sprayed her and tied her up. My guess is, she got loose and trapped us here. Kyo is right. She is a demon."
Kyo tries not to look smug, unsuccessfully.
Dakath frowns "Are you talking about Rhune?"
"Yes I am, she just attacked me up there," Xania replies, "that's why I couldn't get down here sooner. Either she found allies and moved that rock to trap us here forever, or she's still laying up there tied up where I left her."
Taglio stares at Xania in absolute astonishment. "But...surely no...si...err...mph." Speechless for once in his life!
"What the hell?" Forte manages to whisper, turning to look at Xania.
"Rhune attacked you? Why would she do that? That's not the Rhune I know. You better not be lying here Xania, but if what you say is true we have a major problem. Could you describe, in detail, what has happened upstairs?" Ullar asks, while frowning seriously.
Xania walks over to Ullar and slaps him as hard as she can. "Why the hell would I make that up?"
The slap looks dangerous, but Ullar is able to ward it off with a raised hand. He stares at her angrily.
"I..,don't..,know," he says, with some pauses between the words, "...for I don't know your motivations," he says, pushing Xania away from him.
"Only that I have helped saved your worthless life once too often," Xania turns her back on Ullar.
The warrior is about to fling at her but in his current condition even Xania could easily beat him. He says nothing, but a mental note has been made.
"Why would Xania lie?" Forte asks Ullar. Despite his question, the warrior is more incredulous over Xania's statements than Ullar's clarification request.
"I don't know Forte, but I know that I'm traveling for a long time now with Rhune and she has never expressed an aggressive behavior before. Xania, on the other hand..." Ullar replies, not finishing the sentence and looking at Xania right now.
"What the hell does that mean?!" asks Forte, his voice rising slightly. "Has she ever hurt one of us? No. And remember that Rhune is a thief. Hardly the noblest, or most honest, of professions."
Kyo starts to add, "And a Demon, don't forget she is a demon," but in one brief glimmering of wisdom he holds his tongue.
"Apparently you have forgotten the several threats she made to me. Now this is the third time she proclaims 'I'm dead to her'. Face it Forte, Xania is just a little kid who gets very upset when she doesn't have it her way."
Dakath looks over distracted from his trap inspection, as he hears Forte's voice rise, "I guess I should be hurt by that last comment," he chuckles despite the situation.
Forte smiles at Dakath, shrugging his shoulders in apology. If only the warrior had marked his social blunders on his sword hilt, he could have quite an impressive design by now.
"Look Ullar, until you see Rhune again, you would be well advised to accept Xania's word as truth," Dakath continues.
"For now I suggest we concentrate on the problem at hand, there is a distinct possibility that we may never see daylight again, so why don't we stop bickering and figure a way out of here."
Xania smiles at Dakath, though her expression is far from cheerful. "I would never judge another merely by their profession. I would hope that people would judge by the lies I have told before to them, none, rather than by the fact they dislike me because I am not what they expect a woman to be--meek and submissive to their will."
Dakath still staring into the darkness below says without looking up, "I like you just the way you are."
"Since we're all stuck together here you might advise your girlfriend to adjust her attitude as well. We don't know what we'll encounter here and I rather not have someone covering my back who treats me as if I'm dead."
Ullar folds his arms for his body. Although he is hurt physically he seems pretty much convinced of himself.
Dakath looks over at Ullar and then once at Xania, genuine amusement on his face. He turns back to Ullar, "You know as well as I do, that If I did do that, not that I want to, she wouldn't listen. I hold no sway over her."
He looks back down the hole, "Anyway, I'm the one more adept at back-stabbing, it comes with practice."
Trying to keep his face straight at Dakath's reply, Ullar can't resist to smile...a little.
Kyo looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Sneaky sneaky. Not nice to stick somebody in spine with nasty pointies."
Xania speaks softly, "When I say dead to me, I mean that I shall attempt not to listen to his accusations and threats, as it is pointless for me to argue with something that only believes ill of me. While I will not attempt to harm or attack this person in any way, neither will I help the person, by dragging their body out of the way of combat, bandaging, spell use, or in any other way. I refuse to continue to help someone that has never had anything but ill to say of me."
She does not appear to be addressing anyone but the air, and her eyes remain fixed on what Dakath is doing. Yet, it is clear, she is explaining something to Ullar.
Dakath decides to let that go and turns his attention to the ladder.
"Nag...nag...nag," is Ullar's dry comment. "Grow up Xania, and stop feeling sorry for yourself."
Xania continues to ignore Ullar and his idiocy.
"Anyway, I agree with Dakath not to discuss this now and just continue to get us out of here. Then Rhune can tell us what has happened according to her view."
Ullar, now looking towards Xania, although realizing that with her pride his attempt will be feeble, continues to speak:
"Xania, I never called you a liar, a merely remarked that it better not be a lie. I know you're not talking to me, but perhaps you could try to explain or tell what has happened before judging me again."
Ullar hopes that Xania can't resist to respond on this one, since he knows he judged her as well right away.
Xania ignores Ullar, as if she does not hear him speaking.
Xania looks over at Forte. "So, you disbelieve me also."
"NO!" shouts Forte. He spends a few seconds breathing deeply to calm himself down. "I asked Ullar why you would lie. Didn't make sense to me. And neither does Rhune attacking you. Think maybe whatever 'got' Marika 'got' Rhune as well? Affected her brain somehow?"
Xania glares at Forte. "I could hear your tone, Forte. Don't act like I shouldn't question your belief."
"It made no sense to me either. Especially for her to think I was trying to steal Asif from her," Xania wrinkles her brow. "Asif of all people," she shakes her head.
Forte can't help but laugh as Xania shakes her head. "You? And Asif?" He pauses a second before adding, "Something must have definitely affected her brain!" He looks quickly to Asif, hoping the Arab is still unconscious and could not have taken offense at his last statement.
She speaks to Dakath, "And you, do you think I somehow attacked Rhune and made up this 'story' about how she attacked me?"
Dakath smiles at her, "If you say she attacked you I have no reason to doubt you." He turns to the rest of the group as the accusations begin to fly. "Xania has had ample time to kill Rhune throughout this journey, it doesn't make sense for her to do that."
He draws his sword and moves to Xania's side, "Now's not the time to debate this point, we need to get out of here." He walks to the ladder a frown on his face.
'Why did Rhune attack Xania?' he thinks to himself.
"I have never attacked anyone in this group with other than words, until now," Xania speaks to Forte, ignoring Ullar.
Forte nods in agreement, remembering also how often Xania's spells have helped the group.
"In particular, I have never had any problem with Rhune, that I know of. Knowing how you all feel about her, it would be stupid for me to make up something about her in this way. Just as it was likely stupid for me to do something that would not harm her, so I could try to find out what was causing her to act in this way, even though it might cost some of you your lives as she kept me from trying to help you," Xania continues.
"It is only typical of some in this group that when I have been attacked, they refuse to believe me, despite the fact that I have only acted to help them, sometimes to my own personal danger. From now on, Ullar is dead to me. I will not speak to him. I will not aid him. If Rhune had caused him to have been killed, I would have been sorry. I know now that this is foolish."
"The facts are:
"Rhune attacked me, without warning and without provocation. I had to waste a spell to stop her, without trying to hurt her."
"If you saved your own life, you certainly did not WASTE a spell," comments Forte.
Xania frowns, "You know what I mean--I should never have to defend myself from my companions, other than verbally. I have done nothing to Rhune to warrant such an attack. She easily could have killed me, as she struck from behind."
Forte's eyes go wide at this news.
"You all may choose to believe me or not--accuse me of making this up for no reason or not. But know this, when have I acted in a way to deliberately put the group in danger. And, when have I not done all I can, despite my own personal fears, to aid you. I know my tongue is sharp. I keep it that way since I do not have the strength of arms or stealth at arms nor the favor of gods, if they exist, to do my bidding.
"However, when I have risked my life to help you, been trapped with you as a result, and then try to tell you what happened, do not call me liar. Look how she has fooled you all. Too bad she had not killed me so that she could keep up her web of insane lies."
"I don't think she fooled us. I think something else changed HER," Forte pauses, shaking his head slightly and staring off into space before adding, "...something bad."
"Maybe her demon self came out being around so much demon magic," Kyo adds helpfully.
Ullar sighs at Kyo's remark. "Perhaps the demon in her transferred..."
"Nah...never mind..."
Forte roll his eyes while looking at Kyo. "Rhune is not a demon," But, with sudden uncertainty washing over his brain, he adds, "At least, she didn't used to be......"
Kyo just has a look in his eye that seems to say, "If you say so, but I ain't buyin' it."
"Yes, and now we have no way to determine that--unless we can get out of here. And, consider this. I am not known as a stupid woman. Wouldn't I have made up a much better story than this one?" Xania concludes.
"Yes," agrees Forte, smiling.
Xania relays the events that happened with Rhune to the best of her knowledge, keeping her back to Ullar as if he is not present.
Ullar looks at Xania with disgust. The warrior simply can't believe what has happened. Why would the caring Rhune attack the bitchy Xania? Unless some outside sources are in play here, he thinks that there is something else to this story. However, as he and Xania are no longer at speaking terms, and the rest of the group seem to accept Xania's story, he keeps quiet.
Kyo nods solemnly. "Kyo believes you. Kyo knows the truth about dirty sneaky Demons."
"Oh! what a terrible story. No Xania I know you would not make that up. You poor thing, do not worry, I would never betray you so, even if we do not see eye to eye sometimes. Why you and Rhune were friends, Si. What could have come over her? Perhaps she has been put under an evil enchantment, Si? Would your magic tell you if it was so?"
Tag tries to place a comforting hand on the shoulder of the obviously distressed Xania.
Xania shrugs it off. "That is what I thought, which is why I did not kill her for attacking me, but merely stunned her and left her--thinking we could all get back to her quickly. Now it seems my trying not to kill her left her helpless above us."
"Despite what some might think, Taglio, I would not leave one of us alone to die or be captured. Nor would I lie in a situation such as this when all are in danger."
Ullar smirks, but keeps quiet. His pride is playing a major part in this situation though, which is something very important to him.