Rhune stands by the hole. Apparently Marika is waiting for the party to continue on. She remains quiet and simply watches the party.... She notes that Asif is still lying on the ground apparently unconscious. She fidgets for a few minutes, torn between wanting to go down to him and remaining here till the party goes down.
Marika sees Rhune's eyes and motions for her to step away from the hole. Speaking quickly in elvish, which Rhune has never heard Marika speak in, she says, "I can provide for your love's health, providing you are able to convince him that he must help us. I remain confident that the guardians below will dispatch the group, but all the help we can muster would be appreciated. Can you convince him to turn against the others? For you?" She frowns, "If not, I will make sure that he pays the ultimate price for his betrayal. Perhaps it would be best if you left him to sleep. A knife across the throat in his sleep would be far better than the fate he will suffer if he turns against me." She seems deadly serious.
Rhune looks at Marika. In her state she does not realize that this Marika is very different from the Marika she knew and called friend. "I can try... I think I can get him to help us... please let me try.... I don't want him to die," she utters not quite sure how she is going to convince Asif to help her and not the others.
Marika says quietly, "Just be sure that you do, because if he raises any type of alarm, I will be sure it's the last thing he ever does." As she says this she moves to the ladder, where the group from there has apparently vacated, after some moving about and making quite a bit of noise.
Rhune can see that Augustus is there with Dakath and Asif, both unconscious, though only Asif looks injured. Augustus definitely does not see her, however. Marika motions toward him, and he falls to the ground next to the other two. "Now speak with your bearded barbarian. We haven't much time. Even now they are about to engage the guardians!" She then pulls forth a tiny crystal vial and sets it to Asif's lips. His eyes blink momentarily as Marika fades into the background.
Going to Asif and sitting down next to him his head on her lap, "Asif, my love, listen to me. We do not have much time. I need your help.... The others, something has happened to them. I think something happened on the way here. They have changed.... Yes I know it may be hard to believe but it is true.... When we can came down here I was the last one on the ladder. I wasn't sure as to what to do when the skeletons came to life. Xania wanted to go back up the ladder. When I started to you had started to fight. I was going to come and help you but she made me go back up and then when you fell, she wouldn't let me come back down to help you. She even tied me up. And now they have left you, Dakath and Augustus here unconscious.... Please help me against them. Please, Asif," she whispers to him in a plaintive voice.
Asif wakes to Rhune's urgings, but almost seconds afterward, before he is able to formulate a reply or shake the cobwebs from his mind, he hears some commotion coming from nearby.
Asif gasps for air as if in a dream his head breaks the surface of the water. His eyes and mind fights for clarity as he sees the face of Rhune above him. Weakly he smiles, remembering the face. Through parched lips he speaks in Arabic:
"Tell me my love what ails thee. You speak in riddles and by Aten my head hurts and I remember little of where I am and why!"
Shaking Asif lightly, "Please, my love.... you need to decide and quickly.... Will you help me against the others? Please.... come with me and help," she utters hastily and softly.
Seeing the commotion breaking around him, he fights through the pain barrier of his words to stagger to his feet.
Looking up at Marika, (still not realizing) Rhune smiles happily, "Oh thank you my friend," hugging Asif to her. Then, looking down at Asif, "There is no time explain, love.... Just come with us and then all will be revealed," she urges in Arabic. As he staggers to his feet, Rhune helps him up and places an arm around his waist, "Lean on me for a moment," she whispers.
As she speaks to Asif, suddenly Rhune hears the voices from down the ladder approaching again, particularly the hated Xania. At the same time, she hears Marika, "Damn!" followed by a hasty incantation in elvish. Xania's head pops up and looks directly at Rhune, still urging Asif to help, then she falls back into the hole with a thud. Dakath then rises up into the air by himself, still quite asleep, and falls into the hole after them. Seconds afterward, a metal plate slams closed over the hole.
Marika speaks to Rhune in elvish, though Rhune cannot see where the voice is coming from, "Come, either he comes along or he dies. He must decide now!" Rhune and Asif see Brother Augustus rising up into the air through the hole to the first level. Marika continues in elvish, "Without their priest, they are dead below. Either that or they become servants to the higher cause. Either way, we have won!" The voice ceases.
Recognizing the language of his beloved, and Rhune now strangely missing from his sight, Asif fights for the right words before challenging aloud in stilted elvish:
"Who calls to us in the language of the elfs. Show yourself friend and may we share bread and salt. My heart has been given to one of your kind and Harm bring we not to you."
Asif is delighted to see the face of Marika come close. She has a smile on her face and seems happy to see him as well. "I remember well your manners, Asif al Mansour of Egypt. I am pleased to see that you and Rhune have found each other, and had some inkling of it before I departed."
"Ah by Aten, I indeed remember your kind face Marika. Much water has passed beneath the feet of this weary traveler since last we shared bread. I hope the gods have smiled upon you. My head hurts much efendi, and by Aten I am only new to this tongue of the old ones of your land. As Rhune has been a great gift to my heart, so has her tongue been a gift of great wisdom and knowledge to my mind."
She looks thoughtful and pleased for a moment, "There is no time to have a reunion, though. Your friends below have been witched most mightily by that which dwells within this island. I sent the pixies out to stop you all from coming because of the effect this island has on humans. All of your companions are now quite dangerous, as your beloved has already told you. I do not know why you were not affected by this. Perhaps your love for one of the elf-kind has kept you warded. In any case, I have sealed them away underground so they cannot harm anyone. There is nothing below that could cause them harm. Come above ground with us so that we may discuss their salvation." She fairly beams with happiness.
Asif scans the surroundings and noticing the dream like trance of Brother Augustus, reaches the conclusion that some form of Heka is at work. He calls to Brother Augustus and limps swiftly over to his side to stop his progress. Asif grabs the shoulder of Augustus and yanks him back from the ladder. He yells in Italian into his face.
"Hold Holy Man, you wish not to leave your friends. Concentrate efendi, see the face of your deity and shake your mind clear of this web which entangles your mind. I entreat you. Wake up.... Wake up...."
Marika speaks to Asif, calmly putting her hand on his shoulder, "That is my doing, Asif. He is under the thrall of the same demons as the rest of your group. However, I need his help to provide a cure. He shares my talent for divine inspiration, and if I can rid him of the possession, together I am sure that we can cure the whole group without any further injury to any of us."
In any case, Asif can do nothing as Auggie's body floats upward onto the first level.
Turning toward Rhune, Marika speaks briefly in elvish. As the cobwebs have cleared from Asif's mind, he understands the elven speech much better coming from the other side of the room. "That is how you persuade someone, girl. I'll still cut his throat in an eyeblink, but he may prove useful in the meantime. Tell him to get moving."
Rhune just looks at Marika for a moment, "Asif, come, let us go with Marika. We can find out how to help the others see the truth and then things will be as they once were." She murmurs in Arabic holding her arms out to him.
Asif answers in Italian, "I listen well to your words efendi, for the friend that you once were to a helpless traveler who knew little of this land. As Rhune seems to trust you, then so shall I. But by Aten I warn thee, hurt my friends and Aten will give me the strength of many lions and the cost for their suffering will be paid ten fold by you. This I swear as a son of Aten, who bears the arms of a defender of the faith."
Marika shrugs, "As it should be. Your loyalty to your comrades is just as I remember."
Asif looks deeply upon the face of Marika, his eyes fiercely determined. He then speaks in halting elvish, his voice softer in tone. "Show us the path then, wise women, my mother was a great teacher and I argue not with one who is blessed with the power of heka."
Marika motions toward the ladder and climbs it slowly.
Asif, his swords sheathed, limps after the departing Rhune and Marika, making heavy progress up the steep ladder, his balance not so good with his injuries.
Once you reach the top Asif and Rhune see the great boulder that has been put in front of the chamber's exit to the outside. Marika grins and walks right through it, as if it was not there at all.
Immediately upon exiting, Asif feels a sharp prick in his left leg. Looking down, he sees a tiny arrow protruding from it. It is the last thing he sees before fading into unconsciousness.
Rhune sees Asif fall again, "Hey, Marika. What is this? What has happened?" she exclaims as she kneels down next to him looking him over and trying to see what has caused it.
As Asif's body hits the ground, Marika looks at Rhune with some venom, "I do not take threats lightly, Morthaine. That bearded fool is lucky that I may have some use of him in the future. For now, I am done with him. I suspected he would not help us, and indeed I was correct." She gestures towards Asif, "Do you see?"
Rhune kneels beside Asif and checks him over. She looks up at Marika.
Immediately alongside Asif's neck, Rhune sees one of the nasty little pixies with a dagger-sized longsword pointed at his throat. "If anything goes wrong, or you are not IMMENSELY helpful in the coming hours, know that your love will perish before you do, and on this island, his gods have no sway. He will be trapped in elvish limbo forever, which if you know anything about him, would be quite a nasty fate for him to suffer."
Her tone calms somewhat, "However, if you do what I tell you, exactly what I tell you, then your love will live, and in time will come to see things as we do." She appears about to continue when she is disturbed by something. Concentrating, Rhune can make out elvish words appearing somewhere near her ear in a very high-pitched tone, clearly meant only for Marika.
"Things have not gone well down there, mistress. The humans have destroyed one guardian and sent the other one flying into the mirror through some magic. What do we do now?" Marika responds in the same high-pitched tone, though more subtly, and Rhune is unable to make out the words. She then turns to Rhune.
"It seems your companions are more resourceful than I gave them credit for. Come with me." She looks toward Asif, "And remember, one slip is all it will take. He will die in an instant if you fail me." Walking through the great illusionary boulder again, she keeps speaking to Rhune, "I need you to do three things. First, you must make sure that the mirror is safe. That is more important than anything. If one of your people has it, take it from him. If not, be sure that no one damages it. Second, I need you to kill the magic-users among them. First your friend Xania, then the little one that managed to frighten away one of the guardians. Third, if necessary, to escape, you should leap into the mirror. That will provide your salvation. Do you understand?"
Once Rhune responds, Marika leads her down to the second level, just near the metal plate. "Your companions cannot see you. Take advantage of that to accomplish your objectives. Understood?" She waits for Rhune's response.
"Yes I understand.... I will try to do as you say." She looks over at Asif. Then using all her thiefly abilities makes her way down the ladder. Once down she moves away from the ladder to the wall. She takes stock of where everyone is and sees who has the mirror....