Parley

The group head back to see Vadel and she is instantly on edge when she sees Take again, but Take responds by raising her hands again placatingly and immediately apologizing.

"I'm sorry about earlier, it was a misunderstanding. I didn't realize the situation. I understand now and I won't make that mistake again," she promises. Vadel stares for a moment.

"Alright, why are you here again? You intend to pass? I still can't let that happen," Vadel states. Malphiel stays back behind the Iralians who are formed up behind Take as Take speaks with Vadel.

"I do want to pass, but I have no intention of fighting you. You know this isn't what Izzy really wants, this isn't good for anyone and you also know that what's behind you can end this," Take suggests and Vadel nods without even thinking and then stops herself.

"I know this isn't right, but... Even if it's for his own good, I won't betray him. He's... The only person who accepted me," she mutters.

"If you really care about him, isn't it more important to help him than to keep him liking you? Isn't that a bit selfish?" Take tries and Vadel for a moment seems to get angry, but then sighs.

"It is... I know it is. I don't want to lose the only person who treats me like a person, but it does hurt. He was convinced what he wanted was sex, that he just wants to fulfill his base urges, but... What we want is the same. We both just want love, in different ways. I want love and acceptance and he wants romantic love, something he will never get on this floor from anyone, but... Well you, perhaps. That's what he's been convinced at least. That the Chosen is his only hope, but he's been... twisted as I said, into believing what he needs from the chosen is sex, not affection and I know that means he'll never actually get that affection," she says and noticeably by now the crossbow is pointed straight down, she hardly seems to notice she's holding it.

"Yeah I already experienced that, but... If we stop this... If we get past you and bring his parents back they can end this and... We want to bring him with us if he'll come. Perhaps he can find something real somewhere else in the Tower... Perhaps you can as well," Take says stepping forward and offering her hand, "I can use the services of a Seamstress and I'm more than happy to have another friend as well," she offers and Vadel stares at the outstretched hand.

"I'm not sure... I don't know if I belong here, but this is my home. The idea of venturing elsewhere is... Scary," she admits and Take smiles.

"Trust me I know. I came from somewhere completely different from here and every place I've been since I've been assaulted, threatened and hurt, it's because of that that I think it's important to gather what friends I can, people who will stand together against the scary and malicious things in this world," Take says and Vadel swallows audibly and then sighs.

"I'll let you pass... He might hate me, but I know you're right... I'll think about coming with you," she decides and steps out of the way with a shuddering breath, the act of defiance clearly emotionally draining to her.

Take thanks her and the group head forward.

In the next chamber they find what was once Magritte's old throne room and beyond it, a massive cave in. Rocks purposely dropped to block off the pit that led to the depths. "We have to clear this?" Take asks in surprise. "There's no way we could get through this..." she adds.

"Good thing we're here I guess," Maple says stepping forward, "Kith..." she says and a soldier with a fanned out blue bird tail approaches and takes out what appear to be explosives, starting to set them up.

"Knowing the Tower, there probably was a more difficult way to get through this, but I imagine some explosives might do the job," Sally suggests and then moves next to Kith, "the structure of the cave is obviously intentionally weakened, we'll need to be careful," she tells her.

The group watch as Sally and Kith work and then Sally and Kith join with the others, "we should probably retreat back a bit," Kith warns. The group retreat back to Vadel.

"What's-" she starts before Kith hits a button and the cave rocks as the explosives go off. Vadel drops to her knees, covering her head as everyone else struggles to stay on their feet.

"I think we might have mistaken the amount of explosives, but we lived," Sally states as the group heads back, Vadel following them, curious to see the result. The obstruction is gone and there is just the empty, ominous pit that leads down to the Deep, but the elevator was indeed cut away, the path is clear, but still impassable.

"What do we do now?" Take asks.

"Sadly, there's little we can do from here, but that explosion might have also alerted the Deep denizens of the change, we can hope that they might be able to reestablish the path. For now, I suppose it's time to go face Izzy again,' Maple suggests.

(Health: 100%

Mana: 100%

Equipment: Kitsune Mask (shattered), black leather dress (Torn), fishnet bodysuit (torn), Silk chest wrap (Shredded), silk panties (punctured), Thick leather armor (-2, shredded reduced to -0 until repaired), Biker's armor (-1), Kusarigama (-3), Ninjato(-3), 3xKunai, 1xSmokebomb, 3xCaltrops, black catsuit, Thick leather armor (-2), Elysium Bow (-5 or -10 against demonic foes), spear of Consumption (-5, 2 consumed),

Inventory: A smooth pretty stone, A blood red whip, Slutty dress, Animate Golem Spellbook, creepy potion, angelic key, winged key, 3 vials of semen, 2xChallenge gears, Barrier Breaker, God's Favour (Halo), 8XAlchemical Ingredients, broken stockade, 8 iron ingots.

Status Effect:

Trauma Rank 1: Costs of all spells doubled for the remainder of the floor. (Caused by rape while under the effect of aphrodisiacs)

Spells known: Cloak (Lvl 1, mastered, Mana Cost: 10%)

Force Lance (Lvl 1, mastered, Cost: 15%)

Fetish: Submission Lvl 1

Oral Lvl 1.

Party: Malphiel

Malphiel Health: 100%

Malphiel Mana: 25%

Malphiel Equipment: Cracked Visor, Chainmail Body Suit (-4), The Horned Helmet, The Crushers (-5), Tormentor's chain (-5, 1 enslaved),.

Malphiel Slave: Era, the bull masked Elf.

Malphiel Spells Known: Angelic Rays (Lvl 1, Mastered, cost: 20%), Heavenly Soothing (Lvl 1, Mastered, cost: 25%), Retribution (Lvl 1, Unmastered, cost: 100%, unusable, triggers automatically at 0% hp if Malphiel has enough Mana to trigger it).

Malphiel Status Effect: Broken Wings. Combat level lowered to Medium, cannot fly.

Touch of Corruption. Maximum Mana and Health set to half of normal. Loses access to God's Light, God's Judgment and Divine Grace.

Addicted to sex. More easily aroused and more willing to engage in all manner of sexual activity regardless of context.

Fourth Floor Gear Challenge: Visit Two Resource points. 2/2 Completed)