You spin around in time to see the dakhol easily lift Cai's limp body -- armor, shield, and all -- over its shoulder and begin to run back into the tunnel at a surprisingly fast pace. "Cai!!!" Llwyd screams, scrambling to his feet. His voice sounds like you imagine yours would if it were Brighid being carried off into the darkness. Llwyd runs over to the burning dakhol and pulls his lance free from its body with a savage yank, then wheels and makes to charge off into the tunnel after the dakhol. Thankfully, Ceirios shouts a command to her golem, which heaves itself into the Cataphract's path and grabs him with its good arm as he tries to run around. "No! Please, she's still alive, I know she's still alive, I have to go save her, please, you have to let me go!" He struggles against the the golem, but Ceirios refuses to rescind her command.
"You are still too badly hurt. You could not fight against one of the dakhols with a shield, how do you think you are going to rescue her without one? I am sure that Aidan intends to follow that thing and retrieve Cai, but charging off alone will just get you killed or captured! Now stop being an idiot and let me finish healing your arm!" Ceirios snaps at him, and he struggles for another second, then sags against the golem's arm and sinks to the road.
"Ceirios is right, we need to heal up before we head in there. Who knows what kind of ambush the Taig has planned? I truly, truly understand what you are feeling, Llwyd, but you know we can't just chase after it. It took Cai for a reason, it would have been able to retreat faster without her no matter how strong it is. They need her for something and as evil as this thing is, I don't believe it practices Sanguimancy." You take a moment to collect and stow your Sun-ray Spear as you try to reassure Llwyd, then check and dismiss the experience prompts.
Aidan Lostlorn's party has earned 61,975 experience for killing 31 Manikins, 1 Dakhol Brute, and 1 Enhanced Human Chosen Manikin.
You have earned an additional 103 experience from Stolen Destiny.
There are other prompts waiting to be viewed, but you do not have time to deal with analyzing Skill increases and so on right now. All three melee fighters are pretty banged up, so you cast Pulse of Life while Ceirios finishes healing Llwyd's arm. The healing energy pours out of you in golden waves, quickly healing the minor injuries on Brighid and recovering most of Ysbail and Llwyd's lost Health, save only for their actual Wounds. Ysbail's Wound looks to be fairly minor, judging from her Health bar on your party screen, so you pull out a soothebalm leaf and cast Patch Wounds on her as well. By the time you are done with both rituals, Ceirios has finished her much longer ritual. Llwyd grunts and grits his teeth to stave off a scream of pain as golden energy coalesces around his left arm. The light sinks through his armor and you can see his arm straighten as the bones snap back into place. In a matter of moments, Llwyd's arm is functional again and the chunk of dark red on his Health bar fills up with the normal bright red. Unfortunately, his shield is still ruined, and he pulls it off and throws it aside in disgust.
"Alright, I am healed now. Let us be going -- even if you ignore Cai's plight, we have no time to waste. Fionn and the others are still fighting and dying." He growls out and begins to walk into the tunnel. You nod to the others and call out a new formation.
"Ysbail, join Llwyd at the front, Brighid, take the rear. No side guards, we only pass three or four side tunnels on the way, and I am pretty sure there aren't any additional ambushes waiting for us inside. The dakhols were the strongest things I saw the first time through, and if it had more chaff available it would have thrown them at us at the entrance to the tunnel. We're going to go straight up the tunnel to the vine chamber, I am certain that is where the dakhol is going and it is our goal anyway. Once we get there, be prepared for a fight even worse than this. I will try to burn the vines as best I can, but I don't know if the Taig has managed to protect them from fire like he did the manikin it used to talk to us."
The five of you, plus two summoned monsters and one familiar, walk into the tunnel, thoughts grim. Llwyd may believe -- may need to believe -- that Cai is still alive, but the you saw how her armor was staved in across her equine back. If she is still alive, her rear legs will be paralyzed for the rest of her life, barring healing magic far beyond your current skill. You were no doctor back on Earth, but you're pretty sure you know a badly broken back when you see one, and here in the Realms you can see her Health bar in your party interface.
There is no sign of the bright red of remaining Health on it.
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