Use (Lae'zel approves)

The tension in the clearing is palpable. The tieflings grip their weapons tightly, their eyes darting between you, Shadowheart, and the furious githyanki trapped in the cage. Lae’zel’s golden eyes burn with rage, and her voice is a low, dangerous growl. “Release me, or I swear I will make you regret it.”

The lead tiefling, the tall woman with crimson skin, steps forward again. “I told you to stay back! This creature is dangerous. She attacked us without provocation!”

You exchange a glance with Shadowheart. She raises an eyebrow, her expression cool and calculating. “Well?” she says quietly. “What’s your plan, hero?”

You take a deep breath, your mind racing. Diplomacy might have worked, but the tieflings are clearly on edge, and Lae’zel isn’t exactly helping the situation. Sometimes, **** is the only language people understand.

“We don’t have time for this,” you mutter. Then, louder, you address the tieflings. “Last chance. Let her go, or we’ll take her by ****.”

The tiefling woman’s eyes widen in surprise, but she quickly recovers, her grip tightening on her weapon. “You’re making a mistake,” she warns. “This isn’t your fight.”

“It is now,” you say, and before she can react, you move.

You lunge forward, your hand closing around the hilt of a broken sword you’d picked up earlier. Shadowheart is right behind you, her dagger gleaming in the firelight. The tieflings shout in alarm, raising their weapons to defend themselves, but they’re too slow.

You swing the sword in a wide arc, forcing the tieflings to scatter. Shadowheart darts past you, her movements swift and precise. She disarms one of the tieflings with a quick strike, sending their weapon clattering to the ground. Another tiefling lunges at her, but she sidesteps effortlessly, her dagger flashing as she disables them with a non-lethal blow.

Meanwhile, you focus on the cage. The lock is sturdy, but a well-placed strike from your sword shatters it. Lae’zel wastes no time. The moment the door swings open, she bursts out, her bound hands already working to free herself. She snatches a fallen weapon from the ground and turns on the tieflings, her expression fierce.

“You dare cage me?” she snarls, her voice dripping with venom. “You will pay for this insult!”

“Lae’zel, enough!” you shout, stepping between her and the tieflings. “We don’t have time for this. We need to go.”

For a moment, it looks like she might ignore you. But then she hesitates, her eyes narrowing as she considers your words. Finally, she lowers the weapon, though her glare doesn’t soften. “This isn’t over,” she says to the tieflings. “But for now, I have more pressing matters.”

The tieflings, now disarmed and outmatched, retreat into the shadows, their expressions a mix of fear and anger. You don’t have time to worry about them. The sound of more intellect devourers—or worse—could draw attention at any moment.

Shadowheart steps up beside you, her dagger still in hand. “That was… reckless,” she says, though there’s a hint of admiration in her tone. “But effective.”

Lae’zel snorts, brushing herself off. “Reckless or not, it got the job done. Now, if you’re quite finished, we need to move. The longer we stay here, the greater the risk of ceremorphosis.”

You nod, your gaze sweeping the clearing. “Agreed. But we’re not out of the woods yet. We need to find shelter—and fast.”

Shadowheart glances at you, her expression thoughtful. “There’s a temple not far from here. It’s old, but it might offer some protection. And who knows? We might even find answers there.”

Lae’zel crosses her arms, her tone skeptical. “A temple? What good will that do us?”

“It’s better than standing around here arguing,” Shadowheart shoots back. “Unless you have a better idea?”

Lae’zel glares at her but says nothing. You step between them again, holding up your hands. “Enough. We’ll check out the temple. If it’s a dead end, we’ll figure something else out. But for now, we stick together.”

The two women exchange a look, but neither argues. Together, the three of you move out, leaving the wreckage and the tieflings behind. The road ahead is uncertain, but one thing is clear: you’re stronger together than apart.

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