Use charm and intimidation (shadowheart approves)

You step forward, raising your hands in a placating gesture. “Wait,” you say to the tieflings. “We know her. She’s… well, she’s not exactly friendly, but she’s not your enemy. Not right now, anyway.”

The tiefling woman hesitates, her grip on her weapon tightening. “And why should we trust you?”

Before you can respond, Shadowheart interjects. “Because if you don’t, you’ll have more than just her to deal with.” Her tone is calm but firm, and the tieflings exchange uneasy glances.

Finally, the woman relents. “Fine. But if she causes any trouble, it’s on your heads.”

The tieflings lower their weapons and step back, allowing you to approach the cage. Lae’zel glares at you, her lips curled in a sneer. “About time you showed up. Now get me out of this infernal contraption!”

You work quickly to free her, your fingers fumbling with the lock. As you do, you can’t resist a little teasing. “You know, for someone who’s always talking about strength and honor, you sure end up in a lot of cages.”

Lae’zel’s eyes narrow, and for a moment, you think she might strangle you the second she’s free. But then she smirks, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “And for someone who’s always talking, you’re surprisingly useful. Don’t let it go to your head, istik.”

Once she’s free, Lae’zel brushes herself off and turns to Shadowheart. “You,” she says, her tone accusatory. “What are you doing here?”

Shadowheart meets her gaze evenly. “Saving your life, apparently. You’re welcome.”

Lae’zel snorts but doesn’t argue. Instead, she turns to you. “We need to move. The longer we stay here, the greater the risk of ceremorphosis. We must find a creche—my people will know how to remove these parasites.”

Shadowheart shakes her head. “Your people would sooner kill us than help us. We need to find another way.”

Lae’zel steps closer, her voice low and dangerous. “You doubt the githyanki? You would trust your fate to these… primitives?”

Before the argument can escalate, you step between them. “Enough. We’re all in the same mess. Arguing won’t help us survive.”

For a moment, neither of them speaks. Then Shadowheart sighs. “He’s right. For now, we need to work together. But don’t think for a second that I trust you, gith.”

Lae’zel smirks. “The feeling is mutual, half-elf.”

You suppress a groan. This is going to be a long journey.

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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