Blank didn't have much time to admire his new friend as the boulder crashed through the trees. Nikki got Blin out of the way, and Sera was far enough back that she wasn't affected much. With his nausea gone, her drew his sword on instinct, closing his fingers gently around the ball of light that seemed to have cured him, and as he got ready for combat, he felt a vague sense of savage loyalty and trust from it. He drew strength from it, allowing the feeling to suffused his body.

"Get back!" He shouted at the others, charging forward to face the direction the stone flew from. He set himself, turning sideways and raising the sword parallel to the ground, and waited. Anything that wanted to get to them had to go through them, and he felt confident they wouldn't find it pleasant.