The sound of the rusted padlock being dashed to pieces under Spire's piece of mortar pulled Montana from what only could be called a deep meditative state. His consciousness surfaced from the trenches of his unconscious mind, and all at once, he was fully aware. 

Montana didn't dwell on the circumstances of his imprisonment for a moment. Not a thought for the Bard, the Knight Commander, or their ill fated alliance. He had mused enough before the lingering stasis set in. 

Dwelling on the past would have kept him in the box for longer. 

He placed his palm on the rusted metal, and with a small amount of force, he pushed the door open, and outwards, breaching the veil between he, and the choked sun that hung over the Ashland clouds. Montana sat upright immediately, without the assistance of his hands or elbows. His face turned upward toward the sky, and for a few clicks, he just sat there, not saying anything at all. 

"You have my thanks." Their intentions at the moment were irrelevant to his gratitude. They did what would have taken the elements months to accomplish. 

The boy in the Argyle drew his attention first. His hand was obscured, but obviously nestled on the hilt of some weapon. The position of his arm, and demeanor were clear indicators. He looked well fed. Groomed. A hand on a weapon was a courtesy among ashlanders. It was the reproachful way he held himself that caught the shadow of Montana's interest. 

The second one, he who destroyed the lock, was different. He seemed eager.  

Montana turned to look at him finally. He had the eyes of a predatory animal. They held the cool confidence of a belief system that held no doubts that the prey would be vanquished. 

His own coal blacks were different. He held the look of a great and ancient wurm. One that had watched it's treasure be taken over the decades by clever thieves it no longer cared to stop.

The man stood, ending an inch or two below Spire's height. Slowly, he started to brush himself free of debris. 

[color=708090]"With whom have I had the pleasure of thanking?"[/color]