[center][B]First Blow Maher Adonai[/B][/center] --- Maher had spent much of the voyage in quiet contemplation below decks when he wasn't speaking with his sister, verbally at least. Questions and comments seemed to pass between them on a near hourly basis through their link at times occasionally just a comment of what the other saw or a trivial detail about one thing or another that crossed one of their minds. since discovering that the both of them had joined the Queens Blades those little micro-conversations had increased in frequency compared to the years they had been apart, it was almost like it was when they had been travelling together again. She still scoffed at his faith of course but then he couldn't say he was entirely comfortable with her practise of blood magic either, the first few times she had used it after the two of them had found their separate ways to Renalta had been disconcerting, while she had been learning the craft in southblood he had felt nothing as the distance had been too great between them. With their close proximity in the Blades he felt it every time she opened her veins. It had been a shock the first few times it happened to say the least. After they had departed again on separate ships Maher had assisted the crew with the vessel a few times to keep himself busy, while he had never been a sailor one did not grow up in teluria without learning at least some of the basics, it helped that his father had taken the twins out in a sloop occasionally to practise water magic on the ocean. He had watched the gambler occasionally though he had turned down his offers to gamble. the woman had interested him a little, though she was a little ostentatious with her faith for Mahers taste, almost flaunting it as she did. Mahers own faith in Merlin was firm, but he was more than aware of the dislike the gods fostered in Renalta and other parts of the world and so he had kept a little more quiet about his beliefs over the years, why antagonise people that did not want to hear it after all. As the fog thickened and the 4 of them were rowed to shore Maher couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive, and being in such close proximity to Erasmus, the antimage as Maher had heard him called... that was only part of the cause of his apprehension. He had been to the edge of the blighted lands before it had never that he'd seen been like this while there had been a few undead here and there the black roots in abundance had been absent and from all reports there was an abundance of undead near to this cathedral as well. And the liche of course. Checking the straps on his shield Maher tracked the conversation of the others, he didn't particular want to skick close to Erasmus, but he sumised that losing one another in this unnatural fog would be paramount to suicide. So he kept close despite how it made him feel, he could always use his blade and he suspected the anti-magic techniques the Templars had taught him would still work if it came down to it. "Then lets not waste anymore time talking about it shall we." he said after the others proposed and agreed that getting to their contact quickly was the best option. "I do suggest an air of caution however, we start running blindly through this fog and there..." He trailed off as a thought occurred to him. Fog was moisture, water in a gaseous form, even if this fag was magically created it should still bend to his will if he could work his magic, he hoped. He walked ahead of the group for a moment and feeling Erasmus's unnatural effect lessen and finally drop off entirely a few meters from the man. summoning his power Maher used his magic in an attempt to clear a path through the fog by 'moving' it to either side of their way.