[i]Althalus[/i]
 
Despite his turned back on Mar, Althalus wasn't completely trusting her. Not in the state she was in. He was ready to move if he heard anything that even vaguely sounded like a tail or a scythe coming at him. At her question, he paused mid-step, beginning to load the crossbow. For a moment he didn't respond, clearly struggling with the answer. Finally he slowly turned around, facing her. Rather than anger there was a sadness, past failures coming back to haunt him. He spoke softly, still loading the crossbow. "Wrong question. If that remnant of a child up there , that creature festering in madness, was Lyn I wouldn't view it as a murder. I wouldn't view it as a killing to save myself or everyone else. I'd view it as a mercy killing. Because that," He gestured upwards with his crossbow, "would not be Lyn. That would be a Naga who had just been shot through the heart. Nothing more than a shell for death and madness. Could I do it easily? No. Would I try every other possible reasonable avenue first? Yes. But those are the wrong questions. The real question is could I live with myself afterwards?"
 
Althalus paused, crossbow finally loaded and ready to fire again. "No. I would go to Djarkel and Eania rulers, and see which paid more for killing the opposing ruler. Then-"
 
"Let yourself be killed..." Mar finished for him. 
 
Althalus nodded, before shaking his head. "But fine. You get your chance to talk to the little bastard. However, if he does anything that looks vaguely like going insane and trying to kill you, I'm putting a bolt through his chest."
 
"Your original intention was to kill me, have Uicle bring me back to life, and kill me again, wasn't it?" Mar stated bluntly as her eyes softened, slightly. Inwardly, she was grateful for this chance and small window to try. 
 
Althalus smirked. "That's only if you do something as stupid as not going through the damn door. Though...this is up there." Sighing, he gestured up the stairs. "Well, lets go. I may have agreed to not kill him on sight, but Grey hasn't."
 
"Right, we're wasting time..." Mar noted while she moved toward the upper levels, a difficult challenge with a tail rather then legs, and with as much speed as she could mustered.