"We need to get to work," his brother said, but before Masef could respond, Loden came in. There was a reunion, but it was nervous. The whole time Masef was watching sideways out a window. 

[i]"It is so great to see you boys again! Wow, what a night this had turned into!"[/i]

"It's turning into something else," Masef noted from his position. He'd kept back from the window, letting the room's dim interior conceal while he watched out. It wasn't perfect camouflage, so he stayed as still as possible. He didn't want to take a crossbow bolt.

Masef indicated with a thrust of his jaw toward the window. "Do we stand and fight? Do we lure them away from the village?" There were advantages to either plan, of course, but the decision had to be made quickly, or the enemy would be upon them. Clearly someone in town noted the arrivals, overheard something and reported it along. It was hard to figure out who might have spoken the word, but it was not hard to believe that it could happen.

They had a momentary notice, a respite that gave them time to decide on a course of action quickly, but the time was like sand in a glass, ebbing quickly. Still, the evil old warlock was snarling away in the recesses of his mind, demanding fire, demanding punishment. It was a war of wills to keep the impulse to burn these swaggering scoundrels. He wasn't even sure such a power existed within him or there'd be any of Masef left once Qazar was done swallowing up his soul as grist for the mills of a magical firestorm.

[i]SHUT UP[/i]

His jaw tensed, his teeth ground as he brought himself back from a brink, "We can start the war right here or we can start the war on a ground of our choosing, but we need to start it."


[@R31GN][@Naril][@Gunther][@AirBender][@HeySeuss][@NickTrano][@flagg]