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[indent][indent][indent][color=gray][sub][right][color=92278f][b]Location:[/b][/color] The Dungeon -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria[/right][/sub][/color]
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It was over.

It didn’t feel like it was over, and in all honesty, expecting the boss’s death to mean the dungeon was done trying to murder them seemed outright silly considering things were all around generally [i]fricked[/i] right now. Who was to say for certain the glitch hadn’t just stuffed the place full of giant rock demons? Who was to say there wasn’t another small army of gnolls or goblins waiting for them at the exit? Who was to say there was even an exit at all?

Only one way to find out, she supposed. 

The dust was settling, and Seele felt a withering inside her at the thought of what came next. This was usually her favorite part of every dungeon. The boss was dead, the party would gather and gradually log out or leave, and Seele would wait until she was the only one left, in case any of her team had questions about the encounters, or strategies, or simply wanted to talk. She’d loved the talking. Many hours had been spent just sitting around the boss rooms, swapping stories and making friends until the server would boot them out to reset the instance. There wouldn’t be any of that today. There might not be any of that ever again.

People were injured, but most, she gleaned, were merely exhausted. There wasn’t much she could do for either aside from offer kind words and smiles. Those would come, but later, once they were out and at least safer than they were right now. She’d make them dinner, it would be bad. In a few days, or weeks, someone might even smile and mean it again. For now, they still had work to do. 
[color=#2E2C2C][i]It's...cold...[/i][/color]
Seele thought of the dead. 

On her way towards the room’s entrance, Seele tossed Rael the Amulet of Adala with a grateful nod. It had been useful in the in-betweens, but she was all too glad to separate herself from the playstyle an artifact like that would engender. If having more reserves to help the others meant taking a little risk, she’d take a little risk. The lot of them had done such a phenomenal job protecting her and Kazuki anyway; she almost felt guilty for how little injury she’d sustained, but she wouldn’t spurn the effort her new friends had shown. She was so proud of them all.

Finally, Seele came to stand before the body of a man she did not know, and would now never know. Enos's eyes were wide, empty. Shock had softened the pain from his face, left him looking tired and, she thought, worried. She felt the urge to console him anyway, to tell his body that the fight was over, in the hopes that his spirit would rest easy. But she knew better. Instead, she closed his eyes, and noticed his hands were clutched in a death-grip. Gently as she could, she pulled his fingers open to reveal the copper key inside. An artifact? Or just a keepsake? She pocketed the little curio and made a note to hand it over to one of the remaining members of his guild once…once all this was done. 

With a flick, Seele buffed her own strength and pulled Enos off of the stalagmite. It was hardly necessary. He was a healer, and thus already predisposed to lighter garments, but besides that he was also just [i]light[/i]. Lighter, in fact, than someone his size ought to have been. His skin was too pale for how soon-ago he’d passed, almost to the point of [i]exsanguination[/i]. Indeed, as she carried his body back into the room, there seemed to be hardly any blood left to stain her with. She put the unsettling implications of his condition aside. She’d still need a wash. 

With as much care as she could, Seele set Enos’s body down by Aaginim, she hoped with enough space to be considerate. Another of their group was missing, but she guessed their body was either too far back to retrieve now, or was in too poor of condition. Someone would say a prayer for them later, and at the very least, Aaginim and Enos could be buried with some ceremony. 

She noticed Kazuki then for what felt like the first time since the battle had started. Luci had him by the arms with a grip like Enos, and the look in her eyes…[color=#2E2C2C][i]You are sinking.[/i][/color]

Quietly, she came over to them and placed a hand on the healer’s shoulder. [color=92278f]“Kazuki, sweetheart, we should…help the others.”[/color][/indent][/indent][/indent]