[center][h2][color=darkorange]Ryder Drake[/color][/h2][/center][hr]
Ryder did not foresee the dagger wielder leaping to the staff guy's defense and was rather taken aback by it. Just as he was registering the interference on his attack, the dagger wielder launched his counter-attack. Without much time or inches to spare, Ryder managed to jump back and down from the counter before he had his throat slashed open. He might have joined the unfortunate tavern patrons in redecorating the place if it wasn't for his hex.
 
[color=darkorange][i]What the hell? Wasn't Prosthetics & Bow keeping this guy busy?[/i][/color]
 
Though he didn't have time to dwell on that and the situation hadn't exactly turned disastrous yet. He might've lost his high ground but he had his bearings now and he had a very obvious advantage on his side. Going against a spear with daggers wasn't very wise.
 
However, just as quickly as the dagger wielder had joined the fray, they were calling for a retreat. Therefore, Ryder didn't exactly have time to demonstrate spear superiority because the [i]big goddamn snake[/i] came crashing back into the tavern just as he began his attempt to repay the favor to the dagger wielder. He could register the basilisk coming but his body wasn't quite fast enough to change course mid-momentum. Thus, the serpent swept him aside and he slammed onto the floor on his shoulder.

Well, that'll bruise but it barely qualifies as an injury.
 
As one of the students' shouted her warning of runaways, Ryder quickly got back on his feet and flipped the spear in his hand to ready for a throw. Not the greatest strategy that, tossing your casting aide at the enemy but there wasn't really sufficient room for better ideas with the damn basilisk on the way. So he went with his instincts and tried to line up a shot at the sorcerer, he just needed a little opening and then-
 
Gone.
 
Frowning, Ryder lowered his spear as he took a quick look around just to make sure no more enemies lingered for some reason. Satisfied with the lack of murderers in their immediate vicinity, he leaned on his spear and stretched his shoulder as his frown deepened.
 
[color=darkorange][i]That did not go well at all. I would've had that teleport guy if I hadn't let the dagger wielder take me by surprise. I shouldn't have assumed-[/i][/color]
 
The call to search the bodies and the inn jerked him back to the situation at hand and he redirected his focus on the carnage littering the floor. He wasn’t exactly in the business to be squeamish about dead people so he figured he might as well take on that task. Locating the corpse closest to him, he headed off to begin his mission of rifling through pockets for… something.

The man closest to Ryder groaned and coughed. He was lying on his belly and although had no external injuries, was close to death. He made a feeble attempt to drag himself slightly closer to Ryder, extending his hand toward him.

Well, shit.

Quickly taking the last few steps to close the distance between himself and the dying man, Ryder knelt down as he raised his voice to call out to the others without taking his eyes off the man. [color=darkorange]“Do any of you know how to heal!?”[/color]

Not wanting to move the guy in case of internal injuries, Ryder nevertheless tried to scan the man for any signs of damage even though he couldn’t yet see any. [color=darkorange]”Where are you hurt?”[/color] he tried quizzing the patient himself in hopes he could help himself out a bit.

The man didn’t reply and instead handed Ryder a sealed scroll, “Hex… hold… seal to the hex.” He coughed again, “Be wary of…” The man coughed up a wad of blood and before he could finish his sentence, passed away.

Glancing down at the scroll as it was handed to him, Ryder opened his mouth to ask further questions about it but didn't get a word out before the incomplete warning was uttered. Ominous but not exactly unexpected. It would've been nice to know what this threat to their mission in particular this was...

With a troubled frown, he closed the now dead man's eyes and, after a moment, pushed himself back up to his feet. Directing his attention back on the scroll, Ryder shifted it in his hand a bit to get a better look at the seal. Assuming the hex meant the one Master Isac cast on them, He placed the seal against the hex mark and sure enough, the scroll unfurled to reveal its secrets.

It didn't take Ryder long to identify the scroll's contents and he lifted his head up to glance back up at his fellow students. [color=darkorange]"This man had a map,"[/color] he announced to them matter-of-factly. That ought to be a rather good clue on where they needed to go.