I nodded with camraderie, not comprehending she was looking for a way out for herself. 

Somehow the Dre Costans had an idea of what was going on here. I vaguely wondered how they would have gotten here if the raft had not been destroyed, and it occured to me that if they were so far in such ruinous lore in this gods-forbidden city that they likely weren't above summoning or somehow causing the murk-beast to wade so far up river to attack us. The fact that it had devoured one of their comrades was just another eerie realization that they would kill anyone that got in their way, like what we saw before us. Of course this was all speculation, but it drove a hot fury within me regardless. 

"I know you were wanting me to have a plan, but I don't see much of a way to disrupt whatever's going on than a rush." I admitted with trepidation. Attacking the ferocious serpent-men would likely do nothing but break whatever ward kept them back, and doing nothing would result in those bastards getting what they were aiming for, which was something he couldn't guess. Plus if they were to drop something heavy on the location of the mercenaries, it would kill Fletcher and Callibel. 

My eyes darted across the vast chamber, hoping an idea would pop up. I was usually a quick thinker, but this seemed so simple it was unfortunately something we couldn't destroy through cleverness. That is, until I noticed the symbol the mercenary held aloft. It looked much like the symbols scrawled across the walls, just above the waiting legions of the serpent men. An idea popped in my head, and I pointed at one of the wards, leaning down to whisper in Emmaline's ear. 

"Can you fire another bolt of lightning?" I asked. 

"Maybe... why?" 

"Hit one of the symbols on the lined along the wall, where the brass meets the stone. Trust me." 

"You're one of the most trustworthy people I know," She said, and though it sounded sardonic it brought a smile to my face. She uttered a word of power and wiggled her fingers as if she was a seamstress, and sparks filled the air moments before a bolt of lightning materialized from her hands. It didn't zip through the air like one would suspect. It popped up like true lightning, both where Emmaline was an at the spot she aimed at simultaneously. There was a crack as stone sundered, sending a broken seam slicing up the wall to bisect the ward. 

The mercenaries stopped, stunned as they turned to see one of the dozens of symbols on the wall destroyed. To their horror, four serpent men took up moon-bladed swords and heavy scimitars and stepped languidly through the two pillars that framed where they stood. I smiled as I saw my plan had worked. The army couldn't pour through, but there was a handful of the beasts that could defend what they considered their religious sanctuary. 

"What now?" Emmaline began to ask, but I interrupted it and let out a battle cry with my axe held aloft, and I charged forward as the two mercenaries shoved their bound hostages aside and looked to defend themselves from the serpent-men that advanced on their position. One of them lowered his arquebas and fired, killing one of the guardians outright, but he immediately had to drop his weapon and draw his sidesword as they furiously began to defend themselves. Emmaline following me, we waded into the melee that would decide our fate.