[color=1a7b30][h2]Rezello[/h2][/color]
[hr]

Though Miwa’s reasoning seemed to get through to the curator, at least enough for him to release Jazdia from his grasp, the tension in the room remained high as the miko and the ranger continued their parley with the elder djinn. Through the ensuing exchanges, the nature of Jazdia’s curse was revealed; a portion of Lythiel’s soul was corrupting Jazdia’s own. Arcan remained insistent that the condition was incurable, but while the breadth of his knowledge was undoubtedly vast, he surely couldn’t be omniscient; perhaps a missing piece of critical information that was held not in archives and vaults, but deeper within the forest, waiting to be discovered. They had only just begun their delve into these blighted lands, after all.

Verdant, meanwhile, had been steadily moving into a position more suitable both to assist Jazdia and for an engagement, taking on a new form - something neither quite human nor serpentine, but somewhere in between - and was occasionally throwing out her own remarks at the expense of the curator. While the latter’s attention was still focused on Miwa and Jazdia, Verdant shifted her eyes to look to Rezello, to which he responded with a slight nod and a quick glance down to the hand at his side, still holding her enchanted kris dagger and Miwa’s hairbands. If the magic Vesemir had placed on them was useful against more than the necromancer, it could prove vital in the hypothetical battle.

As would the newly arrived reinforcements. Those that had remained in the gallery were now entering the library, no doubt investigating the source of the disturbance that had rocked the vault. Arcan’s final words, however, indicated that the battle would remain a hypothetical, at least for now. Still, it was clear that their welcome was growing thin - that is, if it hadn’t been worn out entirely already. Rezello maintained his defensive stance, avoiding any blatant display of aggression but standing his ground until Jazdia and the others were safely out of the library.

There was, of course, still the matter of the cursed room. Whether Arcan would permit them to remain long enough to investigate it was yet to be seen.