The Elixir

~Obstacle

You know you want to go, Xara Roffinnes. You want to see.

They echo her thoughts. Xara sweeps her gaze across the other four, trying to appear collected and calm. Truthfully, she can't comprehend what they intend to do. Something incredibly valuable is clearly hidden here, as it is well protected by the school and by the Headmistress. The Warlord clearly needs whatever's hidden inside the safe. Xara's anger sparks thinking of the Warlord. Somehow, nobody seems concerned about the fact that the Warlord's running around Ruxnorth, stirring up all sorts of trouble.

She still hasn't gotten over him being in her mind. It had been the worst feeling, rivaled only by the screech of the voices in her head, who have now gone silent and still. The Warlord reminds Xara of a crocodile lying in a river, waiting patiently for it's moment to strike.

"Let's go."

Owain's eyes widen doubly, something Xara hadn't thought possible. Even though the terrifying noises stopped almost 6 minutes ago, he still clings to the wall, unwilling to release.

"Did you not hear the earthquake!" he says shrilly, voices swooping up an octave at the end.

Vieva sighs impatiently. "Executive decision. Snagsnout stays behind, and Lysabel stays with him. The three of us go."

"Umm, no." Lysabel steps forward. "We're all going. We shouldn't split up."

"Lysa's right," says Xara, finally finding her voice. She clears her throat. "We have to go together."

Owain whimpers.

Vieva rolls her eyes and stomps over to Owain, who cowers slightly. Vieva adopts a falsely happy face. "Owain," she begins in a sweet voice, practically dripping with condescension and dark sarcasm, "if you don't get your stick of a body into that safe, I will drag you myself, understand?"

Xara shoves Vieva away lightly and helps Owain clamber to his knees. He looks as though he may collapse any second, but he remains standing.

"You can do this, Owain. Besides, do you want to stay up here when the professors and the Fenrirs could find you at any moment?"

"Both are terrible options," mumbles Owain.

"Lesser of the two evils, Snagsnout," says Derald gently, pointing at the awaiting safe.

Leave him, the voices slither back in her mind. Leave them all. Come to us.

Shut up. Xara says angrily, shutting them out again.

Owain sucks in a breath. "I'm going to regret this every day for the rest of my life."

"Spare the dramatics, Owain. You'll live," Vieva says, with a casual wave of her hand.

Xara takes a deep breath, feeling the air in her lungs. "We need light."

Vieva nods once then edges to the safe, conjuring a ball of fire. She tosses it forward with eased strength, the movement fluid and graceful. She may be insufferable occasionally, but Xara can't deny Vieva's skill with her magic.

Vieva looks back, unblinking. "There's no path."

Xara halts her train of thought. "What? How's that possible?"

"There's no path," Vieva tosses another ball of flame, "because the only way forward is down."

Owain nearly faints, and Lysabel goes bone white. Even Derald, who's always up for adventure, seems to sway a little.

Founders help us.

✡✡✡

"It's no big deal. We'll be fine, even considering the 99% chance that we'll crack our sculls open." Owain mutters, words flowing endlessly from his mouth. While after the opening of the safe he couldn't find words, now it seems he can't stop saying them.