You know what the funny thing about hope is? We somehow can't help ourselves. We to grasp at it, despite any overwhelming evidence to the contrary. We see a building falling down on us? We close our eyes and pray it goes away. When your mom caught you with your hand in the cookie jar? Yep your hoping she just pats your head and tells you it's alright. Hope can be a blessing or a curse. It can get you through the toughest moments of your life or it can drag you on along and prevent you from coming to terms with the aftermath of your loss.

"Nothings here." Eian sighed after inspecting the blackish pool of water.

"I'm sorry." Alex said still feeling guilty at the loss of their quarry.

"It may still lead somewhere." Jessica persevered, refusing to give up.

"You want to jump into a pool of dark water? With no light. In hopes it leads somewhere?" Sarah asked with her eyes-brows raised.

"You said the lizards had to get out somehow! What if this is it?!" Jessica argued wanting nothing more than to exit the foul cavern.

"Jessica... Do you know how long lizards can hold their breath underwater?" Sarah asked her calmly.

"N... No." Jessica stuttered.

"Well neither do I, but if its long enough for them to get out through that, then its definately alot more than us." Sarah replied.

"Let's just drink and wash ourselves a bit." Eain said deadpanned, he was beginning to feel extremely weak from hunger.

They took turns with the pool and Sarah noticed her tattoo's also stopped glowing. Her tattoo read: Body: 1 , Mind:5, Spirit:0. She informed the others, though she felt no overt benifit or change. Eian was almost too weak to even care; he was shirtless, hungry and tired of having to think what could be around the corner.

"What do you think it does?" Alex asked.

"I'd assume it just helps my memory? Or perhaps processing speed?" Sarah thought.

"Let's just go." Eian said gruffly, eliciting a look from Sarah, Eian wasn't usually the one in a rush to leave.

"Yes please I'm hungry." Jessica declared feeling a growling in her stomach, which earned her the stink eye from Eian.

They exited the tunnel they had followed to the pool and attempted the second one which was to the left, which soon expanded into a larger tunnel. It parted once more into two tunnels, though one was the size of a venilation shaft, instantly disqualifying it in their eyes. The chose the other tunnel, which was wide enough for them all to traverse side by side. Eian's tattoo stopped glowing, but he ignored it not caring. Suddenly they ran into a group of six little goblins whom immediately rushed them.

"Drop the meat!" Sarah declared hoisting up her two spears.

"Roger." Alex said with a spear and a stick.

"Please don't let them get me. Please." Jessica begged scared of the little monsters, holding unto a spear tightly.

Eian remained silent and tossed a spear, in hopes of killing a little migit. The spear caught one in the chest, but bounced off due to his lousy throwing skills. Eian, igniting a rage he'd been bottling up, swung his staff two handed with all his pent up fustrations catching a little bastard and halting the second. Fully recovered Alex too released a mighty one-handed blow directly with upon the skull of another goblin whom fell to the ground on its knees. Sarah was holding at bay two goblins with her spears sending jabs threateningly, causing them to back away. Jessica surpisingly managed to stab one in the gut with her eyes closed, it soon fell to the ground cradling its belly taking the spear with it.

Eian swung at his second goblin, whom attempted to block, only to have its own spear clog it on the skull from the impact. Alex engaged one of Sarahs goblins and together they quickly disposed of both. Eian kicked the skull of the first goblin whom was standing up, after it attempted to stab his legs. Eian then threw another wild swing at the dazed goblin whom blocked. The goblin on the floor grazed Eian's leg, on a second attempt, and he jumped away. Alex quickly speared the first goblin Eian sent to the floor in the neck, while Eian disposed of the one he was combating. The one Alex sent to its knees was ambling about disoriented and Alex finished it off lastly.

"Everyone okay?" Sarah asked looking around.

"It nicked me!" Jessica replied showing a thin line of blood on her arm.

"Yeah we're fine." Eian declared taking stock of the graze and dismissing it as minor.

"Jess calm down it's a little scratch. Your first spider hurt you worse." Alex said consolingly, but losing some of his patience.

"Guys I don't think I can keep this up much longer. I'm dying of hunger here." Eian complained.

"My tattoo's glowing Again!" Sarah said elated.

"My one too, but I don't know if i can wait that long." Eian complained once more.

Sarah not one to lose time quickly selected Spirit. The world washed away in white and she saw the vision Alex described, but was taken aback by the vivid majesty of them. She observed the doors attempting to imprint them into her memory. She didn't know if she would ever see it again. She approched the swirling curtain of flames and gazed at its enchanting dance of colors. Upon closer inspections the flames seemed to briefly form the outlines of a dragon, a fiery-bird and a horned-man with wings. She stood facing the swirling colored door, but felt no discomfort, almost as if the flames beckoned to enter its caress. She stretched her hand foward and the flames parted.

The burn hit, right after her eyes blinked, and she fell screaming inconherently. Eian and Alex were too slow to catch her and she fell to the ground, dropping her glasses. She grit her teeth attempting to fight through the shearing pain. She did not want to tear her vocal cords, as Alex had. She ignored their chatter, even as she closed her eyes praying the shearing blaze would cease. An eternity of imaginery flame slowly passed and she found herself pinned by both Alex and Eian. In another scenario she would have reacted to the impropriety of it all, but weary as she was, she went slack with relief. By then the pain had dwindled to minor throbs on some meta-physical muscle she never knew she had, though she couldn't pin-point the location in her state.

"I am so not looking foward to that." Eian dryly replied.

"Oh don't be like that Eian. Think of the magic!" Alex said trying to perk him up at the idea.

"Yes. I'm sure thats exactly what you were thinking right after it finished." Eian said, though he smiled at the attempt.

"Well... Not exactly right after, but it's worth it in the long run. You know that man." Alex replied getting serious.

"Yeah Yeah. Don't worry. I'm just starving. At least let me lay down so you hold my arms down easier." Eian said as he looked at his tattoo's.

Eian stood before the choices and he gazed around slowly. His intense hunger had disipated in this place and for a moment he was tempted to just sit and weep joy. His eyes wandered to the flowers on the vine door. Would it really matter? It was his life and he couldn't depend on Alex to be able to save his ass later on. He approched the vine door and gazed at it intently, even as the others faded.

Astonished he took a step back and the other doors remanifested. He breathed a sigh of relief and stared at the door of life once more longingly, before moving to the door of stone. He stood there observing the gem encrusted door, for any sign of powers it could grant. The door itself depicted a sparking image of a tall mountain. From afar you couldn't see but beneath the mountain lay a single man with the mountain on his back as he strained against the monumental task. The slab had no knob and as he touched it nothing happened.

Confused Eian lightly pushed and it budged not a single inch. Bracing his shoulder he once more pushed foward. Only for the slab to remain still. Eian took a step back and observed the would be door. Perhaps not everyone could choose every power he thought and once more gazed at the vine door. They wouldn't blame him would they?

Thinking over his friends Eian stared at the mountain door and looked at the image of the man as he struggled for power. Mulling over the implications Eian thought over his choices. Did he really want this? Did the room react to his desires? Was that why the slab of stone didn't want him?

Eian thought over it and set his mind that this wasn't only his problem. Sarah had made a compelling argument, they needed the power the stone door held. He removed his shoes and planted his feet on the ground. He braced himself once more against the stone door and pushed. Leg muscles straining, he pushed. Arm Muscles straining, he pushed. Back muscles straining, he pushed. He grit his teeth, closed his eyes and heaved with all his might. Red-Faced and straining Eian focused. The image of the door, particularly the man under the mountain, appeared in his mind. The door gave.