Sarah smiled when Eian clawed his way out of the ground.

She had just racked up a debt of three gold standards, definately expensive.

She was still annoyed at Alex, if he hadn't gone down she might not have had to borrow energy from Isemi as well.

She sighed, no use worrying about it really.

'I'll have to be a lot more careful now though. Invoking is a last resort, I don't want to hit my limit and then be unable to pay for a while, nor be without a trump card.' Sarah glanced about the group.

"Good to see you man." Alex was smiling when he walked over to Eian and they bucked fists like children.

"Fuck, you guys are a sight for sore eyes. I was fucking going insane in there." Eian sighed and Sarah looked him over.

"Wow dude, you're hurt man. Come over." Alex's eyes comically widened as he stared at his arm.

"Yeah fuckers got me good. My knees too I landed on them when I was digging that hole over there. Actually just do my everything, I feel like a piece a' tenderized steak. I'm just glad I haven't landed on my ass recently." Eian sighed and rubbed his eyes.

Jessica's half-smile withered and she curled her lip at his speech.

"Sit down man. I'll get started." Alex motioned to the floor.

Sarah's observations showed he was once more lacking any sort of fat, his physic looked strong, but unhealthy, strained even.

He would need to be eating well for a while, his teeth were bloody and his smell was rank, all of which brought a frown to Sarah's face.

Desperation must have driven him to eat raw meat, Alex would have to heal him just in case and bathing had obviously been the least of his concerns.

Eian was clearly covered in dirt from his recent dig and clumps of dirt also clung his hair.

His armor was also had his chest-plate and left-gauntlet missing, though the rest of the armor was scratched, dented and worn.

He had only his great sword and a mace hanging from his waist, his left-arm had been a bloody torn mess as well, his right abs looked a little chaffed as well.

He was also carrying a weird horn of some sort and a dead plant.

Overall she got the impression he had gone to bloody war, which was surprising as it had only been several hours.

"How are you?" She narrowed her eyes at him, Alex looked at him with concern as he was healing his injuries as well.

"Fucking miserable. By the way Sarah, your fire did in the flying fuck. Thanks, thought I was a goner back there." Eian smiled and gave her two thumbs up.

"You're...welcome." Sarah blinked several times, his grin grew.

"Can we fine somewhere safe please? Its still dark and I'm tired of running around." Jessica was playing with her hair looking about the forest.

"Yeah man. Is the cave safe?" Alex pointed at the hole Eian crawled out from.

"Ugh. At least I'll have some light. Yeah it's safe, theres some running water too. I have an area marked off for taking a crap so just be careful and it smells." Eian shook his head and sighed.

They made their way through the Eian's narrow exit.

The cave did have a slightly foul smell to it, but it was wide and the opening on the ceiling must have helped substancially.

Eian had four wolf caracasses lying about as well, though one had huge swats of flesh carved out.

"Hey Sarah please cook some meat. I need some Hot dogs. Actually you know what. Alex help me push the damn cat into the hole. I want something other than wolf." Eian smiled at the pun and Sarah noted he was talking alot.

"Sure man." Alex smiled and they climbed to the surface again.

'Hmmmm...I can't imagine it's nice to be alone. As annoying as Alex and Jess are at least I can talk to them.' Sarah shuddered at the thought, Eian must have nerves of steel.

She was also mildly surprise Eian had killed the cat by himself.

Not to mention the wolves, he must have had a hard time of it, especially without magic.

It was reassuring to know they had him around again, Alex had already proven unreliable.

'Hopefully Jess can prove her worth now.' Sarah's mind race through scenario's then she remembered a few things the djinn and Adara had told her.

"It stinks in here." Jessica frowned and snapped Sarah out of her thoughts.

"What do you expect? He clearly improved his body again, I imagine he had to go through the whole....transformation phase again." Sarah narrowed her eyes, couldn't she at least be a little understanding?

"Would it have hurt to do it somewhere else? Well at least he's alive and in one piece. Don't tell him that though, I almost can't believe it." Jessica streched and smiled.

Sarah just shook her head, couldn't she understand Eian didn't expect them to come here?

Either way it was a nice little spot, Jessica jumped when the cats body suddenly imapacted the ground, that brought a smile to Sarah's face.

The boys quickly made it down and Eian asked Sarah to cook the cat.

She did and they carved out some of it's flesh for food.

Eian led them to the stream and they drank their fill also.

Then they all sat down and Sarah propped herself on a dead wolf, it was surprisingly comfy.

"Eian, Alex, Jess. I think we should make this a base. Also boys take some dirt and throw it over the latrine pit. Maybe Eian can widen the air vent later." Sarah gestured to the area of the smell with a tilt of her head.

"Roger." Alex nodded his consent, Eian simply shrugged.

Sarah began thinking about their situation and how they could work to get out.

If anyone was going to be able to figure things out it was her.

Alex was too optimistic and air-headed, Jess was scatter-brained and while Eian had a level head his magic didn't seem to be able to get them back yet.

She filtered through all the information she had and tried to remember as much as she could.

Despite her amazing power, Jessica was obviously still a liability, especially with Alex always trying to save her.

'Hmmmm...This all boils down to the same problem I forsaw a while back after the harpies, before Jessica interrupted me with her hunting idea to find Eian.' Sarah held a far off look and stared at nothing.

The problem itself was simple.

She was the only one with a long-range attack, sure Alex had his healing bolt, but that only injured the undead.

Eian was strickly a close range fighter, Alex was a combination of fighter and healer, though the fighter part perhaps needed a boost.

Jessica didn't have anything apart from that sword, which was a major problem as she sucked at fighting.

'Perhaps it is time that changed.' Sarah eyed Jessica whom was sneaking looks at Alex.

Sarah nodded to herself.

It had to be done, hopefully that would solve the Alex problem as well.

Jessica had already hit her mind's limit after all, now she had two choices body or spirit.

She already shown she wasn't good at frontlining, so it was time to change that.

The mercenary comment from the djinn also remained in her head, fire and death.

"I have something to say." Sarah steepled her fingers and beckoned them over.

The group quickly gathered about.

"Hmmm...What's this about?" Jessica looked her in the eye, was pouting and had her arms crossed.

Eian looked at each of them slowly, Alex remained silent.

Sarah met Jessica's eye and frowned, this might be a problem.

"I think now is a good time to continue where we were headed, before Eian got abducted. Along with other future developments." Sarah straightened her back.

"I wasn't adbuc.... Never mind, you mean how we're gonna get home? Yeah all this shit made me forget. I guess now's a good time." Eian shrugged then grinned.

"Yes. I think it's a good time to make decisions. We should all take turns, decide, then vote. Eian I think you should go first, you brought up your point before." Sarah nodded.

"....Well... Um.. Let me think....Right! I was thinking that maybe we should be looking to get stronger. I mean the faster we get stronger, the faster we go home right? Alex and I briefly talked about it." Eian looked at Alex, whom nodded his consent.

"Yes. Jessica had a similar idea a while ago. The problem is finding prey. We need food, water and shelter to rest too." Sarah rested her chin on her hand, had thought of this some already she was just giving her input.

"Does anyone even know how to get home yet?" Jessica had her eyes narrowed and pouted.

Everyone was silent.

"No." Sarah shook her head.

"Then how can you know we can even go home?" Jessica was visibly sweating now.

"I think we can. We got here somehow, so it stands to reason we can go back. Relax Jess, we'll go home soon." Alex smiled at her.

Sarah and Eian nodded with him, Jessica shrugged and remained quite.

"There's no use thinking over that possibility. Any other suggestions?" Sarah looked at each of them.

"I think maybe the city was a good hunting ground. At least during the day, we can just hole up somewhere at night." Eian scratched his head.

"That's a good idea, there's a lot of quality equipment there as well. The undead aren't much challenge and Alex can actually hurt them with his maigc." Sarah pointed to Eian's bare-chest, Eian shrugged.

Now that nobody was saying anything Sarah gave her input.

"I think we should plan how you two will get stronger." Sarah pointed at Alex and then Jessica.

"What do you mean?" Jessica frowned and tilted her head, Alex mirrored her confusion.

"I mean you've already hit ten in mind. You've gotten your power, you can't increase it anymore either." Sarah looked directly at her eyes.

Alex frowned at her, Jessica visibly paled.

"You're saying she should choose an element." Eian nodded and deduced it correctly.

"Yes." Sarah crossed her arms and stared at them all expectantly.

Alex kept opening and closing his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but remained quite in the end.

Jessica bit her lip and stared at the ground.

"Why? She can just choose body and get stronger. Look at Eian." Alex twisted his mouth, looking conflicted.

"Alex. That is.....Look she'll actually be safer this way." Sarah frowned and kept her more colorful remarks to herself, that would get them no-where.

"How?" Alex's eyes narrowed and looked like they were ready to glare at her, Jessica was just staring at the ground blankly.

Before she opened her mouth, Eian waved his hand about.

"Alex she's right and you know it. We all suffered through it and came out stronger for it." Eian pointed his finger at each of them except Jessica, and had his eyes narrowed with disapproval.

"Also she'll be safer, because she'll be able to stay back and kill things. Don't you think that's the best thing for everyone?" Sarah nodded along with Eian.

Alex licked his lips and stared at the ground, after a full minute he looked at Jess.

"What do you think?" Alex tilted his head and her looking sadly.

Jessica looked up at them scared.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Jessica squeaked and shrunk back.

"Yes." Alex stared at the ground.

"The pain doesn't even last long and you'll be safer this way. Anything you hurt Alex can heal either way." Sarah was rocking a foot and tried to convince her, Eian shrugged.

"You pointed to me as well. I thought I was supposed to focus on spirit?" Alex frowned and looked at her.

"That was before Eian disappeared. You've been struggling against the stronger monsters. I think you should add at least one point in Body." Sarah nodded.

"I guess that's easy enough. I think Jess should decide what she wants to do as well. It's her choice and her life. We shouldn't force anyone to do anything they don't want to." Alex shrugged, then turned to look at Jessica with concern.

"I actually agree with that, but she's not really good at fighting and as is she'll get hurt eventually. She also doesn't have the Eian's earth gift, nor your healing so she could die from a stray hit." Sarah shrugged.

Jessica kept staring at the floor.

"Fine. I'll do it. What do you think I should choose?" Jessica closed her eyes and shuddered.

"Death." Sarah stared at her eyes as they widened.