Round 6

Jeane’s expression remains impassive as she listens to Sister Hale’s warning, her crimson eyes scanning the perimeter. “I felt the resistance, yes,” she admits coolly, “but that only confirms what we suspected—the entity beneath us is powerful and aware of our presence. The very fact that it’s surfacing now suggests an opportunity.” She gestures toward the cracking pavement with one gloved hand. “If we can contain or control whatever’s emerging, we may gain a significant advantage—perhaps even turn this threat into an asset for our cause.”

Silra shifts her position slightly behind the tree root, maintaining cover while keeping both Jeane and the advancing cloaked figures in view. Her teal eyes narrow as she processes the tactical situation. “Containing a massive entity that’s breaking pavement to surface is a bit beyond our current capabilities,” she points out dryly. “Unless you’ve been holding back some truly impressive binding magic?” The ground heaves again, sending a shower of dirt into the air mere feet away.

Sister Hale steps closer to Jeane, her voice dropping to a near-whisper despite the urgency evident in her posture. “You can’t seriously be considering direct engagement with whatever’s emerging. The corruption field around that church is already compromising our magic—my holy symbol feels heavy and wrong just being this close.” She glances at the crack in the pavement, then back to Jeane’s impassive face. “We need information first, not confrontation. Let me try to divine what’s happening beneath us—at least then we’ll know what we’re dealing with before making any decisions.”

Jeane considers for a moment, her gaze flicking between Silra’s cautious position and the advancing cloaked figures beyond. “Very well,” she says finally, “but make it quick. Those aren’t ordinary bandits out there—they move like military or cult formations, and I doubt they’ll wait patiently while we conduct divinations.” She turns to face Sister Hale fully, her expression serious. “If your divination reveals anything that suggests immediate threat removal is necessary, I want to know immediately. Understood?”

With a nod of acknowledgment, Sister Hale begins the process of focusing her divine sight, her hands moving in intricate patterns as she murmurs prayers under her breath. The air around her shimmers faintly with holy energy, though it seems to fight against some unseen corruption that makes her strain visibly.

The ground heaves again, more violently this time—something massive shifts beneath the surface, and a section of the road crumbles inward with a cascade of dirt and stone. Silra hisses something in Elvish, her crossbow coming up instinctively despite the tree cover. “Whatever it is, it’s getting closer to the surface fast.”