Young Writers Society

"But I have the ability to turn back time!" Zogin protested, glaring at Maggie. "That should do something to them. It's not like they're normal, living creatures. The rules that would normally hold me back from doing something like that don't count. I can turn them back to their previous state five minutes before."

Soul watched the exchange nervously, hoping that Zogin wouldn't continue to argue once Maggie told her a reason not to go. But when he realized that Zogin was incredibly intent on ignoring whatever her response would be, he put his arm on her shoulder. "Zogin," he started. "I think we should listen to Maggie. She seems to have dealt with these things before. We never have, so I think her views on the situation might be better than ours."

Zogin turned to look at him.

They stared at each other for a good minute, but Soul refused to give up his ground.

Then she sighed and crossed her arms. She turned her attention back to Maggie. "Fine. I'll listen to whatever you have to say. But I'm not sitting around for much longer."

Maggie explains that these creatures aren't affected by time spells and that a fit won't do anything and to get down to the basement now.

"That wasn't needed," Chris complains.

"What?" Maggie asks innocently.

"The throwing a fit thing. It wasn't needed."

Finally. Some instruction. Go down to the basements? The lot of them? That he could help with. He stood up, looking to Thuki for confirmation, since going down there and deciding that was still more in her jurisdiction.

She just waves him off.

"So we go down to the basement and wait to die down there instead of up here," Zogin concluded, crossing her arms and sighing. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

She turned to her partner and looked into his abnormally bright blue eyes. When he didn't respond and didn't make a move for the basement - probably sensing her distaste for the plan - she sighed once more and said, "Well, Soul, let's go wait for death to come for us."

"We're sneaking out," Chris says. "Through the basement."

"I do suppose I'll tag along, then. No use tryin' anything flashy, anyway," Sacred shrugs, following the lot with his hands pocketed.

"Right this way," she leads the group - followed by most every assassin or thief in the tavern - to the back and opens the trapdoor, heading back down to the tunnels.

Maggie skips after her.

Bo followed the others down below.

Soul eagerly followed the others upon hearing that they were going to sneak out through the basement, rather than wait around for the enemy. He hoped that they weren't one step behind the threat. If the things coming for them realized where they were going, what would they do?

"Now, I understand that the creatures here are immune to magic, per your instruction, but I can't help but ask - what, exactly, are we to accomplish by moving this far into the tavern?" Sacred asks, yawning as he proceeds onward.

"The Reapers," Chris explains. "Can't get into really old places. It's their one weakness. Think churches and stuff."