"P-Part," Jesgil stated after the collection made it through the corridor and continued down the trap-free pathway. However, Jesgil's breath was still heavy, ice in her breath as she used Tillan as a brace to keep herself up. "My father… is a silver dragon… Our breath is ice… not… fir–" It was not long for Jesgil to lose her footing and stumble to the ground at the fork.

"S-Sorry," Jesgil stated, pulling herself up. "Its not often… I got to use my power… this often… I need time to rest… and recompose." Pulling herself to the nearest wall, she sat herself up and closed her eyes, taking up what seemed to have been a form of meditation. As she rested, the scales pressing up from under her skin slowly shifted and pulled back under, smoothing it out as her talons reshaped back to nails.

"One may call this a trial by itself," Nofre-ari commented as her master rested. "Each one tells its tale, but it is left to the walkers to decide which path we should take. Most likely, taking the same tale as the fallen god will lead us to him, but would that be the best decision?"

It was ovious the girl was not doing well, and Vinsue was quick to help the girl to the wall and summoned a full water skin and gave it to Jesgil. "Drink and rest we will scout ahead and return with the news on what is ahead." She stood up and looked over the pathways. No path stood out and the call was silent. "Aqua stay and keep Jesgil safe. Tillan i'm sure it is best she has a guardian and gets some rest." She was sure the rest knew what needed to be done. 

Aqua jumped to the floor and than attempted to lay in the lap of Jesgil. Vinsue than turned and started walking down the left corridor. She whispered a safety spell as she left the room. She was carfull to watch for traps and any sign of what needed to be done. She left aqua so the girl would know Vinsue would return and for the whelps protection.

"Jesgil?" Gale heard her voice was unsteady, and turned to see the armored woman almost fall. Vinsue was quick to respond, and helped her lean against the wall to rest. The little dragonling then went to sit on the woman's lap so she wouldn't be by herself. She couldn't do much else, but reaching into her bag she pulled out a neatly folded sash. It shimmered lightly as it was unfolded, and the young dream-walker wrapped it around the half-blood dragon's shoulders. "Please keep this with you until you feel better." Watching Vinsue check one the passages, she decided to sit awhile and stay with Jesgil. "Asha, Sidra–Can you go with Vinsue? I wish to stay here for a while." The sphinx was hesitant, but agreed. "Very well, then remain here until we return."

The phoenix and sphinx went after Vinsue, leaving the whelp and the two behind. It was quiet, aside from the sound of breathing. The green flames flickered as they cast their light, giving an eeriness to the atmosphere. Idly looking at the walls, she thought she saw some of the pictures move. Blinking she wondered if she was just tired and was seeing things.

Jesgil's breath was rough as she tried to focus herself, her hands occasionally feeling her arms, throat and face. The scales were reducing away much slower than before. She also had no real way to see how much silver in her hair was now showing as well. She had been pushing herself so hard ever since she arrived… and she hated that feeling.

"I am sorry for my signs of weakness," she found herself saying as Gale gave her company, her hand petting over the whelp's head, as if it was more of a cat in her lap. "For me, using my power can be more taxing than expected… and dangerous." Looking up at Gale, she had not realized that pushing so much power had also caused her eyes to grow golden, slitting at the light from the green flames. "You see, my power is bounded by my dragon blood. Blood that comes from tales of dangerous beasts from folklore. Its a fearsome and devastating power…. One I always try to avoid falling for. I always feel myself change whenever I use it… In more ways than one."

As she spoke, her eyes caught sight of a shift in the room, her eyes suddenly snapping in that direction. Something moved… but was not there… was it… the glyphs? Did they always stand in that position?

From the wall, the images of people in the mural began to move, then a strange haze came across it as one of them began to emerge from it. It resembled a living copy of the hieroglyphic depiction, armed with a spear and curved khopesh. More and more were coming out from the painting and Gale was both worried and confused. "Are the pictures coming to life?" Jesgil was still recovering from overexertion, and her two companions were already scouting ahead. Without Sidra and Asha, they would soon be cornered. There was only one companion she had left–Bahadur. Clasping her hands together she called for him. "Please, come help us Bahadur!" The armed hieroglyphs were soon met by the spectral force of a massive war elephant ramming into them. The deafening trumpet of the ghostly beast's cry shook the sandstone chamber. He was not able to physically bar the way like the phoenix or sphinx, but he acted as he had in life. 

The war elephant provided a good distraction for the pictograph-men. Their spears did nothing as he had no solid form, and Gale prepared herself to take over the battle once they lost interest. Summoning her katars, she began channeling the air around her. In a closed space like this, she could use it to her advantage. "Bahadur and I will keep them away, efendi! We will return them to the walls they came from!" She shouted as she sprang towards one of the group.

Jesgil watched as the figures pulled themselves from the old, dusty walls, struggling to keep up as their bodies gained depth to support themselves within this world. Slowly they took form, but once they were solid, they were quick to act, striking the imposing elephant spirit with no results from their actions. One by one, the numbers come forth, but at the very least, there were a set amount of numbers for the duo and their allies to handle. After all, they were bodies that have taken form from the walls that decorated the room, and none formed from any of the nearby hallways. Once all units from a wall was taken out, no more took shape. There was a limit.

Nofre-ari was quick to aid the other side of the battlefield, swiping and roaring at the artful spirits before them, trying to intimidate them, though was not effective in scare tactics and having to deal with a number of weapons. Everyone was fighting back the sudden forces… everyone but her… It felt miserable… like she was being useless. Then get up… Her eyes seemed to have lost her joyous light as she picked up the whelp and setting it aside before pushing herself to her feet. Defeat those who dare challenge you. She stepped away from Tillan and towards one of the wall warriors, silver scales now tearing through the skin of her arm slightly as if trying to coat her on the outside, not inside.

Defend your treasures.

With talon-like nails, Jesgil was quick to take the head of one of the enemy forces and slamming its head into the wall, causing the entire figure to turn to ancient ink before spraying on the floor as dust. Her eyes showed no remorse. No smile to keep those around her comforted. She stared at those as if a dragon was protecting its horde… and only death would keep them away.

"The garuda flies on feathered wings, high and lofty do they rise. In his hand he holds the sabers of the Lord of Winds, in his feet the arrows that strike evil. Ah Preserver of Balance, restore life to the withered lotus flower–unwind the cycle of life which hath become twisted. Your enemies shall fall like rain to the earth and be devoured by the land."

With each step and turn she spoke the olden rhyme, of texts which were held by sages. Their words retold the tales and legends of the dawn of man, and the mighty who shaped the world. Gale sang as her katars cleaved through the pictograph men, reducing them to dust. Each motion made swift and fluid like the wind, each dodge and parry like a dance. Bahadur assisted Nofre-ari through use of his presence, and the enemy numbers were falling. The dream-walker was now in a trance, a state of serenity. 

"Padma, the eternal blooming flower; blessed be thy name. Thy fragrance fills a thousand palaces and graces the kinnara of heaven. Thou pacify the raging beast and bring joy to the sorrowful and heavyhearted. Thy beauty will never fade until heaven and earth become one…" 

 Soon there were only a few of the enchanted drawings brought to life remaining. The dust upon the ground did not return to the walls, and they remained blank once the images were destroyed. Bahadur's spectral form began to fade as the threat was diminished. However, there was a new concern among them. Jesgil, who had been at rest was now again on the battlefield, acting with a fierce and resolute intent. This was unlike the genial warmth shown from the woman before. It was colder, more possessive. It was enough to draw the young girl from her trance to notice. She looked to the woman's sphinx, Nofre-ari. Unsure of what to do, she stayed where she was. "…Jesgil?" She asked, hesitantly. She had no understanding of what was happening, nor was she aware of the effects of bearing a dragon's blood.

As vinsue got farther away she got a filling something was wrong but kept going. She keep looking at the walls untell she tripped on a lose stone in the floor and fell into a pit. The wind nocked out of her as she landed on her back on the floor. The door above her closed. 

Once she again had breath she said outch as she sat up. "Hay guys can you oppen the hatch." She said glad her glaive and thr light it produced. She got up and started looking around for a way out or up. The pit was two wide and smooth to climb out and two narrow to fly. She looked around and noticed 3 simbles eatch on there own squares. She couldn't read them but had a instinct filling to press the middle one.

Sounds eckoed but nothing seamed to happen. At least nothing in the pit. But a staircase back at the 4 way split would fall from the ruff of the path that took the groop to the split. Vin desided not to try anny other buttons. 

Gale's voice caught the shifted ear of the Draconian's. causing her to turn her attention towards her. However, her face was much more different than before. Not only did her eyes shine like a near-gold shine in the green flames, but her jaw was now pushed out more than it had been before, no longer flat with her cheeks. As she drew breath, she exhales small waves of ice as her teeth were reforming more into fangs. The top of her crimson hair was also shining silver, and the rear-end of her maid outfit began to rustle, as if something found itself underneath.

"T-t-trea–susre…" she spoke in Draconian tongue. "M-Must… protect… t-trea–sure…" It was almost as she was entranced by something. One that made her not pay attention to the falling staircase that crushed most of the remaining ink soldiers, leaving only one in the room as Jesgil was knocked away from the falling force, causing her to strike her head on the wall and fall over unconscious. The moment she was out, her body started to reshape itself again to a more human look, though leaving open wounds from where the scales were pushing out completely.

"Very strange," Nofre-ari stated. "To think that she lost control of such a power like that. Maybe it is not as natural as it seems." With the sphinx's eyes looking her over, she added, "It may be possible that her chant is affecting a seal placed upon her. She has been using it so much, that the power started t overflow and take over. A trait I have never heard before when it comes to metallic dragons. But then comes this question: Why have the seal in the first place?"

Gale felt her hands and feet grow cold as she saw Jesgil's face. Something was terribly wrong, the woman was not herself. She had become more like a beast. The dream-walker began to feel her legs stiffen and move back out of instinct in response to danger. The girl wanted to run, but wasn't sure if she had anywhere to run to if the half-blood were to attack. The thing which had been Jesgil began to speak in an unknown tongue, breathing ice and baring fangs. When something suddenly fell from above, Gale ducked and covered her head with her hands. There was a crash and a thud, and she curled herself up tight. When all went silent, she carefully peered through the settling dust. 

She saw Jesgil lying on the ground, unconscious. She was sure it was her, as she recognized the feet. Bahadur began to flicker, fading away as he was no longer needed. Hesitantly, she stood and walked over slowly to where Jesgil lay. A small gasp of relief escaped her as Gale saw she was herself once more. But where her body had changed, terrible wounds were present. Quietly bringing the sash she had given to the woman before the drawn images attacked, she draped it over the unconscious half-blood like a blanket. Warmth and healing would flow into her as the sash's power did its work.

Gale sat not too far away, pulling out a small glass bottle of starlight. There were times like these when her heart was troubled, but she had no solution to give to it. Setting it on the ground before her, she watched as the purple glow began to push out the green light of the torches. Shapes of stars and unknown constellations began to move on the walls, giving her a sense of peace. She looked up at Nofre-ari when she commented on Jesgil's strange behavior. "So an enchantment has been placed upon her? If what you say is true, then calling upon her power causes resistance against this seal. It would be like if there are two strong men, grappling one another. If one gains ground, then there is imbalance." She thought about this for a while, thinking over to when they told each other something about themselves. "I remember… Jesgil said only her father was a dragon. Is this due to bearing dual heritage? Dragons are quite powerful beasts, so perhaps since she only bears half of a dragon's blood she has difficulty containing it?"

Meanwhile Asha and Sidra had better luck traversing their passage. They found another room, this one leading to a large ornate stone door. Inspecting the glyphs, Sidra twitched her lion's tail in thought. "These pictographs here, by inference I'd assume that this was either a storehouse or a morgue. It can go either way, really as I can't tell if those shapes are gold ingots or sarcophagi." "Trapped nevertheless." Asha said, flying around the room. "Of course. I think we've kept them waiting long enough. I wasn't too fond of the girl telling us to leave her and the injured woman behind. Maybe that pale-haired woman has returned too." Sidra said, turning back to leave the newly-discovered area.