The cool sensation of the invisibility talisman on Naviga's skin began to fade, a clear sign that their time was up. The faint, chiming sound from the local alert crystal on the far wall was a death knell for their stealth mission. Guards were on their way. They were deep in enemy territory, their cover about to be blown, with their objective still hanging before them like a forbidden fruit.
"The talismans are failing!" Naviga warned, her voice a low, urgent murmur. "We must retreat, my lady. Now."
Lady Minerva looked from the flickering forms of her companions to the massive, churning sphere of stolen life essence. Her face, usually a mask of calm authority, was tight with frustration. To have come so far, to have risked so much, only to retreat with nothing to show for it was a bitter pill to swallow.
"No," Lady Minerva declared, her voice ringing with defiance. Her red eyes burned with the intensity of her Amethyst Flame. "We did not come this far to run away. We finish this!"
