------------- Tales of the Raptors – Rear Guard

The Dagger was indeed the key, in more ways than one. So, after everything they’d been through; the trek across the Deep Desert on a worm, the horrors of Freltag’gar, the meeting with Persia’s past, uncovering the Doppleganger-Moutarri alliance, and starting a power struggle inside the Xanth Guild,… here they were going from one world gate to another in UnderXanth. Tieran had known all along this would be where they’d end up, fighting Drow and Duergar and Thunate smugglers, not to mention the Illithid shadow agents, Gnoll raiders, Equideyean thugs and the fanatics of Apep and Sett. All in all, it was shaping up to be a wonderful spring. She couldn’t wait to see what summer in the City of Thieves brought.

Yashifa twisted the handles of her scimitars nervously. Xavier smirked and shook his head.

“Yashifa, calm down. They’ll be right back.”

“I don’t like this.”

Tieran almost growled under breath, “What’s to like? Let Persia do her job.”

Yashifa tightened her jaw and glared at the Zeigus.

“Aren’t you an arcane rogue or something? Shouldn’t you be up there instead of her? Or is all you’re good at stabbing people in the back?”

Tieran snickered.

“What’s the matter, little one? Your babysitter run off and leave you with the grown ups?”

Yashifa raised her blades ever so slightly. Xavier could see the tensing in the assassin’s fingers as she readied her throwing knife.

“Enough, you two. You want a fight? You’re about to get one. The others are returning and they appear to be bringing guests.”

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