"What's better than a devil you don't know?"

He squeezed Simon's hand before reaching up to toy with his hair. It was a nervous habit. It was getting as long as his Papa's. Maybe it would be time for a cut soon.

Come on Paultin. Focus.

"I have this artifact. It's.....it's made by elves. I got it in a very....very dark, bleak landscape. The place I was born in, acactually. It's called the Ring Winter, and it.... It gives me abilities that are additional to my own. It also makes my own abilities stronger. With it, I should be able to open a portal home....but it doesn't stop there. I don't want to just open a portal. I want to rip that portal into existence. So it stays. Then.... Then you can live both here, and the world I grew up in, and I can do the same. You can learn more about what's out there. What things could be like, but then you won't have to sacrifice what you already have.....and I won't either. We can make it the best if both our worlds, for us both. There are....risks involved though. This artifact is inherently evil, and its sentient. It has a mind of its own."

"Yeah the portal on the islands is very unstable and while it can send you home, it might not always bring you back so soon. Like last time. And sometimes it just sends us over to the next island. It, it's logical then, to make something that's lasting. I don't want you to be separated from your son just as much as I can't leave my own children."

Simon cupped Paultin's face gently in his hands and gazed at him. "But what will this mean for you? What will it do to you? If I know one thing about magic, it doesn't just freely give. What kind of evil are we talking about? What will it do to you?"

"Look, it's... It wants power. My power. My body. To use for its own sentience. It tries to take me over. Take control and push my own free will to the back burner. The first time I wore it, I was under its influence for weeks, but I learned to co-exist with it. I was uh.... I almost killed the people I loved though. Without them I wouldn't have ever come back to myself. They ended up cutting my finger off. Magic put it back on, but you know....." He shrugged.

"The second time I used it, I was far more sober than the first. I worked my way up to really using its power, and I was able to control it. Used its magic to create a human form....flesh and blood for my boy. That's a long story, but...it worked. So, if I do anything harmful, you have my full permission to take my whole damn hand off if you have to, but I think I can make this work."

"I'm human. My name is Evelyn Avalona Helvig Marthain," she rattled off, looking up toward the mouth of the cave, the light filtering in gently from somewhere she couldn't quite see.

"I'm a little sore, but that's normal for me. I'm not seriously injured. You..... You can't mean you want me to just stay here? I .... Is there another way out?" Her voice echoed, a quiet prayer being recited in a whisper before she bit her lip.

There was always a reason that Lathander brought her away from the land she now called home.....

There had to be a reason for this too.

Reaching to her side to pull her sword, it was quickly engulfed in flames to help her see in the dim light.

"That's... quite a name..." Simon commented but he couldn't help the laugh that followed. She didn't sound dangerous. Lost, confused, but not a threat.

Simon shook his head. "No, well, there's another cave entrance, but it's also an exit, straight down into the ocean about four meters so I wouldn't go that way. Just hold on."

Venturing down the narrow path, Simon saw that the lights did offer a confusing array on where the path should be. One wrong move and it was a quick drop back to the cave floor. Death was unlikely, but pain was guaranteed.

When Simon reached the bottom, he was surprised to see Evelyn there, as though still expecting it to be something non-human. This surprise dulled his senses in noticing that not only did Evelyn have a sword, but it was on fire.

"I ah, I'm, I'm Simon," he offered. "And don't worry, this path is only narrow but you'll be out of here soon enough. Normally I use that portal to get to the other island but I guess today it brought something else. It does that."

"Thank you though. I appreciate your help. I can follow you out if that works for you. You seem to know the way pretty well. Can you maybe tell me where we are?" Maybe she should have also asked, when....this was, but she didn't bother. One step at a time seemed like the best option.

stay alive

stay safe

Drink some water

eat something

get back into the things you love

Unclench your jaw

do some self-care

Take a shower or bath