Kaelith plants himself between Patch and the ice-slit exit, one hand resting on his weapon. He watches the mist coiling from the sword around her arm, jaw tight, ready to move if she falters.
Kaelith
Drop it. Now. I am not letting that blade take hold of you.
The cold ledge narrows around them, pale light sliding over stone and frost. Patch’s hand still bears the sword’s chill, and the weapon’s haze twines once, almost like a living thing testing her grip.
Patch
The exit is behind him.
Kaelith
Look at me, Patch. Not the sword.
He does not advance. Instead, he holds the line, blocking the only easy path forward while keeping his voice low and controlled, as if calm itself might keep the blade from waking further.
Kaelith
If it is pulling at you, then we deal with that together. But you do not stand there and let it win.
✓ Quest Accepted
Keep Kaelith from taking the sword
“I hold the sword out to show him it is not controlling me.”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +1)
Patch eases the sword out between them, steady and level, the black mist paling at her grip. Her burned palm stays open beneath the hilt, proof that her hand is still her own.
Kaelith’s eyes track the blade, then her face. He does not reach for it. The hard line in his jaw loosens by a fraction.
Kaelith
All right. That is better than a struggle.
The frost on the sword’s surface stays thick, but the mist no longer curls toward his hands. The ledge feels a little less like a trap.
Kaelith
Show me again if you need to. I would rather trust your hand than guess at the blade’s will.
Patch
The sword stays quiet in her grip.
Kaelith shifts aside half a step, leaving the exit slit open while he watches her, waiting for her next move.
Quest Complete
Keep Kaelith from taking the sword