The tent group moved quickly, maintaining a brisk and silent pace through the somber halls of the paynim barrow. Caine, Absolom and Titus brought up the rear of the subdued band, the POG and Optio helping the Skeleton to stay on his feet. His throat was still ragged from his bout of wailing, his scars burned as if freshly opened, and the blood that had wept from his Foci seemed to have been drawn from within his veins. Lightheaded and stumbling, the likelihood of him ever making it out of the barrow without assistance was approximately nil.<br/><br/>"It's strange." Absolom finally rasped, gasping for breath as the party pressed on through tunnels that seemed to lengthen with every step. His companions glanced at him quizzically.<br/><br/>"I remember all these passageways. We<span style="font-style: italic">did</span>pass through them. But we also should have come out by now. I'm sure we didn't travel for this long the first time around, and that there were a lot less turnings. We've come to nearly a dozen intersections, but before we only had to pass through two."<br/><br/>He drew up short, pulling the POG and Titus back a few steps from the still-advancing party.<br/><br/>"And that place was sacred to the Deep Ones. They sacrificed our men to that thing - Dagon, Cthullu, whatever the hell it's name was. This whole barrow should be swarming with them, or at the very least have a few fishes skulking in the corners. And yet we've gone unmolested for nearly an hour."<br/><br/>Palid eyes narrowed behind smokey chips of glass,  gaunt lips drawing back in a snarl.<br/><br/>"Commander, can you still feel the presence of your god? Because I cannot feel the Veil here. Even in Ms. Caine's presence, that should not be possible. She merely stills it, she does not destroy it."<br/><br/>Caine grimaced, tugging Absolom forward.<br/><br/>"Whatever the case, let's keep moving. Don't want to be lost in this place with just the three of us now do we?"