<div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Whoops, didn't mean to hold up the game again. Time got away from me. As always, the amount of good writing Kitts and Sillyness can put out in a day puts me to shame.</div></div></div><br/><br/>It seemed, Xali noted, that Chelsea was slightly uncomfortable speaking to her. As always, Xali believed herself much better at concealing her intentions than she truly was, and she didn't consider that the cold, predatory look of appreciation she had given the innocent demi-anthro girl was inappropriate, so she put it out of her mind. She'd kept her voice perfectly even, kept her eyes focused; little did she realize that such focus had betrayed her rapacious daydreaming.<br/><br/>And it was a sweet daydream; Xali never hesitated to speculate how those she met might taste, and Chelsea and Veryn both had attributes that tickled her fancy. Considering that furry red tail slipping into her muzzle helped her work up an appetite for dessert.<br/><br/>Slightly disappointed that Kahimori didn't react noticeably to her flirtation with Alexei, Xali at least took solace in the fact that the wolf himself responded positively. "Oh my," she wrung her hands with a playful grin as she glanced in Kahimori's direction. "I don't know<span style="font-style: italic">what</span>you mean to insinuate, Kahimori. I intend to be entirely ~professional~ with Alexei." Of course, she wasn't merely a slave to her physical desires and nothing else. She was genuinely interested in how exactly he managed to work magic so effortlessly while armored as he did, and what his full capabilities were that she might complement them most effectively.<br/><br/>Whenever Xali mused on her formidable magical skills, she instinctively sought to stroke her ego. "You know, Kahimori, you're really quite fortunate to rely, as you do, on your strength and skill. It all comes naturally, does it not? Those like I and Alexei contort our thoughts in ways that are profoundly<span style="font-style: italic">un</span>natural, and so we must always bear in mind the theory which underlies our power. It takes a great deal of time every day to cement that power in our minds... thought it does have advantages. Suffice to say, we will be traveling in style and security. None of that lying around on the damp ground and sleeping in shifts of four hours while keeping watch for us."<br/><br/>Brushing a strand of hair from her face, Xali leans heavily into her seat as she waits for the drinks to arrive. As she watches, Brady and Kahimori discuss potential strategy for the strike. She grins smugly and flicks her tail, giving a thoughtful purr. "Harrrrrmm, yes, strategy. It is best we discuss this now, so I can ready the appropriate spells. I suspect we shall need every asset we have."<br/><br/>"It may be, Miss Brady, that this is, as you say, an amateur necromancer, but that seems unlikely. These undead have highly unusual characteristics, do they not? Regeneration, was it? That doesn't sound like the work of some apprentice. The one you destroyed might have been a lone scout, or these... things might be more difficult to control than other undead."<br/><br/>She leaned back in her seat. "I suggest we don't let our guard down as we approach the crypt. We should approach it slowly, as stealthily as possible." Folding her hands together, Xali closed her eyes as she again exalted her skill: "I have the capability to give myself, Alexei and Kahimori a cloak of invisibility. Brady, of course, needs no such help." she gave the charming lizard girl a gracious nod and knowing smile.<br/><br/>"Fortunately, it sounds like these undead are no smarter than any other, so that should be plenty to get us in to the crypt undetected. No doubt we'll be detected eventually... But, and I do hate to say this," she says with a short laugh, "I believe we should get as deep into the crypt as we can, as quickly as we can. A cramped, winding space like that will actually work to our advantage. We don't want to be caught in the open where a great horde can swarm all around us."<br/><br/>When Brady mentions the spellbook, Xali's eyes flash for a moment, betraying a hint of avarice. The only question was, did Xali only covet the reward money, or the dark knowledge itself? "Yes, we must focus on finding the necromancer first and foremost, and we shall certainly want to acquire that spellbook. Necromancy is not only useful for creating the living dead, but for controlling and even destroying them." She twirls her fingers idly. "Not that I shall need such things to deal with whatever dark creatures we find. When all else fails, the elegant simplicity of the Magic Missile and Fireball can deal with almost anything."