He had seen fire before, so he expected fire again. However, the cultists demanded a different response, so his adamantine turtle shield was used to sweep the room. He did warn Whisper first to jump back above with a thought, so the claymore wouldn't hurt her. He was rather fond of his mount. Once the metal ball bearings had cleared the room, he moved forward, bracing to let the elemental attack wash over him, rather than scramble for the exit or try to climb the ladder.