You stare at the barghests, trying to spot something that can give you some kind of edge. As far as you can see, there's nothing: nothing but razor-sharp teeth, white stares, and slavering jaws hanging open. There's a certain quality about all of it that draws the eye.
Then, as though out of a desire to look at something, anything, but the demonic beasts bearing down on you, you look up.
Hanging from the ceiling, as though out of a desire to preserve space in a room that possesses otherworldly physical boundaries, is a large collection of gym apparatus. A rope, anchored to the floor several paces from you, appears to be responsible for keeping it there.
You look at the suspended load up above. You look back at the barghests, edging closer towards you.
You look at the rope.
"Max?" you say quietly. "Bite through the rope."
Almost before you've finished the sentence, Max has thrown himself past you, bounding towards the rope. With both hands, he grasps the line, his muscles straining as he heaves at it.
The cord breaks. With a yelp of surprise, Max soars into the air, dragged by one section of the severed rope. And in obedience to the principle of "as above, so below," a large amount of gymnastic equipment crashes to the gym floor, burying the barghests without a trace.
After a few moments, Max drops down from the ceiling, landing lightly on his hands and feet.
"Quick thinking," he says, looking at the mass of destroyed gym equipment. "You're in for a right shouting at when Lady Rastan sees this place, though." He smiles, as though cheered by the notion. "Come on," he says. "Let's get back."
You and Max move back towards the foyer, Max leaving a trail of barghest blood behind him.
You're the last to arrive in the foyer—obviously the others haven't had as much trouble. They look at you, though without much hope.
"Any joy?" Sonia asks.
"No one in the gym," Max announces. "Just three barghests looking for a fight." He shrugs. "At least we picked up my stash."
An uneasy silence follows this pronouncement.
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