Lae’zel had survived the nautiloid only to wake suspended above the forest floor in a crude cage, captured by two wary tieflings who argued beneath her over whether to kill her, question her, or leave her for the goblins. To them, the strange yellow warrior was dangerous prey; to Lae’zel, they were frightened fools wasting precious time while the tadpole burrowed deeper into her skull.

Then she spotted a familiar figure approaching through the trees—the one who had fought beside her aboard the burning ship.

Their parasites stirred at once. For a heartbeat, distance vanished and their thoughts pressed together with sickening intimacy. Lae’zel fixed them with a hard, commanding stare.

“Get rid of them.”