Nicote reached the troll king-dude (whatever you'd call a huge, overwieght, angry troll that's holding the thing you need). Jumping up, he drove a blade into the rock the troll was seated on, landing just shy of the edge. He shot a flaming phoenix into the air and sent an icy bear at the troll's feet. He didn't have much tiem to grab the stone (and defeat the troll) before he'd collaspse.....

.....Nicote drove ablade into the troll's writst. The troll tried to slam him; he dodged, barely missing.

"This would be a great time to do something epic!" he yelled, stabbing the troll again (but not seeming to do much damage). The troll still held the sotne, which was starting to glow bright orange and vibrate-two bad things.

Astrana looked at Nicote and quietly she made sure she was completely vanished before going to Nicote's side.

Suddenly, Taeri's eyes began to glow. The stone started jerking the troll's hand back and forth. Then it flew out of the troll's grip, and stopped in front of Taeri. The glow of hir eyes intensified, and the trolls started panicking.
(The stone has joined its magic with Taeri's magic, making them one unit.)

Nicote absently noted Astrana's appearance. Seeing Taeri had the stone, he took the troll's confusion and took his chance. Flinging his blades at the troll, he grabbed 5 other stones out of his pouch and tossed them up, yelling, "Keep your eyes away from the center!"

The stones flew up and transformed into images of 5 hideous beasts. Nicote grabbed Astrana's hand and jumped off the rock, grabbing his weapens on the way down.

The images flew up and hit the celling, making the cave start to shake. Nicote grabbed the Stone of Fear/Taeri (he's on adrenaline right now guys) and yelled, "RUN!"

(Oh and I might want to warn you that Nicote is probably gonna collaspe in a page or two....he's been using a bunch of energy and like Astrana he can disolve if he's not careful, but instead of light he becomes shadow)

Taeri ran, hir wings aiding her, the stone keeping pace with hir.
'You do know I could immobilize them, right?' the stone whispered in Taeri's mind.

As if he could hear the stone, Nicote shouted, "Don't listen to it! It's cursed!"

Astra jumped. "Come on, we've got to go.' she said. She could feel Nicote starting to turn into shadows and she gripped him tighter. "You're not fading on me." she said sternly to him.

This time directing its voice toward Nicote, the stone said, No, I am not. I I and my kin are cursed, why do you insist upon collecting us?'

Nicote gritted his teeth, Astrana seeming to help anchor him. "We're almost at the cave entrance, just got this....oof!" He stumbled over a rock. "Got...to....keep...moving...."

He was getting annoyed at the stone. He'd tell his companions why he kept collecting later.
When he wasn't busy trying not to collapse. He had reason (Base, this kinda involves the thing I sent you...)

(And now youknow what's in his head 24/7. No wonder he can never sleep at night....)

(Wait, is the entrance still blocked?!)

(Yeah no one unblocked it, I think...)

Astra pulled on Nicote sending light through her hands. "Come on, you got this." She looked around for Alcove. "Can you unblock the entrance?"