The whole party stood before the Light Tree, its soft glow spilling over armor, cloth, and polished weapons. The mood from the room had already faded.
Now that they were here, with the dungeon entrance waiting and everyone's gear in place, the mood had changed. Chairs and food were behind them. This was the part that mattered.
Ao Tenshin sat on Martin's shoulder with the tiny seriousness of a general inspecting her troops, though at her current size she fit there a lot less neatly than before. Martin had one hand up the whole time to steady her and keep her from sliding off. When his palm settled more firmly against her side, she puffed up proudly and planted both little hands on his shoulder as if accepting her post. Her little head turned from one woman to another, as if making sure everyone had truly caught up to the decision she had already made for them.
