Impetitus batted aside a thrust from Verene and raised his blade to return a sharp jab. The mage thief became shadowy and teleported rapidly away from the Templar's attack. She re-materialized a few meters in front of him. Growling, Impetitus made ready to press his attack.

"Fool! The Chalice is missing!" Verene cried.

Impetitus stopped but suspiciously kept his guard up. Holding his sword in two hands before him, the Templar moved to a safe distance and then glanced at the ground. He noticed the Chalice was indeed missing. Having no reason to fight each other, the two lowered their weapons.

"We need a truce. Let's work together to claim the Chalice," the Templar offered.

"I work alone," Verene hissed.

"There will still be a reward."

"A smaller reward if I return the Chalice with you."

"I do not care for the reward. I do this for the glory," the Templar said with a wave of a gauntleted hand.

"The Church will not give me the full reward if you return the Chalice. Why would they give you the glory if they still need to spend money?"

"A smaller reward is still better than no reward."

"That is true," Verene agreed, and recognizing that time was wasting, she extended a black-gloved hand.

The two shook. "You must swear on your magic," the Templar demanded while holding her hand.

Verene's face darkened as she inwardly cursed herself. Swearing on her magic was not an issue. The art didn't care if a cheater weaved spells or an honest woman. However, Impetitus was a Templar. An annoying curse follows when one breaks a promise with them. She sighed. She can figure out how to break the curse if necessary. Or, take a smaller reward. She cringed at that.

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"I do so swear," she said, and the two completed their handshake.

Before exiting the hut, the Templar remembered something. He went over to the dying chieftain and touched him with a glowing blue hand. Some wounds were healed, but the chieftain was still badly hurt.

"What are you doing?" The mage thief snarled.

"Leverage," the tall Templar responded and hoisted the chieftain up with his massive arms.

The two exited the hut. Verene held her sword with one hand, and her other hand was prepared to cast spells. Outside, arrayed before the tent, were over a dozen armed goblins. Many of them appeared to be young children.

"We only want the Chalice. We have spared your chieftain," Impetitus's voice boomed.

"Do they even understand you?" Verene asked.

"Yes, we understand you well, human," an older goblin with an eyepatch said.

"Good. Give us the Chalice, and we will leave," Impetitus demanded.

"It is gone."

"You know what I am capable of, goblin. Do not test me."

"We know what you were capable of. Your powers have been expended, Templar," the one-eyed goblin said confidently.

"Leave!" The Shaman cried with a thick accent.

The armed goblins parted, allowing a path for the two humans to exit. The one-eyed goblin motioned them onward with his heavy two-handed club. The warrior hefted it with ease.

"Where is the Chalice?" Impetitus demanded again. He held his sword in front of him.

Verene mumbled an incantation, and her left hand was engulfed in black shadows. She held her sword easily in her right hand. The two did not appear to be willing to leave without either a fight or the information they asked for.

"Think of your young ones, old warrior," Verene said.

"Our guardians have taken it deeper into the Wastelands. Into the Dungeon," the one-eyed goblin hissed.

"There are many dungeons. Which one?" Impetitus asked, but Verene placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I know where they went. Let us leave," Verene said quietly into his ear.

The two humans walked, with their backs toward each other, out of the village.