Lloyd wanted to protest being pulled away from the door, but the truth was that he had very little energy to resist when Lee gently but firmly directed him to sit down. In fact, once he was sitting, it was an effort of will even to keep upright. He just wanted to lay down, he was so tired. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to sit this one out and recover a little of his strength. He could always get back up if they needed his help.

They didn't. When Lee shoved again and Flora used a wind magic technique he'd never seen before, the door groaned and the hinges snapped, bits of wood splintering where they'd been attached. Suddenly it didn't matter that the doors were still locked, because one whole half wrenched away from the other and toppled outward under the sheer force of the combined impacts.

Exhausted or not, Lloyd's spirits soared, and hope gave him the energy he needed to climb back to his feet. "All right!" he cheered. "Let's get out of here! I don't know about you guys... but I don't want to stick around to see... who heard us." He still felt a little winded, and it showed in his voice, but determination kept his stride almost steady as he stepped through the doors and outside.

[To here.]