Ethan examined the stake that he held in his hands, and moved it around in different angles to get the feel of it, while his ears tuned themselves into Siannodell's reply. The thought of dispatching more than a handful of undead deep in some ruins outside of the town and finding the leading vampire and putting this stake through it's heart lifted Ethan's skeptisicm more so now, and he took a deep breath trying to weigh up the options he had. He examined the tip of the stake, and tapped the wood on the floor as if to gauge the sturdiness and reliability of the object. Tough enough, he guessed, tough enough to impale the body of a vampire after a so-called "powerful artifact" His eyes focused upon the high priestess again as she explained what she wanted them to do. He furrowed a brow cautiously at her when she said that she was planning on assigning them to find the artifact but changed her mind and thought it *better* and *safer* to send them after a dangerous undead denizen, a she-vampire. ....And that would be enough? True enough, he assumed thereafter, powerful artifacts were guarded by powerful forces, and fighting those would make hunting a vampire seem like child's play.  Familiar blond hair swept over shoulders came into his pheripheral sight, and he shook his head at Tessa when she abruptly injected her snide comment at Siannodell. "Manners..." he muttered low under his breath, but of course he could have encouraged her to open her untamed mouth when he initiated "Blunt Business" with Sia moments before, but Tessa had a knack for "speaking her mind" when most inappropriate, and he began to wonder how long it would take for him to want to extend a hand and smack her upside the head if she overdid it. He never hit a lady, but god, she sometimes acted like a child, and there was a difference between the two. Turning his attention back to the High Priestess, He was about to chuckle and nod in agreement to Sia's comment on their unwillingness to help out of charity, but he did so inwardly, his face still remaining calm and still as he listened to her. He paid closer attention after she spoke on funds. It was true - their church was a small set-up, and now smaller still, but surely they had more tithing money than a mere 50 gold coins. Not much he could do right now to negotiate for more, and he wouldn't press for more that would cause strain on their behalf. He sighed and looked down at the bread-loaf sized chest of gold coins. That would be enough, considering the circumstances, and the mission would give him a chance to go treasure-hunting. Hell, it could even give him the oh so grand reputation he had been training and working for, something that to him was more valuable than money in some ways. "Okay" he nodded at last, looking down at the small chest. He opened his mouth again to speak, but then Bryce put in some words. He narrowed his eyes some at him, his altruism getting up his nostrils. "Pussy..." he thought to himself, giving a smirk to the young man. He would interject and tell Bryce that a church was a business just as much as their help in clearing undead was a business, in a way. People will pay the church for their services, and the church would pay us for our services as well. But again, he kept his mouth shut, thinking it all the better for himself... more in the cut for him... but then was Tessa as well, and by the sounds of things she would also do this if she had something to gain from it, and he assumed it would be the gold, oblivious to her ambition in becoming an apprectice to Mistress Starsinger. "I'll do it" he said with a flat smile "The small chest of gold is fine. The potions will definately be needed to. Keep the chest for now. We'll be back for it when we clear the ruins of the undead." and he looked to his travelling companions, especially at Tessa, who he didn't view as his "employer" anymore, considering their last transaction would technically be null by now. He looked at her, waiting for her trademark roll of the eyes or her flaunting motions that preceded a snobbish comment.