"I need him alive. Stow that blade or you will see just how messy things can get."

"Promises, promises. I have more pressing business. Now, I saw you on the ship, didn't I?"

The way that Cayden's fighting works, as far as he can tell, is that the more cool stuff he does, the more luck he gets when he's doing even more cool stuff. And Cayden has been doing a lot of cool stuff today. 

Cayden twists, knocks the elf's feet out from under him, grabs the elf's sword, and points it at his throat.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you."

This was not meant to happen, this was so very much not meant to happen. "Well, I could try to spin this as proof I'd be an asset to whatever piratical kidnapping association you're from?"

The tadpole twists. You see a flash from his eyes-- prowling dark city streets, noises unnaturally loud in the night.

"What was-- they didn't take you, too?!"

"I have a tadpole in my brain. I have kidnapped people, but the kidnappees were always enthusiastic about it. While I've been a pirate in the past, right now I don't have a boat, because I have been on this plane for an hour, which is a fact that's leaving me confused about why you want to kill me specifically. Therefore, I'm suspicious you'd have tried to kill anyone who stopped by, including people who can't take care of themselves. Therefore, at present I'm inclined to run you through with a sword for being a bandit. So explain yourself."

This is called Deductive Reasoning. Cayden learned about it from wizards. 

"Trust me, no,  you're special. I saw you on the ship, and had every reason to believe you were working for the slimy little things."

Cayden drops his sword and offers the man a hand up. "Cayden Cailean."

"Astarion. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, if you'll let bygones by bygones."

"Not a problem. We've got a bit of a party going here-- Shadowheart's a cleric, I hit things with swords."

"Excellent, as long as no one starts flinging magic at us, we'll be fine."

"We're heading to the cave, Shadowheart needs healing. You?"

"Surprisingly uninjured for falling out of the sky, actually.  It's convenient."

"Well, you're welcome to come along if you don't have anywhere else to be."

Does he have anywhere else he needs to be? ...no. For this brief, shining moment, he gets to decide where he needs to be. 

It's heady.

"Strength in numbers is always good."

To the cave we go!

(It hasn't occurred to Cayden Cailean that he doesn't get to add people to the party unilaterally.)

Shadowheart has no objections, in any case. 

On the way to the cave, Cayden could choose to investigate the broken human-size traps, or the glowing rune with a hand sticking out of it. 

If there's one thing Cayden has learned in his life, it's that weird glowing runes are always interesting and it's always a good idea to poke them. 

The runes are glowing and fizzing erratically. The hand seems to be alive as well,  which is...interesting?

A man's voice: "A hand? Anyone?"

"If I pull you out are you going to try to murder me?"

There's a spluttering noise. "Why would I try to kill someone who just rescued me?"

"Gee, I wonder, Astarion."

Cayden attempts to yank the hand as a good first step.

And out pops a wizard! 

The sigil calms into something that's glowing but not sparking.

He stumbles out, picks himself up, and brushes off his robes. "Oof. I'm Gale, of Waterdeep. Apologies, I'm usually better than this."

"I'm in the same boat. Cayden Cailean, I stab things. Did you also get kidnapped by mind flayers and then fall out of an airship?"