Fantasy Cursed Island

[Fangs9090]

Niudisa spoke up. "Jerry knows a few languages. I dunno if draconic is one though."

Shuffle looked at the treasure in her hands before glancing at the others. "Um... What's an egg?"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Adran facepalmed, "Joanne, explain, please," the elf turned on his heels to go for a walk, trying to figure out the situation.

"Shuffle," Joanne knelt down next to Shuffle and held out her hands for the egg. "An egg is... it is what a baby dragon turtle comes from. To the dragon turtle you stole it from, this is more valuable than anything else in existence."

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle looked at the egg again as she handed it over. "Oh... So, that's gonna make another one of those? But it's so small."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"That is because it is a baby," Joanne explained, cradling the egg, "When the turtlette hatches, it is going to be incredibly weak and vulnerable, like Asta when he is shrunk down. If it survives, it will grow, and become the same as the creature you met." She set the egg down on a folded bedroll. "In taking this egg, what you have done is the same as if someone kidnapped Jerry in front of Asta. The mother will not stop until either she retrieves her egg, or we are dead if it is destroyed."

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle put her ears down. "Oh... I didn't mean to do that, I just thought it was treasure."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"I know," Joanne put her hands on Shuffle's shoulders, "There is no way you could have known, but our actions have consequences, and unfortunately yours are rather dire. Under different circumstances I would agree with Adran and use Amdis to escape on the ethereal plane, but he is unable to conjure his horse, so we must deal with the turtle and hope she is forgiving, because we cannot fight a dragon turtle in the ocean. Not enough of us can breathe underwater or swim very well."

"Unh, my head hurts," Jerry winced and rubbed her temples inside the room. "Where am I?" The little dragon crystal clinked down to the ground. The tail didn't seem to be making much, if any progress. Perhaps the bandages were stretched a bit, but beyond that, nothing.

"Back at camp," Veo explained, "We're dealing with some things, so just calm down and get your head on straight."

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle nodded. "I can't fight it alone, I know that much. But we can't talk to it, can we?"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Joanne shrugged. "We may be able to, if the egg is returned and if Jerry speaks draconic." Joanne stood up and wrapped the egg in the bedroll, carrying it over her shoulder. "In the meantime, we must do what we can to prevent the egg's destruction."

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle nodded. “Alright. You’re better at guarding stuff than I am.” That reminded Shuffle of her larvis, and she quickly checked to make sure it was still in her shirt.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

The larvis didn't much like water, obviously, and was huddled and shaking.

"Oh, Jerry, you are awake," Joanne noted as Jerry hobbled out of the room, leaning on the doorway for support.

"Mm-hmm..." Jerry wiped at her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, do we have anything to eat?"

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle reached in and dug the larvis our of her cleavage, holding in her hands to gently breathe some flames onto it.

Emil looked over at Jerry. “We have our rations in the bag of holding, but that’s all for the moment.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

The Larvis squeaked, but opened its arms to receive Shuffle's flames. The fire seemed to vanish into the larvis' body, heating up the gold holding it together.

"Good, I'm starving," Jerry looked around for the bag, having missed the information that that was all they had.

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle kept up the fire for a few moments before stopping to see if that was enough.

Niudisa has her arms crossed as she watched Jerry look for the bag before glancing at the others. “Alright, who wants to fill her in?”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

The elemental seemed a bit more relaxed, hugging Shuffle's hands.

"Fill me in on what?"

"Adran can't summon food for you fools anymore," Emera piped up. She squeaked and dodged a knife flung at her, stabbing itself into the door just behind her.

"Who are you?", Jerry demanded.

"Bitch! I'm- oh, you're interesting," Emera looked Jerry up and down and smirked, "I bet you're having a rough week."

"Shut up."

 

[Fangs9090]

Niudisa spoke up. “That, is Adran’s liaison with his patron, except she’s currently banished right now, so she’s sticking around us. So far, I’m doubtful she’ll be useful.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"And what's she supposed to fill me in on?", Jerry still didn't see the connection.

"Asmodeus has canceled my contract," Adran said, coming back from his walk. "I can't summon any more food until I find another source of mana, unless one of you can cast a seventh branch conjuration spell."

"Only third level? That's what you work with?", Emera chuckled, "Man, you got screwed with your mana tiers. You should have negotiated better."

"Emera, make yourself useful or shut up, it doesn't take mana to perform an exorcism, and you know that." Emera flinched at the threat of being exorcised, and shut up.

"So we've got no food?", Jerry had her hand in the bag, dropped whatever she was reaching for back into it, and put it down. "That's just great." She shook her head, "And I don't suppose we have an alternative source?"

 

[Fangs9090]

Niudisa shook her head. “Not at the moment. Veo can produce fruit, but it’s too limited to really feed everyone. Ah, but don’t worry. That’s not the worst of our problems.” She gestured over towards Shuffle and Joanne. “That is.”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"What?", Jerry looked over at Joanne and her bundle, "What's the issue, here?" Joanne opened the bundle enough to reveal the egg within, making Jerry's eyes go wide. "Where did you get that?"

"Shuffle, through ignorance, took it from the nest," Joanne explained.

"Is the mama dead?", Jerry demanded. Joanne shook her head. "SHIT!"

"We know, it is a dire-"

"That's a dragon turtle egg! Dire doesn't describe how screwed we are! This isn't just another wyrm, Joanne, you should know that!"

"Yes, we were hoping you could speak draconic."

"Oh, I can speak it, but I don't think the mother is going to listen!"

 

[Fangs9090]

Emil looked at Jerry. "Surely you have a talent for speech? We just need to return the egg and explain that it was a simple misunderstanding."

Niudisa spoke up, pointing towards Emera. "Maybe we can hand her over as a peace offering. A little snack to calm the mama down."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"I have a thing for languages," Jerry corrected, "And trying to negotiate with a dragon turtle over her brood is a bad idea." Emera likewise didn't like the idea, flipping Niudisa the finger and sticking out her tongue.

 

[Fangs9090]

Niudisa returned the gesture, just without tongue.

"I wouldn't call it a negotiation as we have no intention of keeping the egg. We just don't want to get eaten while trying to return it to her."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Jerry facepalmed and winced as she pricked herself on her claws. "I don't think you understand what's going on, here. We're kidnappers! That's a baby! This is a hostage situation!"

"Yes, but this hostage does not help us-"

"Exactly! Unless Niudisa can cast Invisibility or someone else has a way to go ethereal-"

"I can do that!", Emera chuckled, "But you guys are on your own, I can't take passengers."

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle looked over at Jerry. "You're really good at hiding. Can you sneak past and just put it back?"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

To that, Jerry just pointed at her tail. "Saltwater, open injury, I will not be hiding for long."

"Niudisa, come here," Adran called, "I've got an idea."

 

[Fangs9090]

"Oh, right."

Niudisa looked over at Adran before fluttering to him. "Whatcha got?"