Fantasy Setting Summer Dawn

[LazyDaze]

Iolas was truly happy to see everyone again after believing it was truly the end. He even shot Alistair a thankful grin. He had his doubts, but in a strange way seeing their torn faces both jubilated and ate at him simultaneously. That was when Azaria spoke, through her choking tears. Iolas guiltily looked away from a moment and then returned her gaze as he searched for some sarcastic, or sardonic phrase to remedy the situation as she wrapped her arms around him. The only thing Iolas was able to do was return the embrace...silence was enough to say what needed to be said. When she pulled away, it was as if he could read her cluttered thoughts...what he apparently meant to her. Once again he looked away as he searched for the right words. There were none.

"Azaria...I-," Without warning their lips touched and Iolas immediately tensed up. His eyes wide open. He thought of pushing her away, pulling away, or even feigning unconsciousness. In the end, as much as he fought the gesture, he couldn't bring himself to do any of those things. All he could do was accept those feelings, and return them. It was a relatively brief, although it felt as if time failed to exist only for that instant. Iolas slowly pulled away and then leaned his forehead against hers, reveling in the sweet silence for only a moment before speaking. "Thank you Azaria...," Iolas said softly with an unusual stoic expression as he closed his eyes. These were tears he could accept. After a few moments he then glanced to the side as his usual devious smirk returned. Even after all that had happened he still had the wherewithal to observe his surroundings.

"...Think you can stand. I do believe we are losing our audience," he whispered devilishly as he moved to help her up. His ribs hurt like hell, and breathing was a chore, but he did not show it...he had already put everyone through enough emotional turmoil. Iolas made a quick scan of the area to make sure everyone else was alright before sheathing his swords. He did his best to straighten his hair and gave Azaria a smile once more to reassure her that he was not going to keel over. That was when he heard Desrick shout a warning from a far. Iolas released a sigh for the ages as he placed a hand on the hilt of his blade, ready for another adversary; however, it would only be a lighting mechanism. Iolas, who had caught up to the group by now, observed the markings...pondering the story they told.

"...None of it makes sense.." Iolas started. Looking at the group before continuing to observe the pillars. Suddenly, he remembered what Crow and Lohr had been working on before he invited Crow to shop for gifts. Iolas was not particularly invested in their project at the time, but it seemed to be related to the markings. His mind then shot to the midnight crystals that stole the light. "Crow...what was that experiment you performed with the plants," Iolas stated without moving his eyes from the spectacle before him. He could only hope he would finish his train of thought, but Crow was always good at that sort of thing. He was going to ask Desrick about the number of known white crystals in Cyndara, however, when he scanned the group for Desrick, his eyes doubled back to Pyrrhus when something seemed off. Pyrrhus, much like himself, did not make it out completely unscathed. "Pyrrhus...you leg," Iolas said solemnly as if Pyrrhus himself did not realize it.

Naberius Flutterby SilverFlight Lioness075 Zazz Goonfire

 

[Goonfire]

“I will examine that scratch when we find a dry piece of land,” Crow pressed with a tinge of affection. As per Desrick’s request, he squeezed past a few others, relaxing so he could focus on his spell and lead the way into the chamber. The sound of an unsteady gait reached his ears, though he assumed Pyrrhus had merely sustained a gash to the leg.

The flash of fire dancing along the sconces revealed a room with such intricate carvings, clearly predating recent history. "There was no formal experiment," Crow reminded Iolas. "We simply observed Sumennan trees glowing, indicating both sides share the same flora." Following that, he attempted to make sense of the meaning in each sculpture. “Now, let me see. We have... seven dragons,” he counted under his breath. “Hm... are they carrying the sun? That seems odd, but... Wait.” He scurried further inside to look at the round stones. “Seven light... and seven dark... plus seven dragons... Seven noble houses!” More speculation spewed forth. “Perhaps each house has something to do with this... but then... if there are seven dark stones in Sumenna...”

Amongst his pacing, Crow whipped around without warning. “How many major hubs of civilization are in Cyndara?” He looked to the others for answers, but as his gaze trailed over to his eishar, a grisly sight greeted him. He wanted to shout, but he barely restrained such an obvious reaction, as it was now immediately clear Pyrrhus didn’t want to raise a fuss. ‘Please, no one else notice,’ he thought, not a second before Iolas pointed out the broken leg. The half-faerie’s knees weakened noticeably at the mention of it. “I-I can fix this...” he sputtered, more than a mere hint of doubt welling up.

SilverFlight LazyDaze

 

[SilverFlight]

Pyrrhus, being found out, sank to the floor slowly.
"Ah, yes...it...may be a little more than a scratch."
Desrick looked around, concern furrowing his brow.
"Do what you can for him Crow."

The pictures were puzzling.
"There are more than seven noble houses." Crispin added. "But for the main ones, there are only three."
"But, there are seven crystals." Pyrrhus said. "Seven light crystals in Cyndara."
"You don't think there are seven dark as well?" Crispin asked him
"And the dragons?" Desrick spoke again.
Pyrrhus gave it some thought. "Wait, the dragon bell...it's clapper, the object that strikes the iron to sound the bell...it was made from one of those crystals."
"Seven crystals of light and dark...and seven dragons." Desrick mused. "We found one of them, didn't we."
Crispin made a high pitched noise. "You are implying, brother, that there are seven of them?"
"And that the crystals might play a role in waking them yes, but look at this picture here, doesn't it look like they are holding the sun?"
Crispin looked, and so did Pyrrhus. "Yes?"
Desrick looked at his brother pointedly. "So are they holding it up? Or holding it in place?"

As the discussions went on, Pyrrhus turned his attention to his injury, giving Crow a grateful look, but there was something else in it too:
"Eishar, listen to me...you can heal this, but it would take more energy than you could spare, you would need days to recover, and likely I would still not be in fighting shape....we can do only one thing now...Crow, you must leave me here. The group still needs a healer."

Zazz Goonfire Naberius Baconhands Lioness075 Flutterby LazyDaze

 

[Zazz]

Azaria followed the rest, sticking close to Iolas, her hand on his back protectively. Though she worried for him, her cold, neutral mask had returned. She could hear the lilt in the centaur's steps, but could not see what was going on.

Until the light. Iolas spoke gravely, and Crow looked just about how she had felt upon seeing Iolas's lifeless body. She cursed under her breath and came up behind Crow, eyeing Pyrrhus's leg. "Nonsense, we're not leaving you here to die," she scoffed. Azaria put a hand on Crow's shoulder. "I can set the bone and wrap it, but... Do you still have the stones I gave you?"

 

[SilverFlight]

Azaria followed the rest, sticking close to Iolas, her hand on his back protectively. Though she worried for him, her cold, neutral mask had returned. She could hear the lilt in the centaur's steps, but could not see what was going on.

Until the light. Iolas spoke gravely, and Crow looked just about how she had felt upon seeing Iolas's lifeless body. She cursed under her breath and came up behind Crow, eyeing Pyrrhus's leg. "Nonsense, we're not leaving you here to die," she scoffed. Azaria put a hand on Crow's shoulder. "I can set the bone and wrap it, but... Do you still have the stones I gave you?"

"Oh skies Azaria," Pyrrhus almost laughed, if it wouldn't have caused him pain. "Nothing so dramatic. I can heal myself, but slowly. I can catch up in a day or two, if you leave a trail for me to follow, carve markings into the rock. You haven't any time to spare, and I advise you to keep as many resources as you can. There's no telling what will happen once the Myst queen hears what you have to say. If you are going to prevent all out war, you'd best have everything in your corner. I would, appreciate help setting the bone though."
Zazz Goonfire

 

[Goonfire]

The thought of leaving Pyrrhus to fend for himself was unthinkable at first. Crow opened his mouth to protest but held back when Azaria stepped in. “I was saving them for an emergency just like this,” he confirmed. “I also have something that may be of use.” When fishing through this bag, he stopped with a quiet “Aha”. He produced a bottle of alcohol; the barely legible text on the wet, faded label suggested it was the stuff one drank to drown their sorrows in a hurry. “We have little else in the way of medicine. Consuming a bit of this should numb the pain while we set that bone. If I can mend that somewhat, the rest of it and the superficial damage will be easier for you.”

Continuing the unpacking, he lined up other relevant items: the mana stones, drenched bandages, soaked needle and thread, and a lantern that may or may not contain suitable oil. “Most of this is ruined,” he sighed. His tough facade wavered until he could maintain it no longer. “I... I fear what may happen if we leave you here,” Crow finally admitted as his shoulders slumped, conveying uncertainty for a change. “Anyone or anything could come this way. These stones are helpful, but a good man—nay, a great man—is worth more than a few resources. United, we have the most essential things in our corner.”

SilverFlight Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Azaria took the alcohol away promptly. "Alcohol and centaurs don't mix well," she informed the half-fae, instead opening the bottle and pouring a small amount on her hands. She glanced around the room, finding Lohrithe holding up his removed shirt to the fire. "We can dry these off by the fire. Quit being hopeless sobs. We are not leaving Pyrrhus behind."

Leaving Crow to deal with the wet supplies, Azaria approached the centaur and knelt to examine his leg. "Desrick, I need you to hold him up."

 

[Naberius]

Alistair

Alistair, as was his usual pattern, followed along slightly behind the others, still weary of having people be knew little to nothing about wandering around behind him. His subconscious kept screaming at him for it. The room they came to was interesting to say the least. He had dropped back in a defensive posture when the alert was given but quickly regained his normal stature and examined the area with the others nearby. Some were checking over the injured, others drying their things by the large fire. He decided to forgo both options, and instead made a slow circuit around the room, taking in everything. He wasn't sure if the choice he made was because of the tactical advantage of knowing where they were, or simply to put distance between himself and the company he found himself in.

Things certainly aren't boring around them, at the very least.


Zazz Goonfire SilverFlight Baconhands Lioness075 Flutterby LazyDaze

 

[Goonfire]

"R-right..." Crow quickly corrected himself and set aside the liquor. He would memorize that key fact eventually. "I wonder what other chambers are hidden down here. Imagine, tablets containing lost magic techniques." He stood next to a sconce, letting the heat dry him and his items while Azaria made her own preparations.

 

[Flutterby]

Ora let Crispin wrap her in a clammy embrace, clutching the back of his shirt tightly until she felt ready to let go. Or at least halfway- they couldn't stand in this spot for too long. They needed to move on, both in case this area had been destabilized as well, and to search for their exit. She stayed near him as they walked, and murmured a soft agreement when he noticed the carved rock.
"First thing you do at this depth is carve another exit, maybe even air shafts. If we can find our way out, we may still be okay."

Ora started at the warning and the fire, but her annoyance at another scare soon vanished.
In answer to Desrick's wonderment, she said softly, "I think this is the story of our worlds splitting apart."

They didn't get to look at it long. Pyrrhus had hidden it so well- she had assumed it was some kind of severe muscle injury, from the way his gait had felt in the darkness. But it was a break, clear as it would have been on the surface, now that the fire had been lit.
Ora frowned and bit her lip. If a mine pony had sustained such an injury..
She watched as Azaria and Crow scrambled to his aid, and the story on the walls danced in the back of her mind.

Seven of each stone, seven dragons. Ora thought, maybe, the number of houses existing now didn't matter much. Long ago, they would have been different. But maybe.. the races hadn't changed much. There were humans, light elves, drow, orcs, and elves she thought might be wood elves shown clearly in the pictures. If you added dwarves to that, it was at least six major races. Were the dragons the seventh, or another, like fairies or werebeasts? Either way, Ora set her mind on seven races, with seven settlements, rather than seven houses as they understood them.
The tales of the dwarves painted dragons as fierce protectors of treasures, but also of the natural order- there were codes of nature that all beings were held to, and dragons were the keepers of this code. Some believed that was the true reason Dwerstand was supposed to be ruined by the dragon- they had stolen the riches, yes, but also bent nature and other races to their will. Those were the stories whispered by the lower classes- that one day the dragon would wake and bring the nobles to their knees in payment of their cruelty.
Were the dragons the protectors of the crystals, the pattern of life they created?
And what of the sun? Were they holding it up, or holding it in place? What did this imply about where it came from? Was it.. a ball of dragon-fire?

Ora spared the walls another look, as Crispin and Desrick started to banter about the pictures. "I think they are.. maybe putting it in place. If the crystals existed in pairs, there would be no need for the sun. The light crystal in Delan dimmed during the rest-marks, so.. Light would come from one, dark from the other, in some kind of.. rhythm of life. Seven pairs of crystals, spread across the world, to control the light and dark. If the crystals were lost.. or hidden.. the sun would need to be in the sky, to make our lands different.. I dont know why you would want it that way, though. Maybe the dragons are.. enforcing some kind of law.. fixing a system that stopped working.."

She glanced up at Crispin, realizing her musing wasn't necessary right then, and then at the group around Pyrrhus. "We can't linger too long here. We're still not far enough from the collapse, this section could be unstable now. We need to find a way to keep moving."

 

[SilverFlight]

Pyrrhus reached out and placed a gentle hand on Crow's cheek.
"Eishar, you are my sky, and the stars that light my way, I will always find you again."
He watched the alcohol changed hands and chuckled.
"Not the time or place...I am...a lot to handle after drink, you might see one day."

Desrick obliged his friend. He came over and braced Pyrrhus' leg, but not before giving him the leather strap of his ave harness to bite down on for the pain.
"Euch, do you ever wash this?"
"...No."
He gave a nod to Azaria. He was ready.

Crispin had no stomach for setting bones, so he sidled away.
He looked at the central figure, surrounded by the crystals, and the dragon overhead. The figure's hand was up, almost as if he was...commanding them.
"Lassard has managed to collect almost all of the crystals." He said loud enough for the room to hear.
"You don't think...he means to try and summon all seven dragons at once...do you? Dragons like the one you saw underneath Dwerstand? Creatures that size could level a city in the blink of an eye, that sort of power in the hands of someone like Lassard...and he means to make war on all of Cyndara..."

There was a set of steps, hidden in shadow, in the corner of the chamber. That was the way out.

Zazz Goonfire Naberius Baconhands Lioness075 Flutterby LazyDaze

 

[Zazz]

Lohrithe gathered up Meera and Leandra still soaking wet, and steered them near the fire in the middle of the room. "Here, you can warm up and dry off." He knew the rest of the way would be cold and damp. Coming up to Iolas, he clapped the man on the back and smiled kindly, his green irises twinkling in the firelight over his black sclera. "You should come warm up, too. You've had quite the adventure."

Lioness075 Baconhands LazyDaze

Meanwhile, Azaria positioned herself to reset the bone. She had done it before, both on herself and others; usually people treated poorly on the streets. The halfling elf looked up at Pyrrhus, the leather bit in his mouth. "Ready? On three. Three-" The uncomfortable sound of the bone being put back into place echoed about the chamber, the countdown having been a lie. Azaria grimaced and pulled away, standing and giving the centaur's equine shoulder a pat. "There you go. Crow, it's all you."

SilverFlight Goonfire

 

[Flutterby]

Ora grimaced as they tried to set Pyrrhus right. It was horrid, and who knows if it would truly work? All she knew was she wanted out of the cavern, out of Lassard's trap- out of Lassard's war.

She turned and looked at the picture that Crispin had latched on to, and gave a small nod with an accompanying frown.
"I think you very well could be right, Crispin." She murmured, as she did her own mental math. Lassard certainly was collecting crystals at an alarming rate, did he really have almost all of them already? Her head hurt, but she knew he had at least one pair already- the light crystal stolen while they defended Delan, and one of the dark crystals he held now. Could he wake only one of the dragons at a time, with a pair? One dragon would be enough to end them all.

Ora felt a pit settle in her stomach, and had to look away from the old art. In the clicker of the firelight, she caught sight of the edge of a wall, across the cavern. It looked like the tunnel continued in that direction, but she didn't move toward it. They needed to set Pyrrhus right, first.. or figure out who would be staying behind with him.

 

[LazyDaze]

At this point Iolas was simply battling with his own conscious as the others speculated and theorized what he already feared. In fact; they ventured to a place far from the comfort of denial. Azaria broke him out of his mental loop, urging him to get by the fire with a familiar smile. It was only at that moment that he realized he was actually pretty cold. Iolas had been in more compromising conditions; nevertheless, he smiled back. "...Hmm, I suppose my debut as a mermaid can wait, fire it is then," Iolas teased as he tried to blow one his now drooping bangs away from his face to no avail.

While Azaria went to work on Pyrrhus, his smile faded once again as he thought about Lassard AND the power over the dragons. He was already resourceful enough without a potential apocalyptical artifact. Eventually, he would become to powerful to realistically take on. Iolas' mind continued to race back to the question at hand, no matter which way his inner dialogue took him. Would Lassard really be able to control the dragons? Furthermore, if he could display such power...set an example, or so they say, then potential allies would definitely have a tough choice to make. Iolas wouldn't be able to blame anyone for falling in line at that point. He gave Ora and Crispin a look of mutual confusion and then shrugged his shoulders. He could brood over the circumstances and potentials of this finding, but now wasn't the time. Besides all he would be doing was reiterating, or worse, adding concerns that could not be answered by the party. "I am certain we are all flabbergasted by this finding, however, simply formulating endless questions void of answers is counter productive. For now, let's focus on what we can do," Iolas punctuated his statement by glancing at their salvation...hopefully. They had a way out. Pyrrhus seemed to be pretty banged up, and as an experience healer, Pyrrhus must have known about his own condition better than most which is why he suggested being left behind. "...Will we be splitting up again," Iolas said as he unconsciously looked toward Desrick.

Flutterby Goonfire Zazz Naberius Baconhands Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (20/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass, Sketchbook, Charcoal Pieces

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

Leandra was engrossed in petting Falarion and was just about to start speaking to him when someone else spoke first. Instinctively, Leandra jumped a foot or two into the air, before landing on all fours, her eyes wide and her fur would have been standing on end if she had not been wearing her leather attire and hood. Trying to look up from the ground, Leandra sheepishly realized her hood was completely concealing her face and she could not see who had spoken to her.
Feeling increasingly awkward, Leandra quickly stood up on her hind legs and pushed back her hood to see the masked man who had joined their fight yesterday. She knew nothing about him and had not interacted with him as of yet. She knew he delved in shadow magic and had witnessed the brutality of his magic recently. Remembering how he had so calmly taken a life, Leandra took a step back from him before realizing that she was already against the tunnel wall. She gulped and then rubbed the back of her neck before responding, "Ah, h-hi. Um, I don't know how to swim, so...I think I flooded my lungs back there. But I didn't drown like the other guy did, so...there's that."
Before she could help herself, Leandra found herself rushing through the conversation, something she had a tendency to do the more anxious she was.
"Have you killed someone before? I mean, you just did it so effortlessly earlier and you didn't seem entirely bothered by it. Though, with your mask covering your face, it's hard to see your reactions anyways. So maybe you did react and I just couldn't see it. Why do you wear the mask'? You mentioned you're a criminal, yeah? I guess you're probably trying to conceal your identity then. That's cool, I guess."
Just as she inhaled and was about to continue her anxious ranting, Leandra caught herself. The others had begun to continue down the tunnels and she could feel her cheeks flushing from the conversation with the masked stranger. She was eternally grateful for the fur covering her blushing.
Crow then approached her, asking if she was alright and Leandra tried again to back away, but was promptly reminded of the tunnel wall behind her. She gulped and made a shooing gesture while saying, "Aha, don't worry about me! All good here!"
Brushing past the masked man, Leandra muttered a quiet apology and then hurried on ahead to try and put some distance between them. She was inwardly face palming for her lack of social etiquette. She had not interacted with many people outside of her village and even then, she did not converse with many back there.

When they got to the next area, Leandra found herself frozen in place, staring up at the artwork in awe. She had never seen anything like this before and had no context for any of it. It was simply amazing and beautiful artwork to her.
Listening to the others, Leandra caught on that this was more of a story than just art. Alas, she knew nothing outside of her village life.

When Pyrrhus revealed his broken leg, Leandra flinched visibly in sympathy. Amazingly enough, she had yet to break a bone in her young life and she was grateful to have not experienced it yet. She could only imagine how painful a broken bone must be. Seeing the brave face Pyrrhus put on for the group, Leandra admired him for it. She would probably have been in tears already.

Unable to offer any aid in this situation, Leandra was awkwardly standing near the group until Lohrithe approached and guided her along with Meera towards the campfire. Leandra did not bother arguing and was glad once she felt the warmth against her soaking fur. Her attire was only making her that much wetter since she essentially had to dry off multiple layers with her fur all over her body.
Once she was by the campfire and the others helped tend to Pyrrhus' injury, Leandra sat down and then pulled off her knapsack, wincing when she saw just how soaked it was. She had been avoiding it, but now she braced herself as she pulled her ruined sketchbook out. The pages were all curling and she tried to carefully open it to no avail. Sighing, she dropped it on the tunnel floor near the fire and pulled her knees to her chest while she stared at it.

Meanwhile, Falarion curled up beside Leandra, quietly watching the fire as though he were in a trance.

SilverFlight Naberius Zazz Flutterby Goonfire Baconhands LazyDaze

 

[Zazz]

"No," said Lohrithe, just loud enough for all in the room to hear. "It isn't safe to split up." As much as he hated the thought of letting his people be ambushed, this was his family. His chosen family. He looked to Desrick, and Oralia, and Pyrrhus. "You stay here, you die here."

The drow turned his kind gaze to the rest. "We need a bit of time to dry off and warm up, anyway. These tunnels, wherever they lead, will be nothing but cold and damp."

___

Azaria nodded at Lohrithe's words. He was right, of course. Pyrrhus needed time to heal, and they would die of hypothermia before they even reached their destination. Moving on was foolish, but so was staying put.

The halfling elf, both high and dark, approached the fire by Leandra's side. Glancing over as she removed most of her clothing, she noticed the sludgy sketchbook. It was... well, it was ruined. "...Maybe Lohrithe will find you a new one when we get to Cyndara?" The cat woman had had nothing but shitty luck, lately. Azaria crouched to offer Falarion a hand to sniff. Countless scars marred her skin. "Do you have a brush? I can help you brush out your... fur... if you'd like."

Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (20/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass, Sketchbook, Charcoal Pieces

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

Leandra sighed when Azaria approached. She still hardly knew anyone in this group, much less what race each person was. She could recognize elves by their pointed ears now, but that was about it for her. She had to wonder if Crow would be willing to give her some rundown of the races at some point. He had been the most forthcoming when she first met everyone.
When Azaria mentioned Lohrithe finding her a new sketchbook, Leandra fought back tears. She could not bring back all of her old sketches with a new sketchbook, though. She still had sketches in the ruined one of her old teacher and of the first constellations she found in the night sky. It could not simply be replaced as Azaria put it.
Unable to speak in the moment, Leandra watched out of the corner of her eye as Azaria let Falarion gingerly sniff at her extended hand. When Azaria offered to brush out someone's fur, Leandra blinked in surprise and wiped away a tear.
Her voice was muffled by her sadness, as Leandra asked, "Uh, w-who's fur?"
Despite everything, Leandra was caught off guard by the offer and was uncertain if the offer was being extended to her or Falarion, who merely purred and bumped his head against Azaria's hand. He seemed to the most outgoing cat that Leandra had ever met.

Zazz

 

[Zazz]

An unhindered grin revealed itself on the assassin's face as Falarion accepted her petting. Giving him chin scritches, she looked over at Leandra, an eyebrow raised. "Yours... Do you see anyone else here with fur? Besides Pyrrhus, but I'm pretty sure Crow has him covered." With one hand occupied by Falarion, she gestured for the brush with the other. "Best to do it while it's still wet."

 

[Goonfire]

Crow let out a relieved sigh that the others—especially that poor newcomer Leandra—were relatively unharmed, aside from some ruined papers and wet fur. With Azaria and Desrick having set the bone, he would have an easier time mending it.

Leaving a lot of his gear in a pile to dry with the others’, Crow nearly dove to his partner’s aid. “Maybe you won’t need to find me again,” he said, a hint of his shaken confidence returning. “What happens if two healers work simultaneously?” His brow furrowed as he held his hands near the wound. He held his breath in anticipation; he had ideas.

SilverFlight Zazz Lioness075

 

[Flutterby]

Ora gave Iolas a short glance, and parted her lips to argue his point, but let it go with a sigh. She didn't have the energy, or the will, to disagree with him aloud after their ordeal. His question, and Lohr's response, made her visibly uneasy.

To Iolas, she whispered, "If we were smart, we would keep moving. But if we leave Pyrrhus, I don't think we'll ever see him again."
It was the kind of prophetic musing she hated to say aloud, but she felt it, deep in her bones, where the superstitions of her people lived.
With an uncertain smile, she added, "Best you rest while you can, mermaid."
LazyDaze

Lohr called for them to dry off and warm up, so Ora reluctantly moved toward the lit fire. She watched Azaria try to coax the cat-woman into accepting help with her drenched fur. If the feeling of her own hair was anything to go by, the underground water had been rich with dissolved minerals, and all of their hair would be dry and cranky when it dried. Ora grimaced at the thought of having fur in such a state, but couldn't find the motherly energy to go help Azaria.

Instead, she picked a spot where she could watch Crow and Pyrrhus without intruding, and found herself thinking of what Crispin had told her on the hill. If that moment been the last she would feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, she thought that would be okay. But that was the only 'last time' acceptable from that moment.

Ora did her best to take good-sized breaths and keep her presence calm. She frowned when Crow spoke again- they didn't have two healers, and time was marching on.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nickname: Lea
Race: Tabaxi - Beastwoman	Home Country: Cyndara
Occupation: Huntress / Astronomer Apprentice	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (20/20), Twin Daggers, Collapsible Spyglass, Soiled Sketchbook, Charcoal Pieces

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

When Azaria responded to Leandra's question, she opened her mouth to respond and then closed it, now uncertain of her response. She really had not expected any kind of offer like this from the group, especially when they all were still strangers for the most part.
Pushing off her soaked hood, Leandra lifted a paw to her leather armor top piece and undid the straps and strings to take it off along with her shin guards. Considering this was hardly a private area, Leandra made no move to remove any other clothing, so the only fur to really brush was that on her head and neck, as well as her lower legs, which she did not exactly expect Azaria to try and brush anyways.

Still rather uncomfortable with the moment, Leandra blinked at Azaria now, at a loss for both words and what she should be doing. She could not remember the last time anyone had helped brush her fur and she was not entirely sure how to feel about it now. She was borderline embarrassed, in fact, and hoped nobody else was staring at them.

Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Meanwhile, Azaria sat in her underclothes. Modesty was not a concept she much cared for; it wasn't necessary in her line of work. She took the brush and, kneeling behind the Tabaxi, began to gently brush the water out of her fur. For all the intimidation she put forth, Azaria was actually quite the nurturer.

"Tell me about your village. What was it like?" She had never really... met the beastpeople of Cyndara. Not enough to know about them.

 

[SilverFlight]

Pyrrhus readied himself for the set, but of course Azaria wasn't about to let him. He let out a stifled noise and swallowed a wave of nausea.
"Your faith in me is very comforting." Pyrrhus said to the others in a deadpan tone when he could speak. There was sweat beading on his brow. He was in pain, but he felt the bone back in place.
Desrick nodded in agreement with Lohrithe.
"Lohr is right. We need rest. And Crow's idea is a good one. Pyrrhus work with him, do the best you can, and we'll make a decision after that and some rest."
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Pyrrhus looked visibly relieved, obviously not thrilled with the idea of navigating the dark cave systems alone.
"Well," the centaur looked fondly back at Crow, "leader's orders. I still don't like the idea of you exhausting yourself, and it'll do no good if I use up so much energy I can't walk. We'll both be working at half capacity for a good day after this..."
Pyrrhus had tried to sound stern, but he couldn't keep the affection from his voice.
"I...can't really imagine being without you now."
Goonfire

Crispin busied himself with preparing a bit of food for the crew, happy they were staying to rest. Once prepared he brought Ora her plate and sat beside her.
"Opal for your thoughts?" He said softly. "You know, it's funny to think how far we've come, and I don't just mean distance..."
Flutterby

Desrick watching the group settle in, and when the moment presented itself he called Iolas, Lohrithe and the new fighter, Alistair over to the fire to talk.
"It's possible Lassard is gathering the crytals for his masters at Evereach, but in all the time we've faced him we've never known him to relinquish the upper hand. I believe he is fully-capable of betraying his people for power, but, Iolas, you knew him best, he seems to have a personal dislike for you. So far you've been less than forthcoming about your past, but I want you to tell us everything you can about him. It may be the difference between success and failure."
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[LazyDaze]

Iolas's eyes followed Ora's movements suspiciously as she walked toward him. Perhaps it was because of her inability to hide her emotions, or her genuineness that caused Iolas to tease her more than most; nevertheless, he could never be certain. How could he help himself. Iolas gazed blankly at the fire, even while hearing her ominous statement. Never seeing Pyrrhus again, sounded a bit problematic. Moreso, her final tease at the end roused a genuine chuckle since he was on the receiving end of a barb, from Ora no less. "At your command princess," Iolas said with a mock salute before resting by the flames.

He sat, alone...well there were others nearby, but when you were off in your own world you could hardly call that a group gathering. For once, he was not overthinking things or lamenting on his past. He was relaxing. Taking in each crackle of fire. The soft speaking sounds of his friends that carried love and support, even though he could not make out the exact words. Of course the illustrations, and message they held disturbed him, but even that was not powerful enough to penetrate his current state of mind. No doubt they would be discussing these findings later, so there would be no point of dwelling on it now when he would have to leave this peaceful place soon enough. If he let himself go...and I mean really go, he could almost hear laughter, and Pyrrhus playing the Lyre. Iolas opened his eyes as soon as Desrick called him and a few others. No doubt this was going to be an unpleasant conversation. Iolas wondered if he had relaxed too much, for he felt just a tad bit drowsy as he stood up. Iolas sighed, shaking off the embrace of sleep before making his way to the unofficial official captain of the party. When Desrick hinted at Iolas's past, his eye couldn't help but twitch. He had his hands full trying not to gag at a flood of abhorrent memories. He shook his bangs from the side of his face, in vain I might add, only to sigh and shrug his shoulders. "I suppose now is a good as time as any to discuss troublesome things. Although Lassard's apparent hatred for me is news, here I thought he was on the verge of confessing his undying love," Iolas said sarcastically.

"I believe I know Lassard better than anyone," Iolas started with a straight face, speaking to everyone, but looking into the eyes of Desrick. If you were going to rat on yourself, you might as well do it boldly. "Because," Iolas continued, "had it not been for the jealousy of my kin, it would probably be my sword you would be clashing with." Iolas didn't fidget, letting the words sink in to those who might have been shocked. To be honest, he would rather pass out then continue, but there was an odd weight that was starting to be lifted from his shoulders as he continued to speak. "I was a soldier in Everreach. One of the most ruthless of that time. In an instant, I would not hesitate to kill a Cyndarian...adult, or child, innocent, or guilty. I would be even quicker to kill one of my own if ordered. It was even under their orders, that I knowingly marched to my own death." Iolas couldn't help but pause, remembering the faces of those he killed. Some unknowingly smiling before meeting their fate. He thought to himself, that one could assume his masters were even more ruthless having handed such orders down.

"Before I was even an adult, I'm sure I had more blood on my hands than most here. Lassard is the same, clawing, and conniving his way to the top; however, he is leagues more dangerous than I could have ever been. He has a since of self, whereas, I did not. His actions are not idle. Every order he fulfills, every step he takes is to give him an advantage. Even the great name of Everreach will not give him pause when placed against his own. A man like that...a man like Lassard will never be satisfied. Everreach and Cyndara will only be stepping stones to his throne atop of the world. Because the world, is all a man with desperate ambition like Lassard desires." Iolas held his gaze, he told them more, or less, whatever he could about Lassard and Everreach.

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[Flutterby]

Ora started slightly, and looked up to find Crispin offering a plate. She accepted it with a small nod and a tinge of pink to her ears. She took a few bites, realizing as it hit her tongue that she was really hungry. She let him get settled and watched him thoughtfully, then said,
"Sounds like I'm not the only one with something on my mind."
She said it with a gentle smile on her lips, an appropriate amount of affection for such a dire situation.
But there was tension at the corner of her eyes, a slight pull on her eyebrows. Was he probing her for.. more? For her to repeat what he had said, what she had just been thinking about? Did her hesitation upset him now that he had time to think about it?

Her gaze flickered way, to Crow and Pyrrhus, and then to the group clustered around Desrick. She could catch snippets of Iolas talking, and her stomach twisted. For a heartbeat, she deeply wanted to be over there, theorizing and strategizing, instead of burning under Crispin's kind gaze.
And in the next heartbeat, she chastised herself and forced her eyes back to the wood elf. Hadn't she just been thinking that she couldn't bear to lose him? She'd been much more uncomfortable, under much more unfriendly gazes, in much worse emotional states, than she was right then.

"Do you mean 'we' as in all of us, or 'we' as in.. you and me?" Her carefully set expression faltered, and she knew the flash of uncertainty was painfully obvious on her face.
SilverFlight