About mid flight between Shadowglen and Squirrely's, Cinderrin awoke with a jolt, spilling a cup of water and almost giving the poor flight attendant a heart attack in the process. Any attempt at cleaning up the spill only seemed to intensify the situation, adding mini pretzels and about an entire tub of peanuts to the mix. Poor fidgety Cin did his best to remain awake for the remainder of the flight without smoking, picking at a loose thread on the seat, adjusting the aperture on his camera…

Meeting new people always made him nervous in an excited sort of way, but this time it felt different. Not that he would usually bother himself with what other people thought. This time he had been sent on behalf of a friend, and Cin would be damned if he was going to make Venom look like a fool. With all the nervous excitement and anticipation that had been building these past few days Cin wasn’t able to catch any sleep. Now that it was finally time to make a first impression he couldn't keep himself from yawning.

Wolf came back to Squirrely's all excited to see her old friends and take part in another adventure. She noticed Jean and Quercus, and knew that Venom just had to be around somewhere. As she got up to the group, she noticed something very different. Venom wasn't there. She was crestfallen. Venom added something really special to their group. He was such a wonderful person to be around. She loved his gentle demeanor and the way he handled things so gracefully and with such care. She didn't know how things were going to pan out without the gentle care but fierce fighting spirit of Ven.

Jean greeted her friends with a bright smile and a cheerful wave. "It's lovely to see you guys again!" she exclaimed, glad to be with them after several months' separation. "Quercus, how are you? Hey Tipper, Star, you two look great. Wolfy, I see you have a new friend!" The woman beamed at them. "I'm afraid Eden, Shikuyim, and Venom couldn't make it, but they sent their regards. Still, look who's joining us!" She tugged at Cin's arm to bring his wandering attention back to the conversation. "This is Cinderrin, or Cin. He's a friend of Venom's."

As it turned out the senior members of the Fellowship were every bit as receptive as Venom had made them out to be. They didn’t even seemed that bothered by his incessant conversation disrupting yawns. Cin was glad to have finally meet everyone and was pleased to learn that he was not the only newbie on the job. Somehow it lightened the load of invisible expectations he felt weighing him down, and for the first time in a while he didn’t feel like he needed the help of a cigarette to relax… But having one wasn’t such a bad idea and he excused himself to indulge in one outside anyway.

...

Cinderrin had always been a boy with a penchant for playing dress up. Even now with his fancy shirt and tie that made him look every bit as corporate as his father would want, he felt surprisingly comfortable. Sure it was different than his preferred style, but trying new things was part of why he was on the shuttle in the first place. If they had to look the part he would try his best. Really what he needed to focus on was not staring at Francine’s antlers… They just looked so soft, would she notice if he touched one? Shaking off the thought he instead turned his attention to the pilot and made so many requests to be given a chance to fly the shuttle that he had to be asked to remain seated for the duration of the flight.

Instead she took care of the wounded animals she found throughout the land, nurtured them back to health and was happy. For the first time in her life she was happy with who she was.

And then one day when she was walking through the forest near Karaska, she found a wounded squirrel, she took it with her to the inn she was staying at to try and help the little one.

Before the squirrel was better, Ilaera noticed it tried to get away. Since the little fellow wasn’t ready to go yet, Ilaera tried to make it listen to her, make it understand that the time to go wasn’t there yet, only to find out the squirrel was trying to deliver a message about a marmot that had been murdered.

Ilaera, knowing that it must be important let the squirrel leave, but not before she had asked it to point out on a map where she could find the Nutsy fellow he had been talking about, only to find out that it was located near the Offtime Saloon. Ilaera was sure she could help out, so she packed her things and walked outside. She called for Phaeri, her hawk high above her in the sky and asked her to go and bring a message to Kenny and Lorelei.

Then she set off to go on an adventure….

~

The new ore he had obtained from the desert trader fascinated Kenny. It was obviously a metal..., but so light, if he could successfully alloy it with the strength of iron.... Just as he was carefully measuring the powdered ore and iron filings into a clean crucible, Kenny's little miniature dragon Blanco barrel-rolled through an open window and careened into a rack of flasks. A variety of fine oxides, sodas, and other chemicals were suddenly mixed indiscriminately as their fragile glass containers shattered.

The result ending explosion was impressively colorful.

Sir Kenelm Digby, alchemist, chiurgeon, cook, privateer, professor, and one-time diplomat, picked himself up off the floor and hurriedly examined Blanco for injury. The tough little mini dragon was unharmed and squirmed and chirped impatiently.

"An adventure at the Offtime Saloon?" Kenny translated the dragon's speech. "Phaeri asked you to ask me if I want to help Ilaera help a nutsy squirrel solve a murder? Slow down little one, I can hardly understand you"

The obsidian reptile chirruped again and Kenny smiled as he dusted off the broken glass and ruined chemicals, and went to pack his travelling kit. This sounded like an intriguing puzzle indeed.

~

"BOCK BOCK BOCK"

Jettison squinted and looked up to the sky when he heard the perculiar sound, unsure what exactly was headed his way. Once the smoke from his hookah had cleared, blown in all directions by the wings of the creature, he could see who or what it was.

"Ya' tryin ta screw wif me 'ead there mate? Yer a damn raven, not some barn meat." He puffed his cheeks up, making a face at his companion.

The large black bird hopped around his feet and set what seemed to be a letter down near them. "WORDS" It squawked, eyes glaring at its owner. Potch was a smart creature, though with his slight failure at speaking in a literate way it made him sound far less reliable than he really was.

Sitting up and tossing the pipe aside, he picked up the envelope. Already he knew who it was from just due to the sealing stamp on its front. His old friend Rafmeil. He peeled it open and inside a small note read:

Hey Jett! I sort of need your help.

You know the wayward squirrel I was part of last summer? Well they have contacted me for some help. Only problem is I have been busy working to heal a town of orkins who contracted ebalo. They had no doctor, and with me here I am sort of quarantined. So...Any chance you could do me this favor? My old team went their separate ways, but it seems there is a new one in place. You just need to head to the address on the back of this and get going. It sounds pretty urgent. Murder or something. I know you dig that sort of thing. Anyway, I will hunt you down if you say no ;} So hop to it!

Rafmiel

"Well...thats loverly." He replied, turning the paper over to see where he was headed. As much as he wanted to lay around for the next week and do nothing, he really did owe this to Raf. The guy had helped him many a time he was in trouble. So it was about time he paid him back.

Jetty hopped to his feet and held an arm out, which the bird quickly perched itself upon. "Lets get goin' ya little weirdo."

"YOU WEIRDO" the animal spat at him, pulling on his sleeve as they moved inside the little home to pack before heading in the direction of the team.

~

Lorelei was resting back at her home village when she received word that help was needed to solve a case, unfortunately since the parting of the group of friends from the wayward inn she had fallen in love and settled down and was in fact now carrying a little one.

Since this was the right time to set off on a new adventure, she had already made her message for Phaeri to tell the others she wouldn’t be coming, when she suddenly thought of another solution. She sent an apprentice, a young elf by the name of Esme on her way to the Offtime Saloon.

“Esme I have a wonderful task for you, could you please take my place and head to the offtime saloon and report to Nutsy. Be sure to look out for my two close friends Ilaera and Kenny”.

Esme was so excited and with a quick goodbye she rushed to her hut to gather up supplies and grab her cat Nighteyes, as usual not impressed with the way his mistress grabbed him and stuffed him in her bag as she ran from the room.

Lorelei was sure her friends would be happy with the help of Esme and smiled as she watched Esme go. It would be good for the young one to have an adventure, it could help her grow in her abilities.

~

Sashi is one of the Saherimos Cult of the Subetan Sisters. Some might have heard about that cult, others will not. Deep within the Sacred Lands there is a religious order known as the Subetan Sisters. Sashi was abandoned on their steps when she was just nine days old. The Subetan Sisters are, as the name suggests, an all-female religious sect.

After her adventures at the wayward inn, she returned home, back to the Subetan Sisters. She took her time to get back to health and she took care of her companion Lorne. She needed her time, not only to get back at full health, but also to rethink the past adventures at the inn. The adventures she had gone through, had been amazing and she had learned a lot about herself. The most important thing the adventures at the inn had brought her was the fact that she had more self-confidence.

She remained with the Subetan Sisters and helped them out with their cult, until she heard about a new adventure. It was a rumor that went throughout the entire cult before reaching her. No one seemed to know where the rumor started though. After hearing it, Sashi instantly knew it was time for her to go again. She packed some things and went on her way.

While on her way Sashi met with a young elf that was traveling in the same direction as she was. The young elf told her about an adventure she had been send off to, an adventure at the Offtime Saloon. This was the moment Sashi met with Esme. Since they had to travel in the same direction and where off to start the same adventure, they decided to travel together.

When they entered the Offtime Saloon, Esme started to look out for the two people Lorelei had told her to look out for. Sashi couldn’t help but wonder what Esme was doing, but since she had grown fond of the young elf, she followed her through the Saloon, until apparently she had found the people she had been looking for.

Jettison had finally trotted up to the saloon, noticing a few others around who seemed to have the same sort of eagerness for this adventure. Right as he was about to speak up and say hello, Potch darted from his arm and inside the saloon, just as Esme and Lorelei were opening the door.

"PHAERI" The large black bird howled, hearing a familliar cawing sound from the hawk.

Huffing and following along he had no idea his bird knew someone in the group. Not like he could tell if it was a person or some animal until he was with the rest of the group inside. His companion circled him a few times before landing on his shoulder and smacking him in the face with his wings. "Cut it outtttttt." He said playfully, now moving his focus to the people.

“You must be Kenny and Ilaera” Esme asked two people that were sitting at a table. Since Lorelei had sent her forest sprite ahead with the news off her sending Esme instead, the two at the table turned around.

“And you must be Esme” Ilaera asked her softly. Esme introduced Sashi to the others. “We travelled a long way together to find this place” Esme told them “Can we add her to our party?”

“Of course” Kenny answered “Welcome to the Cosmic Sleuths”.

"I dunno any of ya', but I got a feelin' ya know my friend Raf. He sent me in 'is place. Th' names Jettison." He waved with his free hand, trying not to cut in to the conversation, but hoping he would be accepted by the team.

"Good to meet you!" Kenny replied, turning to the other man. "I sure do, he actually mailed me to say you would be here." Pausing he brushed a hair from his face and then nodded at the whole group "Enough Idle chit chat though, we will get to know one another on the ride. For now we must be preparing to head out."

The group wandered off together to go and find the office of Nutsy, where they were given a first assignment they really didn’t expect. None of them seemed to be dressed properly for this adventure, prompting them to go and change. They didn’t travel all those miles just to miss the adventure because of a clothing issue…

Because they had heard they would be traveling by space shuttle, Kenny and Ilaera both decided to put their companions in their bags. It wouldn't be a good idea to have a hawk and a dragon loose inside the shuttle. While Jetty with his raven had brought a cage for it.

"Did you need to play with the music Witchy?" TerrenaAnimula quickly asks.

"What?" Witchy asks looking up. "Well, they are fitting and fun," she smiles and nods her head to the music.

"Fine, they are fun," TerrenaAnimula says. "Um...where is Tea_Roll?"

"She had an accident," Lovecraft responds.

Fresh laughs. "Accident? Is that what they call it these days? She just happened to fall off the cliff without any help from you?"

"So my foot tripped her and hands pushed her," Lovecraft states. "She is a ninja. She should have handled it better. She will be fine. Just laid up for a bit."

"That's not what happened," Witchy suddenly interrupts. "Tea saved a baby Griffi from a sure death. It was trapped in a landslide. She ninja rolled her way over and struggled to free it, when she did, the rocks loosened and started to come toward her and the baby. She tossed the baby to safety, but she didn't get so lucky. They are both fine tho and nursing each other back to health."

Quickly letting that story be the truth, Lovecraft says, "That poor baby Griffi. Being left in the care of Tea_Roll like that. Poor thing probably was safer in the landslide."

"How much Rainbow have you had today?" TerrenaAnimula asks and again Witchy has gone back to simply moving her head to the music.

"Lets take a seat and get some drinks," Fresh says. "Maybe they have some cake. Since Tea isn't around I may actually get to eat some."

They notice Francine who seems to be ushering everyone out of the saloon toward a shuttle. "Guess no time for food here," TerrenaAnimula states. And they begin to follow everyone out. "Once on the shuttle before we do anything else, we should get dressed." They all nod.

A time later, changed in outfits fit for investigating they move toward tables that have been set up. "Lovecraft, do you mind if I ask where your outfit came from?" Fresh asks suddenly as they take a seat.

"I got it from a spy store. I don't have things like this lying around," Lovecraft replies.

"Spy store?" Witchy inquires smiling. "What else do they sell there?"

"They had things to go undercover as nurses and maids and black cats," Lovecraft starts as they all stare at her. "Seriously the sign said and I quote For ALL your under the cover needs." She stops and her eyes get wide realizing that the sign had the word the in between under and cover.

"And THAT is why grammar is so important," TerreneaAnimula says smiling.

Francine reappears and hands out huge folders to everyone containing the coroners report on the victim Caudata Marmota and the dossiers on the suspects along with their initial statement reports.

"I didn't do it!" Lovecraft blurts out.

Fresh just blankly stares at her.

"Well, I don't see a dossier on you as a suspect," TerrenaAnimula says and then under her breath barely able to be heard, "Although there probably should be one."

They begin to rifle through the reports to see what line of investigation they want to take when Witchy starts singing, "I'm comin' up so you better get this party started."

"Oh no," Fresh states.

"Not again!" Lovecraft continues.

TerrenaAnimula simply shakes her head.

Witchy stops and smiles, "No. But felt we needed another party song."

The SilverLegends buckle down and get to work.