Once we arrived in Raven and Die’s room, I looked around wondering where to put everything. The bed was the closest place, apart from the floor, so I wandered over, spread my paws, and let the pile of shiny items land on the bedspread. The resulting crash caught everyone's attention, and they turned to stare at me. "Well, it's no good piling it on the floor," I shrugged "this makes it easier for Raven to check through these knives to see if anything is of any use to her."

There wasn't any space to sit on the bed, so I sat cross-legged on the floor as Raven explained what had happened with her sister. But what on earth could I say in response to that? I mean she'd had more happen there, than in any of my "action-packed" novels I've been reading, and in such a short space of time too?

I felt I wanted to give her a hug, not least for the way she dealt with that Drow, but her runes were still glowing, and I didn't really feel confident at getting quite so close. I needed to say or do something though, so I settled for saying "your back looks amazing - you wouldn't have known there had been any scars!" Looking over at Die, I nodded towards Raven's back, "that's incredible alchemy to get rid of those scars so thoroughly, Die. My Uncle might have been skilled in alchemy, but there's nothing he could ever do for erasing scars!" [/quote]

The first thing he did once he disembarked was head to the large market that teamed and overflowed with patrons. Shops and stalls with fresh food and vendors selling their wares gave the market an exotic flare; sights and scents and sounds. He had a recipe in mind so spent time haggling for the best vegetables, which was difficult when the regulars thought he was easy prey. He’d only had to flay someone once with his dry wit to get his point across. The man had tried to sell him subpar tomatoes. He’d threatened to shove them someplace dark and difficult and that was that. Sometimes one had to be firm.

As he shopped he did ask a few questions but was mostly ignored or turned away. Even when he stopped at a store that sold fresh fish. . It seemed his inquiries were getting him nowhere. Scowling he made his way out of the market and toward one of the higher end restaurants. One that catered to the populace and let those who showed their skill share recipes and learn some of their own.

Die wasn’t exactly sure what the creature he met with was. The fellow seemed a mix of various things but he was not one to stare. Even more surprising was when he spoke.

“Velcome to zee ‘eaven’s Gate! I am Hercule, your chef for zis evening!” The shorter man had a creepy smile, creepier still when he grabbed Die and smacked a kiss on each cheek. Was that a look of carnal interest- oh no, that was his nephew’s territory. The lad swung both ways after all.

Arching a brow Die cleared his throat and nodded. “I have a recipe to share, in exchange for information.”

Hercule bobbed his head and waved them toward the kitchen where Die set down his case and quickly donned his apron and hat. Now he looked the proper part. . Taking out the fish he handed it off to a sous chef to filet then washed his hands as he gathered his thoughts. “I am looking for someone,” he finally stated, grabbing a shallow baking dish and a bowl. In moments he was peeling and chopping garlic and onion.

Hercule sidled closer, merely to watch of course, not because this grey skinned man had a fine ass. Which he did; quite tasty. “A runaway lover, no?”

“Most certainly not,” Die snorted, dumping the diced ingredients in a bowl before starting on the small, ripe tomatoes and olives, which he cut in half. “I am looking for someone named Lightening-“ This was usually when people clammed up.

The little man let out a hearty chuckle, his gaze going from those skilled hands to Die’s face. “You will not find ‘im ‘ere, mon ami.”

“You are so sure of that?” He asked, putting the halved items in a bowl as well. He grabbed olive oil and liberally coated the ingredients, adding salt, pepper and a bit of whole basil.

“I am zure. Zis iz not a place zat someone like ‘im would enjoy.”

It figured really. He just managed not to roll his eyes, thanking the sous chef as he brought him the white filets of fish. He laid them in the shallow pan and topped it with the mixture he had created. “Thank you for letting me know this. Now, you broil this for roughly ten minutes. When the tomatoes start to crisp at the edges it is done; a very elegant and satisfying dish.” One that would cater to the higher end patrons.

“You ‘ave very skilled hands…”

Die nodded at the complement and took his utensils to the sink to clean them then froze. He was damn sure he had felt a hand on his arse. His very taken arse thank you. Flushing dully he almost cut himself as he fumbled with his knife. Right, okay, it was time to leave. Clearing his throat he packed his things away then backed toward the door with a strained smile. “I must take my leave-“

“Are you zure I cannot interest you in zomething a little more zweet?” Hercule pouted, stalking the man who was practically running to get away. “You and I can be making zee beautiful-“

“No! Um, no. Flattered but no. Good evening, Hercule.” Die was not ashamed to say that he turned tail and ran. All the way back to the ship and he did not breathe easier until he was on his way back to the inn. Good grief, one would think he had taken Reaper’s place on the pleasure planet. Hopefully his friends fared better than he did.

I'd been inspired by our brief visit to the music festival, and painted a blue skull on my spare black shirt. I know white would've been better, but I could only find blue fabric paint. At least it blended in nicely with the blue showing through the slashes in my black jeans. I'd even pulled out my tinted contact lenses, so my eyes could match my outfit. That also would help cover my real eyes, if I came across Lightning and they started to glow red. "If only Reaper had let me borrow some lower heeled boots" I muttered, as I almost fell over again. There hadn't been enough time to practise walking in them, and this was starting to get silly. How many werewolves would normally come here to play the guitar, but also keep almost twisting their ankles each time they took a step?

Looking around, I realised that I was catching a lot of attention. Thinking back to the information on that list, they reckoned that novelty acts were popular, and I guess that werewolves came quite high on the novelty list. Ducking past the crowd that was forming around a group that were playing harmonicas, I walked.... no, tottered on, keeping my eyes peeled for Lightning. I still didn't think he'd be here, but I had to search for him.

Rounding another corner, I almost walked straight into someone hurrying towards me. "Ah, just the person I've been looking for," they said, grabbing my paw, "come on, you're late!" Deaf to my stuttered protest, I found myself being dragged into the backstage entrance to one of the buildings. Obviously they thought I was a member of their band.... the thought made me shudder - how was I going to pass as a band member in front of a large crowd of fans? I'd just have to hope they did a quick rehearsal before they went on stage.

The person finally let go of my paw, and I realised we were just off to the side of the main stage. The feedback from the microphone was so bad, I couldn't hear what the MC was saying as he introduced the group, but the person who'd dragged me in here suddenly shoved me from behind, and I found myself flying onto the stage. Thankfully I didn't fall over this time, but I was dazzled by the lights shining straight at me. Looking behind me, someone in a cat costume was sitting behind a drum set twirling a set of drumsticks, and if I wasn't completely mistaken, the main singer was dressed as a dog? No wonder they thought I was part of their group, with all this fur. There wasn't time to find a way out though, as the drummer started playing a surprisingly catchy rhythm. "Please let me recognise the tune" I whispered. There was no escaping it, I'd just have to play something. Picking a chord at random, I strummed the strings loudly, and the drummer switched rhythms, gradually getting louder. It dawned on me that there wasn't a tune as such - this was just like a jamming session, but in front of a large crowd. I swallowed hard, then strummed a few more chords, trying to match the drummer's rhythm. The singer then joined in, not singing words I recognised, but harmonising brilliantly, especially considering I wasn't their real guitarist.

The drum beat was pounding in my ears, and I knew I should've brought my earplugs - I'd be hearing this for hours afterwards. The drumming got faster and faster, my paws were flying across the strings struggling to keep up with the tempo, then three loud crashes of the drums signalled the end of the set, and everything went quiet. Just as I was wondering if I'd gone deaf, a rousing cheer came from the crowd. "Just don't you dare ask for an encore," I thought, trying to look like I hadn't actually enjoyed that.

We were shepherded off the stage ready for the next group, and the main singer suddenly looked straight at me. "You did a great job there," she said, "but I know you aren't the person I thought you were. Who exactly are you, and where did you get your costume from, that fur looks so realistic!" I smiled weakly, "I'm trying to find Lightning, and it's not a costume, this is my own fur." She looked surprised, but thankfully didn't run off. Maybe a werewolf wasn't such an uncommon sight here after all. "I know of him, but I haven't seen him here for ages," she replied. "Last I heard, he was heading somewhere near Sighon."

Sighon? Then Reaper would stand a chance of finding him.... of course assuming she didn't get too distracted by things.

It took a while to convince the group that I needed to head back to Bordertown, but they reluctantly let me head back, with the promise that I would return at some point soon if I could. I'd have to tell Morrow what happened though, although I doubt he'd even believe me....

The vessel was cleared and I waited for my smugglers to open the hold. I was smart and calculating—never trust untrustworthy people. The smugglers got a mere one percent on arrival and would not get anymore money until I was back in Bordertown, which I made crystal clear. Of course, I could double cross them which made me smirk a bit.

Once the Sky Patrol left, I slunk out of the hold and breathed the air. It smelt very odd, like it was sterilized and filtered with disinfectants. I wrinkled my nose. I did not like this air at all it was unnatural. I stretched and handed the smugglers their one percent of payment. The shuttle was docked in the basement of the large medical complex. I looked around and saw the signs for the morgue. Excellent, I would need some medical clothing and the morgue might prove to be the best place to obtain them.

I met no one on my walk to the morgue, nor did I hear and footfalls so my stealth was not needed. At the morgue, I pressed my body flat against the wall. I heard the slow lumber of a person shifting about. Crouching down I scooted along the autopsy table, hearing the squelching as the man played with the corpse’s internal organs. When the man leaned down to inspect the body, I made my move. I put my hand in my bag and pulled out a guitar string. Paddy had discarded the broken string but I had seen a use in it. Standing behind, I quickly put the string around the man’s neck and with both hands I pulled, choking him. He shifted a tried to pull the string from his neck. His struggle flipped the autopsy table and the corpse, making a large clatter. It took a bit before the man finally died. But the damage had been done, the commotion brought two Sky Patrol agents. Maybe Die was right, maybe I did really find trouble. I dropped the morgue attendant’s corpse and swept the first agent to the ground with a round house kick. I drew one of my new knives out and slit the patrolman’s arm. He went for his radio to call for backup but as close as I was, I simply reached out and stabbed him in the heart. I pulled my knife out and he fell to the floor and gurgled his last breath. The other man was just about upright when I slit his throat. There was blood all over the morgue. I was glad I was wearing black—it hid blood stains. No need for expensive dry cleaning in the human world for me.

I dragged the guards’ bodies to the closet and shoved them in it, wiping my blade clean on their clothing. Bloody handprints marred the stainless steel door. There were some clothes and jackets hanging near the door. I put them on and stole the dead morgue attendant’s credentials. Crime scene tape dangled from places. I didn’t recall how it had been broken or where it was even. I tossed the doctor’s clothing on and was grateful that I had a jacket to cover the small blood stains on the gown. I put my stealthy clothing into the small pack and was thankful that it was hidden by the bulky clothing.

I started walking as if I belonged there. Of course, the question was where should I go? I rounded the corner and maybe I should have sensed them but I was foolish and had not been paying attention. I bumped right into another round of Sky Patrol. This time, however, they happened to be three male drows. They all looked at me, my features still pretty recognizable with the doctor’s mask. The three of them bowed quickly. “My Queen,” they said in unison.

Even though I was still angry about my new role, it was advantageous nonetheless. “I am looking for Lightning. Where is he?”

They all stood and one stepped forward, “My Queen, Lightning is on the pleasure planet, Sighon. He is hiding from the Seelie. The seedy nature of the planet with addicts in alleys and sex rampant, everyone is too in the throes of their own pleasures to care about him—or so he hopes.”

Another of the guards moved closer, I knew him. Well I knew them all actually, but this guard was a consort of my mother. “Wouldst you like us to take you to the planet?” He winked and shuffled his package. “The three of us could pleasure you and bring Lightning to you for whatever your desires are with him.”

My temper was too ragged to let the remark go. I stepped over to him, placed my hand on his heart and unleashed my magic. I had told Die there was some magic I had not used—had not wanted to use, but I was using it now. His skin began to tighten and wrinkle. It dried as he aged rapidly. He was over a thousand years old before he screamed a rattled scream and fell to the ground. His skin sloughed off and his bones shattered on the tile. My runes were glowing again. The other two male drows stood in reverence. “Like I would want my mother’s failed consort.” I kicked a bone. “He was dead long ago, he just did not know it. Now, take me to a shuttle, we are going to Bordertown.” The males led the way and we landed in Bordertown in short order. I snickered wondering how long it would take the smugglers to realise I had double crossed them. I dismissed the drows and walked back to the inn, slightly prickled in anger at people trying to give me gifts. What was more, is I had used death magic—again. I hoped Die was back, I wanted to snuggle into his arm and try to forget how I

My shuttle was a bed…or rather it looked remarkably like a bed, which was nice but also weird. I mean honestly, did I need to arrive on a bed like I was a cheap madam? Ah well, it didn’t really matter, Ms. Miranda and Pugsy had gotten it ready quickly so I could head out and that’s all that I really needed. I touched down in the port at Sighon and left my shuttle…bed…thing in the care of the space depot, shrugging off my outer dress when I climbed out and tossing it back into the craft. I definitely wouldn’t need it here. I took a deep breath and let my eyes wander over the sights on the main street. This was incredible – buildings stacked against one another, all of them screaming out the pleasures of the day. Anything – anyone – you could want right there for the taking. Bars and restaurants were scattered among the brothels and finer pleasure houses. I meandered slowly down the main street, eyes scanning the buildings trying to discern where I might go if I was an Unseelie on the run. Everything right here near the port just looked too…classy I guess. The further away I got, however, the more I could see that this place wasn’t exactly what it advertised. I mean, I suppose it was, but it also seemed to carry a darker undercurrent – I could feel it thrumming under my skin. Bad things definitely happened here, and whatever first impression I may have had was quickly being tempered by that. I wondered to myself how many people looked any deeper than the surface here – probably not the majority of them. I came to an intersection and turned down, away from the brighter lights of the main strip – it wasn’t dark here, but it definitely wasn’t shiny-penny bright either. Some of the bulbs in the signs had gone out, and the “enticements” in the windows were not quite as enticing as the ones I’d seen at the first few houses.

As I passed an alley I heard a muffled groan, my heart sped up a bit but I had a job to do and that meant I’d have to go against my better judgement and see what had made the noise. I edged closer, eyes glowing faintly as I gathered some power up just in case. What I saw, however, horrified me a bit. There was a man slumped down against the wall of the alley, something tight wrapped around his bicep, and although his eyes held a blissed out gaze, his skin looked sallow and tight, sores edging around his mouth. I backed away quickly, suppressing a shudder. That’s a world of nope right there, nope I will not be looking in alleys for the rest of my time here. If Lightning was in one of those then he could bliss himself to death for all I cared – he definitely wouldn’t be a threat and there was no way in any of the hells I was going to touch anyone who was doing that. I took a deep breath and headed further down the street I was on, pulling on my magic and sending out a breath of feeling – asking the power to guide my intuition.

I felt a pull and finally stepped into one of the businesses – some sort of pleasure house intended for easy hookups with no questions – definitely not a brothel, but also not a very nice place if the clientele I could see were any indication. I eased myself onto a barstool and waved the bartender over, ordering a glass of wine and settling in. A lot of people came and went, none of them the man I was looking for. I tipped well, making sure to order another glass when mine emptied – two wouldn’t be a problem as long as I didn’t need to keep having at least two at every place I stopped. I settled in a little more, spinning a coin lazily along the countertop with my magic and sipping slowly at my drink. It seemed like hours passed but I knew it couldn’t have really been that long, and I still hadn’t seen anything that even remotely hinted at Lightning having been here, or still being here. I could feel the heat from the bartender’s breath against my neck moments before he spoke, “So who exactly are you looking for here? Are you a cop of some sort, an assassin, jealous girlfriend?” I could hear the smirk in his voice at the last, and I spun around, a smile playing on my lips. “None of the above actually – or well, not technically anyhow,” he grinned at my answer and tilted his head towards the stairs leading to the rooms, and I noticed that there was another person back behind the bar now. “Why not,” I smiled and met him at the foot of the stairs, allowing him to take my arm and lead me up.

The tumble was fun ((and definitely not rated PG-13 so we’ll just keep that bit to ourselves)), but unfortunately he hadn’t seen Lightning – I was inclined to believe his answers, there wasn’t really anything he’d gain by lying. I sighed and made use of the shower attached to the room – heading back out and moving further away from the bustling business near the port – sending more magic out this time, feeling for anything unnatural or out of place. I turned left down another side street, the back of my neck prickling in unease. The farther I was from the port – the more seedy this entire planet seemed. How anyone could come here and not notice was beyond me – although maybe they just never travelled far from the safety of their ships. I heard more noises down the alleys I passed, began to see figures darting into them or around corners. There were a fewer pleasure houses as I walked, more brothels and bars, the people spilling out of them rougher with each new business. I turned again down another street – lights here fewer and further between, half of them burnt out or broken. Most of the businesses along this stretch had bars across the windows, the ones that didn’t no longer had any glass left. I felt a pull as I walked, a thread of my magic tugging me along, there were less people on this street and really I couldn’t blame people for staying away. I heard the sound of shattering glass behind me and spun, drawing power into my hands, but no one was there. I let out a soft chuckle, turning back the way I’d been facing, and gasped as I nearly smacked into Lightning. He did gasp and stumble back – apparently he recognized me then, which is funny since I still really didn’t remember the festival or meeting him. Ah well, fortune favors the quick right? I’d been holding tight to the extra power, I flung it at him as he moved to stand, yelling a quick invocation, “Claudicatis!” I smiled to myself as I watched him freeze in place. It was a good spell, halting his movement while I walked over to him. He was madder than a wet cat, curses spewing out of his mouth. I realized that I better stop that before cursing actually became cursing in the more literal sense. “Silentium,” another flick of my wrist and flare of power and his mouth clacked shut. I could see fury swelling in his eyes, and an undercurrent of fear beneath it. Good – whatever he’d done, he’d be answering for it soon enough. I caught movement above me and looked up only to catch a curtain falling back into place. I’d worry more about it if I thought for one second anyone in this neighborhood would bother coming out to investigate something that didn’t directly affect them – and Lightning’s current troubles most certainly did not. I stopped directly in front of him, tilting my head to look up at his face, seeing sweat roll down his temple. I took a satisfied breath when I felt my magic holding strong and began to weave a spell to bind his hands before him – there really was nowhere to hide rope or cuffs in this outfit. When the magic locked into place I released my initial spell, allowing movement – its not like he would be running, I held the magical leash at the moment – but I kept the silencing spell in place – no sense taking any risks. I jerked the magical coil and marched briskly back towards the ports – hoping that anyone who saw us would just assume this was how he got his rocks off. I made it without so much as a raised eyebrow pointed at me, so clearly this was a more common sight than even I thought. I shoved him roughly into my bed…ship…thing…and we set back off for Bordertown. I couldn’t wait to hand him over and go shower again – my skin was crawling from the ugly feelings that were coming off the last couple of streets and the shower I’d had at the pleasure house seemed too long ago. [/quote]

The Companions Infiltrate Unseelie Lands

The companions of the Foggiest Notions were eager to get going on their adventure, some because they wanted it to be over fast and some because they couldn’t wait to venture out on their own. The group of companions were one short, as Tinker the owl was hit by the Border Fever Cloud. This left Tito the owlet, Kabe the winged cat, Odin the baby dragon, and Frink the sprite.

Tito was not very pleased with this turn of events, huffing and hooting to make everyone around him aware of his discontent. While he hated to be apart from Fern he'd grown very fond of Max's owl, Tinker, and when he found out that she would not be joining them due to the fever cloud, he'd thrown a feathery fit. And so with that he fluttered along behind the others, holding two of the miniaturized pipes in his talons and never hesitating to give voice to his annoyance.

Carrying pieces of tunnel to their proper place was hard work even for a dragon, and the annoying banter of Fern's disgruntled owlet was driving Odin mad and he was HUNGRY. The low growl in the pit of Odin's stomach grew louder and louder as time passed. Every time Frink passed by he reminded himself of his pact with Armina and heard the echo of her words in his head, “Frink is friend, NOT food,” he kept telling himself.

Frink was apprehensive at first to leave Turf, being with him all the time had led him to rely on him for so many things. He wasn’t about to show Turf and the others that he was feeling this way though and kept a stiff upper lip. It was his turn to make a name for himself without the help of Turf. Turf held Frink close to himself and then kissed him, causing Frink to stick out his tongue, “Now you be good Frink, be a leader or a follower and do your best. And remember that the name of the Keeper is Niobe,” Turf waved to him as Frink flew off to help build the tunnels.

Odin was ecstatic for the adventure that lie ahead, the opportunity to be away from his elven counterpart excited him. The small dragon was often mischievous and with Armina off on her own mission there would be no one there to scold him, even though he had promised to behave himself he was not sure he had it in himself to keep his pledge.

The companions arrived at the TwistDeath tree and took to building the tunnels, one piece at a time. The first piece was the actual roots themselves, which were gnarly and looked like they were moving just slightly as if they were breathing. It took them a few tries on the first piece but they found the one that fit onto the root opening perfectly, number nine, and they jumped inside. They were surrounded by the roots of the tree as they looked out the windows of the tunnel, luckily the tunnels protected them from the evil of the roots.

Tired of Tito's constant ‘squawking’ and sure that it would give them away, Kabe swiped a paw at the small owl, lightly catching feathers and pinning him to the ground before dropping his piping long enough to bite Tito's beak, holding it closed as he gave the bird a look to show that he meant business and if the owl gave them away he would pluck each and every feather from the bird in punishment.

Each of them were carrying multiple pieces of the tunnel, having only four of them to the group, and it was difficult enough to crawl through the tunnels without any obstacles in their way. When suddenly they ran into a swarm of Unseelie beetles that found their way inside. They were surely attracted to the ‘squawking’ of Tito.

Frink took off and taunted them, leaving his tunnel pieces behind for the rest of the group to protect. They chased him back outside through the root opening as the rest of the companions continued their journey forward and tried placing the next piece.

Tito, eager for some excitement, was quick to leave Kabe and Odin with their current piece as he flew after the beetles chasing Frink. While small for an owl his talons were razor sharp and his instinct to hunt had him diving towards one of the stragglers. With a loud screech and a flurry of feathers he had pinned one of the large beetles to the ground. Unfortunately for Tito, the Unseelie beetle proved to be most unappetizing and with an irritated hoot he abandoned his catch and returned to the group empty-handed.

Kabe puffed up his whiskered cheeks with an audible huff when Tito and Frink began their game of tag with the beetles. All of them would rather be playing of course, but at least he and the dragon seemed to realize this situation was too serious for that.

But serious or not, he decided to take care of more important matters while waiting for the return of the two companions, bathing his paws before becoming annoyed by a distracting spot of dirt on young Odin's head just behind his left eye and he held the dragon's head in place with a large paw so that he could lick the scales clean before resuming his own bath.

Odin did not notice the Unseelie beetles until he heard Tito squawk yet again, as he was enjoying his bath from Kabe. Not thinking, he quickly dropped his tunnel pieces, leaving Kabe all alone. The beetles could not have come at a better time for a famished dragon. The owlet may have found them to be inedible but the small reptile found them to be delicious. In fact he was almost irritated when the sprite began to torment the insects, driving them from the tunnel, but with a full tummy he was ready to return to the task at hand, building the tunnel.

Frink flew fast and the beetles were so intent on catching him that they didn’t realize they had left the safety of the roots. Upon realization, they turned and fled towards the Wayward Squirrel, the light of the sun blinding their eyes. Frink gave them a raspberry and took back off into the tunnel to help his friends.

It seemed like smooth sailing after the beetles attacked them, placing piece number seven, two, and eight. After placing piece number eight, they sent a communication back to the Wayward Squirrel to let them know that a swarm of Unseelie beetles was released from within the roots. They were certain that they would be taken care of by Termina or someone else from the Wayward Squirrel so they weren’t concerned at all.

The next pieces to be placed were, in order of placement, numbers six, three, and five. As they went deeper into the roots, they all became weary as they looked out the windows of the tunnels. It was dark and hard to see much on the other side but as they went on they began to see a light from further on in.

During the whole tunnel building process Odin often gave into his impish whims, taunting and teasing the other companions, sometimes even pretending to carry his weight when placing the pieces but secretly allowing the others to do all the work.

The next pieces were placed, numbers twelve, ten, and eleven. Again, with the eleventh pieces set into place, they were able to send a communication back to the Squirrel. This time they let them know that only piece number four was left and once placed they were sure to be entering the dark forest of the Unseelie lands.

Continuing on through tunnel number eleven, they placed piece number four. Upon placement they were at the end of the road, arriving at the barge of the Keeper. There were torches around the area, giving an eerie sort of light. This must have been the light they saw from within the tunnel.

Frink remembered that they needed to say the name of the Keeper to enter the barge so he softly squeaked, “Niobe…” The Keeper stepped aside and the companions one by one entered the barge. Niobe joined them and off they went.

On board the barge, Tito fluffed up his feathers for warmth, snuggling up against Kabe with a disgruntled chirp. His tail thumping in annoyance as they sat upon the barge, Kabe daydreamed about being once again on dry land, or better yet, curled up in his pet Ravensong's lap by a warm fire and perhaps having a bite or two of tasty tidbits hand fed him by one of the other lesser creatures. Perhaps some of those berries the moss scented one carried around with him.

Frink stared down into the water, it was murky and looked as though bodies were floating along underneath them, Frink shivered and huddled himself in the middle of the barge closing his eyes and humming a soft tune to himself. Relieved to have finally reached the barge, the small dragon had plopped himself down next to the others and stretched his wings. “Wait where was Frink,” Odin thought to himself and then he spied the sprite and quickly joined him. Odin was about to scare him for a bit of fun but realized Frink’s uneasiness, he just sat next to him for company.

The barge came to a sudden halt, reaching the other side of the river. The companions disembarked from the barge, waved to Niobe, and then continued through the dark forest before them. They did so as stealthy as they could, since they could all fly this meant hiding in the tree tops and flying from one to the next until they reached an Unseelie encampment.

There was a fire lit and Unseelie were all around it. Though his daydreams had almost come true and there was indeed a warm fire crackling below, Kabe was growing more annoyed with each passing moment, and climbing down the tree on silent paws, he lounged in a lower branch pretending to be ignorant of everything and everyone around him, lazily bathing his fur, though his ears twitched as he absorbed every word that was spoken.

Listening closely they heard the details they had come for. Frink smiled warmly at the other companions and motioned for them to follow him back to the Wayward Squirrel as quickly as their tiny wings could carry them. They had a report to deliver.

Lucien and Izzy dropped off Turf at the terminal and continued on with Ravensong waving to him a good gesture of good luck. Turf was awed by Mageborough on first sight. It was a beautiful pristine land, full of tall towers. Lights were everywhere, magical in nature to be sure, as it seemed the place was powered by magic alone.

As Turf walked through the terminal to venture out and about amongst the locals, he was stared at immensely by passersby. Most of them looked down on him, something he was not used to, coming from a family of great importance in his homelands of Thrang’La’La. It was humbling to him, though he was never that intent of showing airs. He ignored it for the most part and kept his attention on looking for Lightning.

“Lightning could be anywhere,” Turf thought to himself, “I almost hope he isn’t here though, being alone to capture him doesn’t seem like the safest way to go about it.” Turf continued on and decided to stop in a local pub for a drink. The sign outside the pub advertised something called Berrybeer and he was going to find out what that was.

After finding a table within he was approached by the waitress who wore a blouse that seemed to push her breasts up so high you could barely see her face when you were seated, a long flowing skirt, and an apron that somehow looked alive with color. Everything here was so magical, “I’ll have a Berrybeer please, I have never had one before.”

The waitress gave him a glaring confused look and after walking off for some time, finally returned with a tall cold mug of Berrybeer. Turf took one sip and then gulped half the liquid down. It was one of the tastiest things he had ever had in his life.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone sitting at a table that he thought looked like Lightning. Turf slowly turned to get a better look and the individual was gone. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He wasn’t sure so he investigated where the person had been sitting. Mumbling a spell under his breath, a spell of revealing, a silhouette of a man appeared and then suddenly got up and ran into the restroom.

Turf quickly went to the restroom to investigate, once inside he noticed the window was open and he looked out of it just in time to see someone running down the alley behind the pub. Turf decided to run back through the pub, as he was sure the window was not big enough for him to fit through.

On his way back through the pub, he grabbed the rest of his Berrybeer and gulped it down as fast as he could. Then out the door he ran, trying not to bump into anyone for fear of causing a scene. He conjured up a tracking spell that lead him down twists and turns until he was in a part of Mageborough that was uncharacteristic to the where he arrived. It was less vivid, less people around, and tons of stray cats, “I don’t like this one bit, too quiet,” Turf said looking around himself.

When suddenly he was attacked from behind, someone hit him on the head and he fell to the ground unconscious. He awoke tied to a chair with gauntlets around his hands. He tried to magic them off, but they were obviously anti-magic gauntlets. He looked around and was in a dark room that was barely lit with what seemed to be candlelight in the corner.

He seemed to be alone in the room and he could hear voices on the other side of the door but he couldn’t make out what they were saying, “Where am I… what happened…” he whispered to himself. He wished that his comrades were here with him. The last thing he could remember was chasing someone down who he thought might be Lightning and then darkness.

“Don’t panic, Turf,” he said to himself, “Think, what would a great mage like Eurus do in this situation… wait, Eurus, that’s it!” He remembered having the communication thing-a-ma-jig from Eurus and then said, “Cactus berries.”

“My dear boy, how can I help you,” came an answer muffled from inside the gauntlet on his arm.

“Eurus,” exclaimed Turf, then becoming quiet at the sound of the voices outside his room he continued, “I seem to be held captive somewhere in Mageborough, ever heard of the place? I have anti-magic gauntlets on and can’t get them off. Oh, and I am tied to a chair.”

“My dear boy, what have you got yourself into,” Eurus answered, “Mageborough… that’s not a place for someone like you, full of underhanded wizards and mages. But you know what, you are in luck…” Eurus trailed off in a mumble. Turf could hear something about Evangelista, then her voice answered him in a mumble as well.

“Eurus, what’s going on,” Turf asked and then the communication went silent. Turf looked panicked and said, “Cactus berries!” But there was no answer. He sat there trying

Fallen Angels Part 1

Fallen Angels a Ranger down

Jeice rushed to investigate the Border Fever cloud to try and defend the others. She inhaled the disabling unseelie death magic. Fear not, friends, thanks to the quick actions of Termina, Delgar and Canel she'll be alright but for now, she's been told she has to rest and is confined to her quarters.

Lone Rock- Laurie Heaven's Kitchen- Calie MageBorough- Talli The Catchment- Webby

Now I will be taking my companion shuttle to Sighon but the rest of you will have to use the flyers that have been made available to us. Everybody good with that?" Without batting an eye Laurie said matter-of-factly "Sounds good to me, I would love to get a look at those lizards close up." and turns her attention back to the oddity of pipes laying in a heap, waiting for them to be cool enough to handle after the powerful spell Termina cast on them.

Webby speaks up "I've looked over the flyers and they should be easy even for a beginner to fly. Good engines so none of us should be falling right out of the sky!" Talli and Calie look relieved and Laurie just takes it in stride.

"Ok... transportation is no problem then." Atrueheart states, nodding her head. "Now about this tunnel maze thing... " Calie and Laurie both speak up at the same time. "Great minds think alike!" Calie said. Laurie chuckled and said "We got this! We're already working on a configuration and Calie is gonna work with our Companions to help them understand the job."

"Good!" Atrueheart states. "Y'all know that kind of thing gives me a headache!" The Fallen Angels grinned and nodded. "Yanno we keep ya around only because yer pretty and got a good voice True!" Calie teased. Webby looks up from something she's writing down and cries out "But.. I thought I was the pretty one!" The table erupts with laughter.

"Ok people let's get back on track. We've got two hours to get prepped and our companions on their way. Then we fly!" Atrueheart stands up and motions to Calie. "Hon, I need a good sleeping potion. What do you have?" she asks. Calie rummages in her bag and pulls out several ingredients and her mortar and pestle. Throwing the herbs into the mortar she begins grinding away. "OOps!" she cries out digging into her bag again and pulls out some Moonstone. "I almost forgot! This is an absolute necessity!" Finishing up the grinding Calie digs into her bag for a small pouch and pours the ingredients into it. Handing the pouch over to Atrueheart, which she stashes in a hidden pocket, Calie nods and says "That should do the trick!"

"My turn Calie!" Webby says grabbing Calie's hand. "Now what I need are a few things for a cosmetic formula I'm going to present to one of the companies at the Catchment. That's gonna be my ticket to get on that moon and into the facility." They put their heads together and Calie begins to pull out some ingredients.

Laurie is poring over the tunnel pieces over to the side with Talli looking on. "I think we got this." Laurie states, taking notes and sketching in her notebook. Excusing herself for a moment, Laurie calls Hope aside and picks her up for a quick I luff you to pieces nuzzle. "You be careful going into that tunnel, use your head and remember to be as quiet as possible, ok? Finding out all that we can is important, but y'all coming back safe is top priority." Her lairbear cub gives her a tight hug, hops out of her arms and toddles back over to the rest of the companions. Laurie smiles, calling out "See ya soon Hope!" and as she goes to prepare for her own adventure she adds in an inaudible whisper Please be safe. Calie showed the companions the schematics and after some farewells and a lot of be carefuls, the Fallen Angels bid farewell to their beloved companions.

Once the companions depart, Laurie begins to pack her knapsack, checking off the mental checklist formed in her mind. Lets see.. pen - check, whip - check, left over bolas - check, smoke bombs - check, mask - check, net - ut-oh.. never tried to catch an Unseelie murderer before, better ask the expert on this one. and rushes to find Calie to see if her man catching net will hold Pale Lightning or if she needs something more powerful.

Calie is busy getting ready herself and when she opens her door to see who's pounding on it like there's been another invasion screams at the top of her lungs and reaches into her bag. "WOAH!" Laurie yells, "It's me!" and realizing she still had her mask on tosses it aside as she hits the floor laughing. The on Calie's face isn't exactly one of amusement as she shakes her head and helps Laurie to her feet. Taking a look at Laurie's glorified bug catching net, she gave it a quick rubdown with a concoction that would help to reinforce it. "There we go, that will hold him." she says, handing it back to Laurie, "And good luck to whoever manages to find him!"

After much bustling and gathering up supplies the Fallen Angels are ready to rock. Heading outside they all gather for last minute instructions from Atrueheart on the tarmac. "Ok ladies! Our goal is to bring back Lightning at all costs. I want you to get in and get out as fast as you can and if you get the chance, bag that slippery sucker and bring him home." The Fallen Angels all nod in agreement. With a lot of good lucks and some teasing rivalry on who was gonna get Lightning the team departs to their separate flyers. Calling out to the rest of the team "Good luck and good hunting Angels!" Atrueheart then climbs up the ramp and enters her shuttle.

Laurie excavates Lone Rock

Laurie calls out "Good Luck" to the rest of the Fallen Angels and heads for the Caroline, it was time to catch herself a prince.

As Bearman Jack expertly maneuvers his ship closer to the asteroid, Laurie takes in every detail of the desolate landscape below. Giving a low whistle, she secures her mask in place, double checks the gear strapped to her belt and the sword-pen strapped to her arm. Bearman Jack hovers the Caroline above a a crumbling shack on a rare patch of flat rock. Tossing a secured rope over the railing, Laurie cries "Fallen Angel away!" and zips downward, landing on Lone Rock with an unceremonious thud. I really need to practice my repelling technique she grumbles as she gets to her feet, dusting herself off.

A slight movement in the broken down shack vanquishes that thought to recesses of her brain and she instinctively snatches her whip from her belt as she spins, ready to send whatever's moving into oblivion. Unfurling her whip with a resounding snap she stops short, almost laughing out loud at the on the stranger's face who's pointing a rifle in her direction while trying to keep an eye on both her and the craft floating above her head. "Who you 'aposta be?" the stranger demands. Laurie gives him a slight nod and introduces herself, "Name's Laurie, friend. I've been sent here in search of a missing fugitive." Recoiling her whip she continues, "Have you seen anything strange in the last day or so?"

The mercenary gives her a quick once-over and points toward a rising cliff to the north. "Was some whirring just last night," he replies, "whatever it was came from that-a-way." "Thank you kindly." she replies walking in the general direction he's provided. "What about that ship?" he calls after her and Laurie supresses another chuckle. "It's fine," she calls back, "No one else will be dropping in unannounced for tea, I promise."

Drudging across the unfriendly landscape it's hard to imagine how anyone would pick a place like this to mine for ore or anything else to Laurie. Of course she wasn't interested in learning about such things so for all she knew, places like this could very well be perfect for such things. Pondering the reasoning behind where mining camps are placed and why she's about halfway up a staggered pile of rocks when a shadow of a large reptile catches her attention. Laurie drops down as flat as possible against it's ledge and peering around the edge of the jagged formation watches as a large snapping lizard lumbers into view, studying the way it's able to navigate the rocky terrain, the flexibility of its tail and gauges the reach of it's bite based on the range it's able to turn it's head. Laurie remains perfectly still, undetected as the lizard fades from view. Cautiously she continues on her journey, amazed that something that big could eek out an existence on a barren rock like this.

Scaling another rock formation she sees a second busted up shack and calls out "Ahoy in there! Don't shoot, I'm not a lizard!" for her own amusement, regretting it instantly thanks to her mouth filling with the nasty taste of space dirt and ore. A man appears in the shack's doorway, rifle strapped to his back. "Who you and what you want?" Laurie sighs and introduces herself. "That be your rig what's got ol' Percy all riled up!" "I suppose so, is that all he told you?" "Aye, miss, an I be Smitty. 'Citement round here's hard ta'come by, an' when it do, news travels fast." "I see," she replied, fighting the urge to roll her eyes, "I'm hunting a fugitive, anything odd happen round here lately?" "Ya mean that thing that streaked cross overhead. It went that-a-way." "Of course it did." she mumbles, taking a quick swig out of her canteen before putting her mask back in place and heading off.

As she approaches yet another rock pile a slight hissing causes her to stop in her tracks, eyes scanning the area for the source. An odd shadow appears to the left of the rock mound followed by the sound of a large animal gives away it's location. Stealthily, Laurie moves to the right, keeping her back pressed against the rocks. She leans forward to peek around it's edge and is elated to see a somewhat smaller lizard making it's way over the rocky terrain followed by two little ones. The lizard suddenly stops, causing Laurie to press herself as tightly as possible into the rock wall, her hand on her whip, her heart praying she won't have to use it. After a few tense seconds the hissing begins anew and with a smile hidden behind her mask Laurie silently creeps forward.

Approaching a steep rock formation that seemed to flatten out at it's peak she scowled. It seemed in this place if there's a plateau, there's a shack. That meant she had to get up there. As she pondered the best way to approach this new development she heard what was now a familiar sound. Hand already grasping a bola, she spun around, fully aware that escaping without being detected was not going to be an option this time. There was no where for her to go.

The snapping lizard seemed as surprised to see her as she was to get a clear view of it. It began lumbering straight at her and as she released the bola, she called out "It wont hurt, I swear it won't!", the bola spiraling around it's legs. As soon as the first bola was released she had begun spinning a second that also hit it's mark, securing the lizard's hind legs as well. The massive beast was brought down with a thump and Laurie said "Im sorry, I really am, as soon as you wake up you'll be able to get yourself free, those jaws can chomp through anything." and tossed a smoke ball at it's feet, knocking it out cold.

Irritated by having to attack something that belonged on the asteroid when she didn't, Laurie unfurled her whip and using it as a rope slowly scaled the side of the cliff. As she finally reached the top, she heard a huffing from below and after crawling onto the plateau she looked over the edge, thrilled to see the lizard had begun to stir and was snapping at the bola around it's legs. It would be back on it's way soon, no harm, no foul. Getting to her feet, she about jumped out of her skin when someone hollered "Whatcher lookin at?" behind her. "One dem damn monsters there?!" "No, no, nothing like that," she replied, gathering her wits, "I thought I dropped my knife." Hand extended, she quickly walked toward the mercenary to keep him from spying the lizard at the bottom of the cliff. "I'm Laurie." she said, "Smitty and Percy said there was a strange craft that was headed this direction recently, and I'm trying to track it down. Did you see it by any chance?"

Nodding as he shook her hand enthusiastically. "They call me Glen, and yessir I certainly did," he said, pointing to some faint markings near the shack he called home. "Fascernatin' feller, seems he lost his way, an he gived me a pile'a gold chains few a smacker a'fuel! Can ya believe that?! Gived me gold fer fuel! What a moron!"

Enraged Laurie jerked her hand free. "YOU GAVE HIM FUEL!?" Firing a flare skyward she glared at Glen with a look that stopped him cold. "You FOOL! You have no idea what you've done." she snapped, wanting more than anything to break his neck just to save the galaxy from his stupidity. "I do too!" he shot back, "I gots me a pile of gold fer a smidgen a'fuel!" As the Caroline slowed overhead and the rope ladder was lowered she glared at the mercenary, her foot on the first rung. "You just keep telling yourself that and if your world comes to an end, you better pray that pile of gold is enough to pay for safe passage to the next." Without another word, she ascended the ladder. Back on board, she was still fuming as she told Bearman Jack what she had discovered. They both agreed that as far as Lone Rock was concerned, it would be a much better place if the lizards were in charge instead of those idiots and returned to the Borderlands empty handed.

As Webby's flyer lifts off the tarmac the flyer's control panel, previously all lit up, suddenly goes dark. Not panicking, Webby reaches into her satchel and pulls out her mythril wrench and gives the console a quick rap. Immediately the lights come back on and Webby grins. "That's the surefire way to fix anything!" she chuckles and then brings up her nav computer. A screen floating in midair suddenly catches her attention as multiple lights begin flashing on it. Seeing that it shows ships in her vicinity, Webby gives out a low whistle. "Goram Sky Patrol! They are as thick as fleas surrounding that moon!" Studying the flying patterns of the patrol ships, Webby spots an opening in their line of defense and plots her nav computer accordingly. Navigating to the dock station was like playing zigzag with the patrol but not too difficult. Having asked one of the Gearless Goose's more unsavory customers, a smuggler by trade, Webby knew just where to land on the moon to avoid the ground patrols.

Landing her flyer, Webby swiftly gathers her satchel and slides a needle gun into her boot. "Just in case somebody wants to misbehave!" she thought to herself. Her landing zone was only two clicks from a secret labratory where she was hoping to find Lightning. Webby moves out swiftly following a navigation instrument she holds in her hand. Coming to an odd hill formation, she tucks the instrument back into her pouch and looks around for security. A door slides open in the face of the hill in front of her and two security guards jump out and grab her. "Hey!" Webby cries out. "Is that anyway to greet a visitor?" Ignoring her protests one security guard frisks her for weapons and finding the needle gun, tucks it into his belt. The other

[spoiler=A Bard, a Bob and a Box; How Phineas dealt with The Catchment]

Outfit Not Found

After receiving their marching orders from their stalwart leader, Ayla, Phineas took a little time in admonishing Katja to be careful, and to play nicely with the other companions while he was away. Katja, for her part, patently ignored him. It is more or less a cat thing.

He was not thrilled with his assignment but it could have been worse- they might have shipped him off to play with the mages after all.

Fallen Angels Chapter 9, Post 2

Mastering the Maze

The Fallen Angels Companions all looked over the tubing pieces with glee.  Finally, they would be able to help out in a big way.  "Hold up!  You can't go just yet." Talli called out.  "Only Geep and Blue could fit through those tubes."  The companions looked at her with big, sad eyes.  Talli winced and groaned before finally calling out to Calie.  "I need your help over here.  They’re giving me 'the eyes'."  

Calie walked over and laughed.  "I see the problem.  Don't worry, you guys.  I'll get together with Talli and we can make this work."  The two angels put their heads together for a few minutes before Calie rushed off.  She quickly came back with some jars in her hands.  "Here we go!"  She mixed together some powders and a liquid that POOFED! when it was added, handed the jars to Talli and rushed off again.  Talli muttered a short spell over the jars and sealed them before giving them a good shake.  The contents inside turned a soft blue.  Calie returned with several small bags filled with treats and some masking tape.  She carefully labeled each jar, Drink me! and, after a quick spell from Talli, each treat bag, Eat me!

Handing the jars to the larger companions, she explained.  "Drink the contents of the jar to shrink small enough to fit into the tubing.  When you return, eat the treats to get big again."

The companions went over the six clues given to them, and with the help of their partners, managed to figure most of them out.   1: The tunnel was definitely safe for them to travel through. 2: They would have to use all the pieces of tubing.   3: They would only be able to enter or exit using the yellow marked pieces. 4: It would be a good idea to start out turning left. 5: They have a way. 6: They would succeed!

Calie came over to them with a large tome in her hands.  "Look what I found!  It's an old text describing Greek mythology.  Homer wrote a story called the Iliad, where apparently Niobe was the daughter of Tantalus, the queen of Thebes, and the wife of King Amphion.  She boasted that she was more fortunate than Leto, the mother of Artemis and Apollo, because she had more children than Leto.  To pay for her boast, Apollo, or Apollo and Artemis, caused her to lose all of her 14 children. In those versions where Artemis joins in the killing, she is responsible for the daughters and Apollo for the sons. Poor lady."  The companions all looked at her with glazed looks.  Calie rolled her eyes.  "The Keeper's name is Niobe."  

When it was time to leave, Atrueheart came over and handed all but Geep a very small bag that they could wear like a little backpack.  They were able to just fit the jar, treats and a couple of tunnel pieces in each.  Geep gave them all a snug look.  He didn’t have to carry anything.  Then they showed him the last piece of tunnel that wasn’t able to fit into the bags.  Geep looked at them annoyed before picking it up in his mouth.

*****

After traveling for what seemed forever, they made it to the dock where the Spirit Barge would stop.  They took a small break before Jinx waved happily.  The Spirit Barge was almost there!  They could all see a figure slowly steering the small craft to shore.  When it made it to the dock, the Keeper leaned over and spoke with a whispery soft voice.  “Who seeks passage by way of the Spirit Barge?”  The companions all stepped forward.  “What payment can you give to convince me to let you pass?”

Hope pawed at the bag on her back before a thin letter fell out.  She lifted it up to the Keeper who stretched out a thin white arm to receive it.  The Keeper silently read the note, which simply said,

Your Majesty, I would like to express my sincere condolences on the death of your children.  On behalf of the Fallen Angels and their companions, please accept my sympathy to your loss.  I can only imagine the pain of losing them so early in life.  I understand words are not enough to heal your great sorrow but I hope in time you will find some comfort in your bereavement.   Sincere Condolences, The Fallen Angels The Keeper, Queen Niobe of Thebes, turned to the companions with tears in her eyes.  “No further payment is required.  You may board and I will take you wherever you wish.”  The lady stayed quiet throughout the rest of the journey and did not speak even when they got to the far shore where the Shriveled Forest was located and departed.  The companions watched as she turned the barge and slowly disappeared into the mist.

*****

The companions journeyed quickly and quietly through the Shriveled Forest.  Geep and Blue rode on Moriel’s back to save energy and time traveling.  Rounding a sickly looking elm tree, they stopped suddenly.  They had reached their destination.  Only the TwistDeath could look like that and they had seen no other tree with such roots anywhere else around.  Jinx hopped around the roots and found a small opening.  It was the ‘Piece 1’ that Hayao had talked about.

Jinx helped Torchy, Hope and Moriel pull the jars from their bags and they quickly drank the contents.  Everything around them suddenly started to grow to giant sizes!  Geep and Blue snickered.  This was how their world looked all the time.  They put their bags back on, which had thankfully shrunk with them, and entered the first section of the TwistDeath.  

There wasn’t going to be much room in the tubes, to they went single file starting with Jinx because it would be easiest for him to attach the pieces with his monkey paws.  Geep set down the piece he had been carrying in his mouth with relief and Jinx reached out and attached the first piece of tubing.  Torchy nuzzled his way through Moriel’s bag and pulled out a scrap of paper with the clues that someone had stuffed in there.  Moriel pawed at clue # 4 which said to try going left.  They turned and Blue passed up another piece.  

The pace was very slow going as they had to make frequent stops to remember who had which piece and when to use it.  They also had to take time to carefully pass the pieces to Jinx in the front.  Not easy to do when you didn’t have opposable thumbs like the Angels.  But they made do with claws, tails and mouth.  At the front of the line, Jinx had the most dangerous job of attaching the tubing.  All around the outside of the tubing was a poisonous sap that stunk and made him sneeze.  

They made several twists and turns through the root system.  Light filtered in through the opaque window sections but they were unable to see much beyond it.  Geep and Blue bumped into Jinx when he came to a sudden stop.  They quickly gathered around him and saw that one of the windows was clear.  They were able to see out of the root system!

The view was from the ground and was a little hard to see, but they were able to make out figures walking back and forth carrying bundles and large sacks.  One of the figures came closer with a torch and Blue gave a start when she saw it was a goblin!  More torches were being carried around, and they were able to make out features of the various creatures that filled the viewing area.  Moriel indicated the pile of weaponry to the side.  Finally Hope nudged them to keep going.

The companions were solemn as they slowly made their way through the tunnels.  Eventually the clear view from the windows went back to opaque and they knew they were close to the exit.  Geep squeaked in excitement when they finally saw a ray of sunshine.   The companions gathered at the Unseelie land exit and Moriel, nudged by Jinx, peeks out and seeing a mass of Unseelie warriors milling around quickly stepped back.  The rest of the companions take a quick look for themselves and then in unspoken agreement they all turn and head back to the entrance of the tunnels.  Only getting a little turned around once but Hope pointing at the arrows on the schematics got them back on track.  They spilled out of the TwistDeath roots and Moriel gave a good shake.  Finally, some fresh air.  Their bags were all empty except for one last item.  Jinx again helped Torchy, Hope and Moriel pull the last item out and they all chowed down on the treats that said, Eat me!  Blue grumbled as the four others slowly returned to their normal sizes.  Geep agreed with Blue. They wished they could be that big sometimes; maybe they would ask the Angels when they got back.

*****

The Keeper with her Spirit Barge was waiting for them when they emerged from the Shriveled Forest.  She gave a small, sad smile and said, “Your passage has already been paid.”  The companions nodded and hopped on board.

When they reached the other side, they jumped onto the dock and, giving a brief farewell to the Keeper, they raced each other back to the Gearloose Goose.  They couldn't wait to see the Angels and give their reports!

(OOC: - Please consider this ping from Atrueheart for the major RP post two posts above and this one as well. She's been fighting with subeta to get the complete RP to post for hours and finally had to give up, which is why Im posting the final section of it and pinging y'all)

Jilly petted Salem and told him to come back to her soon. Salem just yawned lazily and said, "You don't have to worry, this mission is a piece of cake." And with that, he slinked off.

"Wait for me!" cried Little Al in his squeaky voice. The blob creature didn't want to be left behind and so he scurried off in the direction of the others. Anna giggled at her little friend.

Juana watched Flint fly away. The tiny sprite didn't say much, but he was flashing excitedly at the prospect of an adventure.

The Misfit’s companions headed in the direction of the barge along with the other companions. Lappy was leading the way, bounding over hills and running past the trees. His tongue hung out the side of his mouth as he ran. Grumpus, OneTwo and Twofer tried to keep up. Salem appeared aloof that there were other felines running about, but inside he was happy to finally have a chance to be around others like him. Kwixis noticed that Little Al was having trouble keeping up, so he allowed the blob to hitch a ride on his back. Flint had no trouble keeping up at all.

Once they reached the shoreline, they found the Spirit Barge. The Keeper was a beautiful maiden with pale skin that was almost translucent. Her hair was white like snow and her eyes were a watery blue. She wore a black cloak that covered her from head to foot. A faint smile turned on her lips when she saw all the creatures approach. "Welcome friends. What brings you to my barge?"

Lappy was the first to answer, "We would like safe passage to the Shriveled Forest please!" The rest of the companions nodded in agreement.

The Keeper’s smile faded quickly. "Are you sure that's wise? Why would such lovely creatures wish to travel to such an evil place?"

Salem sauntered forward, "We are on a quest to help our masters defeat the evil that threatens us all."

Twofer added, "Please just help us. If you don't, all will be lost and the Unseelie will prevail." The Keeper studied the companions. "I only let those pass that know my name! If you speak it, then all of you will be allowed to come aboard."

The companions looked at each other. Surely someone could figure out her name.

Little Al jumped off Kwixis. "Excuse me, I know I may only be a little blob, but my master is a mage and she reads many books. Sometimes she lets me read as well. I've picked up quite a few random facts over the years, including ones about myths."

Grumpus huffed at the little blob, "Well let's have it already! Time waits for no one!"

The blob was not to be bullied into telling the answer right away. He decided to show off his knowledge and give everyone a lesson on this particular myth. "A maiden and her husband, who was King Amphion, had fourteen children. She bragged about her seven sons and seven daughters and made the fatal mistake of mocking Leto, who only had two children, Apollo and Artemis. So Apollo killed the seven sons and Artemis killed the seven daughters. She fled to Mt. Siplyon in Asia Minor. There she was turned to stone by Zeus and from the rock formed a stream (the Achelous) from her ceaseless tears. She became the symbol of eternal mourning. Her name was Niobe."

The Keeper smiled at the little blob, "You are correct, my friend. Come all, you may board."

The companions boarded the barge and they were taken to the forest. Once there, they had no trouble finding the tree. It was the largest one there and the tree was so twisted and mangled, it was no wonder they called it TwistDeath. A very large root extended out towards them, almost as if it dared them to enter.

Kwixis took out the pipes and laid them out. They started with pipe as their first one through which they would enter. He manipulated the pipe so that it would push into the root. The magical pipe expanded so that he could walk right in.

"Remember, we want to go left, not right!" Salem mewed.

Kwixis turned left and OneTwo came to him with the next pipe, . He pushed that one deeper into the root and it magically expanded and attached to the first pipe. Flint flew ahead and flashed slowly. He could see through the clear parts, but he didn't see anything but rocks at this point.

Twofer brought the next pipe piece to Kwixis and he pushed into the root. This one split again to go either straight or left.

Little Al piped up, "I think we should go left again."

The companions turn left and come to an exit. Salem slunk ahead slowly. "I'm probably the best one to check it out, since I'm black and I can see pretty well in the darkness." He slowly poked his head out of the pipe and scanned the area. He quickly pulled back in. "No, we cannot leave this way. There are too many Unseelie guards around. I think we're too close to an encampment. We should keep going and see if we can get further away so we are not detected. Remember, we are not to engage in combat."

So the companions continued to push the pipes into the root. Next was , then 12.

Grumpus was getting impatient, "We need to get out and see what is going on!"

Salem noted that they were at another exit pipe. "Well, let's check this one out." He stuck his head outside again. This time he came back and told the companions, "We are good, the coast is clear."

They all looked at Flint, who flickered apprehensively. Lappy stated the obvious. "We can't let him go outside. He will give us away in a second."

"Well then, why don't we have Kwixis push pipe in next so he can stay in there, watch through the clear parts, and alert us with the comm if he spots danger?" suggested OneTwo. The rest of the companions nodded. So Kwixis got to work and added the pipe along with .

Little Al decided to stay with Flint and be a second pair of eyes to watch out while the others snuck out.

Salem slinked slowly and low to the ground. His eyes were focused on everything around him. Lappy had his nose to the ground and he quietly sniffed, looking for any clues that could be useful. OneTwo and Twofer used their superior hearing to try and listen for any talk from the encampment while Kwixis and Grumpus watched behind them.

Inside the pipe, Flint was flying from one window to the next. Little Al was grumbling, "I wish I was out there helping. So what if I'm a bright green? I can thin myself out and look like a puddle of goo if someone comes along." Flint noticed movement and began to flash red, but the blob wasn't paying much attention.

The other companions outside weren't aware of the movement immediately. But suddenly they heard footsteps coming towards them. Guards! Kwixis gave a low hiss and motioned for everyone to come to him. All of the companions quickly ran to the dragon and he managed to pull them all into himself, curl up with his wings sheltering over them, and made himself appear like a large boulder.

The guards came around the tree, they were talking. "I hope they give the order to attack soon, we are running low on supplies and the men are getting restless."

"I agree. Already I've had to break up a skirmish over the theft of a dagger. We need to move soon!"

"Well my sword thirsts for fresh blood. Perhaps it will drain the life of a few Seelie scum by days end."

The footsteps never slowed and they got fainter as the guards walked towards the encampment. Lappy wagged his tail, "I think they're gone Kwixis! Let's get back to the roots and get out of here!"

They all headed back to the entrance to find that Little Al was being scolded by Flint.

"Well how was I to know that they were in danger? You don't say much!" the blob complained.

The sprite sighed in frustration and flitted over to the dragon and gave one of his horns a tiny hug. He was relieved that the quick-thinking dragon had saved the companions from discovery.

Kwixis finished pushing the remaining pipes into the root. They stopped periodically along the way to observe more of the encampment

Reaver @ Greenrowan

[spoiler=The team Prepares for tomorrow] Decisions, decisions. One of the more challenging parts of this weeks task. Jett could play an instrument with out a second thought, and throw knives, swallow swords, anything of the sort. But clothing, man...there were just too many choices.

It had been ages now since his circus days, really he missed it. The flamboyant bright colours and acrobatics. Sure Creeque Alley was mostly music, but he just had to do at least a small act from the old days. That desire for a true vaudeville esque performance narrowed it down a little. He of course encorperated a musical piece, but the sword was going to be the star. With the description of where he was to go, he took it as a hint that not only music was thriving there. Street proforming of any sort was welcomed.

He tapped his foot and thought about what would work for this mixed venue. It couldnt be something hard to move in, nor too warm. He had no idea what the weather in this place would be. As he dug through his luggage, Jett tossed items and stuffed animals, candy wrappers, whatever was in his way to the side.

Potch had been napping on the pile of dirty laundry when he felt something cover him. The bird squawked, unhappy that he was brought to the land of awakeness. "WHAT DOING?"

Jett stopped for a second and walked over, pulling the pair of pants off of his Bird. He reached out, expecting Potch to hop on to his arm. Of course he did, so used to being around the guy that he wouldnt feel right not complying.

"Tryin' ta decide what ta wear. Gotta put on a' show."

With out bothering to reply, Potch jumped from Jetts arm and on to the bed where clothes had been piled around and strewn about. He kicked a few items out of the way, seeing his master had chosen his favorite circus Jumpsuit. All he needed now was a shirt for under it, and shoes. Somehow the human found this decision very challenging. But for an avian creature, it was so simple. Whatever was shiny or the first to catch his eye.

He pulled at a pair of pointed toe shoes, knowing that as much as Jett liked unlaced boots it was best for him to look professional. Seeming homeless due to the 'heroine chique' in his usual wardrobe may not get him what was needed.

Jetty watched the raven pull and kick and flap his wings to dig around, hoping it would actually help. He didnt want to stand here for hours trying on and taking off every outfit he owned. Indecisiveness was such a pain.

He set the shoes beside the circus garb and then the shirt with it. Not saying a word he trotted off to the second, smaller suitcase. It held accessories and makeup. Jettison sat down on the floor and rummaged through it for just the perfect finishing touch. A leaf hair clip, the makeup he was going to use, and a fishtail transparent bustle.

Potch nodded and flopped on to one of the piles of clothes, wanting to get a bit more rest before the journey. He knew Jett was a perfectionist when it came to the face painting, so he would likely get an hour.

Once dressed he went to add the details of makeup. If only everyday people wouldnt get so weirded out by the designs and additions to his clothing from the patterns made with paint and henna. But at least for now he would get a chance to show off and go full on Cirque. He had to remember the tools of the trade though, so once done he set them out. A small chest with a handle, carrying his instrument. Then a over the shoulder sword bag.

Jett didnt bother bugging Potch when he finally left the room. He remembered that the animals had their own adventure to attend, so no need to remind him of it, or the fact that he would be in close quarters with the feline beasts.

~

Jumping up with a wicked grin Sashi whistles for Lorne, turning on her heels she starts walking away announcing that she is going to get ready for the mission at hand. "I have to have the right clothes, gear, and weapons for my solo adventure." Rubbing her hands together with a laugh she strides away with Lorne next to her.

Rummaging through her things Sashi pulling several things out from her bags, keeping in mind the description that was given to her about this lizard ruled land. Lorne finding a place to hide as clothes begin to fly around the room.

The warrior mumbling not so nice things as she tosses things this way and that way looking for the best outfit for this mission. Pulling on a shirt that covers her nose and mouth, pulling on her pants she chuckles from under the top, as she finishes pulling on her boots and straps on her knives and gripping her blade in her hand Sashi shivers with delight.

Scooping up the rope hooking it on her hip, she calls for her companion, "Lorne you are safe to emerge from your hiding place now. He peeks out looking around first making sure her gear and things were done being thrown about. He joins Sashi and sits by her while she stands wondering if she is good to go on this mission, until the fox yips at the girl to move along as he approves of the gear she has chosen.

She smiles pulling off the clothes and gear and laying them down in a neat stack, she slides her fingers over the soft fur of Lorne as she picks up her room and just crams all of the mess back into her bags as she does not want to the room in total shambles. The girl tosses on some comfy clothes, she taps the bed and Lorne jumps up before she lays down to sleep before her adventure begins.

~

After the group disbanded Esme and Nighteyes wandered to their room. Esme turned to her pet saying "Now where do I start with putting an outfit together that will blend in with the other folks in that area"

First thing first, lets see what clothes I do actually have here that will work, opening the wardrobe door to array of clothes, Esme started pulling different tops, skirts and dresses, well that didnt work looking at the huge mess she had made on the bed.

Stepping back and taking a moment to think, she finally decided on a skirt and top combo so put all the dresses back, now I think I will stick with black its a good starting point in mage wear. finding the perfect skirt and top was now easy but upon wearing it, it looks too bland, going to have to accessorize this with some colour, thankfully she found a lovely purple under top and a matching waist cloth, cant forget to put on my favorite belt and earrings.

Esme finally settled on what to wear, " What do you think Nighteyes she asked" but as usual all she got was a growl of discontent from her companion. "I do think I am going to have to dye my hair though" how about a nice shade of purple she chuckled to herself, walking into the bathroom, going to have to do this the old fashioned way with a dye bottle as my spells seem to come with a time limit.

~

[color=yellowgreen]"What the heck is this thing that I have to wear?" Venus asks out loud. Not that anyone was nearby to answer her. She knew the answer, she just didn't like it. “An apron, really, an apron?” Plus I had to go and open up my big mouth and say I would love to travel to Heaven's Kitchen since I have my Grand-mama's recipes." Venus just shakes her head and wonders sometimes how she gets herself into these messes.

Who do they think she is? This is not part of my normal wardrobe at all. I am so out of my element. Should I go with the yellow or the teal apron? The yellow will clash too much with my hair, teal it is I guess. Or should I go red? Man oh man. Why so many choices. “Ok, my mind is made up...teal it is. It brings out my eyes”, Venus says with a chuckle.

Venus looks herself over in the mirror. At least I had some accessories to match this apron. Or is it too much? I hate this second guessing of myself. I am so not made for this.

Venus saunters over to her pile of clothes and brick a brack. She digs among her belongs and looks for her special satchel. She needs to find a recipe to take with her. “I hope I remembered to pack my Grand-mama's family cookbook. I am sure I can find something in there that will work for me to get access to have a quick look around to see if Lightning is hiding up on this moon”, she says to herself.

Venus pulls out a book on robots, on fire, on spiders, a book called "How to tame your Man", oh wait, that should have stayed at home on my bookcase. Nope, no man here for me to worry about. Venus clears her throat while blushing as red as can be, and hopes no one saw her pull out this book or the pure look of embarrassment on her face.

After digging in her magic satchel she finds the family cookbook. Venus takes a quick peak at the clock and notices she doesn't have much time before she has to leave. She guesses she better start looking through these recipes fast!

Venus opens up the book at a random page and notices the first recipe is for homemade berry wine. “Hmm...that might be tempting to take up with me, but I will keep searching.” Next recipe she spies is for homemade vodka. Ok, Venus is a bit surprised with the two recipes so far. She knew her Grand-mama liked the odd spirit here and there. After looking through the book for a few more pages they all seem to be a recipe for an alcoholic drink of some sort. Now Venus knows why Grand-mama had this book at the back of the bookcase. “I hope she doesn't get mad that I "borrowed" this book. She might be looking for this thing later. Especially after spending so much time with Grand-papa.” Venus chuckles to herself over that thought.

Venus decides to just close the book and open it up on a random page and that will be the recipe she will take with her and just have to hope for the best. After taking a deep breath and her getting her courage up, she opens the "cookbook" and she opens it to a recipe for "Blood and Sandtini". Looking over the ingredients she realizes the name is deceiving, there is no blood involved. Thank goodness. Sometimes you can never know with Grand-mama.

1 ounce blended scotch 1 ounce fresh-squeezed orange juice ¾ ounce cherry brandy ¾ ounce sweet vermouth Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass; garnish with a cherry.

Of course once Venus reads out the recipe while she copies the name and ingredients down on a piece of paper, she is second guessing her choice. Should she have gone through the whole book page by page, should she have picked a different recipe? Should she have kept looking in her magic satchel for a different cookbook. Venus takes one more minute to keep second guessing herself, but then she decided, she can't waste anymore time. She has to just suck it up and go and see if she can find this Lightning person.[/co

((I know there's a lot of awkward linebreaks. Too many for me to want to go fix every last one of them. >.<))

[spoiler=The companions go to the Unseelie Realm] Root Tunnels Tipper was voted carrier for the mythril tubes, for even shrunk they were too big for the others to handle

more than one at a time. The Fellowship had rigged a bag that the fox could wear on a small harness, to

hold the pieces until they were needed. Sihr clung to one of the straps, tail twitching anxiously.

Anything called "TwistDeath" sounded less than pleasant. The part of the woods they'd ventured into was

wilder, but not in a completely natural way. It felt vaguely tainted, most likely the effect of

approaching the way to the Unseelie realm. Star acted as look out, flying a little way ahead to keep watch

for possible attackers. Selawick road on the back of the pack to watch the rear for any suprises. Tipper

took the whole thing in good humour and trotted steadily towards the TwistDeath Tree. Inwardly she'd

rather stay away and hoped her fear didn't show too much.

<There, look!> Sihr pointed at a tree that, to her, had a nasty aura of dark magic. <That's it, I'm sure

of it!> Without magic sight the knotted tree just looked like an exceptionally ugly specimen, with

gnarled and knobbed bark, thick bent limbs and crooked branches that hung drooping to the ground. The

leaves were dark green, nearly black, and the shape was reminiscent of a willow, though willows lacked

thorns and a strange unpleasant smell. Tipper whined and crouched at the sight of it, Selawick darting to

hide under the pack. Star landed next to Tipper and gazed at it with what she hoped was a brave expression

but really looked more like distaste. "So," she twittered, "what next?"

Fuzzybottom made an impatient noise. He wanted to be there already so they could scout. He eyed the

pieces, seeing how they'd fit together as they'd planned back at the Goose in his mind.

Star gazed at the mess of items before her and clicked her beak in frustration. She knew very little of

how such things worked and cared even less. But the killer had said that they needed to take the path to

the left. She glanced round to find Tipper had picked up one of the pieces and was holding it in her mouth

like a stick. Her tail was wagging as she waited for instructions on what to do. Star rolled her eyes and

glared at the tree, wishing she could just fly over it. Tipper was more interested in the puzzle. She was

pretty sure the one she'd picked up was the right one to begin with. The end was very sparkly even if she

couldn't see in colour. This achievement had given her heart and was encouraging her to try. She looked at

Star and gave a faint whine. Star glanced at her. She could see in colour and yes, the one Tipper held had

a gold end. Tipper managed a muffled yip of delight at her success and gazed at Sihr for the signal to put

it into the hole at the base of the tree.

The faeling checked the diagram their humans had helpfully sent along. <That's the right one. Here

goes.> With Selawick standing on Fuzzybottom and Sihr flying above to guide the leading end, Tipper

providing most of the push and Star watching and guiding them, the creatures managed to force the tube

into the root. When it was almost all the way in, it started to expand, and with a last hard push it was

in place. They looked at each other a moment, until the fearless Star flew in. "No point in just

waiting," she chirped at the others. Fuzzybottom was bounding right behind her, eager to be moving

forward.

The crawl through was not pleasant. If the tree looked horrible above ground, it was much, much, much

worse underneath. The roots flexed and seemed determined to try and break the tubes to get at the

creatures inside. Tipper was reminded a little of some of the bones she'd eaten. The tubes had grown large

enough for her to walk through though she had to keep her head down. She was getting a bit tired of

Selalwick sticking quite so close. He kept ducking and turning under her and she'd nearly stepped on him

once or twice. It was better now that he wasn't so busy admiring the tubes and how they shined. Star fluttered ahead to see where the end was. She was finding it hard to stay calm. A creature of the

sky, she found the idea of being underground uncomfortable at best. This was closer to a waking nightmare

with the tree roots raking across the outside and no light aside from what was in the tube. She suddenly

turned in midair and raced back. She only stopped when she flew smack into Tipper. Selawick gave a squeak of alarm. Star had flown at beasts made of storms and not batted an eyelid. For her

to come racing back half out of her mind in fear meant something bad had happened. Maybe the enchantment

hadn't been enough, maybe the tree had broken through and was coming to get them! He gave another squeak

and raced up Tipper's leg where he hoped the fox could get them out safely. Tipper remained still with the

two shivering animals clinging to her. She was as scared as they were but was more afraid of being stuck

here and never going home. She had family waiting for them. They all did. She waited while they calmed a little and then spoke very quietly to Selawick and Sihr. The light from the

entrance had waned. This part of the tunnel had no glow, and the only thing outside was darkness filled

with even darker roots. Star couldn't see down here. Her greatest power had been rendered usless and she

had to stay with Tipper. Selawick was also a creature of the dusk. Could he lead them? Could he walk with

Tipper behind and tell them was was coming? Selawick blinked in suprise and carefully climbed down. He squeaked that he would and began to move forward. Tipper, half blinded by Star clinging to her face

followed carefully, relying on her ears and nose to find Selawick's path in the darkness of the tunnel.

The sound of his claws tapping on the metal helped guide her and keep her from bumping into the walls.

Sihr was all but invisible. The tube was so saturated with magic her scent was hard to find and her flight

was soundless. Selawick suddenly reported that there was a glow ahead. They'd made it past the clear

section on the map and back to a portion with inside illumination.

Gratefully they paused in the glowing section and Star began to calm. When the bird had settled, they

continued to the end of the current section. Sihr brought out the next piece of tube from the bag, and in

the same manner as before they got it into place. There was a click and a faint hiss as it locked onto

the one they were in and sealed tight. The small group proceeded into the next tunnel and onwards, with

Selawick leading them through the areas with low light and each successive piece being put into place in

turn.

The time passed at an uncertain speed below the earth, but eventually they reached the first communication

tube. Sihr worked it, but she shook her head. Her thoughtspeech couldn't reach that far. Tipper yapped,

hoping that someone could hear. Without Quercus to translate no one would understand, but at least they

would hear and know the companions were alright. Selawick waited at her side and Star shivered between her

paws. Tipper was used to this. More than once they had been forced to hide underground. Star had taken it

better than almost any other bird until now, but it was different when the tree was trying to wrap its

roots around you and squeeze the life from you.

They pressed onwards, tunnel glow following dark areas with nothing but the walls of the tube separating

them from the writhing roots outside. At last a different sort of glow could be seen ahead, and the group

hurried for the exit, ready to leave that unpleasant path behind them.

The sight of daylight would, under any normal circumstances, have been a welcome sight indeed. Instead, it

made most feel that the tunnel with the grasping twisting roots might not have been such a bad thing. The

sky was... wrong. That was the only word for it. Even Tipper who couldn't see the colour just knew it was

wrong. Sihr shuddered. The Unseelie lands were close now indeed, and she could sense their dark magic

before them.

Ahead of them, almost as far as the eye could see, was the river. There are colours for which no words

accurate describe them, and the river was such a color. A horrible, swirling mess of the worst shades

imaginable. Just looking at it made Selawick's tummy turn. He had almost drowned in such a river once a

long time ago. He climbed back onto Tipper's shoulder while Star stared. She could see vapor rising from

it, and patterns under the water. Strange twisted things with what she hoped were teeth, mouthing at them

before the current swepted them away. The strange shadows beneath those shapes were worse. What could live

in such a place? More importantly, how did they avoid finding out? Even Fuzzybottom was wary of the

rushing water. Brave didn't mean stupid, after all.

Tipper sniffed the air. The water smelled dangerous. She knew from the first breath that swimming was out.

She asked Star where the other side was. Her answer was not hopeful. It was a faint line on the distant

shore. What she could see didn't promise to be much better. She finished by commenting that she would not

fly over it. Tipper whuffed her agreement and turned her head in the direction of the other scent she'd

picked up. There was some...thing further down the bank. It held a long scythe, and next to it sat the

barge that would get them over. Selawick piped up, suggesting that they might want to avoid bothering it.

It might not be safe, and who knew if they were friend or foe.

Star replied that it had already seen them and was watching. Tipper shivered and began to move slowly down

the bank towards the figure. A barely audible hissing issued from the creature, as if it were breathing

but it was hard to tell. It was definitely watching them. Tipper paused and glanced round at Sihr. "You

should speak and talk to it," she yipped. "There's no guarentee it will understand us but it will

definetly understand you." Tipper knew she was shaking but couldn't stop. All she knew was that they couldn't risk getting this

wrong. Star took in a deep breath and hopped up between Tipper's ears. She would shoot in the second there

was trouble and pull Sihr out, she promised. They glanced back at the Keeper. It hadn't moved except to

face them fully. It was waiting for them.

Sihr shrank back and shook her head. She didn't want to get close to that thing alone! Fuzzybottom gave

a growl of encouragement. They'd be right behind her. They weren't going to stay back. But she'd need

to do the talking.

Sticking close together for reassurance, the animals approached the robed and cowled Keeper. Her eyes

glittered from the depths of her hood, but she said nothing, merely watched them. Sihr released her grip

on the strap of Tipper's harness and flew upwards. <Greetings, Niobe,> she sent, trying to keep her

nerves out of her voice. <We seek passage on your barge.> The still figure inclined her head slightly,

and turned to move slowly towards the barge. It was more like drifting than walking, as if there was no

body under those draped robes. The Keeper turned and gestured the animals forward when they hesitated,

her hand barely more than bones covered by a thin layer of grayish skin. Tipper warily climbed into the

barge, with Selawick scampering up behind her and Fuzzybottom leaping after. Sihr dove back into the back

and peeked out, wanting to stay as far away from the noxious mist rising from the water as possible.

The Keeper adjusted her grip on the scythe, and began using it to slowly pole the barge out into the

river. Oddly, the current didn't seem to affect their vessel. The forbidding creature worked smoothly

and methodically, and in total silence save for the splash of water against the side of the barge, and the

soft noises of the scythe lifting out of the water and plunging back in. At last they reached the other

side, and the animals disembarked. Fuzzybottom shook himself, even though he wasn't wet. He had an

active imagination, and was glad to be safely ashore.

Tipper trotted off the barge with the other companions and tried not to shiver. She'd seen worst forests

but this was designed to give her the creeps. Star was perched on her head, looking for any signs of

attack. Her sharp eyes made hiding near impossible for most. Selawick had also lept aboard, and Sihr was

riding as well for the moment. Having her fellows with her helped deal with the fright of the forest

around her. Dark didn't bother her, she was a creature of the dusk and night after all. But the cold was

another matter. This was a harsh biting cold, the kind that seemed to eat through the body to the bones

without bothering to strip away fur and flesh first. This was the kind of cold that gave you the sense of

creeping dread that if you fell now you would never get up again. There was a sound on the edge of hearing

too. The sound of wind streaming through dead and dying wood. It distracted and covered the sound of

possible attack. Her nose wasn't much better off. Despite the ground lacking any kind of dust there was a

nearly overpowering scent of carrion. The stench of those who had died of illness and distress. Tipper

snorted a little in a bid to spare her poor nose and continued to pick her way across the ground with its

thorns and razor sharp stones. Star gave Tipper and gentle peck in sympathy before returning to gaze at

the surroundings. She didn't like what she could see. It looked like some kind of fire had swept through

here leaving nothing but twisted and torched wood. Yet the plants were clearly alive. She'd seen a few of

them flicking their tendrils at them. As if the forest itself was just waiting for them to drift close

enough to grab. She flexed her wings and wondered how they could find what they were looking for. She

hadn't seen anything resembling any of them. Would it be possible for them to reach the goal and get away

when they stood out so much? She ruffled her feathers and trusted in Tipper's ability to sneak up on prey.

That would stand them in good stead.

Fuzzybottom forged fearlessly ahead with his bouncing, rolling movement. He was surprisingly fast, like

tumbleweed before the wind, going from one piece of cover to another. Sihr joined him after a moment,

darting swiftly in his wake. Tipper had to pick her way carefully over the uneven ground to avoid hurting

her paws on the sharp rocks scattered about.

It was Sihr who first felt the signature of Unseelies nearby. Tipper detected them next, picking up a

scent that made her want to turn and race for the relative safety of the river. Selalwick had a different

attitude, racing down from Tipper's shoulder and hurrying up to a small pile of stones at the edge of the

forest. He peeked over the top and froze still. His small size and color made him look rather like a

stone himself from a distance. Gathering her courage, Star took flight and flew swiftly after him. She

perched carefully on a stone, uncertain if she could avoid being poisoned by the plants here. Her glance

at Selawick told her nothing. The little mouse was gazing with an expression of horror at the camp. She

followed suit and carefully looked over the stone she was hiding behind. A soft and enquiring squeak told her that the others had arrived. She gave a sharp peep that Tipper was to

stay back. She was too big and too bright for this land of sickly greys and blacks. But in reality it was

what she was seeing that she knew she couldn't show her friend. The army was amassing on the other side of

the rock. It was as if someone with a scaple the size of a mountain had cut the forest away to create

space for the mosterous crush of horrible things that was currently preparing for battle on the other

side. If every single nightmare that ever might be dream

awkwardly passes through cause Shy asked her to

[spoiler=Quercus flies hard and thinks fast] Quercus sighed. Another mission, yet another outfit. She didn’t mind changing clothes and the selection at

the Squirrel was impressive. But she’d rather have her normal clothes back for this. She just hoped what

she’d picked out was enough to fool them. At least this was more like her normal clothes. She adjusted her

outfit and checked her supplies once more. She’d been given a gun over the arrows. It didn’t bother her

too much. She’d shot with guns before and she could aim with almost anything. Her accuracy wasn’t as good

with throwing knives or guns but she could still hit. She adjusted her kit once more and ran through

everything. This was going to be a solo mission. Haven’t done one of these in a while. She reflected as

she gathered her pack and made her way to the launch pad. She dearly wished she had her friends with her

but if they were to find Lighting they had to split up. She gazed at the ship she was being loaned. “Thanks Pugsy. I’ll bring it back in as good a condition as I can.” Quercus called to mechanic as she

threw her gear in and climbed up to the ship’s driver’s seat. “I’ll make you a new outfit if not.” She

grinned as she pulled herself into the ship and waved before shutting the door. She was the last of the Fellowship to leave and had spent her time checking her supplies, asking after

Lirien and trying to think of something that would interest the medical personnel within The Catchment.

She’d finally hit upon it when she remembered that her plants were so unique. The ability to re-enforce

bones, drive away insects and increase the strength of an individual would be very interesting to anyone

in the medical field. She knew a couple of tricks with potions that might help too. While they might be

less effective it was still something that might interest them given that she could create infusions with

magic. She gazed around the ship. Small but functional and quick which she would need. If she knew Pugsy it would

turn on sixpence as well. She settled into the cockpit and started the engines. This would be faster than

the airship but Quercus hadn’t let her skills as a pilot rust. She had been able to fly a few crafts so

she could continue learning and now her skills were considerable. Quercus checked the systems; taxied to

the run way and made one final check before hitting the throttle and felt the craft move forward. The

craft sped up; she felt it leave the ground and kicked the boosters so it would be able to escape the

gravity of the planet. The ship shuddered as the atmosphere attempted to thwart it as the sky changed from

a hazy blue to black. She felt the internal life support systems kick in as the ship flew smoothly away

from the planet’s glow. She flicked on the navi com and sent out a signal from the radio. “I just hope the frequency I was given works. Calling The Catchment. Anyone from the Catchment receiving?”

There was a pause as the communications radio hummed. Then a voice answered. “This is The Catchment. Please state your emergency.” “It’s not an emergency. I wish to visit your facilities and discuss… ideas.” There was another pause. “Who is this?” “Let’s just say I have an interest in medicine and want to help further your cause. For a price.” The

pause was longer this time. “You say you want to discuss ideas?” “Absolutely. I think you’ll find it’s in your best interests.” Quercus hoped she was encouraging them

along. Normally she’d just say flat out what it was she wanted but she didn’t know if the person speaking

to her was an ally of Lighting. She didn’t doubt he would know that she was arriving but if she could keep

her intentions shrouded for now it would make things easier. “Have you any ideas you wish to discuss in mind?” “Sure. Why? You want to chat about them here?” This was a cheating move. They both knew the Sky Patrols

were listening to this frequency for any sign that she might have something illegal. Q