76: Everyone gets a scar this trip

[Ebiris]

[12:30] <@Ebiris> Leaving the doomed encampment, the group retreats back halfway towards Illie's wood before setting up camp, Henrietta keeping a lonely vigil through the encroaching night to ensure the safety of her slumbering comrades...
[12:30] <@Ebiris> roll 1d100
[12:30] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d100 and gets 13." [1d100=13]
[12:30] <@Ebiris> OOC: perception, Henri?
[12:31] <@Henrietta> roll 1d20+2
[12:31] * +Hatbot --> "Henrietta rolls 1d20+2 and gets 11." [1d20=9]
[12:36] <@Ebiris> It's a rather dull few hours with nothing to break the solitude of the wilderness aside from the occassional sleep-talking of her companions. But as she vigilantly looks over all avenues of approach by which enemies might come, she overlooks the sky itself! Not noticing at all until she hears the beating of heavy wings from nearby and just above, she looks up to see a massive shape blotting out the stars as it swoops down towards the camp, already perilously close!
[12:37] <@Ebiris> OOC: Init. Also are any of you sleeping in tents or out in the open?
[12:37] <@Henrietta> roll 1d20+3
[12:37] * +Hatbot --> "Henrietta rolls 1d20+3 and gets 7." [1d20=4]
[12:37] <@Lucie> OOC: I sure don't have a tent. But I'd share if someone else did!
[12:37] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+5
[12:37] <@Lucie> roll 1d20
[12:37] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 1d20 and gets 10." [1d20=10]
[12:37] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+5 and gets 21." [1d20=16]
[12:37] <@Ebiris> OOC: don't roll if you're asleep
[12:37] <@Lucie> roll 1d20+8 stupid enter key
[12:37] <@Rudy> OOC: I'd have a tent
[12:37] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 1d20+8 stupid enter key and gets 21." [1d20=13]
[12:38] <@Lucie> OOC: Strike, then!
[12:38] * Ebiris changes topic to 'Dragon > Henrietta'
[12:39] <@Henrietta> "W-Wake up!" Henrietta cries out in panic as she finally glimpses the swooping shape.
[12:39] <@Ebiris> roll 1d3
[12:39] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d3 and gets 1." [1d3=1]
[12:41] <@Ebiris> It's without a doubt a dragon, a fairly small one by Prannerian standards but to Henrietta's experience with her homelands breeds it certainly looks big enough! And not nearly so friendly, with smoke billowing from its nostrils and a massively powerful looking barbed tail thrust out behind it as its wings flap to slow it down as it swoops towards the camp... and right at Henrietta!
[12:41] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+20 CMD, Henri?
[12:41] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+20 CMD, Henri? and gets 37." [1d20=17]
[12:41] <@Henrietta> OOC: About half that
[12:42] <@Ebiris> It flies mere feet above Henrietta's head, but before she can even imagine that she missed being squashed, a gigantic claw snatches her up, clutching her against the dragon's chest as it begins to slowly ascend again, making it forty feet from the camp before it starts gaining altitude slowly but surely.
[12:43] <@Ebiris> OOC: Henri, you're grappled
[12:48] <@Ebiris> Spurred by Henrietta's panicked cry, the other three begin to rouse themselves...
[12:48] <@Ebiris> OOC: roll init, you three?
[12:48] <@Lucie> roll 1d20+8
[12:48] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 1d20+8 and gets 28." [1d20=20]
[12:48] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+3 Liamae
[12:48] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+3 Liamae and gets 16." [1d20=13]
[12:49] <@Rudy> roll 1d20+6
[12:49] * +Hatbot --> "Rudy rolls 1d20+6 and gets 7." [1d20=1]
[12:50] * Ebiris changes topic to 'Lucie > Liamae > Dragon > Rudy > Henrietta'
[12:50] <@Ebiris> OOC: Go Lucie. You're in a tent!
[12:51] * @Lucie stumbles out to see what the ruckus is about, groggy but alarmed. Is that a...dragon? Carrying Henri away? Well, she'll never look at those the same again once she gets back home. And to make sure that's a thing which actually happens, Lucie aims a beam of force at the monster's retreating bulk!
[12:51] <@Lucie> roll 1d20+8
[12:51] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 1d20+8 and gets 13." [1d20=5]
[12:53] <@Ebiris> OOC: hits touch
[12:53] <@Lucie> roll 4d6 nonlethal
[12:53] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 4d6 nonlethal and gets 17." [4d6=2, 6, 6, 3]
[12:55] <@Ebiris> The beam strikes the back of the dragon, causing it's powerfully beating wings to hesitate slightly before it gets its momentum back. From her vantage Henrietta can see sparking embers as well as smoke billowing from its mouth now. Standing up herself, Liamae boggles before casting glitterdust over the dragon's head, just missing Henrietta!
[12:55] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+14
[12:55] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+14 and gets 31." [1d20=17]
[12:57] <@Ebiris> It doesn't seem to blind it, but the dragon now certainly shows up more easily against the night sky! "Rotters! Don't know what the fuss is!" it grumbles lowly, still heard easily by Henrietta as its chest vibrates against her, picking up speed and height as it begins to bank around to the North.
[12:57] <@Ebiris> OOC: Rudy
[12:58] <@Henrietta> "Please stop this!" Henrietta cries out, shaken out of her paralysis by hearing the dragon speak. "What did we ever do to you?"
[12:59] <@Rudy> "Huh?" mumbles Rudy, stepping outside his tent and staring at the sky. "What is going on- is this a dream?" he asks, looking at the dragon for a moment. A ball of light peels away from his hand and gives chase, pelting the creature with little beams of energy!
[12:59] <@Rudy> roll 1d20+3 zap
[12:59] <@Rudy> roll 1d20+3 zap
[12:59] * +Hatbot --> "Rudy rolls 1d20+3 zap and gets 21." [1d20=18]
[12:59] * +Hatbot --> "Rudy rolls 1d20+3 zap and gets 4." [1d20=1]
[13:00] <@Ebiris> OOC: Dragon is 120 feet away now. Can the be cast in position to full attack at that range?
[13:01] <@Rudy> OOC: Alas, no
[13:01] <@Rudy> OOC: It would have to move and shoot
[13:01] <@Ebiris> OOC: first hits anyway
[13:01] <@Rudy> roll 1d6
[13:01] * +Hatbot --> "Rudy rolls 1d6 and gets 1." [1d6=1]
[13:02] <@Ebiris> The beam seems entirely unfelt by the dragon. "Nothing," it replies to Henrietta, craning its long neck to look at her even while flying, "It's for Hesperia."
[13:02] <@Ebiris> OOC: Henrietta
[13:03] <@Henrietta> "Who?"
[13:05] <@Ebiris> OOC: He'll reply on his turn. Not gonna have a conversation in combat time. Still skipping your action?
[13:05] <@Henrietta> OOC: I really have nothing I can do to beat his CMD or to make the proper concentration check
[13:05] <@Ebiris> OOC: Lucie
[13:06] * @Lucie squints at the dragon's retreating profile and aims one last parting shot!
[13:06] <@Lucie> roll 1d20+8 I get 160 ft out of Searing Light...and this is my last one
[13:06] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 1d20+8 I get 160 ft out of Searing Light...and this is my last one and gets 21." [1d20=13]
[13:06] <@Ebiris> OOC: hit
[13:06] <@Lucie> roll 3d8
[13:06] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 3d8 and gets 13." [3d8=7, 5, 1]
[13:08] <@Ebiris> Hesitating a second, Liamae looks at the dragon and then at the ground below it before she seems satisfied with the distance and hurls a fireball at the wyrm's retreating back!
[13:08] <@Ebiris> roll 6d6
[13:08] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 6d6 and gets 10." [6d6=2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2]
[13:08] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+7
[13:08] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+7 and gets 22." [1d20=15]
[13:09] <@Ebiris> Flames detonate over its back but its speed keeps it away from the worst, barely scorching its tail! "She likes humans," the dragon explains to Henrietta as it picks up speed, turning now towards the mountains. "If I give her one then maybe she'll be my mate," it goes on, sounding rather cheerful at the prospect.
[13:10] <@Ebiris> OOC: Rudy. Dragon is now 170 feet away
[13:12] <@Rudy> The lantern archon dutifully follows the dragon, drawing obnoxiously close to it!
[13:15] <@Ebiris> OOC: Henri
[13:16] <@Henrietta> "Umm. I-If I said I was part dryad, would you let me go?"
[13:18] <@Ebiris> "Oh, that's no good!" the dragon exclaims worriedly. "No, no good at all! Don't worry, I'll take you to those trees over there and find another human, then."
[13:18] <@Ebiris> OOC: Lucie
[13:19] <@Henrietta> "I-If you do, then I can tell you where to find a genuine human!" Henrietta offers.
[13:19] * @Lucie can do little else but race along the ground following the monster--she might not be able to reach it anymore, but maybe there's some hope she can get an idea of where it's headed before she loses it?
[13:21] <@Ebiris> Liamae follows Lucie's example, racing after the dragon which continues turning, now to the South and flying back past the campsite again! "Are those rotters that keep shooting me human?" it asks hopefully, its smoking and sparking mouth pointed ominously in Rudy's direction as it seemingly flies towards him!
[13:21] <@Ebiris> OOC: Rudy
[13:22] <@Rudy> "H-hey, it's coming back!" notes Rudy, quickly throwing out a speedy enchantment on himself and Liamae- Lucie managed to run too fast... "Straight for us. Uh..."
[13:29] <@Henrietta> "They are like me, actually," Henrietta responds. She struggles to get an arm free and then points towards Harvenstead from her aerial vantage point. "But I came across these people and they told me there was one right over here. It is called, umm, Harvenstead. Not far at all! And easy to find, that is, I believe!"
[13:44] <@Ebiris> OOC: Bluff check, Henri
[13:44] <@Henrietta> roll 1d20+12
[13:44] * +Hatbot --> "Henrietta rolls 1d20+12 and gets 30." [1d20=18]
[13:45] <@Ebiris> "Oh, and I was so sure you were humans when I saw your camp!" the dragon bemoans. "I'll just have to look elsewhere, I shan't be visiting any human towns, I think!"
[13:46] <@Ebiris> OOC: Lucie
[13:46] * @Lucie continues to pursue the dragon at ground level because, well, what else can she do?
[13:47] <@Henrietta> "Oh. W-Well, in that case, do you know about that lighthouse across the lake?" Henrietta asks, pointing in that direction now. "We came across some people a few days ago, and they said there was this human woman living there, in the, umm, forest behind the second hill. Would that do?"
[13:48] <@Ebiris> Liamae likewise runs after the glowing dragon head and back to the campsite it's overflying... just as the dragon lands hard enough to shake the earth beside the camp, gently settling Henrietta down on her feet after it lands. "Second hill? What does that mean?" he asks, his rumbling voice heard by all since everyone's regrouped by the camp anyway. OOC: We can come out of init unless people want to keep attacking.
[13:49] <@Lucie> OOC: not going to keep zapping him when it seems like he's setting Henri down, so free action's fine by me.
[13:50] <@Rudy> OOC: oh eb, your droll suggestions never fail to make me smile
[13:50] * @Lucie staggers back into the camp, out of breath and openly confused about what exactly is happening at this point, but not willing to break this apparent peace by saying anything.
[13:51] <@Rudy> Closest one there, Rudy can only watch in muted disbelief, and thus silently emulates Lucie's thoughts.
[13:53] <@Henrietta> roll 1d20+2
[13:53] * +Hatbot --> "Henrietta rolls 1d20+2 and gets 21." [1d20=19]
[13:56] <@Henrietta> "Umm. S-So, it should be about twenty miles from the lighthouse that way, going east," Henrietta says, gesturing for good measure. "That would be, umm, about an hour's flight for you, I think?" She glances at the others for help.
[13:56] * @Lucie can only nod dumbly, perplexed by this entire affair.
[13:57] <@Rudy> "Ah, aha, is it? A whole hour, huh?" adds Rudy. "That's a long time!"
[13:58] <@Ebiris> "Oh, no, that's too far," the dragon replies, drawing his head up into the air and looking Westward. "All the way across the lake and then turning around? I may as well just fly into a human town and grab someone!" it snorts with a puff of flame, before its neck lowers again and it peers at the foursome suspiciously. "Are you sure you're all half-dryads? I've never seen one, but aren't dryads made of wood?"
[14:00] * @Lucie just...doesn't say anything. Not a word. Someone else can field this blatant lie.
[14:01] <@Henrietta> "If you do not mind going into a human town, why not Harvenstead?" Henrietta asks him instead. "It is really close, and it is actually the ruins of a town. So it should be alright, I think!"
[14:03] <@Ebiris> "I do mind, I say!" he insists loudly. "They have ballista and cannon, and if I cause any ruckus they're as like to send their tame dragons after me!" Peering intently at the group he concludes, "I can't tell the difference between a human and a half-dryad, and I bet Hesperia can't either,"
[14:04] <@Lucie> "Who is Hesperia?" Lucie is obliged to ask at this point.
[14:05] <@Rudy> "Um... so you're looking for humans, eh?! Why's that?"
[14:07] <@Ebiris> "A dragon with these lovely white-blue scales," the darker scaled dragon reports happily, "Lithe of form and with the most ravishing hooked ridges! But she's always complaining about not having her human anymore, so I thought if I found her another one she might let me make an egg with her. Do any of you want to volunteer?"
[14:08] <@Lucie> "'Her human?'" Lucie echoes. "I don't understand--what does she want one for?"
[14:08] <@Rudy> "Oh.. oh. What does she do with her, um, humans?" asks Rudy, curiously. "Um."
[14:09] <@Ebiris> "As if I should know!" the dragon draws his neck back again, sounding aggrieved. "Nothing but trouble as far as I can see, but if it'll get me in her good books I may as well give it a proper try."
[14:11] <@Rudy> "Oh.. well..." Rudy scratches his chin. "I... might be able to help you out, friend. What's your name?"
[14:11] * @Henrietta gives Rudy an incredulous look.
[14:12] <@Ebiris> Liamae matches that look.
[14:13] <@Ebiris> "Oh, good! I knew you were lying about that half-dryad thing. Don't you know it's bad luck to trick a dragon?" he gives Henrietta a baleful look for a moment before lowering his head down to Rudy's level and extending his foreclaw out, 'palm' up. "My name is Aedecius. What's yours, little human?"
[14:14] <@Rudy> "Rudy," replies Rudy. "But let me tell you, it's not that simple. Us humans, we're all different, you know? You gotta find just the right one for your girl, or it won't work out at all!"
[14:14] <@Lucie> "You know," Lucie starts, "we're tracking a band of criminals that kidnap humans. It's very possible Hesperia's favored human is in one of their camps. Wouldn't you appear even more heroic to her if you were able to retrieve the very one she desires back?"
[14:16] <@Ebiris> The dragon's gigantic head swings ponderously between Rudy and Lucie at these interruptions. "You're making this out to be a lot of work," he observes dubiously. "I suppose if I paid more attention to her moaning I might even know what her human looked like, but I much prefer to just look at her scales when I see her."
[14:17] <@Rudy> "That may be the case, but you can't expect women to fall for you just because you're there! It's work, hard work!" insists Rudy. "No bones about it!"
[14:17] <@Lucie> "Well, you can't go around expecting courtship to be easy, now can you?" Lucie says, figuring it's pretty obvious by this point why he wants to impress in the first place.
[14:18] <@Ebiris> OOC: make a diplo check, Rudy? Lucie can aid.
[14:18] <@Rudy> roll 1d20+12
[14:18] * +Hatbot --> "Rudy rolls 1d20+12 and gets 29." [1d20=17]
[14:18] <@Lucie> roll 1d20+3 aid
[14:18] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 1d20+3 aid and gets 9." [1d20=6]
[14:19] <@Ebiris> "Hmmm... alright. Where are these criminals? I suppose I can just get all of them and see which one she recognises," Aedecius resolves at last.
[14:21] <@Lucie> "Carrying all of them would be hard work," Lucie says. "When we find them, maybe we can just ask which one is, uh, missing his dragon?"
[14:21] <@Rudy> "I'm sure they'll be thrilled to tell you they know her," replies Rudy, dryly. "We'll ask them if they know the name of the white dragon in the mountains."
[14:21] * @Lucie nods to Rudy's suggestion.
[14:23] <@Ebiris> "So where are they, then?" the dragon repeats, seeming nonplussed by the suggestions.
[14:23] <@Rudy> "Uh... you got that map, Henri?"
[14:24] <@Henrietta> Shaking herself out of her stupor the second time that night, Henrietta roots in her backpack before producing the map. "Ah, yes. H-Here you go."
[14:26] * Merc-zzz is now known as Merc
[14:27] <@Ebiris> With a rumbling emanating from his chest, Aedecius draws his neck back and peers down at the map from on high. "What does it mean?" he asks at length.
[14:28] <@Rudy> "Ok... so they're in a few places," notes Rudy, walking over to the map and pointing out some places on it. "But the most likely place is in the hills away from the lighthouse, twenty miles away, like Henri said before. Aside from that, there's Harvenstead and this valley, here, where the criminals have got to." He frowns. "You said they chased you away from Harvenstead with cannons?" he asks,
[14:28] <@Rudy> curiously. "How long ago was that?"
[14:28] <@Henrietta> "W-We are here," Henrietta responds, pointing out a spot on the map. "Here is the lake. And, well, and here the people should be kept," she finally says, pointing out the pens.
[14:33] <@Ebiris> "Oh, I've never been, it's just what I heard human towns are like," the dragon responds, dinner-plate sized eyes taking in the map. "I see, I see. Alright, I will go and find these prisoners and see if Hesperia's human is there." Lifting his back end, he turns around and nearly takes Liamae's head off with his tail before he flaps his enormous wings, blasting dust and loose soil at the group before taking off Southwest!
[14:34] <@Lucie> "Not sure if we just saved ourselves some trouble or made more," Lucie says once he's gone.
[14:35] <@Henrietta> "This is better than being kidnapped by a dragon," Henrietta repeats quietly to herself. "This is better than being kidnapped by a dragon."
[14:35] <@Ebiris> "I've never seen a wild dragon before," Liamae comments. "Somehow I expected more roaring."
[14:36] <@Rudy> After remaining silent for a long moment, Rudy eventually speaks up. "That really depends on if he finds this guy or not, don't it?" He glances at Liamae. "Yeah, me too. But now I really do see how the dragon tamers managed it."
[14:36] <@Lucie> "Well, yeah, I'll give you that much," Lucie says to Henri.
[14:39] <@Ebiris> "So... it should be near midnight now?" Liamae observes with a look skyward. "Want to go back for the ghosts or rest some more?"
[14:40] * @Lucie runs a hand through her air. "We go to sleep again, maybe we get woken up by Aedecius again after he doesn't find what he was looking for. I don't know."
[14:40] <@Henrietta> "Rest." Henrietta makes a forced laugh. "I do not think I can handle more rest. Let us go, please. Somewhere. Anywhere."
[14:41] <@Rudy> "I'm thinking maybe we should go pay that nymph a visit," voices Rudy. "I mean, it's the same story, right?"
[14:41] <@Lucie> "That sounds like the most pleasant plan anyone's put forth in a while," Lucie says.
[14:42] <@Rudy> "You girls game?"
[14:42] <@Ebiris> "I don't mind avoiding ghosts," the Jade Ravens sorceress nods. "Which way, though? North or South around the lake?"
[14:43] <@Lucie> "If we go south, we pass Harvenstead," Lucie says. "If we're lucky, it's ashes. If we're not..."
[14:44] <@Henrietta> "Maybe we can try looking at the pens ourselves?" Henrietta suggests.
[14:45] <@Rudy> "It's such an odd name," admits Rudy. "So, we visit the pens, then swing back to hit Harvenstead and check out the nymph on the way back to Lessmus? I'm game for that."
[14:45] <@Lucie> "Sure. And if we get a chance for rest along the way, I mean real solid sleep? That'd be nice."
[14:46] <@Rudy> "I concur. Alright, let's head out and see if we can find somewhere with a bit of cover. He probably won't spot us if we can't be seen from the sky. And we don't want to be spotted, right?"
[14:47] * @Henrietta shakes her head resolutely.
[14:47] <@Ebiris> "I don't want to become his backup human," Liamae shakes her head, moving to pack up her sleeping bag.
[14:48] <@Rudy> "Alrighty." Rudy eyes his tent. "I think I'll just leave this here," he mutters, quickly gathering up his things from inside.
[14:51] <@Ebiris> Quickly packing up, the group sets off South to circle the lake on their path to the mysteriously named pens! Walking through the night is hard business, even with the brilliant starfield and two moons shedding some workable light, but within an hour Illie's wood is neared...
[14:54] <@Rudy> "I dunno, I kind of want to try and help him get his girl?" muses Rudy. "He's going about it all wrong, but what can you do? But... they're meat-eaters, right?" He looks curious. "But, you know, maybe that's just a rumor and they'd be as upset at the idea of eating people as we would be?"
[14:54] * @Henrietta has long since stopped looking at Rudy incredulously.
[14:55] <@Lucie> "Only way to know what she wants a person for is asking her," Lucie says. "Which I'd say has some obvious risks, such as being eaten by a dragon."
[14:55] <@Ebiris> "I think a dragon would prefer a whale or a cow to a human," Liamae opines. "We're not very meaty, really."
[14:56] <@Rudy> "True enough." He walks towards the edge of the woods. "Let's stop here and rest up. Myra and I'll keep a watch out."
[14:56] * @Lucie has no objection to either of these statements!
[14:58] <@Ebiris> Nor does Liamae, who slowly gets to fishing out her sleeping back and setting it up under one of the bare trees and then crawling into it.
[14:59] * @Henrietta is just too exhausted to volunteer for guard duty, and follows Liama and Lucie's lead.
[15:00] <@Ebiris> roll 1d100
[15:00] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d100 and gets 86." [1d100=86]
[15:03] <@Ebiris> It's easy and rather pleasant to rest here, for all except Myra that is, and thus the night passes in relative peace until the group awakens, feeling extremely well rested, even Rudy found his vigil easy enough to endure... though Myra seems less enthused.
[15:03] <@Ebiris> OOC: everyone gains the benefit of a full rest rather than a normal rest, Rudy gets the benefit of a normal rest. Myra is sickened.
[15:05] * @Lucie rises the next morning with something approaching a smile on her face for once. "Restful night for sleeping outdoors in winter," she says.
[15:06] <@Rudy> "She's looking worse than usual," notes Rudy, eyeing Myra come the morning and noticing how sunken and withdrawn her many appendages seem. "What's wrong, girl? Too much of the great outdoors?"
[15:07] <@Henrietta> "Oh yes, this did wonders to my mood," Henrietta agrees with Lucie, before eyeing Myra warily.
[15:07] <@Ebiris> Myra lets out a sad little honk and edges away from the trees.
[15:07] <@Lucie> "This is Illie's grove, right?" Lucie observes. "Maybe there's some magic about disagrees with Myra."
[15:08] <@Rudy> "Oh, right. Well, we'll head around it, then," decides Rudy. "Should we head?"
[15:09] <@Ebiris> "Yeah, no sense waiting around," Liamae agrees, moving inland to skirt around the small wood.
[15:09] <@Lucie> "Let's move out," Lucie agrees. "Thank her for shelter some other time. Probably sleeping anyway."
[15:16] <@Ebiris> Setting off South and around the edge of the lake, its reaching the afternoon by the time they reach the Southern limit of Nathavanaasu and can begin heading West towards the pens, albeit with a decent push inland away from the shore to avoid Harvenstead. The ground being more even makes for faster going at first, before a large pine forest ahead promises to slow matters down again just as night begins to fall.
[15:18] <@Lucie> "Don't want to push through this in the dark, do we?" Lucie asks the others, eyeing the treeling skeptically.
[15:18] <@Lucie> *treeline
[15:18] <@Rudy> "Good chance of getting lost in the day, too," adds Rudy. "Wanna check it out from above in the morning, Henri?"
[15:19] <@Ebiris> OOC: Should have said East above!
[15:19] <@Henrietta> "I could do it now as well," Henrietta offers.
[15:21] <@Lucie> "Might as well," Lucie says with a shrug.
[15:24] <@Rudy> "Sure. It is a bit dark, is all."
[15:25] <@Henrietta> "Umm. Perhaps I could go with someone, then? Liamae, would you like to fly and take a look along with me?" Henrietta suggests. "I will turn us invisible beforehand, just in case."
[15:26] <@Ebiris> "Okay, I can see fine in this light," Liamae nods, walking up to Henrietta.
[15:28] <@Henrietta> "Well, in that case, it sounds like a plan!" Henrietta is all too happy to imbue the both of them with flight, before turning them invisible. "We will only have a few minutes, but that should be long enough for a quick look?" she suggests, holding onto Liamae's hand. "If you lead the way and avoid any sudden moves, I should be able to follow."
[15:31] <@Ebiris> Liamae's hand clasps Henrietta's, and the two invisible sorceresses take flight! Reaching an altitude of 150 feet provides a clear view well over the tree tops and even shows a sliver of ocean just on the horizon to the South. A few miles away deep inside the expansive forest lies a large rocky clearing that seems to have been cleared out further by several trees being knocked over around the nearest edge.
[15:33] * @Lucie idly watches the two of them float up into the sky. "Have to learn that trick someday," she notes.
[15:33] <@Henrietta> "That clearing, you think?" Henrietta asks Liamae quietly. "It does not look particularly natural."
[15:33] <@Lucie> (Or, rather, Lucie assumes they're flying up into the sky!)
[15:34] <@Rudy> "It's a spell, right? She could just cast it on you someday, surely."
[15:35] <@Lucie> "I guess," Lucie says, sounding like that's not really the same thing.
[15:36] <@Ebiris> "Yes, looks like there's some sort of cave. I guess Aedecius wouldn't have had any luck getting in if the pens are down there," Liamae agrees.
[15:37] <@Henrietta> "M-Maybe he will have luck with Harvenstead? And we would never have to see him ever again?"
[15:40] <@Ebiris> "Maybe. I thought people from Jovar liked dragons, anyway?" Liamae chuckles, starting to descend again.
[15:41] <@Henrietta> "We draw the line at becoming their pets or hostages," Henrietta says firmly. "It is a very important line."
[15:43] <@Ebiris> "Can't say that's not fair," Liamae admits, still chuckling as they land and her disembodied voice announces, "There's a cave a few miles into the forest I think our dragon friend visited, but I doubt he'd have fit inside."
[15:44] <@Henrietta> "Are we still waiting for tomorrow?" Henrietta asks.
[15:46] <@Rudy> "I kinda want to see if Myra gets any better overnight," voices Rudy. "A few miles in that forest will still take us some hours, right? Unless we all fly, I suppose..." He seems interested, at that.
[15:47] <@Lucie> "Fine by me," Lucie says with a shrug.
[15:47] <@Henrietta> "I would need to carry someone or you would need to send Myra back, but I could manage that."
[15:49] <@Rudy> "I'll send her back. I think she needs some away time or something," replies Rudy, allowing her to vanish. "Let's go check it out?"
[15:49] * @Henrietta imbues Lucie and Rudy with flight, and then lifts off the ground again. "Alright. The two of us can follow you?"