It was morning in the Platinum Palace as the team had gathered in a new room specifically set up for them. A large war room-esk table surrounded by cushioned couches upon Whistle's request.
Vanity sat with Mordeki as she comforted him. Everyone else made an attempt to sit alone with the exception of Gala who specifically put herself next to Dian, much to her dismay.
Zackaria sat at the end with both Prince Garam and a very angry Julia standing behind him.
"First off..." Zackaria started. "I would like to formally apologize for putting Mordeki on the wrong team..."
"AND!?" Julia emphasized looking down on the court mage.
"And... I won't *mumble mumble*."
"I COULDN'T HEAR YOU!"
"AND... I will no longer gawk at Julia's ~amazing~ body when she's telling me something important! Happy?"
"No!... But I accept the apology." Julia said as she took her leave in a huff. "And no more prophecies for a week!" She shouted before slamming the door behind her.
"Trouble in paradise?" Whistle mused. Zackaria ignored the question and continued to the report.
"Gala, can you relay everything to Bounty's team?"
"That I can."
"Alright. Dian, you can start on your side." Zackaria motioned to the half-masked elf.
"After arriving we split into two teams. Me and Mordeki took to the town while Ag and Reggie checked the old lighthouse. There was a slight... mishap... and we got caught up in the rain and stayed at an inn for the night. That was until the cult found me and told me I was their idol. Turns out it wasn't a demonic cult. Just a very charismatic, and oddly specific, brain damaged lighthouse keeper." Dian finished as she motioned to Mordeki who began speaking.
"It's about this time the misunderstanding happened and I thought Dian had joined the suspected demonic cult. I happen to get afflicted with Devil Thorn Madness and attempted to kill Dian and everyone in town. That's when Gala thankfully stopped me."
"I always got you covered big guy!" Gala gave a wink which caused Mordeki to tense up slightly. Ag took the floor at that point.
"Before coming to the aid of Dian and Gala, Reggie and I inspected the lighthouse. The current keep wasn't exactly who he said he was and gave us a sleeping poison and kept us in the dungeon underneath. We escaped and 'disabled' him. He was working with some foreign entity that wears navy blue cloaks. They gave him this knife specifically to kill us with." He placed the knife on the table. "They also had a vial of what I assume was poison with a strange bird-horizon symbol on it. It matched the one on the blade."
"Something like this?" Whistle said as he tossed over the vial he got from the party.
"Yes... almost exactly like this. Where did you get this?"
"From Xena's party. It was stashed there by someone we assume was General Shurath. Other than that, nothing much to report from the party."
"Ahhh, guys..." Gala looked up with a concerned look. "Bounty says they found the General, and he's been dead for at least a few days; long before the party."
A tense quiet befell the room as everyone looked back and forth at each other. Whistle finally shattered the silence. "Does he have a twin we don't know about?"
"No, he was an only child like most elves." Zackaria shot his theory down quick.
"Maybe a clone of some kind?" Reggie joined in.
"That takes an intense amout of mana to clone a person. Shurath was not the most magically adept."
Dian laughed a bit at the back and forth before putting in her own two cents. "Isn't it obvious what we're dealing with? A changeling."
There were hushed questions amongst the party.
"You know, a skinwalker, face-stealer, doppelganger. A creature that can assume the form of a person and do whatever they want to ruin that person's life, or just take it over in general. It's likely using the General's face to get away with something. I've dealt with them many times before, and they're more monstrous than anything you'd find lurking in a cave."
"Come on, they can't all be that bad." Gala jested.
"No, they all are." Dian replied seriously. Gala sat back with a saddened expression.
"So this strange blue bird-horizon group has a Changeling and likely something to do with the General..." Ag pondered. "But what was their purpose at the lighthouse?"
"I find it more concerning that we encountered them in some extent on every mission. It can't be a coincidence." Reggie pointed out. "I mean what are the odds?"
"Quite high really..." Zackaria joined back in. "In all recorded records of Legendary Heroes, they always made their way towards their destined conflict rather they tried to or not. This group had some influence on all three missions, something tells me that they are the conflict you're all searching for."
Vanity leaned back in her seat still holding onto Mordeki. "Glad that's been sorted out. I'm starting to get tired of this whole farce." Zackaria then stood from his chair to give his final announcement.
"I know we all have our differences, but you all must look past them and join together in the effort of ending this potential conflict and return to your rightful homes. You may now act at your own volition and pursue this unknown faction on your own. You will of course still be restricted to Arkheim, and the Platinum Palace will always be a home for you as long as your respect it. I will spend some time looking into this faction as well to assist you. All of you are dismissed."
The crew stands up and takes their collective leave. Some looking forward to the future with determination, others with trepidation. Each went off in their own direction, but a dainty little owl grabbed on to the metaphorical coat-tails of a tall amazonian elf following behind her.
"Hhhhhh. Want do you want?" Dian stopped in her tracks, almost causing Gala to bump into the rear she was busy ogling at.
"Just admiring the view." The bird replied with a fake innocent smile.
"Let me guess... You're going to ask me out on that date I promised you?"
"Nope!"
Dian lost her know-it-all look to one of disbelief. "Excuse me? You won the bet. So why aren't we going on that date yet?" Dian had some anger to her tone. She's not a patient woman.
"Cause I haven't even had a chance to explore the capital for prime dating spots! What would we do for a whole day? Wander the streets for hours on end?" Gala let out a laugh. Dian wasn't as amused.
"You want a whole day date?"
"Yep! It will be 24 hours of pure unadulterated fun!" Gala posed to emphasize her promise.
"Greaaaaaaaaat..." Dian cringed. She was dreading the day to come.