*Bryna's POV*
"Off to take a rest yourself?" Bibs asked.
"Yes. Before my husband realizes how much health I sacrificed to keep going. Those death knights were annoying." Arity sighed, closing the door behind her. "I've told him before I just need to sleep to recover, but he's silly sometimes. It's good to see Bryna is alright." She eyed Thomas, "I see. Your weakness, Thomas, is going to end up being Bryna. You're the same type as Sarial."
"I understand. But I do not mind." Thomas replied. "But I feel most would underestimate me."
"In a few years you'll be interesting to fight." Arity commented. She started towards the silver door, then looked at Bibs and Tilton, "If you'd like I can take the kids to Hearthstone Town. That's where my cubs are."
"I feel that would be a safer location for them to rest." Bibs said.
"I think it would be best if they stayed there, but I doubt that'll happen." Tilton declared.
"Alright. Tell the flying golden dragon where her baby is, then. I'll keep the kids in Sarial's home." Arity said, "Come along, you two."
Thomas reverted to his human form, and helped me up. We picked up ny weapons and bag. "Ok, Thomas is ready." He said.
I pulled my healing herbs out of my pack and offered them to Tilton. "Here you go."
"That's cute. Hold onto them you little twerp." Tilton said.
"You can give it to the priests. They are probably low on spells by now." I said.
"Tapped out, really." Arity commented dryly. "The holy water fog machines Bryna made have worked brilliantly."
"Well then, sounds like we know who the herbs should go to then, since they're useless without their spells." Tilton said, accepting the herbs.
"That Saintess passed out an hour ago. It's sundown now, if you were curious." Arity said. "I did do a mass heal on people before leaving.. but it's still an active fight." She opened the silver door, and waved us to go through. We did as instructed, I still felt heavy and sluggish.
"Go and have a good sleep." Bibs said, as the two began to exit the warehouse.
"If we all manage to pull out of this, maybe we'll have tea." Tilton commented as the doors shut, both the silver one and the one to the warehouse.
We wound up in some sort of training room, then Arity opened the silver door again, and we was a door to the right and to the front, with a hallway and more doors. After we exited, due to Arity's urging, we stepped into the hall, she shut the silver door, and we headed through the right door. This opened to Sarial's family room where ten kids were set up for a sleepover and listening to Snow play music. Once we walked through, and Arity shut that door, everyone looked at us. Vincent, Sarial, the kids and Snow.
"There's food ready. If you're hungry I can set the table for you three. We've all already ate." Sarial said. "How is it going?"
"Well and stupidly. Especially after Bibs and Tilton got rid of the dick head teleporting undead around." Arity answered. "A meal would be lovely."
"The dick head?" Snow asked.
"Some guy in a red suit." Arity responded as Sarial headed for the kitchen. Her kids surrounded her and her face softened as she leaned down to hug them. "I'll need to give you all a bath, now."
"Ah. Asmodeus joined the field then." I heard Sarial comment.
"Nothing like an Archdevil deciding to drop in." Snow said.
"No kidding." Arity commented. "These two will be staying here until their parents fetch them"
"That's fine." Sarial said from the other room. "They can use Daelyn and Seralyn's rooms. They don't use them anyways."
"Bryna survived being blown up." Arity said conversationally.
"Thomas, you were supposed to keep her out of such things." Vincent said.
"Didn't know it was gonna explode. Didn't even see what exploded." Thomas said. "Besides Bryna."
"An undead a few back from them had a barrel of black powder. I didn't get a chance to intercept it, as I was busy with a death knight after a flamboyant human." Arity said.
"Suicidal undead. Hmm. That just seems odd for some reason." Vincent said.
"These ones are ran by a lich. There is no free will." Arity clarified.
"Ah. Then that will be an annoying problem to solve." Vincent commented.
"Bryna came up with some interesting ideas. Like a holy water fog machine and blowing up the bridge to stop the reinforcements." Arity told them. "Elsewise I'd be returning in the morning."
"It sounds like you're ready for another round of chess, Bryna." Vincent said.
"It was a shame to blow up something so old." I sighed, heading to the dining room where Sarial was setting up food. "But if you want to play, I will anytime. But Thomas may be upset if I don't rest first, and I'd like a bath."
"She did have quite the severe heat stroke, twice." Arity noted.
"Food, then sleep. Maybe games afterwards. I can work with that." Vincent replied.
I nodded and sat at the table with Thomas and Arity. She had her two toddler daughters in her lap. The smallest son, she was holding with one arm. You'd think she was gone for longer than a day with how they were acting. Even her oldest was sitting next to her. But I guessed even at their young ages they understood their parents were in a dangerous predicament today. A few of the other kids asked about their parents, Arity relayed that they were doing fine. No serious injuries. I didn't know if she was lying or not.
After the meal, Sarial took Thomas and I to the rooms we were using and showed us the bathing rooms. Told us to wash up. Arity had taken her kids to get washed since they all had been on her at this point. Plus, she needed to bath, too. I had intended to go back out to chat after the bath, but I fell asleep in the tub, even after I'd told Thomas I'd see him after the bath. I woke up when the door was knocked on. Thomas had got Snow to come check on me when I hadn't come back out.
When I didn't immediately answer, Snow warned me she was opening the door, and entered the room, then came to find me half awake in the tub with soap in my hair. Amused, she started warming the bath water again. She finished washing my hair and helped me out of the tub. Having me sit on the bench, she helped me dry my hair while I dried my body. Then she got me some sleep clothes to slip on and helped me to bed. I was asleep again almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.
In the morning, Sarial had made breakfast for everyone. It was towards the end of breakfast that we suddenly got good news. Our loved ones who'd been fighting arrived. The undead horde was handled and the Sultan's people were manning Winter's Halt. The guards who'd been manning the bridge had been bribed to let the undead come through. Their families had been kidnapped and under threat, though, it is assumed they were killed off already. They were replaced, obviously, and someone was stationed at the bridge, to watch the progress of the undead's rebuilding it. Which they were. The watcher would blow it up when it got just so done, a suggestion from Sarial, as it turned out. The undead in Scraver's Coast had been handled by James pulling strings.
"So, you suggested to set someone up to troll the undead?" I asked. "That's greatly amusing."
"See? The kid gets it." Sarial said.
"No, we got it." Alexion commented in a light tone, "Just most wouldn't bother setting up an individual just to annoy an enemy."
"That, sir, is precisely the kind of hazing I excel at. Dean'll be mad it wasn't his idea." Sarial retorted.
"Sarial's really good at cooking, Daddy." I told Bibs.
"Oh, is she? I think the pantry would be jealous." Bibs said.
"If it cared for my opiniom, sure." I replied.
"There is enough for everyone if you would all like some before you disperse." Sarial offered.
"Food sounds amazing." Dirthin said. "Then a nice bath and a combing. I have sand everywhere."
Sarial started setting up more plates for everyone, even if they ended up setting up in the family room instead of the dining room. Sarial ended up going ahead and making seconds for her uncle, Adelaide, Kershka and Wren. Alexion, amazingly enough, fell asleep on a big pillow. He'd looked pretty worn out anyways. His father soon followed suit.
"I shudder to think of the look Alexion would give me," Sylvia commented, "But like son, like father, in this case."
A lot of people chuckled. The kids all buggering their parents, Dirthin didn't get piled on as much as Arity had, but the youngest and Freda did climb on him while he was eating. After everyone ate, Snow gently reminded everyone that she was available for babysitting if need be, because they should rest. Several took her up on that, before heading for baths or sleep. Instead of playing with Vincent, for now, I headed back to Dueling Rivers with Thomas, Wren, Tilton, Bibs and Kershka.
The walk to Dueling Rivers was filled with chatter. Mostly Thomas and I. Just when we'd crossed the second bridge and Dueling Rivers' walls were within our sights, we heard a dragon's shriek from above. It'd appeared quite suddenly, the grey dragon. It was heading away from Dueling Rivers to the North. In one taloned hand it clutched a winged creatured. Before any of us could properly react, it screeched once more and flung it's captive towards the ground before opening a portal and entering it. The white and very red winged creature it had flung didn't recover during it's fall, rather, it slammed straight through Tilton's roof.
Tilton groaned, placing his hand to his head in frustration, and said, "Something... just.. went through my roof.. Haah. And since when was there a grey dragon around here?"
"I haven't seen one around. I think it was a fly by." I suggested.
"Then why did it have to be my house?" Tilton asked.
"Dunno, have you made something mad recently?" I asked. "I wanna see what landed there."
"I would imagine several things." Tilton retorted. "But sure, lets all go gawk at the hole in my roof... And see what poor bird flew through it."
"I don't think I've ever seen a grey dragon before. I know there's that obsidian one around the Capital sometimes." I chattered, while we started heading that way.
"That could have been some kind of Aarakocra. Maybe we should hasten our pace." Bibs suggested.
Rather than go through the town, we crossed the bridge and headed along the wall to reach Tilton's house. Once we did, Tilton let us in. The only thing we could initially see is a large, white feathered, wing that was severed and clearly battered, laying over something that had damaged the floor after falling through the floor and ceiling.
"Bibs, I hope you have your kit on you." Tilton said, walking forward and lifting the wing.
The last thing any of us were expecting was a pair of winged and battered Elves. The toddler looked very much dead, and woman, probably the mother, had the child wrapped in her arms in desperation, even though she was very injured and unconscious.
"Kershka, carry them to the dining room. We're going to use it as a makeshift healers quarters." Tilton ordered.
Kershka obeyed, picking the woman up and carrying her to the dining room. Bibs ran ahead of him. By the time we reached, Bibs had set up an alchemy station there. Kershka laid the Elven woman on the table carefully. Without looking away from the table, Bibs said, "Kershka, take the child and lay it on another table. Then roll her over."
Kershka obeyed, the sounds of both parent and child's broken bones being forcefully moved around was... disturbing. He set the dead child down gently, before rolling the woman to the side, as directed. Bibs set something down on the table and said, "Use this to clean around the area of the severed wing."
Tilton stepped forward, obeying that order.
"Now, Kershka, take the severed wing, and Tilton, if you would align the ends together, the absolute best you can." Bibs said, with Tilton obeying, and masterfully doing so.
Bibs then took a very large bottle filled with a very green substance and he poured it over the area where the wing had been severed from. It then crystalized around that area, spreading both up and down from the break.
"Alright. Now let's work on these bones and lacerations." Bibs said. I took one of the stronger healing potions from my pack and offered it to Bibs.
He said, "Ah. Thank you, Dear. Now, Tilton, let's set some bones."
They got to work on that, feeding her the potion, bit by bit, to keep her alive during the process. I ended up supplying a couple more potions, just to be sure, and stayed out of the way. It took a few hours to finish fixing the woman's breaks.
Once they finished, Bibs said, "Now, I will go and fetch a relic. It's not going to be the best way to revive a passed on person.. But it will work. Unless someone else has a better idea."
"Maybe Arity could do something?" I suggested. "If not Daelyn said Snow can."
"I don't know Arity all that well, but we can ask." Bibs said. "We will stay here just in case she wakes up before you get back."
I nodded and said, "I'll be as quick as I can." I then left, noticing Wren had slipped away, and Thomas was following me. We raced to Hearthstone town and ran down to Sarial's office, which we knocked on. Snow answered, and let us inside. We could see Dirthin napping, with his wife sitting next to him. Alexion was still asleep there, and the kids were doing some studying under Snow and Arity's guidance.
"Can you bring someone back to life?" I asked Arity.
"Within a minute of their death, yes." Arity answered.
"Who died?" Snow asked.
"Dunno. Some lady's baby. A dragon threw her and her baby through Tilton's roof." I answered.
"Tilton's roof, eh? Arity, you got the kids? I can not resist but to see this." Snow said, grinning like a devil.
"Go ahead. I have this covered. If I need help, I'll wake this one." Arity nuzzled her husband, who readjusted his position with a soft purr, to cuddle her.
Snow thanked her and we headed out and up, back on our way to Tilton's. She used a little gold looking toy carriage, that turned into a full sized one, to get us there faster. Though, she cast sending to her husbamd on the way, mirthfully telling him what she was up to. Once we reached she entered the house, heading for the dining room. She was behaving politely, once We'd entered his house. It honestly surprised me.
When we entered the dining room, we saw the Elf lady was awake and no longer laying on the table. Her wings were very large. Snow walked directly over to the child and began casting the spell. The woman watched her do so, inly looking away when Thomas and I asked her questions. I rudely asked to see her eyes, they were amazing, like shattered glass, but also silver and lovely. Her hair was a pretty silver as well. I had no idea how she survived the fall or crashing. After an hour the child came back to life and started crying for his mother.
What the woman said next surprised me. She told the boy, Lael, his mother was gone, but she was still there. Snow began playing her instrument next, and walked out of the room, taunting Tilton. Who responded to the taunts by yelling at her after being disgruntled by the child's wails. Once he realized she was spell casting, he quickly went to see what she was doing. Then he calmed right down. Curious, Thomas and I ran to see what was going on. Her spell was repairing and cleaning his home.
After she finished his roof, I ran back to tell Bibs she'd fixed Tilton's home up and it was good as never damaged. And cleaner. She came back through and played a few more notes before finishing the spell, the room, woman and child, everything was clean.
"It's a darling little nifty spell." Snow said, grinning.
Tilton looked at the winged woman and said, "Well, it looks like you got out of fixing my house."
"Just as well, I don't think I would have done an adequate job." She responded to him. Her voice was more lovely than Sienna's.
"Oh, it would have been adequate or it would have been done again. But it's fine." Tilton said.
"Tilton's pretty anal about things." I said. "But if you do poorly enough, he'll do it himself."
Tilton looked at me and said, "Just because you are right, doesn't mean you should say it."
"Just acause you're salty doesn't mean I'll not say something. I won't tell her your secrets." I said.
"Tilton's secrets?" Snow asked, looking at Tilton, "You'll have to tell me sometime."
"You two are no longer aloud to be in the same room." Tilton said immediately.
"Oh, that's fine. I'll see her outside sometime. I need to get back to watch the kids anyways." Snow said, walking over and hugging Kershka. "I'll talk to you later, Tilton."
"Yes, yes. Good bye, Snow." Tilton responded.
Snow stepped out of the room and said, "And oh, look. I'm not in the same, and am still within chatting range." Giving him a taunting grin, she turned and sauntered away. She seemed in higher spirits than usual.
Tilton looked fit to be tied and he said in a slightly threatening voice, "Goodbye, Snow."
I patted Tilton's arm and after I heard the door open and close, I said, "You're really good at cheering people up."
"I don't see how, but fine." Tilton replied.
"Whatcha gonna do now, Miss?" I asked her.
"I'm not entirely certain, but you may call me Cassae. This one has said chromatic dragons are not a problem around here, so I am thinking about settling within the metallic's territory." Cassae replied, indicating Bibs.
"I think she'd be ok with that." Thomas said.
"If you wish to move to the territory, there are plenty of places available." Bibs told her.
"Are you gonna settle in a town?" I asked.
"I don't know. This is an entirely different plane than I am accustomed to." Cassae answered, "Avariel usually stay primarily in the sky. I understand the Material Plane gets nervous about such things."
"I feel the only thing that would get nervous about you in the sky is the birds." Thomas said.
"Do you just ... glide.. or do you build home on top of mountains?" Bibs asked her.
"Both. Mountains homes are preferred, but back before the First Flowering Avariel could be found anywhere and Elf roams to." Cassae answered. "That was before the conflict with dragons began."
"Do you know what caused the conflict with these dragons?" Bibs asked her.
"That was mostly lost ages ago. Perhaps other Quessir would know legends.. But we do not. Though, our warrior brethren suggest it is our magic that the dragons wished to destroy." Cassae said. She seemed tired and still had the deep sadness of grief about her.
"It would seem you've been through quite a lot. Let's get you that food." Bibs said to her. Bibs waved her towards Tilton's kitchen and the pair went, she was still carrying Lael.
I looked up at Tilton, then. "Are you tired?"
"Extremely." Tilton replied. "But I will survive. Let's go eat my food." He headed that way, then.
"You think your townspeople are calm by now?" I asked while following him.
"Oh, they're used to such odd events happening, so probably." Tilton answered.
I tackled Thomas lightly and rubbed my cheek on his. "We'll have to restock our supplies before going to that dungeon."
He blushed a little and said, "Yeah, I-I agree, we ran out of supplies."
"Do you want to get cookies?" I asked him. "We can get Cassae and the others those Elven Pillow things." His reaction confused me a little, but that was ok.
"Yes, cookies." Thomas agreed, so we left Tilton's to go run and get them. Once we entered the town, we heard lots of people still discussing about the dragon and about Tilton's house guest. There were a lot of speculations about it, but we weren't asked directly, so we went to Kaz's unhindered.
Once we entered, we greeted Kaz as usual. Thomas really loves Kaz's cookies. "Hi, Kaz. We've come for some Thomas cookies, bread, and Elven Pillows." I said.
"Well, I believe I can help with that." Kaz replied, getting the things together.
"Are you okies, Thomas?" I asked, looking at him.
"Thomas is fine, Thomas is hungry, Thomas is fine." Thomas replied.
".. If you're sure." I said, patting his head.
"I would like two bags of cookies." Thomas clarified.
Kaz was getting our things ready for us now. Once he was finished he asked if there was anything else he could get us. We'd ordered two bags of cookies, seven Elven Pillows and one of his boule bread, which I intended to eat by myself. I really like Kaz's bread. Enough so that I can eat it as is. His boule bread was a round type of loaf.
Anyways, once we had our bread goods, we went back to Tilton's place, to share our bounty. Once there, I gave everyone Elven Pillows. Except for Kershka. He got two of them. Lael poked the middle of it, then when Cassae asked him to try it, he tore a piece off and and it. He then ate the rest like any two year old would, in nearly a single breath. Cassae smiled at the boy and asked him to slow himself next time, she shared hers with him.
I chit-chatted with her about her wings and such, she complimented my eyes and hair, suggesting my hair is gold colored and matched my eyes. Tilton interrupted saying we were both pretty and told her to eat. Then asked her specifically what her relation is to Lael, her older sister. They were orphaned only yesterday. Daddy suggested he should bring her relatives here. She didn't seem to have anything to say about that and Tilton pressured her again to eat.
She chose to do the dishes after everyone finished eating. While she did so, Thomas and I played with Lael. She asked Tilton about her weapons and he took her them. I wasn't sure what they talked about, but she returned and collected Lael after a bit, thanking me and Thomas for playing with him. I grinned in response. Maybe tomorrow I'd take her to see Hearthstone Town.
It seemed like Tilton would watch over the pair today, though. She seemed to still be in pain, though she bore it well. It was mainly her breathing and stiffness that gave it away, though, I supposed she could just be uncomfortable. I wasn't really sure what else to do for the day, so I asked Thomas if he wanted to go herb gathering again, in case we needed it for the dungeon I still intended to do. He seemed interested in doing the dungeon, too. I told Bibs I'd be home the usual time, before we left Tilton's house and went into the woods.
It was while we were gathering the herbs that we came across Wyatt, Vivian and Ruby. We chatted to him and told them what we were up to. The dragon's visit had made them anxious enough that they'd decided to move to Hearthstone Town. Excited, I asked Thomas if he'd be ok if we took them to Hearthstone and helped them settle in. Thomas agreed to it, saying we could fetch herbs later or the next day. I hugged him and proudly told the family that Thomas is my pack.
I even told them how reliable he was during the undead battle in the South, how he'd protected me when I'd been knocked out by an explosion. Though, I didn't mention his other form, of course. I also told Thomas about how I met Wyatt and his family, though I left out the near kidnapping, I did tell him they were like me. When we entered Hearthstone Town, Alexion was clearly awake and had apparently taken issue with Sam Set. I'd've normally stayed out of it, but it was in the middle of the cave entrance that their disagreement was being worked out.
Plus the family was anxious, and guards were heading that way. I directed Thomas to go for Sam and I went for Alexion. Thomas punched Sam Set, without holding back, and I tackled Alexion. As it turned out, Alexion was pretty chill either way. He'd picked me up and hung me partly upside down over his shoulder, and I saw his sister and Plight coming quickly. Sam took one more solid punch before he put his weapon away. Dean was next to arrive at this scene.
From my upside down, yet still looking around position, I said, "So... What's the fight about?"
"It is nothing." Alexion said in an emotionless manner.
I spotted his still tired looking father, and his mother arriving now. "None of your family looks like it's nothing." I pointed out.
Sam had sat on the floor, and was looking at Thomas. He seemed off from his usual demeaner. Thomas was still in a ready to punch stance.
"What is happening, Alexion?" Alexander asked his son. "Why were you two fighting?"
"There is no big deal. Shall we walk outside, Sam?" Alexion said.
Sam angrily replied, "I am not going anywhere with you."
"Fair." Alexion shrugged.
"I'll pop you again." Thomas warned the man. "Behave."
"Let me down, Alexion!" I said, wiggling suddenly, I smelt something odd. Alexion set me down, and I walked over to Sam Set apprehensively. After I got a good wiff of what was on him, in his system I looked around. "This isn't a peep show. The situation is under control. Shoo."
Which initially worked, but Haril had come by now as well, so the guards who'd begun to retreat paused.
Alexion sighed and said, "Well, it was a noble attempt, Kid. I apologize to the new people who have come, I hope this does not reflect poorly on this place."
"Alright. That's enough, move along people. No sense in wasting time staring at an ended show." Haril said, with great authority.
The majority of people began to disperse, except Wyatt's family, Alexion's family, Dean, Haril, Alexion, Sam, Thomas and I. Well, the guards to the entrance continued to man it. I sighed deeply and watched the drugged man. I wasn't sure if Sam had done it to himself, or if someone had tried to harm him. Either way, I couldn't imagine the terrible trip the man was having. I wasn't even sure if he realized who Alexion was.
Sam looked at Thomas. "If you please, I'll go find Samara."
"Sam Set, Samara isn't here. You bring her along when she is here." Alexion corrected him patiently.
Sam said, "I am not speaking to you."
Haril picked Sam up by the back of the collar of his shirt. "Do you even know what you're doing right now, Child? Correction. You're a grown man acting like a child. I have no directive that says I cannot use the belt on you."
Sam started to respond to him, but Alexion said, "This is not a situation that requires such. Dammit. Plight, can you cast?"
"I might have a little something left in me.." Plight replied slowly.
"Restoration?" Alexion asked, looking actually irritated now, though it seemed to be with himself, or he'd have stopped talking to Plight.
Plight took a moment to respond, but said, "Sure." He approached Sam and reached to touch him for the spell.
With Haril and Thomas watching him, he didn't fight it. Sam seemed to have a moment of clarity. But I saw madness take him. Sylvia had walked up behind Plight and touched Sam, putting him to sleep before he could make things worse, though Haril was also nearly put to sleep. Since Sam was asleep now, things weren't as tense. Looking at Wyatt, I saw he looked a little relieved.
"So, should I just drag him outside and leave him? Fuckin' nut." Dean said.
Seeing no one really saying anything, I said, "What about a drunk hold? He's normally a reasonable person."
"I think we have a drunk hold available for him." Haril said.
"Thank you, Haril." I said, as the man started taking him away.
Alexion looked at his family and chastised them lightly, saying, "You all are a fair bit nosy."
"I'm the nosy one." Alexander said. "I heard you were getting in a fight and I wanted to know why. You are a reasonable person."
"I wanted to root against you." Sienna said with a shrug.