I worry about Reece. Thankfully, he has been eating now that we have reached the Highlands, but ever since Graxon’s death, the boy’s profound sadness seeped into every bit of his life. Work slowed, eating nearly stopped, drinking became more severe, and he locked himself in his apartment. An associate of mine who was good with locks had to help me get into it just to console him. No tears, no wailing, just a look of horrible disbelief across his face and the Avalonian puzzle box in his hands. It took some coaxing to get him to return to the Graxon estate. Once there, we found nothing else out of place. Reece was first to suggest the trip to Oberon, surprisingly. I think seeing the crime scene again made him want to seek out who had done this. I could not bear letting him go on his own, so I pulled some favors and reached out to a couple contacts. The Myridea’s captain agreed to take us, a friend of my father’s. Zyra was sent a missive to meet with us. Red Hawk dropped everything to come with us. I cannot thank them all enough.
	Reece has a fire in him again, one I have not seen in years, ever since his tour for The Calendar Wars ended. I just pray we can find the answers we seek. For his sake, more than anything. I will crack this box open if I have to, extra-planar magic be damned!

	Reece slipped from the tent, leaving a meditating Red Hawk behind. Laying on her side, the unarmored feline avalonian poked the burning fire with a stick. She perked up as Reece put his cloak on and sat on a stone near the fire, “Ya sleep alright?”
	“Yeah, good enough,” The boy replied as he looked up at the sky. The dimmest stars were fading as the sun began to rise.
	With a small cutlery set, at least small for her, Zyra cut up some tubers and vegetables then put them in a pan with a bit of oil, “Lemme whip somethin’ up. Ya look hungry.”
	“Thanks. Hey,” Reece scratched his head, “Can I ask you something?”
	“Shoot.”
	“I noticed people in Oberon tended to bump and touch one another. Gentle caressing, wrapping arms over one another, that kind of thing. And you are pretty quick to put an arm around me or one of the others. Is this a cultural thing?”
	Zyra shrugged as she salted the starchy food, listening to it sizzle in the pan, “It's always been like that, so I guess so. Just something that people do. There isn’t a ton of space, so making contact happens often.  Most folks just make it a friendly gesture. Do ya not do the same down on the Lowlands?”
	Reece shook his head as he drank from his water flask. The water was oddly thick, but that kept it from freezing supposedly. He struggled to not gag on it, “Well, if you’re intimate with someone, yes. Like a family or relationship. But with random people, or even your neighbor, isn’t common, at least not where I'm from.”
	“Ah,” The Lion shifted and stirred the pan, “Did, I uh, make ya uncomfortable?”
	“Oh! No, no no,” His face turned red in a panic. Zyra was a fetching woman, even without putting on makeup like the gorgeous Phoenix tended to. Her exposed arms were thick with muscles as were her legs. He had gotten a peek at her figure and particularly her abs at the tavern. A few scars covered her body, further adding to her allure. Despite this, her face was soft and kind, “Like Red Hawk, I’m eager to experience your culture. I don’t want you to act differently– unless something really does make me uncomfortable, then I'll let you know.”
	Zyra ran her clawed fingers through her hair with a little smirk on her face. Her hair was long and wild, flowing down her back, “If ya say so. If ya ask me, I think ya just like it,” She chuckled.
	Reece was very quick to move on, “Despite this bumping and all, I watched everyone on the street part for you. They’re not afraid of you, are they?”
	The question made the Lion’s face twist into a frown, “Ah. I ‘unno. They’re bein’... polite? I guess? Not like I’m gonna hurt anyone. I'm told it's outta respect, but I really don't care much for it. My family used to do it, but now…”
	The boy frowned back, “I see. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
	“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Just glad ya Lowlanders aren’t afraid of me,” A smile returned to her face, the toothy grin showing off her sharp canines, perfect for tearing through meat, “These should be about done. Here,” Zyra gave herself the lion’s share of the food before pouring the rest into a bowl for Reece.
	Reece took his and gladly ate the hearty meal. The only thing he felt it was missing was some cheese but the spicy, starchy breakfast definitely hit the spot, “Thanks.”
	“Any time. Do I get to ask ya questions now?”
	“Of course.”
	“Where are ya from, Reece?”
	“A place called Oregon. A place with cold beaches, a massive valley, gorgeous mountain ranges and lakes, and dry, frigid deserts. People like to say, ‘if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes for it to change,’” He chuckled, “It's a nice place. The Pacific Northwest is wonderful, not too populated and with plenty of forests,” He had a small smile on her face, “I wish I had more time to see it all.”
	Zyra nodded, “I can’t even imagine what those big bodies of water look like when ya’re standing at the edge.”
	“It’s just a massive expanse of deep blue. But I don’t focus on that. Sea salt in the air, hot sand between your feet. The waves gently lapping against your ankles. Birds overhead, cawing loudly as they look to steal your food. The hot sun is beating down, you get burnt in that one spot you forgot to put sunscreen on. You get in the water and it's freezing, you and your buddies splash one another, you can taste the salty sea in your mouth,” Reece sighed, “Maybe I’ll take you when we’re done here. I know a great spot.”
	“Yeah, that’d be nice,” She put her bowl down and looked up at the stars. She didn’t understand a lot of what Reece was talking about. Sunscreen? The sun burning you? Salty water sounded gross. She decided to change topics to something that kept coming to mind, “Do ya really think there’s a guy up there watching over us like Rael says?”
	“I mean, people like Rael get actual power from their piety. The Lord’s power works through them. Do you really think it's so hard to believe?” Reece followed up with his own question, “Did Avalon have a religion before?”
	“Yeah, but I don’t know much about it. They called our main god the Fruit Bearer. I don’t know the lesser gods at all,” Zyra frowned, “They say this Fruit Bearer protected our lands and planted the fruit trees we thrived on. I heard she went silent when the Old World ended. People abandoned her, others said it was because she gave up her life that we were able to become the Highlands above yar world. An age passed and everyone forgot about her. Then Rael and his people showed up, performing miracles like holy men in the Old World. I think a lot of people started to believe them out of desperation for something to believe in. Sounded like it was something ya believed in down in the Lowlands yarself.”
	“Yeah. I grew up with it. Graxon was a believer too, despite being from the Old World. A lot of dwarves are,” Reece pulled the cloak around him tighter, “What’s Rivaan like?”
	“Little farming town in the middle o’ nowhere,” She bitterly muttered, “Twenty five avalonians far away from anyone else. We hadn’t seen any of the races o’ men other than a couple humans. No one even knew what elves and gnomes were. Hell, the first gnome I saw I thought was a goblin. We did nothing but grow food. When farmer Benley died, we didn’t even have a lick o’ entertainment. No one else could figure out the lyre he used to play.”
	“Why’d you leave? You were just bored?” Reece was finding himself writing down everything he could. He hadn’t even realised he had swapped into note taking mode.
	“An ogre came to town, floating on a tiny and lonely island. He was hungry and started to attack people. I picked up a shovel and without a lick o’ training, I killed ‘em. Just struck the thing down.”
	“Really? How'd you do it?” Asked Reece, amazed by her feat of strength. 
“Even when I was young I was a biggun! Pure farmer strength like no other, even my Pa was never as big as me! And that ogre hadn't eaten in quite some time, so really it was pretty easy, even for a farmgirl like me!” She said with a proud look on her face as she flexed her arms.
Reece realized she had always been large. He then realised ogres were alive and breathing in Avalon and that sent a shiver down his spine, “And you just left?”
	“Ayup. Just kept getting on trading vessels as I made my way to the capital for soldier training. Ma and Pa hated the idea, but I knew I was meant for something other than farming. I’m sure they don’t complain about the gold I send home, too. One o’ my siblings can have the farm.”
	“Do you keep in contact with them?”
	“I dunno how I would. I can’t read or write, and they can't either. Never had a use for it.”
	Reece frowned and looked down at his own journal, “We’ll have to work on that.”
	“I’m not really smart enough for that stuff. I’ll leave it to ya,” Zyra lounged on the grass and picked at her skin.
	Red Hawk and Phoenix got up not long after. Camp was torn down as the two had some dried meat and cheese on hard bread. Reece didn’t bring up his own breakfast. 
	“What is our plan?” Red Hawk asked, “Are we close?”
	“I think so,” Zyra replied as she donned her armor and stamped out the fire, “They like to hunt in the mornin’, so we should act fast.”
	“And how do we lure them out?” Phoenix’s hand gripped the hilt of her sword anxiously. She was used to fighting men, but beasts were not unfamiliar to her. Drakes and wyverns were rather similar, in theory. Though drakes could not fly, they were cunning lizards as big as bears with spell casting abilities, while wyverns were most likely a similar size. She was confident her skills would translate to this fight as well. Red Hawk was seasoned as well, as was Zyra. She worried for Reece. The satyr had sparred with him in the past, but she had to wonder if he was rusty. They would have to trust Zyra’s plan– hopefully she had one.
	“I got these,” Zyra retrieved a ceramic jug from a nearby tree. She opened the lid and a foul stench came from it, “Rataton piss. Wyverns go after ‘em all the time.”
	Phoenix tried not to gag, “What is a rataton?”
	“I would have to guess it's a large rat, I could smell them last night, it was exactly the same scent as those we have in the Lowlands,” Red Hawk seemed more curious about the liquid than the satyr, “I am a bit surprised they did not try coming into camp.”
	“The wild ones are skittish, but tamed and pacified ones make for decent mounts. Not for me, I’m too big,” She chuckled.
	Reece frowned, “How would rats get here? And how would they get that big?”
	Red Hawk rubbed his chin, “We have proof some objects and even people from this world wound up in the Old World before the Cracking. Some Spanish culture came back through the portals to this world. I could imagine rats thriving in any setting, and if they somehow ate something magical and became large? Even moreso.”
	Reece opened his mouth to agree, but was quickly cut off by a roar in the distance followed by a pitiful, pained squeak. 
	“Ah, our prey has come out,” Zyra grinned, “To the west,” The Lion broke into a jog. The others ran after her, nearly tripping over themselves to keep pace with the tall hero. She quickened her pace, heading closer toward the center of the island where the hills rose up and the trees thinned out. The three caught glimpses of the beasts flying above the trees, their wings buffeting the air loudly as they chirped and growled at one another. Reece could only just make out the large rodent between the talons overhead before it was gone. They were fast, particularly for their size. That didn't seem to bother Zyra in the least. She kept them in her sights as best as she could, stopping only at the edge of the trees where she waited for the others, “Perfect,” Zyra splashed the foul liquid just inside the treeline. Next, she brought out a small, metal device, similar to a flute and blew into one end. Chittering, squeaking noises came out of the lure, making the flapping, beating wings head towards them. 
	“What are we supposed to do!?” Phoenix demanded in a hushed, angry voice.
	Zyra pointed beyond the canopy, “One will swoop down. We strike it, the cries of pain will bring its mate down to help it. Then we kill that one too. It won’t leave the body.”
	“It sounds like you have done this many times,” Red Hawk was surprisingly calm as he began to prepare a spell, “I shall hold it down,” The group got a better look at the wyverns as they began to circle their position. They were bigger than drakes, probably the size of a couple grizzly bears or a particularly large polar bear. Their front wings– about twenty or more feet wide by Reece’s estimate, flapped slowly as they searched for prey. Zyra called them with the lure again. One of them, the larger of the two, swooped down. Red Hawk let loose his spell, shooting a mass of spiked plants and roots from his staff that quickly bound the beast. It hit the ground hard and shook the island as it cried out in pain. Struck trees groaned and fell over as the whimpering beast began to lash out and fight against the binds. The beast was covered in sickly green scales with two, huge wings and sharp talons, but the spiked tail, half the length of its body, swung all around, breaking through the trees and threatening to crush anyone in its way.
	Zyra was reluctant to approach with her sword, “It's huge!” She cried as it gnashed with a set of sharp teeth and murder in its beady yellow eyes. 
	Red Hawk shouted a command word and the vines and roots dug into the creature’s flesh, pinning it to the ground, keeping it from moving as Zyra finally got in close to give it a few good swings of her sword, doing her best to miss the roots. A lesser warrior’s sword would have bounced off the hard scales, but the green coating broke under the blade of her avalite composite sword.
	The beast’s mouth clicked and chirped as a glow appeared in its maw. Zyra and Red Hawk moved as a blast of flame came out in a wide cone like a ball of fire. Reece’s heart sank for a moment as the flames danced around Phoenix and completely enveloped the satyr. Only a moment later the flames dissipated and revealed that no harm had been brought to her, not even her hair or clothes smoldered. That had given Reece some relief, but there was no time to dwell on how she did it.
Phoenix scowled, her nose wrinkling in disgust at the stench of the wyvern’s flaming breath, brushing the embers it had left behind off her shoulders. The sorceress quickly prepared her own spell, stomping her feet into the earth and unbottling the simmering rage within her. Her own flames enveloped her arms and swirled around her as she took a deep breath. With a roar, she began to unleash a torrent of fiery, sharp, glass-like shards on the creature’s hard scales. Many of the swarming shards found purchase under and between the scales or on old wounds where blood began to spring forth. Zyra was moving in for the kill, waiting for the chance to strike a killing blow.
Before Phoenix’s spell could finish, she was knocked off her feet. The sudden shock ended her spell early and abruptly, making her cough up sputtering, flaming flem. Reece had bowled into her and carried her away from danger before the second wyvern had come down on top of her. He was burning, his skin singed by her fire and the material of his cloak was charred. The wyvern turned on them, opening its maw, its fangs like swords ready to strike. With surprising speed, it flexed its neck and gnashed at them, trying to get as big of a bite as its bloody mouth could get. Both Phoenix and Reece scattered, with the beast keeping the boy in its sights. As it lashed out again, Reece swung his silvered hand axe, hitting it right below the eye and making it screech in pain. 
Phoenix found herself wondering if she was the rusty one, surprised to see her friend had some fight in him. As Reece tried to wrench the axe free, the wyvern swung its long neck, throwing him aside. He hit a tree hard on his back and lay face down in the dirt. The shock of seeing her friend crumpled on the ground pierced through her like a knife to her heart. She wanted to help him, to cry out for him, but there was no time, the wyvern was preparing another strike, this time with its talons as it reared up and stood on one leg. Phoenix was filled with a deep and profound sadness, her sorcerous powers reacting to her emotions as tears began to seep from her eyes. She let loose her mana, wreathing her in a protective flaming armor that easily deflected the wyvern’s talons with a burst of flames pushing it back. With the expertise of a seasoned sorceress, she began to reign in her emotions but she could scarcely take her eyes off of Reece and where he lay. To her relief, she saw him prop himself up, though pained, he began to move.
	“Duck!” Zyra roared.
	Instinctually, the satyr got down as the wyvern swung its body around, throwing its tail over her head, “Slay it already!” She cried.
Zyra smirked and leapt toward the wyvern and let loose a wide swing that sent the beast reeling. The Lion brought her long sword down on the wyvern’s neck. It dug deep into the flesh and scales, drawing out a weak cry of pain from the beast as it staggered. It lashed out wildly, weakly biting at the Lion. Zyra shoved her sword in the monster’s mouth and let it go. With surprising dexterity, she easily wrenched Reece’s axe free from its head before bringing it down again. Then again. Another powerful strike followed by two more finally brought the beast down, the only movement coming from its death throes and twitching of its talons and struggling wings. As Phoenix finally relaxed Reece suddenly sputtered with the last of his strength, “Red Hawk! Nine o’ clock!”
	The elf turned and conjured a thick bark barrier as a flame shot toward him. A much smaller wyvern had appeared, howling and screeching in a rage. An adolescent? Red Hawk took his staff in both hands and raised it up, causing a sudden sinkhole to envelope the wyvern. It cried out in terror as vines grew and fell off the nearby trees. Red Hawk made a fist and swung his arm to his right, then left. The vines closed around the creature’s neck. Then, after a moment of hesitation, the wild elf brought his hand down and the vines snapped the young wyvern’s neck, ending its life in mere moments.
	“Looks like ya three can fight!” Zyra grinned as the adrenaline slowly died down. She quickly sobered up as she saw Reece laying on the ground.
	Phoenix got to him first, “Reece! Reece!” She gave him a shake.
	“Did you get it?” He groaned in pain.
	“Ayup, we did. Got ‘em all! Don’t move too much,” Zyra ordered. Her hands began to gently grab at Reece’s limbs, then his head, and finally his neck. She sighed with relief, “Nothin’ broken. But he’s bruised up pretty bad. Let ‘im rest,” The Lion got up and headed toward the dead wyverns.
	“He got flung into a tree and I am supposed to just leave him be!?” Phoenix’s emotions flared up and bits of fire appeared on her skin and clothing.
	“It looked worse than it is,” Reece moved his cloak and shirt aside with some pained effort, pulling them up toward his chest, “See? She’s right. Nothing broken. That was pretty stupid of me, huh?”
	His body was already bruising terribly, half of him practically turning hues of purple and blue. That alone made the satyr wince, but Reece to her surprise seemed in good spirits, “You saved my life, Reece,” Phoenix chuckled at the absurdity of it all, happy to see he was well enough to make jokes, “Maybe Red Hawk’s too. At the very least you saved his precious suit from getting burned. I am sorry you had to hurt yourself for me… the burns, and the wyvern… I suppose I got careless.”
	“Just paying you back for that time in Florida,” He smirked and leaned his head back, “Just give me a bit. I’ll get up soon.”
	“I’ll have Red Hawk mend your flesh,” She gently touched the burns on his skin, which elicited a sharp gasp from him. They weren’t numerous, but he had gotten a minor burn on his chin and a few along his arms. His brand new cloak and the coat underneath would need some mending, which she hoped the wizard could do as well, “Get some rest, Reece. I will be right back.”
	As the satyr got up, she saw that Zyra had already begun to cut up the largest of the wyverns, using a long knife of hers as well as her claws to cut parts of it off, pry scale from flesh or separate bones with some effort. Red Hawk was examining the much more wounded, smaller wyvern, “Their physiology is about what I expected,” He told Phoenix, “Hollow bones, large muscles, long tails, dangerous claws, protective scales. Apart from the hollow bones, all things that dragons had. Although, the fire breathing from the adolescent was surprising. How is our friend doing?”
	“His clothes need some mending as does his singed flesh,” She sighed, “Can you take care of it?”
	“Of course, though he will need a proper healer for those bruises I am afraid,” The wizard got up and made his way to the now napping human. He was rather shocked at how easily he went to sleep after a short but ferocious battle, but perhaps all the adrenaline had left the boy drained.
	“Do you need any help?” Phoenix approached Zyra.
	“Nah. Reece doin’ okay?” The Lion’s quick hands easily dressed down the corpse. She laid it all out on the removed flesh, and was even piling the scales and bones in neatly made piles.
	“He will live, just like you said,” She rubbed the exhaustion from her face, “Oh! The box! Uh,” She looked at the meat and bones, “I know not what to look for, truthfully.”
	“If they carved instructions into these bones, it’d be a little too easy, ya know?” Zyra jested, “Ya’know, I’m glad Reece isn’t as fragile as my first assumption said.”
	“Humans are resilient after all,” Phoenix chuckled back, “That might have killed me or Red Hawk, though. I have to imagine some of Graxon’s stubbornness and toughness rubbed off on the boy.”
	“Mhm. Say, are ya half avalonian?”
	“Yes? Why?”
	“Tryin’ to make sense o’ how ya took that fire head on without a single burn,” Zyra shrugged.
	“My mother was a satyr, like me, and had the phoenix’s bloodline in her which she passed down,” She explained.
“Right, ya did speak of that before. Gotta admit, I thought it was all nonsense,” The Lion chuckled, “Glad I was wrong.”
“Yes, my family is very lucky to have such a gift,” Phoenix smiled back politely, “My sisters and I all have the same power, to different degrees. Inflammability is just one of the perks.”
	“And yar dad?”
	“A human. A wizard. Both of my parents are rather famous adventurers. Their group took down Sol Eater when he arrived in the New World. It's been forty or so years now. Reece wrote all about it,” She was prattling off information, still trying to process and calm down after the dangerous, but admittedly short battle.
	“Did he now? Ya Lowlanders are all full o’ surprises. Are ya all like that? I can’t get a read on any of ya now,” The Lion finished with the larger wyvern and turned her attention to the smaller, “We ain’t got the stomachs for all this meat. Maybe the people in Oberon could have some. Think that goblin, Fang or whatever, could fit all this on ‘is boat?”
	“We cannot know until we try. He had a net, perhaps we could hang some off the side? Oh, I should cook some up. I think I have something that will work with it.”

	Reece found himself in his dreams. Like usual, he had the box in front of him. It was bigger than before and dominated his attention. Was he obsessed? Torturing himself, maybe? Every bit of him was desperate to solve the box’s mystery. He wanted to. He had to. He needed to. It was the only thing he had left from Graxon. His hands went for it, but in that instant his attention was snapped away. He was on a sunny hillside at dusk sitting at a camping table with bench seats. The box was in front of him still, but back to its regular size.
	A cup of tea was placed in front of him by the presence at his side, “It's been a while, huh?” Reece asked the presence.
	It said nothing. It never could.
	“You’re a bit late to convince me not to come here.”
	It nodded, but didn’t seem worried. It was content. It put a hand on Reece’s shoulder to console him, it knew already what was eating away at him. It always seemed to.
	“I-I just keep losing people. Blood Moon Prancer, Felix, you for a while, my old friends, it's not like I ever really had my parents, and now Graxon,” Reece put his face in his hands. The being strengthened their comforting grip on his shoulder as they both thought about the lovely horse Reece had grown up with and the cat he had loved dearly. Those friends he grew out of but could never shake the thought of. And finally the old dwarf.
He took a look at it. The presence was something he never could explain– not to himself and he had never brought it up to anyone else. An old imaginary friend come to life in his dreams, something to retreat to in his youth when he was alone and now a vigilant protector from his troubled nightmares. It usually wore brilliant golden armor and had the face of a dragon-like green lizard, but the animal it depicted would sometimes change, or maybe it was a helmet as it was hard to see its features sometimes, “I almost got myself killed protecting Phoenix,” He sighed, “I can’t bear the thought of what could have happened.”
	The presence’s grip turned firm. 
	Even though he knew it was some oneiromancy delusion, it still brought Reece some comfort, “I know. I did the right thing,” He looked at the box, “I need to go back, old friend. Come visit me again soon, would you?”
	It nodded weakly. Reece wasn’t sure it had a choice. Maybe it had others to protect, others that needed its power more than he did.
	“It was nice to see you, by the by,” Reece drank the tea and took the box as he stood. 
	The being took his hand, leaving behind a red, blood like substance on his palm.
Reece frowned, but his oldest friend only smiled back. Whatever he was being told was as cryptic as usual. He walked down the hill and into an ocean that seemed to spring up around him. Without hesitation, he dipped below the water.

	Reece awoke gasping for breath. The wet sensation quickly fell away as he wiped his face. His chin was covered in a rubbery scab: conjured skin from Red Hawk. He had a few other patches of the gray and rubbery skin on his body. 
	He was back on the boat with all of his companions staring directly at him. 
	“Have a nice nap?” Phoenix nervously chuckled, “We had begun to worry you would never wake. You slept like a baby as Zyra carried you. Did you dream of anything? You mumbled a bit in your sleep.”
	Reece had never explained the thing he would meet with in his dreams to anyone. He hadn’t done much research on oneiromancy, it wasn’t a very popular field. Was it safe for him to mention it? Would they think he hit his head or had gone crazy? He opened his mouth but stopped as he was given a plate with a few finely cut and charred steaks on it. 
	“Eat,” Zyra ordered.
	“Yeah! It's good!” Fang chimed in.
	“Seems like you lost some mana,” Phoenix had a hand on his arm, “Does making skin usually do that, Red Hawk?”
	“I suppose it could. Or, your conjured fire could have done it,” He was looking over the side of the vessel at the rocks and other floating debris. Water poured from many of them, giving the fish ample space to look for food.
	Reece silently ate, glad to have dodged the question. It was tasty. Thick and juicy meat seared in a pan. It was the texture of a steak, but pulled apart rather easily and tasted a bit more like a bitter chicken. Whatever tangy and slightly fruity sauce his friends had whipped up definitely added to the meal, “The box!” He suddenly exclaimed and fished for it in his bag. 
	He turned it over in his hands and stared at the wyvern carving. Nothing happened or had changed. He wiped the meaty juices from his mouth and glared, his frustration quickly spiking, “You stupid box, do something!” He went to wipe his hand off but stared at his fingers for a moment. A bit of red liquid glided down his digits– the same hand his friend had turned red. Reece grabbed a piece of raw meat and squeezed it, coating his hand in blood.
	“Reece!” Phoenix was disgusted by it. The others were murmuring to themselves, both curious and a little put off by it.
He touched the box with his blood-soaked hand and suddenly the wyvern carving began to glow. It turned red and became loose in the construction of the box. The others all watched with bated breath as he slid it out of place.
	“You did it!” The satyr’s tune changed as she tried to clean the rest of the blood off of him.
	“Do ya usually figure things out after a nap?” Zyra chuckled as she watched him. 
His eyes were almost bulging out of his head, “I-I mean, sometimes? It just came to me!”
“You'll have to teach that to me!” The Lion laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.
“It's just an old dwarven trick, it's how I meditate and relieve pain. Now what…?”
 He turned the wyvern so that its ferocious face was now pointing at the bottom of the box. On the top of the box, a small opening appeared. Reece stuck a finger in it and pressed down on a tiny button. The wyvern sprung out slightly and began to rotate on its own, now acting like a compass, its head pointing in a specific direction no matter how the box was rotated. 
	“That is not North,” Red Hawk quickly pointed out, “Where is that pointing?”
	“Estron,” Zyra quickly figured, “Or at least pretty near it.”
	“The capital?” Phoenix nodded, “I suppose that’s as good a place as any to head next.”
“Not before we take care of Reece's wounds,” Zyra interjected, “We haven't a clue what could be waiting for us there, but judging by the rest of those beasts on that box we could be in for a fight.”
“Ooooh, monsters at the capital? I can smell money in this!” Fang laughed, “You lookin’ for passage there?”
	“Nay,” Red Hawk shook his head, “We have transport. Thank you.”
	The goblin’s disappointment was palpable, “Fine. Whatever you say. Let’s just get you back to Oberon so I can get the rest of my money, and my split for this meat.”

The return trip to Oberon felt longer than their journey to the Guardian Mounds, the wind practically fighting with the sail of Fang's boat all the way back to town. The added weight of the scales, bones and meat from the wyverns did nothing to help their passage. Reece felt anxious, ready to move on to the capital of Estron as soon as they could, while the others were ready to rest after their tangle with the wyverns. All but Zyra who seemed completely unbothered by it as if it had been a daily routine for her. Who knows, maybe it was, Reece considered.
“So, how'd ya do it?” Fang asked as Oberon finally came into view, “Did ya slice ‘em clean down the middle? Cut their heads off?”
“We put them to the sword,” Red Hawk answered curtly, “It matters not how. I would really rather not talk about it.”
Fang scoffed, “Oh, don't be like that, I'm just curious is all. Those things are dangerous!”
“Dangerous though they be, they were still living creatures and with young at that. They deserve a little respect,” the elf rebutted.
“I suppose they do,” said Zyra, “but I'd gladly put them down again if it meant saving the people of Oberon from hardship.”
“I simply do not relish in taking life.” Red Hawk answered indignantly.
Zyra shrugged, “That's the way of things up here in the Highlands. It isn't pretty, but we have to do it if we want to live. If Diane hadn’t put all those chimeras to the sword we woulda been wiped out years ago.”
“Just think of it as the natural order for Avalon, Red Hawk,” Phoenix suggested, “She took every part of the animal to use, didn't she?”
“I suppose so. Let us leave it at that,” decided Red Hawk, crossing his arms.
“So, when do we leave for Estron?” Reece piped up, watching as they approached Oberon.
“Not before we take ya to Rael,” Zyra interjected, “You might feel okay now but ya're going to regret it later if ya don't get a proper healer.”
“The Christian?” Red Hawk balked, “Proper healer indeed. What we need is a chirurgeon.”
“Do ya know any in Oberon?” Zyra asked dryly, the elf's face turning red even through his wrappings, “I've seen him heal a crippled man with words alone, magic or miracle, he's a healer.”
“I suppose he will have to do, then,” the elf relented, “It seems the Myridea has returned this evening. I will speak to Captain O’malley about securing passage for four whilst you three go visit your cleric.”
	“Gotta help me sell all this meat first!” Fang grinned.
Fang brought his vessel into port and the group worked on getting their excess meats sold. A lot of people traded their wares and things they had made to the group. Phoenix got her hands on a box adorned with a few avalite gems that kept the food within it fresh. Reece got a nice mess kit and spices. Zyra grinned as she found herself the owner of a new, green tinted knife.
“Maybe we should get ya another axe in case ya lose this one again,” Zyra joked as she, Reece, and Phoenix got their belongings situated.
	“Not a terrible idea, really,” Phoenix chided him a bit, “Not that I have any room to talk.”	
	“My advice for our next encounter: let go of the axe,” Red Hawk said dryly, hints of a smirk hiding behind his wrappings.
	“Very funny,” Reece groaned.
“Indeed. Enjoy your time with the Christian, just remember we will be leaving in the morning,” said Red Hawk, a wry smile on his lips. Reece watched as the elf relinquished about half of the coin they got to Fang before the two of them started heading down the dock to the Myridea’s port.
	It was a very quick walk to the church. Zyra pushed her way inside where she quickly looked around for her favorite cleric. A few towns folk were there praying along with the missionaries, “Welcome, friends,” Rael seemed to appear from the quiet side of the church, “What can I do for you today?”
	“We brought you a donation,” Phoenix gave over some wrapped up meat as an offering to the missionaries, “Wyvern meat. Rather tasty.”
	“Tastes a little like chicken,” Reece added with a grin.
	“Your donation will fill our bellies,” Rael gave them a small smile before motioning for another to come over and take it.
	“Could ya heal Reece here?” The Lion pushed Reece forward. He grimaced in pain as she touched the large bruise, “Took a bad hit and got some burns. And I would like to pray with ya again.”
	Reece made a face and showed his already covered burns. Rael nodded and clutched a cross he wore around his neck, “If I may, friends, I have been thinking,” Rael seemed a bit nervous, “Are you going to Estron next?”
	The three looked to one another for a moment, surprised by the cleric’s question, “Yeah, how did you know?” Reece asked.
	Rael nodded, “I have been given a barrage of visions, even as I wake. You and your elf friend, a goblin, numerous beasts, and various towns. One I know is Estron. I believe I am being told to venture with you,” He explained as he made a cross over his body, “I ask that you take me with you, especially if similar dangers are approaching– or worse yet, you are approaching them.”
	“I really don’t know what we’re going up against in the future, Rael,” Reece looked the stern older man in the eyes, “But I think I speak for the three of us when I say we would love to have you come along.”
	“Yes! Ya should come along, ya healing and wisdom should help us,” The Lion grinned, “Holy men of the Old World pursued justice, right? Ya doin’ the same is only right.”
	“Justice? Ah, I suppose that clarifies a few of the visions,” Rael put his hand on Reece’s shoulder, “You are healed. Go and rest. I shall meet you at the docks in the morning. We shall pray then, Zyra.”
	“Thank you, Rael,” Reece’s body felt much better. He hadn’t realised how much his back had been hurting before that moment.
	“Is there anything else?’ The cleric adjusted his tunic, “I must finish my duties before the day ends and collect my things.”
	“Nah, ya get back to ya stuff, we’ll see ya in the mornin’,” Zyra smiled again and left, “We should head back to the tavern, I’d love to get a drink. Oh! I’ll meet ya’ll there in a few hours actually, I gotta get a few things done, too.”
	“Can we help?” Phoenix asked.
	“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Zyra smiled coyly, “Just get yar elf and meet me at the tavern, friends.”

	Red Hawk was easy to find at the docks where he was still chatting with the crew of the Myridea. Most of them had gone into the village to buy things from the stalls who seemed ready to close up for the evening or stepped into the tavern for a few drinks, “Seems you are just as energized as ever, Red Hawk,” Phoenix greeted with a smile, “Good evening, Captain.”
	“Sounds like you three plus one are headed to the capital with us in the morning,” O’Malley smiled back.
	“Plus two,” Reece corrected, “We picked up a fifth.”
	“Who–? Oh, do not tell me you invited the bald cleric?” Red Hawk sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
	Phoenix shook her head, “No, he asked to accompany us. He explained he had many visions about it. Seems he knows about our reason for being here and the extra hands would be appreciated.”
	“We cannot just go around telling everyone why we are here, we do not know who could be behind it,” the wild elf hissed.
	“You think Rael or his clerics would be the kind of people to murder Graxon?” Reece furrowed his brow, “Why would he do that?”
	“No, but I would not put it past the Christians. They did have a hand in the fate of the druids, or have you forgotten?” Red Hawk shot back with a frown.
	“Quit your bickering, he is coming and that is final. Reece almost died today, and look at him now! He is standing straight again, as if it never happened!” As if to prove her point, Phoenix slapped Reece on the back with enough force to nearly push him over, “Besides, you are outnumbered by the three of us,” She reminded him, putting a smoldering finger on the elf’s chest.
	“Fine, fine,” Red Hawk relented to her forceful personality.
	“Good. Glad that is settled. Shall we go turn in for the evening? I think I need a drink as well.”

	Zyra was up early and full of energy after the night’s revelry. She had told the onlookers about their fight and Reece even got into a drinking contest with a few other patrons. The Lion believed Phoenix that the dwarf had rubbed off on the boy as he beat the sailors and farmers handily. She performed her usual morning exercise routine in the inn room. Pushups, sit ups, squats, and planking. She cut it short, knowing she had somewhere to be. The inn had a free to use bathing chamber that she gladly made use of. The wooden tub was hardly large enough for her as she scrubbed the sweat, grime, and blood from her body. She pulled her long hair back into a free flowing and still rather messy ponytail as she brushed her hair and combed the fur on her limbs. Lastly, she brought out a small vial with a dropper. She unscrewed the top and dropped only a little onto each arm and her neck. Perfume, a fruity, sour and sweet smell. Reece liked that fruit, she told herself, so do the others, she quickly added. 
	Putting on a simple, comfortable set of clothes, Zyra went out into the town and toward the blacksmith. The sun had crested the Lowlands far below, and a golden glow was cast over the islands. Very few people were out. Farmers tended to their fields on far off islands in the early hours, shop keepers prepared to put out their stands for the day, and a few swept the stone paths in front of their homes. Those that The Lion passed moved away from her and stared, few offered a simple, anxious good morning to her. The blacksmith was on the edge of town, run by a family of hobgoblins. The taller, amber skinned goblinoids were up already and putting the finishing touches on the Lion’s order, “Oi!” The patriarch of the family hailed the approaching hero, “Should be just about done,” Many younger hobgoblins were weaving the scales into the metal frame, working in tandem to make the tedious work move very fast. They backed away and stared expectantly at the Lion.
	“Ya work fast!” Zyra picked up the finished item, a shirt of scale mail, made of the wyvern scales. Lightweight and fire resistant, they made for a very manageable set of armor. She felt the weight and looked at the size, “Should fit, but I can make any adjustments that he might need.”
	“May it serve him well,” The hobgoblin scratched his bald head, “Never really heard of you workin’ with a team before.”
	The Lion clutched the scaled shirt, “Just helpin’ some Lowlanders. I’ll be back to solo work before ya know it.”
	“Ah, gotcha. Well good luck then. I’m sure ya need it dealin’ with those weirdos.”
	Zyra put on a fake but strong smile and gave him a laugh, “Ah, thanks. See ya around, maybe I’ll tell ya all about this adventure over some ale.”
 	“I’d like that!”
	Zyra left with an odd feeling in her chest. She returned to the inn and stomped back upstairs. Having been all over, she knew where to look for the spare key to the rooms. A little shelf above the door was the usual spot. She grinned when she found the key and brought it down. Unlocking the door, she stepped into Reece’s room. Surprisingly, the boy was already awake. He sat at the little desk next to the bed and stared out the window. His journal sat before him, the pages covered in scribbles and doodles that the Lion couldn’t understand.
	“Zyra, good morning. Did you need something?” He asked, turning to look at her.
	“Are ya up every mornin’ this early? I was tryin’ to surprise ya,” Zyra admitted, glad that he didn’t seem upset at her barging in, “Here,” She handed over the scale mail.
	Reece looked surprised and even smiled, holding it up and away from himself to get a better look at it, “What’s this?”
	“A bit o’ armor I had specially made for ya. Can’t have ya gettin’ yar back broken by an even worse monster in the future. And it’ll keep miss fireball from burnin’ ya too badly to boot,” She explained, still grinning ear to ear, “Never know when an ogre will try to club ya. Maybe a flamin’ club, eh?”
	Reece chuckled at the dark joke, “Thank you, Zyra,” With a bit of help, he slipped it on. The scales were rough, but felt tough as steel, surprisingly comfortable, and of a good weight. It easily fitted over a coat and under his cloak, “Feels like I could take a sword strike or two now, maybe as long as you’re not the one swinging?” He chuckled. She laughed with him, “I don’t know how to thank you… it’s not much but my offer to teach you how to read and write still stands.”
	Zyra stared at him. The feeling she got from most people was nonexistent with Reece and the others. There was still respect, but not in a way where they went out of their way to avoid her. Spending time with the boy sounded nice, “Alright,” She relented before sitting on the bed, “I’ll learn yar language. No promises that this’ll work out, though.”
	“Great,” Reece smiled softly, “I’ll try to prep some learning materials in the next few days. I wish I could head back down and just buy some, but I think I can make do.”
	“Sheesh, ya don’t need to do all that for me. Here, turn around and let me work on the armor. It's a little loose under yar arm and tight on the waist.”
	Reece was surprised how dextrous her large fingers were. He had to wonder if it was her cat-like genetics that let her make such small adjustments to the armor, redoing the little straps under the scales to tighten or loosen it in a few spots. The boy had to admit, she was totally right. The armor felt great to wear now, like a second skin. 
	“Why are ya so keen on teachin’ me?” Zyra gestured for him to sit with her.
	The bed creaked as they sat, “Well, it is my mentor’s mindset, I guess. He was, of course, paid for homeschooling me. Then when I was done, he gave me that axe and asked me if I wanted to take up his field. I did. He allowed me to live under his roof and apprentice under him with his guidance. He always told me it was so he could leave his mark on the world in a meaningful way, it was why he taught so many people. I want to do the same. If I go down in battle, at least we can say I taught you. That I left my mark on you, someone of such import.”
	Zyra wrapped an arm around the boy and brought him closer, “I’m not gonna let ya die, Reece. Stick by me and ya’ll be just fine.”
	He could feel himself blush as he looked into the larger woman’s eyes and quickly looked away. The two hadn’t known one another long, but he was very thankful for her quick friendship. He put his hand on her arm, “Thanks, Zyra. I’m glad to have you on the team.”
	“O’course,” She poked his armored chest idly, making sure the scales were set right.
	“Is there a reason you’re so eager to help us? Why you’re coming along without wanting compensation?”
	Zyra paused for a moment then laughed, “Cuz I like ya guys! That, and it's my duty as this hero, y’know?” She shook the boy playfully who nodded and quickly accepted her answer, “C’mon, let’s get some grub. I’m gettin’ peckish.”

	After a quick meal, the group made their way to the docks. Rael was already there in his dark metal armor with a long duffel bag slung on his shoulder. Two armored individuals were speaking to him by Fang’s boat. They wore a yellow, red, and blue coat of arms with a black tree at its center on their tabards, their coats of chainmail armor beneath jingled and rang with each movement. When the group of four got into earshot the people hailed Zyra, “Ah, The Lion of Rivaan, do you think you could help us?” The first, a rabbit avalonian man, inquired.
	“Anything for the guard,” The Lion replied. 
	“Did you happen to see whoever had commandeered this vessel?” The shorter of the two asked, a human woman, “We have reason to believe it was stolen a few towns over.”
	“Stolen?” Phoenix echoed.
	“Did any of you see them?”
	“Saw? We spoke to him. Had him ferry us to a nearby island,” Red Hawk sighed, “This is what I get for trusting a goblin, I become an accessory to a crime,” He mumbled.
	“Ah, n-no we have no reason to believe your group is at fault,” The two glanced at Zyra, “Tell us what you can, please.”
	“His name was Fang?” Zyra recounted, “Small for a goblin. Long nose, long ears.”
	“He was a lime sort of green,” Reece chimed in. There was some visible confusion from all three Highlanders, “Ah, it's a…” He looked around, spotting very little green items, “Like a… Light green.”
	Phoenix suppressed a smile, “Talkative. Awkward. Foreign accent, maybe not from Avalon. He had a long necked black sweater on when he was with us.”
	“Said he was from Oygrun,” Zyra added, snapping her fingers as if she had just remembered.
	Red Hawk huffed, “Assuming he was telling the truth.”
	“Understood,” The guards boarded the ship, “We'll be looking around to see if he has left or not. Maybe someone else has seen him around. Thank you for your time.”
	Rael raised a hand in greeting as the four turned their attention to him, “A good morning to you all,” He said, “Shall we board now? The crew seems to be finalizing their departure.”
	Phoenix still seemed a bit shaken, but nodded, “Of course. Out of our nice comfortable beds just to be cramped into a little cabin with a few others, hm?”
	“Ah, ya’ll get used to it. At least none of us stink, right?” Zyra grinned as she was the first onto the boat. After a short meeting with the Captain, first and second mates, they descended into the hull and into their passenger cabin. Someone had been kind enough to put up a fifth hammock, though if The Lion could fit in it that would be a sight to see. The group settled in, still shaking off the morning grogginess before the Myridea set off, soaring into the sky.
	The once group of four then became five as Rael tagged along, eager to help them and their pursuit of justice.