Phoenix has been commenting that I’ve gotten a lot better mood-wise. I guess she’s right. We have made progress both in finding the murderer and solving the Avalonian box, and because of that, I’m feeling a bit more hopeful. The Lion of Rivaan’s infectious jovialness is helping too, she’s rather friendly for such a large and imposing figure. The cleric, Rael, has teamed up with us, and because of that I’m put into even higher spirits, not to mention the elation of figuring out the box’s first clue. Both the puzzle and clues for bringing justice to Graxon's murderer point us to Estron. I still have the occasional pang of sadness when I think of him, but I have been able to put it aside thus far. 
My dreams are filled with visions of the box again, and my old friend can only do so much for me. Thankfully I’m not haunted by Graxon’s remains now. Perhaps in that I can believe we are on the right track.
	I’ve taken to writing most of the events down. If Phoenix is right, perhaps I can turn this into something even if our trip is for nothing. And if by some horrible fate we fail, someone could pick up after us, morbid as it is to think that.
	Soon, I’ll start working on teaching Zyra to read and write.

	Miles above the earth and cramped into a small cabin, the group of five did their best to stay busy. Reece sat across from Zyra with Phoenix to his left. Rael was sitting next to Zyra, and Red Hawk sat at the end of the table on a spare stool. He was looking over an avalite gem and the documents that the wizard had handed over. Reece had picked up a sheet and cocked his head, “Hey, these look like dwarven runes,” He flipped his journal over to show an example. The rune was a straight horizontal line with two coming down from the top perpendicular. The left line then turned about thirty-three degrees to the right two thirds down, but did not touch the right line. The runes the wizard had given were more curved and slanted than the clean and neat dwarven rune magicks, “Though with these curves, they might be their own thing.”
	“It would make sense if they were derivative. I know there are other schools of rune magicks, but dwarves are at the front of that field,” Red Hawk concurred.
	“They wouldn’t use normal spell casting for a long time, the way Graxon spoke about it, you’d think he was there,” Reece chuckled.
	“Yes, their old hatred of elves was the cause, I imagine. Some say the progenitor of elves and gnomes discovered magic.”
	No one was sure if that was a joke or not. Even without the face wrappings, Red Hawk was difficult to read sometimes.
	Zyra had begun to idly roll dice against herself as she chewed jerky loudly, “How about some games?”
	Phoenix picked one up, it was a twelve-sided die and all of the others were cubed six sided dice. “What do you play with these?”
	“I’ll show ya, roll that one,” She pointed at the satyr. She rolled a nine, which the Lion arduously counted up, “Now, I take these six ones,” She rolled a six sided die, “Uh, three. Now, ya roll one of ‘em,” Phoenix did, getting a six, “Now, I can either roll again, or stop. Ya wanna get as close as ya can to that nine. I think I’m safe rollin’ again,” She did so, rolling a two, “Now I’ve got five.”
	“So with my six, I will roll again,” Phoenix rolled, getting a five, “...Eleven.”
	“That’s only two off, I win if I get… eight, nine, or ten total, I win. Unless ya decide to roll again!”
	“No, I do not think I will,” Phoenix smirked.
	“Well–” Zyra rolled a die again, “Looks like… A… three!” She looked rather proud of herself, winning their little game.
	“What do we play for?” Reece inquired, his interest being piqued. It was similar to black jack, but with dice, of course, and no bust, “Money?”
	“Usually. But what I want from ya, is to learn how to do that meditative nap,” Zyra replied with a smile.
	“And if I win?”
	“Well. What do ya want?” Zyra leaned across the table to get closer and show off her sharp teeth.
	Reece paused. His mouth contorted to his usual thinking face. A bit of teeth grinding and a knit brow as he thought of an answer, “Hmm…”
	Phoenix gave her friend a stern look, “Reece,” She warned, “This is not your horse betting. No thousands of gold here. Find something small.”
	After a moment of thinking, Zyra stuck a dagger in the table, “How ‘bout this? Made o’ an avalite composite metal, like my armor and sword.”
	Rael smirked, “It does not seem comparable, but who am I to judge. Where are you from, Reece?”
	Reece rolled the dodecahedron, “Eleven. I’m from Oregon. Lived there for twenty three years. Are you from the States? Your accent is hard to place.”
	“Ah,” Rael nodded. His voice was rather nasally, “I have spent some time in the South. Though, I believe I picked up my accent from some of the Old World dwarves at the church.”
	Zyra rolled a four and Reece a three.
	“I see,” The boy replied.
	“How long have you been in Avalon, Rael?” Phoenix asked as she watched the two roll again. Reece got a six, making nine, and Zyra rolled a two to make six.
	“A little more than a month. Our work has gone well,” He replied with a small smile.
	“I was there when he met with the queen!” Zyra excitedly hollered. Her tail was swishing around behind her quickly, “They were talkin’ about their God with her, and when asked to perform a sign, Rael brought out a staff and turned it into a huge snake! It was amazin’!” She rolled a four, making ten, “Ha!” Reece rolled a one and also made ten, “What’ya say, Reece? Stayin’ or rollin’?” Zyra was full of herself as she prepared to roll again.
	“Nah, staying.”
	“Ya’re no fun. I’m stayin’. Okay five is the goal now,” She looked at Rael, “Who was that human ya told me about? The Moe-zeez fella? Bringin’ on plagues to show that far-o he was serious?” She rolled a six. Reece rolled a four. Another tie. 
	“Aye, that is him,” Rael nodded, “Moses, leading his people out of slavery.”
	Red Hawk snorted, “I have heard the plagues and such were signs against the Egyptians gods, a mockery of the things they were known for, hm?”
	“That is correct. They were signs to show that the Lord was above their gods and above Pharaoh, who thought himself a god.”
	“And what is it you do?” Red Hawk’s question was almost accusatory.
	Phoenix glared at the elf. Before she could speak, Rael held up a hand, “There is no slight, my dear. I am a cleric. A spellcaster and warrior. A middle ground between a priest and paladin. The Lord works through me, and I am happy to do as He bids me.”
	“And this… Order who had taken over the temple in Oberon?” Red Hawk continued to press, “Who are they?”
	“The Order of His Holy Light,” Rael replied, “I am not a part of their order, but they desired a spell caster, so I came along. Most of my order, Order of the Pious Son, has been spread around the islands with the other orders. We are known as powerful casters, but our numbers are few.”
	“I see,” The elf went back to his paper. “And do you follow the Dwarven Orthodoxy?”
	“No. They believe the Great Cracking was the second coming of our Lord, and that there will be a third coming to be. My sect believes there will only be the second that has yet to pass. Personally, I do think the Lord revealed himself to those that made the pilgrimage to the New World, too many of them recounted similar visions and sights. Their tongues were molded to learn our languages with ease, and us theirs. Though, I hear many of the elves in France cling to their old religions.”
	“Not just the elves in France, we wild elves have kept our traditions as well,” Red Hawk proudly replied, seeming satisfied.
	“Dammit!” Zyra groaned as she lost to Reece with a thirteen to his eleven with ten as the target. He quickly took the leather bound dagger with a smile, “Again! I will… Train ya a bit.”
	Reece shrugged, “Sure,” The thought of throwing came to mind, but he thought against it. She would probably sniff it out. The twelve-sided die rolled a one and Zyra grinned like a hungry beast as Reece prepared to roll. Four. Zyra got a three.
	“Yes!” She laughed boisterously again, “I win!”
	Reece threw up his hands, “Fair’s fair.”
	Rael was quick to find something else to talk about as the two started gambling with coins, “Miss Phoenix,” He began, “You are a sorceress, correct? You remind me greatly of Missus Nambra. I must assume there is some form of familial connection?”
	“Yes, that is my mother,” She smiled politely, “I am sure you are familiar with my father, Arthur Maxamillion?”
	“Aye, of course. I was alive when they fought Sol Eater. I remember the destruction, North Eastern Asia, the gash that once again split the earth open. Their battle was legendary. We are fortunate such heroes arose to fight that demon off,” Rael nodded, “How is family life? I hear you have many sisters.”
	Phoenix’s already weak smile turned rather fake, “Oh, hectic, of course. Too many of us vying for our parents' attention. Do you enjoy your clerical duties?”
	“Of course,” He nodded, “I am blessed to be one of the Lord’s holy warriors. Some have compared me to Master Armruck-Dazzal, that dwarven cleric who helped your parents. I have rather large shoes to fill, I suppose. Though perhaps not as large as you do.”
	“Do not remind me,” Phoenix’s tone turned dour as did her pretty face.
	Rael knew he needed to pivot, “Ah, erm, what quest are you four on? You have mentioned justice before–”
	“YOU–!” Zyra slammed a fist on the table. Everyone jolted at her anger, turning to see what was the matter.
	Reece was sweating now, practically shrinking away from the towering Lion of Rivaan.
	“How are you so good at this!?” She roared.
	“It’s just luck and calculating probability. I’m– I think we should stop–” Reece was hastily looking for an out.
	“No, no. Keep going. I am going to win, boy,” Zyra growled and picked up the twelve-sided die.
	Phoenix and Rael ignored the two as the satyr finished recounting their quest so far, “The box has activated… in some way,” She explained, “It is now acting like a compass, we believe.”
	“I see,” Rael looked over at the Lion, “Zyra, my dear. Please take a break. A nap, perhaps? Reece is supposed to teach you how to meditate, right? If you could, my child.”
	“I’ll try,” Reece smiled weakly before cleaning his part of the table. He tried not to count the coins he had won against Zyra. The avalonian laid out her bedroll, the trunk she had been carrying with her seemed to be expanded magically like Red Hawk and Phoenix’s bags. She sat, gesturing to Reece to sit at her side. He put a pillow behind himself for comfort and Zyra wrapped her arm around his shoulders and stared expectantly. She calmed down rather quickly, “Well, first step, get comfortable, I guess.”
	“Done,” She pulled her tunic and shirt off, pulled him closer, and leaned back. He was rather warm, despite the chilly cabin.
	“Relax, let your shoulders slouch and your legs rest,” He crossed his legs and exhaled heavily. Zyra stretched hers out and inhaled through her nose, “Now relax your face. Let your eyelids, cheeks, jaw, all release their tension. Let yourself be free of stress. Deep breaths. Feel your chest and stomach move. Now clear your mind, think of something simple like laying on your back and looking at the stars. Imagine the river nearby, babbling quietly. The ocean and beach that I described before. The waves wash onto the sand, you relax in the warm sunshine. All is quiet. Peaceful. Feel at ease.”
	Zyra snored softly after a minute, her weight suddenly shifting onto Reece. He sighed with relief. Phoenix giggled, “You have to wonder how much was really going on up there. Must have been pretty easy to clear her head.”
	Reece shook his head and was sleeping soon after.
	“Perhaps his head is just as empty,” Phoenix chuckled at her own joke and returned to a quiet conversation with the cleric.

	When the boy opened his eyes, Reece found himself floating in a polychromatic void. Splotches of vibrant yellows, reds, and blues all moved and mixed like living paints on a canvas. The void was broken up by clusters of lavender clouds that glowed and grew for a few moments then would return to their normal size. Reece struggled to move in the strange atmosphere he was in, it was like floating in honey and his mouth was full of cotton candy. It didn’t take long for that familiar presence to make itself known.
	“My old friend, just where have you brought me?” Reece mumbled.
	The knight-looking dream entity extended a hand, beckoning Reece to take it. Its visage was that of a cat today. Reece still wasn’t sure if it was a mask, helmet, or an actual face, but it seemed as jovial as ever.
	“I’m sure you have some kind of plan?” Reece took the hand without another thought.
	His friend led him by the hand, the two soaring through the expanse of odd colors and clouds until they came to one that Reece felt drawn to. It felt the same way, Reece could tell as its eyes transfixed to it. This was intentional on its part. Reece was brought into the cloud, his friend effortlessly navigating this void as they both glided through the air. Reece felt his consciousness fade as they entered and when he came to, he found himself on a beach. His friend was still here, looking out over the still ocean with a drink in hand, an opened coconut with a straw in it. A large figure sat in the sand. It was Zyra, her legs hugged against her chest. Birds cawed overhead, and the sun beat down. There were some trees, similar to the avalonian trees, not the palm trees one would imagine at the beach. The ocean stretched on forever as did the sand opposite it. With nothing more to do, he made his way to where Zyra sat and plopped down next to her.
	The Lion glanced over, “Is this what you wanted me to imagine? It's wonderful.”
	The sky was clear like it was on Avalon and full of stars despite it being late in the day. Reece figured that Zyra wouldn’t know the sky on Earth was blue.
	She sighed, “A bit of peace is nice. Even if it is a dream, it's nice to spend time with ya, too.”
	Reece nodded and stayed quiet. He didn’t want her to think he had invaded her thoughts.
	“I know ya can talk, Reece. I know ya’re here. Usually, ya love to yap! How did ya get here?”
	“That brought me here,” He gestured to the knight who waved back, “although this is new to me– visiting another’s dream I mean,” Reece sighed, “Sorry.”
	“Why? I feel weirdly awake in this dream.”
	“It's a form of lucid dreaming,” Reece explained, “Your subconscious will show you what has been on your mind, and then you can use this lucidity to think about it or manipulate it. I was doing it a lot with the box until my friend snapped me out of it,” He  gestured with a thumb over his shoulder and the knightly figure, “Do you need to think on anything?”
	“Nothin’ specific. I think I’m a bit more open to learn ya’re language, honestly. I mean, ya visitors have learned ours to interact with us,” She explained, “Seems right, I guess.”
	Reece swallowed nervously, “Well. All four of us could help you. But… Each of us, other than Rael, I think, are using magic to communicate with you.”
	Zyra, defeated, lay on her back, “All ya Lowlanders can go toss rocks, by Diane’s fury.”
	“How about we teach each other, then?” Reece offered.
	“Me teach you? Not happenin’,” She chuckled, “If I can just use magic to pick up a language, I’ll do that. Gotta work smarter, yeah?”
	“Yeah, yeah. Sure. I’m still making you literate,” He shot back, “Come on. Maybe we should wake up.”
	“How?”
	“The water, usually. It just kinda springs up when I’m ready to wake up from my own dreams,” He explained then pointed out over the water, “The ocean should work.”
	“I better not wake up tasting salt,” Zyra stuck her tongue out before moving over to the water. Reece waved to his friend who waved back. The two dunked their heads in the water and the dream faded rapidly.

	“Are you not worried about them getting close?” Red Hawk asked as he put out plates of food.
	Phoenix shook her head and smiled as she watched the two snooze, “I thought Reece might completely shut down and shut everyone out of his life, that he might even die of sadness when he lost Graxon. I'm happy now knowing that isn't the case. He seems happy with Zyra.”
	“Graxon seems very important to him,” Rael commented as he helped Red Hawk set their table, “The boy seems a bit more dwarvish than human at times. He mutters to himself in their tongue.”
	Phoenix nodded, “He practically raised Reece. My friend is the definition of ‘money cannot buy happiness.’ Wealthy family and a miserable upbringing. He was glad to be mentored by the dwarf, from what he told me.”
	Zyra gasped for air as she woke up. Reece panted and groaned as he did the same, “Why is waking up so awful?” The Lion whined.
	“Dunno,” Reece groaned, “Mental whiplash?”
	“Maybe ya shouldn’t drown yarself to wake up!?” The Lion picked herself up, shaking the feeling off her like water out of her fur like a dog would shake their entire body, “Food smells good,” And like that she was back to her chipper self as she sat at the table, still only in wrappings.
	“Come sit. We have a bit to discuss, friends,” Red Hawk brought out his notes, “I have been trying to figure out why Graxon sent you to Oberon. As best as I can tell, no one in Oberon sold him the box. A guide did take him and his cohort out to a few smaller islands, but she never saw him with the box. The wizard I spoke to had a few interactions with the group, he knew that the group went to the capital like we are. But my question remains, did he send you to Oberon to follow in his steps?”
	“Coulda known about the wyverns, maybe? They get wyvern problems often being so far out and maybe he figured out that part of the puzzle already,” Zyra guessed as she dug into her stew. It was a military ration style stew made of dehydrated ingredients. The chef had put some cooked bits of wyvern meat in to spice it up a bit and Red Hawk had provided the group with a fruit and leaf salad made of Avalon foods. The vegetables were bitter, and the sweet fruit helped cut through it with a slightly sour dressing.
	Red Hawk nodded, “Perhaps. But did he open the box himself? I struggle to imagine he did.”
	“Then maybe he knew he was being pursued,” Rael chimed in, “Perhaps we are now.”
	A sense of dread came over the other four. Reece chewed his food as his face turned into a glare, “They’ll have to take it from my corpse.”
	Phoenix thought to rebuke him, but she knew he was right. Graxon had been desperate to keep this out of their hands, potentially putting his prized student at risk, “We will keep moving forward, but we will need to watch our backs,” The satyr nodded.
“If only one person was after the box in Graxon's possession then any dwarf no matter how old would be able to defend themselves effectively,” Red Hawk put forward, “But Graxon sounds like an intelligent dwarf, and he likely knew his limits. And there is still the matter of the man who did the killing with no sign of struggle. Graxon knew the killer. He must have. Or, he simply gave up. That is without bringing magic or a group into this equation.”
	Rael saw how dour Reece had become and shook his head, “Let us keep our spirits up. Being disheartened does no good now.”
	“I like the way you think,” Zyra brought out a wine skin and some wooden cups, “Have some drinks, friends. We still have another night before we get to Estron. Don’t ya worry, Reece. When we catch these guys I’ll toss ‘em offa Avalon!”
	“Aye,” Reece gladly took a cup of sweet wine. He put on a little smile for Zyra, feeling her infectious, boisterous energy, “To adventure, and finding the truth,” He raised his glass.
	“Cheers,” The others raised their own cups of water or wine.

	Red Hawk’s sleep was disturbed. He could hear rain pounding on the deck of the Myridea, “Rain?” He frowned. They were miles above the clouds, how could rain be pouring down on their vessel? The elf quickly and quietly climbed down from his bunk. His near-silent footsteps took him to the window. Lightning flashed outside. With the bits of light, Red Hawk saw a massive school of fish flying directly into the hull, making the ship rock and groan. A massive eye flashed across the window, “What on Earth!?”
	“A storm serpent!?” Zyra stomped across the cabin as she threw a cloak on, “Here?”
	“A what?” Reece was thrown to the floor as the boat rocked hard. Phoenix clung to her bunk and Rael snored soundly.
	Red Hawk didn’t have enough time to put his blazer on before chasing Zyra up to the deck, easily keeping his footing. Captain O’Malley was barking orders as his men tried to keep the Myridea steady. They grabbed ropes and turned the sails as a long flying beast drifted in and out of the fog, “Captain!” Zyra roared, “What can I do?”
	“Grab some ropes!” He bellowed back, “Keep the Myridea steady! If we capsize we’re doomed!”
	A spell was thrown from the deck, Carlisle let loose a rather weak bolt of crimson magic. Two others were struggling to get a bead on the monster with their rifles: old, Great War weapons. Red Hawk hadn’t even thought to use firearms aboard this vessel, but the aura the aether crystals let off blocked the mana that in turn would block the gunpowder these weapons used. One fired with a deafening roar before flipping up and pulling back a bolt to chamber the next round, a brass casing falling onto the soaked deck. Red Hawk fell in line with them and brandished his staff. Through the dark rain and clouds, it was very difficult to get a visual on this creature.
	While they were banned on the Lowlands, a spell to clear the weather was called for here, “Part the skies,” He muttered in elven. Nothing happened, he could not feel the mana of the night sky, “Of course,” He hissed to himself. There was no mana in the air around him, he could not touch the clouds through the air. But the rain, he thought to himself, it was so thick he might be able to reach through it. Zyra was holding the sails steady, almost by herself as O’Malley barked to the others. The second mate was still trying with ineffective bolts of magic, but being cast inside this lack of mana kept it from having any real impact. Reece was knocked on his rear again as he helped strap down some barrels.
	Red Hawk reached into the depths of his spirit and brought forth a powerful spell of unsanctioned magic. He shaped the water with a command word, making it coalesce and funneling a torrential downpour onto himself, soaking him through wholly. Onlookers stared as he raised his hands to the heavens and let loose his spell. Up the water, a bright flash traveled before dispersing amongst the clouds. The rain stopped, the clouds began to disperse and vanish rapidly as the creature was revealed. Red Hawk fell to one knee and shivered. A lot of the commotion had stopped, the wind and rain ceased, and everyone gawked at the beast. Long and sleek covered in sparkling scales, the long and serpentine monster glided and coiled through the air. A singular large, red eye above a huge gaping maw scanned as fish fluttered about either in a panic, or marching directly into the monster’s mouth, “A wyrm?” Red Hawk panted.
	It was thirty or more feet long with hairs along its short tail and on its tiny arms. The deckmen, including Reece, were transfixed on it, their eyes glazed over, “Red Hawk!” Zyra bellowed, “I hope ya have another spell! That thing has them charmed!”
	“Damn it all!” The elf groaned as the clouds began to reappear. The beast was hunting about fifteen feet away from the vessel now. If the storm returned, Red Hawk knew it would all be for naught. He and Zyra could not save the entire ship alone. He jabbed Reece in the stomach with his staff. 
	Despite his armor, the jolt brought the boy around, “Huh?” He rubbed his eyes.
	“Get a rifle!” Red Hawk shouted as the wind roared, “Can you shoot!?”
	Reece did as he was told without hesitation. He awkwardly shouldered it and pulled the trigger, nothing. He swore in dwarven and pulled the bolt back, sending a spent casing rolling across the deck. He cycled it forward, chambering a round. He breathed in. The rain began to fall. Red Hawk put his hands on Reece’s shoulders and let his mana flow through contact.
	“Aim for the spot just below the head,” Red Hawk ordered.
	Reece grit his teeth and pulled the trigger as lightning flashed. A loud crash rang out from the rifle and the two reared back from the recoil. A green bolt shot through the beast’s neck. The magic dissipated that held everyone’s attention, most fell to the deck as the beast roared, sounding like rolling thunder as it roiled and coiled in pain before quickly flying away, covering itself in dark clouds. Reece swore again, now full of relief as the crew picked up their sopping wet forms and righted the boat. Leaving the bolt open, he gave the rifle back.
	“Good shot,” Zyra slapped both of the men on the back. She pulled her cloak off and shook her body like a wet cat, spraying water droplets on both of them, “Ah, sorry,” She used the drier inside of the cloak to wipe Reece’s face off.
	One of the shivering and sniveling deck mates looked at Red Hawk and Zyra, “What was that?”
	“Storm Serpent,” Zyra replied matter-of-factly.
	“Thunder Wyrm,” Red Hawk said just as succinctly. 
	“What did Zyra call it?” Reece asked. He had failed to put his translation ring on in the commotion.
	Zyra huffed, “Now Reece is speaking gibberish…”
	“English,” Red Hawk corrected, “She called it a Storm Serpent,” He told those that would listen. Most did not comprehend the language of the Avalonians, “Allow me, Zyra. This beast is rather rare and elusive. Wyrm, serpent, the name matters not. It appears it has evolved from eating land mammals and birds to these flying fish, though its hunting strategy remains the same. Discombobulate with a horrible storm and use an innate charming power to lure the creatures closer. Truly magnificent, these cousins of dragons.”
	“I haven’t heard much of these dragons,” Zyra noted, “People say the wyverns are similar, but I don’t get it.”
	“We can discuss that later,” Red Hawk, usually immune to the elements, shivered from the terrible cold.
	Gentle fingers touched his clothes and they were dried. Phoenix gave him a small smile, “Sorry I could not help you.”
	“No need to apologize, my dear,” Red Hawk sighed, “Zyra, make sure Reece gets back to sleep, the boy needs his rest.”
	“I’m not a child, Red Hawk,” Reece hoped that had been in jest.
	The elf paused, “Ah, yes. Of course, of course. Still. You shall catch a cold, try to find some warmth.”
	Red Hawk smiled awkwardly as The Lion and Reece went below deck, with Zyra complaining about rope burns on her arms.
	“You should have been more forward about the aether’s effect on you,” Red Hawk chided the satyr as she tried to help dry more of the crew’s garments. Carlisle was doing the same, but much more slowly.
	Phoenix gave him a sideways glance, “I am fine. It was the rain.”
	The elf relented, “If you say so. But it would not do for you to get mana sick.”
	“Shall I be sent to bed as well?”
	“Do as you please.”
	Isaac O’malley put his hands on both of their shoulders as he walked up from behind, “You both can get some shut eye. We can handle it from here.”
	“Of course you can,” Phoenix gave him a curtsey, despite her weariness. The two made their way back into the very messy hull of the Myridea and to their cabin, “If you are wondering how I am able to cast at all, I know a few wizard’s cantrips. Simply party tricks.”
	“Oh? Since when?”
	“A couple years ago. Reece and I got soaked on a trip at sea and I was very upset I could not save my coat! Me! Unable to fix my own favored coat!” She grumbled.
	A smile spread across the elf’s lips, “I see. Well, perhaps I can teach you a few more,” They stepped into the cabin. Reece had a blanket thrown around himself like a cloak, Zyra hung up clothes on a line stretched across the room, and Rael looked a bit confused, “Is all well?” The elf asked.
	Reece was trying to put things away, “The cabin is a mess. I managed to clean up a bit.”
Zyra whined, “The heater is thrashed.”
	“I swear I saw Reece come back in shortly after you all stormed out,” Rael explained, “He poked around a few things that had been strewn about, then left as soon as I said something to him. It was a bit difficult to tell whilst being thrown from my bunk and it being pretty dark. To be honest, now I’m not so sure it was Reece.”
“It couldn't have been me, I was helping Red Hawk deal with the storm wyrm,” Reece protested, “And I swear most, if not all, of the crew was above!”
	“The old man is seeing things,” The Lion snickered as she wrung her undergarments dry.
	Red Hawk folded his arms, alarm bells going off in his mind, though he did not show it, “Tell me if anything is missing. Just how in the heavens did you sleep through most of that, Rael?”
	The old cleric smirked, “Reece isn’t the only one who has some sleeping tricks. I'm just thankful you did not have need of me.”
	The boy glanced at them as he coerced Zyra to put a blanket over her form, “C’mon!” The Lion groaned, “Keep me warm!” She managed to catch the boy and pull him in against her shivering form, “Red Hawk! Tell me about the dragons while I dry my fur.”
	The elf nodded and picked up a chair from where it lay, “In Myridea, that being a name for the Old World, dragons dominated the sky and terrorized the ground. They are similar to wyverns, but with an intelligence like us, some with magical abilities that no one race of man could hope to match, and often the fire breathing of the wyverns too. Dragons had some of the strongest scales of any creature, made of brilliant and vibrant colors. They were generally rather devious and hoarded wealth, though most had different ideas of what exactly wealth was. Gold, art, people, animals, weapons, technology.”
	“They must have been fierce foes,” Zyra ran her claws through her own fur.
	“Very. Most were terrors on the people, burning villages and kingdoms to steal what they thought to be precious. Though, few were benevolent and were sought out for their wisdom.”
	“What happened to them?”
	Red Hawk frowned, “No one is sure. They vanished when we came to the New World. They are much too proud to stay in hiding. If we are lucky, they are dead.”
	The apparent gladness of the dragons being dead didn’t quite sit right with Zyra. She frowned and shook her head, “I would have liked to see one.”
	“Well, drakes and wyverns are still around,” Reece pointed out, “We could get you in a fight with a drake.”
	Zyra shrugged and went back to warming herself up with him. He was being held on her lap, both wrapped in a blanket. 
	Phoenix had put her night gown back on and returned to her bunk.
	Rael turned to Red Hawk, “Do you think we have something to worry about?”
	“In what way?” The elf cocked his head.
	“I feel as if something is amiss, but I cannot be sure. You wizard types generally have a sense for these things,” The old cleric shook his head, “I hope I am wrong about this gut feeling.”
	“As do I,” The elf sighed and went to his own bunk. He felt similarly, but decided it would be best not to alert everyone over a hunch. Still, there was some comfort that someone else would be keeping their eyes peeled besides him, even if it was the Christian.

	Late into the next day of their voyage, the Myridea approached the capital of Avalon, Estron. The five had already bagged up their belongings, eagerly waiting to depart from the vessel. Reece had his face glued to the window as he peered at the large town. While Oberon had been the size of a couple of city blocks spread about multiple islands, Estron was six or more city blocks in just their large and round main island. It consisted of many small buildings lining tight streets with a small clearing in the very center where the tall stone made castle stood. Walls stood at the edges of the island, most of them collapsed and their stones removed for other constructions. Smaller islands surrounded the main one where smaller houses stood, each moored to the main island with ropes and bridges. Farms and ranches grew food and livestock. By Reece’s estimate, it was more than enough food for the city. What surprised him most was the few tug boats he saw that netted smaller, floating boulders and brought them in to be processed or mined. One even dragged an island in where housing could be built.
	The Myridea sailed over the capital, letting Reece get a great view as they headed to the south end where the docks were. Many floating boats were already moored here, making the Myridea just one of many. 
	“Where to first?” Phoenix broke the silence as she picked up her bag.
	Zyra rubbed her chin, “I think I’ll show ya’ll my favorite tavern first.”
	Red Hawk held back his annoyance, “A bar? Truly?”
	“Truly!” Zyra grinned, not picking up on his distaste, “It's dinner time, ain’t it? We can search in the mornin’, right?”
	Reece nodded, “Can’t hunt for clues on an empty stomach.”
	“Besides, my pal’s gonna need a day or two to get back to us,” The Lion explained. She picked up her trunk and puffed out her chest, “I have a couple stops I need to make, friends.”
	“If you tell us where to go, maybe we can find this tavern?” Rael suggested as he donned his armor. 
	“Well, it's a bit outta the way. But I think ya could find it,” Zyra took Reece’s journal, “How do ya open this?”
	“Here,” He traced the rune on the back, unlocking the seemingly mundane book.
	Zyra took a writing utensil and doodled a small map, “This should do,” It was messy, but Reece could figure out what she meant as she pointed to squares on her doodle, “Go pass the Sleeping Ogre Inn, take a left at the market, pass through it, then a right at the jewelers. There’s a building painted orange with a hatch around back. Go down there and tell the tavern keep I sent ya, and that the ogre-slayer has come to feast.”
	“It's beneath a home?” Red Hawk seemed suspicious.
	“Don’t worry about it, just get a move on. It’ll be worth it! Just wait for me for drinks,” Zyra was first to leave the cabin and head up on deck. The Myridea’s crew was already unloading cargo and handing them over to dock workers, humans, avalonians, goblins, and even a couple orcs moved the shipment into town as the four dodged them. Zyra had already hurried away, her long strides easily outpacing the Lowlanders. 
	“This way, yes?” Red Hawk led the group through town. Unlike when they had Zyra with her, the crowds did not part. Reece held onto his bags tightly as hands touched his shoulders while people made their way through. It was an odd feeling, but no one was shoving roughly, just bumping and sliding past as they tried to get to wherever they were heading. He noted that their clothing was especially soft and made it easy for them to slip by without snagging on him or the others. It was… unique, he thought to himself. His cloak slid right off the cloaks the others wore, while Rael was struggling with his metal armor getting snagged every so often and quickly apologizing about it.
	Rael stuck close to Reece as Red Hawk and Phoenix pulled a bit ahead, their slender forms easily slipping through the crowds as they got distracted by the new sights. Reece noticed the crowds beginning to occasionally avoid the cleric, his armor seemingly marking him as someone of some import, or perhaps they noticed how troublesome getting their cloaks caught on his armor would be and simply decided it best to keep their distance. The parting grew as each person gave the cleric a wider berth and soon the crowd had learned to avoid him as they did guards and other armored authority figures. As they walked further and further, Reece lost sight of Phoenix and Red Hawk. He wanted to hurry and catch up, but the flow of people made it difficult to move for both he and Rael even with their parting. He might have panicked if he was by himself, though his heart did skip a beat the moment he felt the gauntleted hand of the cleric grip his shoulder.
“Keep walking, keep looking forward,” Rael instructed him as quietly as he dared to speak, “We are being followed.”
Reece tightened his jaw and nodded, whoever it was, Rael made it plain that they were not the friendly sort. They continued on the path, the watchful presence boring into Reece's mind, whoever they were they would have a clear view of them with the way the people kept away from them. They were sitting ducks out in the open.
“In there,” Rael urged him, and Reece happily complied, the two of them turning off down an alleyway, “We'll make a stand here, away from prying eyes.”
It isn't ideal, but it beats letting them get the drop on us, Reece considered. He didn’t have time for a second thought as a trio were quickly upon them. With swift hands, Rael drew his mace, a flanged weapon with sharp edges and his shield adorned with a cross. Reece found himself hesitating as a hooded figure, one a bit shorter than him, charged him with a small weapon in hand. The knife, brought down by his assailant, cut through his garments but slid off of the scale mail that Reece wore underneath. Gritting his teeth and with the fury of a drunken, insulted dwarf, the boy threw a punch and clocked the figure in the jaw. Rael easily dealt with two of them, bashing the skull of a smaller goblinoid with his shield and the second failing to pierce his armor with a blade.
	Reece drew his axe, easily tossing off the leather scabbard as the cloaked figure tried to come at him again. The boy grabbed the assailant’s wrist as they tried a weak stab, due to how dazed he was, that failed to find purchase in his armor. With all his might, Reece brought the axe down on the assailant’s shoulder, breaking through the armor he wore under the cloak. The assailant cried out in pain before being kicked to the floor as the axe was wrenched free where he writhed in agony. The swordsman tried to get past Rael but was stopped with a mace swung to the leg, a nasty crack marked the shattering of bones followed by the pained howling of the attacker. These folks were totally out of their league, Reece smirked. The smile faded as a bolt sunk into his thigh. He grit his teeth and fell to his knees as two more on the far side of the ally had appeared with crossbows. Rael moved to a defensive position, blocking another with his armor as Reece groaned in pain while trying to stanch the bleeding. 
	Rael glanced back and was surprised to see Reece downing a handle of whiskey from a bottle, though if it was for the pain, it made sense– at least from a dwarven perspective. He would have to deal with their attackers before healing the boy, but there didn’t seem to be much of a chance of him bleeding to death. Reece seemed to know what to do. There was commotion on the main streets, people had noticed the fight and kept their distance as they gawked or went for help. Guards would be upon them soon, and Rael could not allow anyone else to get hurt. Rael gripped his necklace as the two assassins tried to reload their weapons. He raised the cross and offered a prayer to the Lord. Light shone down on the alleyway, blinding and stunning the attackers as Rael thanked his God. The cleric stormed down the street, quickly ramming one assailant with his shield, knocking teeth out before striking the other between his shoulder and head as he brought his mace down with a sickening crunch. As quickly as it started, the battle ended.
	With a hefty sigh, Rael looked down upon those he had incapacitated. The one hit by the shield spat out teeth, a pale human who looked up at Rael with contempt. The cleric brought his boot down on their head, easily concussing them and knocking them out. As Rael hurried to the boy the guard had arrived, half a dozen of them with two in front of Rael and the other four at the end near Reece. Rael put his mace away, “My apologies for causing a ruckus,” He began, “But these fellows descended upon myself and my companion without much warning.”
	The guard, seemingly the captain due to the golden trim on his armor, nodded, “I see. The few who reported this corroborate this story,” He adjusted his tabard, the same one with a tree on it and knelt down, “Hard to believe they would be so bold to attack during the day, and so many in a crowded area. Provide aid and manacle them, same as always. My apologies for not arriving sooner.”
	“Think nothing of it. They are not well trained, but I wish to know who they are, and who sent them,” Rael then turned to Reece, “Hurting?”
	“A bit. Phoenix is gonna scold me for looking like a mess,” Reece chuckled as he touched the sanguine liquid that was seeping into his khakis.
	“Tell me another joke, my boy,” Rael began whispering a prayer.
	Reece could feel magical tendrils seep into his skin and begin to mend the flesh, “It doesn’t translate to English well, but… Two elves climb up a tree–” Rael yanked the arrow out. Reece whimpered in pain, cutting his no doubt hilarious dwarvish joke short.
	“You are doing well, my boy. What were you saying?”
	Reece replied in dwarven as he felt rather faint. He chuckled to himself before turning pale and leaning back, trying not to pass out.
	“Will he be alright?” One of the guards asked.
	The cleric nodded, “Of course. The bleeding has stopped, the process can simply be a bit uncomfortable for such a deep wound. Can you tell me anything about these attackers?”
	“Not much to note,” Most of them were still unconscious with the last pushed up against the wall while being searched. 
	Rael knelt down and put his healing touch on the one that Reece had split open with his axe. The cleric pushed the cloak aside to get a better look at the grisly wound and saw a black mark on the shoulder, something similar to a claw, like that of a lizard, “This one shall live,” He covered him back up, “He may need more blood.”
	“Our chirurgeons can take care of it,” The guard nodded, “Thank you for the help.”
	“It's my pleasure.”
	Reece was roused rather easily. He shook himself off, “I hope that was random chance.”
	“How could it be?” Rael sighed and helped the boy to his feet.
	“Anti Christian group? Anti Lowlanders? Thieves?” Reece felt more deflated with each guess as Rael gave him a stern look, “Right. We should catch up to the others.”

	“What happened!?” Phoenix grabbed at Reece’s garments. Holes in his cloak, coat, and shirt, blood all over his pants, the satyr was beside herself, “You were attacked here!?”
	“Calm down, we took care of it,” Rael insisted, “The boy did well, if they hadn’t employed crossbows, we could have emerged unscathed,” The cleric grabbed his chest, now feeling his bruised skin beneath the armor.
	Red Hawk folded his arms. The four had met up at the hatch that Zyra had sent them to. It was in a small, disused alleyway where some trash was set in bins. The way below the building was similar to an old, mid-western storm cellar hatch door. This seemed rather rare here, “Are we sure going down here is wise?”
	Phoenix used a simple cantrip to clear the blood from her friend, “We need to meet up with her. This is where she should show.”
	“I trust Zyra’s judgement,” Reece declared, “She wouldn’t send us into a trap.”
	Rael nodded, “That would be completely out of character for the woman.”
	Phoenix gripped the hilt of her sword nervously, “Come on. We can handle ourselves. It should be safer there than out here.”
	The satyr was first to open the hatch and descend the stone steps with the others right behind her. The bar was small and cozy, a halfling with an eyepatch stood behind the bar with a full plated dwarf sat at the counter. The bar was only long enough for five or so people and delectable smells wafted in from the back where someone was cooking meats and starchy tubers. There were three tables for two, one for four and one for six along with a small stage where a bard could perform.
	Phoenix swiftly felt out of place, especially as the few tenants stared at the group, “Can we help ya?” The halfling raised a suspicious eyebrow.
	Reece stepped forward, “Zyra sent us here. She should be along soon, she said… The ogre-slayer has come to feast?”
	The dwarf shook his head, “That girl should know better than to send people here.”
	“Zyra’s a good pal,” The halfling retorted, “She knows what she’s doing, I’m sure. Ya look like ya were in a scrap, ya alright?”
	“We got attacked by some… brigands,” Rael replied, “Myself and the boy.”
	“Take the table at the back, friends. I’ll take some orders for ya soon,” The halfling dismissed them.
	Reece stayed at the bar, rubbing his aching thigh and looking around at the drinks on offer, “Can I get something strong? Dwarven mushroom brew? The kind that’s served at room temperature with some Karag spice in it.”
	“Ah, you’ve got good taste, lad,” The dwarf at the bar grinned.
	The boy gave a weak smile back and spoke in dwarven, “Thank you, master dwarf,” A very old-fashioned human to dwarf honorific, “My dwarven mentor taught me well.”
	“Good to know that the Lowland dwarves still have taste. I saw a few of ‘em recently, never got to speak to ‘em though. Seemed real busy. Ya know, them scholar types.”
	Reece thought to press the man, but the way he spoke didn’t make the boy feel like this dwarven warrior knew much more. But he had to be talking about Graxon. Where had the old dwarf gone? Reece gave a polite bow and took his leave, returning to his cohort with a drink in hand.
	“More liquor? You had quite a bit when you took that bolt,” Rael warned.
	The boy shrugged, “Gotta kill the pain somehow.”
	Red Hawk cleared his throat and brought out his pen and notebook, “Can either of you tell us about the attackers?”
	Reece chugged his drink, “There were five of them. The one I punched in the mouth was a fair skinned elf. Green eyes, I think. Male? It was hard to see his hair under the hood. Rael smacked a goblin on the head with his shield, kind of a watermelon green. Bald. Hard to tell the sex with those kinds. I think you hit a human in the leg, right, Rael?”
	“Aye,” The cleric confirmed, “A bit gaunt. The other two…” He racked his brain, struggling to remember, “Can’t recall. I didn’t even take note of their sexes. Bah, piss poor fighters, the lot of them.”
	Reece tapped his forehead, “An avalonian and human. The one that hit me was a woman. Human. The avalonian was a canine type, the tail was black, I think.”
	“Any features connecting them? Banners? Clothes?” Red Hawk pressed.
	“Each was in a dark cloak. Black, brown, gray,” Rael shook his head, “Nothing uniform.”
	Reece frowned, “They were all pretty young. Even the elf. Everyone had a different style weapon too. A knife, a sword, mismatched crossbows… what did the goblin have? A spear with a rather short shaft?”
	Phoenix grinned, glad that her friend had his wits about him even under pressure, “Looks like you still have that near photographic memory, Reece.”
	“Not even a concussion or two can stop me, apparently,” He jested back, “This was nothing compared to the time we got into a scuffle with that dire bear.”
	The elven detective nodded slowly, “This may not be a lot to go on. But it is something. I am very glad you two made it out mostly unscathed. I think I need a drink.”
	Cries of greeting rang out through the underground bar as The Lion made her entrance. She took a drink off the platter that the bartender was bringing out and downed it, “Friends! Ya made it!” She called and made her way over, “Ya look exhausted.”
	
	Reece quickly filled Zyra in on the attack.
	The Lion put her chair right next to him, “By Lady Diane, to think I left ya alone for less than an hour and ya got hurt because of it,” Her ears and tail both drooped.
	“Don’t worry about it,” Reece patted her on the arm, “We got careless,” He was on his third tankard while the others sipped on their first. Food came out soon after, tangy beef-like meat grilled to perfection on a bed of purple rice-like sweet grain and slathered in a thick, gooey sauce with fried tubers for the group to share, similar to potato skins. Everything was delicious, the events of the day had drained Reece and he was glad to finally fill his belly.
	Zyra put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Her face had turned very serious as she leaned in, “Even if ya got careless, I can’t let it happen again. The next time could be more deadly.”
	Reece swallowed some food nervously, “Well. I appreciate it,” He smiled weakly, “I feel bad taking up so much of your time on all of this.”
	“I wanna see this through to the end, Reece,” Zyra’s face turned jovial and she grinned back with sharp teeth, “And I intend for ya to make it there. I even got my brigandine outta storage for some heftier armor! But let’s enjoy tonight! The enemies have been fought off and tomorrow we have an audience! We gotta be in good shape for that!”
	The table went silent, “A-audience?” Phoenix stammered, “With who?”
	“The queen and her advisors, of course.”