Almost...on the mark.

As the group of adventurers look around in the Hoards that don't shine, they discover various markers written in a hasty hand. It's in Malachi's hand, but....Malachi never wrote these. It's this world's Malachi. The notes are simple and to the point, just like the their Malachi is, but even more so.

The notes denote date of birth to date of death, the name of the slain, and the cause. The date and time of deaths are the same, and the cause of death are the same. This happened a few months ago (apparently by the dust), and what caused it.....

"Golems?!" Fred gasps, feeling a red rage race through his now draconian heart. Pride in his new race feels outrage at such an act. "Those damn Golems from the Isle came and slaughtered this these people?"

"The descriptions I was able to find from various journel entries of the now deceased seem to agree with your descriptions of these.....Sons of Nod." Carraden says in a subdued voice. "The firepower and weaponry seem to match somewhat your desription of the Golems from your world."

"What's more disturbing is what I've seen through Ebonwing's crystal ball!" growls Synizn. "I saw this world's Synizn....along with what looks like this worlds Pack....talking with a Golem by all appearances. These bastards went out and nearly KILLED all of dragonkind....and also appear to somehow be connected to all the devastation I've seen from remote observations through the ball."

"And then there's this mention of a Phage," Malachi says grimly, shuddering at descriptions of how....horribly lethal it was. "It's struck down this Terra's human population which numbered up somewhere around 300,000,000....down to a fifth of what it was. We....need to pack up what we can, and fall back to a position that I've been looking at, so we can make plans....and get a better feel for this strange world we've suddenly found ourselves in. We've all come together, and I think we'd better live by our Circle's motto, for I don't know who we can really trust outside ourselves yet!"

And compared THAT issue to the disturbing fact that there's nary a thing where my analog should keep her Hoard pales in comparison. chides the dragonness to herself. Still, I've got to wonder just why she'd move it! If she's alive, then the protective spells on her Hoard should be enough to deter anything but the best of mages. I mean....it isn't like she decided to go and mix her Hoard with the general currency of a human nations land! That's totally idiotic!

"We can get just about everything here to were we need to go," Sigin says, holding up his Crystallic (which Malachi has handed back to him). "I've already made.....adjustments to myself to avoid....embarrassing repeats of what got me stuck in this form in the first place." The magical adjustments to himself to not lose control when he smelled a vixen in heat had been most....painful.....but worth the discomfort. He shuddered at the thought of his Synizn (where ever he was right now) would have to perform that operation on himself yet AGAIN, since Moreau had undone that in her revenge.

"But....I need to take care of her," Sigin sighs, pointing down at the happily panting mundane vixen. "Through no fault of her own....through our....interaction....she's now showing signs of slowly....Awakening."

The others then explain what Awakening means to a curious Lord Fred.

"The little fox is becoming intelligent." Malachi explained. "Soon, she'll become self aware."

"The slow process of what's happening now will eventually drive her insane." the demi-fox continues, taking up the lesson. "There are two ways to prevent that, and both would be much more merciful than just letting the little thing live that way."

"One is the mundane method of just.....killing her." Carradene sighs. "But that's hardly a humane thing to do, since I remember the other way....the one Sigin's going to use if I'm not mistaken."

"I'll cast a web of spells and incantations upon her," explains Sigin, gathering up materials from a deceased dragon's Hoard. "Not only will it speed up the process of her Awakening, sparing her the terrible pain caused by slow growth, but it'll make her...my Familiar. Unlike a human's Familiar, she'll be something more akin to.....a friend than a mere pet. We dragons never take this process lightly, for it's deadly serious. Each is bound to the other, and cares for the other. When one dies, the ohter dies, period. The plus side is that she'll get the powers I have, and I'll get the powers she has....though I actually arleady do have the powers of a fox." The last part is given in a drole voice.

"Plus, each will have a lifespan half again as long as what the caster would have otherwise have." Sigin says, winding up. "Oh, and.....frankly, she's the only source of milk for the kits, so....."

Fred nods, suddenly seeing the problems. Those kits were only a few hours old by a glance. Weening wouldn't happen for quiet a bit, yet.

*******************************************

The vixen stirs, and yawns and stretchs....and suddenly freezes as something occures to her as she glances at her children. She realizes that she knows them by name, and remembers giving birth to them....but it's like it was a dream....and now she's awake!

And I'm actually thinking in ways....I've never thought in before! the vixen thinks to herself, amazed and frightened.

Normal foxes don't use words in their canine minds. They think in images and sensations. They don't remember much beyond the moment. They don't worry about what will happen next. The world is alive and full of wonder, for each moment is a new one for a fox.

The world was still new and wonderful to the vixen, but now also was new and scary....and a sense of forboding was creeping down the vixen's spine. She turned her head, and caught the sight of a....vision of vulpine loveliness reflected in a mirror.

The image's fur was glossy, and groomed to an immaculate....healthy sheen. Tail fur was full bodied and something proud to behold. Eyes of pure jade green stared back from the mirror. And various mystical runes graced the vision of loveliness on her head and stomach. Finally, a slightly glowing collar of ruby encircled the image's neck, complimenting her already lovely red coat of fur. Slowly, it dawned on the vixen that the image....was her!

"What has happened that I have become like thus?" she says in a high, yipping voice. Her mouth falls open in shock, because....she hadn't known that she could talk (indeed, she never knew what those annoying noises the humans made were actually a mode of communication....until now).

A figure leans down next to her, and the vixen turns in surprise and....feels a rush of affection and love for the demi-fox male who is now her friend, and more. She licks him affectionatly before Sigin can stop her. Sigin then explains what has happened to her....and him....and why. The little vixen listens attentively, and nods in understanding.

"Thus is why I was made so," she yips. "Thus I shall take care of our offspring, and serve the for the rest of our days. So I shall....love you." The vixen looks up at the startled demi-fox and smiles a foxy smile, and scampers over to the awakening children. She then begins to use her newly aquired powers of telekenetics to remove soiled diapers, clean the children, and put new diapers on.

Sigin makes a face as he hears a few chuckles in the background from his new friends. He feels a stiring of.....affection for the little vixen. The vixen, who calls herself Rosepaw now, attends to the needs of the children as Sigin watchs.

This wasn't what I had in mind at all when I made her my Familiar! Sigin mentally sighs in contentment as he watchs....his family. But....I can live with it.

The dragons and canines quickly teleport what they can to the new location that Malachi has plotted, and then quickly step into, and through, the slipgate found nearby. Using a slipgate instead of just transporting themselves and the Crystallics....for fear of the possiblity of getting forever trapped between realities.

And so our heroes make their plans, and try to get the lay of the land, and thus making an already chaotic situation on this world.....just a touch more lively. Lively, because as of yet....they are working under several false impression.....and such ;)

1. So, for the next few days, the adventurers are absorbed in making this new cavern....into something of a home.

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