A Brave New World, Vastly Changed...

Artizza

"Well, don’t know if your comrades will survive the trip." I say softly, looking at the wounded (some out cold, only barely hanging on). "Maybe if we use that ‘Sleeping Beauty'spell to put them all in stasis, so they’ll all make it."

Inquirer 2 readily agrees to this. Much more swiftly than we'd expected, but we don't bother to ask why. She'll tell us when/if she feels like. Learned that like her twin, Inquirer (the female Golem), you cannot force answers out of her without a MAGOR battle of wills.

We don't have the time for that. Right now we want to get clear of this Blighted Forest before yet ANOTHER thing shows up to perhaps punch out ticket!

Under orders, the remaining walking wounded allow themselves to be put under. We then magically float them along and place them inside some coffin sized modules (exact function I'm not sure of, but I'm still learning about this science stuff). WE then see just WHY she was so agree.

By the burns and blown out displays, whatever had hit her FTL radio had done her more damage than she'd let on. Following up on that, she admits that if this takes too long, damage would flatline her base unit, leaving those under her in a bad way.

So in that light it's best we be as quick as possible, while still maintaining a low profile. Meaning that we cannot just take a hop in Inquirer's ship and land right in the middle of the town we need to go, right? Too many witnesses...so it's still by foot at least until we get to a nearby town (with possible horses for sale from the stables she noted while in flight). We get horses there, and we then ride them into the ground, if we need. Inquirer 2 is going to tag along with us via her Avatar unit (a rather mundane looking and sounding woman compared to the body that Inquirer got stuck with). Should work...

Oh, but the centaurs (who are still looking shell shocked, but now seem to believe us in our offers of help. They look simply desperate for help, really, so of COURSE they're coming along).

Dragons are coming along for their own reasons, but I beleive that their appetites have been wetted. They want to learn as much from these strange "magic users" who've just come out from the heavens themselves. Want to learn, catalog....

Well, Synizn still is coming along for honoring a debt of honor, but you can see it in his eyes. He wants so very much to learn, just like his new dragon buddy, Sigin!

"And if anyone asks why the strange mix for our group," Inquirer mutters, shaking her head. "We'll just say that we're an adventuring party on a Quest for the Holy Grail, ala Monty Python. Ran a few roleplaying games like that...."

Hm, sounds like this Inquirer has a few other interests just like "our" Inquirer...

Ah, nevermind, let's just get our horses. We need the speed boost!

....

But that soon proves to be harder than we expected. The town that Inquirer told us about is still there, but the archetectural style is . . . . different from what she'd said. It has a rough, primitive look to it now. Savage, even, somehow. Especially that one open air temple, with disturbingly familiar (to some) figure posing dramatically.

I swear it's the splitting image of that dragon who'd chained me up to the wall in "my" Norther (Southern by Allarian reckoning) Caverns...

And then there are the PEOPLE who are walking about down there. Oh, I'd seen one of Fertal's brothers of the Clan, but one doesn't expect to see...

1. "They're all fox Manimals," Fertal whispers, looking aghast.

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