| Since the magical mirrors belong to Malachi Dronocis, she is the first
one to feel the insistent pull of somebody trying to make a connection
with her mirror. The Regent, still very tired from the marathon session
with healing Terra's wounds with the fabulous and ancient Atlantian artifacts
known as the Crystallic(s) sighs and excuses herself.
"I think that's Belboz," she says as she lifts her human form out of
her seat. "Let's see what the old necromancer has for us."
Hopefully, it's news about where the body of the ghostly Dr. Vincent
rests.....so we can destroy it and put to rest the mad ghost before he
puts US to rest..... the Regent thinks as she moves.
Malachi slowly walks over to the magical mirror that she'd had
placed in this dining room. She does it slowly, because she feels like
her whole body is one big aching mass. She'd just love to lay down and
sleep for a couple of months, but the dragoness knows that due to her connection
to Ethiopia, she'll soon be recharged and feel like she had just awoken
from a long…..restful nap. Right now, however, she felt like dragon shit.
From the look of the other mages looks, they weren't feeling too hot, themselves!
Malachi waves a tired hand at the mirror, and a face forms upon the glass
surface. However, unless Belboz has had a bad run in with the ghostly Dr.
Vincent and gotten fox features……
"Fred D'Honaire of the Pack," Malachi D'Honaire says, surprised. "What
brings this call?"
"I wish I had good news that brought me here," the manfox says, bowing
his furry head a little before continuing. "I don't. We seem to have some
trouble! There's an impostor who has taken on a form of the clergy or something
in Aqualaria, who has the title of Oracle. The impostor had visited Queen
apparently in the hopes of trying to see if it could trick Astra into lowering
her guard so that the fiend could somehow take advantage."
"Unlikely since the castle forces there are almost paranoid for trouble
since Duke Drederigo had rolled through," Fred 3 says from the side. He
shakes his head sadly, still amazed at how even an analog of his father
could have fallen to such base levels as the manfox's father had.
"Well, that's probably why it didn't stick around, but said that it
had a 'message from the gods' for Astra 2 in Walants," Fred says, wrinkling
his snout. "The 'Oracle' excused herself ….. itself …. himself….whatever,
and then hightailed it to Walants. Will and Astra were suspicious, but
not enough to try to detain the crone. They did, however, send a runner
out to the residence where the Oracle and her gang were having some type
of religious retreat, and the runner came back. The guy said that the retreat
was a shambles…..partically due to the Phage….and partically due to somebody
killing the only remaining person…..who appears to have been the REAL Oracle."
The adventurers in Ethiopia look at Fred the manfox, aghast.
Dragon Fred is the first to speak.
The new dragon was shocked to see….himself……as a manfox, and was shocked
that something was apparently after one of Astra 3's sisters. However,
he found his voice enough to ask a simple question.
"Do you have ANY idea why the imposter did such dastardly things, Fred?"
the dragon asks his manimal analog. "And any idea WHY this imposter is
after Astra 2?"
"No idea….er…..Dragon Fred," Fred the manfox says, making a guess as
who this NEW Fred that he's never laid eyes upon before. "I've just got
a feeling…..with the fun you all have been having with the Phantoms……that
this imposter just MIGHT be from that quarters……."
"Or from a new quarters entirely," Loam mutters. "Hell, I wouldn't be
surprised if the Orcs had something to do with this! They were driven off
hundreds and hundreds of years ago….off the world, but now with all the
madness with the slipgates……"
"One crisis at a time," Malachi Dronocis and D'Honaire say solemnly
together. "Please!"
The adventurers just stare at the synched sisters, who shrug and continue.
"So….what exactly did you want…..magical aid?" Malachi D'Honaire asks,
groaning as she lifts herself out of her seat. "We're pretty much out of
if for awhile, young fox. Even Dragon Fred, our newest magic user, was
used to heal Terra…….."
"I….was hoping that you could zap us to Walants!" the manfox says, tail
swishing in agitation. "God knows what's happening with Astra 2 right now!"
The Regent shook her head and was about to ask for the Crystallics when
Inquirer spoke up.
"Ma'am," the AI/golem says. "I'm as energetic as I was this morning,
while you are about dead on your feet there. Even if you tranport the fox
himself, you'll be on the floor by the looks of you."
"Ah," the Regent says, suddenly seeing what Inquirer was getting at.
"You want to use the Cryatallics to transport them to Walants?"
"That and myself," the golem said. 'Not all of them, just one or two.
The others I want left behind because….I seem to remember that you 'scanned'
them so that you could retrieve them magically wherever they were in case
anyone tried to steal them. That and all the adventurers that had come
from Atlantis also got scanned by those Crystallics……:"
"For quick pickup when the slipgates decide to finally go wonky
with the gravity," Probe cuts in. "Or rescue just in case of something
JUST like this."
"Exactly, sir," Inquirer says, nodding towards Probe. "Finally, since
I am…..was a Alliance AI, I know where to place the bullet…..or sword thrust…..or
whatever weapon system I've got available to me for the best effect….if
this IS an Avatar."
Which probably wouldn't work on me now….those techniques. Inquirer
thins to herself, absent mindedly rubbing the gem on her forehead. System
diagnostics keep giving me strange readings about the status from this
Avatar body I now wear. And the self repair feature of this unit…..oh boy……
From what she could tell, by magic and by technological analysis, the body
could perform a limited form of regeneration……if enough raw materials were
on hand….that is.
"I don't see why we should trust her," Alicia 2 pipes in. "If nothing
else, she helped save us from the undead Dr. Vincent in his tower…..AND
came up with the idea that denied the fiend the resources afforded him
by his mage Tower by blowing it up with a teleported…..tac nuke was it
not?"
"Yeah, it was the only thing we had on hand that would have even come
close to doing the job," mutters Inquirer in consternation. She'd had rather
saved that thing for other purposes, just in case, but……it had been needed
then and THERE.
The Regent tosses two Crystallics at Inquirer, who catches it deftly
in one gloved hand.
The AI/golem then turns to the magic mirror and looks at Frederigo D'Honaire,
who's eyes are a bit wide at the sudden turn of events.
"How many and with what equipment?" Inquirer asks, all business (even
in the green and brown yeoman outfit she had been becoming to REALLY like).
"My….self, Alicia…my wife, and Loam," the Packleader says. "Armed with
the revolvers and the rifles you see. A small group which can move quickly
and….hopefully hit hard enough to stop the fiend who's wearing this Oracle's
form!"
"Quick, fast and dirty," Inquirer chuckles as she raises her gloved
hand. "I like it."
It lacks elegance and subtly, but this is an emergency! Inquirer
thinks grimly. I hope to the Creator that the mess this causes….the
possible problems….can be ironed out easily….but……
A wind picks up, making the black hooded cape flap behind her as Inquirer
teleports herself and the Manimals to the city of Walants……
-
 They appear just INSIDE
the gates of Walants. The appearance of two humanoid foxes and a seven
foot tall wolf brings more agitation that a rather tall woman in forest
green yeoman outfit wearing black cloak and boots does.
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