The Other Side – Waiting…

Talia.Sunsong: wanders towards smells of food

Savage.Taurus: "Meh, I'll find a way," he mutters

Fitheach Eun: uh oh; "Talia"

Savage.Taurus: "Come back, you little bug"

Fitheach Eun: You have no idea what is here

Talia.Sunsong: "Food is here"

Fitheach Eun: "It could be dangerous"

Talia.Sunsong: "That's all that matters. I wonder if they have cream?"

Talia.Sunsong: peers around tree

Fitheach Eun: "Let's wait for Can and Fiesty to come back with a report?"

Talia.Sunsong: "This place looks funny!"

Fitheach Eun: follows the fae and looks

Talia Smells Food

Talia.Sunsong: "I've never seen a village square like this"

Savage.Taurus: "What kind of weird realm have you brought us to?"

Fitheach Eun: "Talia stay back from that fence; I feel cold iron."

Talia.Sunsong: shudders "Iron, cold, burns"

Savage.Taurus: sniffs the air, "This place smells odd"

Fitheach Eun: "Yes, stay away from it. I have no idea where we are and Can and Fiesty have still not returned"

Talia.Sunsong: "Look up in the air! What is that flying thing?"

Savage.Taurus: looks up at the floating thing, "Hmm...I wonder what it tastes like"

Fitheach Eun looks up in astonishment; "It looks like a ship?"

Talia.Sunsong: "It's bigger than you, dragon. It does look like a ship in the sky."

Savage.Taurus: flaps his wings and flies up to it and chews on the front of it

Fitheach Eun watches

Talia.Sunsong: "That silly dragon is attacking it. And they say I make bad choices."

Savage.Taurus: chomps on the wooden beam sticking out of the bow of the ship, as the crewmen scream and run about

A Flying Ship

Fitheach Eun: "He really does not seem very bright"

Talia.Sunsong: "Lucky his baby has a good mom now to teach him."

Talia.Sunsong: pets baby dragon and looks in baby dragon's eyes. "Mommy will bring you up right."

Fitheach Eun rolls her eyes at the idea of the fae as a mother.

Talia.Sunsong: "Mommy will feed you cream."

Fitheach Eun: "Do dragons eat cream?"

Talia.Sunsong: Looks around for cream. "It will make you big and strong."

Savage.Taurus: ignores the puny men as he chomps on the ship, until a bright flash and a loud zap snake through the air in the shape of a bolt of electricity

Talia.Sunsong: "Doesn't everyone drink cream?"

The Dragon Tries to Eat the Ship

Talia.Sunsong: Gasps as the she sees the lightning like flash

Savage.Taurus: yelps in pain and flutters backwards, his body contorted in agony

Fitheach Eun sees it, too and wonders

Talia.Sunsong: "ohhh poor mean dragon."

Fitheach Eun: awww; he looks hurt

Savage.Taurus: flies away back down to the annoying fae and elf to nurse his wounds

Talia.Sunsong: "Not that he doesn't deserve it for throwing me into the portal, but I feel sorry for him."

Fitheach Eun: "So do I, Talia"

Savage.Taurus: tells the little women, "Don't eat the flying ship. It's got a stinger"

Talia.Sunsong: "Do they have cream?"

Savage.Taurus: "I didn’t ask"

Talia.Sunsong: "Well you attacked something new and bigger than you...ok I do that now and then too.

Fitheach Eun looks at the burn on the dragon

Savage.Taurus: shrugs, "It looked tasty"

Talia.Sunsong: "Do dragons eat ships?" Looks at baby dragon. "How will I feed the baby?"

Savage.Taurus: looks around, "Do they have sheep around here?"

Fitheach Eun: "I have not seen any yet"

Talia.Sunsong: "Let's go look. I'm tired of waiting for the scouts to come back."

Fitheach Eun: "I could heal that burn, Dragon if you wish?"

Savage.Taurus: looks at the elf, "Um, sure, if you want to"

Fitheach Eun: "I told you I was a druid"

Fit Heals the Dragon

Talia.Sunsong: "Druids wave staff around and heal things."

Fitheach Eun takes a deep breath and calls on the water spirits; a deep blue haze forms slowly and wraps around the dragon

Savage.Taurus: "Yea, I know, I've heard of droods before," he says covering for the fact that he's never heard of droods before

Fitheach Eun: "How does that feel?"

Savage.Taurus: ooh that tickles

Fitheach Eun smiles and makes the haze deeper

Talia.Sunsong: "You look less knobbly and leathery in the burn area now."

Savage.Taurus: The wound seems to be healing. "Ok, thanks Drood. I guess you're ok for an elf"

Fitheach Eun allows the haze to dissipate and steps back tiredly

Savage.Taurus: "Why did you do that?"

Fitheach Eun: "You are quite welcome; a druid will heal anyone, even the enemy"

Talia.Sunsong: "Yeah why did you? Now he can chase me more easily."

Fitheach Eun shrugs; "It is what we do; he is a living creature.”

Savage.Taurus: "You seem to be useful, Drood. I guess I won’t eat you."

Talia.Sunsong: glares at dragon "and me? Not eat me, either."

Fitheach Eun smiles; "You do realize I am an archdruid and can command all the elements? I do not think you could eat me."

Savage.Taurus: peers at the fae, "I still haven't decided that"

Talia.Sunsong: "Hmpffff." Sticks nose in air

Savage.Taurus: looks the elf up and down, "I think I could fit you down my throat. My jaw can unhinge for bigger meals."

Fitheach Eun: "My sister Fiesty is also an archdruid and she actually likes this fae"

Talia.Sunsong: "See, someone likes me."

Savage.Taurus: "Oh, the tiny one?"

Fitheach Eun: "Feel free to open your mouth and see how you like swallowing the lightning I can call."

Talia.Sunsong: "The halfling," holds hand at waist height "don't eat her. She's a great cook."

Savage.Taurus: Chuffs and glares at the elf

Fitheach Eun: "I do not think you will find any of us very edible"

Talia and the Dragon

Savage.Taurus: "Oh, then maybe she can cook you for me. Though I tend to like my meals a little more on the raw side"

Fitheach Eun raises her staff and a small lightning strikes near the dragon

Savage.Taurus: "But a little seasoning would be nice. Hey! Watch it, Drood!"

Talia.Sunsong: "Yay Druid! Punish that dragon."

Fitheach Eun: "He does not deserve punishment, Talia. He was only protecting his child."

Talia.Sunsong: "Eating me is not protecting his child, so there!"

Savage.Taurus: grumbles, "Well, my whelp needs feeding. What are you going to do about that?"

Fitheach Eun: "I just wanted to demonstrate that my threats are not idle."

Talia.Sunsong: Looks at water "Fish?"

Fitheach Eun: "That is a true problem for all of us"

Savage.Taurus: "Hmmm...yea, fish will do"

Talia.Sunsong: "Can dragons grab fish from a lake?"

Fitheach Eun: "Or from the sea?"

Talia.Sunsong: "I'll wait if I get a meal."

Savage.Taurus: flaps his wings and raises up a few meters, and then dives into the water like a spear, and then emerges with a tuna in his jaws

Talia.Sunsong: "Yay! Fish for food."

Savage.Taurus: chomps the fish up into pieces and tosses them at the fae's feet

Feeding the Baby Dragon

Talia.Sunsong: the baby dragon gives a little cry and reaches for the fool. Talia sets the dragon down near the fish. Rorn, the baby, gobbles up the pieces of fish.

Savage.Taurus: shuffles over next to his whelp and snuggles up against it as it eats and licks the baby's scales to clean it while it feeds on the tuna chunks

Fitheach Eun smiles watching the fae and dragon feed the young one

Talia.Sunsong: sings off key Fae songs to baby dragon

Savage.Taurus: Hrmph...ok, I let you be nanny for now, until we find a way out of this place

Talia.Sunsong: "So you agree, I'm a good dragon mama."

Savage.Taurus: "You no mama. You nanny."

Talia.Sunsong: "Fae nannies are the best!"

Fiesty Begins Exploring

Fiesty Spies an Airship

Fiesty blended with the foliage and headed off the way Can had gone. The seaside smells were pleasant and she wandered unaware until a shadow seemed to cover her. Fiesty looked up and saw a large ship floating above her. She froze. The ship did nothing but float there. She could see tiny figures on the ship moving around but they seemed not to be looking down. After a while she proceeded cautiously while keeping an eye on the flying thing.

There were large houses here. They were enormous by medieval standards.

The Houses are Enormous

Fiesty caught sight of some of the natives of the land. They were human, and had on a lot of clothing. The women in particular looked a little like decorated fir trees. Fiesty thought “Gotta get me some of those clothes.”   Then she caught sight of Can and signaled that she was heading east.

Fiesty Catches Sight of the Inhabitants

A little while later Fiesty saw the dragon fly up and gnaw on the end of one of the airboats. She watched in horror as the dragon seemed intent on its destruction. Then, one of the running men on the boat pointed something at the dragon and he fell from the sky. Fiesty whispered to herself, “Silly dragon.”

The Other Side - Arrival

Talia Tumbles Through the Portal

Talia.Sunsong: tumbles through the black portal dotted with stars

Talia.Sunsong: "You can't have the baby dragon and quit eating my hair!"

Savage.Taurus: rushes through after the kidnapping fae

Fitheach Eun follows everyone out of the blackness

Savage.Taurus: "Give me back my kid. I'm serious. I'll rip your wings off!"

Talia.Sunsong: "Noooooo! Get away, get away, get away

Talia.Sunsong: runs out the other end of the portal

Savage.Taurus: "You seriously think you are going to steal a dragon whelp and get away with it?"

Fit and Fiesty

Fitheach Eun wonders at the bright sunlight and the sea in front of them and walks over to Fiesty

Fiesty Lotus: "Oh my; This is different. I dunno where we be?"

Fiesty Lotus shakes her head

Fitheach Eun: It does look strange; is that an ocean?

Fiesty Lotus looks at Can, who is already circling the area

Can Wobbit waves and say he is going off to scout around

Fiesty Lotus sights the fae and the dragon up ahead

Fitheach Eun turns and hears them

Fitheach Eun: I had better go try to intervene

Fiesty Lotus: "I do think I will scout about with Can. Tis may be a dangerous place."

Fitheach Eun: Oh, good idea, my sister. Who knows what is here

Fitheach Eun: I will try to keep those two here

Fiesty Lotus slides into the foliage like a canny hobbit can

Fiesty Slides into the Foliage

Fitheach Eun: the sylphs dance around Fit for a moment and then all stream off in different directions, disappearing quickly

Talia.Sunsong: "He prefers me. I think I'll call him Rorn."

Savage.Taurus: growls menacingly

Fitheach Eun looks at the dragon seriously; " You do realize we just saved your life?"

Talia.Sunsong: blinks at sun "What is this place"

Fitheach Eun: "And your child’s?"

Savage.Taurus: his roars reverberate across the land

Talia.Sunsong: "You mean I did a good deed? I should be rewarded."

Savage.Taurus: "What are you babbling about, elf?"

Fitheach Eun: Threatening the people who saved you is not very polite

Talia.Sunsong: "Yeah!" Nyah" She sticks out her tongue.

Fitheach Eun: And who knows where we are or what we will find here

Savage.Taurus: swipes at the annoying fae with his spiky tail

Talia.Sunsong: sniffs flower. "Hey!"

Fitheach Eun: working together may be a better course

Ungrateful Dragon

Talia.Sunsong: Darts up into air

Savage.Taurus: "What I'm gonna find is a dead fae and a dead elf if I don't get my kid back now!"

Savage.Taurus: flaps his wings and follows the little buzzing insect

Talia.Sunsong: "Rorn is right here, in my arms, a few feet from you."

Fitheach Eun sighs with irritation

Talia.Sunsong: "Perfectly safe"

Fitheach Eun: How will that help?

Fitheach Eun: Look Dragon....what is your name anyway?

Talia.Sunsong: pets the baby dragon who looks up at her with big eyes

Savage.Taurus: snaps at the fae with his jaws, and mutters "Damn I wish I had hands. I don’t tell my name to prey."

Talia.Sunsong: with practice dodging those irritated at her she darts aside

Savage.Taurus: I'm just gonna take my kid and go back home, and you can do whatever you like here

Fitheach Eun: There is no home to go back to; you have not been listening

Talia.Sunsong: "The Darkness ate it"

Fitheach Eun: The shadow destroyed all behind us; there is no going back

Savage.Taurus: What the blazes are you jammering about?

Fitheach Eun: We tried to tell you when we called the portal

Savage.Taurus: My gold hoard is back there

Fitheach Eun: The shadow sent a fog that destroys everything

Talia.Sunsong: "Gold?" Eyes light up

Fitheach Eun: Everything in the River Lands is gone now

Fitheach Eun: There is no back

Savage.Taurus: I don’t believe you! It’s a trick. It’s not going to work.

Fitheach Eun: “There is only forward which seems to be here right now. Why would I lie to you? I gain nothing from it."

Talia.Sunsong: "Just try going back through the portal. It won't work."

Savage.Taurus: Yea, because kidnappers are sooo honest

Talia.Sunsong: "Rorn came willingly"

Fitheach Eun: I have not kidnapped anyone; your quarrel is with the fae and she and I have never been friends

Arguing with the Dragon

Talia.Sunsong: "Because I’m so sweet."

Talia.Sunsong: "What? Not friends? I thought you all admired me."

Savage.Taurus: Oh, ok, so kill her for me and give me back my kid, and I'll let you live

Fitheach Eun raises an eyebrow; " Really Talia?"

Talia.Sunsong: "Kill me? Bad dragon, no bone."

Savage.Taurus: smacks the fae with his wing

Fitheach Eun: “I'm a Druid I am sworn to heal and protect all creatures. I kill only when there is no other choice.”

Savage.Taurus: Then protect my whelp and give it back to me

Talia.Sunsong: stumbles at the impact. "You, you, scaly thick headed, leather hided sea gull!"

Fitheach Eun: She may be annoying but she is a living creature.

Savage.Taurus: chuckles at the fae's curses

Talia.Sunsong: "Who is annoying?"

Savage.Taurus: snatches the fae and tosses her back at the portal

Talia.Sunsong: screams as she flies towards the portal. She hits it and bounces off it, slumping to the cave floor.

Fitheach Eun: You could hurt your child that way, Dragon

Savage.Taurus: Hmmm...that didn’t work. What kind of witchery is this?

Talia.Sunsong: stomps up to dragon, cursing, waving hand

Fitheach Eun: We told you there is no going back

Talia.Sunsong: "You're just lucky Fae are tough. I could have cracked my skull."

Savage.Taurus: I might still crack your skull

Fitheach Eun mutters that she thought that had happened long ago

Talia.Sunsong: sniffs air. "I smell food cooking" stomach growls

Fitheach Eun: Do you really want to risk harming your child again?

Savage.Taurus: Ok, so now you need to give me back my kid AND get me back to my horde

Fitheach Eun: I cannot send you back; you are not listening

Fitheach Eun: There is no back; it is all gone.

The End or the Beginning?

Climbing the Mountain Path

Can Wobbit scouts on ahead as Fit and Fiesty climb the path to the mysterious cave.

Fitheach Eun: “So what exactly did you find in this cave, my sister?”

Fiesty Lotus: “I am not sure, but it seemed sumthin like a leak in time?”

Suddenly they saw the faint glow of the cave just ahead as Can called out: “I think this is the cave, something is glowing inside.”

Fiesty Lotus: " Do you feel it Druid sister? the pull of that openen?" It feels like it's made of all things." Fit turned to answer and suddenly Fiesty exclaimed:

"There’s Talia! Oh, and look a dragon."

Talia.Sunsong: “I found it in a tree.”

Talia and the Dragons

Fitheach Eun turns to look and sees only a large fierce looking dragon. "That huge thing was in a tree?"

Fiesty Lotus: "Um, what yer gonna do with it Talia?"

Talia.Sunsong: “Welllll, the baby dragon was in a tree, and it was so cute and all, I fed it and it followed me, then this big dragon came along.”

Savage Taurus eyes the small bipeds hungrily.

Fitheach Eun: “Ah now I see the little one.”

Fiesty Lotus: “Does it got a Mama?"

Talia.Sunsong: I'm not sure; whispers: “How can you tell gender in a dragon?”

Fitheach Eun: “In truth Talia; I am not sure I would want to know how to tell. And I am not sure we have time to find out...”

Fiesty Lotus: "Talia, yer know it ain't right ter take a child from its mama."

Talia.Sunsong: “But its sooooo cute and he followed me after I fed him, so it's not my fault.”

Outside the Cave

Fitheach Eun looks toward the faint glow in the cave in front of them...

Fiesty Lotus: “Oh yes, yer do know the Shadow is eating the mountains as we speak?”

Talia.Sunsong: “Drat that Shadow. It causes more trouble than I get accused of causing.”

Fitheach Eun: “We need to see if we can bend that portal to take us somewhere. If that is what it is; it would be our only chance.”

Talia.Sunsong: “I have great magic.”

Fitheach Eun looks dubiously at the fae, “We have seen more than enough of your great magic, Talia."

Fiesty Lotus looks at Talia’s bent wand. "um.."

Fitheach Eun: “So far it has only started fires.”

Talia Sunsong: “I'm better now; I've practiced by turning toads into mushrooms.”

Fitheach Eun: “Ummm right...We have great need of mushrooms right now, I am sure.”

Savage Taurus clears his throat, "Hey, lady. Whatcha doin with my kid there? You got a death wish?"

Talia Sunsong: jumps. “Who, me?”

Fiesty Lotus whirls around and sees that the dragon has spoken.

Fiesty Lotus: “Well, I think we must be gettin in the cave and tryin it out, right Druid Fit?”

Fitheach Eun: “Yes, let's do that, my druid sister.”

Talia Sunsong hides the baby dragon in her skirts.

Savage Taurus: “Anybody else here holding a baby dragon?”

Talia Sunsong: “Ummmmm…I don't see a baby dragon.”

Fiesty Lotus: "Oh, no, we don't have time fer this."

Fitheach Eun ignores the dragon and walks determinedly into the cave and Fiesty follows.

Fiesty and Fit Enter the Cave

Savage Taurus: “Yea, don’t play games with me, hon.”

Fiesty Lotus: “Give that baby dragon up Talia and come into the cave with us.”

Talia Sunsong: runs into cave to hide. “Noo He's my dragon.”

Savage Taurus sighs..."Damn bipeds."

Fitheach Eun plants her feet firmly and starts calling on the Water spirits.

Fiesty Lotus begins to draw on the spirit of Earth.

Fitheach Eun breathes deeply and concentrates on the spinning orb.

Savage Taurus bites at the fae's wings to pull her back.

Talia Sunsong: “Ouch! Stop it.”

Can Wobbit crowds in closely behind them all and watches intently.

Talia Sunsong: “I'll take good care of the baby dragon.”

Savage Taurus: “Gimme my kid!”

Talia Sunsong: “He likes me better!”

Savage Taurus growls.

Talia Sunsong: “Quick, open the portal.”

Talia Sunsong waves wand desperately.

Fiesty Lotus now adds the spirit of Fire to her incantations.

Fitheach Eun calls on the Air spirits to help them and the cave fills with sylphs.

The orb begins to glow but nothing else happens.

Savage Taurus: “you wanna be roasted, sweet cheeks?”

Talia Sunsong: “The dragon will get me! Hurry.”

Savage Taurus pulls on her skirt.

Talia Sunsong screams and tries to pull away.

Fitheach Eun chants softly but the portal glows and stays small.

The Portal Stays Small

Fiesty Lotus chants to earth and Fire with increasing frenzy.

Savage Taurus yanks her back hard.

Talia Sunsong throws her wand at portal just as her skirt rips.

The wand hits the port and explodes.

Talia Sunsong: “It's bigger!”

The portal glows brighter and enlarges quickly.

Savage Taurus eats the ripped skirt in his mouth.

Talia Sunsong jumps away from the dragon.

The portal suddenly grows to a huge size and turns black.

Fiesty Lotus stares in wonder.

The Portal Grows and Turns Black

Savage Taurus: “What are you all doing here, anyway?”

Talia Sunsong: “Escaping from the shadow. It comes. It destroys.”

Savage Taurus starts chewing on her blonde hair.

Fitheach Eun: “Well my friends shall we go? There is nothing left for us here.”

Talia Sunsong: “Stop eating me! I'm going!”

Savage Taurus: “You aren’t going anywhere with my kid.”

Talia Sunsong leaps into the portal.

Savage Taurus follows her through.

Fitheach Eun raises her staff and waves Fiesty into the portal.

Fitheach Eun, Can, and the ravens crowd through behind them, followed by a cloud of sylphs.

Everything goes black.

Last Ones Through the Portal

Coming Soon

We are winding up our story in The River Lands and will soon begin a new chapter. Check back for updates.