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Sent Kobold

Chapter 13: Solstice's Carnival

During an adventure, it's the times where you find unexpected fun that make the journey worth the effort.

---

"It's hot."

Serhis couldn't do anything but pity Baous as the canine laid out behind him. Almost two weeks after they had left the hidden city of the kobolds of Keifcroutt, they went North towards Arcwell. Traveling through the forests, the wide stretch of grassland turned into savanna, then the sandy dunes of a vast desert. Again, the rigors of travel took their toll. Like the mountains, they had to make sure the horses didn't overexert themselves as they went over the blistering sands and traveled mostly by night, but not everything was the same. For one, it was the kobolds turn to take care of Baous instead of them relying on their warm blooded companions for needed heat.

Baous laid stretched out on the back of the wagon, front down and eyes sagging as he panted in the dry heat. They had covered the wagon with a stretch of cloth for some shade, but it only did so much for the furry kobold. Even now, Serhis was moving his wings like a fan, offering Baous a light breeze.

"He looks miserable," Rhasalis sat to one side of the wagon, watching Baous' tongue dangle out. "Don't you have some sort of spell that you can use for him Xet?"

"I've got a cantrip that might cool him down, but I can't use it on him directly. It'd probably freeze his fur right off."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Baous said with a worrying degree of seriousness.

"Try freezing some of our water, then put the ice on him. That might work," Serhis suggested as he turned around in his seat. Normally, using precious water in the desert in such a manner was out of the question, but one of the benefits of being a cleric was the ability to create water out of thin air if one was skilled enough. He could only do it a limited times a day, but it ensured that they would never have want for water.

Combining their skills in magic, the kobolds made some runny slush that could barely be called ice, but the moment it formed in the small bowl, Baous took it from their hands and dumped it down his back, letting out a relieved whimper. "Aaaah. Thanks..." Baous savored the respite from the heat for however brief it would last.

"Serhis, how long before we get to whatever this place is called. Arcwell, right?" Iskdiwercaesin asked.

Taking out a map and compass, Serhis had to estimate from last night when they navigated by the stars. "I'm guessing that we'd probably reach it by... midnight? Or tomorrow morning?" Again, this only showed Serhis how ill prepared they were for travel over inhospitable wilderness, in both skill and preparation. He couldn't spot any landmarks they could use nor could any of the others, and none of them knew any tricks they could use to battle the heat better. Serhis, Xet, and Rhasalis actually enjoyed the heat, and as long as Serhis could continue producing water, and if needed, food, they weren't in danger of succumbing to the elements. It was that such knowledge could have made their journey far less unpleasant.

"Good. I'm sick of seeing nothing but sand, dust, and rocks covered in sand and dust. All of it is making my scales itch," Iskdiwercaesin said as he laid down in the wagon. Dragons weren't like kobolds, they weren't dependent on external temperatures, but that meant that he had to endure the heat along with Baous. He simply had the fortune of not being covered in a fur coat, but the heat was still irritating him.

As the afternoon sun finally set over the cresting dunes, Serhis flicked the reins. There was also the freezing cold of the desert night, but it was far better to travel in. Their small group continued on to Arcwell, then to go onward by ship to Jiak to accomplish a task for the Archon Nadia.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Crossing the next hill, Baous' spirits lifted immensely. "The ocean! I can see the ocean." It wasn't the ocean itself that improved Baous' mood, but the sea air as it blew over them across the wide plain beneath where desert quickly turned into grassland. Down below, they could see the town of Arcwell. There were homes and buildings built with what appeared to be the same white stone the kobolds use, but of an unique design that none of them had seen before, likely to make full use of the ocean breeze to counteract the heat.

As they went down the last hill, the sun broke over the horizon to their right, slowly illuminating Arcwell for them to see as they went closer, the town stretching wide next to the ocean. "Now that we're here, I suppose our next step is to find a ship to take us to Jiak," Iskdiwercaesin said.

"Yep. I hope no one here's opposed to having us onboard," Serhis said. As they were so far away from home, they couldn't rely on their reputation to smooth over any prejudice or fear.

"If I've learned anything from my time in the Underdark, it's that gold and silver can solve almost anything."

"And if it can't?"

"It's the Underdark. I was with the Drow. What do you think?" Iskdiwercaesin shrugged.

"... I don't think violence's going to make finding a ship that will let us onboard any easier," Serhis replied.

"Eh, who knows? And I was recalling it being more along the lines of poisons and subtle things like that."

"So that's the ocean... You were right. That's a lot of water," Xet kept watching as the waves glittered as the morning sun shined on them as they approached shore.

"It's like it never ends," Rhasalis said with an equal amount of awe, her gaze to the far horizon. The morning fog and light blended together with the blue ocean and sky, making the horizon almost disappear and making it seem as if the sea and sky were one.

Serhis felt heartened that his hatchmates were here to experience this. With all the tragedies they went through on the surface, at the very least there were times like these, moments of wonder that couldn't be replicated by simple word of mouth or song.

They went towards Arcwell by taking a direct path, the town having no walls or gates. It looked like a small town, and looked to be a place to restock supplies as well as serving as a trade port, their wagon passing farms where the farmers had found fertile ground despite the desert barely over the next hill. People were exiting their homes to work the fields now that daybreak had come. As usual, their wagon drew stares. That was either due to the fact they were a bunch of kobolds and a dragon or that they were coming from a desert that had no hint of civilization until they passed over the mountains. Serhis suspected it was both.

They went directly for the docks, passing through the town at a leisurely pace. No one approached to stop them at the edge of town or while they went through, and they were sure they had been seen by people who seemed to belong town guard. Either the people here were tolerant or had very lax security. Their wagon stopped at the docks where they experienced the full sensation of the Arcwell port. The sounds of the ocean waves splashing against the piers and sand, the creak of the hulls of the ships as they bobbed on the waves, the seagulls flying in the air, and the smell of gutted fish that was almost omnipresent in any dock.

"Which one should we go to?" Baous looked around. There were numerous ships at the dock, some that had designs that were exotic and completely unknown to them until now. Single or double mast ships that had sails like looked a washboard, long ships with numerous oars out the sides, one that looked like a tiny castle riding the waves, and some of the more familiar caravels back south.

"I suppose any of them. What we want is one that goes to Jiak," Rhasalis said as she got out of the wagon. "We should each go towards one of these ships and ask. No sense all of us should go to these ships in a group. We'll meet back here in half an hour."

"You go do that. I'll stay here," Iskdiwercaesin stood up, surveying the area from the wagon. The others each approached a different ship, asking the crew members that were nearby if they were traveling to or stopping by Jiak. In half an hour, most of them had gotten back to the wagon except for Rhasalis.

"The two ships I visited weren't going to Jiak. What about the ones you went to?" Serhis asked. Baous and Xet shook their heads.

"The ones I went to were heading to places I haven't even heard of. I hope Rhasalis has better luck than us. Otherwise, we're going to have to wait here until a ship arrives that is going that way," Baous said.

Looking to the side, Iskdiwercaesin pointed towards two approaching figures. "I would hope you're right, otherwise she's bringing us trouble." One of the figures was Rhasalis, but the other could only be described as a very large mantis. It was human sized and stood on two legs, but had an extra set of arms, and wore some leathers as clothing and armor. As the two approached, it was hard to tell what the mantis was looking at, the large dome-like eyes likely able to see at a variety of angles.

"Uh, hello there. Rhasalis, who is this?" Xet asked, refraining from asking what she was next to first.

"I am Kheetchn, first mate of the ship Cast of Onyx. Your companion said you wished to go to Jiak, and our ship is sailing for that port. I am here to negotiate payment and services provided." Kheetchn spoke in Common, but with a certain rasp and temblor-like resonance of tone.

"Yes... uh, you not mind if I first ask what species you are?" Serhis didn't want to seem rude, but if he hadn't done so now, it would have been asked later.

"I am Thri-Kreen. Your companion mentioned that you have traveled far from your home and are not familiar with this part of the continent. As you wish to learn of new lands and new faces, so do I, and share your desire to know who is who and what is what. I do not take offense to your question."

Serhis nodded, getting a very positive impression from the insectoid. "If we have anything you wish to know, we be happy to say," Serhis replied.

Kheetchn gave a slight nod, barely perceptible as the insectoid's head moved. "And another thing you may want to know is that I am female. Many are confused when confronted with one of us for the first time and don't know what to refer to us by. Again, I take no offense to the error, but it is better to be correct and leave no assumptions."

"Of course. To be clear, my use of common language is not that good. Yes, we want to go to Jiak. What kind of payment you want to take all of us with wagon and stuff?" Serhis asked.

"Our rates are standard, two silvers for three kilometers traveled, but understand that we are in the business of transporting goods and not usually passengers. Should our captain want to take on more cargo than usual, we may have to charge you extra silver for the space and weight your wagon and horses will take to make up for the cargo."

"Okay. Do we board now?"

"The ship won't set sail until tomorrow. You do not need to board yet, take your time to see the sights," Kreetchn said.

"Tomorrow? What's the holdup?" Iskdiwercaesin asked.

Kheetchn turned to look at Iskdiwercaesin, the antennas on her head waving about. "Shore leave. I would have thought you were here for the same reason any traveler comes to this port at this time of year."

"No, we just got here," Baous replied. "Why, what's happening?"

"Arcwell is famous on this part of the continent for its Carnival of the Solstice and Equinox. You've arrived in time for the Summer Solstice, which begins today. Many ships are coming in with passengers that have heard of the carnivals and it also serves as a great time to offload some merchandise for anyone traveling through," she explained. "Does this inconvenience you?"

"No, we're not in a hurry. At least, I don't think we are," Baous glanced at Serhis with an unsure look. Nadia hadn't told them that they needed to rush. She had more or less informed them that they had enough time to go from their last meeting point to Jiak, but they didn't know how much time she had expected them to take. Considering their week long search, then the two weeks they spent in Keifcroutt, they had no idea if they still had plenty of time or were running short.

As unsure as Baous, Serhis shrugged. "I don't think it can be avoided. Besides, I'd like to see this carnival," he said in Draconic before speaking to Kheetchn. "Okay, leaving tomorrow. Did you need something else from us?"

"... you do not mind cursing, do you?"

Serhis gave her an odd look. "That is a strange question."

"That might be because we have a strange captain. You've heard about the saying 'swears like a sailor', right? Well, the captain is the colorful sort and I've seen how some of the more genteel folk are repulsed by him. If you see him on deck and something isn't right by him, prepare to hear it."

"I... do not think we mind," Serhis looked at the others. Baous only gave a sheepish shrug and his hatchmates weren't the sort to be unnerved by cussing.

"He sounds like a delightful person to sail with on long voyages," Iskdiwercaesin commented.

Kheetchn nodded. "His choice of words is more a habit of speech instead of actual malice. Otherwise, he runs a tight and fast ship, and the others of the crew respect him."

"Speaking of the crew, I take it that they won't mind us being onboard?" Rhasalis asked.

"You'll find that people on this end of the continent are very accepting of the unusual. There are still some prejudices, but they are few and usually with a complicated history."

"Okay, so we know the fare and that the captain swears a lot. Anything else that's important?" Iskdiwercaesin asked her. "Otherwise, we're going to check out this carnival."

"Hmm, perhaps you would like a guide for the day? Many who visit the Carnival of the Solstice and Equinox for the first time don't find the more interesting features and displays. For a fee of five gold apiece, I could show you things you would have otherwise missed," Kheetchn said.

As Serhis considered the offer, it sounded good to him. Considering what she said about the people here being more accepting, having an opportunity to walk around a surface town without fear or worry sounded like a great thing. "I suppose that is okay. I like to see something new. What about everyone else?" he asked the others. Baous seemed very enthusiastic about having fun at the carnival and Iskdiwercaesin looked somewhat interested. As for Rhasalis and Xet, they had never experienced a carnival before.

In the end, Kheetchn was twenty-five gold pieces richer. "Do you have room for me? I know a place we can go first," she said as she climbed onto the back of the wagon. Looking like one of the main attractions for a carnival themselves, they followed Kheetchn's directions as they went along the docks.

Passing rows of warehouses, their wagon entered a large open plaza next to the docks. "Here is Abvale Plaza, one of the main parts of the carnival. As you can see, not much has been set up yet, but by noon, it will be full of tents and vendors, as well as entertainers and bards."

"Hmm, you think we'll see Vincentia and Veri here?" Baous wondered aloud.

"It'd be nice to see them, but I doubt it," said Serhis.

As Kheetchn directed their wagon through the plaza and towards one of the main thoroughfares of the town, they witnessed the buzz of activity of the carnival being set up. Workers were hammering planks together to make a stage, merchants staking out spots that would best attract customers, and entertainers competing for the coins of passers-by. Brightly colored tents were also being raised, each offering a different service, good, or game to try.

As they passed through the main thoroughfare, Kreetchn raised a pointed claw towards one an inn and tavern. "If you want to find a place with good food, drink, and service, go to the 'Chalice of Waves'. I always stop by whenever we make port here."

"How often does your ship come here?" Serhis asked.

"Not so much more than other ports, but the captain always sails here during the Carnivals. He's friends with other captains that also come here during this time, so it has become an informal time for them to meet again and catch up," she answered. "This street is where you might find some of the more interesting items for sail here. If you want to find something exotic or rare, you've come at the right time. With the carnival and all the ships arriving, the town is awash in goods. Weapons, armor, potions, salves, and ointments. Items of great magic or mundane utility. Cloth made of silks from the furthest ends of the world or dyes of the richest colors. All coming here for the Carnival."

"Hmm, we haven't had breakfast yet. Let's stop at this 'Chalice of Waves' and see how good it is," Iskdiwercaesin said.

Baous' growling stomach spoke for him. "Heh, yeah, I could use some food." Pulling the wagon to a stop, they tethered the horses to a post and headed inside.

The first thing that Serhis noticed was the activity within the building. The coming of the Carnival of the Solstice meant that not only would visitors from far off places be staying for the night, but also the merchants that wished to sell their goods, entertainers hoping to find their fortune, and anyone else who wished to stay for the duration of the carnival would be scrambling to find a place to stay. Preferably that meant not having to sleep in the hayloft of a stable stall. The 'Chalice of Waves' must have been one of the larger inns in the town, if not the largest, and if Kreetchn was right, it would be known for its good service. People were coming to and fro from large entrance hall of the inn looking for lodging or a meal that they didn't have to cook themselves. The place was certainly larger than the inn Baous' sister had. Alexia's inn was staffed by herself and three others while this one seemed to have over a dozen. There was a feasting hall with large open fire pits, all of them being used at full capacity, a stage where entertainers performed, and Serhis read that there was even a full bathhouse service on one of the signs in the entrance.

The second thing he noticed was the people bustling around themselves. The varying amount of races he could see were surprising, a few of which he had never seen before. There were the ones he were familiar at seeing, humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, gnomes, and a few orcs, and even then one or two of them had a unique feature most of their species didn't sport. The more foreign races looked to have come from the far corners of the world, or perhaps from a different plane of existence altogether. A tiefling waiting impatiently at a table, a pixie fluttering about in the air looking for something, a war forged telling jokes, a minotaur pushing her way through the crowd to leave, and Serhis was rather sure he spotted someone that looked undead. Though once Serhis considered himself and the others around him, he figured that they only added something to the sight of a unique crowd.

"Comes at you all in a rush, does it not? It happens to anyone who visit's the first time. Arcwell is a popular stopping port even when there is not a carnival, and this inn reflects that." said Kheetchn. Serhis wasn't the only one who was amazed by the variety and colorfulness of the inn. Kheetchn gestured her claw twice for them to follow. "Come with me. I can easily find us a table, one that makes sure you can keep an eye on your back and your pockets. The owners run a good inn here and they keep the violence down, but it helps to be safe." Going to one side of the room they eventually pressed their way past the front desk and into the feasting hall. As she had promised, she found them a spot that was near one of the walls and relatively secure, and also had the added bonus of being near the fire pits and stage.

"So if you've been here before, what's their best dish?" Iskdiwercaesin plopped himself down on a seat.

Kheetchn's antennae waved. "I do not know what you like. One thing I've learned is that Thri-Kreen have a different sense of taste than most species, so I ask that you not rely on my judgments of what something tastes like. Order what you would like, go ahead, eat. I will be near the front, talking with a friend that is on the staff. Come find me when you wish to continue seeing the rest of the carnival." As the group pulled up seats of their own, she went back towards the front desk.

As Baous and Iskdiwercaesin looked over what was available on the other tables, Serhis already knew he was going to get an order of seafood for his hatchmates. This was their first time in a sea port and he was going to treat them to something new. As Iskdiwercaesin called for server, Baous rummaged through his pack, laying out a book on the table.

"What is that book?" Serhis asked as he tried to read it upside down. It was written in the language of the canine kobolds, likely another parting gift from Cahji.

"It's a really old history book. Cahji said it might help us find other hidden cities," Baous looked up and down a page, trying to find where he left off.

"Other hidden cities? I hope you mean other cities aside from ones filled with more canine kobolds," said Iskdiwercaesin bitterly. "Look, you've found more of your kind, and there's family with a heritage. Some really awkward family that's done some questionable things. Can't you leave it at that? Geas or not, I've got no obligation in looking for a group of people that want to be left alone and also don't have a problem killing to stay that way. The geas only works if we actually know there's a city out there, so I'm fine with us not knowing. Close that book and you can visit them from time to time, but I really rather not go looking for more trouble."

"I still want to know," Baous replied tersely. "This book has the locations of more than just kobold cities. Though if we ever get near a place, I'd still like to see."

"What for? We don't owe those Elders anything. I don't think they'd have anything worth all the trouble to reward us even if we did find another city."

Baous sighed, but the didn't put away the book. As a server took their orders, Baous was still concentrating on the book.

"Baous. Baous. What do you want to get?" Serhis asked.

"Huh? Yes Serhis? Oh right. Some mutton and vegetables."

As the server went away, Serhis looked at Baous. The canine's eyes were fixed on another table across from theirs. "It can't be that easy, can it?" gasped Baous.

"Hmm? What?" Serhis followed his gaze, as did the others. Sitting at a far table were a pair of individuals that had their backs turned to them, with fur, bushy tails, and what looked to be the back of canine shaped heads.

"Oh. Oh no," Iskdiwercaesin groaned as Baous stood up to get a closer look. Getting up quickly, he followed after Baous. "You said it yourself, it can't be that easy. Maybe they're gnolls."

"They can't be, their fur is the wrong color," Serhis observed as he followed as well. gnolls normally had either a molted brown and spotted pattern or were solid gray or brown. One of the pair had gray and white fur while the other was gold-orange with the added curiosity of blue hair fur.

As they got closer, the two noticed Baous, Iskdiwercaesin, and Serhis getting near. The gray furred one stood up from his chair, a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Who are you? What do you want with us?"

"Lighten up. The whole reason we went on this trip was to see and meet peoples of foreign lands, and I've never seen anyone like them before. You can ask them that without looking threatening," the other waved for him to sit down.

"Uh, hi. I'm Baous, this is Iskdiwercaesin and Serhis. I was wondering if you were kobolds." Now that he was closer, he noticed that they had a few differences from the other kobolds he'd seen. They had smaller muzzles and slightly smaller frames, but that might only mean they were smaller than average.

"No, we're kitsune. Isn't he a kobold?" the more friendly gold-orange one pointed at Serhis.

"He is. I mean, a reptile kobold. There are also canine kobolds like me. Sorry, my mistake," Baous shook his head.

"Told you," Iskdiwercaesin whispered.

"Canine kobolds? I've never heard about that sort of thing. Would you like to sit down and have breakfast with us? Maybe you could tell me about yourselves."

"No, but thank you. We have our own table," Baous pointed across the room, Xet and Rhasalis were still seated and holding the table for them, a server with a bunch of plates going over and placing their food in front of them.

"There's plenty of room at ours. You can come over here and eat with us!" the blue haired kitsune insisted.

"I'm sure you don't need us crowding your table..." Baous paused, unsure what to call the kitsune.

"Ah, you haven't introduced us yet," he prodded the gray one.

The gray kitsune had taken his hand off his sword, the air of caution replaced by stoic duty. "He is Prince Foxy Harris, son of King Harris of the Koabsu Islands and I am his bodyguard, Gray." The prince was dressed in rich and brightly dyed silks, short sleeved and suitable for travel, though it was hard to say if the blue hair was natural to kitsunes or if the prince dyed it and styled it so two long strands stuck out like antennae. His bodyguard was dressed in more muted brown cloth with stylized black lines, likely hiding leather or chain mail armor underneath.

"Sounds like this island of yours isn't the most exciting part of the world if that's the best names you can come up with," said Iskdiwercaesin.

Gray's lips moved the tiniest bit to show a frown, but Foxy laughed out loud. "Yeah, it's not the most interesting kingdom in the place. Always boring dances, boring food, boring people. I'm glad dad let me go on this trip and I can't believe he bought the whole, 'learn the ways of the world' line. Come on, come on, bring your food and sit down. I've always wanted to talk to a dragon," said Foxy.

Baous looked at Serhis and Iskdiwercaesin, unsure what to say. "Hey, you're the one who came over. I don't mind either way, I've always wanted to dine with royalty," Iskdiwercaesin said.

"Uh, alright," Baous took a seat across from Foxy and Gray as Iskdiwercaesin sat next to the prince. Serhis went back to their own table to get his hatchmates, informing them about the change of seating and gathering their meal. As they all sat down at the now crowded table, Foxy looked at the dishes in front of the others.

"Hey Gray, let's get some of that, and some of that, and some of that," the prince pointed at some of the plates.

"We've already ordered our own meal and the king told me that you were to keep with a nutritious diet, not to mention watch what we spent," the bodyguard replied.

"Yeah, but he also told you to do everything I say. Besides, my dad's the king, he can afford it. So order it!" Foxy grinned. Gray hid his irritation well as he called over a server.

"I'll remind you he also told you to follow what I say," Gray turned to look at his charge.

"Yeah, but only if we're in danger. And unless the food's poisoned or assassins come popping up from under the table, we're fine," said Foxy. Serhis had barely met them for five minutes, and he was already under the impression that they were like this almost all the time. Gray stuck Serhis as the sort to do what his conscious and his honor dictated, truly caring for his prince, even though the kitsune prince tried his patience every so often. As for Prince Harris... he and Iskdiwercaesin had a lot of personality factors in common, the main difference was that Iskdiwercaesin was gruffer and wasn't nearly as nice.

Tapping his hatchmate on the shoulder, Xet cast the translation spell over the both of them. "Was there a reason you wanted us to come over besides eating together?" Serhis inquired.

"No more reason than you coming over to us. You wanted to see new people too, right? Where are you from? Are you all on some sort of adventure?" Foxy asked excitedly.

"I suppose so. We're on a task for an archon, and we're passing through this port to that task."

"So you're very lucky that you came right when the carnival started," Foxy smiled. "I heard about this carnival when I was in the city of Yerantsc and I had to see it."

"We could have been visiting the king of Favkalo by now, or at least the princess. Making allies now would secure our nation's trade and security," Gray said.

"But this is much more fun!"

"Where is Koabsu Island?" Baous shifted to the side of his seat to let the server set down plates of very expensive seafood.

"It's to the East. Far, far to the East," Foxy searched through his pockets and pulled out a detailed map. The scale was different from Serhis' and it was centered on lands to the very edge of their own, likewise reflected on the kitsune prince's. While there were cities and important areas written by a practiced hand, there were also a few cities added that had been added afterwards, mostly in a Westerly direction. The prince pointed at one of the islands near the center of the map. "That's where I'm from. What about you? Where are you going?"

"We're not all from the same place. Baous is from a town near here," Serhis pointed a claw towards Dunben, "and me and my hatchmates are from the mountains over here," he pointed to a blank part of the map, leaving the location of Lehaskeral vague enough for his liking. "And Iskdiwercaesin... uh, you didn't tell us where you're from," he said to the wyrmling.

"Does it matter? I hatched near here," he pointed to a part of the continent far to the east of Tiichi de Soves, but not as nearly far as where the kitsunes hailed from.

"As for where we're going, we're going by ship to a town called Jiak," Serhis read the map and saw that it was labeled.

"One of our stops before we got here was Jiak. Is something important going to happen when you get there?" The prince barely got an answer before he asked a new question between bites.

"I don't know the exact details. The archon who gave us our task wasn't very descriptive," admitted Serhis. Now that he thought about it, trying to find one person in such a place wasn't going to be easy. "Do you know of a person named Tomond there?"

Foxy shook his head, but Gray spoke up. "I think I may have heard that name while we were there. He's suppose to be this famous or infamous figure. It depended on who was talking at the time."

"Can you tell us anything else?" Baous asked, raising his voice to overcome the sound of Iskdiwercaesin noisily ripping through a tough piece of meat and what sounded to be a gambling table near the other side of the room finding a cheater.

Gray looked at Foxy, not sure if he should say anything else. "Hey, why didn't you tell me anything about this when we were there? This sounds like it could have led to something exciting," Foxy complained.

"It also sounded dangerous," Gray replied, now thinking that he should have kept quiet.

"Hmph! What other secrets have you been hiding from your prince? You should tell them anything else you know about this Tomond guy, then I'm ordering you to not keep secrets from me ever again!" Foxy almost had to shout as the brawl started to spread across the room. The group stayed close to the table and tried to stay out of the growing mess.

"Eeurgh," Gray groaned. "... I really didn't hear too much about this person named Tomond. He's a human and he's suppose to have this sash across his chest that's torn in the middle. I heard he was spending lots of money trying to find something and also stirring up all sorts of trouble at the same time. That's as much of the rumor as I paid attention to."

"I suppose that's helpful. Anything else you can tell us since we're heading that way?" Iskdiwercaesin said as he finished off the last of his plate.

"I'm not sure what you would be interested in. Um, do you know about the tribe of kobolds and orcs on the eastern part of this continent? Are you interested in that sort of news?" Foxy asked.

That type of description reminded Serhis of Tiichi de Soves. If news was spreading about them, then things were getting bad and Dianekesswhedabkeari was confident he could act more openly. Adding orcs to the mix only made things more complicated. "Could you please tell us about it?"

"I don't know too much about it, it only sounded interesting at the time. Like I said, there's this tribe of kobolds and orcs somewhere around here," Foxy drew his finger in a circle around the eastern edge of the continent. "It's stirring up a lot of worry for the kingdoms around that place about them going out and conquering stuff, and since none of the kingdoms want to go out and deal with the problem themselves since it might weaken their armies, the problem keeps getting bigger and bigger. I thought it would have been interesting visiting one of those kingdoms and seeing if any of them was interested in trading with my island, but I thought nah," the kitsune sipped from a cup of tea and put it down, a tiny drip of it at the bottom leaving a circle on the map.

Serhis' mind was relieved when he saw that Foxy had pointed at a location nowhere near Tiichi de Soves and saw that Baous and Iskdiwercaesin had a similar reaction. Sooner or later, they were going to have to discuss what to do about their own growing situation. "Thank you for the interesting news. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Serhis asked.

"Yeah, how about what you've done already? Like why do you have wings? Or why Baous is looking for other kobolds like him? Or why Iskdiwercaesin doesn't have wings."

As the group finished their large breakfast while watching the tavern fight near the center of the room before it settled down in a not-so-friendly drinking contest after someone deposited the cheating halfling in an unconscious heap out the door, they talked about most of their journey. They had to leave out certain parts, but the kitsune prince and his bodyguard didn't pry too much. It had been two hours when Kheetchn walked up to their table.

"Oh, sorry Kheetchn," Baous apologized. "We should have said something so you didn't have to wait for us."

"Not to worry. I already checked to see if you were involved in the fighting earlier. Seeing that you were occupied in conversation, I took the time to preen in the bathhouse," she spread her claws, the surface of chitin looking glossy in the light. "Are you going to continue with following me on the tour?"

"Yes," Serhis nodded as he and the others rose from their seats, then he turned to Foxy and Gray. "I'm sorry I couldn't finish telling everything to you, but we have to go now."

"That's alright, what you've already told me was fun to listen to. Maybe if we see each other again, you can tell me the full story," Foxy cheerfully waved goodbye while Gray gave a more measured nod, approving of the noble acts they have done before they went up to their room in the inn. The group followed Kheetchn outside and back onto the wagon, the street bustling with even more activity and people as the carnival got into full swing.

Following her directions, they went to various spots of the town where important events of the carnival were scheduled, such as a large series tents set near the edge of town where jugglers and acrobats somersaulted and tumbled through the air. There were also a few tigers, bears, and other animals that performed tricks and dances, all of the animals looking very well kept and content. Serhis suspected that these people either employed a druid for that task or had been threatened by one against mistreating and disrespecting them. Other venues included theatre shows, rides powered by magic that took people on thrilling high speed flights, a place where items of magic or objects from distant lands were exhibited and sometimes available for purchase to the right buyer with the right money, another plaza near the town hall where the governor was to prepare for a large feast, and contests of strength, dexterity, cunning, and magic.

They stopped back near the 'Chalice of Waves' as Kheetchn finished her tour. "That should be all of the main events and some of the lesser known ones. You may want to stable your horses and wagon here, the streets will be very crowded and it will be hard to drive then. Is there anything you wanted to ask?"

"No, I think we're good," Baous replied.

"Very well. Remember, the ship sails at eight tomorrow morning. Goodbye," she said as she descended from the back of the wagon and headed in her own direction.

Taking her advice, Baous took the wagon to the stables and rented a stall for the horses and wagon. "Where do you want to go first? It's almost noon and Kheetchn said that's when most of the events start," Baous asked.

"I was thinking about going to Abvale plaza to watch the stage shows," said Serhis.

"Same here, then I was thinking of stopping by that feast. It's almost lunch" Iskdiwercaesin grinned.

"I wanted to go to that circus. I've never seen some of the animals there and maybe taking one of those magic carpet rides," said Xet.

"I'd also like to do that, then looking at the exhibit and the market stalls. There could be things that I'd like to get," said Rhasalis.

"I wanted to go to Abvale plaza too. We could split up, we don't all have to go together. We can then all meet back here for dinner tonight," Baous suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Rhasalis agreed. "If we get into any trouble, Serhis or Xet can message each other." They all didn't expect any trouble in a place like this, but it helped to be cautious.

"See you later then," Serhis waved to his hatchmates as they went down the street, then went with Baous and Iskdiwercaesin towards the plaza. As they approached the plaza, Serhis spoke to them. "I was thinking about what Prince Harris was saying earlier. For a moment, I thought he was referring to Tiichi de Soves."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same too," Baous replied while Iskdiwercaesin silently nodded his head. "We're lucky we were wrong."

"Yes, but how long will it be before we're right? I'm sure Nadia would tell us if something were to happen, but when she does, what will we do?"

"For starters, we could shoot Dianekesswhedabkeari out of the sky, drag his hide through wood splinters, and throttle his stupid neck with his own tail while I stuff his wings down his throat," said Iskdiwercaesin darkly. "Really, I'd like that plan, but we're going to have to think smart about this, aren't we? First off, he's got that whole city backing him up. There's no way we're forcing him out of there unless he actually wants to come out."

"I'm worried about what Dianekesswhedabkeari would want to do with an army. I mean, I don't know much about him at all, but he really wants to start conquering everything around him, that only means something bad," said Baous.

"I agree. Not to mean you any insult Iskdiwercaesin, but if you had taken control of the city instead, what would you be doing by now?" Serhis asked.

Iskdiwercaesin's eyes narrowed slightly at Serhis. "For starters, I'd be doing what he's doing right now, laying low while the army builds up. If anyone learns about it before I'm ready, I'd be sure someone's going to send a group to deal with the problem, and even if the group got killed, they'd do a lot of damage. I'm sure he'd barely have time to fix it all before the next group shows up and does the same thing. It'd slow down my plans considerably and any of the nearby towns would be ready for an attack. Since that's not happening, he's probably going to wait until he thinks he's ready, first testing his armies in little raids on nearby villages or securing important defensive positions on the surface. Then, he'd start attacking everything in one big rush, before any of the nearby towns realize they're at war."

"Is there anything we can do to slow that down from here?" Baous asked.

"Not a thing. The best I can think of is to warn any of the towns about it, but really, who'd believe us? Not to mention that Dianekesswhedabkeari isn't so dumb that he wouldn't put spies nearby. I'd bet that as soon as we sent a message or something, that person would find themselves with a dagger in the back the moment they tried anything," Iskdiwercaesin shrugged.

"So all we can do is gather our own strength and hope it's enough when the time comes to confront him. Not the best of plans," Serhis said grimly, despite the festive atmosphere.

Iskdiwercaesin scoffed. "Yeah. Big freaking problem."

"I guess we can't worry about that now. We're almost the whole continent away too," Baous shrugged. Technically, Xet or Iskdiwercaesin could use the teleportation scroll they had found earlier, but all of them would really, really not try that. Teleportation was a risky business unless that person was very experienced in magic. The chances of something going wrong were low since they knew the location, but if something did happen, it would be the end of them. A teleportation going awry across such a vast distance meant either they would be appear several kilometers away from their actual target, or worse, in the sky or underground.

"Why are you worrying about it at all? It's none of your problem," Iskdiwercaesin asked.

"As a cleric of Bahamut, it is my problem when a dragon with evil intentions sets out to conquer the land and enslave the people," Serhis replied.

Iskdiwercaesin shook his head. "Then worry about it all you want. The show's almost starting and I'd rather not miss anything. I'm going to get closer for a better view."

As Iskdiwercaesin pushed his way forward, Serhis hopped up and down, barely able to see anything due to his height. He was about to follow in the wyrmling's wake before a pair of hands hoisted him up, Baous setting Serhis on his shoulders. "Uh, thank you Baous," Serhis said, a little embarrassed about the help.

"Can you see the play fine from here?" Baous asked.

"Yes. Let me know if you get tired," Serhis said as he rode on the other kobold's shoulders.

The play seemed to be a very old tale, one of a fair maiden who had to endure fierce hardships to rescue the one she loved while ensuring that what she sacrificed would not turn all her efforts into vain. To her father, she sacrificed her safety to journey into the wilderness. To the creatures of the wild, she gave of her food for passage through the woods. To the queen of the lands, she took a year of her time to be the only true friend her queen would have for the power and knowledge the queen possessed. The tale continued for some time, the end of the story one of many trails endured, but a happy ending well earned as the maiden finally freed her love. Everyone gave a round of applause as the curtain dropped, the actors giving a bow to the crowd. Serhis also gave his applause from atop Baous' head, then began looking for Iskdiwercaesin's own head.

"There he is, I see him," Serhis pointed out the green dragon, easily spotting the green crest. "He's not coming back to us. I'm sure he can see me."

"I think he wants to go his own way for now," said Baous. "We don't have to follow him, we can see the other parts of the carnival ourselves. I'm sure he's going to the feast and I'm still feeling full from breakfast."

"Yeah, same here. Since we're all meeting back at the inn later, I suppose it doesn't matter. Where do you want to go next?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't mind wandering around and seeing what we can find," Baous shrugged, giving Serhis a bounce.

"That sounds fine to me." Baous began walking through the crowd, find a street at random to take. "Baous, you can put me down now."

"I don't mind," Baous replied cheerfully. Finding a row of merchant stalls, they browsed the wares laid out before them.

"Ah, this reminds me. I've been meaning to find a present for Xet and Rhasalis," Serhis leaned his head over Baous' own, trying to see a set of finely crafted tools laid out on a carpet. He had already seen the jewelry and the prices the merchants wanted were laughably high. He could get the cut diamonds back home for a much lower price.

"A present?" Baous asked.

"For our hatching day. It won't be for two months, but since we travel so much, I'm not sure I'd be able to find anything when it's nearly time."

"... will you have a party?"

"Yep. If we're out in the wilderness, we can wait until we get to an inn. A late party's is better than no party at all," said Serhis.

"... I've never had a birthday party before."

That brought Serhis' line of thought to a screeching halt. If he weren't on Baous' shoulders, his feet would have done the same. "Never?!"

Baous looked glumly at the ground. "Mom and dad would have liked to, but..." Serhis felt like an idiot for having to ask. The more he thought about, the more obvious why, and the more tragic. Since Baous was orphaned at a young age, neither he nor his adopted parents knew when he was born. "When I was really, really young, back when my brother and sister were still living with us, they had birthday parties. Since no one knew when my birthday was, their birthday parties sort of became my own. Mom and dad gave me presents as well as my brother and sister. When I was really, really young, I asked them if I could have a party of my own. I said they could use the day they found me, but dad said no. I guess I know why he didn't want that now." There was a sadness in Baous' voice, a sort of sadness only accentuated by the passage of time.

In the silence, Serhis tried to think of something to say. "We found your family though. I'm sure they know your hatc- birthday."

"It was one of the first things I asked Cahji. It's two month before now. She had the same look on her face when I told her about it too."

"... I've been meaning to say something when we left Keifcroutt," Serhis tried to steer the conversation away from the current subject, scared that he would make things worse by dwelling on the topic. Baous stood to one side of the road, looking at the passing crowd as colorful banners hung overhead fluttered in the wind. "Now that you've found your birth family, what are you going to do? Are you really going to be looking for other hidden refuges?"

"I... don't know. I thought I had it all planned out before, but now, I'm not sure where to go. I wanted to go home and see mom and dad, stay with them for a while you and the others were at Lehaskeral. Since we're so far from home and we're helping Nadia, that's not possible. I still want to go home, but that's going to have to wait."

"What about Cahji and the others? I wanted to talk about them, but I thought I should wait for a while so you could have time to think," Serhis asked hesitantly.

"I was thinking you would," Baous sighed.

"If you want, I won't bring it up again," Serhis replied.

"No, no, it's alright."

"I feel that I should start with a simple question, but I don't think there is such a thing as a simple question, especially when it's something like this. How do you feel about them?"

"I feel... good about it." Baous' pause was noticeable. It was a moment of thought, a space of time where he summed up everything he could about his feelings." Serhis looked down on the top of Baous' head, waiting for a more detailed explanation. "When I woke up in that room, with all my memories back, I felt too many things. It was like I was happy that I did what I went out to do, scared at what I found, terrified about everyone else, but relieved that everything was turning out better... All the time I was in that city, that was all I felt. A jumbled mess of being excited about seeing a family I never knew and at the same time horrified that Cahji and the other Elders had done so much to us. I think I get why Iskdiwercaesin's so upset whenever anything is mentioned about the ritual we did to him. I mean, we already had our memories jumbled up in Natade. Not that it makes it any better, it only makes what the Elders did even worse. Lilthain cooked up something in our memories for a few minutes. The Elder took away our whole lives. They tried to bury everything, they could have burned it all away if they wanted to. I'm grateful that Cahji and Karui and whoever else voted gave us back our real memories, yet they still took them away in the first place instead of letting us be. I don't know what to think of Cahji..."

"What about the others of your family? Since they weren't involved, that has to be good."

"Yeah, that was what I was thinking. That's why I said good earlier. I'm just worried about what would have happened if we didn't start remembering everything. I don't know what they would have done if they did find out I was related and from the outside. Would they have let me stay that way or ask for Cahji to bring out the real me? I don't know," Baous shook his head, making Serhis wobble slightly.

"In the end, I guess what I'm asking is if it was all worth it? Do you really want to meet them again, be connected to them and share with them?" Serhis asked with a serious tone.

Closing his eyes, Baous didn't take long to think about it. "Yes."

"Can I ask why?"

"I think it's because I feel the same way about them like I feel about my mom and dad. Especially dad. Dad was connected to something bad, but he tried to make up for it. My family, my new family welcomed me in, or at least most of them, even when if they didn't know me that well. Even better, they wanted to know more about me."

Serhis heard the tone change in Baous' voice as it turned more confident. "That's good to hear," said Serhis.

"Can I ask my own question then?" Baous tilted his head up.

"Of course. It's not like I'm the only one that can."

"Why did you want to know? Why do you care?"

Serhis couldn't think of one answer. Only one question. "Do I need a reason to care about a friend?"

Baous laughed. Ever since they left Keifcroutt, Serhis hadn't heard Baous laugh once until now. "I guess not since I feel the same way. Thanks for asking I guess."

Serhis nodded, there wasn't a need to say anything about that. They had already been though thick and thin while dealing with each other's problems. Baous hadn't minded when they took the detour to Milianso to release Iskdiwercaesin from his heritage's almost mechanical way of thinking, as well as saving his life on multiple occasions. In terms of favors, he wasn't sure who owed who more. At this point, he didn't care. "How about this? When it's our hatchday, you can have your birthday with us to make up for the one we just missed. I know what you said about having to share it, but this time, you'll actually know when your birthday will be."

"I'd like that a lot," Baous smiled upwards. "Does that mean I better find you a present now too?"

"You don't have to. Remember what I said about giving each other gifts?" Serhis tugged on the silvery scarf. "But I suppose once us doing this once a year isn't so bad. When your birthday comes around again, we'll hold a party, just for you."

"Really?" an excited Baous asked.

"Really really. Until then, you don't mind having one with us?"

"Are you kidding? I'd love it!"

"Then we'd better give us time to go off on our own. Otherwise, our presents won't be much of a surprise," Serhis grinned.

In much better spirits, Baous walked down the cobblestone road of Arcwell, eager to see the rest of the town, humming to himself. His humming stopped as a thought popped into his head. "I wonder when Iskdiwercaesin's hatchday is?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I knew I was missing out on something." Xet's knees wobbled as his clawed feet touched the grass. The ride on the flying carpet had only lasted a minute, but the owner of the carpet had put it through a few maneuvers that set both his and Rhasalis' teeth on edge. If the owner hadn't installed some straps to hold them in, they were sure they'd have been flung off.

"Serhis never does flips like that. He just goes from one point to another," said Rhasalis as she walked in a straight line next to him, her sense of balance better than his. "Where to next?"

"Anywhere's good," Xet said as he set off in a random street towards the town, away from the open field. The whole outskirts of town seemed to have been set up for any thrill seekers. Aside from the carpet ride that zipped overhead, a catapult had been set up to fling anyone who was brave or crazy enough to try it over the town and into the sea, though the operator of the catapult had enough sense to give the rider a charm that would slow their descent. Both of the kobolds were amazed to see some of the dripping wet screamers come back through the town for a second shot, preferably higher, faster, and with more distance in a strange competition with one another. The pair decided not to try that one.

"We could see that show the others went to. It may still be going," Rhasalis suggested.

"How about something else? If we arrive during the middle, we'd be lost in the plot," Xet replied.

"Hmm. That's true. What about checking the stalls? We might find something that will be useful."

"Sounds good," Xet agreed. Truthfully, any excuse would have done. He had been looking for a time where he could talk to her in private, away from the others. As they walked on the dirt path towards the town, he found a chance. Mustering up his courage, he stopped. "... Hey. There's something I wanted to say."

"About what?" Rhasalis turned her head, curious why he wasn't still walking.

"... I told Serhis," he blurted out.

There was a change in the air between them. Rhasalis stopped a few steps away, slowing turning herself to face him. "Told him what?"

"About what happened to us, on that night out on patrol." Xet couldn't look her in the eyes, but he knew she was staring at him, her gaze burning into the side of his head. "I couldn't keep it a secret from him. He's our hatchmate. I thought, maybe he could fix it someday since he can't do it yet."

He heard the grass rustle as she took a step towards him. "... you promised. You promised not to tell him."

"I- I know. I'm sorry." Xet could see Rhasalis' shadow as he kept looking away.

"I told you that he didn't need to know about that. It's my problem, not his. I don't want him to keep fixing everyone else's, especially mine. I wanted to fix this myself." Rhasalis' voice was cutting and cold, like a blade of ice at Xet's ears.

"I want you to do that too, but we both don't know where to start. That's why I told him. He- gah!" Xet felt Rhasalis' claws dig into his scales as she grabbed the front of his shirt, tugging him towards her, making him look her in the eyes. He had never wanted to turn away so badly.

"You promised," she hissed in his ear. "Do you know how much I hated it when I told you? The only reason I trusted you was because I thought you might know what happened to me. Since you didn't, Serhis probably doesn't either. When you told him, did he say he knew how to heal me?"

"No, but I-!"

"Now he knows and he can't do anything about it either! You know what that does to him! I thought I saw how he kept looking at me differently, but I thought that was because of what happened with our heads and he was worried about that! How long did he know?!" They heard some of the fabric in Xet's robe tear as she gripped harder.

"I told him that night when the Archon showed up." Looking her straight in the eyes, he sighed. "I'm sorry I broke our promise. I just wanted to make sure. I had to know that Serhis didn't know anything for certain."

Rhasalis glared at him, then released him, heaving a sigh of her own. "Damn it. I shouldn't have made you make that promise, it's almost impossible for you to keep. I shouldn't have even told you in the first place. Fine, he knows. When I see him again, I'm having a word with him, got it?"

Xet nodded, still feeling guilty about breaking his word. "Before you do that, it's not like he didn't know anything at all about it. He said it was a dying curse. There's got to be more to it than that, but we can start somewhere now."

They stood at the side of the road, standing side to side as they watched other people walk past them. "A dying curse, huh?" Rhasalis took a deep breath, inhaling through her nostrils.

Xet nodded. "I feel kind of stupid for not finding that out. I spent hours in the library and everything."

"Don't say that. The only one who should feel stupid is the idiot ass necromancer who did this to me, and he's dead. That proves that we're smarter than him," said Rhasalis.

"Rhasalis, you don't mind if I ask if you feel any different with that curse?" said Xet hesitantly.

"I don't think I do," Rhasalis shrugged. "You might as well ask someone how it feels to be able to lay eggs."

"I didn't mean that in a physical sense. I more meant how you feel."

"... why do you want to know?"

"I feel that I want to know. Serhis and I can't do anything about the curse directly, but if we can help with anything else, I know we'd try," Xet replied.

Rhasalis cringed. "That wasn't what I wanted to hear."

Xet turned his head sharply. "What? Why?"

"That's always like you and Serhis. Do you remember when we were younger, when we first went outside?" Xet nodded, wondering where she was going with this. "Remember when we almost got home, then we saw those orcs blocking the way and that they were coming towards us?"

"You don't have to ask if I remember. I always will," Xet said sadly.

"Then you'll remember what Serhis did. He covered us up, he tried to hide us. He would have died to protect us."

"I would too! If I had to sacrifice myself to save both of you, I'd do it!" he insisted.

"I don't want that! I don't want you or Serhis to do that for me!" she angrily snapped. "I'm scared that either of you are going to try to look so hard to help me that you don't care about yourselves! That's why I didn't want you to tell Serhis!"

Xet stared back in shock. "But what about you?" he stammered.

Rhasalis gritted her teeth as she mustered a reply with her eyes closed. "I want this curse gone. I want to know that if I ever wanted hatchlings, I could. But not if it killed you or Serhis. Never."

Xet didn't know what to say. His face was stuck in an expression of shock, his jaw open and waiting for a reply from his mind that wasn't coming.

"You asked how I felt about being cursed. I feel tired of being so troublesome to you both that you'd do anything for me, even sacrificing yourselves. It's not worth it. I'm not worth it."

"That's not true!" Xet yelled out, finding a force inside him that surprised Rhasalis. "Just because of some curse, that doesn't mean you're worthless! You're our hatchmate, our best friend, and that curse isn't going to mean anything to that either," he said with a quieter voice, only adding greater feeling. "But I don't want you to feel sad either because we did something you didn't want. Nobody should have regrets like that."

The two stood at a distance, processed what the other was saying. "Does that mean you won't do anything stupid?" she asked.

"I can't say that, we do stupid things without thinking... like just now. That was an obvious statement. I can make two promises instead though. I can promise that if I'd do anything and everything so that me and Serhis stay alive so that none of us will have regrets."

"I can accept that. What's the other one?" Rhasalis asked.

"That I'm going to still try and remove your curse. Whatever happens to one of us happens to all of us. Serhis would agree," Xet said with certainty. "It's probably still going to be risky to get rid of this curse. All curses are like that, but we won't do anything we can avoid. Is that fine?"

"Two promises for one broken one. Yeah, I think that's fine," Rhasalis patted her hatchmate on the shoulder. "Just don't break either one. It'll be hard for me to get another two if you're dead. And I'll make the same promise, that I won't do anything you two would regret."

Xet gave a tiny smile, glad about what had been said. "Alright."

Rhasalis gave her own smile back, then looked to their side. "I think we better get off the road. We're drawing way too much attention." Xet followed her gaze and saw how there were a few people hanging around and staring at them. Most or all of them probably didn't know what the kobolds were shouting about, but they were still a sight. Even some of the dripping wet ones had stopped to gawk. Xet was about to ask her what they were going to do, but could only yip in surprise as she took his arm in her hand, pulling them towards the town. They didn't know where they were going, but that was alright with them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As this was the Summer Solstice, the sun remained in the sky for the longest time of the year, sunlight illuminating the carnival before it set over the horizon. The orange afternoon faded into a dark blue, yet the carnival was still in full swing as torches were lit. By this time, everyone had gathered back at the 'Chalice of the Waves', tired by content with the amusements the carnival had provided. During their dinner, Rhasalis talked to Serhis about what she and Xet had discussed earlier. He was dismayed that she wanted him to make such a promise, but he understood her reasons and made the same oath.

"You kobolds are weird, you know that?" said Iskdiwercaesin as he finished the last of his meal, licking his claws. "A promise so that you won't get yourself killed for one another. That has got to be one of the easier ones to keep I've ever heard."

"It's not as easy as you think," Serhis shook his head, barely able to finish his own plate between its large portions and the discussion. "It's a promise that can only be made by those who already trust each other."

Baous opened his mouth, but he stopped, not sure if he should say something. Instead, he took a spoon and drank some soup.

"If you have something to say, say it. It's not like I have a secret any more," said Rhasalis.

Putting the spoon down, he felt uncomfortable about getting into what sounded like a private matter for the hatchmates, though he still wanted to ask something. "This curse, does anyone know how it works? Like if it will fade away on its own or if there's a counter spell for it. Since it's magic, it can be changed. Or at least that's what I know about magic."

"You're mostly right about that, most enchantments have a counter. What can be woven from the aether can be unwoven. It's that this isn't some normal curse. We've tried the usual counter spells already and those didn't work on anyone else that got hit by it," Xet explained. "I don't this is the type of curse that wears off either. This dying curse thing isn't one of the things we normally study, so I'm kind of lost here."

"I suppose I can ask my dad if he knows anything about them, he was an adventurer," Baous took some time to consider how he was going to explain this in twenty five words. "Does anyone know anyone else that could know?"

"It's hard to say, it's not something that comes up in normal conversations. I could try asking Helena or Deacon Etias. I'd think one of the professors at the Academy would know, but I doubt they'd appreciate me popping in a message just like that," said Serhis.

"First this business with the archon, then the whole memory shenanigan, now we've got to deal with a curse. Don't you kobolds ever get a break?" Iskdiwercaesin muttered.

"'We suffer and yet prevail'" Serhis quoted.

"Is that one of Bahamut's sayings?" Baous asked.

Serhis shook his head. "Thurirl, a high priest. It's one of the older teachings."

"Well suffer all you want, I've got a treat for all of you," Iskdiwercaesin grinned as a serving boy walked up to their table and deposited a tray that held a raised bowl of what looked to be smashed ice and several small jugs. The wyrmling almost looked disappointed as the half elf casually walked away. "Everywhere else I get at least a dropped jaw. We're a table of a bunch of kobolds and me and no one cares. The people around here are jaded."

"I think that's a good thing. Judge based on action and intent, not on appearance," Serhis replied.

"That one sounds like it came from Bahamut," Baous said.

Again, Serhis replied in the negative. "Serhis, cleric," he chuckled, then pointed at the bowls. "What is this? I realize it's ice, but what for?"

"Dessert," Iskdiwercaesin's tongue licked his chops. "I realize you kobolds don't get out much, but a least try to find a few pleasures in life. This is called sorbet. Let's see now," he popped the corks of the various jugs, taking a sniff of each. "Cherries, yick. Apples, unusual... Hmm, strawberry, grapes. What's this?" he poured some orange colored liquid out of a jug and took a sip. Finding it to his liking, he poured more onto the ice and started eating. For once, he took his time. Seeing that the others were just looking, he pushed the tray towards them. "What are you waiting for. Hurry, before it melts."

"Iskdiwercaesin, being nice? I think we misplaced the real one somewhere in the carnival," Baous smirked.

"I wouldn't joke about things like that, there are such things as doppelgangers," Iskdiwercaesin pointed a spoon at him before he took another bite.

Serhis tried the frozen treat after pouring some of the grape juice onto it. He didn't usually try cold foods, but he was surprised to find it to his liking. He looked around the tavern as he ate, enjoying a moment's rest.

Things had calmed down a bit from the morning, which was to say the tavern was still mostly filled with the eclectic species of the realm and more. When Kreetchn said that this place kept the violence down, he wondered what she used as a point of reference. He had already seen a human and a goblin flying through the air by means not their own and he was positive that there were enough spell casters, including Xet, with fireballs and other explosive spells in here to level half the town. Fortunately, no one had used any such wide areas spells in their disputes. He could see Kreetchn at another far table, also one in an alcove where she could keep check on her coin pouch, with few others that Serhis thought looked like fellow sailors. As for Prince Harris and Gray, they weren't to be seen.

"Heh, I thought you'd like it," Iskdiwercaesin said with a grin. Serhis looked blankly at him, wondering what the dragon was talking about and realized that he had already finished the sweet ice while he was looking at the room.

"It's got a unique texture, if you don't mind the cold," Serhis admitted.

Baous had finished before him and had taken a second bowl. "Maybe for you, but this stuff is just what I needed after that trip though the desert."

"A little sweeter than I'd like, but that's okay," Rhasalis drank the rest that had melted.

"That because you used the honey and grape mix," Iskdiwercaesin pointed out. "So are we going anywhere after dinner? For once, I'd like to spend some of my hard earned gold."

"Hard earned gold? From where?" asked Baous.

"Oh, from one of those contests," Iskdiwercaesin smirked.

"I'm surprised they let you enter."

"What, as a contestant? No, I was one of the last challenges! Someone who ran the contest saw me and made an offer. He told me I'd get five percent of the profits if I did. I bargained it up to ten."

"I bet some of the contestants cried foul," Serhis chuckled.

"Not really, since I couldn't use my acid. They were afraid that I'd hit some of the crowd if I used it," he shrugged. "Lost a few, but as you can see, I came out ahead," he poked the slightly fatter bag of money.

"I was wondering what you were doing the whole day," said Baous. "Since you asked, do you have someplace you wanted to go?"

"I don't know, that's why we're going to be wandering around," Iskdiwercaesin shrugged. They finished their dessert, though Baous quickly regretted trying to rush eating his second bowl.

As they left the inn once more, they noticed that a good number of people were heading towards the harbor. "Is there suppose to be something happening that way?" Serhis asked the others.

"Yes. A finale to the Carnival of the Solstice." They turned around to see Kreetchn standing behind them.

Serhis was a little startled at her sudden appearance. "Are you going that way too?"

"Yes. Besides, our ship is that way," she pointed behind her back without looking, gesturing at her crewmates. "Have you enjoyed the carnival so far?"

"We are. What is this finale?" Serhis asked.

"A show of fire and water, symbolizing the solstice itself. As it's the summer, fire will hold prominence," said Kreetchn.

"We might as well go along with them," said Baous. They went along with her and the other sailors towards the harbor, the crowd of people getting thicker as they neared the water's edge.

"Kreetchn, I've got something to ask," Iskdiwercaesin said as they went down the street. She flicked her antennae and rotated her head slightly. "How long will your ship stay in Jiak?"

"Likely three days to trade, unload the cargo, then to check with the local merchants for the prices of local goods. It may be longer than that if something else happens." said Kreetchn. Serhis looked at Iskdiwercaesin, wondering why he would ask. Baous looked to have the same thoughts.

"If I were to finish our business in Jiak before you leave, would you still be taking aboard passengers?"

"Assuming you aren't any trouble on our first trip. The fare will still be the same," she answered.

"I'll be traveling alone by then, so I'll only be paying for myself."

"What?!" Serhis said in shock.

"When we're done with whatever Nadia wants and I get whatever she's got for a reward, I think I'll go my own way. I'll be taking my wagon with me too, so make sure you grab your stuff before you get off the boat."

"You're going to leave us? Why?" Serhis asked. He remembered the times Iskdiwercaesin considered departing their company earlier, but this seemed so sudden. He couldn't figure out why the wyrmling would want to go now.

"It's none of your business why," Iskdiwercaesin replied.

"What about Tiichi de Soves? I thought you wanted our help?" asked Baous.

"I never asked for it. It's something you wanted to do yourselves. No, I think if I'm going to take back what's mine, I'll do it my own way."

"Is this a private discussion? Shall I talk with you another time?" Kreetchn asked.

"No, because there is no discussion."

"Iskdiwercaesin, I-" Serhis tried to say something, but the wyrmling started storming off further into the crowd. Serhis moved to follow, weaving through the forest of legs, but Baous was left behind in the crowd, Xet and Rhasalis not knowing what to do and staying with him. "Wait! Where are you going?!"

"Away from you, isn't that obvious!?" Pushing to the front of the crowd, Iskdiwercaesin almost toppled some of them over into the water as he reached the dock. Before Serhis could reach him, he jumped into the water, splashing some of the bystanders in cold sea spray.

As he looked down at the rippling water, the others caught up to him. "What is he doing? Why did he take off like that?" said Baous in shocked amazement.

"I'd like to know myself. Did he say anything to any of you about wanting to go on his own way after Jiak?" The others shook their heads.

"What should we do? Do you think he's going to come back at all now, he's not going to even wait until we get to Jiak?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to try and find him," Serhis said as he spread his wings out, bumping into the already irritated bystanders. Leaping over the water, he flew upwards into the night sky.

Circling around the coast, Serhis watched for any sign of where Iskdiwercaesin might surface. For all he knew, the wyrmling could stay underneath water for the whole night. As he searched, he had time to wonder why Iskdiwercaesin would want to leave, but he wanted to find out from Iskdiwercaesin himself. Twenty minutes passed as he flew up and down the length of Arcwell's coastline, his wings burning from the effort. He turned to go back to the others, almost fatigued to the point the couldn't fly any longer. If Iskdiwercaesin didn't show up at the inn or on the ship the next morning, then he would be sure that they would never see the green dragon again. As he flew past the lighthouse on a hill, he saw a small green shape at the foot of the hill. He descended rapidly, more from exhaustion than from choice.

Iskdiwercaesin barely moved as Serhis landed nearby with a flurry of wing beats, making the grass sway as the kobold landed. "Hmph. You're getting better at flying if you can stay up that long."

"You- *pant* Why did you- *pant*" Serhis struggled to speak, inhaling hard enough that the cold sea air seemed to burn his throat.

Iskdiwercaesin had curled up in a circle, snout to tail, a green eye watching as Serhis almost fell over trying to walk over. "I guess I should have taught you how to pace your breathing. It gets hard when the air's whipping around your face. Too late now," he raised himself up, walking towards the edge of the water again.

"*pant* Wait! *pant* Please, why are you-"

"I don't have to explain anything to a lowly kobold, get out of my way!"

Iskdiwercaesin nearly knocked Serhis over as he brushed past. "Ah! Why are you going?!" he said in a quick burst, finally able to draw in enough air. "Was it something I did?!"

"Damn right it was something you did!" Iskdiwercaesin had reached the water, halfway in and he could only be seen from the chest up as he stood in the washing waves.

"I'm sorry!"

Iskdiwercaesin halted as he almost disappeared under the sea again, then turned around, shouting at the cleric. "Sorry? Sorry?! You've never been sorry about the ritual! You've never been sorry about all the hell you've put me through when I have to sort out my own thoughts! You thought you could change me to your own liking and you can't be sorry about that!"

Serhis cringed. He wanted to say Iskdiwercaesin was wrong, that he had his regrets. He couldn't, the barest thought of it felt like a lie, and yet he didn't want it to be true either. "... you're right."

Iskdiwercaesin stomped up the beach, leaving tracks in the sand and claw marks in the dirt when he reached the grass. "I'm right? That's all you can say to me?"

"Yes. I don't know why you're bringing it up now, but you're right. I don't think I'll ever be sorry about it now, or ever."

"And why not?" Iskdiwercaesin leaned his head down over Serhis, making the kobold feel his breath on the top of his head, making his scales itch as the barest trace of acid was felt.

"Because if I regret doing the ritual, it would mean I would regret not killing you. I don't want that. I don't want to regret sparing your life." Serhis looked up as Iskdiwercaesin staring down at him.

"Why?"

That wasn't something Serhis had expected. "Why what?"

"Why would you regret not sparing me? If I lived or died, it's not like you'd have gotten anything out of it. Hell, I'm still around and I haven't gotten the impression that I'm needed for some long-term plan," said Iskdiwercaesin as he took a step back, looking at Serhis critically. "Unless you've got more secrets hidden from me."

"No, no secrets. No lies, no deception, and no regrets," Serhis replied, remembering how he felt when he spoke to Xet and Baous that night before they ascended the mountain. "I'd regret it because now I know what I did was the right thing. When we first spoke, I was uncertain, but now, I know that you are someone worth knowing. The more I get to know you, the more I'm certain that you are a good person."

"I'd be laughing now if I wasn't so pissed," Iskdiwercaesin snorted. "Me, a good person? Don't kid yourself, I sure don't. I don't go around healing the sick and injured without a reward or help others that got in over their heads because they aren't strong enough. Come on, what's the real reason, hmm?"

"Maybe you aren't as charitable, but there are fine qualities that you possess. You can be rough and crude, but I haven't seen you ever break your word or trying to exploit others that are at a disadvantage. You always take your watch seriously so we never have to worry about being surprised when we camp. Perhaps you don't think you're a good person, but you're someone I can trust and respect. I don't want to lose anyone that if I feel that way about them."

Iskdiwercaesin didn't say anything for a while, carefully thinking about what he would say next. "Then how about when we first traveled together? I always thought that you regarded me as something of a pet project, something you can brag about. You, a cleric of Bahamut that turned a spawn of Tiamat away from evil," he spoke with a mocking tone. "I could see the way you watched me, like you were worried that the ritual wouldn't hold."

"For a while. I don't pride myself for forcing you into the situation. I wanted to show you that you a choice for your actions that you're previous self wouldn't consider, but I was scared that even though you now knew you had a choice, you'd go back to being the same way," Serhis admitted. "I don't think that way anymore. You can say that you've had an effect on my own thoughts as well."

"Then why do you care if I go my own way? You want my help with this Tomond, fine, you already know that I'm going to do what I can and get whatever Nadia's handing out before I leave. Is it because you think I'm a useful tool or is it because you don't trust me enough when I get out of your sight?"

"It's not that!" Serhis insisted. "Why do you keep assuming the worst? Can't you accept that maybe I'm seeing you more as a friend and that I don't want to say goodbye if I don't have to?"

"... a friend?" said Iskdiwercaesin, he was genuinely surprised.

"Yes. Even if our memories weren't ours in Keifcroutt, we were still friends there. We shared opinions and conversations, we had fun, we enjoyed being around each other. You still had the same personality, but it didn't matter to us. For once, you were open to us and we still stuck together. I'd like to think we were already friends before that. It's that what happened there only made it clearer."

"... I don't know if that's good or bad. That we had to forget ourselves to find that out," Iskdiwercaesin shook his head. There was still a touch of anger in his voice, but all the heat had gone. Serhis also felt conflicted, the experience of having canine kobolds altering a core part of themselves made him question if his own choice of using the ritual. It would be likely he would keep that uncomfortable comparison for the rest of his life.

"Have you ever had a friend then?" Serhis asked. Iskdiwercaesin considered the question, the long time he took to think seemed to answer it for him. "It's not something you need to run away from. I'm your friend. I think the others would say the same."

Serhis watched as Iskdiwercaesin kept his quiet, still taking his time to think on it. "Fine, we're friends. That doesn't mean I still want to go on my own way. It just means that you're making it harder on yourself and it's not like I want to get as far away from you."

"Why do you want to go? Why now?" Serhis asked as he stepped forward with arms spread out, his body still tired from the flight.

"I suppose it's because I got reminded that Dianekesswhedabkeari is getting stronger while I'm all the way out here. If I keep going with you, I might keep getting further and further away and I have to deal with him as soon as I can. We're not getting any news about him, but that's only making me more anxious," Iskdiwercaesin said through grit teeth. "He has a whole city at his command. He's going to be ready for a war to conquer everything he can and he's going to have an army to back him up. What do I have? A wagon full of stuff, a pair of horses and my army has been stinking up the forest and being turned into soil for several months. I have to do something before he get's so big, I can't do anything!" he said as the anger came back, but not towards Serhis.

"What can you do if you left?" Serhis asked.

"Go back to the Underdark. I still have some pull with a few of the houses. Mostly trading key information or knowing things they'd rather keep quiet. I'll either get what I want or wind up in a cave as spider food, but that's the Drow for you. Minus the few exceptions. The very few exceptions."

"That's a very risky plan."

"It's what I've got. I don't expect an army to be given to me, but maybe I'll get some gold to pay for a few mercenaries. I could use some of the coin to bribe a few officials or whoever I need to in the towns where I think Dianekesswhedabkeari is going to hit first and start rooting out his spies to slow down his plans. Then there's the whole problem of getting to him."

"You forgot something," Serhis said as Iskdiwercaesin raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "Us. Baous and I might not have a personal reason to remove Dianekesswhedabkeari from Tiichi de Soves and we aren't responsible for him gaining that power, but he's still someone who means harm to others, and I aim to stop him before that happens because no one else knows of the danger. I'm not sure about what my hatchmates would want to do, but I hope that they'd want to aid us. There's also Nadia, and I know for certain she's doing what she can. We're both allies and friends, so we'll do what we can to help. If you can't rely on the Drow houses, then you can rely on us."

Still dripping water, Iskdiwercaesin sighed, little drops falling down from the movement. "I... I'll think about it. We're still going to be together for a while and I'll have to find out what Nadia knows. She's got to be checking on how far Dianekesswhedabkeari's plans are going. Maybe then I'll know if I need to go to the Underdark or stay with you."

"We could go with you to the Underdark if you ask," Serhis suggested.

"The whole reason I wanted to leave you was because you might have different plans after Jiak. Searching for lost cities, sailing across the ocean because Nadia wants you to do something else, or wandering around for the hell of it."

"You could have asked. We could have went towards Tiichi de Soves after helping Nadia."

Iskdiwercaesin's eyes looked at Serhis', a judging look, then he turned away to look at the shores of Arcwell, the docks swelled with people standing on the pier and on the roofs, and the ships floating on the water. "Like I said, I'll decide in Jiak."

Serhis nodded, seeing that was as far as the wyrmling was willing to commit. Stepping forward so he was standing next to Iskdiwercaesin on the hill, he saw the torches on the docks flicker out, likely in preparation for the show. "By the way, why did you run away from us back there? Were you thinking about leaving us right then and there?"

"It crossed my mind," Iskdiwercaesin grunted.

"But what about the wagon and horses? They're still back at the stables." Iskdiwercaesin gave Serhis a look that essentially told him to shut up. Serhis shook his head and sighed as he sat down on the grass next to Iskdiwercaesin. As much as the wyrmling liked to think that he was a cunning planner, there were a few things he simply didn't think through. Iskdiwercaesin played the role of a big scary dragon to the hilt, but he still couldn't change that he basically threw a tantrum and was barely four and a half years old... or was it five now. It had almost been half a year since they met. "When was your hatchday?"

"That's an odd subject to ask, that came out of nowhere."

"If you'd like, I could-"

"Why do you want to know my hatchday?" Iskdiwercaesin took to the change in subjects quickly.

"Me and my hatchmates have ours coming up in two months. Since Baous found what day his is, but we missed it, he's going to have his party with ours. If we knew when yours is, perhaps we could plan a party for you too."

"What for? If I celebrated every hatchday I have, then it'd get boring really quickly," replied Iskdiwercaesin.

"Do dragons celebrate hatchdays?" Serhis asked.

"Depends on who you're talking to. I suppose if I had to think about it, some do, some don't, and a few might celebrate every decade or something like that."

"Which one are you?"

"Who knows? It's not like I had anyone throw me a hatchday party before," said Iskdiwercaesin.

"You could have one and find out. When is it?" asked Serhis.

"It was a month ago."

"Oh." That meant it was during their time when they were under the influence of the memory alterations.

"I guess that means I'll have to wait for almost a year for my party." Iskdiwercaesin didn't sound too disappointed.

"We could have your party on the same day as ours. It's what we're doing for Baous too since we missed his two months ago."

"Doesn't that seem like it'd take away from the whole thing? Lumping all of our parties into one?" Iskdiwercaesin thought aloud.

"It's much better than missing it and never having one," said Serhis. "Baous was the one who was wondering when your hatchday is."

"Fine. A party. It's not like I'm going to turn down a chance for good food, fun, and presents. But that's if I'm still traveling with you by that time," said Iskdiwercaesin.

"As long as you bring presents for us as well. It's not only going to be about you," Serhis said with a hint of mirth, this being a bright spot in a very serious conversation.

"Fine. I'm not sure what you kobolds would want. We're all rich enough to buy our own stuff, I don't know why we'd bother trading gifts."

Serhis leaned back on the tilted hillside, his arms propping him up so he wouldn't lie on his wings. "The whole point is that it shows we can trust each other to know what the other wants. To know what a friend wants." He liked how this had turned out, him and Iskdiwercaesin talking about something that wasn't only about the more important things, but still something that they would care about. Iskdiwercaesin nodded slightly, accepting the point. "... if I could, my present to you would be to restore your wings."

Iskdiwercaesin spun around. "You can do that now?!"

"No, I'm not that powerful yet. It's more of a wish. I'd have no more fitting a gift."

"Don't say stupid things like that. You got my hopes up and everything," Iskdiwercaesin didn't sound amused.

"Do you prefer if I don't want to wish you something like that?" Serhis asked, just to tease the wyrmling for the hard time he was giving him.

"I'd prefer that you'd restore my wings the moment you can do it," Iskdiwercaesin huffed. Thinking about it, Serhis reached into his pouch. Iskdiwercaesin looked over, wondering what the kobold was doing. "What now?"

Taking out a long gray feather and some twine, Serhis held it up for him to see. "If I'm going to make a promise, I want to give us a reminder." He leaned over towards Iskdiwercaesin and was about to touch his tail, but the dragon snatched it out of his reach.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Iskdiwercaesin yelled.

"Can I tie this on?" Serhis asked.

"Is it some sort of charm?"

"No. It's a simple feather. Or more accurately, it's a feather that can be a symbol of a promise."

Looking at his tail, then the feather. "I don't see the point," he sighed as he let go, but didn't object anymore as Serhis tied the feather on.

"There. That is my promise to you. For helping me reach the sky, I will take you back to it," said Serhis solemnly.

Picking up the string, he looked at the feather as it dangled from his hanging tail. "I suppose I should say thank you?"

"It's not necessary, not until I actually carry out my promise," Serhis leaned back onto the hill.

Iskdiwercaesin kept staring at the feather, his expression unreadable. "A promise from a friend. I've never had that before either. Why is it that I'm suppose to be fearsome dragon leading the charge, but you're the one with all the goals and plans?" Serhis shrugged, this was something he simply didn't have an answer to.

They watched as the last of the torches winked out, the entire dock dark except for the faint glow of the moonlight. For a while, nothing happened. Thinking that the show could only be seen from the docks, Serhis was about to suggest that they go back, only to see strange ripples forming on the water. Four towers of water rose from the sea, streaks of fire crisscrossed between. At the top of each tower was a sphere, one of fire, one of ice, and two that had both. The sphere of fire was the highest tower while the sphere of ice the lowest. Streams of water poured out from these pillars rising over the waves, shimming in the light of the moon and the fires that danced between. As the show went on, the height of the towers changed, each other tower rising to the highest point before fire returned to being the highest. Explosions of light, some kind of alchemical mix, were launched into the air, showering the sky with different colors before they faded. One explosion from the hills behind the town was bigger than the rest, followed by three more, causing many of the people to turn around to look. Seeing that there weren't any more explosions from that direction, they turned back to look at the main show. The finale defined spectacular as each of the sphere exploded in light and sound, the pillars of water descending in a rush of cascading drops, and the remnants of the sphere formed into one before it slowly disappeared beneath the surface of the ocean.

As the torches were slowly relit, the echo of applause could be heard all the way from the docks. Serhis stood up and found that his arms had fallen asleep after being that position for so long. "We should get back to the others. They're probably worried about us," Serhis said, his robes ruffling as he shook his arms.

"Them, worried about us?" Iskdiwercaesin snorted, then shrugged. "I guess."

"Want me to say anything about why you ran off?" Serhis asked as they traveled the road back to the docks.

"I'd rather you didn't."

They found Baous, Xet, and Rhasalis waiting in the same spot they had left them at. They had an expression of awe from the spectacle and worry for their missing friends which turned to relief as they saw them both. Iskdiwercaesin told them that he might reconsider leaving them and explained himself this time, expressing his concern about Dianekesswhedabkeari's unhindered growth of power. The others offered their help in the matter, but as he said before, he would make a decision on whether to accept taking them with him later.

The festivities at an end, the carnival over as the tents, platforms, and stalls started to come down, they headed back to the "Chalice of Waves" to sleep, an exciting day coming to a quiet end.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They had their breakfast in the inn right after they woke up, all of their gear ready and packed so that they could quickly go aboard the ship. Kreetchn had come over to their table to remind them of the time and quickly left to get to the ship ready for departure. They also saw the kitsunes, Prince Harris and Gray, who came up to their table and asked for some healing spells. They explained that while they were enjoying the carnival, they had something of a misadventure as they encountered a band of thieves and pirates, a slaver ring, a chase through the hills of sand, several kegs of imported smoke powder, and the use of very large treasure chest as a cart to slide back down the hill while the copper bottom had been superheated from the explosion, leaving a trail of rough glass on one of the hills that they could still see.

Iskdiwercaesin expressed his relief that they didn't have to deal with such shenanigans for once and the others felt the same. The kitsunes were still a little battered from the night before and Serhis healed their injuries, also equally glad that someone else was out there doing good deeds. After breakfast, they gathered the horses and wagon from the stables and headed towards the docks which were heavily crowded since everyone was leaving after the carnival.

They saw the Cast of Onyx as the crew was almost finished loading in the last of the cargo, the caravel looked to be in great condition and regularly maintained. After paying the fare, they got the horses and wagon aboard.

"Jiak. What is it like?" Serhis asked Kreetchn as she stowed their fare in a small chest.

"Much like Arcwell, a town on the coast near a desert, with a river running through it that provides fresh water for the crops and people. Jiak does celebrate the solstices and equinoxes, but not to the extent that Arcwell does. It is also hotter there, so be sure to carry water at all times to avoid dehydration," Kreetchn advised them.

"We're looking for someone named Tomond," he continued. Since the kitsunes had heard about him, there was a chance that she would as well, considering this Tomond had garnered a reputation.

"A dangerous man. Why do you seek him out?" Kreetchn asked.

"We're on a quest from an archon. She said something about him looking for a treasure," said Baous.

Kreetchn tilted her antennae. "If so, then you're one of the few that know his goals. From what I've heard while I was there, he has stirred up trouble and instability. Jiak has already been in some disorder for years, but he has amplified it. Perhaps I should explain the situation to you. Jiak was ruled by a king for many years, but died without an heir a decade ago. Now, a number of his trusted circle have laid claim to the country. Unlike how these things mostly turn out, they have settled on a form of compromise rather than plunge the country into a war of succession. There are three houses, each led by one who wishes to claim the throne. So far, they have ruled in one degree of efficiency or another, but the situation is still tense. This is where I hear about the rumors of Tomond. He has acted in this time of uncertainty, either supporting one house in his actions or weakening it. His actions do not appear to have any goal or purpose. The rumors vary greatly, that he wishes to claim the country as his own, that he wants to plunge it into anarchy, or that he has no goal and it's all a game to him. All that is certain is that he is powerful. Whether he is dangerous to you is a matter of chance, so I'd advise caution." Kreetchn said, then looked around. "It is time for us to set sail, I must go."

"Thanks for the information," Serhis said as she turned to talk with the captain that was standing on the deck. So far, haven't heard him say anything aside from basic orders and Kreetchn's warning about his foul mouth have yet to be confirmed.

"This sounds better and better. We're heading to a city on the edge of chaos," said Iskdiwercaesin.

"I hope Nadia shows up before we get there. I'd still like to know what this treasure is that we're suppose to prevent him from getting or why," said Baous as he got out of the way of a bunch of sailors running past. The sound of the anchor being hoisted up told them that the ship was underway.

Standing to one side of the ship and staying out of the way, they watched as Arcwell got further and further away. "Iskdiwercaesin, whether you go on your own or not, what are you going to do if you kill Dianekesswhedabkeari?" asked Xet.

"When I kill him. First off, I'm going to take the city that should have been mine in the first place. Then I'll roast all the trolls he's got. After that, I'll take his hoard for all the pain he's done to me," Iskdiwercaesin said with seething anger, clearly having thought about this for a long, long time.

"I think what Xet means to ask is what you're going to do with your own city?" Rhasalis asked.

"Would the kobolds there even allow Iskdiwercaesin to take control?" Baous asked, then saw Serhis nod his head.

"There would be some trouble at first, but eventually the tribe would serve loyally. However, they're still going to do the best they can to protect Dianekesswhedabkeari," said Serhis.

"... it's not a good idea to start making plans without knowing what I'll get," Iskdiwercaesin answered Rhasalis. Serhis suspected it was more likely that he hadn't thought that far ahead. "Why do you want to know?"

"Does that mean one way or another, you'd have to stay there while we continued on our own?" said Rhasalis. The others looked at Iskdiwercaesin, suddenly realizing that would be the case.

"... like I said, I don't have any plans for the things I don't know. It's not important now though, we've got other things to worry about. Like what's going to happen next."

Serhis nodded. Some things couldn't be planned, only to be carried through when the time was right.

They stood on the deck of the ship, next to the spray of the waves, and sailed towards an unknown land and an unknown future.