Chapter Text
It’s after her third failed Sending does Adaine finally give up.
It’s not like she wants to. Every inch of her is begging to try again, to keep pushing for a response. But she knows better, despite how much she aches to send another spell. Like Kristen said, they need to be smart about this. And that means not wasting all of her higher-level spell slots on something guaranteed to fail.
Still, it doesn’t feel good.
Adaine places her sword to the side and looks up at the rest of her team. Everyone is sitting in a circle, all trying various ways to contact home. From what she could tell, no one is having any luck.
Next to her, Kristen throws her head in her hands and sighs loudly. Gorgug, who is still trying to connect to the satellite, looks up at her from across the circle, “I take it Cassandra isn’t responding?”
“Nope. Not a peep,” she complains, “I’ve tried connecting with her, bringing them here, nothing. I’ve cast Divination twice and Augury three times now and I’m getting no response from that either. I could try Commune, but I think we all know how that’s gonna go.”
“What about Divine Intervention?” Adaine asks, “Have you tried that?”
“I might as well at this point.” Kristen closes her eyes, bringing her bracelet close. Mumbling in celestial, she begins her prayer. Light begins to swirl and shimmer, condensing around her, and-
It immediately fizzles out, the failure incredibly apparent. Kristen groans again, dropping the chant. “Fuck! Nothing’s working. I feel like that one dude at the end of Legally Blonde. Like, call me babe.”
Adaine smiles at that, but it doesn’t last long. This is not good.
“Well, I’m not getting anywhere with the Hangman.” Fabian states, “And considering he was able to hear me from Hell, the concept of realm traveling may have some merit.”
“And that’s where I’m confused,” says Gorgug, “Haven’t we traveled between realms before?”
“Those were different planes, not realms,” clarifies Adaine.
“What’s the difference?”
“Planes are worlds that run parallel to our own,” she explains, “While we may need a portal or something like Plane Shift to get there, all planes fall under the same sector. A different realm exists in its own space and qualifies its own planes.”
“What?”
“Think of it like a bubble,” Kristen adds, “Our home plane, plus heaven, hell, and any other plane out there, all exist in the same bubble. We need magic to travel from one plane to another but we never really leave that bubble. If you were to travel realms, you would be moving from one bubble to another.”
“Which is apparently what we did,” finishes Fabian.
After Pike’s declaration and hasty explanation about “Otherworldly entities,” the two groups split in order to privately discuss their next steps. Or more accurately, Percy and the other gnome immediately ushered the rest of their friends into the forest and left the six of them to their own devices. That was ten minutes ago and Adaine has yet to see them since. How responsible.
Fig speaks up, “We don’t know for sure. Something else could be going on.”
Riz sighs, “Like what Fig? Nothing’s working. I’m all for looking at other explanations, but I don’t see any.”
Adaine touches his shoulder, “No word from Heaven?”
He shakes his head. The five of them turn to Fig as she lowers her head and tries again. It’s somber and pointless, but they let her try. After a minute or two, Fig goes slack, falling into her hands and shaking with denial. Gorgug wraps an arm around her and brings her close, hiding her wet face from any unwanted eyes. Fabian gently pries the feather from her hand, letting her fully collapse into their friend.
They sit there for a while, both to stand guard and to wallow in their own thoughts. Adaine plucks and pulls at the blanket on her lap. Even with the fire, it was pretty cold. It had taken a few blankets from the briefcase, some spare winter gear they carried in their packs and a couple of additional pulls from her jacket for things to feel even remarkably okay.
Eventually, Fig’s cries turn to sniffles, and a while longer, she’s raising her face and wiping her eyes. Glancing at everyone, she gives a tearful laugh, “I guess we’re missing our first day huh.”
Everyone lets out a laugh, Adaine included. It's one of pain more than anything, but for a moment it's nice.
Gorgug huffs, shaking his head, his own face wet, “You know, if someone had told me that I wasn’t to going to school on Monday, I probably would’ve thanked them. But,” his expression grows heavy, “This isn’t what I wanted.”
“No kidding,” grunts Fabian.
“It’s the forest of Silvaire all over again,” Riz adds, “Only this time, not only do we not have our allies, but we're completely unprepared. No inside information, no tricks up our sleeves, nothing. We have nothing here. No one.”
“So what do we do?” asks Kristen, “There's got to be a reason we're here right? Some task or adventure to complete in order to send us home. Based on what the others said, our appearance here doesn't seem to be an accident. At least I don't think it is.”
Gorgug shrugs, “I mean it could be? It's not like we stepped through a portal to come here.”
Riz shakes his head, “Well, I'm not sure. I mean the ground crumbled out from under us. I mean really, that sinkhole came out of nowhere. Nothing we did caused that. There is no reason for that to have happened.”
“But why here of all places?” Adaine asks. “I mean, the fact that we made it to another realm is a miracle in itself. That rune… it couldn't have been tied to this world, it's simply impossible. In all likelihood, it had intended to do something else, but the magic misfired and it brought us here?” She trails off, thinking hard. “I wonder... hmmm.”
Gorgug looks at her, “Any thoughts on what could have happened?”
She thinks for a moment before responding, “I don't know a lot about how realms interact with each other, nor how the rune managed to bring us here in the first place. But, if I had to guess, it is likely that the rune simply shunted us from our realm and a different source reached out and pulled us here.”
“For what reason?” asks Fabian.
Adaine gives him a shrug. She really didn’t know.
“Wait, I think I know why.” says Fig, and everyone turns to look at her, “The Night Yorb… wasn’t it an extraplanar entity?”
Riz nods, “It was.”
She continues, “Well, and stop me if I'm wrong. But according to legend, the Night Yorb was a huge problem for celestials and fiends alike due to its ability to slip between the planes and disrupt the normal structure of magic. It's why the Church of Sol banished it in the first place, correct?”
“That's right.”
“And as explained by Hangvan, one of the reasons the Night Yorb was such a nuisance to deal with was because nobody knew exactly where it came from. The leading theory was that it came from an offshoot of the astral plane but what if that wasn't the case? What if it came from somewhere further away?”
Adaine feels herself straighten, “You think it came from here?”
Fig shrugs, “I don't know, maybe? The Night Yorb may have started here or maybe it passed through, only to be driven away from this realm and into a new one. It certainly had a reputation.”
“But what's that got to do with us?” asks Gorgug.
The tiefling gives them all a glance, “I think maybe, and again, this is all guesswork, that something here sensed that we were the ones to defeat the Night Yorb.? So when we got shunted by that rune, that other being, that knew that we were capable, grabbed us and pulled us here.”
They all kinda stare at her for a moment before Kristen sighs, “I guess that makes sense, but why? Why did the ground exploude out from under us? And why grab us to begin with? If something like that existed, why would they bring us here instead of sending us home?”
“While I can’t answer that first question, I think can answer the second.”
Riz tilts his head, “And that is?”
Fig grins, “One word. Dragons.”
Adaine tenses, the statement startling her, “Dragons? What do you mean dragons?”
Fig starts to explain but is swiftly interrupted. “Fig,” Fabian groans, “We are not fighting a group of evil dragons. Absolutely not.”
Huh?
Fig throws her hands up in the air, “What! It makes sense!”
“Fig.”
“No I’m serious; really think about it.”
Fabian doesn’t budge, “So am I. That’s not happening.”
She rolls her eyes, “Will you at least hear me out?”
“No-“
“Can someone tell us what in the fuck are you two are talking about?” Gorgug jumps in, “Why are we talking about dragons? None of this has anything to do with dragons.
Fig points at him, “But it does.”
“It doesn’t,” says Fabian.
Gorgug throws his hands up, “Someone just explain!”
“Okay here,” Riz interjects, “Last night during our conversation with our half of the other party, they asked why we were out here given the current danger. We asked them to explain and apparently, there is a legion of chromatic dragons that have taken over the capital city, and have begun to lay siege to other big cities. Apparently, it's really bad.”
“And again,” Fig continues, “If a powerful being from this realm saw all that destruction, and then saw how we handled things back in the Red Waste, why not take the opportunity and get some extra help.”
“And I think,” Fabian replies, “Your idea is simply an elaborate guess that we cannot prove. We don’t know enough to charge into battle.”
“We’ve dealt with dragons before-”
Fabian explodes. “NO! Shut the fuck up!! We’ve dealt with one adult dragon, not Four Ancient Dragons trying to conquer the whole fucking world!”
Riz goes to respond, but his reply never makes it to her ears. Instead, a thick static swarms her senses and Adaine barely has time to plant her sword into the snow for balance before her vision goes white.
She blinks,
and suddenly, the cold frosty air is gone, replaced by a smoldering heat. Immediately Adaine covers her mouth. Ash and smoke begin to curl around her, so potent that it made her gag. Eyes squinting, she takes in her surroundings.
As she thought, the snowy forest is no more, and in its place is something Adaine can only describe as a wasteland. The sky is a dusty grey, with a muffled orange hue that seems to swallow every inch of the horizon. She can barely see five feet in front of her and can just make out the ruined structures and buildings that stand unevenly on the ruptured ground. Distantly, Adaine can hear the faint echo of screams, muted yelling where the only thing she can ascertain is panic. She spins in place, but nothing seems to change.
‘Okay, a vision.’ She steals another glance, ‘Cool cool cool cool cool.’
Reaching into her jacket, Adaine pulls out a pair of dust goggles and a thick blue scarf that she quickly uses to cover her face. After taking off her winter gear, she takes another look and is unsurprised to find that nothing has changed. After waiting another minute or so to see if anything happens, she takes a risk.
“Hello? Anyone there? Anyone at all?”
Nothing. Adaine grits her teeth, stuck on what to do.
Her visions weren’t normally like this. Normally when they occurred, they would rush through her, a whirlwind of information that arrived without warning and left just as fast. They didn't linger. And they certainly didn't give her a minute to look around.
Testing something, Adaine flicks out her finger and is thoroughly disappointed to see a lack of ice. No magic then.
Something needed to change, and it wasn't going to be the scenery, it might as well be her.
Taking in another breath, Adaine tightens the scarf around her face, before biting into her fear and running straight into the endless smoke ahead.
Adaine runs.
And runs,
and runs
and runs.
But nothing changes.
No matter where she goes, it's the same scene: a smoke-filled sky and a ruined city. The buildings do change at the very least, but despite that, she never finds any people. Alive or dead.
The distant sound of screaming never gets any closer, but no matter where she runs, she can still hear it. There's no change in it either. No shifts in tone, no begging or pleading, just that constant piercing sound.
It doesn’t take long for her to pull out a thing of earplugs.
They don't help.
She keeps running.
And running.
And running.
And running.
And running.
And ru-
“Goddamnit!”
With a frustrated wail, Adaine yanks the goggles from her face and chucks them to the ground. Her hands shake, though whether it's from exhaustion or rage, she can't say. Looking at the smoke-infested sky, she screams, “What the fuck do you want with me!? What the hell am I even doing here?! There's nothing! Absolutely fucking nothing here and I'm sick of looking for answers! Gaaaaahhh!”
She kicks a rock, sending it spiraling down the street. She waits, breathing hard, hoping, praying for a response.
…nothing.
Adaine sighs heavily, shoulders slouching as she puts her face in her hands.
She’s been running for what feels like hours at this point. And she’s gotten nowhere! Nor does she have any idea of what is vision is even trying to her!
Maybe she should wait it out, find a nice corner and take a moment to focus. Maybe if she got her thoughts in order, she could brute force her way out. Maybe.
Mind made up, Adaine reaches down to grab her goggles but is surprised to find them further from her than she initially thought. She walks over and goes to pick them up when her eyes catch something.
There is a wall.
A completely undamaged wall.
Huh.
Adaine walks towards it as if in a trace, goggles suddenly forgotten. It looked… normal. She gives it a tap. Felt normal too. Nothing to it other than cold and unassuming brick. She lets her gaze follow it, but the structure doesn’t change either. No cracks or breaks. Not ruined at all. It is just a normal wall.
Wait.
Adaine takes a few steps back, her eyes finding something green.
No, not a wall.
A fence.
Before she can even think, Adaine’s body is already moving, exhaustion gone as she sprints towards it. She swings one of the doors open, throws herself inside, and takes a look, and... its normal. Properly normal.
Before her is a courtyard, large and rather lavish. The ground is cobblestone, with white marble paved as decor. Grass is visible and kept in neat sections along the walk. Both edges of the yard are flanked by various trees, all simple in appearance but clearly well taken care of. The sky above it all is a daytime blue, something akin to a sunny day and not the smokey darkness she had just come from. And towards the back, flanked by glass and hedges, stands a large white marble manor with a red roof and staircase. It is grandiose in design, but elegant. Beautiful even. If not for the circumstance, Adaine would think that she’s looking at a completely normal manor.
Well, if not for the doors.
The doors of the manor are a simple white matching the rest of the house, with a large gold lock that spreads throughout and connects both doors. At least, Adaine thinks it’s gold. Unlike every other thing here, the gold lock is damaged. Warped.
Corroded.
Adaine swallows and takes a half-step back, suddenly uneasy. It was almost a relief to see something so out of place. At the very least, it gave her a direction, something she desperately needed right now.
But at the same time, a pit grew in her stomach. Something was deeply, deeply wrong with this house. A trap in every manner of the word. She knows better.
Adaine turns back towards the door and of course, it’s gone. She doesn’t even pretend to be surprised, taking another moment to steel herself. She looks at the house.
She knows better.
She knows better.
But she doesn’t have a choice.
The courtyard gives her no trouble as she moves through it. Nor does the staircase. In mere moments, she is face to face with the ruined lock, watching in anticipation. After a minute or so of staring, Adaine pulls a mallet from her jacket and gives the door a light tap, ready just in case.
When it doesn’t spring to kill her, Adaine takes another breath before shoving the mallet against the door and pushing with all her might. As she expected the door doesn't move at first, but after a few more moments she hears the creak of metal, and the door gives, opening just enough for her to slip in.
The entryway… well, it’s as exciting as she thought it would be: a foyer with a grand staircase that splits into two along the wall, various chandeliers delicately hanging from the open ceiling, and expensive-looking décor lining the floor and walls. Only one piece stands out: a painting framed on the wall in the center of the landing. It’s a portrait, a human man in nice-looking armor, smug in appearance, stupidly posed with a sword.
She grimaces at it. Good god, it was ugly.
She takes another glance. Perhaps there was something more to this place, but if there was, she didn’t get a chance to notice as something else caught her eye.
A trapdoor, wide open on the ground. Adaine hesitates, only for a moment, before approaching. She stops at its edge and looks down into it. Not an inch of its darkness is revealed, just deep deep nothing for miles into the earth. And she knows it goes down for miles.
But, she can’t wait any longer. No more dawdling. It’s time for this nightmare to be over, no matter what.
Ignoring her fear and carefulness, Adaine pulls out a headlight, fastens it on and jumps.
Immediately the void embraces her, clinging to her being as she plummets. In the dark, Adaine lets her mind loose, extending her senses as she searches. Brief flickers flash through her, disappearing before she even has a chance to make them out.
There’s something here. Something on the edge of her vision. She could feel it in her teeth and throat. An echo in her ears. A bone about a break
Something, something, somethi n g.
Adaine opens her eyes. And she’s not falling.
Instead she’s standing in the middle of some kind of chamber. Cavern? It’s hard to tell. While portions of wall are rock and stone, others weren’t, with bookshelves and candelabras lining the walls instead. Two pillars stand in the center of room, adorned with various engravings, clearly magical even from here. A large door frames the back, its appearance rusted and ruined.
But none of that mattered because Adaine wasn’t alone.
There’s a person… a feminine looking figure with long green hair standing a mere ten feet from her, turned away and staring at something Adaine can’t see. They’re dressed in simple black robes, a silver pendent hanging lazily from their belt. And they are mumbling, whispered words that Adaine could barely decipher as Draconic. They don’t move or even react to her, instead locked in their chant.
And Adaine…the pit in her belly grows ever bigger.
She should be happy. Should be at least relieved to find someone else.
But it’s wrong.
This thing was wrong. Is wrong. Something is completely and totally wrong.
Another echo begins to creep into her mind, but just as it does, there’s a flash of moment. Eyes, yellow and hateful are suddenly reaching into hers, claws rearing back to swipe.
“You’re next little Oracle.”
Adaine reels backward, her body moving in fear. She tries to run, but slips, a move that sends her staggering towards the ground. She feels the figure surging behind her, their intentions very clear. Adaine covers her head and braces for impact, but it
never
comes.
The ground or the strike.
And again, she’s somewhere else. Somewhere familiar.
Only this time, it’s worse.
The smoke-filled city once again burns. At least, Adaine thinks that’s where she is. The vision before her is no longer the cityscape she wandered through but a crater of boiling rock, a heavy orange haze above it. The ground beneath her appears to be polished stone but it’s cracked and jagged. And although the skyline is the same, the smoke is no longer quiet. Now, it crashes in waves, angry and active, as the fires behind it are lit anew. And the heat, god its immediate and ever-present, worse than hell in its intensity.
The screams are back too, louder and personal. They ebbed and flowed, a chorus of agony, begging, and wails. There were cries for mothers and children, desperate and unforgettable. The noise alone made Adaine want to die.
But that isn’t the worst part. No, that honor belonged to the dragons.
At least, they looked like dragons. But if these were dragons, then Kalvaxus was nothing but a dog. They are massive, unholy things, beings larger mountains, bigger than gods. Four in total they stand, spread among the various cliffs along the crater with Adaine alone at the center. They’re all different colors too, scales clearly visible through the haze. Black, White, Green. And Red.
The other three are large, yes, but they paled in comparison to the monster before her. Shadows cling to its outline, framing the beast in terrible light. Four horns sit upon an arrow-shaped head, flaring it into a crown. Its hide is covered in dark armored scales, colored white along the neck and chest, and a dark red everywhere else. Two massive wings flank its sides, slightly scared along the edges. But what stood out most of all is the large, glowing crystal wedged within the creature’s chest. The light pulses a bright orange, the very same light burned within the monster’s eyes. The thing stands unposed and unbothered, with even the tiniest bit of moment causing the heat around it to rapidly shift. It’s the center of the fires, a cause of all the screaming. It is an omen of death, a herald of its design.
It is fear itself and Adaine is afraid.
She stands there frozen, completely unable to move, as doing so would death in an instant. The dragons don’t seem to notice her, but a part of her knows that it is only a matter of time before they do. Slowly, ever slowly, Adaine covers her mouth and prays they forget to look.
The thing raises its head upward, and three other dragons are quick to bow in response, all yielding the red monstrosity. It begins to speak, the language a familiar draconic. Automatically, her mind translates, “I trust the remaining treasure has been wrung from Emon?” says the red thing, its voice a reverberating boom.
The green one bows, “As you commanded, Thordak. Every last ounce delivered to your feet.”
“And Westruun is on the brink of ruin, my king.” Adds the black dragon, steam rising from its snout, “Draconia soon with it.”
The white does not speak but gives a deep nod in allegiance.
The leader, likely Thordak, continues, “More are soon to follow. And once all is in order, the entire realm shall quake in our shadow. But there is other business that is yet to be addressed. Raishan, what of-” The dragon freezes, cutting itself off, and in a resounding blur, whips its head around directly to her placement. And suddenly the dragon, once a looming but distant threat, stands directly at her feet.
Or, to be more precise, she stands at its. Adaine’s head lulls upward, taking in the beast before her. Panic rushes through her, achingly deep, as it touches her very bones. She can feel her teeth scrape against her hand, having to bite down into her own flesh to stop herself from screaming.
“Well, what do we have here? A watching eye,” The dragon’s head lumbers forward, moving closer until it is only inches away from her face. The heat is nearly unbearable, with her unfallen tears steaming on her face. She bites down harder, hoping that the pain will be enough to save her. The taste of her own blood is the only response she gets.
The dragon continues, “Not many are able to look into me anymore, as I have magic to prevent such onlookers. My business is my business. And yet you have slipped through. There is truly something here. Something different. How very interesting.” The dragon takes a long deep inhale, the nearby smoke and heat roiling into it. “You are not here and yet you reek. I shall remember it. For when we do meet, I'll be certain to save you for last.” The dragon suddenly slams its feet into the ground and rears back its head, fire licking along its jaw. “Until then insect.” And it opens its mouth.
Time freezes.
Adrian feels herself frozen within the second, watching as the fire bends and gathers in the dragon’s throat. She knows without certainty that she has mere moments before she will be gone. Vision or not, that fire will hurt.
No more options then.
Her body moves before her mind does. Hands escape her mouth, with her left reaching for the hilt of her sword and her right ready for the blow.
There's a reason the Oracle was given the Sword of Sight. Her sister explained her as much during one of their many summer video calls while amidst the Hangvan.
The sword was many things to the Elven Oracle. It was a symbol; one made to recognize her purpose and honor her position. It was a focus; a way to narrow one's vision and bend divination further. It was a weapon; meant to serve as the last line of defense when spells were no longer an option. But most of all, it was an anchor. A tool in case of emergencies.
One of the first things they teach you about divination, and the reason that such oracles were rarer than other schools, is that divination was much more of an all-or-nothing School of Magic. Once invoked, divination magic was recommended to run its course. Spells should be finished, properly concluded before starting again. Visions even more so. To stop a vision in its course is a very dangerous thing, as if the natural magic of such a thing were to be cut off, it would result in a great amount of physical backlash on the individual. Fractures, internal bleeding, organ rupture, or even complete heart failure were all viable options for such backlash. Visions are never to be interrupted. No matter how troublesome they got.
The Sword of Sight, however, brings forth the one exception to this rule.
“Never do this.” Aelwyn stresses, repeating herself for about the fourth time, “The only reason I'm telling you is that I'd rather you know than you stumble into stabbing yourself.”
“I'm not gonna stab myself,” Adaine replies. “You know that.”
She raises an eyebrow, “Neither of us believe that sister.
Adaine taps her middle finger to the screen, “Fuck you.”
Aelwyn lets out an over-dramatic sigh, “Yes yes fuck you too. Now listen,” She sits up straighter and looks directly at Adaine, “I don't know a lot about this whole “Night Yorb” business, but I know that there are places in the Red Waste where magic gets a little weird. And I'd hate you falling into a trap without knowing every one of your limits. So, in case of emergencies, and I mean real emergencies, cutting yourself on the sword of sight will break a vision. However while it may save you from any direct backlash, it's not without risks. You will still be subjected to its effects. All that energy will swarm you and invade your senses all at once. Depending on the vision, you may see tens, hundreds, thousands of moments all at once. And while it may not physically harm you, it would definitely would not be pleasant.”
Adaine hums, “That doesn't sound too bad, actually. Compared to regular backlash it might actually be quite cool.”
Her sister scoffs, “Adaine. For once, listen to me. Elves have lost their sanity through such a method. Their minds completely torn asunder by the sudden onslaught. And unlike me, you have no protection for such an event.”
She rolls her eyes, “Yeah well whose fault is that.”
“Yours obviously.”
“Yes yes.”
“Adaine please.” Aelwyn’s voice breaks, her face twisting into unusual sincerity. The expression tears the words out of Adaine’s throat. “Please,” her sister repeats, “Promise me that you would not do this unless it is a true emergency. Please.”
“Yeah,” she swallows, the emotions in her voice suddenly thick and present, “I promise. Really, I promise.”
“Good, good.” Adaine turns her face so she doesn't have to see Aelwyn wipe her own. “It would do me no good if I was suddenly unable to call you anymore.”
A small smile finds her, as Adaine does her best to bury any lingering heaviness. “Yes, whatever would you do without me.”
Aelwyn smirk returns, as though it was never gone in the first place, “Oh who’s to say, little sister? Who’s to say?”
The memory moves through her, more quickly than she can comprehend. Adaine doesn't have any more time to linger as the fire has begun to pass through the monster’s teeth, mere moments from reaching her.
Adaine closes her eyes, takes a breath,
and cuts her hand.
Immediately she's falling again as the fire dissipates before her eyes.
and
And as she does,
her vision shat t e r s.
and swa rms
e v e r y t h i n g.
‘
‘
‘
‘
'
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‘
Kima chuckles, “Believe it or not, I know quite a few things about wizards.”
“Don't be sorry.” Pike reaches forward, placing her hand on his, “I understand now. And I don't think that you're lost in any way. I think if you felt in some way that this is who you've needed to follow, then follow her.”
“What a wonderful spell that was,” Gilmore cracks his knuckles, his hands already sparking, “Now, my turn.”
“-I’ll watch over them as best as I can. See to it that you all do the same.”
Fabian steps forward, his frustration apparent, “My name is Fabian Aramais Seacaster, son of Bill Seacaster, and let it be known, to you and all of your fucked-up little friends that I don’t like it here and if you come near me again, I will kill you again. So please don’t!”
“But you,” the Pit Fiend grumbles, “You, I find interesting.”
“Warn us? Warn us in regards to what? What did you forget-”
“Sweet, broken Vex'ahlia,” says the thing, its beady yellow eyes staring right at the ranger, “Unwanted daughter, unproven ally. Selfish and cruel. You drive those whom you would call family into danger and death for your own gain. I understand you.” The creature’s words spill out like sick honey, and it takes everything within Fig to not strike the creep right then and there.
“I’m not trying to bribe anyone!” Riz exclaims, “I'm just trying to help, that’s all.”
Despite the chaos, Scanlan’s voice rings out clear as day, “We never decided where you would send the cheque for those boys! My address is 1 Greyskull Keep, Emon, 90210, courtesy of Francois Bertrand Jean-Luc Australia, but you should really forward it to Percival von Fredricksteen von Musel de Rolo!”
“And I’ll be fine.” Zahra gives them another smile, her expression unmoving, “Now go! We'll find you after this is over. So do us proud darling. We’re counting on you!”
“-I need your help. I wish to kill the Cinder King.”
“Save your sorry-ass story for later.” Percy flinches and goes to retort, but Kristen is too quick, “No listen to me. I know you feel guilty, okay? I know you’ve already convinced yourself that all of this is your fault. That if you had just been a little smarter and a little more self-aware, then none of this would’ve happened. Am I right?” He doesn’t respond, and after a minute, Kristen sighs and looks back over the railing, “Well guess what smartass, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you. And so is Riz and Vax and Keyleth and everyone else on this fucking ship. We’re all to blame. But that doesn't matter. We don’t matter. Only he does.”
“I mean…” Kashaw looks sheepish, “I’ve heard worst plans.”
Grog pats her on the back, “Hey, it’s alright. You nearly got eaten by a fuckin’ dragon. You can feel bad about it.”
Allura smiles slightly, “Yes that would make things quite difficult.” She pauses for a moment, before continuing, “Well how about this. Though Kima and I are heading out, we still have business in Whitestone that needs to be resolved. We are set to return in a little under two weeks. And if I had to guess, your companions are due within a similar time frame. How about we pause the conversation here and wait to hear from your friends. Would that be alright?”
“-Vorugal. The white one. He’s… he’s coming!”
“For fuck’s sake, there’s no time.” He looks at them, eyes pleading. “Look, the guards are closing in on us as we speak. If we wait any longer, it’ll be too late. Escaping will be impossible. You all need that find that bastard, kill him, and then get out. The kids and I will be alright. Please.”
“Darling,” Vex places a hand boy’s shoulder, “Gorgug. What happened was not your fault. Please remember that.”
“-Fabian, please. Let me help you.-”
“I can’t say I agree,” cuts in Cassandra, rapier still in hand, “Although magic can lend itself for such miracles, its capacity to harm is far too great for me to ever overlook. So no,” The girl looks towards him once again, “I’m afraid I must decline.”
“People will worship us because they think we're heroes, when in the back of my head I'm thinking about all the death that has come by our hands.” Keyleth laughs to herself, “We brought children in our war. What does that say about us?”
“I mean I’ve… I’ve always been angry. A part of me has at least. But before… I don’t know, it was different. I knew how to use it. Control it. Turn it into something other just rage. My anger could protect my friends, get things done. It was still anger, but… but it was mine! And only mine. But this?” Gorgug grits his teeth, hands still shaking, “I hate this. I’m so fucking angry and I can’t do anything about it.”
"But listen to me. No matter what happens, I will get us home. I promise.”
“I don’t like you. And I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”
“Goodness, please.” Vax pulls his sister from the hug, his tear-scorned face looking at hers, “One more time: You are a good person, and I've always seen that. Please see it, please. Oh god, my heart is breaking.”
“-It’s okay, kid. I can take it from here. Let me save her.”
“I just don’t understand… how can someone live that long and yet care so little?” Tears streaming, Adaine finds their eyes, her question breaking, “Why didn’t they care?”
"- FIX HIM!"
Percy tilts his head, his expression unreadable, “It’s a shame Anna. I almost did forgive you.”
“What’s your mother’s name?”
His head lowers, “I think I was meant to die down there. And I can’t get over the fact that I didn’t.”
“I did this,” Fig whispers, staring at her hands, “This is all my fault.”
“I am going to fucking kill you.”
“There’s always a choice. Always.”
“ - time to go -”
She returns screaming.
They are eight minutes into Adaine’s vision and Riz is nearly tempted to find others and make them do something. They have a cleric amongst them, as well as a druid and a bard. One of them must have something that could help. Anything.
But he doesn’t move. He holds her hand, anxiety meds grasped in the other, and waits. Everyone else does the same, all sitting in various states of unrest. Fabian and Gorgug perch on each side, the former’s sheet being sprawled across the ground to keep their friend from getting wet. Boggy is there too, resting quietly at the half-orc’s feet, completely still. Fig sits at Adaine’s shoulder, her instrument in her lap as she lightly strums, ready to cast if directed to. They all sit ready to help, beyond willing to act if asked. But they wait.
Kristen by comparison is eerily calm, gently casting as Adaine’s head lay still in her lap. Her eyes are serious in a way that is so unlike her, but yet so familiar. A side that shows up sometimes, in the brief moments where Kristen shifts from their friend to their Cleric. Becoming their healer and guide. And now their answer, as they wait for news.
Kristen lets out a breath and drops her hands, the spell dropping with it. They all look at her expectedly. The human nods, “She’s okay.”
There’s a loud collective sigh of relief.
After another moment of staring, Fabian speaks up, “So, do you know what’s wrong with her?”
Kristen shakes her, “I don’t think anything’s wrong.”
Fig frowns, her hands going slack, “But then what’s going on? We've seen her have visions before, they last for like a second. This?” She points to the glowing white eyes of their friend, “This isn't normal.”
“And I'm not saying it is,” replies Kristen, “I'm just saying that nothing's wrong. From what I can tell, she's perfectly fine. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say this is a variation of a Scrying spell, not an impromptu vision.”
Gorgug frowns and gives Boggy another soft pat, “And we’re sure that nothing like this has happened before? Adaine’s the oracle, she gets visions all the time. This can’t be the first time that this has happened.”
Everyone thinks hard, but no one has anything to say. Fabian speaks up after a minute, “I don’t remember anything like this happening, nor has Adaine mentioned anything of the sort.” He turns to Riz, “Didn’t the two of you keep a record? Some sort of oracle dream-log-thing? I remember you mentioning it. Would that help?”
Riz slightly nods, “We did, yes. But I don’t think it’s gonna be much help. Adaine and I started that straight out of freshman year, and primarily used it over the summer when she was figuring out her new abilities. But by October the visions were so consistent she just stopped. And it was practically the same information each time so I didn't bother fighting her on it. Occasionally we would take notes when she had an especially weird vision but,” He points to the scene before them, “None of them were like this. I think the longest vision we have on record was two minutes long, but that was about midterms, not whatever this is.”
Fig sighs, clearly exasperated, “Then what is this? Why now?”
“Well,” says Riz, thinking it over, “I think we know exactly why.” At everyone’s confused expressions, he continues, “I hate to point out the obvious but we're not exactly home at the moment.”
Recognition alights, and immediately his friends understand. Kristen leans in, stating, “You think it’s because we’re in a realm.”
“Occam’s razor, right?”
Fabian nods, but he still looks confused, “I guess that makes sense in terms of why it started, but why would that affect the vision's length?”
“I have a few ideas.”
“Which are?”
“Well first off, we don't know what the world is like.” Riz explains, “We don't know who's in charge, if our magic works differently. Hell, certain rules of reality could be completely different. So it could just be that Oracle visions work differently here.”
“New town new rules?” says Fig.
Riz points to her, “That's one of my ideas. It could also be something like a server download.”
“Come again?”
“What?”
He tries again, “Like if this world doesn't have something like the Elven Oracle, it could be the first time that this magic had a place to go.
“Like a backlog,” Gorgug adds.
“Exactly,” says Riz, “Visions could have been building up over time, and now that they have somewhere to go, rather than occurring in short bursts…”
“They all hit Adaine at once at once.” Kristen finishes.
“Yeah.”
They all think it over for a minute, with Fig eventually nodding, “Both of those make sense, but… I don’t know. Something in my gut saying its something else. I’m probably overthinking things.”
“We still don’t know,” Riz goes over it again, thinking hard. Suddenly, a thought strikes him, “I mean, there is another option. What do you guys think ab-“
His statement is quickly cut off by Adaine jointing up from her trace, tearing off her coat, and biting into her own arm.
It's all a rush after that.
Everyone moves, reacting as quickly as they're able. Gorgug and Kristen grab their friend, the former keeping her still while the latter goes to heal. Fabian is quick with a Calm Emotions, which Adaine bucks against almost immediately. Riz pulls out Adaine’s meds and rushes to her side, with Fig passing him a water bottle as he does. He reaches her just as she resists another one of Fabian’s spells, her movements frenzied and panicked. He goes to force-feed the meds, but Kristen throws a hand to stop him. She nods to Fabian, who is quick to grab Adaine’s other side, leaving Kristen directly in front of her. Carefully, she places her hands on the girl’s shoulders.
“Adaine,” she says, her tone gentle and calm, “Adaine, you need to calm down. It’s okay, I promise it’s all okay. You just need to breathe. Can you breathe with me?”
“I can’t I can’t I can’t.” Adaine’s voice is breathless, and Riz can tell she’s on the verge of sobbing. “I can’t Ican’t I can’t they’ll heeeeaaar I can’t please I can’t we can’t-“
Kristen tries again, her tone unchanging, “Adaine, it’s okay, please. Just breathe with me. Nothing is here okay? You’re safe. I promise you, you’re safe. Just breathe.”
Adaine shakes her head, her face a myriad of pain and denial, “No no no no no please ple ase we can't! I can't! We need to go now, they’re coming! PLEase please please we need to get away, we needtogo, we need to run please! Kristen please, please please please! Please let me go!”
“Adaine-“
“No! I can’t I can’t I can’t don’t please! Please!”
Nausea curls in the back of his throat, and Riz has to force himself to stay calm and present. He sees everyone in a similar state, all vibrating with terrified anxiety, each one of them wrecking their minds for something to do. Some way to help.
Riz’s mind spins on overtime, ‘What does he have? What spells could they cast? Calm Emotions didn't work and burning through Fabian’s spell slots is pointless. Maybe some sort of charm? Something to briefly control her but no Adaine is good against that kind of magic, it likely wouldn't work.’
“Just try and match my breathing.”
“No-no-no-no no-no I need, please, we need to go now!”
‘Perhaps something like Polymorph? Something to physically take her from her mind? But none of them have Polymorph! Keyleth might but getting her here would cause more issues than it would fix.’ Riz grits his teeth, clutching his head within his hands, ‘Think, think Gukgak. There must be something, now solve it! Think!’
“You’re safe, I promise you Adaine, you are safe.”
“No we’re not! They’ll hear they’ll hear they’ll hear, please Kristen! They’ll find me, they’ll find us, they’ll findfind find and kill all of us PLEASE! Let’s go please!”
The words resonate and
-he’s found it.
“What about Silence?”
The whole group turns to him, eyes lighting up with recognition. Kristen is the first to speak, “Riz Gukgak I fucking love you.” She turns back to their panicked friend, “Adaine. Adaine. Listen to me. Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m gonna cast Silence. It will be centered on you but will cover all of us. After I cast it, no sound will be able to enter or exit the sphere, do you understand?”
“Ye-yes, but whhaat-“
“Adaine,” Kristen repeats, “I am going to cast Silence, and when I do, I want you to scream as loud as you can.”
Adaine startles, the panic in her voice once again rising, “I cann’t I can’t, they’ll, theey’ll hear they’ll hear, we-“
Kristen doesn’t let her finish. “Adaine, nothing will hear us, okay? Not with Silence.” She stops herself, and in a gentler tone, adds, “I know you don’t like to hyperventilate. I get it, it’s scary and frustrating and awful. But we can’t stop your panic attack. It’s happening. So trying to push it down will not work. You need to release your fear and get rid of it. And the only way for that to happen is for you to let it out. Is that alright with you?”
It takes a moment, but Adaine manages to nod, “Yes-s. Yes. Do it.”
“Okay,” Kristen pulls one of her hands away and places it on her bracelet. She gives a lasting look to everyone, before focusing her eyes back on Adaine, “You ready? On the count of three. One. Two. Thr-“
Riz feels the spell buffet him before the countdown even finishes. The ambient noises of the woods vanish, leaving an unnatural silence in its wake. Adaine buckles over, her mouth opened in a wordless scream, as she shakes and sobs and cries. Truly, truly cries. Gorgug is there to grab her, tucking her in tight and allowing all of them to fully relax. Next to him, Fabian shakes out his sheet and wraps it around Adaine’s shoulder, with Fig walking over with Boggy. The two go to leave, but Adaine grabs Fig’s hand, and… that’s that.
Once Fabian finishes wrapping another blanket around the tiefling, he catches Riz’s eye and heads outside the spell. Despite his worry, Riz relents, giving everyone another glance before following his friend outside.
The noise returns and Riz allows himself a few minutes to breathe. Adaine’s panic attacks were never fun. Most of the time, they’d be able to intervene before things got really bad. But sometimes, one would slip through. And it… it was never good.
The biting was new though. Riz’s face scrunches as he replays the memory. The sound of Adaine ripping into her own skin, it’s a noise he’d pay to forget. Thankfully, Kristen was there and got to the wound immediately. Otherwise… well.
Riz looks at his own scarred hands, and for a moment, he swears he can hear a familiar voice crawling from behind his ear.
“It seems your hands are bleeding onc –
Yeah no.
Nightmares were already hard enough to deal with as is. Lasting marks didn’t make forgetting them any easier.
A hand grasps his shoulder, snapping him from his thoughts. He looks over and next to him, Kristen is there, exhausted relief blatant on her face.
Despite it all, he smiles, “Hey.”
“Hey,” she pats his shoulder, “Good work in there. That Silence… man you’re smart.”
“You’re the one who got her to listen.”
“And you’re the one with the idea. Let’s call it even, ok?”
Riz huffs, “Sure.” He pauses and gives a tentative look back at the trio, still huddled and unmoving, “What now?”
Kristen follows his gaze, “We wait for Adaine.”
“And after that?”
“We figure out what that was and go from there.”
“What about the others?”
Fabian’s voice cuts in, “Still a non-issue.” The two turn their heads to see Fabian approaching. “Here,” he pulls off the Ring of Black Cat and tosses it back to Kristen. (She doesn’t catch it.)
After securing the ring, she nods to him, “Well?”
He shrugs, “When I went to listen, they were still fighting. I’d say we have at least ten more minutes, minimum. But we should figure out a plan pretty quickly here. They’re nice and all don’t get me wrong but we don’t want them approaching us while Adaine’s still recovering.”
“Yeah, that’s the last thing we need.” Kristen looks back at Riz, “Any ideas?”
Riz rubs his eyes, “A few. If we see them coming back, we could have some of us stall for a while and have Adaine go elsewhere. We could create a distraction, make it seem like there are monsters in the woods or something, but that could lead itself to problems. I don’t know.” He crosses his arms, the cold seeping back in, “Honestly though, it really comes down to Adaine. Any plan we make really depends on what she feels up for, and we don’t know that yet.”
Fabian’s eyes widen, “Well then, it looks like we’re in luck,” He raps his knuckles on Kristen’s staff, “I think she’s ready.”
Riz turns and sure enough, the remaining trio on the ground is breaking apart and staggering to their feet. Adaine, who still hasn’t moved, gives a shaky thumbs-up to Kristen. Kristen goes to wave her hand, but Riz grabs it, asking “There’s at least three minutes of the spell left. Wouldn’t it be better to let it run its course?”
Kristen shakes her head, “If Adaine says good, she’s good, simple as that. Besides, I don’t think we can afford to waste any more time.”
And Riz… as much as he wants to, can’t argue with that. He lets go of her wrist, and a few moments later, they are walking towards their friends, spell now dismissed.
Fig and Gorgug are both standing, folding the blankets they were sitting on. Adaine’s in the process of tying her shoe, and as they approach, she moves to stand. Before she can, however, Fig puts both hands on her shoulders, looks her dead in the eye, and declares, “Adaine. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what our options are or what we should do from here. But listen to me. No matter what happens, I will get us home. I promise.”
The statement rings through each of them, Adaine most of all. She sits up staring, looking mystified and on the verge of tears. But slowly, ever slowly, she nods, raises a hand, and is helped to her feet.
Adaine immediately stumbles and is quick to lean on Gorgug for support. Everyone scrambles to reach her, but she puts a hand up and shakes them away. After another moment or two, she regains her balance and turns to all of them. “Hey. Um…” She swallows, face suddenly flushed, “Thank you. All of you. Thank you for the help. It means everything to me, it really does. The vision… it was a lot. I don’t think… I don’t know if I can explain it all. I... I don’t...” Her voice trails off, and she turns away in shame.
Gorgug pats her arm. “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out like we always do. Just y’know… take your time and make sure to get back to us.”
She lets out a breath, smiling slightly, “Will do.”
They all kinda stare at her for another moment before Fabian breaks the tension, “Well, now what?”
Riz sighs, “We go back to constructing a plan I guess.”
Kristen nods, “Agreed. We need to figure out something quick here. Something to share with the other group. If they meet us emptyhanded, they’re just gonna boss us around and I don’t want that!”
“Yeah, definitely not,” Gorgug rubs his eyes and takes a deep breath, “So, what do we do? Any attempt to contact home hasn't worked and probably won't. We still don't know why we're here or what we can do to get back. We seem to be connected to this other group, but being with them we will likely be babied and just treated like children. So, again, what should we do?”
Fig snaps her fingers, “And again, like I was saying earlier, I think I know how to get us home.”
Riz lets another deep-seated sigh, “Fig.”
“Just listen-“
Fabian jumps in “No.”
“But really!”
“Fig,” says Kristen, “Please.”
“I mean it! That’s how we get home.”
“Don’t say it,” Gorgug warns.
“Guys!” Fig’s voice spikes, “I’m being serious. We-“
“We need to kill those dragons.”
Everyone silently turns to Adaine, whose expression has turned distant and blank. After a long awkward pause, Fabian laughs, “I'm sorry I think I misheard you. What was that about ancient evil Dragons?”
Adaine’s face doesn’t change, “We need to kill them. That’s how we get home.”
“And… you're sure about that?”
“I'm certain.”
“See!” Fig exclaims, “I told you guys!”
“Yeah, but to be fair that was guesswork, this…” Gorgug trails off at Adaine’s unmoving frame. “This was some oracle shit, wasn’t it?”
“Something like that,” she shallows, “Yeah, it was.”
“Adaine.” There’s a sinking feeling that swells in Riz’s gut, “What did you see?”
“I don't,” She grits her teeth and looks at the floor, “I don't wanna talk about it. I'll tell you I just… I don't wanna talk about it right now.”
“Then we won't,” replies Fig, leaving no room for arguments. “Besides, I doubt we have time. That conversation can wait, what we need is a plan!”
Fabian leans forward again, his expression one of total disbelief, “Oh we are so circling back to the killing-ancient-dragons conversation. I really thought we bailed.”
“Yeah let's touch on that again,” agrees Kristen, “Adaine… what?”
Adaine’s eyes narrow, “I said what I said. In order for us to get home, those dragons need to go and we need to be the ones to do it. I’m not lying.”
Kristen raises her hands defensively, “And I didn’t say you were. I believe you; I absolutely do. If you’re certain about this, then that’s all I need. But,” She gestures into the forest, “I doubt you wanna explain your vision to them. At least, not right now. So, if we want anything to happen, we’re gonna need a plan. They seem to be spearheading this fight. But based on how they were acting earlier, I doubt they would just y’know… let us join.”
Gorgug groans, “Yeah, they got pretty weird after they found out my age. I don't think teenage adventurers are a thing here.”
“Why does that matter?” Fig asks, “We don't need these guys. We can just leave while they're distracted and figure things out from there.”
Riz lets out a small laugh, “That's a horrible plan. I hope you’re kidding.”
“Is it though?”
“It is and you know it.” She goes to retort but Riz cuts her off, “Look, we don't have anything here. Not friends or allies. Not even a semblance of where we are, much less where to find Dragons. Despite the trouble, I think these folks are the best shot.”
Fig tries to argue but stops herself. “Yeah, I know.” She sighs, “But I also know that trying to get them to do anything is gonna be like pulling teeth. Much less join them.”
Gorgug sighs, “Well then that's our first issue. How do we convince them?”
Fig laughs, “Well, that’s an easy one. We don’t.”
“Unless,” says Riz, an idea striking him, “Unless we prove it.”
“What?”
Riz glances at all of them, gears turning as he continues, “I didn't get the clearest read on any of them, but it's pretty obvious they're underestimating us. Let's use that.”
“How?”
“We have them make a deal with us, something about proving ourselves. Trick them into giving us something that they deem impossible, and then all we have to do is prove them wrong and we're golden.
“How do you suppose we do that. It's not like we're just gonna stumble into a group of monsters…” Fig trails off, eyes scanning the forest, “Oh shit you’re good.” A smile spreads across her face.
The others catch on, and there exists a growing energy between all of them. Fabian shakes his head, completely exasperated, “I can't believe I'm saying this, but I like this plan. But if it's going to work, we would need to catch them on their back foot. We can't have them thinking straight when we suggest it. Otherwise, they'll call our bluff.”
Adaine nods, “Then we need to go now and catch them while they're still arguing.”
“Right now?” Gorgug looks at her with concern, “Adaine. You just now recovered. We have some time. We can wait anoth-“
She cuts him off. “No! It’s fine. I’m fine. I promise, its-” She shallows hard, and pauses to breathe, before giving another nod. “I’m fine. The sooner we do this, the better. Let’s go.”
“Okay wait a second,” says Kristen, “We have the barest bones of a plan. We need something more than that ‘We're going to kill some monsters.’ That can't be it.”
“We could keep Message going,” suggests Gorgug.
“Message is pretty obvious.” Riz argues, “We need something a little bit more covert.”
“And thankfully I have just the thing.” Adaine adds, rapping her knuckles against the sword, “Now, who’s ready do to this?”
At those words, Riz steals another glance with Fabian, whose face is similarly grim. They’re not ready, by no means are they ready to tackle monsters that large and destruction that grand.
But, like most things in their life, they don’t have a choice.