April 28th dawns overcast and with falling temperatures. The party sleeps in a bit this morning.
During breakfast, Vastelle looks up and sees something flying overhead.
"Look! Up there!" she cries, pointing.
"Is it a bird?" wonders Callie.
"Or a plane?" suggests Nuanna.
"A what?" asks Edelle.
"No, it's Kadlian!" exclaims Windul, as your fearless leader, astride Fleetwing the hippogriff, lands nearby.
"A plane, a two dimensional surface, like a square. As opposed to a cube, which is a three dimensional figure, or a hypercube, which is a cube of 4 dimensions, and how us mages teleport from A to B," Rage says.
"So you're saying Kadlian is a two-dimensional character?" Edelle inquires of Nuanna.
"I didn't think so," the cleric replies.
The Raginator runs over and gives Kadlian a hug and a kiss.
"We've missed you. We have much to decide," the woman says.
Kadlian blushes. "Thank you. Yes, we do have much to decide. I ran into Hlarn and Maigry on my way. So, did you spot a way across? And how were the ogres?"
"Now that Hlarn is gone, we need to re-think our command structure. Plus, we now lack a powerful cleric. Sian, some of your followers are clerics, right? How many and how powerful are they?"
"I am a Perfect," says Nuanna.
"And I a priest," adds Melissa.
"So between the two of you, we have one perfect priest?" the Raginator asks.
They ignore Rage.
"Bah! That's an oxymoron."
"I am an initiate of the fifth circle," says Birch.
"Correct me if I am wrong, any of you. But, you are telling me that you, Nuanna, can cast spells up to the third order. Melissa, you can cast spells up to the second order. And Birch, you can cast spells up to the fifth order?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes," they reply in turn.
"That is pretty impressive.
"Thank you," Kadlian says.
"You are welcome," he says next, evidently enjoying talking to himself.
"Windul, Vastelle, Sally and Edelle, how are all of you doing?"
"Sick of mushrooms for breakfast, lunch and dinner," replies Edelle.
Kadlian laughs. "We shall see if we can find something else to eat across the way."
Niko shakes his head. "No easy or close way to ford the river around here."
"As for the ogres, they went down pretty quick. I think that Callie was a bit upset that Dor killed off her ogre while she was still trying to impress it with all her fancy swashbuckling, though."
"Oh shut up," says the ranger.
Niko moves toward Edelle as he replies, "Oh, don't be that way, Callie...we've all fanned before. Hell, I missed twice before knocking my ogre on his arse!"
Niko then gives Edelle a squeeze and a kiss on the back of the neck. "Even us heroes have a bad day, right Edelle?"
She nods.
"You never have a bad night, though, Niko!"
Squeezing her again, Niko laughs, "Heh! Flattery will only get you more, Edelle!"
"Or maybe you'll be so generous as to share me with the other beautiful women of this party!" he adds with a wink.
"What?" she says blankly.
Such frank sexual innuendos have Malvis blushing a deep crimson.
"I never thought," he blurts out, "That bedroom manners were socially acceptable conversation topics amongst near strangers. Apparently I'm wrong. Of course, I've led a somewhat sheltered life, so perhaps my mores are not of the norm here."
"Most of us are not strangers," Logan replies, looking at Edelle.
"We have fought together, loved together, and some of us, died together, so we are far from strangers. And as to the new people, the same applies fairly quickly, Malvis," Logan answers, looking away from Edelle.
Malvis glances shyly in the direction of Rage, and continues, "Perhaps we should rest now, so that we can cross in the morning?"
"Don't even think it," Logan says with a smile as Malvis looks at Rage. "You couldn't handle it!"
Rage turns to Logan. "And you could?"
"You never know, teacher of mine!" he says with a wink to Rage.
Rage frowns. "I know. I have known from the first what you could take."
"You might be surprised. I have grown much in your absence!" he says with a nod.
"Not where it counts!" observes Edelle with a giggle.
Carburator chuckles. "This is too funny."
Malvis remains silent during this exchange, but continues to look at Rage with an odd expression, somewhere between adoration, fascination, and an odd sense of possibility.
Rage nods. "Some people can be very crass, but it is a release of steam for many, as we face death and distruction at every turn on our quests. It can be important to release that steam. Some," she adds, looking towards Niko, "Are more hot air than anything else."
Niko grins. "Better than being full of something else..."
"Oh," Dor nods in agreement. "That is how Niko is able to hold such large amounts of ale."
"Harumph! I seem to remember someone else putting away large quantities of ale on several occasions!"
"It is something that will come with time. However, if you look to others like Kadlian, and Kailar, and Hlarn, you will see that from strength comes silence and comfort in one's ability, thus there is no need to brag."
Carburator laughs out loud at this.
"Bragging, eh?" Niko asks with a feigned look of hurt. With a grin, Niko sweeps up Edelle into his arms. "Can I get a second opinion?"
"So, no one was hurt badly, then? How did the ogres get so close?"
"We were clearing out the shriekers in the area while someone was supposed to be watching our backs...makes no difference, though, and it was a good workout..."
"Shriekers, that explains it. I am surprised that you only had ogres converging on you. Did you take care of the shriekers as well?"
Quiet during the banter, Logan shakes his head in agreement.
"Yes, it was quite a good break from the usual antics of the group," he says with a smile.
"Rage, are you ready to teleport now? Or should we wait until tomorrow?"
"I need to make sure of the place we are teleporting to," the mage says, "So tomorrow would be better."
"That is fine. Do you wish to explore the other side today or tomorrow?"
"We should explore today, so that we know where to go tomorrow. Then I can begin the transfer of people," Rage says.
With that, she'll cast fly on herself to fly over the river and scout the other side.
Kadlian nods. "Very well. I will go with you on Fleetwing. Looks like we will camp here tonight. Find a defendable position folks and make camp. Also, if any of you are willing, set up a hunting party. We might as well see if we can find some fresh food tonight, rather than eating more left-over shrieker."
Kadlian urges Fleetwing into the air after Rage.
The two set out across the river, which is close to five miles wide at this point.
The rest of you either remain in camp or form up a hunting party.
Late in the afternoon Kadlian and Rage return, having found a nice secluded section of shoreline on the far side of the river, perfect for flying into, teleporting to, or whatever. The road is only a hundred yards away from the river at that point, but not visible.
Meanwhile, Sian has bagged a deer, Logan has caught a cold and Sir has caught a mouse.
You dine well this evening.