But Hear Me Out---FIREBALL!

Adalia lit her candle of truth, everyone knowing they only had an hour to ask their questions and get answers. Venus began bombarding Onyx with questions: What are you? Who sent you here? Why are you here? Who is the 10th child? Is there a 10th child?
“I’m here because you brought me here.”
“That wasn’t the question and you know it.” She seethed.
He mocked her, “I know I know it but what do you know?”
Belladonna’s oh my god almost drowned out his evil laugh.
“Who are you acting on behalf of? That’s a dangling participle but whatever.”
“I took the children because They told me I could.”
“The children? Children cannot give consent.” Adalia and Venus said in unison.
“No, Them. The--” He stopped, choking as spike from the collar pierced his neck and blood trickled down.
Adalia held a hand out, “Ok, let’s not ask that question.”
“There are no more children at my--Their--house. They told me I could have as much friends as I wanted as long as they were special.”
“But only what?” Adalia clarified.
“Only if they were special.”
“Why were there ten rings?”
“There are supposed to be more kids. They are looking for more.”
“Who is They?” Venus asked again.
“No!” Belladonna and Adalia shouted, reminding her about the collar.
“How do you know them?” Adalia asked.
He just put his hands together over his head.
“Did they summon you?” Nira asked.
“No. Well They can.”
Adalia asked the group, “Can vampires have children?”
Galia nodded, “Vampires can have kids, half vampires are called Dhampirs, but they aren’t like this. They don’t look like--” She gestured to the boy in the cage.
Nira whispers to the group that she recognizes that there is a chaotic, extraplanar, chaotic magic keeping Onyx alive. Adalia said it seems vaguely tangential to water, but she can’t feel the exact connection.
“Did we try pouring holy water on him?” Nira asked
“I think so?” Adalia replied.
“Are we talking about waterboarding a child?” Furus was concerned.
“Do we want to waterboard the child or do we want to set him on fire?” Venus’ cat eyes gleamed with excitement, “Just a little burning hands...I can look at him and set him on fire now…”
“Maybe we don’t kill the thing that doesn’t understand what he is doing?” Belladonna tried to inject some sense into the group.
“OK, we are NOT waterboarding, just going to gently pour a little bit of blessed water on his neck.”
“I’m going to waterboard him a little bit.” Galia laughed.
“We aren’t waterboarding him!! We are watering him like a plant.” Belladonna stepped in, pushing the others away.
Adalia decided to reach a hand through the cage, conjuring blessed water and gently leading the water over her arm and onto his collar. Onyx lunged at her arm, but with the water on her, she was too slippery and she managed to pull her arm out just in time. The blessed water had no effect on the collar and he stared bitterly at Adalia.
“When did you last hear from them?” Adalia composed herself and tried to continue the interrogation.
“They told me you were coming, so that is why they had me tie everyone up, so you wouldn’t hurt them. They said you would try to hurt them. WHICH YOU DID!”
“We didn’t try to hurt them!”
“You threw fireballs at them! And arrows!”
“We were trying to hit you!” Belladonna shouted.
He pinned his unnerving lavender eyes on hers, “I bet Hannah would disagree with you.”
Belladonna looked like she was ready to tear the cage open and drive another arrow into him, despite trying to defend him earlier, “You took her life from her, don’t you DARE tell me what she felt.”
“Do you know how your friends pick your new friends?” Nira interceded.
“They pick my friends because they are magic and I’m magic and our magic is special and we are going to have a big magic party, and you won’t be invited.”
“Do you know when the magic party is?” Adalia asked.
“I’d like to know about the special magic. I have magic. Am I special?”
He smiled, “Come closer and I’ll tell you.”
The group let out a collective NO.
Nira went closer.
“Your magic is different. It’s old.”
“What makes your magic better?” Nira tried to smile and cajole him.
“My magic comes from something really really strong. “ His strange eyes were prideful.
“What’s its name?”
“I can’t tell you, it doesn’t have one.”
“I bet it does. Are you afraid of it?” Nira reached into her memory for sources of magic, old sources, that might fit with Onyx.
“No. I’m not afraid of anything. They have the best magic and the strongest magic and we will have the best magic.”
Venus snorted, “Apparently not seeing as you are in there and we are out here.”
“When is the party?” Adalia repeated.
“When we have enough people. You need to have enough people to have a good party.” He said this as though it was the stupidest question he had ever heard.
“Ok, last question--can you get out of this cage?”
He looked around and grumbled, “No.”
Carindrina asked, “Can vampires have animal blood?”
Onyx rolled his eyes. “I don’t like it very much, but I might eat that badger.” He said, glaring at Belladonna and Scamander sticking out over her back.
Carindrina turned and asked the pets to go get some animals that they can feed him so that he doesn’t die and they can keep questioning him. Belladonna stated that she was fine with starving him until he looks like he is really in bad shape. Adalia said they can keep the animals and just feed it to him later and the blood will taste worse when it is old. Caridnrina asked the group to go downstairs and wait for her to talk to Onyx while the last of the candle sputtered out. Not wanting to leave her alone, the group huddled in the corner while she explained she wanted to try to reach him with kindness as they had been badgering him pretty hard.
“I don’t mind if there is an audience, I just want him to feel like we are alone.”
The group agreed, but Galia left Juniper with instructions to guard Carindrina. Carindrina set her axes down and laid down next to the cage, but far enough away that she was not within reach. She let them sit in silence for a few moments.
“It is important to have friends.”
“You were my friend.”
“You know I had some friends a long time ago, in another place, another land. But sometimes friends ask things of you that means you can’t be friends anymore. It can be hard to say no to a friend.”
“I don’t have to say no to my friends.” His voice was flippant now, dismissive.
“I know, but sometimes we should. But you haven’t told me much about your friends, do you like them?”
“I love my friends. I don’t like that you took them and I don't trust you with them and I don’t trust that they are safe and I am the only one who can keep them safe.” This seemed genuine, genuine care and concern for these children.
“Safe is important, but I know there were a lot of people who were sad when those children, your friends, were taken away from people that love them and things that they love.” Carindrina was hopeful that she could tap into that small well of empathy that appeared to open.
“Those things don’t matter, they will all die, but my friends won’t because I will keep them safe.” His cool aloofness was back.
“Do you think people are afraid of dying?”
“People who can die are.” He stared at her with a dark, challenging intensity.
“I was raised to think that dying is a part of life that can be very good. Im not afraid of dying.”
“Are you immortal?” His childlike curiosity broke to the surface.
“No. I’m not. I don’t have any magic at all. I bet you can feel that.”
He cocked his head and examined her, “No, you do. But it’s not the right kind. Not the right kind to be safe.”
“Well, I find my own ways to keep safe. But i'm interested, did you talk to all of your friends about wanting to be safe? What did your friends say to you?”
“I asked if they wanted to go play games and go somewhere safe where i would give them toys and food and we would be friends forever.”
Carindrina nodded, “What happens if one of your friends is crying?”
“They don’t cry.” He was shutting down.
“None of your friends ever cried? There were a lot of friends there.”
“No, they are only happy.” His arms crossed again and his demeanor became very detached.
“Ok, well if you are good we can bring you some animals to eat later. Good bye.” She gathered up her things and went down to the group, not looking back. Juniper padded after her.
“Ok, there is definitely some sort of immortal fuckery going on with that.” Carindrina pointed upstairs.
The group agreed that they needed to go find the vampires, but first they needed to go find the children’s parents and go to Weatherby to get Nira’s cleric friend to help heal the children/deliver the skull. To accomplish this, they decided to start with the Feyblossom Ranger Guild to ask for help after discussing the best places to turn to for help: the fey, the assassin’s guild, the rangers, and the town guard. Belladonna led the way.
They wound through the forest and the ranger’s guild appeared in a clearing, a large twisting structure made from branches of the Feyblossom trees. There were people milling about and going about the duties of the guild. It appeared that they were tearing down decorations from the festival. Belladonna saw Declan Fennway, her contact, and went up to greet him.

He smiled and greeted her warmly, “Belladonna! I haven’t heard from you in several days. Is everything ok?”
Belladonna smiled wryly, “It’s been a chaotic couple of days.”
Adalia whispered to the group, “If the festival ended, was Adele taken anyways?”
Belladonna told Declan that as far as the assignment he gave her, the Abbots are still missing, but they found HAnnah and she is OK.
He flooded her with questions: Any sign of her parents or who took them? Of Khan and Bjorn? Where is she, is she with you?
She reassured him, She is as safe as she can be with people who are making sure she is safe. She is injured and under the control of another but we stabilized her and she is on the mend. No sign of her parents and their animals.
That is good news overall. Can I send a healer for her and you said the other children? Is it the two other girls from the town?
She nods, saying it is much more than two girls and that a healer would be welcome, but that she really wanted someone who Hannah was familiar with to be there for her. He said that Matilda is a healer and a friend of the family he can send.
The group nudged Belladonna to ask him about Adele and see if she had gone missing. He said that he hadn’t seen her since the end of the festival, but the last time he saw her she was fine. Carindrina asked Belladonna if she thought that the rangers would help locate the families in other towns. Belladonna said she thought they would and she ask. Declan agreed that they would be happy to help if she provided a list of names, which she did. They agreed to meet at The Red Pony Tavern/Bloody Baron Inn and go to the Jade Palace. The group asked if they can use the portal system to get to Weatherby. He directed them to the room at the end of the hallway and go downstairs, saying the door will give you what it gives you, you know how the doors are.

Belladonna led the way, but quickly stopped to pick up her special arrow making set that helps her create arrows designed to deal more damage when she fights creatures she has experience fighting. The cellar was damp but well kept, a stock room mostly, but had a mantle along one wall with a candelabra with a purple candle, a white candle, and a green candle.
Venus held up a hand, “But hear me out--FIREBALL!”
The group laughed, but decided to investigate the room first. The candles were nondescript, and the room was no help in figuring out which candle lead where. Furus deduced that the green looks like the forest, purple was something he was unsure of, and the white reminded him of a road, and he knew that the Roueda (road that runs in a circle around the Dumbraava and connects the towns of Tricreche) was called the White Road. The green and purple candles seemed to have been used the most. Belladonna wanted to ask the guild for help, but knew that as an outside member, she wouldn’t be given the answers.
Adalia joked, “Belladonna, choose a guild right now and choose the Feyblossom.”
“You want me to choose a guild now and choose the Fey for convenience?” Belladonna scowled.
“I know, I know. Don’t trust the fey. I would like to try the purple just because we don’t know anything about it.”
Carindrina tried to wrangle the group’s focus back on the task at hand, saying she didn’t want an adventure, she wanted results.
Adalia teased that she was no fun and Carindrina replied that in the military she didn’t have fun, she had subordinates, but managed to smile at Adalia. She shrugged and reminded Carindrina that “Now you have us!”.
Galia giggles and says, “Quinn taught me about a different type of subordinates.”
Carindrina rolls her eyes but laughs. The group decided to light the white candle and Adalia said that she would come back with Nira and Furus to explore the purple candle. Carindrina said that if they had a good cause she would follow them into the unknown, but they had a mission right now. Adalia made her promise that they would follow Nira and Furus’ chaotic trail one day.

They lit the candle and were ejected onto a road as the sun was setting. They debated pushing on to the town or settling for a camp. They decided to camp and Carindrina marched the perimeter as they set up tents. They split into groups of twos for watch shifts.

Carindrina and Adalia went first. Adalia asked what her impression of Onyx was when she was playing the “good cop”. Carindrina said it was odd that he was convinced that all the kids wanted to be there and were there willingly. And that is one thing we didn’t ask the kids, if they wanted to be there. Adalia explained that while they could have gone willingly, they may not have been allowed to leave. Caridnrina asked if going willingly would have changed the magic and make it likely for them to go back. Adalia said that Venus was right in that they can’t really go willingly because they don’t have true ability to make decisions and that the parents will likely keep a much closer eye on them. Carindrina’s eyes were dark with memories, I just know it is an awful thing to lose a child. Adalia couldn’t find the right words, so she simply said I’m sorry and they finished their shift in silence before waking up Midna and Nira.

Midna asked Nira how she thought they could keep the children safe. I don’t know, find the evil and defeat it. Where do you think the King and Queen of the Fey are? We haven’t seen them in a bit. Nira nodded, I doubt that they are hurt, but I think they are hiding. Some powerful chaotic energies are causing a ruckus. It would be dangerous for them to stay. Midna asked I suppose so, but Galia isn’t hiding, she is actually doing good and saving these kids. Nira smiled, She is good, but I don’t think she and the fey are that alike, I think her and hers are the same tree, different branch, less reason to be concerned. Midna laughed, “LOL, tell that to Belladonna.” As they walked, the trees in the area were rustling, maybe wings or something, an owl, hunting at night. Nira turned to Midna and nodded towards the trees, “Big bird out there, what do you think?” Midna furrowed her brow and they moved carefully to the edge of the forest, Midna casting her torchlight into the shadows. Nira saw the same wings she had seen in the edge of the forest when they returned with the children. Panicking, she tapped the pendant and yelled Pixie Sticks!

The campsite scrambled to attention, everyone rushing to grab their armor and weapons and prepare to fight. Nira called to the group, “There is a creature following us in the woods, I saw it the same day that we came back with the Fey. Belladonna, take it down!”
Belladonna stared into the darkness and her eyes caught the flutter of wings and the form of a winged woman settled into view.

Adalia turned to Venus and asked her to prepare a fireball but not throw it yet. Venus nodded, but decided to light a bush on fire in the forest near where Nira was pointing. Only Belladonna and Nira could see the woman.

Nira shouted at the woman, “Who are you?!”

“I am just a watcher in the woods.” She said passively.

Belladonna stared, it wasn’t human, and it wasn’t fey, but some other creature. The creature didn’t seem interested in anything other than Nira and did not seem aggressive.

The woman turned her gaze from Belladonna to Nira, “I’m watching you. If you think back, you don’t think you remember, but you do, and you know why I’m here. It doesn’t matter why I’m here. If you really want to know what happened, talk to your mother.”

The group tensed, only Belladonna and Nira able to see and hear this exchange. They waited for a signal to start defending the party, but none came. The silence and the darkness beat around them.

“But I am here and I’m watching, and I will continue to watch, and be silent. I need to go, we are not supposed to speak to you. But I will leave you a blessing, if you need me, call.” She pulled an ink-black feather from her wings and released it, floating it towards Nira, then disappeared.

Nira picked up the feather and Belladonna asked if she wanted to explain what happened. Nira shook her head in disbelief, she had no idea what that was.

Carindrina grumbled, “Now that we know the giant bird isn’t going to kill us, can I go back to sleep?”

Galia offered to be on the next watch. Adalia realized that she was holding her bow out like a blade and was completely disoriented, she also agreed that she was going back to sleep.

Nira snorted, “You are all my heroes. Nothing to worry about, just an angel watching over us.”

Galia and Belladonna took the shift together, Galia trying to give her space by asking if she wanted to talk to her or just coldly ignore her for two hours? Belladonna smiled sadly, “Do you think the kids will be ok?”
Galia shook her head knowingly, “I don’t think they are going to be ok. I don’t think anyone can be kept that long and be ok. You just can’t be kept alone that long and not have something go wrong,” she paused, but tried to make it better after seeing Belladonna’s haunted look, “ but I think we will do what we can to help them get back to ok.”
“Do you trust your family to look after them?” Belladonna was trying to learn to trust, but this fey-touched and very confusing creature made it difficult.
“ I trust my family. I trust Quinn more than my family. But even then, my family is good. They will do anything in their power to protect those kids.”
“Well that’s good to hear, better than where they were.”
“ Speaking of, we need to figure out where that was because if it wasn’t our dimension it could be literally anywhere and we could run into at any time and not know.”
“What has the capabilities for magic like that?” Belladonna thought of her limited magic, mostly relegated to nature work, and her brother and his failed attempt at wizardry.
“ I don’t know, something really strong, and something that studied magic for a long time. It can’t be someone like me who stumbled into their magic.”
“Which is what terrifies me.”
“ It terrifies me too.” Galia agreed.

On their watch they don’t notice anything in the forest, but they do notice a lot of wagon tracks on the road indicating it has been pretty heavily travelled recently. They woke up Venus and Furus for the final shift.

Furus turned to Venus, Chaos clapping its hands in anticipation of this absolute wreck of a duo making plans, “So what do you think we should do with this kid? I mean, he said that he isn’t even a kid, he said he’s an adult. So we should try him as an adult, right?”
“Well, he sure acts like a kid. I guess it depends on what is considered an adult in his race.”
“Well...if he doesn’t give some information, maybe some fireball would help him?”
“I mean, I do have burning hands. I don’t have to use it to its full effect.”
“Should we watch the perimeter and see if that feathery bird thing is still watching us?”
“I couldn’t even see it!”
“I couldn’t pee because I thought it was watching me!”
They didn’t see anyone in the woods, and Furus managed to find a place that looked great to go to the bathroom, telling Venus to stay there while he talked to a man about a horse. When the morning broke, he realized that a lot of places that shouldn’t itch and burn were very uncomfortable.