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Momijii could barely move after the beating she took and getting the monstrous beast moved off of her. She had seen Zarine get "killed" and knew the woman was back in the waking world and she very much wanted to go there too. She looked at Lizzie when she spoke and said, "No, I think we're better off leaving for now and coming back when we are all ready again."
After Zandomir and Zarine disappear, Agrippa wakes himself.
This cannot be good. Death in the Dreamlands can have....unpleasant side effects.
With Agrippa also fading from near her, she nods at Momiji's words, in fact already hoping for that to be their response.
In the waking world....
"Which consequences do you mean, plural?"
One by one Momijii's companions vanished from the dreamlands until she was left alone. The the bizarrely proportioned forest gave her the feel of being a little like an insect or perhaps a tiny pixy. It was not a pleasant feeling for sure, especially when many strange sounds started to echo around the gigantic trees.
Seeing her friends pop out of the dream realm and into reality once more Momijii focused and began to meditate as she attempted to leave on her own.
Given her background in meditation it was a simple matter to free herself from the dream realm and pop back to reality.
Momijii's eyes popped open and she looked at her companions. "It seems we made it back alright, how is Zarine?" She looked at the recently defeated woman with concern and hoped she was alright.
If Momijii says that in Eniraz's hearing, she snaps
My name is Eniraz! I'm not that incompetent weakling Zarine. If something is dangerous, *I* kill it. I don't just walk up to it and ask it nicely to go against its evil nature. I don't have her awful taste in clothing either. She's dead, and I hope she stays that way. All that leather, faugh!
Under her breath she adds
Now, maybe if it were horse leather...
Louder, she says
As soon as we dock, I am going hunting. Anyone want to come?
She walks back to the side of the ship, squinting out at the shore and asks
Anyone know when the sun comes up? The bow has a good range; I figure I can kill several horses as we sail by. I just need to be able to see more clearly.
Recognzing Zarine's condition, Zandomir grimaces. They'll have to handle this... delicately.
"Hi, er, Eniraz," Zan says to the confused bard. "Perhaps we should stay on the ship for a bit? At least till we're certain that Zarine won't try to assert herself? You don't want her embarrassing you or ruining your fashion, right? There's plenty to do on the ship, after all. We can fletch some arrows, discuss our past some, and make plans for when we next venture into the Dreamlands. What do you say?"
Hey, sorry... I just read back on the original description of the psychotic break and it says I was supposed to angrily deny her existence. So, I am going to try to fix that a little here, but ... I already admitted she *used* to exist, so I'm going to play it that this side knows, but hates her and thinks she is dead, and the Zarine side doesn't know at all. Let me know if you want me to add anything else in to make up for my mistake. :)
Oh, don't worry, she is good and dead. And I am not going to sit passively and end up like her, oh no. Not if I have to kill every horse on earth. They deserve to be exterminated.
I wish the sun would come up. I feel them out there. An evil presence, watching the ship.
Every time the bard speaks, Zandomir grows more worried. He's fairly certain his appearance has also grown more pale. Zarine's condition isn't something they're going to be able to just talk away. More drastic measures will likely be needed.
A rather sleepy looking Captain Freeling pokes her head around where you are and asks, "I heard raised voices, is everything OK?"
Lizzie sees Zarine acting totally different, scratching the back of her neck with a finger.
Then it dawns on her, that back in the asylum she overheard a conversation about schizophrenics, and she shows a sad frown.
Oh no....must be a side effect of the dreamlands, after experiencing death at the hooves of that horse demon.
Trying to act like she's oblivious, she tries to tackle Zarine with a hug, expressing her happiness that she's alive, and not comatose.
"You're alive, the lady be praised."
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Hello, Captain. Sorry to wake you. When do you think we will arrive at the next town? I want--
Lizzie interrupts her comments with a hug, which Eniraz accepts gratefully. Finally, someone comforting her and recognizing her worth. It was really hard to be brave all the time like that stupid Zarine. Better to just kill things than to be afraid.
She holds on to the hug for what seems like an awkward amount of time to anyone else, starting to cry and forgetting everything else that she was going to say.
Zandomir smiles at Lizzie and Zarine's exchange, but he still worries for his partner in crime.
Then a thought crosses his mind. They may yet have a solution to this situation.
Lizzie sports a big smile, seeing that Zarine's bolder alter ego also has a soft side.
Say she otherwise, but Zarine's in there.
"Erm..." she looks at Zarine dubiously before answering, "Day after tomorrow we'll enter and cross Lake Kallas. I aim to reach Riverton before nightfall." She gives Zarine another sideways look before saying mostly to Zandomir and Lizzie, "Look whatever's going on here is none of my business, just keep it down please I don't want the crew to get upset..." She looks at you pleadingly.
*Pfff....*
"Hahahaha,", the gnome lass briefly loses it in a fit of laughter.
"I'm very much relieved my friend is alive.", *wipes away a tear of laughter*
"No need to worry so much, captain."
Agrippa reads over the scroll and consults his small, but growing, library about the damage caused by death in the Dreamland and what magicks combat the damage.
Zandomir smiles at the psychotic bard then says, "We want to cast a spell on you, if that's okay. It'll make you better. You want to be even better than you already are, right? It shouldn't take more than a few moments. What do you say?"
Eniraz hears what Zandomir says, but the person she looks to is Lizzie. Better? Do you mean not afraid anymore?
"I'm not an expert on the magic, but i am guessing he hints at making your mind stronger."
I would like not to be afraid anymore, but... I don't think I need any help with my mind. It's fear that keeps us alive, right? Ignoring it is just stupid, and gets you killed. I'll never be that kind of moron. I just wish... that maybe I could turn it down a little.
Eniraz belatedly realizes that she seems weak and could be easy prey for the horses. In fact they could be sneaking up on the boat right now!
Don't worry about me. I'm fine.
She scrambles to her feat, hefting her bow, and attempts again to see something on the shore.
She thinks she sees movement, which *has* to be a horse, and she shoots an arrow off into the darkness. She didn't want to look weak to the others, or wake up the captain again, but she was *definitely* not going to let the horses get to her either.
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Zandomir sighs as the group's effort to restore Zarine's sanity seems to fail for the moment.
When Zarine/Eniraz steps outside, Zandomir says to the rest of the group, "Till we can get Zarine to willingly submit to the spell, we need to tie her up. For her own good and for ours. And for the good of any horses we happen upon. I don't see any way around it."
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The party end up waiting till Erinez falls asleep before using the scroll. Cheap tatic? Sure! Better than a fight? Undoubtedly. The scroll is read out and the time between entering the Dreamlands and now is simply erased from Zarine's mind, Enirez along with it.
The remainder of the day passes unevenly with the Sellen Starling mooring up just short of Lake Kallas.
Very early the next day the Sellen Starling sets off into Lake Kallas proper. The dark green water of the River Glass mixes with the bluer bluer lake water, mixing in great swirls and eddies. With the sky still pink from the dawn and barely above the horizon thoughts turn to the small town of Riverton on the other side of the lake. This would be the first sizable settlement in weeks, an opportunity for fresh food and perhaps even an inn.
Suddenly a cry goes up from the lookout and the Mate Keith comes looking for Captain Freeling with whom you are sharing breakfast. "Captain! Lookout has seen a fishing boat in trouble. Four souls on the dinghy waving for help!"
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Zarine wakes up early a little confused. The last thing she can remember is entering the dreamlands, and now, here she is waking up, but nothing in the middle. Strange. She wondered if it was supposed to be that way, just the way you sometimes can't remember your regular dreams. Did they get that cat tail or whatever? She would have to ask Zandomir later.
For now, she was going to... wait. What was she wearing? It was hideous! She quickly used her Sleeves of Many garments to change into something decent. Wow, maybe someone had drugged her in the dreamlands. Why else would she be wearing... that? She was sure that Zandomir had the story. He always liked to tell her how to avoid making a fool of herself "next time."
She grinned. She would be nice and wait until he woke up though. She grabbed her bow and went up on deck to get some air.
_____
Later, at breakfast, before she had a chance to talk to Zandomir, she heard Keith's message about the people in trouble, so she dropped her toast and ran to help.
She spots it, and moves to help.
In moments the Sellen Starlings crew race into action, bringing the keel boat around on an intercept course. The crew getting ready for the rescue mission.
Hanspur is considered to be a forbidden god and his worship is banned in many nations because of one of his faith's rituals. His worshipers travel with a lone companion, and then re-enact Hanspur's murder by drowning them at night in the Sellen River, their god's domain during his mortal life. His followers also show their obedience by simulating drowning on themselves or a fellow worshipper.
Map.
Momijii was below decks practicing her katas in the hold when the call about the small ship went out. While she was loathe to interrupt her practice she knew it was necessary to get up on deck quickly in case she was needed. When she reached the surface she looked out at the small boat they were now approaching to see what was going on.
She could only just make the boat and figures out though due to the glare of the sun in her eyes after having been below decks.
The warpriest quickly assesses the situation upon seeing the dinghy and its crew. Zan notices one of the dinghy's occupants cast a spell on himself.
Why would he...
Pulling out his bow and notching an arrow in a flash, Zandomir shouts over to the other boat's crew, "Are you truly in need of help or are you trying to ambush us? I saw one of your number cast a defensive spell on himself. Don't try to deny it. Speak quick and speak truthfully!"
The only reply was a rising chant from all four of the men. Something about it got your hackles up!
Zandomir <----- WE ARE HERE
Zarine
Lizzie "beads" Tamar'
Men from the boat
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
Momijii
Zandomir, Zarine and Lizzie "beads" Tamar' are up.
Zarine was ready to help, but she stops short when Zandomir shouts at them. Now that he has pointed it out, she sees that they are all casting spells... not in trouble at all.
Listening to the chanting she can tell that they are casting offensive spells. She points to the green one and tells Zandomir He's casting Call Lightning, and both of those others are casting Hydraulic push!
She shouts to everyone They are trying to kill us!
Wishing she had a nice fireball spell, she instead starts casting summon swarm, hoping that will distract their spellcasters during the battle.
At Zarine's words, Zandomir growls at the dinghy's occupants. "I didn't make it back from the Dreamlands just to die here.
"The last one's casting Rain of Frogs," Zan adds to Zarine's declaration.
Taking aim, Zan infuses his bow with divine electricity before loosing two arrows at the cultist casting Rain of Frogs.
"Captain! Steer the ship closer to the small one, we'll be sitting ducks if this distance is maintained!"
Lizzie directs her husky wolf to get up the stairs.