Azuri'ith picks up the chimes and blows on them until both vials are full, setting the chimes gently down when he is finished.
"There you are, miss. Now if you would be so kind as to give the young lady the star, we would be most grateful. I would ask that if any more of these come into your possession that you hold them for us. I promise you that we will reward you handsomely."
"That I shall." She closes the case containing the star and hands it graciously to the young girl. "If I come across more, I shall notify you by my call sign. It is two blue-hued star sapphire-shaped butterflies."
A dozen denizens of Leng arrive very suddenly at Slipknot Pete's shop, lock the doors, shutter the windows, and beat and cut Pete to within an inch of his life.
They leave him badly injured, but stable, with a handful of rubies scattered over him, and with a note scrawled on a blackened and charred piece torn from a turban pinned to the wall above him with an obsidian dagger.
On the piece of turban is scrawled a message for Allura:
'If that Dragon was your doing, faux tiefling woman, you will regret it greatly.'
"That I shall." She closes the case containing the star and hands it graciously to the young girl. "If I come across more, I shall notify you by my call sign. It is two blue-hued star sapphire-shaped butterflies."
Arielle takes the case, smiling broadly. She opens it and pulls out the star, holding it close and humming along with its song for a moment before putting it in her bag with the others.
"Thank you," she says to Millilani.She turns back to JH and Azuri'ith. "There is still one more at the Bazaar." She frowns slightly. "And I think a bunch of the others are in transit somewhere. Still too far to pinpoint exactly."
"That I shall." She closes the case containing the star and hands it graciously to the young girl. "If I come across more, I shall notify you by my call sign. It is two blue-hued star sapphire-shaped butterflies."Arielle takes the case, smiling broadly. She opens it and pulls out the star, holding it close and humming along with its song for a moment before putting it in her bag with the others.
"Thank you," she says to Millilani.
She turns back to JH and Azuri'ith. "There is still one more at the Bazaar." She frowns slightly. "And I think a bunch of the others are in transit somewhere. Still too far to pinpoint exactly."[/i]
Mililani smiles at the young girl's brief merriment. "Perhaps the spell I am working on can help you? It is a divination that collects events and words on the wind and air."
Mililani smiles at the young girl's brief merriment. "Perhaps the spell I am working on can help you? It is a divination that collects events and words on the wind and air."
Arielle giggles. "I think Grandpa already knows that one. It's one of my mommy's spells. I need something stronger to find where the notes of the Song have gone. Once they sit still for a little I'll be able to find them."
"Then I bid a good journey," she says. "Feel free to return when you need something special. I shall be here."
With that, she approaches a moon elf. He is a tall handsome young male who under no enchantment enters her shop seeking historical inquiries about a discrete suit of armor. she leaves the young girl and her grandfather to help her next customer.
Arielle giggles. "I think Grandpa already knows that one. It's one of my mommy's spells. I need something stronger to find where the notes of the Song have gone. Once they sit still for a little I'll be able to find them."Mililani smiles at the young girl's brief merriment. "Perhaps the spell I am working on can help you? It is a divination that collects events and words on the wind and air."
JH can once again feel a tendril of the Green trying to reach for his mind. It struggles to reach him, but it seems like the struggle takes less time than previously.
"My love, I just had a visit from Elly. She said to warn Arielle about a dragon named Daelamos who might have some of the stars and is supposed to be rather dangerous. And she suggested that there might be another dragon involved as well and that it might be a little bit her fault that there is. She did apologize. It seems to have been an honest mistake on her part, but she thought it was important that Arielle be warned. And I can't quite reach Arielle. I can sense her, but I've never had any contact with her before and that is making it very difficult to speak with her this way. Tell her that I love her."
[To Arielle and Azuri'ith]
"I've just heard from your mom and she knows you're working very hard at the search for the stars. But she wants you to be very careful. Apparently a dragon named Daelamos might have some of the stars and is supposed to be rather dangerous. There might be another dragon involved as well. She wants me to tell you that she loves you."
"Perhaps a side trip to the Grove of Ancients would give you a chance to talk to her thru the Green. It's about time you two got introduced."
[To Arielle and Azuri'ith]
"I've just heard from your mom and she knows you're working very hard at the search for the stars. But she wants you to be very careful. Apparently a dragon named Daelamos might have some of the stars and is supposed to be rather dangerous. There might be another dragon involved as well. She wants me to tell you that she loves you."
"Perhaps a side trip to the Grove of Ancients would give you a chance to talk to her thru the Green. It's about time you two got introduced."
"Oh, yes, please. I'd like that very much," Arielle says, bouncing with excitement. "I really want to meet my mommy. After we get the last star here?"
"Oh, yes, please. I'd like that very much," Arielle says, bouncing with excitement. "I really want to meet my mommy. After we get the last star here?"[To Arielle and Azuri'ith]
"I've just heard from your mom and she knows you're working very hard at the search for the stars. But she wants you to be very careful. Apparently a dragon named Daelamos might have some of the stars and is supposed to be rather dangerous. There might be another dragon involved as well. She wants me to tell you that she loves you."
"Perhaps a side trip to the Grove of Ancients would give you a chance to talk to her thru the Green. It's about time you two got introduced."
"Sounds like a plan. You deserve a treat after all of your hard work, and mommy treats are even better than candy." ;)
"Sounds like a plan. You deserve a treat after all of your hard work, and mommy treats are even better than candy." ;)
"Yay!" she says, jumping up and down. "Let's hurry and get the last star here then so we can go talk to mommy."
She grabs JH's hand and starts heading purposefully towards the arena.
Bunch of dang weirdos.....
The omniportal activates, and Devlyn and Allura enter the Bazaar. They make their way to Pete's tackle shop.
Pete is laying unconscious and bleeding on the floor of his shop. The place is trashed, like a fight took place not that long ago. A handful of rubies have been thrown on Pete and a burnt rag with writing on it has been pinned to the wall.
The note: 'If that Dragon was your doing, faux tiefling woman, you will regret it greatly.'
Allura rushes over to Pete and starts casting healing spells.
"Sounds like a plan. You deserve a treat after all of your hard work, and mommy treats are even better than candy." ;)
"Yay!" she says, jumping up and down. "Let's hurry and get the last star here then so we can go talk to mommy."
She grabs JH's hand and starts heading purposefully towards the arena.
Arielle leads the way to the arena.
Pete is laying unconscious and bleeding on the floor of his shop. The place is trashed, like a fight took place not that long ago. A handful of rubies have been thrown on Pete and a burnt rag with writing on it has been pinned to the wall.
The note: 'If that Dragon was your doing, faux tiefling woman, you will regret it greatly.'
Allura rushes over to Pete and starts casting healing spells.
Devlyn's blade is in his hands in an instant as he scans the shop for any signs that the people who did this are still here. He catches their scent, and it doesn't smell human at all...
"Have you got enough magic to heal him, or do we need more Allura?" he asks as he does a circle through the shop, then stops at the rag with writing on it.
He grabs the rag from the wall, and his face darkens.
"Whoever they are, they don't smell like humans or any other humanoid I recognize. And they evidently take their grudges seriously."
Devlyn's blade is in his hands in an instant as he scans the shop for any signs that the people who did this are still here. He catches their scent, and it doesn't smell human at all...
"Have you got enough magic to heal him, or do we need more Allura?" he asks as he does a circle through the shop, then stops at the rag with writing on it.
He grabs the rag from the wall, and his face darkens.
"Whoever they are, they don't smell like humans or any other humanoid I recognize. And they evidently take their grudges seriously."
"I have enough healing spells. For now." She glances around and notices the rubies. "The rubies. I recognize these. The traders I spoke with use these as currency here at the Bazaar."
Pete groans and opens his eyes, still in pain, as the healing magic begins to take effect.
Pete groans and opens his eyes, still in pain, as the healing magic begins to take effect.
Devlyn goes over to them.
"Pete - I'm glad we got here when we did. Don't try to move yet - Allura's magic is still doing its work to heal you. Do you remember what happened?"
Pete groans and opens his eyes, still in pain, as the healing magic begins to take effect.Devlyn goes over to them.
"Pete - I'm glad we got here when we did. Don't try to move yet - Allura's magic is still doing its work to heal you. Do you remember what happened?"
"These dark-clad folks came into the shop and without so much as a how-de-doo, jist came at me. Didn't even say why. Jist grabbed me and started beatin' on me. I tried to fight, but there were jist too many of 'em. Oh, my poor shop. What a mess," he moaned as he looked around and saw the mess they'd made of his store.
"These dark-clad folks came into the shop and without so much as a how-de-doo, jist came at me. Didn't even say why. Jist grabbed me and started beatin' on me. I tried to fight, but there were jist too many of 'em. Oh, my poor shop. What a mess," he moaned as he looked around and saw the mess they'd made of his store.
"Don't worry about it Pete, I'll try to cover any damages they caused. The one bit of good news is that they didn't apparently take anything," as they look around the shop.
Allura finishes healing Pete, and helps him up.
"I'm so sorry, Pete. I had no idea that those people would do this. They seemed fairly reasonable when I spoke to them earlier. This is all my fault. I'll help you clean this place up. It's the least I can do."
They help Pete return some semblance of order to his shop. Devlyn is still keeping watch for any trouble as he does so. He contacts Jack Hammer via communication crystal when Pete's not around to hear him:
"JH - keep an eye out for any of those robed traders who were selling stars the other day. It seems they've run afoul of some dragon, and are thinking Allura may have had something to do with it. I don't know what this means for our 'shopping', but I wanted to make sure you knew beforehand. We're back in the Bazaar now, and we'll try to catch up with you later. Where are you going next?"
They help Pete return some semblance of order to his shop. Devlyn is still keeping watch for any trouble as he does so. He contacts Jack Hammer via communication crystal when Pete's not around to hear him:
"JH - keep an eye out for any of those robed traders who were selling stars the other day. It seems they've run afoul of some dragon, and are thinking Allura may have had something to do with it. I don't know what this means for our 'shopping', but I wanted to make sure you knew beforehand. We're back in the Bazaar now, and we'll try to catch up with you later. Where are you going next?"
"We're heading to the arena, where one is being offered up as the grand prize. These last stars are really becoming a problem."
"We're heading to the arena, where one is being offered up as the grand prize. These last stars are really becoming a problem."
"Oh lovely. Well, try not to hurt the other contestants too badly," he says, shaking his head.
"We're heading to the arena, where one is being offered up as the grand prize. These last stars are really becoming a problem.""Oh lovely. Well, try not to hurt the other contestants too badly," he says, shaking his head.
"You should go," Allura says to Devlyn. "It's going to take hours to get this shop back in order. I can stay and help here while you go and help them get the star back."
"You should go," Allura says to Devlyn. "It's going to take hours to get this shop back in order. I can stay and help here while you go and help them get the star back."
Devlyn holds up the note, shaking his head.
"I'm not letting you out of my sight until this little 'misunderstanding' is dealt with, love. These folks have pretty plainly demonstrated that they assume first, strike ruthlessly, and get real facts later.""We'll both get this place cleaned up fast, then we'll go to this Arena."
Allura notices that Devlyn doesn't seem to think too fondly of that kind of place.
Devlyn holds up the note, shaking his head.
"I'm not letting you out of my sight until this little 'misunderstanding' is dealt with, love. These folks have pretty plainly demonstrated that they assume first, strike ruthlessly, and get real facts later.""We'll both get this place cleaned up fast, then we'll go to this Arena."
Allura notices that Devlyn doesn't seem to think too fondly of that kind of place.
"I'm not totally helpless you know," she says, with a small smile, "but I still appreciate that you want to protect me."
"Is there some reason you don't like the arena?" she asks while trying to pick up a bucket of spilled fishhooks without stabbing herself on any of them.
"We're heading to the arena, where one is being offered up as the grand prize. These last stars are really becoming a problem.""Oh lovely. Well, try not to hurt the other contestants too badly," he says, shaking his head.
"Don't worry about me. I'm not entering the contest. They have an anti-magic/dispelling field in place, and no artifacts. I could really hurt someone that handicapped."
"Don't worry about me. I'm not entering the contest. They have an anti-magic/dispelling field in place, and no artifacts. I could really hurt someone that handicapped."
"Then who is entering the contest, Daddy?"
"I'm not totally helpless you know," she says, with a small smile, "but I still appreciate that you want to protect me."
"Is there some reason you don't like the arena?" she asks while trying to pick up a bucket of spilled fishhooks without stabbing herself on any of them.
Said while swiftly picking things up and getting things back in their proper containers:
"I never said that you were, but these guys don't evidently fight fair or believe in rational discourse when things don't go their way. That worries me, especially when we are on their 'turf'. I just don't think it's wise to split ourselves up any more than we already have - at least until we can find them and convince them that whatever happened wasn't your doing."
He sighs as he mounts a harpoon back in its rack.
"And apart from promoting a lust for blood sport, and violence for the sake of violence, what's not to like about an arena?"
"Then who is entering the contest, Daddy?"
"Don't worry about me. I'm not entering the contest. They have an anti-magic/dispelling field in place, and no artifacts. I could really hurt someone that handicapped."
"A bunch of people. We just have to wait 'til there's a winner and deal with them."
"Unless one of our friends decide to give it a try."
JH seem reticient about engaging in a series of battles. His normal brawler persona is weirdly quiet.
Said while swiftly picking things up and getting things back in their proper containers:
"I never said that you were, but these guys don't evidently fight fair or believe in rational discourse when things don't go their way. That worries me, especially when we are on their 'turf'. I just don't think it's wise to split ourselves up any more than we already have - at least until we can find them and convince them that whatever happened wasn't your doing."
He sighs as he mounts a harpoon back in its rack.
"And apart from promoting a lust for blood sport, and violence for the sake of violence, what's not to like about an arena?"
She sets the bucket back on its shelf.
"A fighting man who dislikes violence. You never cease to surprise me, Devlyn. And I mean that in a good way," she adds with a smile, giving him a quick kiss before turning to pick up a rack of fishing poles.
"A bunch of people. We just have to wait 'til there's a winner and deal with them."
"Unless one of our friends decide to give it a try."
JH seem reticient about engaging in a series of battles. His normal brawler persona is weirdly quiet.
"Okay, Daddy. I hope it doesn't take too long. I really want to go to the Grove and talk to Mommy." Arielle seems quite content at the moment. every so often she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a caramel and pops it into her mouth. The effort of chewing the sticky candies keeps her fairly quiet as they walk.
"Okay, Daddy. I hope it doesn't take too long. I really want to go to the Grove and talk to Mommy." Arielle seems quite content at the moment. every so often she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a caramel and pops it into her mouth. The effort of chewing the sticky candies keeps her fairly quiet as they walk."A bunch of people. We just have to wait 'til there's a winner and deal with them."
"Unless one of our friends decide to give it a try."
JH seem reticient about engaging in a series of battles. His normal brawler persona is weirdly quiet.
She sets the bucket back on its shelf.
"A fighting man who dislikes violence. You never cease to surprise me, Devlyn. And I mean that in a good way," she adds with a smile, giving him a quick kiss before turning to pick up a rack of fishing poles.
A smile returns to Delvyn's face as Allura does that. He finishes mounting the swordfish back on the wall behind the counter.
"Well, you can thank my grandfather for teaching me that. He always said that any idiot could pick up a sword and start swinging it around, but only a true warrior knows when not to draw their weapon. I keep trying to live by that...when the world lets me, anyway," he says with a laugh.
He finishes mounting the swordfish behind the counter.
He finishes mounting the swordfish behind the counter.
A smile returns to Delvyn's face as Allura does that. He finishes mounting the swordfish back on the wall behind the counter.
"Well, you can thank my grandfather for teaching me that. He always said that any idiot could pick up a sword and start swinging it around, but only a true warrior knows when not to draw their weapon. I keep trying to live by that...when the world lets me, anyway," he says with a laugh.
"It would be nice if the world wasn't always in need of saving," she agrees with a laugh. "Or at least if there weren't so many people trying to kill us in between the world needing saving."
She starts to untangle two spools of fishing line that have gotten twisted together."And what would you do with your time if you didn't have to be fighting all the time?" she asks, curious.