Stepping out into the light Merlynn was immediately hit with fond visuals of Fall with the odd yet familiar trees of Flameria towering over a sturdy wooden wall dropping technicolor leaves as a gentle wind blew through gnarled branches. The wind was lukewarm, a pleasant change from the onset chill of Chattanooga’s oncoming winter. Various buildings of masonry and tack lay downhill before her, each owner of which she knew personally by name. As she neared the first building, she was greeted by a lovely Orcish woman who called out to her in a deep throaty voice. “Merr-lynn! That you? Why is it you come see Tur-Mah-Lok.” Tur-Ma-Lok shouted with a toothy smile. “Hello their Miss Tur-La how fare the day?” Merlynn asked with a curt bow. “Lose the curt crap. You bring weird girl? Dressed too funny to be from round here.” Tur-La spoke crossing her massive green arms. “I’m sorry she’s my daughter do you know which way she went?” Merlynn asked politely. “She went twards the Jerry’s place. Saying she needed a smithy. Jerry’s place not smithy, but she wouldn’t listen. Kept talking about how big teeth I had and how big my hands were. Asked me if I ate Grandma, which I replied of course its passage of adulthood trial and I Tur-Mah-Lak Oog-Brahnin am most definitely an adult. Then she left laughing at my achievement.” Tur-La replied with more information than necessary per usual. “Thanks Miss Tur-La I’ll go find her now.” Merlynn thanked her again with a curt bow. “Your welcome child and tell weird girl to come see me we shall break the bread.” Tur-La added returning to her work pounding out a massive roll of dough.

“Jerry’s” was a place in the village that no one really cared to go but if you needed to know something Jerry’s would be the place, for a price. Knowing Gloria woulldn’t sit still for long she lengthened her stride to have the best chance at tracking her down. The village wasn’t big by any means but it was still easy enough to lose someone if you weren’t actively looking for them. Merlynn clacked along the cobblestone road impressed since they had just started working on it when she was last here. She shook herself narrowing her attention, lest she became prey to her own curiosity pressing harder against the stone pushing herself faster. “Gotta finds Gloria...” Merlynn muttered to herself as she approached Jerry’s awkwardly tall and narrow home where she found Gloria haggling with the Man-fish himself, Geri. He sat squashed in a window, a literal orange catfish out of water, comfortably leaning on one massive, finned arm fixating his golden rectangular irises on Merlynn and Gloria at the same time. “Merlynn!” Geri called out in a bubbling voice as if each word was backed by a gargle. “I was just explaining my sign to this young lady.” Geri added blinking his eyes out of sync. “Oh yeah, well careful what you say to her, the spawn doesn’t swim far from the lagoon.” Merlynn snickered.

“Oh my! You’re the spawn of Miss Merlynn then!? Should have guessed, you have her eyes. Anyways it's just dirty slang against my kind. See in our native tongue it sounds like to most everyone that we are saying “Jerry” as it were, so I decided to embrace it and make it my own. I have franchised information young one you see. You can find one of my stores in any major city, all for a humble price if I do say so myself.” Geri explained using hand gestures revealing three webbed fingers and a hooked thumb on each, as he grinned in a wide toothy smile. “Oh! Excuse my tackle.” Geri somehow blushed, hiding the hooks on his thumbs. “Your fucking weird!” Gloria cursed, pointing at the fish-mans face. “As are you. One so thin won’t make good bait.” Geri burbled with a chuckle. “Get caught buddy! Of course, he’s got fish puns.” Gloria huffed walking to her mother’s side.

“I see you still have your accessories.” Merlynn chuckled as Geri flopped back into his house letting the door shut on the window he leaned out of. “Ha ha, can we find the smithy now I really need a hammer or something.” Gloria huffed once again. “Come on its this way.” Merlynn laughed leading them through the village past Tur-La the Orcish baker and her husband Muff Guht. Merlynn waved at them who both waved back with toothy smiles. “Mom this place is kind of creepy with a capital “K”. When do we get out of here.” Gloria asked, still tugging on the chunks of wood. “It’s not so bad once you get used to it all, besides this place is nothing compared to some of the others this world has to offer.” Merlynn smiled happily resting her arms behind her neck as the walked. “Okay well creepy medieval town ain’t cutting it for me.” Gloria sighed looking up to see a sign hanging off a large lean-to with a new thatch roof. Burned in the wooden sign was an anvil and sword carving. “Hey that’s got to be the smithy! Hold on one sec!” Gloria blurted out racing ahead on her own. She found in the lean-to a man a few feet taller that she, hammering away on a red ingot. She then noticed the man’s skin was an even deeper shade of red when he turned to face her, two gnarled protruding horns of his own. “Odd you don’t seem of my kin but you are, familiar?” The man leaned down looking Gloria in her eyes as he stroked his thick black goatee. She lost herself momentarily in those golden eyes completely forgetting about the chunks of wood.

“I ah...I um...” Gloria managed finally taking a full look at the man. What she had mistaken as an odd red shirt turned out to be crimson skin accommodated by healthy, but sweaty muscles. His face was gaunt and hair a salted black. Gloria even noticed the tip of a tail appear from behind him and bend like he was cracking his knuckles. “Wow you even have a tail. Thank the gods you’ve got pants on or this might have gotten nasty oofff!” Gloria was suddenly stopped as Merlynn struck her across the head. “Ignore her Sal, would you be a dear and help her with these chunks of wood on her horns.” Merlynn asked with a chuckle. “Why Merlynn, no hello or how you doin Sal? No? Besides there are no chunks on this girl's head. I’m concerned how she lost her tail though. I'm rather attached to mine.” Sal whipped his tail around him into his hand and rubbed it.

Merlynn looked Gloria up and down and he was correct, her horns were chunk free. She wondered where they might have fallen off, swearing to have just seen them. “I’ve never had a tail; I was born this way.” Gloria protruded her chest with pride then reeled it back in nearly as quick. “So yeah, no more chunks. So Mom, introduce me to this snack, I mean guy again.” Gloria insisted in a fit of embarrassment. “Ah, she is your daughter then, that makes sense.“ Sal assumed snapping his fingers. “Never thought you’d to lay with a Tiefling Lynn. Naughty.” Sal teased whispering into his hammer. “Still no tail is weird. You’re a rarity girl, I pity you if you run into more of our kind. Farewell.” Sal made his attempt to be dramatic and bold until a Tiefling woman reached her head out of a hut cursing him in a language they couldn’t understand but could see the effect as Sal seemed to darken a shade. “Got to go the wench summons.” Sal bowed politely then all but ran home baby talking his wife. Vicious beatings and boyish screams later Merlynn and Gloria headed for the exit of town feeling quite awkward. “Where have you taken me...?” Gloria asked with a teasing grunt. “Oh yeah! Welcome to Fahla Mira.” Merlynn giggled as she waved at the guards who cheered at her as they opened the massive wooden gates that towered over them.

Gloria was struck silent by what she saw. She grew up in a city with every now and then going to the countryside to see family, but she had never quite seen a forest so beautiful and thick with life. Birds she had never seen before flittered around in the trees above sporting a wild array of plumage. “Is that the name of the village or what?” Gloria asked, trying to watch what she thought was a pack of squirrels chase one of the smaller brightly plumed birds. They skittered, almost rolling from tree-to-tree as the pack grew larger now boasting ten beasts to the one small bird, but the bird was not just fleeing either. As the bird flew it dropped brilliant feathers that sparkled just as brightly, then with a sudden click Gloria could barely hear, the feathers that it left behind, the ones now fully undertow of the growing swarm of vile tree rat, suddenly burst into flame with concussive force enough to send some throngs of squirrels flying. The rest of the pack that managed to remain regrouped, dwindled in numbers, but continued the chase. Another smaller pack of three had leapt from the canopy above latching onto the bird then each other plummeting the bird beyond the thicker brush that fed into a seemingly never-ending forest.

“What the hell did I just see?” Gloria asked bewildered and quite intrigued. “Just wait till it gets dark! You’ve seen nothing yet!” Merlynn laughed as Gloria tried fixing the odd look on her face. “Seriously though does everything here either blow up or try to kill you? Eat you rather? Wait… no wonder you love it here.” Gloria shook her head before slapping it in realization. “The forest is called Fahla Mira, and the town doesn’t really have a name yet, but it’s an embarrassing story I'd rather not get into right now.” Merlynn answered, finally ceasing her laughter. “Oh, I’ve got to know now. Give me the deets.” Gloria demanded as Merlynn began walking along the dirt path trying to avoid the conversation. “Nope you’re not getting that one out of me.” Merlynn affirmed turning to Gloria and sticking out her tongue. “Lady Merlynn!!!” a strong male voice cried from the field of grass to the right. Gloria turned as the hairs rose on the back of her neck.

Nearby guards were blindsided as a massive boar touting a nasty maw of horns and tusks burst through a row of trees like they were twigs. The beast's eyes filled with frenzied rage as it gored one man and tossed another. Before Gloria could ask, Merlynn had sprinted forward moving faster than she had ever seen her do so before. She summoned her staff mid dash slamming it into the boar's side staggering it. Two of the guards left the fight dragging the wounded away as Merlynn and two other guards doubled down continuing the fight. One guard managed to plunge his short sword deep into the fatty neck of the boar causing it to squeal a sound that mimicked a pressured blast hurling the other guard away leaving the unarmed guard to be trampled into the ground when the massive beast thrashed. The unarmed guard roared underneath the heel of the beast beginning to release considerable steam and heat as he began lifting the boar off him then sat up setting both of his feet. The straps on his armor gave way to the intense heat he was releasing revealing him to be a Scarlet Orc and he was pissed. With a heave of his searing meaty hands, he broke the beast’s leg shoving it inwards at it, screaming with all his pent-up rage. He heaved once more snapping the bone further toppling the boar sending it into a panicked flail.

Merlynn seized the opportunity reciting echoed words as she leapt into the air summoning crackling energy. She rose higher than Gloria thought possible finally reaching her peak she slammed the staff’s crackling tip towards the ground releasing gathered energy with a single phrase. “Crashing Blitz!” Merlynn’s voice boomed with power as hot white energy ripped outwards and homed in on the sword buried in the neck of the boar damn near cooking it in the process. The boar spasmed once before collapsing fully lifeless, its carcass steaming from the attack. Merlynn landed looking quite smug with herself. “Thank you, Lady Merlynn. Your assistance was most appreciated.” The Scarlet Orc spoke as his skin returned to a normal cherry red instead of the hot orange he was previously. “Your very welcome sorry to take your kill. “Merlynn bowed slightly. “It's fine this one has grown old in his day and is humble enough to know when help was truly needed. We could use more youth in the guard but as it stands the village itself ages. Most children have grown up and new people seem to want to stay even less.” The Scarlet Orc admitted. “I’ll put word out around the towns I trust. Perhaps a safe affordable place to live and work will be enough to draw more people here.” Merlynn offered extending her hand. “That would be appreciated even more so, again, thank you, Lady Merlynn you have been kinder to us than some of us deserve.” The Scarlet Orc bowed then left rallying his men and helping to carry the wounded.

“Who was that!? Did you just accept a quest? Is there some kind of game menu I’m missing or something.” Gloria bombed Merlynn with a string of questions. “Sairoc the Wise, a noble hearted man, yes, I kind of did just accept a quest, didn’t I? Also, no there’s no hidden game menu or anything of the sort. No cheat codes to save you or rerolling new characters. When you roll the dice here, you're rolling for real.” Merlynn answered lifting a finger with each answer. “Damn I'll keep that in mind, where we going now?” Gloria asked thinking on what Merlynn said. “Now we’ve got to walk, there’s an inn just a day and a half’s walk away. We are headed there to meet someone if my research turns out right.” Merlynn smiled and stretched then began walking. “Ugh…walking…I hate you.” Gloria muttered, dragging herself along behind Merlynn. The two of them continued chatting while they walked, passing a couple hours before Gloria had realized it.

Merlynn mainly talked and for a change Gloria listened asking, a few questions here and there but for the most part listened to her mother explain how this planet turns out is fairly like their own in some places and drastically different in others. She felt rather enthralled when she spoke of treacherous stuff like the Glass Desert, a terrible place plagued by strong winds and lightning that stirred up glass it created from the sand lifting it up into a deadly storm. The floating city island of Vain, or Vanhain if you were from it, where you could find stuff from its bustling merchant industry you couldn’t find anywhere else on the planet. She did stop paying attention when Merlynn tried explaining the mechanics of how the city worked however, so Merlynn changed topics.

She then started telling her about the varied people who called this planet home and that each of them worshipped one or more of the gods that ruled over the planet. “So, you're saying that there is pretty much every fantasy race here plus a few others and they each have their own god that resides over their region?” Gloria asked, stopping to fish out a waterskin from the satchel she wore at her side. “Pretty much. I haven’t traveled off continent, yet. Bo and I wanted to wait till you were a bit older before we tried that. Still, there’s plenty I haven’t explored even on this continent. Who knows who or what we will find.” Merlynn answered stretching in place.

“Something’s been bothering me though since we came here. How does the portal work on Earth? I can practically taste the magic here so it makes a bit more sense how it would work here but back on Earth its slim pickings.” Gloria asked offering her mother the waterskin. Merlynn politely declined then took a swig from a small flask she fished from her coat along with lighting a smoke. “Well remember when I told Hiro that the Earth has a daily limit? Well that limit technically varies depending on Ley Lines. The closer you are to a major Ley Line the denser the mana, so greater numbers. The Addled Mimic sits on a lesser Ley Line, off shoots from the majors that are less dense, but still potent sources on their own. Granted you can’t use the mana from Ley Lines in the same manner as you would wild mana. Drawing from them takes more time and are usually only used in ritual magic or established enchantment magic such as the portal itself.” Merlynn answered astutely blowing a billowing cloud. Gloria waved away the smoke coughing slightly. “I guess that makes sense…” Gloria scratched her head. “Morgana did the heavy lifting on that one. Mainly mine and Bo’s desire to go fueled it all.” Merlynn added, her words a bit sullen. “I miss him too. Still wasn’t going to call him dad though.” Gloria smiled weakly. “When you say planet, you don’t mean that this Earth in another dimension do you?” Gloria asked trying to change the subject. “You are correct, we are still in our own universe. If you want to get technical that’s Saturn up there.” Merlynn affirmed pointing to a distant ringed planet barely visible in the distant sky. “Wait what!?” Gloria shouted snapping her attention to the sky. She squinted hard till she made out the familiar rings of Saturn. “Holy shit!” Gloria exclaimed. “How!?” She followed up with excited.

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“I’m not sure to be honest. Our original goal was to try and figure that out. Peppered throughout history people have recorded seeing this planet, Flameria, and its sun, Sol, as far back as Galileo. Bo was the history buff, seeing as I was less concerned with history than myth and legend. It was his dream to come here and after we started dating I slipped up and he figured out magic was real. I ended up making him a promise that we would try and figure out a way to travel here.” Merlynn answered snuffing her smoke and storing away the butt. “Did you think you could do it?” Gloria asked with a smile. “Hell no. I was even more shocked when I told Morgana and she assured me that it was not only possible, but doable.” Merlynn finished slowly walking away murmuring into thought.

The path they had taken from the village was never intended to be a road, however, due to the uptick in foot traffic the path had become well worn. “How long have we been walking for my feet are killing me.” Gloria bemoaned as she found a fallen trunk and perched herself atop it. “Time out coach. I need a minute.” Gloria heaved as she drank deep into her waterskin leaving a solid dent. “Easy on that Glory, we may be relatively safe at the moment, but here, you never know what lurks around the corner.” Merlynn warned her taking only what she needed from her own waterskin then returned it to the inside of her coat.

“I’m not worried you’ll just blow whatever it is up.” Gloria retorted corking her waterskin. “While I’m thinking on it. Why are we walking anyways? Can't you summon your motorcycle and save our feet some grief?” Gloria asked debating removing her shoes and rubbing her feet. “I’d rather not to be honest it would draw too much attention. Besides it builds character!” Merlynn answered, urging Gloria to get up. With a great sigh Gloria stood but soon had greater things to worry about than her sore feet. Sharp raspy growls snapped canines around them as a pack of wild cur leapt from the tree line. Jet black fur rippled as six sets of vicious canines clacked together with wreathed flame dancing to life along the ridges of their spines.

Without a word Merlynn wrenched her revolver from within her coat putting a bullet straight through the skull of one cur dropping it dead in a heaped slump of black fur. No sooner had the first cur dropped its pack mates scattered with two leaping to opposite sides while the other three ran at Merlynn snarling. Gloria shook herself once then summoned one length of ethereal chain whipping it at the charging three contacting one. She then screamed as she heaved with all of her might rending it and another cur, barely missing the third as it latched onto Merlynn’s arm. Its wicked teeth punctured her sleeve drawing blood along with an angered curse as Merlynn began clubbing it with the butt of her revolver.

Gloria spun tossing her chain again this time wrapping it around the cur thrashing at Merlynn’s arm. The two cur that had ran to the sides emerged tackling Gloria to the ground shattering her ethereal chain as her concentration was broken. Gloria struggled, seething in anger, freeing one of her two pistols. She then slammed it into the mouth of one cur before it could snap its jaws shut in attempt to bite her.

“Bad dog!!” Gloria screamed emptying the clip into the cur stopping it cold. Merlynn managed to finally shake loose the cur that had her by the arm squeezing off another roaring round wounding it. Merlynn then released a small pulse of force from her open palm, blood trickling down her fingertips, launching it into the remaining cur that had pinned Gloria knocking it to the side.

Gloria rolled away drawing her second pistol as she rolled up to her feet and emptied another clip only to miss her first few shots then wounded her attacker with her next few. The wounded cur leapt back bleeding and let cry an ear-splitting howl that caused them both to shield their ears.

As they lowered their hands several distant howls echoed from the distance. “Great they called for help!” Gloria shouted as she regrouped beside Merlynn who looked pained from the wound on her arm. “How many are there!?” Gloria shouted, reloading and firing again at the wounded cur as it fled into the underbrush. She leaned her head around noticing Merlynn prepping a spell. Before the words could leave her lips though a flash of arrows blurred by them into the bushes behind them. Yelps of agony rang out as a red headed elven woman with gnarled antlers gracefully dove from the trees above them brandishing a bow seemingly wrought from a crimson energy. Then a rushed booted stride blasted up to them wearing scale mail and brandishing in one hand, a katana that rested atop his broad shoulders longer than he was tall. He paused in the middle of them for only a moment, his long blue hair still in motion when ten more cur leapt onto them. Before the dogs finished their arc the man laid a second hand on his katana swinging it as wind swirled around its blade tightly then detonated around them in a compressed dome as the man’s voice rang out echoing, “Explosion!!!” The cur caught by the blast was hurled lifeless into the surrounding brush while the couple remaining frantically scrambled up immediately as they landed attempting to flee.

The red headed elf wouldn’t let them however, as she dismissed the bow replacing it with javelins made from the same energy then decimated the remaining cur with a flourished leap and flurry of tosses before they could so much as turn around. She then landed stepping in the remains of a fell cur, slipping a little slightly shaking her poise. The woman audibly cursed in a language Merlynn nor Gloria could understand then turned abruptly showing a slight bit of embarrassment on her face. She quickly shook it off as she effortlessly dashed up to Merlynn and Gloria investigating them with her golden amber eyes. Merlynn blushed slightly as the elven woman paced around them checking them over. She then looked around for the large man that was next to them a moment ago finding him collecting the bodies of the cur piling them on one shoulder, his massive katana nowhere in sight.

Merlynn turned her attention back to the elven woman who was now looking Gloria over tugging at her clothes. She quickly shifted her attention back to the man then back again to the elf unable to shake the sense of familiarity from these people who came to her rescue. “Mom! Get this mute off me!” Gloria squeaked as the elven woman timidly reached for Gloria’s horns with an intrigued smile. “Scuse me, but my daughter wants you to stop so I highly advise you do so.” Merlynn called out reaching for the woman with her bloodied hand. Before Merlynn could so much as touch the woman, the elf spun grabbing her tenderly by the arm but with such efficiency she was sure that if the elf wanted to, she could have possibly ended her life there, however the woman pulled up Merlynn’s sleeve examining her wound instead. “Cyrus! Come over here I need you to do your thing!” The elven woman called out to the man who finally gathered all the cur into a pile. “Holy shit she does talk...and...in English? How the hell?” Gloria asked brimming with confusion. Without saying a word the blue haired man had walked up standing beside Merlynn, whom stood in awe as this was the first time since she was a teenager she had to look up into a man’s eyes to meet them. For a moment she lost herself, speechless, as she stared into his soft emerald eyes. The man then blushed wildly across his angular face making his blue hair and creamy skin stand out more. Breaking eye contact the man brushed his hair behind his ear and flicked it to the side as he inspected her wound. Merlynn felt warmth burst inside her filling her with that sense of familiarity again.

“Holy shit you’re human!” Gloria exclaimed pointing her index finger at the man’s ear. “Yeah aren’t you too?” The elven woman answered with a question as she had turned her attention back to Gloria. “Eh, well half human, not too sure about that other half at times.” Gloria answered, then erupted into more questions. “Wait but how do you know English? Why did you guys save us? Not that we don’t appreciate it mind you. What the hell were those things!?” Gloria heaved as she paused to catch her breath. “Hold on slow down what is eng-lish? Also those nasty beasties were flamebacked cur.” the elf stood with a confused look on her face. “English the language we’re speaking right now, you know the one I'm sure he speaks too since he’s human, seeing as its probably not your first language. What did you say back there by the way?” Gloria asked after explaining.

“Half human, like you said earlier. What we are speaking now is known as Common and I didn’t say anything earlier!” The elf drew in on herself starting to blush a bit. “But I swear I heard you say something earlier.” Gloria muttered as she heard the pop of a cork. Gloria and the elf turned looking at the man who had uncorked a flask of water then poured it over Melynn’s wound. “Gloria, everyone’s been speaking Common since we arrived. Were you not paying attention?” Merlynn answered wincing as he blotted the blood away with a cloth he took from a satchel at his side. He repeated the process of water and blotting till the blood was washed away and the wounds true damage shown through. While her coat had taken the brunt of the force three deep tears in her arm showed bright red as they began to slowly swell with blood. “If not for your coat your arm would have been shattered.” The man spoke aloud as he set the flask and cloth down on one another then laid his hand over the wound covering it entirely. Then Merlynn felt something else she hadn’t felt in a long time as she was enwrapped in a warm energy that resonated within her.

Light welled up in-between the gaps in his fingertips as the man wordlessly willed energy into his hand easing it into Merlynn who seemed to swim in short lived bliss as the light softly faded away. He removed his hand revealing that her wounds were completely healed then gathered his supplies, tossing the bloodied cloth onto the pile of cur. “What the hell is his other half!?” Gloria asked in stuttered astonishment. “That’s not for me to tell you unfortunately. Oh, where are my manners! I haven’t given you my name yet, silly me, It’s Fyri and that guy over there is Cyrus.” The elf introduced herself with a slight bow. Before Gloria could introduce herself properly the cur lit ablaze as a roaring flame ripped outward from Cyrus’s mouth. “My other half is dragon...” Cyrus spoke aloud turning to face them, his eyes blazing with a slight of pride.

“Cyrus you idiot! I told you before you can’t go around saying that! Last time you told a bunch of people we ended up having to leave that town with barely a bag of supplies! Then we were chased by those hunters for three days!” Fyri scolded Cyrus as they began to squabble like an old couple. “Excuse me, I'd like to thank you for healing my arm. You are a paladin aren’t you?” Merlynn asked approaching Cyrus and dispelling the argument. “Yes, although I’m still new to the whole thing.” Cyrus admitted as Fyri stormed off with a huff grabbing up Gloria. “No good goody good. Come lady you can help me set up camp it’s not going to be safe to travel till morning and we are running out of light as it is.” Fyri grunted and cursed as she tugged Gloria effortlessly behind her. “My name is Gloria!” She shouted as she was all but dragged away. Merlynn and Cyrus stared awkwardly at one another not sure what to say about what just happened. “Whose your patron God?” Merlynn asked breaking the awkward moment.

“Bahamut.” He answered solemnly and hesitantly. He then brushed away from the conversation throwing precise blasts of concentrated wind from his hands into the canopy cutting several branches down of which he then caught stacking each on the top of the other in a wobbly mound. Merlynn felt confused at his reaction. Normally paladins didn’t speak of their gods in such a way. She couldn’t help herself thinking that it reminded her a bit of Gloria when she would avoid touchy subjects. “Something wrong?” Merlynn asked. “No...its well a long story.” Cyrus admitted scratching his head. This frustrated Merlynn feeling that odd nostalgia again. “By the way your girlfriend is right. You’re too forthcoming about information unless you’re being compelled. That’s a bold claim about your lineage, even I know the chances of that and from how girly reacted I’m starting to think that might be true or at least well enough fabricated.” Merlynn snapped slightly noticing it made Cyrus flinch. He looked up still working the branches in his hands into manageable firewood.

She then punched him in the shoulder twice grinning at him, although on the inside she was screaming in pain like she just hit a concrete wall. She pulled her hand away and tucked it behind her as she leaned down into Cyrus’s face held just aloft at a polite distance. “If not for you healing my arm, I would have been highly skeptical about you being a paladin as well. Thank you again, I haven’t felt a paladin’s warmth in a long time.” Merlynn’s gaze drifted off as she remembered fond memories until Cyrus cleared his throat. She snapped back to reality and now noticed that Cyrus seemed flustered becoming fidgety as he finished stacking the wood.

“Oh, my bad I didn’t mean anything creepy by it. I know a paladin too actually, although these days he’s having tea parties rather than crashin parties.” Merlynn snorted with a bit of a giggle. This got a hearty chuckle out of Cyrus who eased out of his awkwardness as returned his attention to the firewood. “I’ve never met another paladin before, and the people I’ve met since becoming one were shocked at my abilities.” Cyrus admitted holding his left hand over a small sack tethered to his belt retrieving a corked empty bottle seemingly out of thin air. He then removed the cork holding his free hand over the wood. “You may want to step back a bit.” Cyrus suggested motioning to Merlynn. She obliged watching as the wood began rattling, wind ripping outwards from the piles center. The wind then coalesced into a semi-clear orb that encapsulated the wood vibrating it in nearly a melodious tone. Water began slowly rising from atop the orb reminding Merlynn of condensation on a cold soda can. Then with intended motion Cyrus moved his hand spinning the orb faster till the water rapidly pooled then lifted off the gusty orb gently filling the bottle Cyrus held in his off hand. He corked it as the last drop dripped in then started chuckling at Merlynn’s bewildered look.

“That was amazing...” Merlynn said in awe. “So me spitting fire earlier and saying I was a dragon too didn’t phase you more than skepticism, but me drying out wood for a campfire does?” Cyrus asked continuing to chuckle. Merlynn quickly grew annoyed yet smirked at him. She then sucked in a deep breath willing energy into her throat and expelled a short burst of fire from pursed lips lighting the wood ablaze. She then raised two fingers to her lips blowing a quick burst of smoke over them. “Bitch I could shoot lighting out of my butt if I wanted to.” Merlynn responded, holstering her fingers in her coat pocket. They then erupted into abrupt laughter still laughing when Cyrus asked, “Wait can you really do that?”

“Can she do what?” Gloria beamed as she emerged into the clearing bearing a triumphant grin. Fyri followed behind her toting two massive black fish that she drug on a tarp behind her. “Hey you got the fire going sweet!” Fyri called out tossing the two massive fish to the side. “Cyrus here makes a mean soup out of these bad boys! You guys are in for a treat!” Fyri exclaimed slapping the fish and leaning on them, dwarfed in comparison to the fish. “You will do no such thing!” Merlynn turned shouting in determination stopping Cyrus as he easily lifted the first fish. “I won’t let you sully that succulent beast in such a way! Give it here and I promise you, you will never eat it any other way.” Merlynn demanded, feeling her mouth salivate from the plan she was brewing. “You better listen to her! When she demands to cook it’s a good idea to let her!” Gloria teased rolling a rock closer to the fire to sit on it.

“Okay here you go!” Cyrus smiled, tossing the fish to Merlynn, who was immediately knocked down by the sheer weight of the beast. “A little help please!” Merlynn grunted as she flailed. Cyrus lifted the fish once again as Fyri helped Merlynn to her feet. Gloria, who was still laughing, caused her rock to shift and send her sliding off the backside. After everyone had a good laugh Merlynn retrieved a small, lidded box out of her satchel, appearing in her open hand as she lifted the satchel. From within the box she called out names of items that appeared one after another. A table, cutlery, dry good, anything Merlynn would need to make a great meal that wouldn’t expire. “I call it my pop-up restaurant.” Merlynn giggled as she arranged her cookware. “Cyrus bring that fish over here and help me out, I did say you’ll never eat it the same way again so suppose you should learn how it's done.’ Merlynn beamed as she patted a large empty table. "Okay get your knife ready and watch closely!" Merlynn grinned showing off a sharp blade.