After getting/falling off the bear, Valgrim picked himself, brushed his hat, and turned to his companions.

"I found us a guide."

Still slightly stupefied at the bear's sudden appearance, everyone jumped when Scald yelled out, "Nevian, nooo. What have they done to you my precious familiar?!"  Scald had noticed the limb serpent hanging off the bear.  He rushed over and cradled the snake in his arms, which looked pretty funny as the snake was almost as large as himself.  Nevian the snake merely muttered about scary things.  

Scald looked up angrily at Valgrim, "How dare you harm my familiar! I'll have you pay for this!"  Valgrim sighed.  Not much to say when the snake was obviously traumatized.  

"Don't lose your head Scald, your snake will be fine if you dismiss it back to it's plane of existence.  Remember, that's how familiars who die forget their deaths and allows them to recover in peace.  I do apologize for the things it went through, but I have to point out I went through the same things."

Scald hesitated, glared at the bear, and dismissed Nevian.   Valgrim was right, the contract magic allowed for familiars to forgot any terrible things they went through as long as their master had not caused it.  If the master did cause it, then the familiar could plan a horrible death for the master- but this rarely happened due to the good relationship between the two.

While Scald dismissed his familiar, Saharra came up to Valgrim.  She pointed at the bear, now lapping water from the lake, and the dwarf, who was also lapping at the lake.  "Explain."

Shaking his head at the dwarf, Valgrim spun his tale on how he met Dirrg and Girr, battled the Hydra, and the agreement they came too.  He made sure to leave out the trolling snake and it's punishment.  Saharra looked at the dwarf, who was now washing his armpits, in disgust and resignation.

"Fine, but keep him away from me and my brethren, he stinks."

Valgrim nodded, completely agreeing with her.  He walked over to Brutus.  "Any indication where the Hydras are?  I only an adult, no younglings around anywhere."

Brutus nodded, and pointed to the lake.  Valgrim followed Brutus's finger with gaze.  He looked from the lake to Brutus a couple of times before saying, "They are really not going to like that."  Brutus smiled and chuckled.

Valgrim sighed.  This was going to be fun.  "Dear clients, I regret to inform you that our prey may require us to get a little... wet."

Saharra raised an eyebrow, Scald developed an annoyed face, Dirrg grinned and hopped up and down, and Meridia.... uh, where did she go?

Valgrim looked around quickly, swiftly spotting her with Girr the bear, who was now on his/her? side being rubbed thoroughly by Meridia.

"Meridia, what are you doing?"

She didn't turn around, Valgrim heard the distinct words, "So cute", come from her direction.  Guess the silent one really likes cute and fluffy things huh.  Must be desperate for fluffyness, because that huge bear was not cute at all, in fact it made Valgrim shudder remembering being on.... "Dirrg is your bear a girl or guy?"

"Me kin dere me as feminine as I", he declared.

"......."-everyone

'Not feminine at all"- Scald

"No taste in clothing"- Saharra

"I can't respond to that."- Valgrim

"Sniff, sniff. Obvious is girl."- Brutus

They all looked at Brutus.  "So the bear's a girl?  This raises some concern on this dwarf..." Valgrim muttered.

Shaking his head, Valgrim turned back to the important people.  (Oy I ain't a wee side character bloody author)

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

(Dirrg notices Meridia and starts yelling her to get off, she refuses)

"I can create an air bubble for two people to scout the lake, enough for 2 and half hours for each person.  If you find some seaweed down there, bring some and I can cast a better spell later.  So whose going?"

(Dirrg tries to pull Meridia away, fails because of unexpectedly high resistance)

Saharra and Scald looked at him pointedly.  "Are you not going master hunter?  I have no desire to get wet or be ambushed by Hydras." said Scald.  Valgrim sighed and explained, "Brutus is going down, so I have to stay up here with the others in case of emergency.  I doubt Dirrg or his bear could scout, and Meridia is caught up in her own world.  So one of you has to check out the lake with Brutus."

(Annoyed her backscratcher is being taken, Girr knocks Dirrg into the forest, and resumes being scratched by Meridia)

Hearing that Brutus would be going, the two elves began a game to see who would go with him.  Apparently, even if they thought Brutus was an idiot, he would be better protection than Valgrim.

(Dirrg returns extremely annoyed with his battle ax out, Meridia faces him with some potions in her hand)

"Ha, I win!" said Saharra triumphantly.  Scald shakes his hurt hands and mutters about female elves and their wiles.  Saharra backhands him onto the ground without looking at him, beaming expectantly at Valgrim.

"Congrats." he said dryly, "Give me a sec to cast this."  Kissing his ring, he begins praying to his god, while an epic battle occurs in the background.

(When...win, give...daughter.-M)

(Never ye filthy slob, me daughter ain't for your hand-D)

(Explosions sound as Meridia wields her achemic power against Dirrg's battle prowess)

(Girr sighs, gets up, whacks both of them to the ground with her paws)

As Valgrim chanted, a bubble of light formed around Brutus and Saharra.  "And I pray.....your benevolence.....in deference to you... grant me....Air Bubble!"

The bubble shines, then fades to nothing, leaving a confused Saharra.  "It didn't work."

Valgrim snorted, "Why would you need a bubble or air on land?  When you reach the water, the air bubble will push the water away from you."

(Dirrg and Meridia are seated seiza style as Girr gets up on her back feet and snarls and growls at them in lecture form)

Face slightly red, Saharra joins Brutus as they walk into the lake.  Valgrim watches them enter the lake, the water being pushed away by the air bubble.  He paused and thought a moment, 'Maybe I should have mentioned that fighting under water quickly lessens the air... meh should be fine."

He turned around to find Girr being scratched professionally by both Meridia and Dirrg.  "...Do I really want to know?"

Girr looked at him, and seemingly shrugged

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SpellAir BubbleA spell that wraps air in the form of a bubble around the recipient.  Does nothing on land, completely worthless.  In water, pushes it away from the air bubble.  Cannot be popped, but can run out, it shrikes as oxygen decreases.  Offers no resistance to attacks.