Drenar realizes with an instant regret that chasing after a giant murder bird, who tried to grab a snack, and accidentally took his friend, is a bad idea.

An even worse idea is to fling himself onto the back of said murder bird and help James untangle the mess of straps from his hopelessly complex backpack.

And the worst idea is, he has no idea how to get off this really bad ride.

This was a really bad idea! Alex shrills. It's not like he didn't know that already!

"James, hold still!" Drenar clings to the bird's shoulder with one hand for dear life, while being smacked repeatedly by the broad wings, and nearly flung off. When the bird turns its head around, he nearly gets smashed by the broad skull that looks like it would have been better placed on a battering ram. "And stop screaming! The moment of terror was a minute ago!"

"How are you so unnaturally chill when this thing is trying to kill us?!" James screams out and flips around trying to hold on and get the straps off. But it's a tangled mess now, and each sway and buck of the wild beast is not helping matters.

"It was just hungry!"

"That is not a valid reason for my existence to end!" James is already scratched up and bruised from the wild flight, and Drenar has grabbed his dagger and tried to line up a clean swipe. The easiest thing to do would be to just stab the creature, but that seems like a monumentally stupid idea, considering he’s going at high speed, and it hadn't tried to hurt them at first. It's now veering through a small wooded area, and Drenar passively notes there's a giant lake above their heads, suspended in space. It makes no sense at all, and there are also waterfalls flowing in the wrong direction!

Well here's one to cross off the bucket list! Going for a rodeo with a Feralaz, well-done lad!

"Alex, bad time for commentary!" Drenar shouts back as he nearly gets smashed again by the bucking creature. Drenar cuts one strap, and James dangles for a second before getting his arm out of the loop and crashing into the ground and barely avoiding being skewered by a talon. His spell barrier breaks the second he lands and he rolls, groaning. The Feralaz, as Alex referred to it, ignores him and is still trying to buck and bite at Drenar.

The beak gouges into his shoulder, and he roars in pain. He pools all his fury into a well-placed telekinetic blast and sends the head flying back, and the creature stumbles. It's now running wildly and erratically, and there's a stone and steel fortress down a slight valley. It's massive and impressive. He does note there was a recent fire by a walled-off area, and people are rushing outside…is that someone running across the field towards him?

Drenar doesn't wait to find out, because this wild ride is running right for them, and it could seriously hurt someone. He winds up again and lands another telekinetic blast at full force.

He regrets this decision when the beast tumbles into a roll, and he's sent flying forward. Drenar lazily thinks this is the stupidest way to die ever, from a random encounter with a giant bird built like a battering ram. He arches his spine to get his barrier up, and it still is a painful landing. He pulls his limbs in just as he contacts the ground and tumbles, getting bruised and jostled before coming to a stop on long, flowing grass with the faded sweet scent of summer.

"Ow. No more Falcon punching my ride," he groans as he tries to pry himself off the ground. The Feralaz has righted itself and is closing in. It snaps its beak and makes low clicking sounds like it's ready to attack. "Oh fine then, take a snack!" he growls when he digs into the bag that had landed right next to him and flings an orange. The bird perks up and follows the motion, but does not appreciate the gift enough to stop inching closer. "I'll send you a whole fruit basket, you overgrown feather duster! But I'm not gonna throw hands with you because it won't end well for you."

The bird doesn't like his tone, and snaps again at the air. He reaches for the sword on his back, and hates himself for what has to happen next. He’s in too much pain to rise fast enough.

"Hey, hey, that's enough! Bad Feralaz!" A small metal container flies through the air and breaks apart in a cloud of blue fumes. The beast takes one sniff and recoils like it was utterly noxious. Drenar tries to hold his breath but gags–it’s utterly repulsive and instantly triggers nausea. The Feralaz lets out a wailing note, turns tail, and darts back through the low trees of brilliant fiery colors The trailing wails echo behind it. Drenar is just glad he didn't have to draw his weapon and groans before examining the gash on his shoulder. That beak was sharp. He’s still hacking and trying not to throw up from that noxious fume, and when he can breathe again, he glances up and looks at his would-be rescuer.

I'm a seventeen-year-old male half-dragon trying to figure out what I want in life, and she's making a mighty strong case for what I should be looking for.

"Are you always keen on making an entrance, Drenar? Because that was a pretty good one, in my humble opinion." He's at a loss for words when a woman with wavy, strawberry-red hair and bright lavender eyes peers down at him, and curiosity is etched into her sharp chin, and lightly angular face. She's studying him curiously, like a cat or a raven would, and he notes she has a few bandages on her hands and one on her neck and shoulder. He feels like he's seen that unique eye color before, and that playful light voice with just a hint of spice. Like cinnamon.

No, wait. He did smell cinnamon. It was an odd thing to note. "Yo, do you have a concussion?" She asks after a few seconds.

"Hi Josephine, nice to meet you. I’m pretty good at keeping my head well protected, but not so lucky elsewhere," he grunts before smiling faintly. “You’re not catching me on my best day, to be fair–”

"Just Joey, actually,” she interjects. She’s peering at him intensely–is he covered in blood and dirt? Yep. Is his hair too much of a mess? He’s pretty sure all those are both true right now. “Uh, are you planning on laying there all day? Because it looks like you've had a rough week thus far–oh, you're bleeding. We should get that looked at." She hoists him up and his body aches at the motion. He's surprised that she's the same height he is, and she looks at his shoulder, and he pulls back his shirt collar. It's a mess of dirt, grass, and blood.

She’s…interesting, is about the only two words Drenar manages while Alex is busy practically singing in his head. Oh, what are you on about now, Alex?

I think someone's starstruck! Alex whispers deviously.

Dude, I just got chomped on the shoulder by a giant murder bird. James owes me so much for this, he thinks to his dragon. "Sorry for the flashy entrance, I was hoping for something a little more subdued but…yeah, there was a situation–ow." She ignores him and feels the wound gently with her fingers. Her skin is surprisingly firm, and warm. He doesn't dwell on this observation, since she already has gotten some kind of spray to clean the wound. After that, she takes a vial of blue liquid and opens it.

"Yeah, I saw the highlights. Your friend James got tangled up, and you chased down that giant bird on foot? Man, that's kinda crazy," she says with a soft laugh. "Oh hold still, this may sting a little."

"I have a fairly high pain tolerance–nngh." He grits his teeth as the elixir enters the wound, and it hurts like dozens of wasp stings, sharp and painful. To his amazement, the wound closes to a less rugged cut and seals over. It's still there, but it's less severe, and no longer bleeding. "Well, higher pain tolerance than most," he says after a second. "You look like you got pretty beaten up, what happened on your end?"

"Chased a couple of saboteurs. Blew one up. Not as bad as your week probably has been, but I don't think this is a competition either of us wants to win," she replies with a hint of amusement. He stares bewilderedly at her.

“You blew up a saboteur?” Suddenly, he’s wondering if Alex’s advice isn’t just sarcasm.

You stay around her, you’re going to become Kentucky fried dragon, Drenar. He can almost picture that silvery dragon recoiling in horror. Dragons should be terrified of nothing.

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“Yeah, I’d like to talk about that one a little less, still kinda visceral and disturbing,” Joey says while getting bandages over his shoulder. “And you were running around Mercadian Promenade, saving the garrison, and taking machine gun fire,” she states with remarkable restraint. Even with his scales supercharged and polarized, that had hurt more than a little, and the bruises would tend to agree with him.

“How did you hear about that?”

“King. Long story.” He wants to ask more questions, but he gets the feeling that the burning scent is only the tip of the iceberg of what has been happening since the day started.

"So, uh, hi, I wish we had gotten to more formal introductions earlier. Ah, there's Nick and everyone else." He turns to see everyone sprinting, and Julia picks James up from the ground on the way over. James doesn't look damaged, but he's not happy. "Hi guys, welcome to Asqualia! Please mind the mess, we're having an off day."

"Joey, why does it smell like pyromethanine?" Nick asks for a second. He stares at the burnt-out structure and blown-out bricks by the fenced area just nearby. "What on this green earth is going on?"

"Oh, hey Nick. We were chasing problems on our end too," she replies with a sigh. Drenar can't help but notice she's still got her hand firmly on his shoulder.

"Uh, the injury is healed," he finally tells her. "Thank you, by the way."

"Ah, don't mention it. By the way, if you start to feel dizzy, your skin breaks out in hives, or you feel your pulse start to spike, please inform me. Like, immediately." He looks at her warily.

"That would have been very useful information in my risk assessment of taking unknown medication from a wild-eyed scientist."

"Hey mister, I'm an Arcanist! Specifically, an alchemist with specialization in magical creature biology, and I'll run circles around what passes for your high school level public education!" She shot back. He’s not going to take that one lying down.

"Oh, yeah? I've got five years of fencing and martial weapons training, mixed martial arts with the raven-haired beauty, and AP calculus. Still working on that last one, admittedly. Oh, and I've been Awakened for less than a week, and earned a death wish with all three Talons leaders, none of which have managed to kill me yet. Also saved the SAF garrison accidentally when the Talons launched a multi-prong assault after we sabotaged the teleportal array, in a bid to get here and unlock the secret entrance.”

"Respectable," she says after a second. “That’s why the stone door at the waterfall opened up, that was you guys!”

"Oh, I’m fine by the way guys! No one pays attention to the level zero mage who was almost trampled by the giant murder bird!" James limps along, but Drenar thinks he might just be exaggerating. James peers at Joey, and offers a soft handshake. "You must be Joey, right? Try not to kill him when you take your samples. I need him alive and functional to have a prayer of surviving to college."

"You're right, he’s too valuable for trial and error. Volunteers?" Joey grins mischievously. This is a bridge too far for Julia, who squeals with delight.

"Ohmigod, you are such a treat!" She beams with excitement. "Okay, so, I must know something very important. Now please tell me…favorite ice cream?" Joey squints and tilts her head.

“Uh, what now?” she asks.

“Roll with it, please. I practically live with her these days,” Drenar sighs. Joey ponders for a split second.

"Mint,” she finally responds.

"Favorite color?"

"Not red, my hair steals all the attention," she says with annoyance.

"Favorite boy band?"

"Goo Goo dolls."

"Judgment call?" Julia asks Angela, who simply sighs.

"I'll allow it."

"Thoughts on Drenar, first words that come to mind?"

"A crazy, messy-haired teen with maybe a hint of brilliance, if he's managed to survive this long."

"Yeah, throw some more shade at my sanity, guys," Drenar grumbles. This is turning into the weirdest conversation he's had that involved Julia.

Julia waits a second, then grins. "Yep, we gotta keep her. She's in."

"Wait, in on what?" Joey asks while looking confused.

"The Radiant Delvers! We're more than just a meddling bunch of kids!" Joey stares at all of them in turn, and puts her hands on her hips.

“You guys are truly, utterly weird.”

“Perfect, you’ll fit right in!” Julia beams.

"Okay, ladies, we have pressing matters," Nick firmly redirects and slings his autobow to his back. "Josephine, what happened since the last time we contacted you?"

"Our senior security officer betrayed us. King had Lavernius working a plan for a shadow infiltration, no shots fired–I believed him when he said that was the plan. Curtis was Val’s inside man and they were oblivious to each other until recently.” She explains the rest as everyone looks on in shock. “We trusted Curtis, and we almost got killed for it. One silver lining, Lavernius is still alive and helping us–for the moment.”

“Holy hell, where is Lavernius now? I need to put some pain into that man’s life!” Julia growls. Joey taps her communicator.

“Kyle, are you and Lavernius done?”

“The last ones are disabled, and Claire is training every gun she can on the primary hub. We’re out of danger for now, but that could change. We need to either disable the main mana reactor or do a long, really painful surgery on the array to turn it off safely. Crisis averted–for now.” Lavernius sounds like a nervous wreck, as he should.

Joey lets out a long sigh of relief, and all the tension drains from her posture. “Good work. Now make sure Lavernius doesn’t run off. I’m keeping to my word for now. We need a plan.”

“Uh, plan for what?” He asks, sounding confused. He’s missed a lot that has been going on in the past two days. She looks anxious and gently puts her hands on his shoulders.

“I made a deal with King.”

His eyes widened in sheer disbelief. “You did what?!” She’s still holding on gently, and even as much as wants to go off the rails on what a terrible idea that is, he holds firm. She must have a reason, even if he wants to turn that man into a pasty smear on a wall. “Okay, let me back this up. Why?”

“Because I don’t think King is a friend…but I don’t think he’s our enemy, either.” It’s the resolute firmness in her voice that keeps him listening. Alex has other ideas. “King said there are bigger forces at play. I don’t think he’s bluffing.”

You know what, just tell the redhead to set us on fire, and save us the extra steps of an agonizing death, Alex groans. Joey gives him a curious look and tilts her head, maybe because he’s been waiting too long to answer. “Okay, let’s walk and talk. We need to fill you guys in on what’s been going on. Let’s get inside. We have a wildcard situation.”

“That sounds about on par for today,” Nick mutters. “Let’s hope it involves less being shot at with heavy caliber autobow munitions.”

“Indeed,” Levine huffs, having finally caught up. “Where’s Zameren? He and I go a ways back.”

“He’s inside, rallying staff and security response. C’mon, I’ll show you the way.” Joey lets go, and Drenar follows.

Why is it he’s getting this nagging feeling he should trust her on this one? Strangely, he finds himself in alignment on this one, or at least open up to the idea that King might have his own schemes.

He’ll trust Joey. He’ll never trust King. A glance at his wrist is the only reminder he needs. James however, has other opinions, much to his detriment.

“Are you sure that Feralaz didn’t give you a concussion?” James asks him nervously. “You were ready to kill King.”

“That remains to be seen,” Drenar sighs and just gives up. “Joey, feel free to examine me and offer a second opinion to James that I don’t have brain damage.” She’s wearing a fox-like grin when he says that, and Alex is chortling in the back of his mind. “I mean professionally, Joey. I saw that. And it’s more terrifying than when Julia makes that same expression.”

“Hey, I taught her that one!” Angela protested. “Also, why are you covered in bandages?”

“You see that giant disaster over by the botanical gardens?” she replies edgily. “Yeah, I was there with Kyle. It’s been a day.”

“Joey, trust me when I say, I know the feeling. Well uh, shall we? You know, before the murder army shows up," Angela suggests.