Kerwyn rolls out from underneath the 12 foot wing and wipes the ichor off his face and body, his armor.  He goes over to Ironsides and pats his shell like a proud papa.  “That’s my boy Ironsides, you did great!  Go ahead and eat your fill, thank you for helping with that bad old monster.”  A big smile on his face.  He turns to the rest of the party and appraises the situation.  

“Ward.  I told you that thing was dangerous!  Why exactly did you let it out of its cage?  What were you thinking?”  He awaits his response, but quickly turns his anger on Aoe, getting up close and personal.  

“Aoe, what the hell?  Why did you leave?  I know this was a scary situation, but I wasn’t expecting you to turn tail and run.” Kerwyn sings a little tune.  “Brave Sir Aoe ran away, Bravely ran away.   When danger reared it's ugly head,  He bravely turned his tail and fled, Yes, brave Sir Aoe turned about, And gallantly he chickened out,   Swiftly taking to his feet, He beat a very brave retreat,   Bravest of the braaaave, Sir Aoe!”  

“I can just hear it.  I appreciate your blessings but all of us could have used your help in trying to damage that thing.  You seemed very casual and bored as you just sat observing, watching us fight for our lives.  I can’t tell you how utterly disappointed I am and how alarmed I am going forward, as it is clear that you don’t have our backs.”  Kerwyn stops, huffing and puffing, calming down, looking to the others for their opinions. 

“Now, let’s get the hell out of here.” 

Johnathan returns with his mount and looks over the rest of the band while dropping his disguise . He is surprised to see Delphinium trying to save the bug thing. Guess fairies are pure of heart. He watches as the others gather there things when Kerwyn starts fighting with the other members. And the thing is he was right. Ward freed the monster and caused this madness. He understands impulsive decisions but they could’ve prepared better. And Aoe did leave the battle for the most part. But Aoe was also wise and friendly to Johnathan and helped him to open up. He turns to Kerwyn, I understand why you are mad Kerwyn but we should not discuss this in front of the strangers. We will discuss this properly, I promise. 

It’s at this he sees Shavaris do the unthinkable. She started to taste the monsters blood. Johnathan is frozen in shock. He looks at Shavaris with a concerned look. Shavaris. What are … He can’t finish his sentence. He has no idea what’s going on. Maybe she is trying to identify this monster, it must be. But why would she taste the blood. No that can’t be it. I must be seeing things, there’s no way she would do this. Maybe she dropped something and went to pick it up. Then put it on her lips? No that’s not right. What would she gain from tasting blood? Blood, blood, blood. He looks back at Shavaris, No, I must be overthinking this. No way.  THERE IS SIMPLY NOT A CHANCE!  Johnathan remains paralysed from shock.

Shavaris's eyes are wide as she tastes the blood of the harpy.  When Kerwyn gets out from underneath the creature though, he bumps her slightly and it appears to knock her out of whatever state she was in.  She removes her finger from her mouth, looks at it briefly and shakes her head.  She starts hearing what Kerwyn is going on about and gets up off her knees to look at her friends.

She wants to know Ward's response as well.  He was new to the group, could he be trusted?  "Ward, please, before doing something so rash next time, can we discuss it first?  This," looking around at all the carnage, "could have been avoided."

She then backs Kerwyn up as he talks with Aoe. "Aren't we a band?  Aren't we a group?  From what I know of that, we stick together and not run off.  I still don't know why you did that?  We could have died on this one, this was a dangerous foe."

She was about to continue until she catches Johnathan staring at her.  "What?  what is it?  I know I'm covered in God knows what, I'll clean it up as soon as I can.  You're creeping me out the way you're staring at me."

Aoe sits high on his horse looking away from the mess… he awaits the group to finish cleaning themselves up so they can get out of here….

Aoe stares at the medallion as kerwyn approaches and speaks… “what is brave here? If we never showed up to this carnival, all these are alive… these deaths are in our hands… mine included…” he looks away annoyed, feeling like he is speaking to a child.

”bravery is knowing you must be alive to help others… bravery is not stupidity… and this all… well… looks pretty stupid from up here…” Aoe looks across the scene, having other thoughts but wanting to get out of here as well…

”kerwyn and shavaris, I am a bard… among other things… and you all looked like you were doing fine… …though now I question now if you are not ironhide’s mount…” he coughs into his closed hand with a bit of laugh peppered in.

”and you use these words… to imply we are a group… but what groups us? I trust a few of you some, and some of you little after this showing… are we the us of This encounter with the scary illusion filled carnival?

No… we are the us of promising our lives to preventing the end of the world my friends… and these are our heroes… bickering about tactical positioning after a childish victory of curiosity and pretentious morals…” Aoe is ashamed of himself for being part of this as well… 

“I would say, if you care at all, we should worry not of our backs, but our fronts… of avoiding that which seems righteous at the time… this didn’t bring us closer to stoping this ending… unless we learn a lesson from it perhaps……

anyway… THAT is the band I am part of…. The one that remembers the stakes.” Aoe thinks kerwyn in this moment doesn’t deserve the medallion, and gives him a facial expression and a look up and down that makes it clear… as a disappointed father might give his brash son after an ejection due to being too emotional…

….

Aoe was saddened this day… but if their group had any chance, In the rebuilding and coming together, it would need to begin a gain another time than now…

he casts guidance on himself continuously while awaiting the others; reminding himself over and over as if a mantra that the true path may not always be understood by others… 

Ward drops his Ape form as the group gets together. "Later, I would rather us not have to explain this yet. Let's get wherever we are staying the night." Ward says dropping all the previous flair he had from before and getting ready to move with the group

Kerwyn glares at Aoe and says “Stupidity is riding off and letting us face this thing alone.  But thanks for letting me know exactly where you stand...”  He pauses, considering his prior behavior when a fight has come, once as a inanimate cart and just now riding off and leaving them.

”Or sit, on top of your horse arranging your hair or whathaveyou as we try to defend ourselves.  I know goddamn well what the stakes are, you pretentious p.… (he drifts off). But this is an argument for another time, in another place.  If that thing had its way with us” he points to the feathered body with the dragon’s head, “our quest to find the mare and help the Empress would end pretty quick, wouldn’t it?  In the end, I know who has my back in a fight…” he pauses looks at the others with a grim smile, and then turns back to Aoe “and I know who doesn’t.  I’ll be sure to remember that.  I _can_ remember stuff, you know?”  

At this point Kerwyn goes to Old Ironsides and gathers him away from the Harpy and starts to ride off, getting away from the situation.

Ol Ironsides isn't happy about Kerwyn interrupting his supper.  At first, he'd puffed up at Shavaris when she had infringed, but then, when his own master pulls him away, he's had enough.  The snail actually balks for a moment and spins its flails about in a threatening gesture, then, training, perhaps, hopefully, takes over, and the flails retract to a more stable position atop his head while the great beast slides away from its kill.  There are blackened harpy feathers stuck all over him and hanging out his mouth; he looks like one of those silly pictures of a cat that has stuffed a canary in its mouth.  

The Thri-Kreen gather up their fallen friend as Delphinium comes to rest, and the three acrobats pull each other into a twelve limbed embrace.  One is chittering in a way that sounds like sobbing.  

"It is okay, little one."  One of them says to Delphinium.  "It is not your fault.  Mommy Baba knew that Angar was dangerous.  She could have stopped this long ago by taking her back to Snake Mountain and releasing her.  Do what you wish."   

"Do what you wish."  The other two confirm.  It seems like perhaps they mean in regards to Mommy Baba's decision to keep Angar in the cart. 

As things heat up and battle adrenaline ebbs, there are bells in the distance.  Guards bells, rung from the back of horse drawn carts.  They can hear the sound of hooves and wooden wheels on the cobblestone streets.  

After the bitter words are spoken and Kerwyn starts taking his snail away from his kill, Shavaris is worried about the group and what all this means.  But in the meantime they are not out of trouble yet, surrounded by all the carnage that she still has a hard time believing actually happened.  She takes in the situation and another idea creeps in.  Even though she was just ready to leave, she hears the guards bells and thinks they need to pivot on a different plan. 

She calls Kerwyn back to the group and shares her plan. "Ward, you were a horse when you busted that thing out of it's cage and no one saw you transform back, correct?  Everyones eyes were on the thing, and honestly if anyone saw you they are dead by now." she pauses, not really liking the logic of that, but it is what it is.  "We don't have time to really leave without raising red flags, looking guilty trying to get the hell out of here.  So...where's the horse?" she says with a wink.  

She then looks at Delph and a look of worry crosses her face.  "Can someone please help out our friend?  He looks terrible.  Delph, please come rest on my shoulder."

"Correct, if they ask further I have a story, but for now, go with that the bird got out, and we killed it. It is all that is needed. Should they need further convincing, just follow along with me. Here you go firelight." Ward says, casting Cure Wounds at first level on Delph.

Heal Amount: 10

As soon as Shavaris calls Johnathan out on his suspicion he seems even more confused. What just happened? Did anyone else see this or was it just me? She seems fine now but I will have to speak about it later. Sorry Shavaris, I thought I just saw some guts on you. Here, let me help, Johnathan casts prestidigitation which cleans some of the mess on Shavaris. Johnathan starts gathering his things under the plan that they would leave when the bells start ringing. Oh now they start turning up, they could’ve given us a hand if they weren’t sleeping on the job Johnathan says in frustration. It’s at this point Shavaris mentions the fact that technically they didn’t do anything wrong (besides releasing the monster in the first place of course). Well we can stay if we want. I don’t really mind, just seemed easier to walk away. But if we want the Dawn Guard name to mean something then we will need to prove our heroic acts I guess. 

Johnathan is unsure on what was next for the Dawn Guard. We always seemed to get distracted by these little problems that we create that just seem silly looking back. But perhaps that what’s make use stronger, by overcoming these dangers we gain more strength and skill. And yes, even if some prefer a more supportive role in the group that is still something they contribute. Johnathan will wait with the others for the authorities to arrive. 

“Is your attempt to lecture me kerwyn a sign you hope I DO have your back in the future? Or that you are defining me as someone who won’t? Cause if it’s the second surely there is no hope for the group as a whole no… perhaps you should give up the medallion to someone who does see possibility in each of us, instead of spewing judgements?”

Aoe looks around, confused “I saw you having their back, perhaps we could call it that… then ironhides having yours, but I didn’t see the new comers having your back? I saw them getting you into an altercation you could have avoided”… 

Aoe pauses, “to inspire bardically, to perhaps cast a spell of two if I muster the strength… to aid us in negotiation if we arrive at an impasse…

What emotion are you feeling right now? They seem to cloud your logic my dear boy… perhaps you decree your group actions to kill them as good, to make yourself feel better about them… as i said, my hands are dirty here for not having stopped the pixie from getting drunk, or us from inquiring so harshly the capitalist carnival and their morals… but I was merely 125ft away standing outside spell range… and a moments notice from coming back if needed… but concentration of that blessing is more important that a few working viciously mocking them I might spew in a fight….” he thinks to his training… so close but not there just yet… “no…. From the moment the fight broke out… I rode toward your back first and blessed the three of you… then I went toward the tree line for cover… don’t you miss judge my morals and tell me what they are… instead I suspect you have misjudged me as a fighter… I am but a lowly bard” Aoe bows slowly, his eyes watching kerwyn from under his brow.

”how… there are times we miss need your blades kerwyn, and Johnathan’s darkness and teeth… shavaris’s sneaking ways another tool in the tool box… perhaps there will come a time you think I am useful again…”

Delphinium nods to the Thri-Kreen and despite how terrible and pale they look says "I wish to find the unicorn and go home."  It takes delphinium a moment to get up obviously weakened by the poison they inhaled.  They cough a bit and a tiny bit of blood is on the hand they used to cover their mouth.  Delph manages to flutter back in the air but its a bit wobbly.  They still see colors but they seem darker to the fairy.  Not as joyous... maybe even ominous as they look around for their companions.  They slowly make their way over towards Shavaris who calls to Delph to land on their shoulder.  They seem thankful for a place to rest.  They don't have any physical injuries on them but the fairy looks like a ghost almost.  They plop on her shoulder and its easy to see how bad they are. They didn't hide the blood on their hand and Shavaris called for some healing.  Ward comes over to heal the fairy and Delphinium just glares at Ward as they heal them.  The ever polite fairy despite seeming angry at Ward still says "Thank you." its clear the healing had a positive effect on the fairy as some color returns to them and they no longer look like they might randomly keel over dead.  

Listening to the argument between Aoe and Kerwyn now Delph seems to have a bit of kick left and says "Why are you fighting?  Not everyone is brave, not everyone fights the same, a terrible thing has happened.  A loss of life happened not for food, protection or life.  Don't add more hate to this tragedy please." As Delph listens to the idea of fleeing or confronting the guards they say "Most of us did not do anything wrong.  The Angar was the killer.  Its followers added to that.  Others protected themselves or others.  There was only one of us that did something wrong.  Let's just go somewhere to rest.  I don't feel well." The fairy lays their head back on the neck of Shavaris as their legs go over their shoulder.  the tiny fairy still not looking great but defiantly looking better then they did.  Colors still haunting their vision but now they are a distraction and not something of fun to Delphinium.

Kerwyn looks very tired at this point.  “The altercation couldn’t be avoided.  Unless you have the ability to back up time and convince Ward to keep that thing in its cage.  Whatever….” at this point Kerwyn turns to Johnathan and says “Hey, can you do that trick and uh …” he looks down at himself “clean me up to with the wave of your hand?  That’s a nice trick, I like that one…”

At that moment Kerwyn stands straight up like he is hearing something, straining and concentrating.  “I’m getting a message.”  He puts his hand on the Auryn medallion under his shirt.  “Earlier, during the fight Greko the Green sent me a message.  He said "Greko the Green speaking. Ganon has destroyed Kokiri Village in the Kokiri Forrest. We are in the village now looking at the destruction."  I couldn’t tell you all in the midst of the mayhem.”

He pauses for a moment, then says “I just received a much longer message from Brevon.”  He concentrates and focuses, tilts his head back and eyes almost roll back a little and a voice that doesn’t seem to be his comes out of his mouth.  

“Greetings. This is Brevon with the Third Band. We have much to tell you. Our band has traveled to Castle Grayskull. Outside we met she who calls herself the Red Priestess, Melisandre. She has been sent to us by the Lady of Light to fulfill her will. Melisandre is not the defender of the Power and of the castle, however. That title belongs to one who is simply called The Sorceress.

“The Sorceress has given us refuge for the night, and has told us a great many things. Are they true? Can she be trusted? I do not know, but here is her telling.”

“Lord Vader has been active in the west, moving to claim Castle Grayskull and then all of Fantasia. Vader has been serving Sauron, but Sauron’s own tower has been swallowed up into the sky by the Nothing. Yes, as unbelievable as it sounds, The Sorceress has shown us a vision of the entire tower being pulled up into a great blackness in the sky!

“She tells us that the Power of Grayskull can be wielded only by a champion, for whom the Sorceress waits. When the Champion comes, the Power itself will choose them and become wieldable by this Champion. This may be the best way of stopping Vader.”

“The Sorceress tells us that this is not the first of Hyboria’s great cateclysms. This is, in fact, the third! The first great conjunction signaled the separation of the urSkeks into the urRu and the Skeksis. The second marked the damage sustained by the Crystal of Truth from the Skeksis that split it into the Dark Crystal and the Shard of Division.”

“The Sorceress believes that the Nothing has come this time because the incomplete Crystal is dying, and it's taking Hyboria with it. The Nothing may be an equalizer. The Nothing does not simply travel from place to place, but simply appears at various locations. This is most unsettling, of course, for there seems to be no way to predict its behavior. She speaks of a Third Brother appearing in the sky, which will mark a significant moment of these times, and may be related to the Nothing. To be certain of why the Nothing is here, she suggests we speak to Mother Aughra or, better yet, Morla the Ancient One. But she does believe that the reconstitution of the Crystal would put a stop to the Nothing.

“The Sorceress does not know of Ganondorf, but she does know of the Temple of Time. The Temple stands guarded behind the walls of Hyrule Castle, and was erected over a thousand trine ago, before the second great conjunction. It stands as a holy testament to the Goddesses as well as a defense of the Master Sword, the Pedestal of Time, and the door to the Sacred Realm. If Ganondorf has the Sacred Stones he will be able to unlock the doors of the Temple, but he'll need all three of the pieces of the Triforce to gain access to the Sacred Realm. He'll also have access to the Sword that Seals the Darkness if he has the Sacred Stones. No one has been inside the Temple since shortly after its construction. And if he goes to the Pedestal of Time with the Ocarina of Time...he'll be able to traverse forward and back in time with impunity.

“The Triforce of Courage is somewhere on the floating island of Celestia, guarded by something great and terrible. So, if Ganondorf has the Triforce of Power, and we know where the Triforce of Courage is, that leaves figuring out where the Triforce of Wisdom lies.“

“She also tells us that we, the Third Band, are being hunted by the Gmork, a herald of the Nothing that seeks to stop us in our mission. It races through the darkness of the underworld to find us. Pray for us, friends.”

…thank the gods the medallion returned us to the task… Aoe did wish he felt more comfortable closer to combat, aoe hoped to do better on this front…

”let’s get out of here, make some distance between this town and ourselves, then make camp…

…I will strive to do better kerwyn… I just hope we are all on a similar path…

…this mission will require the best of us… just to success, nevermind survive…

…the other groups have made progress… have we sent them a similar update yet?”  Aoe rode slowly alone at the groups pace, hoping they would leave sooner than later…

As Kerwyn's voice changes, Shavaris gets a chill up her spine as she listens to what he has to say.  When he talks about the Kokiri Village, she looks at Delph.  She worries about them, they have been through so much since they have arrived at Whichaperch.  "Maybe the Great Deku Tree is ok?  We will help you rebuild your home once we have completed our mission, Delph.  In the meantime, your home is with us if you'll have us."

She whistles for her elk as others are obviously getting ready to leave.  "I still think we should talk to these guards, so they understand what happened and don't hunt us down thinking we are the ones responsible for this mayhem." she gives a side-eye look to Ward.  "Not only that, they may have something to tell us?  I doubt it, but you never know.  But if the group wants to leave, I'm not going to hold anyone back."  She waits... either for the guards to approach them, one of her group to approach the guards or if they leave she will join.

"Wait, what!  Kokiri village!  What about the Great Deku Tree, like Shavaris said?  What about the fairies and Koroks there?  Tiwil, are they okay?  They are my best friend there.  How are the southern outskirts of the forest?  Is that okay?!  My mother and sister are to the south.  Are they okay still?  Can you ask them?  Their names are Blossom and Poinsettia!"  Delphinium doesn't seem to care at all about the rest of the information.  They do still seem weak and are on the shoulder of Shavaris still.

Johnathan clean Kerwyn and all the others that want it. As he does so he looks over Delphinium who looks very tired and pale. He inspects the fairy and thinks they will be ok, they just need some rest. He then hears the fight continue. Ok can we stop fighting. I don’t necessarily agree with some decisions that were made tonight,  but everyone played a part. It’s over now. Let’s deal with the guards and regroup. It’s at this point Johnathan hears all the information that Kerwyn delivered. It was a lot. The thing that took Johnathan by surprise was the sword, the sword that could banish the darkness once and for all. So close to home, too close. We need to start contributing to this war. The other bands have made progress in there mission and we haven’t even started. He turns to face the guards, I’ll go have a word, anyone is welcome to join me. Anyone that wants to rest can, I’m just gonna go clear this up. 

With that Johnathan walks up to the guards waving his hand in the air. Oh I found you! Thank the Gods. He pauses to add for dramatic effect. There was a terrible accident, a monster from a circus escaped and killed the ringmaster. It was terrible, it wouldn’t stop hunting them.  It’s tail poisoned them until they dropped dead. I even think a wizard had his face melted at some point. He stops again, this time his voice his shaking and he appears to still be in shock. I’m sorry. It was a lot. Me and some of my friends managed to slay the beast but we are very injured, you should come, come. I think some need medical attention. With that Johnathan points and leads the guards to the corpse of the monster in the hopes that his story will satisfy them. He doesn’t hear the fairy talk of his family as he was away when they spoke of this.

"We haven't seen a unicorn in many, many years."  The Thri-Kreen say to Delphinium.  "Last we knew it was in the Faron Wood, though there have been rumors..."

The Thri-Kreen grow quiet as carts full of guards approach with bells ringing.  

The brief chaos of the situation is still gripping everyone as guards jump from the back of the cart and begin asking question.  There are a dozen variations of 'great gods' or 'Din's mercy' or "Nayru's bosom' or whatever blasphemous exclamation the men and women can make as their eyes fall upon the slaughter.  

The Sergeant of the Guard approaches as Johnathan starts talking and listens intently.  The Thri-Kreen step forward, all of them looking hurt, still holding themselves.  One affirms the story that Johnathan has told.  Satisfied with what he's heard, The Sergeant reaches out and slaps a meaty paw on Johnathan's shoulder.  

"You lads did well.  We'll take it from here."  He steps past Johnathan like he's disinterested in him and mutters.  "Oughta known not to let those crazy carnies back in town after what happened last time.  Ye goddesses."  

Kerwyn says to Aoe and the others, “I have given a couple of updates thus far, but you can use the Auryn only once a day, so when we have had time to rest and gather our thoughts I will send a reply.”  He looks to Delph, “I can certainly ask about the village and the forest when I do, but let’s be careful in how we ask so that they can reply.  Now, should we head somewhere away from here so that we can rest?  I’m exhausted.”

Delphinium looks to Kerwyn as they explain they can't reply yet.  The fairy nods and as they talk they sound more like they are trying to convince themselves more then anything. "They'll be okay.  Right?  Why would they go south anyway?  Totally, no reason to.  My mother and sister are probably busy hiding all my friends who escaped too.  In fact, I bet Tiwil is there right now and fine.  Probably talking with my sister as my mother serves goodberry tea to all those who fled Kokiri village."  the fairy doesn't seem convinced at all.  They look to Sharvais and say "Right Shavaris?"  they look for confirmation from her.  "Oh!  I guess that means I still have a family and I'm fine.  You are my very good friends though!  We should hurry and find the Unicorn.  Then I can bring you all to my home and introduce you.  Although, I'll have to make a lot of apologies for how you big people behave."  Delphinium also nods in agreement to leaving and moving quickly to find the Unicorn.  Perhaps also a few wondering pokes in the air as it's clear... they still see odd and fun colors in the air.