As the rocky hiding places around them shifted, Lelith's sharp senses alerted her to the emerging presence of the Goliaths. With a mixture of curiosity and concern, she approached them, her demeanor calm yet cautious. However, before fully engaging with the Goliaths, her gaze flickered back to the fallen hydra, a momentary pang of realization crossing her features.

Turning back to the towering Goliaths, Lelith's voice carried a tinge of remorse as she addressed them. "I must apologize," she began, her tone sincere and apologetic. "It was never my intention to unwittingly steal your prey. The hydra's demise was a consequence of our battle, and in the heat of the moment, I failed to consider its possible significance to you."

Shaking his head at Lelith's lack of basic manners, Riair takes it upon himself to introduce the group. "Salutations! I am Riair, that is Lelith, Judal is there, and Melania is that one," says the wizard as he indicates each member of the party. "It would be a great pleasure to get you know your group better. Would you mind establishing your identities for us? I would great appreciate the gesture."

Though the wizard's words were quite friendly, matching his genial smile, he was ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice. He did not trust the pack of Goliaths a whit, and very much expected the same in return.

     Judal is momentarily confused about just what the heck those two are on about, having kept his eyes on the multi-headed thing until he was sure it wasn’t returning.  

     “Oh shit, Goliaths!” He exclaims as he turns away from the cliff edge and finally sees what, who really, the others are talking to.  He quickly scans them trying to get a quick count and appraisal of them.  Judal also, slowly so as not to startle anyone, takes a few steps away from the ledge and uses his blindsight (30’ range) to try to determine if there are any other nearby guests he has t seen yet.

     “Sorry, I meant:  Oh hey, Goliaths!” Judal says in a much more cheery voice.  “We were looking for you guys!  Our friend Pyornkrachzark said you all may be able to help us..   I’m sure he’ll be right along…  Big fella.  Made of rocks.  You all know him too, right? Great guy!”

"I don't like apologies."  A female Goliath says as she steps out into the trail.  The dark stained leathers she is wearing shift as she slides her hand along the seem and replaces a huge knife back beneath them that had previously been in her hand.  "The lot of you did well.  This one's surprise appearance was a brilliant maneuver."  

She's scowling even as she gesticulates one-handed at Riair.  

"We've been after that bastard for days.  Always harassing people who traverse back and forth along the trail.  Chasing our birds.  Just being really unpleasant overall, as they say.  So who are you lot?  What are you doing up here in our lands?  Go on then, speak up..."

A squint joins the scowl as she looks at Riair.  

"'Salutations.'"  She mocks, miming her hand like the Eladrin opening his mouth.  "Where in all Hyboria do you think you are?  In the Court of the Childlike Empress?  This is Goliath Country, my friend.  No one talks like that around here.  And no.  We're not sharing our identities.  I only share my name with my foes when I have vanquished them.  I like to lean in close..."  

She leans close to Riair, her mouth next to his ear...

"...and whisper my name in their ear as they die."  

Five more Goliaths file out onto the trail behind her, each of them watching unfolding events, and then all eyes settling on Judal when he speaks.  The leader, the female, seems to take an especially keen liking to him.  

"Ooooh.  This one's pretty."  She says as she towers over the smaller man.  She reaches down, placing her hands on his waist as she plays with the thought of picking him up.  "Pyornkrachzark you say?  Nice fellow.  Doesn't come around here much!  He can't climb for shit!  Unlike the lot of you..."  

She licks her lips, then bites her lower one, and looks at Judal again.  

     “Some climbs are worth it,” Judal says with a smirk as he slowly looks the Goliath woman up and down.  “I’ve even done a bit of spelunking.  Gotten quite good at it, or do they say…”

     “But there’ll be no killing of the new guy until we decide if he’s useful or not,” Judal says, shifting to look at Riair in such a way that he stands side by side and right against the Goliath.  Judal doesn’t try to move her arms from around his waist but rather leans into the contact.  She’s not his usual type but he’s open minded..  and more importantly he sees no reason to make an issue of it yet.

     “So… are you going to invite us over for dinner or are we going to stand around all shy and uncomfortable like?”

Riair steps back from the lead Goliath and Judal, cleaning his robes with a Prestidigitation spell as he does so. "Goliath Country, Court of the Childlike Empress, there is no difference. Wherever one finds oneself, the proper etiquette should be observed. There is no reason to be rude, after all." 

He then glances over the mob of hunters, and continues. "Perhaps I should state this in a way that you would better understand. I shall act how I wish, wherever I may find myself. Now, I must agree with my associate here. This is quite the dreary locale, is it not?"

The Goliath laughs. The rest of the Goliaths laugh.  All the Goliath's are laughing as the leader looks over her shoulder at the rest of the group and then pokes a stout finger at Judal.  

"I like him.  He's funny and he's cute."  

She doesn't hesitate as she reaches for him.  It's clear she's about to pick him up, but Judal, seeing her attempt at almost the last second, manages to avoid by reaching for her hand and dancing to the side in the worlds clumsiest attempt at what appears to almost be a salsa...though it's just a bit too chunky.  The Goliath laughs again and squints when he says something about flirting and getting taken advantage of and having not even met her family.

"Oh you want to meet my family?  I guess I'll have to marry this one to keep him, huh?" 

The other Goliaths laugh again...and then the laughing stops very abruptly as Riair says something to the effect of Goliath country being the same as the Childlike Empress's court.  The squint becomes an eyes wide stare.  

"What did you say?"  She says, clearly incensed.  She doesn't even hear the part about his explanation of not trying to be rude, or doesn't seem to.  She just seems flabbergasted that Goliath Country has been compared to the Ivory Tower.  "How dare you!"  

     "Marry?  I would be very honored of course but I'm afraid my other wives may object in sharing me even further," Judal responds.  "They complain I can't satis..."

     Judal stops as the laughter is sudden cut off as if on some cue he had not seen.  But then he sees it.  She, the Goliath who is seemingly in charge of this band, has suddenly lost her sense of humor and is focused on the newcomer to their little party.  Judal hears her call out, pissed, and seemingly ready to throw down over some perceived insult or another.  Judal gulps, glad at least that it is not him she is mad at...

     "Forgive him," Judal says hurriedly, hoping to recapture the lightheartedness that existed just moments before.  "He's new.  And an elf.  Elves... Am I right??"  

     Practically at the same time he is saying this Judal turns his face away from the fiery Goliath and to Malenia and Lelith and mouths in exaggerated fashion "I'm kidding...  A little help here??" as his eyes dart to Riair to indicate the problem.

Lelith's expression hardened, her patience wearing thin as she crossed her arms in front of her. She cast a cold side-eye at the unfolding situation. With a nonchalant tone, she spoke. "I must confess, I missed the part where that's my problem."

"Hm? I don't think you're quite understanding what I meant when I say 'there is no difference'. I'd would have liked the opportunity to give you a proper lecture on the exact circumstances and meanings behind the statement, but I suspect that it would fall on deaf ears. Instead, a shortened explanation will have to do for the time being," Riair steps back as he speaks, reaching into his robes and pulling out a small magical cube.

"You see, I am a being not of this plane of existence. Rather, I am an Eladrin from the Feywild. To me, any one place on the prime material plane, for instance Hyboria, is rather close in nature to any other place in Hyboria." Riair then shrugs, pressing the third face of the Cube of Force before continuing. "But I may certainly be mistaken. After all, excursions into this realm have been rather sparse on my end. Perhaps you could convince me of the differences between the two locations, and I am eager to learn."

"Still, I digress. I was not truly speaking of the Goliath Country and the Court as if they were one and the same. Rather, it's simply meant to indicate that, regardless of where I find myself, the behavior patterns I adopt are based entirely upon my own decisions and considerations. I think you should have some comprehension of this ideal yourself, no?"

(Face three of the Cube creates an invisible barrier that blocks living matter from passing through)

The Goliath woman looks at the party in front of her, listens to everything the Elves are saying, and then shrugs, making a complete one eighty from her previous stance.  It seems like something either the wizard or the bard said came through, and she calms down.

"You know what?  Why would we give a damn?  Let's head home."  

The rest of the Goliath hunting party takes a moment to exchange glances, look at their leader, and then they're off, all six of them heading off the trail back in the direction they came.  As quick as they depart, they fade back into the mountainside.  

     "Wait...  what?" Judal says loudly.  Not quite a yell but louder than normal.  "Ummm... Hey!  Are we invited or....?"

     But the Goliaths are gone.

     "So... now what?  Just keep following this road?" Judal asks the others, hands thrown up in a bit of surrender.  "Do we even need them?  Maybe the new guy can just magic us to where we need to go?  What you say, new guy?  You that good?"

"I do believe it is in fact possible for us to reach our intended destination without too much hassle, provided that Lelith here assists me with a small matter and that the destination you wish to reach is already a place that is known. However," says the wizard as he glances at the princess next to him, "perhaps that shall not be required. I believe that, like a good hunting hound, our ranger has the scent. We need only follow."

     “But the Goliaths were just a means of transport,” Judal explains.  “Of hopefully getting flying mounts to get back to the rest of The Answer…”

"If that is the case, then I have misunderstood the situation somewhat. We simply need to make use of a very useful magical item that Lelith is in possession of. For you see, she has an Amulet of the Planes. With it, I can transport us to the Feywild temporarily, then transport us from the Feywild to a target destination on the prime material plane, replicating the effect of a long range teleportation spell. We must still, however, identify a general location on this plane that which we wish to travel to. So, where can the rest of the Answer be found?"

"The Feywild?" Malenia finally climbs up over the mountainface, visibly tired and panting from the strenuous use of her upper body. Clearly a much more agile person than athletic. She pants out and shakes her left arm, trying to get the knot out that has developed in the muscle. The Fall Eladrin takes a moment to catch her breath before righting herself and tightening the strap holding her prsothetic arm against her. 

"Is that wise? From the little I know of the Feywild, it is a dangerous and tricky place. Even for those who hail from it." She looks to the other two Eladrin, her gaze stopping on the newcomer. to which she has no inkling as to who they are or why they are here. 

"Apologies......who are you exactly.....and why are you here?" She looks to Judal and Lelith for answers, trusting their word far more than that of a complete stranger. 

Lelith's eyes rolled in exasperation as Riair's presence was acknowledged. "Yes, he is here for my protection, he was sent by the Winter Court so to speak," she stated, her tone laced with a touch of annoyance. She took a moment to dismiss Malenia's concern, a confident smile gracing her lips as she met the Summer Eladrin's eyes. "Do not fret. While the Feywild can be a dangerous place, I assure you that you are in good hands. As a Princess of the Feywild, I will ensure that no harm comes to you."

Lelith's voice exuded a mix of authority and warmth as if an orator on a stage, her words conveying her commitment. "The denizens of the Winter Court, including myself, are known to be cold and ruthless. And being of the Summer Court, they may be even colder towards you as they are our opposite. However, I assure you, I will not allow anyone to harm you. No one would dare go and harm my guests. There are few people that can overrule me on this, my family, my olders sisters, and my grandmother the Winter Queen herself. To put it lightly, you are beneath their notice so it is unlikely they will do so."

"Yes, I quite appreciate Lelith's brisk introduction of my august self. Now, hand me an Amulet, you highness. I must take the time to attune to its magic. In the meantime, the rest of you should rest and prepare for a journey across the planes."

     Judal cocks his head to one side as he listens to Lelith give them a lecture about how their safety is assured, because they are insignificant even if her promise was not enough.  "Challenge accepted," Judal says with a smirk softly to himself.  

     "She has a bodyguard," Judal explains to Malenia once there is a moment of quiet.  "But don't worry, she will keep us safe.  That's what bodyguards are for...?"  Judal gives a bit of a laugh and a shrug, he finds it all a bit confusing but very amusing.  

     "He says we should rest...  But personally I think I'll stay alert.  A bunch of possibly pissed off Goliath just disappeared and... Well...  That is a bit unsettling and not something likely to lull me to sleep."

The Goliath's continue on their way.  While Riair is busy with attunement and Judal is busy being Judal, only Lelith and Malenia have time to see the leader look over her shoulder one more time at the Bard...and the romance that could have been...before disappearing behind a rock and completely out of their sight.  

There is nothing to bother them as Riair does his work.  The endless night continues, and a cool breeze crawls along the mountaintops.  Somewhere down below there is a faint orange glow as the hydra continues to burn...