Despite the wine that warms their hearts, the party is clearly over for tonight. Despite the joyful songs and laughs that used to fill the fairy village, specially in this evening, the tension and fear of the unknown can be felt by everyone. 

Most of the village inhabitants are already in their small homes that seems to be sprouting from the bark of the trees. There is, definitely, a feel of drowsiness due to the wine and they excuses themselves and go to the beds and rooms that the fairies had readied for them. 

Gleenthorn, Dagur and Seb'riel, stays awake, though, exchanging theories and ideas of the trascendence of what they had discovered by their presence there and what would be the repercusions of it. 

"Well, I'll give you this " whispers Shallan to Kyne as they retire "A girl never bores at your side..." she giggles as it seems that the wine has affected her a little bit more than him. 

Still, the night is treats the weary heroes kindly and they finally get a well deserved rest after all the excitement of the night. 

Next morning they wake up to the moist air of the forest, with small drops of water covering almost every blade of grass and leaf on sight. Hurosk notices that there are, in fact, really small fairies, flying tireless here and there, actually bringing small drops of water to put it everywhere.

The centaur is finishing to bring them some grapes and cheese, walnuts, honey and milk for them to take breakfast  and they say Seb'riel came out of Gleenthorn's small house, which can be seen it is fill of scrolls and book when he left the door open, and join them. The wizard seems tired, as if she hadn't slept during the night. 

"Well my friends, Seb'riel and Dagur told me that you are in some kind of a hurry so I took the liberty to ask some of the fairies to help your friends back in the beach to repay your vessel. Does it really soar the skies as an eagle? Oh I wish I wouldn't be so old so I could take such a trip in a wonder like that. 

I've asked Seb'riel to carry some letters back with you. We've spent the last hours making a study of what we've learned yesterday and with my notes over these years. Please take care in your endeavours. May the protection of the Mother be with you." says Gleenthorn as his goodbyes. 

After the breakfast and saying their own goodbyes to the gnome they walk back to the beach, this time with a small robin rode by the little Chanterelle goes leading the way. 

Once they reach the ship they must admit that it was in a better shape that they had expected. The Eagle is hovering above some feet of the ground, with a very happy captain on the deck. 

"Well I'll be dammed. I do not know what did back there but in worked! In the middle of the night came this little hoard of fairies and started helping and working. She is good as ever!" she taps the railring as they board the ship. 

"So my friends, have you learnt what made us almost crash? It is safe now? And to where? Are you still wanting to chase after those halflings? 

"It's taken care of," Kyne tells Tandriel with a wry grin. "On to Sarlona. It would seem that time is of the essence."

Tandriel nods, apparently happy to leave the island and, more importantly, that the ship has been repaired. 

"We will take a slight detour to avoid the center and the north part of the island if you don't mind" she says with a smirk

"Oh hello, and who are you?" she says when she notices that Chanterelle is about to board the ship with them. 

"We call her Leaf... she's the mightiest of the faeries on this island and she's coming to protect us from all the terrors of the wide world..." Molly winks at Tandriel but her voice is serious.

"I see " says Tandriel looking at the little fairy "Welcome aboard then. The sky si clear and the winds are on our tail. It wouldn't be better!"

She jumps into the wheel and after their last goodbyes to the fairies that had come with them the Eagle takes off and heads southeast along the coast of the island as they gain altitude. Soon the strange island is just a green spot in the middle of the ocean and then the clouds cover it, hiding it from the rest of the world again. 

Seb'riel is the last to turn away her eyes from it, carrying some scrolls with Gleenthorn's notes to give to some sages as he requested. 

The next days are uneventful, the weather is benevolent, with the exception of an incoming, raging storm, which explains the name of the Sea of Rage that they are crossing. But Tandriel proves why House Lyrandar has such a great reputation as navigators and fearers and it barely bothers them. Hurosk, who knows one or two things about weather, ponders if their captain managed to dodge the storm or made the storm dodge them. Either way they soon reach Sarlona's shores when the sun is setting.  The captain suggest that all get some rest for they will arrive the next day.

That night all have the same dream.

You dream of a vast field of young grain. It tickles against your legs as you stride through, hauling a bucket of water. With one great heave, you empty your pail into a channel dug between the crops. As the water spreads and seeps into the soil, your grain grows by foot after foot—towering above even the tallest of your cohort. You know in your heart that if you keep at it, none of you will go hungry...

At dawn the party can see the glittering lights of a city in the waking hours of a new day, their objective, the vast city of Dar Ulatesh. 

Five great spherical districts sit astride the mouth of the wide Rhiavhaar River, each with high walls in stone and steel, and at their center, towers reaching a hundred feet skyward. Their height is modest compared to Sharn, but they easily rival the capitals of the Five Nations.
The walls and towers dance with prismatic lights, reflecting across the crystalline surfaces of each structure. You are hard-pressed to find a harsh line—each tower presents a curved silhouette, accented with glass and steel in fluid patterns.

At the very center of the city, between the five districts, a spiral tower dwarfs the others. A beacon draws a glowing beam from the top of the central spire vertically up into the clouds.

Soon a escort of two griphons with raiders, come close to the Eagle. Tandriel frowns her eyebrows and nods,  and start to descend, leaving the airship just a few feet above the sea. Moltaris recognizes that someone, probably one of the riders, had to told her mentally to follow them. Two ships are already in the water and it is in that way, escorted that they finally enter the harbor. 

As your ship slides into the harbor, most of the city disappears behind the district walls. Here, the Khorvairian influence stands in stark contrast to the Riedran towers that still peak above the stone perimeter. It is darker, dirtier, and busier.
Humans, halflings, and half-elves bustle about in the plaza, trading in goods and secrets. They all walk beneath a metallic egg-shaped monolith at the plaza’s center.
Tandriel brings your ship in beside an enormous clipper with a hull made almost entirely of crystal, save for a plating of steel at its prow. With a thump, the gangplank hits the dock.

"Welcome to Riedra" says Tandriel " I guess... " 

Kyne, who has taken the opportunity to soften his sharp elven features with makeup and style his hair to hide his pointed ears, glances warily at Moltaris to check the kalashtar's reaction to her first sight of Riedra in a very long time.

"What's our play here?" He asks her quietly.

Quote from stormchaser6 >>

Kyne glances warily at Moltaris to check the kalashtar's reaction to her first sight of Riedra in a very long time.

"What's our play here?" He asks her quietly.

Molly shrugs and says, gazing out over the walls, "Wow that's a nice city if I have ever seen one... This is certainly a nice place to live, where we could be happy and thrive."

Kyne's brow crinkles in confusion at Moltaris's reaction. He takes her hand and grips it tightly, tightly enough to be uncomfortable, almost painfully so.

"Molly, are you okay?"

     Hurosk stretches his muscles as he emerges onto the deck, and looks more than eager to get off the airship. He steps to the edge of the ship as they land and takes in the sights of this foreign city. "Definitely bigger than I though it'd be." 

     "Wow! I was just about to say the same thing. How about that!" The half-orc gives Molly a smile.

"Am I okay? Are YOU okay??" Molly yanks her hand back and flexes it, then winks at the concerned elf. "Careful... don't want to give Shallan the wrong idea now that we're so close to my favorite place in the world."

The kalashtar shakes her head and frowns, then looks Kyne in the eye for a second. That was powerful - I did not expect that level of influence. She sends the same message, as short and sharp as possible, to Seb'riel, before continuing audibly...

"Believe me, we will love it here - everyone is as welcoming as can be. Trust me, I've been around. There are thousands of people just waiting to wrap us in the tender embrace of the Riedran homeland."

"I don't know you seemed... off for a second," Kyne tells Molly with a smirk, relaxing when he hears her familiar voice in his mind.

Stay on your guard, he thinks back, like I need to tell you that.

Tandriel looks a little bit confused to Moltaris too but her last words make her think that maybe she is pretending. 

"It is certainly charming here " she says not really convinced it seems " Well, before any oficial comes to ask. What are you going to do now?" she asks the party.

The dwarf stares in awe at the masonry of the walls and buildings, "Can ye believe th' craftsmanship. it's loch th' divine masons themselves gart thes place" (Can you believe the craftsmanship. It's like the divine masons themselves made this place). The dwarf looks over to Hurosk, "Ah ken whit we're gonnae dae mah big mukker. we're gonna marvel at thes place an' burst th' toon." (I know what we're going to do my big friend. We're gonna marvel at this place and hit the town.)

     Hurosk begins to nod excitedly at the dwarf's plan. "That does sound fun, but..." The eagerness to explore the city wanes on the hunter's face. "The feel of this place kinda makes it hard to remember this place is run by a bunch folks that like to screw with your mind." He looks to the others before adding, "So everyone ready to found out if these papers they gave us are any good?"

AS the party is still deciding what to do a small retinue of six guards wearing breastplates, helmets that covers most of their faces and long, golden cloaks approach the airship. They seem to be escorting a couple. She is a small woman, with long black hair braided. She wears a long green tunic fitted to her waist by a wide, golden belt. The man is no much taller than her, almost bald with a long, slim braid that reaches almost to his waist and born at the rear part of his skull. He is overweighted and wears a similar attire to the woman. 

The soldiers stops at the bottom of the plank and the couple just take a couple of steps on it. Then the man, raising up his face that remembers Hurosk one of Eberron's moons, round and pallid with two small eyes that look towards them. It's hard to know if he really has them open for he is smiling so widely that his already small eyes look even smaller. 

* Welcome to Dar Utalesh. I am your humble servant Xii Lo Hai. May I and my assistant come aboard?" 

Tandriel looks momentarily to the party and shrugs. 

"It would be a pleasure" 

The man bows in respect, and climbs up the plank followed by the woman who remains with her head down and in silence. Once they both are on the deck he makes a reverence, perhaps too much, and keeps talking. 

"Thank you Thank you. I am honored to be allowed to be in one of your famous airships. The word of such wonders of the honorable House Lyrandar had came to us of course, but one thing is to hear about something and another to actually see and touch it. I am amazed and delighted. I am in your debt for your generosity. "

"Th.. thanks" says the captain a little bit taken of by such a display

"I am Xii Lo Hai, representant of the Most Enlighted Bedaai. They wish you well and that you had a pleasant trip to Riedra and whish you a good and bountiful expedition in our loved country.It is ano honor to all of us that you had chosen us to help you in your seek of knowledge. We are honored. " he bows and makes another reverence 

"  I am here to inform you that you are expected at the Iron Gate at your better convenience to be granted your permits to enter Riedra and travel to Borutesh. " as he speaks he looks to all of the members of the party, smiling and nodding slightly at them. "Meanwhile you can enjoy the Jhodra, our district to make exchanges with foreigners. To help you and guide you please allow me to introduce you to Takish - he steps aside and allows the woman, now that they look at her closer it's a very young human woman, not older than fifteen - She would guide you to the Iron Gate and through the Jhodra. You can ask her anything and to show you any place in the district. She will do her best to help you. - he then turns towards the Tandriel again 

- And for you and your crew - he motions his hand to include the minotaur, the gnome and Chanterelle, looking at her curious a little bit longer than it would had been comfortable - May I suggest the Bronze Dragon in? I think that you will find accommodation and fine food and drinks while you wait for them to return of their expedtion. - 

Kyne shrugs and looks to Dworic, Hurosk and Moltaris.

"Let's go get our papers and get it over and done with," he suggests.

With a smile that almost fill his round face of Xii lo Hai nods in agreement with Kyne. 

"Oh yes please that would be more than appropiate. Takish will be happy to lead you there..." 

The woman bows not daring to look to them in the eyes. Kyne notices that, despite his honey words, the man's eyes darts from one of them to the other, as if we was trying to memorize as much details as he could  during their interaction.

"I would love to spend more time with you but I do have other needs to attend to. If you'll excuse me..." 

He bows once more and walks off the plank, walking away with his comitive. 

Only the shy Takish remains at the deck, near the opened railring, waiting for them to move when they are ready.

As the armored guards escort the couple onto the Mist Eagle, Moltaris eases back among the crew and focuses on controlling her breathing and keeping her gaze peaceful. 

All the while, her insides swirl with a rage beyond control, and she seizes the arm of the minotaur and squeezes as the spirit within her thrashes in greater wrath than Moltaris has ever felt before. 

I hunt nightmares... I do not socialize with them. She takes half a step forward before realizing, then stops. We HUNT nightmares... we do not throw ourselves upon their claws.

The maelstrom within her eases slightly and her grip of the minotaur's arm relaxes. She looks up and whispers an apology.

The big minotaur looks down to Moltaris once Xii Lo Hai leaves the boat and taps her hand surreptitiously for the woman not to see, trying to reassure her. 

"Well... The sooner we start the sooner we finish... shall we?" says Shallan and she starts descending to the port crossing the plank. 

Soon the party is crossing the streets of the Jhodra district led by a compliant Takish that avoids any real eye contact with them towards the Iron Gate. 

Due to the information they already got about Riedra the Jhodra district is not what they had expected. It seems like any other port of Khorvaire they had been, but somehow merrier. It's like it was a festivity and everyone shares the good mood. Laughter and even music can be heard around them. When they are near an inn, a woman with olive skin and curly dark hair, dressed with vivid colors and wearing a necklace made of cristal of different colors approaches them with a jingerly attitude and, without saying a word, start putting necklaces similar to the one she is wearing around their necks with a smile and she even kiss some of them on the cheeks with a heartily "welcome!" and she keeps his walk around the proximities of the inn giving her necklaces to more people. 

Despite the mood, Moltaris start to point out how many members of the guard are present everywhere. In small groups of two or four, with their helmets that covers their faces, they are an ever present presence. 

Also she stops for a few seconds when, in a crossroads of the streets which make a small plaza. There, in the middle of it, a monolith of a polished green stone stands tall. Almost forty feet tall, with no sharp corners, the strange obelisk emanates a soft humming sound and everyone could feel the energy filling the air. Despite their own feelings, in the proximity of such thing they immediately felt a little more happy and relaxed. The feeling passes as they keep walking towards the even taller walls that limit the Jhodra district. 

They finally reach the big iron gates that keep the outsiders in their own district and are the real entrance to Riedra itself. Four guards are keeping watch in front of it and their guide approaches to talk with one of them in whispers. The man look at them and walks towards them. 

"Papers" he simply says and he extends his right hand for the party to give him the papers that were given to pose as archeologist. 

Kyne smiles congenially as he passes their documents to the clerk.