The Exploits of Misfit Company

With a loud snort, Kasha woke. Something was different. She got up, groggily. She looked at the item on the counter, her eyes just peeking above it. What the squirrel's nut's was this? Black dragon armor? She took a moment and looked at it. It looked pretty bad ass. Just her size, too. Hm. She carefully took it and put it on. It fit very snugly. She slowly lifted her head and had a very pleased look on her face, and for a moment, distracted from the events in the Fey. 

“Was it?” Yvan asked to her, but didn’t expect much of a reply, though once hearing that there was a spell that could restore his memories gave the goliath hope. “Can you...? I don’t... I don’t like this feeling. It feels like I’m missing something...” 

Had she complied and his memories were restored, he would thank her and pull her into an embrace, making sure not to crush her with his arms. For the time it took for the armor to be made, Yvan sat in silence and contemplation. Should they intervene? Or wait for one of them to approach one another. Would they even approach one another? Probably not, but maybe if given the time...?

He decided to wait for now.

”Let’s meet with this Master of Eagles before we head home.”

"You get used to it after a while." Kasha said. "You'll be fine."

Hiatho gives you directions to the Master of Eagles. His house is built in the middle of several branches and you can see eagles landing and approaching an elven male as if they were communicating with him, and other eagles being sent away for some purpose. "I am the one called the Master of Eagles. While our tribe usually does not involve itself in the dealings of the larger world, we are not ignorant of what goes on outside our borders, as our involvement might be necessary. To remain aware of what goes on in the outside world, our eagles fly about and see what we do not. In recent days, my eagles have seen Orcs uniting in the Outer Wastes and the people of this nation fleeing for safety as they grow bolder in their assaults. My eagles also see knights being gathered in the northwest to defend against this threat. From what they tell me, it will only be a matter of time before these Orcs attack in full force. Only time will tell if the defenders will be victorious, but I sense there will be hardship for everyone regardless of the outcome."

"It sounds like an opportunity to make coin, if this information to be trusted, and I imagine you have no reason to lie." Bixby said, finally looking up from his puzzle cube. At least for far longer than the brief glances taken during the trip over to the Master of Eagles. "Or if not coin, then perhaps magical items, either stolen from the Orcs, or acquired as a reward from whoever is commanding these knights to defend against the encroaching threat."

He looks to the others. "Alternatively, we could always head to another continent or what have you, and ply our trade there... Or has there been a change of mission statements for this merry band of mercenaries?" He asked, managing to sound both calm and curious, yet still somehow detached about the whole thing.

"I imagine that there will be opportunities for profit, or at the very least build more of a reputation for ourselves by helping the defenders if we're called to do so. And while I don't know about the rest of you, I've grown rather fond of this country during my time here."

A vision would flash before Alys' minds eye of a timeline where she had the magic at that moment to restore Yvan's memory, experiencing his embrace. That vision would fade as fast as it came, for she did not choose that path... With even sadder eyes, she'd glance away from him, defeated. "I am not... I cannot... I don't possess the ability to cast that spell..." Alys would confess. I'm not a real cleric. The only person she knew who could do it was not someone she ever imagined ever seeing or needing anything from, again. Father can... But there was the potential of finding someone else or even obtaining a scroll for him. There's always another way... "I'll find a way."

----

Otherwise Alys would be fairly silent along the trek to the Master of Eagles. She would spend most of it inspecting and watching Kasha in her new armour. It was well crafted and obviously beautifully worn by the wearer. Once in his presence, the wizard would listen. She would listen to B and then Vastra before adding a few simple words. "I mirror your sentiments Vastra."

Stella nods. "Staying here sounds good to me. I'm good with helping people."

"I go where you all go." Kasha said plainly. "Because we're a team." she did her best to not accent the last word to make it obvious. 

Regardless of Alys being unable to restore his memory, Yvan thanks her with the hug regardless. At least there was a way to do so. There was still hope, and knowing that alone kept him going. 

Yvan listened to the master in silence, and merely nodded along with everyone else's opinions on the matter. "I don't see why not." 

"Then it seems, relatively speaking anyways, that we are all in agreement. If they should reach out to us, we shall provide assistance. Or perhaps better yet, might it be we even reach out to them. There's at least two contacts, or perhaps even three we could ask in regards to this. I forget their names, unfortunately. But perhaps the one that gave us their summer home could help there." Bixby strokes his chin with his gauntleted hand, and then shrugs.

"Food for thought, either which way." He turns back to the Master of Eagles. "We thank you all the same for the intel, Master of Eagles. If something else comes up, and you're in a position to share it with us, it would be most appreciated. Perhaps via messenger bird." Bixby goes briefly bows his head, then looks to the others. "Shall we head off then? Or more accurately, seek out those kindly bird-like fellows for a flight back to where we were."

You all return to Aristor, ready to leave the village. Like with last time, he blindfolds you all and he and his scouts take you out of the village, back to where you were when you killed that Giganotosaurus. It takes you a few hours to get back down to where you left your horses and it'll take you about a week to get home from here. On the way, Vastra has a question for Bixby. "Is everything okay? You've been different as of late."

It takes a few moments, but eventually when noone else answers, Bixby looks up from the puzzle cube long enough to notice Vastra looking at him. "Hn. I suppose from an outsider's perspective I am not. Though in reality, all that's changed is the removal of those other personas from my psyche. Pointless shackles upon realizing the full extent of my current status." He admits, looking at a hand, and flexing the fingers almost absentmindedly.

"A cast off of my creator, if I can even call what had been done to me 'creation'." He sighs and stuffs his hands in his pocket. "But in direct answer, I am fine. Both physically and mentally.... I am also reminded that I owe you another word of thanks, Vastra. Alys. If not for your insistence with the Dragon Egg, and attempts to reach out to me back in that port town, I might have continued as I were; holding in futility on to feelings that weren't fully my own, and a goal that I should've abandoned months ago. So, thank you."

"I'm glad that we could be of assistance to you." I think. 

Vastra won't really say anything else in regards to this unless someone else does. The next day comes and Stella takes another 3 Dexterity damage as she becomes more wooden.

Stella gives a shout of surprise as she turns to more wood. "Uh...okay, this is a problem," she says, examining her increasingly woody skin. "So...does anyone have a way to reverse this?"

Obsidian meows and pokes at Stella's arm with slightly unsheathed claws.

"I dunno, I kinda like it." Kasha says, examining your skin.

While not one with knowledge in magics, Yvan takes a closer look at Stella’s arm with a frown. “How’d this...” His words trail off, knowing it was from the wilds, but not knowing exactly who or what caused it. “A curse?”

"If I didn't already swear to never go to that plane before, I certainly would've now." Bixby comments on calmly. "Alys. Vastra. I do not suppose your magics are enough to break whatever magic is affecting this one? Or should be taking our to good friend Dio regarding a cure?"

"I'm perfectly capable of fixing Stella, although if Alys wants a crack at it, she can go first." She says, gesturing for her fellow wizard to have the first spot, like this is a line at the cafeteria and not a woman whose about to be a tree in less than a week.

Kasha looks up at Stella. "Why are you turning into a tree? Did you talk to my mother?"