Suddenly, a large creature, colored white and red, flies into view (though Ormidal, Kallista, and Tender are the only ones who can see it). It has two heads, one like a shark or similar aquatic beast, and another reptilian head. They both look down at you. Its tail ends in a head, though it is too small at this distance to make it out fully. Two large, leathery wings spread from its shoulders, allowing it to glide gracefully among the clouds. Behind it, a red streak follows as it flies.

Tender immediately falls out of her fighting stance, all but mesmerized by the flying creature above. "Oh!" she breathes, eyes wide. "Do you see it?" she asks the others, though she does not move her gaze from the creature. "What wonders there are in the world," she murmurs to herself, suddenly acutely aware of just how far she is from home. It takes her a moment to shake the awareness off and return to her usual smile, her tail curling anxiously around one ankle. "I don't think I've ever seen such a thing before," she says finally, looking around at the others. 

"Fascinating." Kallista can't help but smile at the strange but elegant creature. In all of her travels, she had never seen anything even remotely resembling it. Despite her wonder, she keeps her bow trained on the beast as it glides overhead. It seems docile at the moment, but she'd rather be safe than sorry.

"Well ain't that a thing," Orimdal says quietly, "An interestin' creature, that's fer sure, but 'haps we continue our search? The creature seems no interested in us."

Fletcher looks at them like they have gone bonkers. (it could be because you guys are non-humans?)

Evi squints at the sky trying to focus her gaze on whatever it is the rest of the group is looking at but sees nothing but clouds.  Though some of the others begin to relax, Evi stays tense - as she's a bit unnerved at the thought of an invisible creature flying around - and asks "What is it?  And how can you see it?"

"Some sort of weird... bat... thing?" Kallista struggles to find the words for it. "Red and white. Two heads. Doesn't seem angry, but you never know." After staring at it a moment longer, she shifts her gaze to Evi. "How can you not see it?" At least to her, the large, brightly colored creature seemed hard to miss.

(Archer is a half-elf and he can't see it. That's still part human which maybe counts? But based on what DM has said, I'm guessing it's something a bit more story-based.)

Fletcher looks confused. "this doesn't bode well. why don't we follow it? see where it leads?"

"It was quite large," Tender agrees, glancing back up into the sky for some glimpse of the strange creature. "There was a streak of red trailing after it," she adds curiously, raising a hand and moving it in a wide arc over her head, following the trail of the creature. She looks over at Fletcher, one eyebrow ticking upwards. "It was looking at us," she muses, wondering if they were meant to follow the strange creature, though part of her shies away from the idea. "Though, I would think we should finish up here; we told the boy at the village we would return."

Fletcher looks to see what is left in the caravan "what have those buggers left"

"Sand." Kallista says, following Fletcher over. She dips a hand into one of the bags, then lifts it up to show him, letting the grains fall through her fingers.

"This is all very strange," Tender says, frowning down at the bags. 

fletcher looks at the tieflings "agreed. it is almost like.....I know its stupid, but like someone set us up"

Thoroughly baffled at the description of the invisible creature, Evi is inwardly pleased when the group decides to return to Splintfork rather than chase after mystery creatures in the woods.  Joining the others at the remains of the carriage, she hears Fletcher's questions and replies "Why would someone want to do that to us?  We barely know each other..." before she begins fidgets with her ring once again.

"I don't know." Kallista thinks for a moment. From the start, something had seemed off about Orden's request, and as time went on, more and more confusing factors had shown up. First the merchants' sudden departure from Splintfork, then the apparent absence of supplies and the merchants' disappearance, and then the strange creatures discussing their master and some sort of plan. "I think it's time we return to Splintfork and have a little chat with Orden."

Tender nods in agreement with Fletcher. "I didn't want to say anything, but I've been feeling that way, too," she sighs, grimacing. "Kallista's right, though; we should get back to town and talk to Orden and see if we can't find out what's going on here." She didn't understand why anyone would go to the trouble of setting them up; she wasn't even from here! "I dare say we should keep a wary eye out about the town, though, just in case," she adds, turning back to look at the group. 

(So we are all in agreement to head back to Splintfork and talk with Orden?)

"sounds like a plan" 

Orimdal throws the bags of sand off the cart. "At least we have our own transport now." He turns the wagon (or was it a cart?) around to head back to Splintfork.

(OOC - just want to clarify wagon or cart and single horse pulling it? I'll add it into notes/extras/inventory for tracking.)

It's a carriage, so if that's not an option, I guess wagon would be closest. Also the horses that once pulled it are dead now, but you have the horses you rode there on.