The Last Daughter of Krypton - IC

[ChasNicollette]

Rose, Chloe, Alfred and Bruce

Bruce went quiet for a moment. "My mom was a big S.E. Hinton fan."

His eyes were shadowed, his shoulders were haunted, and the eaves of his mind were shrouded in grey.

Chloe bit her lip, and gazed at him worriedly, but before she could say anything--

--his charming smile, that impossible billionaire proto-ladykiller smile was back in place.

"That's how I know that if either of us here is Ponyboy," he jousted, poking Merick with a finger, "it's you. Except you drink Yoohoo instead of Pepsi.

"Me," he mused, as he led the way into the house proper, into the kitchen, "I always identified most with Darry. He had brains as well as brawn, and while everyone sees him as cold and aloof and patriarchal, he's definitely secretly got a heart..."

"Not to mention," Alfred noted, standing by the counter and dunking a teabag in a cup of hot water as the group of them strolled into the kitchen, "you've some recent experience with the repair of a roof."

Bruce nodded, grinned softly. "Huh. So I have."

Rose offered Merick a gentle, grateful smile, even as her eyes drank in the palatial surroundings.

"I'm okay," she whispered. "Thank you for asking. It's just been kind of a day, right? Kind of a rough ride. Better Than Ezra, Less Than Jake, you know?"

Chloe nodded to Merick, and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't you worry about me. It seems I'm more resilient than I look. But. Yeah. Thanks for asking."

"I see you've added another member to your entourage," Alfred noted, indicating Rose with a teaspoon. "'Ello, there."

Rose grinned and waved at him. "'Ello. I'm Rose."

"So you're the one," Alfred deduced triumphantly, and then jutted his spoon in Merick's direction. "This one was worried sick about you, he really was."

"We've got one more coming, Alfred, someone you've not yet met," Bruce informed the Gentleman, "and I've got to warn you: he might be a touch unsettling. Trappings as dark as pitch, with an attitude to match."

"I shall endeavour to ask questions first, sa'," Alfred promised with eyebrows arched high, "and shoot later."

 

[Lunaramblings]

"Great, I get stuck with C. Thomas Howell, and you get Patrick Swayze. Man, just my luck. " Merick grinned again. He loved to grin. The kind of grin that put people at ease. A grin not entirely dissimilar to the kinda lopsided grin that a man might get from his old hound dog. Merick grinned stupidly. Feeling for the first time like Ferris Bueller really had nothin' on him.

Merick blushed at Alfred's mention of his distress over not being able to find Rose. "Um... I was just worried ya know, I mean, your like the only person I could really call a friend until a few hours ago... and, well, you know, I... Merick stammered, not sure how to make words form. He just looked sheepishly at Rose, his eyes full of emotion. "Anyway... your good and all. Right? Bruce, how about those books, yes?

Merick was more than a little flush by the time he stammered out his last sentence. He was very mixed up right now. If you asked him what Rose meant to him a few hours ago, he would have laughed and said that she was like his best friend, almost like a sibling. But, with the thought of losing her, he had for the first time felt something else. A feeling he couldn't quite place. And then there was Chloe. He had only known her a few hours, but he found himself drawn to her like a magnet. She had a certain spark that he found intriguing. Here he was, beside two stunning young ladies. Both of whom he had feelings for that he couldn't understand. And, from the way Chloe interacted with Bruce, and Rose with Wraith, he was pretty sure he was in dangerous waters. He was also pretty sure that they could both kick his ass.

 

[AmenRa]

"Water is in Honduras."

John Jones stopped walking. He had stepped through the Talon's doors onto the street, and he stopped in mid-stride.

When Chloe Sullivan had awakened from her passing, she had uttered the single statement "water is in Honduras".

And he suddenly realized what it meant.

Var-Sen would have picked up on the statement instantly, if he had heard it.

Not water, the chemical composed of oxygen and hydrogen that sustained life on worlds, but Water, as in the Crystal of Water.

It must be retrieved immediately.

But he knew that he should not go alone.

He closed his eyes, concentrating, and touched the mind of Chloe Sullivan. And then he flew North, towards a house that Thomas Wayne built.

 

[camerindrake]

SMALLVILLE 0200 Motel 6

Damian and Dinah pull up in the parcking lot of the local Motel 6. Half the building had been demolished due to the Meteor Shower. Damian and Dinah get out of the Dodge Charger and look at the damages.

"Well, this looks interesting. I guess Krypton wasn't finished with this town when it exploded." Damian says as he opens the back driver side door and pulls out his leather duster.

"Smallville really went through hell, didn't it oh man oh mine." Dinah states as she starts walking to the office.

"You may have screwed my father, but I am not him. So don't call me your man," Damian states as he starts to follow her to the office to check into the Motel.

"No offense meant there mate," Dinah says as she lights one of her Cuban cigars, though Damian's comment confused Dinah for a moment. How would Damian know of that night that her and Damian's Predecessor met.

Damian walks up to the check in counter and rings the bell. He then leans against the counter with his back to where the clerk will be entering from. "Father had a tendency of keeping a journal for everything that occurred in his career. Be it meeting heroes or new villains. the gimmicks that they used. Such as you have a fascination of cigars and your Metahuman ability you affectionately call the Canary Cry. "

Then the motel clerk with a grease stained white tee shirt walks up and looks at the two with an odd look. "Yes, may I help you . Sorry for the mess we just had a meteor shower today. Second one in ten years. I hope it isn't going to be like an event thats going to happen every ten years."

Damian turns around giving his best boy billionare smile, "Its fine, give us the best room you got."

The clerk and Damian perform the things required for the transaction and Damian gets the key to their room. Damian runs his fingers over the alphanumeric of B666 on the key ring.

"So where is the room," Dinah asks taking her cigar from her lips.

"B building sixth floor."

Dinah smiles and with her Irish accent says, "to sleep or not to sleep, thats the question now.
"

"I have school tomorrow" Damian states as he walks out of the office and over to the B building.

"To bad" Dinah sarcastically states as she follows.

 

[Superman1496]

Bruce, once again

Bruce smiled at Alfred as he spoke. Yes, please hold off on the shotgun, would you Alfred? Bruce said as he turned to the others.

Sure thing Master Bruce. He answered.

Bruce looked around, and as soon as he acknowledged what Merick had said, the answer hit him.

He, factly enough, did not have the books. Chloe did, but, then again, she as well, had seemed to unofficially turned them over.

Actually, I think you have them, Ms. McCrimmon? Bruce asked. Then he smiled and turned back to Merick.

Besides, 'The Outsiders' works better then your Justice League thing, or whatever. Something like that would draw attention to the whole world. Bruce said, still flashing his smile.

I thought this was supposed to be a bit more secretive then that? Don't you? He said, as he turned to Chloe, who looked as if she wanted to say something to him.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith

I emerged into shadow by the shores of the lake. I didn't know why I hadn't wanted to go with the rest of them, but for some reason it felt... wrong. I picked up a rock and threw it out into the water, it's plonk having a muted sound. Physics were a bit wonky here. I also heard a distant bellow. Guess that dragon was off somewhere. Now THAT was weird. I had been popping to this spot for a few years now and nothing aggressive had ever poked it's head up until I brought Rose here. It bore some thought.

I walked up to the ruins. I had never given them much thought, but then again I had not used this place for anything other than a landing pad. Something in there now though was drawing me.

Shattered and blackened stone surrounded me as I walked through the devastation. A battle had been fought here, and fought hard. Over in a corner of the courtyard was a charred humanoid skeleton, but over ten feet tall. With ram's horns.
Interesting.

I finally came to the castle proper. The doors were blasted open, and a blackened rune was over the mantle, looking like it had been burned into the stone.

A ward. (What the hell is a ward and how did I know what one was?)

I looked behind me, and sure enough, the skeleton was in a straight line from the door. Guess this place really had a "no Trespassing" sign up!

I walked in. Room after devastated room greeted me. In the main hall there were bones piled up in the center near a Dias. Medieval weapons and bits and pieces of armor were heaped around the base of what could only be a throne. None of the bones looked human, but some were close.

On the throne itself was a skeleton. Encased in blackened armor it sat, a enormous greatsword in it's hand, a book in the other. The sword was broken the book charred, but it appeared mostly undamaged. I walked closer, noting that the armor was cracked and that a great rent was in the side, like claws had opened it up.

As I neared the book another rune glowed on the cover, a reddish light bathing me in a hellfire glow the closer I got to it.

I moved my hand over the tome and a blue glow encased it. I watched as the rune floated up out of the book, and another rune formed in the air above me in a cold blue flames. They floated together and swirled until a new rune was formed, floating above the throne.
Salvation



I reached out on instinct and picked up the book. It was huge, as big as a old world bible, and heavy. I looked around, the room was baithed in blue fire, and whisps were forming in the shadows..

Time to go.

Shadows swirled around me and I was once again on earth, in the shadows of the trees near Wayne Manor. Tucking the book under my arm I walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Hopefully someone had told Bruce's man that he was about to recieve a unusual visitor.

 

[Wyldfire]

"Themyscira? I don't hear that name very often," Kara remarked.

"Not many do hear that name often," Diana scrunched up her nose like she was smelling something bad, "Most in Man's world call it Amazon Island, like that is something bad." She let her face slip back to normal and smiled again.

"What's it like there?" she asked as she they moved out of the house and down the front steps. The sun had fallen by now, but it still wasn't yet dark out. "Well town is pretty far from here, but we can just walk until we decide to turn around. I could probably walk from here to New York if I wanted too," Kara said with a playful smile.

"Then we'll walk as far as we want to I suppose." Thinking about it she was sure that Mister Trevor would be concerned if she didn't return before it got too late. Things were so very different in Man's World.

Diana started at a good slow pace as she answered Kara's other question. "Themyscira is beautiful. Marble archetechture everywhere, and I do not mean the shambles that Greece and Rome allowed themselves to fall into, but very old buildings, buildings the Gods helped my people create." She knew Kara would have her own doubts about the time of the Gods but to those of Themyscira it was still fresh memories. "The cities go right to the wild's edge, and there are the jungles! I spent nights out in the jungle at a time. There is so very little to fear where I come from."

"Smallville doesn't have all that much to offer. Aside from farms and some nice beaches, we're not really known for anything other than being struck by meteor showers," Kara said as they walked down the dirt road towards the main roadway.

Diana smiled at Kara's words, she could tell by the girl's face that she craved more than an idyllic life in a place like this. But truely what more could there be than to live in a place where there was such a sense of peace? She turned and looked at Kara as she kept the other girls' pace "Forgive me if I am in error friend Kara, are there things better than a liofe like this?"

She let her concern for her new friend show sincerely on her face.

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

"A man's world, huh?" Kara repeated, and she didn't like that idea anymore than Diana did.

It might have been a man's world centuries ago, but that had all changed in recent years. Women were given the right to vote, they began accepting jobs that were ordinarily reserved for men, etc. The world was still unequal in most regards, but it was starting to change.

Hopefully for the better.

As she walked next to Diana, Kara listened to her description of her home land. It sounded beautiful, and she wondered if one day she might be able to visit. There were certainly no great feats of architectural ingenuity in Smallville.

"Your home sounds like a wonderful place," Kara said with a smile.

"Forgive me if I am in error friend Kara, are there things better than a liofe like this?"

"I'd like to think that there are other peaceful places too," Kara said.

"And Smallville isn't exactly Pleasantville. It has its secrets..."

'Like me' Kara thought to herself.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Rose and Chloe

"I'm good," Rose promised Merick with the gentlest of smiles, understanding hovering in her gentian-blue eyes. "I'm good and we're good."

Rose's mum had warned her once, not so very long ago, that the most of lads start out all right until puberty comes and pickles their brain in hormones. The really good men, the really good ones, would retain their gentlemanly manner even after that onslaught of testosterone, would stay kind and not be completely overwhelmed by new lusts, new passions, heightened awarenesses.

Merick was one of the really good ones, as Rose had always known he would be.

("And at least C. Thomas Howell is cooler than Glenn Withrow," she assured him.)

Talk diverted itself to the topic of "books," and Bruce asserted that Rose had them.

She screwed up her face. "Books. Wait, what?"

Then it dawned on her that she was still lugging around two shoulder-bags full of random stuff, and in that stuff she'd only ever identified Chloe's laptop. Blinking, laughing at herself, she shouldered her way out of those bags and set them on the kitchen table.

Ferreting around in said bags, she found two books in the same bag as a weird stone thingy and a big thick folder. She extricated the books and held them aloft, one in each hand.

"Are these what we're talking about?" she wondered.

Chloe smirked wryly to Bruce. "Well," she suggested, "I'm not really clear on all the details of what's transpired while I've been 'out?' I don't even know exactly what happened to me, let alone what happened to you guys. But if we're the kind of 'team' that wants to stay off the radar and stay on the 'weirdar,' a media-friendly Claremont-esque sort of nom de guerre is probably best avoided. Better to be The Mutants than The X-Men, in this instance. Better to be The Outsiders than Justice Legion A.

"And, yeah," Chloe noted, eying those books. "Them's the ones."

Her eyes flitted back to Bruce. "I'm sorry, but I haven't had a chance to delve into their depthless mysteries. Maybe this is something we can better do as a team?"

She paused, though, and as a ghost made of red sand whispered tinglingly through her thoughts, just at the fringes of her dendrites, she glanced in a Southerly direction as though she'd felt a sudden breeze.

"I think we may have another visitor coming, Bruce," Chloe murmured. "Someone else Tall and Spooky. But. I think he's a friend."

 

[AmenRa]

He touched down gently near the lawn of the great manor and reverted, or morphed rather, back into John Jones, emmanent professor of archaeology and associate dean at Central Kansas University.

He was, after all, trying to blend in with a race that he shared nothing with.

Except, perhaps, a passion to see this world left in peace.

As he approached the front door, he saw a familiar being, one who had stood considerable ground at the Battle of the Cave.

Jones tipped his old, dusty hat to the creature that felt like Shadow.

"Pleasant evening," he remarked in greeting. He then stood by The Wraith and waited at the door.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Pete (and Others)

"...I love you too, Mom," Pete assured her, borrowing someone's prepaid cellphone for the task. "Stay safe."

(A lot of the phone lines were down, a lot of them. But at least most of the cell towers were still standing.)

Deet.

He ended the call, and looked around.

They were back at the feed store, and the dust had mostly settled.

Rueful, the beaten-down rioters had clawed their way back to consciousness, and discovered themselves oh-so-embarrassed by their lapse of humanity. Sore-jawed and headachey, they had shaken hands and mumbled apologies.

Smallville was supposed to be good people. And they were good people; but even good people can lose their heads under extraordinary circumstances.

Fortunately, the dark-haired woman had put them down before they could do real damage, and now they were doing the opposite.

Banding together in an impromptu bucket brigade, they'd put out the fires in the parking lot and the adjacent cornfield.

(Fred Hornbach, after all, had been a volunteer fire-fighter most of his life. He knew the score.)

The Bull, limping somewhat, had helped clear much of the rubble.

Danny Guy was out directing traffic, holding one of those instant ice-packs to his jaw.

Ben Hubbard and Pete's dad were helping this one toothless guy change the tyre on his pick-up.

Pete glanced down at the borrowed Samsung T219. His mom had been fine, sequestered away with the other folks at the Lowell County Courthouse in a surprisingly-useful fallout shelter. She'd already spoken to his brothers... one of them had twisted an ankle getting some of his wife's daycare kids down the basement stairs, but otherwise the family had escaped unscathed.

So family's fine. Dues are paid.

He dialed Chloe's cell number.

Now I can follow up on the inscrutable exhortations of my cardiac muscle.

But Chloe's phone went straight to voicemail. Which was highly unusual.

Pete made a face.

He tried calling Chloe's dad's cell, but that rang and rang and went eventually to voicemail.

Pete's worry deepened. C'mon, cut the shit.

He frowned hard, and his grip on the phone tightened.

Think. What would Chloe do?

He ran his tongue over his teeth.

Well. For one thing, she'd call in one of her contacts. Girl has contacts everywhere. She'd call somebody connected, somebody with resources.

Who do I know's got resources, 'sides the dude with the laughing gas?

Then it dawned on him, and he felt quite the fool.

Wayne. Sophomore or not, crapped-in-his-cereal or not, eyes only for Chloe or not, I declared him m'boy and that don't just fade overnight.

Pete harrumphed softly.

Don't have his number.

He stepped back into the feed store and eyed the sales counter. The cash register had pretty much been overturned, but the counter itself was mostly intact.

Pete jogged up to it, vaulted over it, and found behind it a handy-dandy just-issued yellow pages tucked in with the lockbox for credit slips and special orders.

Extracting the phone book, he flipped through it, heading for the back. W.

There were a lot of Waynes listed. A lot of them.

Pete scowled. Didn't count on the name being that common.

But then a light bulb went on over his head.

He flipped toward the middle of the book. P.

There were a lot of Waynes listed, but only one Pennyworth.

Hurriedly, Pete dialed, praying to God that the phone lines towards the North of town were in better shape.

The phone rang. And rang.

C'mon. Cut the shit.

 

[Superman1496]

Master Bruce, I do believe you have guests at the door. More then one if I'm not mistaken. Alfred called from the other room.

Alfred picked up the phone that had been ringing. Wayne Mana'. Alfred remarked as soon as he answered the phone.

Bruce, who smiled at Chloe once again, walked out to the door. Opening it, he saw that 'Tall, Dark, and Spooky character Chloe had described. The other, could only be described as someone who might have hard feelings for Russians and Germans, due to his dress and dusty hat. This man looked as if he had been forced through a lot of things in his lifetime.

Bruce never really was racist, but being forced to do something was a Russian thing to do, as well as the Germans in the War.

Can I help you folks? Bruce asked, smiling at them both.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Pete

"Wayne Mana'," Alfred remarked as soon as he answered the phone.

Pete blinked, and grinned. Right first try. Nice!

"Hey, yeah," he replied to the Cockney accent at the other end of the line, "'Fred. Is Bruce there? It's a thing of urgency, m'man... I'm trying to track down a mutual friend, Chloe Sullivan, and I thought a guy of your boss' acclaim could lend some muscle to the detective work."

 

[AmenRa]

OOC: I just so could not resist this....


Jones gave the young Wayne who answered the door his best smile.

"I'm here to view the tapestries," he said. He then retrieved a small package of Oreo cookies from a jacket pocket. He tore open the package, and he offerred one to Bruce as he bit into one himself. "This is a castle, is it not?" he said between bites, "and you do have tapestries, right?"

Tapestries? Well, that was a bit cryptic. Hard to imagine just blurting out that he needed to speak to all of them about the Crystal of Power and Var-Sen and all things Kryptonian.

 

[camerindrake]

George Reeves- KENT FARM

A green 1969 beetle pulls up to the Kent farm. the engine sounding like its on its last leg. As it is turned off the car backfires one last sound. A man gets out in a gray three piece suit and wearing thick black plastic rimmed glasses. As he stands up fully he is a good six foot three inches and has slicked back black hair which is just starting to gray around the temples. He has a press pass hanging from the left breast pocket of his blazer.

He begins walking up looking at the house and yells out towards the house. "Jonathan! Martha? Its George from down the road. You in?"

George Reeves Editor of the Granville Daily News. That is the man who walks up to the front door of the Kent family home.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith

"And I am here selling girl scout cookies. Seriously though, there is supposed to be a strategy powow here tonight, so if it is ok with you can I come in without freaking anyone out? I'd change to who I normally am, but I'd much prefer to keep my secret identity a secret."

I looked over at the guy who had just flown in a few seconds ago, who was now appearing as a weatherbeaten man in a old fedora munching oreoes.

"I have no idea who this guy is, but I imagine he belongs in the zoo crew somewhere. So, we good or what?"

 

[Superman1496]

Bruce smiled at the man. Well of course we have tapestries. Come on in. Bruce offered. He turned to Wraith.

Good to see you again. And I'm sure you're welcome to stay in whatever form you want, or whatever it is you do. But, there is nothing but trust around here. Well, at least, from everyont but this old man here. Bruce said. He turned back to the man.

Do you mind if I ask who exactly you are? He said.

On the phone, Alfred talked with a young man. Miss Sullivan is here, all and well sa'. But give me a moment, I'll get Master Bruce for you. Alfred put the phone on the table, and headed for the door. Sa', you have been requested on the phone. Someone else is looking for the infamous Miss Sullivan. He said. He looked out the door, seeing the creature along the side of a man wearing a fedora.

I have a feeling it's going to be along day, don't you think sa'? Alfred said.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith

"I'll stay as I am, but thank you for inviting me in like this." I walked in past the butler and bruce, and into the foyer. I kept the tome tucked up under my arm, the scorched rune on the outside.

"Anyone mind showing me where to go please?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Rose and Chloe

Bruce left to go answer the door while the butler took the phone.

"'Crossroads of Eternity,'" Chloe grinned softly, shaking her head. "Pity's sake, this is like Grand Central Station for The Universe."

Rose's ears pricked up as her moderately-enhanced hearing detected Kyle's unmistakable voice, and she grinned as bright as day.

The books thudded to the table as she darted out to the hall, leaning out the kitchen door and waving down to The Wraith.

"Down here," she beckoned. "We're down here!"

Chloe crossed her arms over her stomach and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "And there again we have the somewhat-irritating recurring theme of people making lightning-fast exits."

She glanced at Merick, and scrunched her eyes shut with embarrassment. "So of course I say that to one of the kings of Getting Out of Dodge But Quick."

One eye peeked open. "No offence, right?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Pete

"Miss Sullivan is here, all and well sa'. But give me a moment, I'll get Master Bruce for you."

"Actually, if Chloe's there, could I just talk to--"

But he was gone. Nice Old Dude was gone.

Pete made a face.

Yeah. So. Probably interrupting them making out or something.

This ain't gonna be ass-awkward.

Still. Countin' blessings: glad she's not perished.

He tried his best to wait patiently and continued praying to God-- lot of telecommunications-related prayers today, Big Guy, sorry 'bout this --that this person's prepaid minutes would hold out.

 

[Lunaramblings]

Merick

Merick smiled weakly. He was glad everything was good. He needed everything to be good.

"So, these books, they have something to do with what happened at the caves? I mean, this all has to be connected right?" Merick fished into his pocket, and for the first time he could remember came up completely empty. "Dang, outta elevensies. Remind me to refill later.

Merick adjusted his hat. As he tried to gather his thoughts as Rose darted to retrieve the guests, he also realized he jacket was in rather shabby condition. "Great. I loved this jacket. Took me 4 thrift shops to find this thing. Could be worse." Self conciously Merick removes his jacket, and folds it hanging it over a nearby chair. Merick hated not having his jacket. He hated showing the scars on his arms. But, given what he now knew, he felt a bit of pride in them as well. They were his scarlet letter, but they were also a symbol of the power he had been granted. The opportunity he had been given to do good.

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

Jonathan Kent was sitting down inside the living room and had just finished the television off when he heard a car coming down their driveway and puttering to a stop before one last kick was heard from the old engine. He raised an eyebrow and Martha even popped her head out of the kitchen to see who it was.

Opening the front door, Jonathan saw George standing there, dressed in a suit with his glasses pressed against his nose.

Jonathan also noted the press pass.

"Yes George, we're home. Come on in," Jonathan said, pushing the door wider and offering him inside.

"It's kind of late. How can we uh, help you?" he asked, slightly curious as to what brought him to their home so late at night.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Chloe

Chloe stood for a moment, gazing at those scars. Sure, she remembered them exactly, having seen them earlier in The Talon, and this was one memory that hadn't been dampened by a near(?)-death dunk in the lake.

But seeing them in her memory and seeing them live and in person were two totally different things.

Well. Now I know why I don't have scars like yours, Merick.

I'm not a Squib anymore. Maybe I haven't been for a very long time.

She leaned against the counter, and she drank the rest of her coffee before setting down the empty mug.

How do you live with it? she wanted to ask. How do you function, knowing you're something... other?

She smiled faintly. "Yeah, everything's connected," she explained. "Everything always is. In particular, these books may help us figure out the meaning of the Kawatche writing on the walls of The Cave, which is one of the things our 'patron,' Professor Smith, tasked us with doing. Us 'Outsiders.'"

Chloe stared hard at him for a moment, knowing full well the old adage about never asking questions if you're not prepared to hear the answer.

"So what did happen at The Cave?" she pressed. "I got the Reader's Digest version, sure. Alien combat. But what about the blow-by-blow? What happened out there?"

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith

"Down here," I heard Rose call to me, "We're down here."

I chuckled when I saw her leaning about halfway through the doorway, then made my way over to her.

"Hi there. I almost ran into our friend back in Shadow, but he was off hunting. Guess we upset him by not staying for dinner."

I lifted the book up flat and showed her the cover, where the rune was burned into it.

"This was in the ruins of that castle we saw. Something... called me to go there. I found this inside. Funny thing is, I can read what that says, but I'll be damned if I know what language it is. I'll explore the book later, but in more private place. I think there are wards on it and it just might be dangerous if handled wrong."

Then I looked over and noticed Chloe and Merick looking at me and the book.

"Oh. Hi guys. Everyone doing OK?

 

[ChasNicollette]

Rose and Chloe

"What's the protocol with offended dragons?" Rose wondered. "Maleficent's boyfriend gets ticked at us, so... do we give him a damsel or something? Maybe a nice, shiny Arkenstone? I've never been invited to dinner by a dragon before; I'd hate to be a bad neighbour. (But I am so not being a damsel.)"

Rose squinted at the markings.

"Wards?" she wondered. "Like magical defence mechanisms? (Yeah, I don't know what language that is, either. Alphabet looks kind of like Tengwar, but I'm kind of rusty.)"

Chloe had a funny look on her face as she gazed at the mark on the book.

More runes.

She shook her head.

"S'fine," she murmured. "We were just talking. Getting each other up to speed. (That's not Tengwar; it looks more like Sarati.) We know what that means?"