Hello, Everyone!
Thank you for being so patient with my little breaks from posting here. I do need it from time to time, and I appreciate every comment you leave, letting me know that you follow the story and care about the next part!
Anyway. Welcome to the next chapter of our D&D adventure! So far in this Arc, we met a Black dragon in human form, saved a young woman from its clutches and made it Very. Angry. Then, we discussed the current threats to the world (Dragons! So Many Dragons!) with Dynatos Perres (the ruler of Pamagos) and got an unexpected visit from Tesaya who teleported in, half-dead and letting us know of yet another dragon. It was going to get released from its half-a-century imprisonment if we didn’t do something to stop it. We decided to do that something, and after half a day of preparations, we headed out to the Swamp of Agony (making just one quick stop at the fortress Orswald where Mary had an unexpected (but pleasant) encounter.
Finally, in our latest episode, Aurum turned into a Giant eagle and we got on his back, and we started our flight above the Teeth.
The flight began with excitement. Mary felt the eagle rise and it brought her sudden and powerful joy. She spread her arms in the bird's claws and closed her eyes in delight.
Then, the cold wind took her breath away and she started coughing uncontrollably. It was suddenly freezing and disorienting. She thought about Messaging Aurum to stop and let her put on another layer of clothing but… they didn't have time to waste on that. So, she gritted her teeth and counted the seconds until they were able to take a rest.
There weren't any Ice Giants on their way, or, if there were, they didn’t engage them in any way. There was, however, rain. As soon as they flew out between the sharp black tops of the Teeth, raindrops as cold and unforgiving as ice shards showered their faces. Lightning and thunder surrounded them. The eagle flew in a straight line through all of that, fast and purposeful, not stopping or slowing down even for a second.
After what felt like a year, it squeezed the claw Mary was in. That was the signal that Aurum wanted to tell her something via Message.
“What is it?” Mary said in his head.
”The first hour of the spell is ending,” he replied. ”I’ll be looking for a place to land and take a breath before I cast it again. Tell the others and brace for a landing.”
While Mary sent out the heads-up, the eagle started circling the nearby rocks until it found a narrow platform suitable for landing. It flew down, dropped Mary and Agatha and touched ground. As soon as Bruno and Tesaya climbed down from his back, Aurum poofed into his usual form and gave out a relieved sigh.
"Oh, Gods, that was awful!" Agatha said, wet and trembling inside her coat.
"I want my armour!" Tesaya groaned. “I want it so badly!”
Rain was pouring over them and they started taking out rainclothes out of their Bags of Holding. Mary dried and warmed up everyone using her wand's magic. It lifted their spirits a little.
"We don’t have time for a full rest," Tesaya said. "We’re still not out of trouble. If we stay in the mountain longer than we have to, we’re risking waking up something that lives around here.”
There was a group groan. Agatha seemed especially distraught and Mary understood her well. Cats didn't like being wet.
Aurum transformed again, and they climbed to their place upon the eagle’s body. This time they were better prepared for the flight – wrapped in their rainclothes, scarfs around their mouths and noses, braced for the cold and the rain.
And so, the second hour of the flight seemed shorter than the previous. When she felt the squeeze of Aurum’s claw, Mary had the feeling that they’d been in the air for just a few minutes.
They landed near the beginning of the swamp, and immediately sank up to the ankles into the cold water. Raindrops were dancing on their heads, lightnings flashed in the sky above, and in the darkness of the late evening, Mary realized there were a lot of low shrubbery and vines tangling around their feet. Her memory stirred, remembering a book page about a monster that ate people and was made of vegetation.
“We should hurry up and get settled before something gets us,” she said.
She found a slightly clearer place and thrust her wand into the ground. For a moment, she worried whether it'll grow. If something had happened to Gillean--or if he was cross with her--would he have taken his magic away?
However, the dome of the orange tree grew and spread its branches, like always, and they all went inside.
Quickly, the swamp water drained from under their feet, and soft green grass grew in its place. The ground moulded into some cozy-looking beddings and the air got significantly warmer and fresher. The crown of the tree glimmered with fireflies and fairy lights, and the little pixies who lived there appeared and started acting out a theatrical play with a lot of dramatic sword fighting.
“Oh, I didn’t know we’d have entertainment,” Agatha said. “I would have brought some snacks."
Tesaya threw her Bag of Holding on the ground and frantically rummaged through it with her one hand.
"Finally!" she said. "I can have my armour back! I feel almost naked without it."
Mary glanced at Aurum, ready to roll her eyes at any comment that he might make, but he didn't say anything on this. It was a low-hanging fruit. Tesaya turned to Bruno to help her put the armour on.
"Aren't you afraid that you could get struck by lightning?" Mary said watching them fasten the different parts together.
Tesaya smiled. "Not really," she said. "It's one of the gifts Mother Nature bestowed upon me when I took my Oath. I'm resistant to lightning."
She raised her hand and wiggled her fingers. Little zaps of electricity passed through them. It reminded Mary about the fight at Falka's mausoleum. Tesaya had been enveloped in lightning back there, too, and it didn't seem to hurt her in the slightest.
Well, you didn't need me to tell you that Tesaya is cool, right? :) Also, how awesome is Mary's magical tree??? Without it we'd be knee-deep in swamp water right now! Nobody likes sleeping in the mud!
See you next time when we'll continue our adventure in the swamp.
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide, the Glossary and the Map for the series. You're welcome!)
An important disclaimer: Mary Windfiddle's story is my notes from a D&D game turned into a narrative. All the worldbuilding and NPC encounters belong to our DM, and all the actions of the other main characters (Aurum, Bruno and Agatha) belong to my co-players. My contribution to the story is only everything Mary-related (actions, reactions, inner thoughts), as well as the writing itself.