Scorched Campaign

8: Brewery

.^^ Behir ^^

— Teagan —

I sighed and gave my daughter a disapproving glare. "Honestly, dear, that's not funny. We were worried about you!"

Tommy frowned. "It's not my fault that you guys hear an explosion and think 'Tommy must be making trouble!' Honestly, when have I ever given you that impression? There's a difference between Mischievous Chemist and Mad Bomber, you know!!!"

Caroline laughed. "True, but still. You already ate, I can smell-... shepherds pie, maybe?"

"Yes, I cooked for Sariel's Family. Now! They came into the city from two directions, but I sent some guards to look down the path, and then report back, so we have some downtime! Let's relax and eat some pie! Ooh! Hey cutie, you missed a hell of a little party!" Tommy laughed, and hugged Gladrinon, who was now visible, holding the Lute of the Rose I'd given to him, (mostly because I had no idea how to use it, and he was a Bard, so it made sense).

Sandy's mother chuckled, leading us all back into the compound. "I agree. Let us all relax, and deal with dragons after the celebration. And there are those of you that are going home immediately, yes?" She asked.

I nodded. "Indeed. Lady Kyrew? Would you like to stay until morning?"

She hummed. "Well, honestly, that was the quickest I've ever managed to leave our Estate, so you have my thanks, but I did promise to stay a little while... lady Tommy, keep my son safe, and barring that, keep him healthy. Goodbye, for now, love, come to the compound when Tommy goes on her mission." She smiled at Tommy, kissing her son's horns, (to his intense embarrassment,) and then walked off towards her family's compound.

"So, did your research show anything significant?" I asked Karon and Gladrinon, as we settled inside the house.

Sandy nodded, sitting on Cassidy's lap without thinking. "I'd like to know that as well."

"They're coming from the north, but that much isn't a surprise... what is surprising is their coming here. I read reports that they are in seven different locations... which confuses me." Gladrinon hummed.

"Unless there's just a really large clutch of them, this time around." Cassidy offered, and stroked Sandy's thighs gently, letting her know where she was sitting. She went very still, and her mother began cackling with laughter at the slow-but-steady reddening of her entire pale face and ears.

I cleared my throat. "Yes, that would be my guess. There were 26 babies here, and one adolescent. If they're in seven different places in the same numbers, that's almost 14 times their normal brood size, correct?"

Sandy cleared her throat. "Yes... quite. But it could just be that the northern conclaves are being pushed south by a different predator... maybe an infestation of Behir?"

Kaza shivered, and made an odd motion, tapping two fingers against her collarbone. "C'laze-Dehin." She spat venomously.

Caroline, Cassidy, and Sandy all snapped their gazes to her, and Sandy hissed softly, clapping her hands over Sariel's ears with lightning-quick reflexes. "Mother! There are sensitive ears!" She chided the older elf.

Kaza grumbled a few more words, and then sighed. "It could very well be an infestation of Fulminating Cliff Scavengers... that would explain most of this."

"So if we found the thing that drove them south and killed it, they'd return to their normal hunting grounds?" I asked.

"Probably, but if it drove away the Dragons, its obviously more dangerous than them." She sighed.