Chapter 3: Heading Out

After the meeting with Welg, Nadeshiko led Leoric over to a small house that would serve as his residence. Once inside he found that his gear, including his rings had been returned to him.

He took each one from the pouch and gave it a polish, only stopping when two unfamiliar rings tumbled out.

The surface of one was etched with sinuous patterns; the other had its shard of animite set between a pair of wings. Curious he slipped them on and magined, taking a quick step back when a Flugg and a Herbadan appeared.

The Flugg resembled a large hairy caterpillar with a crown of horns, while the Herbadan resembled a winged unicorn with a long flowing mane and tail of grass blades.

' I guess they want me to familiarize myself with their creatures he thought, undreaming the pair and returning to his cleaning.

Nadeshiko sat in the council chamber along with Welg, observing Leoric through the Silver Pond.

' So now that we have agent, what is his first task going to be?' she asked.

' Well I'm not going to get him needlessly killed, if that is what you are implying.' Welg retorted, ' I'm sending the pair of you to the town of Russet Frond.

'The town on the Dreshi boarder?' she asked, ' Why send us there?'

Welg handed her a small box filled with green filaments, each one was tipped with a small glowing seed.

'Russet Frond oversees the Glimmer Moss Farms in that area,' he said, ' recently they've come under attack by a band of resourceful brigands who have staged a string of successful raids against the wagon trains.'

Nadeshiko ran the tip of her finger through the moss.

' Could they be Shadow Magi?' She asked, 'Glimmer Moss is chief ingredient in healing and rejuvenation potions, could they be gathering supplies for another attack?'

Welg left his chair and began to pace about the room.

'You have a point, 'he said, 'If the Core were looking to re-supply prior to an assault, it would only be logical to assume that they would seek disputable people to help them.'

' We must investigate, and sever this potential line of supplies to the Core.'

Nadeshiko rose from her seat.

'Very well, we shall leave tomorrow,' she said, ' but what shall I tell Leoric.'

'Tell him what I've told you, 'he said frowning, ' we need him to trust us, or we will fail before we've even started.'

Shivering her Herbadan's saddel, Nadeshiko wrapped her cloak about her tightly in vain attempt to stave off the chill touch of the night air.

' I don't believe you woke me up this early,' she snarled, ' the sun hasn't even risen yet!'

Leoric smirked, ' I know. He said, ' but if we arrive and secure lodgings before the populace arises we have a better chance to blend in.'

Nadeshiko glance down at the nightscape below. Even in the pale light of El she could see barren clearings amongst the blades of grass, and these were becoming more common the closer they traveled to the boarder, and in the cold light she caught sight of a small group of misshapen creatures cavorting in one of them, and quickly looked away.

'I've never been to Russet Frond before, ' she said, ' have you?'

'I've been there once or twice,' Leoric replied with a shrug, ' you could call it a melting pot for the realms of Weave, Kybar's Teeth and The Sands of Dresh. It's a rough place, and you're better off not wandering around alone outside town or you might run into a pack of Olem Fiends.'

' Oh, great,' Nadeshiko murmured, her face paling, and not from the cold, as she buried it in her mounts long flowing mane.

However, a horrific screech rent the night air, causing her to bolt upright.

'What is that? She yelped as they both turned to see a large shadowy creature. As it dove towards El's light revealed it to be a dream creature that was humanoid with vulture-like head, had large feathered wings growing out of its back, and right arm that resembled a mantis's forelimb with a wickedly sharp, curved claw.

'Damn, a Grim Shryque,' Leoric hissed, ' we'd-

Whatever Leoric said was drowned out as the pursuing dream creature threw its head back and uttered a blood-curdling shriek.'

Both Leoric and Nadeshiko gasped in pain, their lungs felt as if they were being pumped full of freezing air, turning their blood into ice.