Chapter 6: The Hunter and the Prey

Mr. Swan, if you would be so kind, can I use that talking stone thing.

Wil takes the stone.

Verrian.

Wil waits for her to answer.

I am sorry to bother you. I know you have a lot on your plate right now...but there are families of halflings in the area where you are. At least one of them is my family. Can you warn them. Tell them to leave. Use my name... someone might recognize it.

"Family?" Verrian is momentarily at a loss, but then she remembers the woman in line to enter the city, the one who had recognized Wil. "I remember her. What's her name? What's her relationship to you?"

Her name is Blossom Silverstream and she is my aunt

"All right. I'll try to find her. Are you heading people out of the city, through the front gate?"

We are heading for the Silver Gate.

Thank you Verrian, I appreciate this.

Coreene emerges from the house holding Minama's hand. "Are we ready to go?" she asks Verrian.

"Sort of. Wil called, asked me to find his aunt Blossom and get her out, too." Addressing the old woman, she asks, "Where would I likely find a halfling who just arrived in Hara this morning?"

Elora doesn't move away from Ember during her shouting tirade, deciding she could use someone close by as a means of comfort. Of course it can be rather hard to feel the positive emotions of a shouting magical teenager, so Elora starts pondering what exactly could've brought such a behemoth to the city.

Is it attracted to magic? Possibly, but magic in general, or is the equipment the Crows employ somehow bringing about these beings & magical storms? Maybe it was summoned; by who, and for what purpose...

"If they knew anyone here in the city, your best guess would be over in the Green," says the old woman, gesturing with the pointy end of her broom toward the northeast. Conveniently, away from the advancing fire, but also closer to the front gate. "Though that's a historical name. Not so green any more. A couple of blocks over that way. It's a mostly halfling neighborhood."

She crouches down, none too smoothly, to hold Minama's face between her wrinkled, bony hands. "Listen, Minama dear. These people are going to take you to your mother, where the two of you will be safe. You are the bravest, strongest girl I know, dear, and I know you will help them and help your mother and never give up," she says, with remarkable composure.

The girl looks back at the old woman with wide, serious eyes, then flings her arms around her neck and squeezes. "Okay, Granny. I'll try my best," she says. "Will you be all right?"

The old woman coughs out a laugh, hugging Minama back tightly. She gently reaches up to disentangle the girl's arms from her neck, and fixes her with a wavering smile. "I will be now, dear."

She stands back up, and Verrian and Coreene can easily see the tears starting to track their route down her craggy cheeks. In a broken whisper, she says to them, "And now I'm ready to say goodbye. Please, go. Be safe, and may the light of sun and moon be with you."

Elora cerebrates really hard as she mutters incessantly.

Verrian is unaware of her own tears until she absentmindedly wipes her cheek with a hand. Afraid to trust her own voice, she nods to the old woman and telepathically shares with her a final wish for peace.

To Coreene, she shares, @Coreene: Let's head northeast, quickly. When we're in the Green, look for this woman. She shares an image of the woman she'd seen with Wil earlier this morning.

Then, Verrian is once again running, this time toward the Silver Gate.

Ember stops her now-hoarse screaming just long enough to glance at Elora.

Are.....you okay?

Elora ponders a number of possible explanations for the appearance of the fire monster, all of which seem equally likely in the absence of further information.

She does note the seeming correlation between its appearance and the growth of the fire across the river from where it rose from the earth. Summoned by fire perhaps, but why? If there's an answer to that question, it doesn't present itself immediately.

Leaving the old woman behind, watching them as they go, Coreene and Verrian detour into the Green. The commotion is certainly spreading throughout the city. More and more people have exited their homes, either due to the shouting and clamor in the street, or because they've seen the fire and are trying to get away. Families, individuals, all sorts are carrying what few possessions they have to their names and are meandering roughly away from the fire toward the main city gate Verrian entered through earlier in the day.

By the time the Naucans reach the Green, the halfling community there is in an uproar. And for once, it's not just the fire that's causing trouble: people trying to leave the district are being denied the quickest route to the gate by a significant City Guard presence. They've lined up in force, clad in chain mail and bearing shields, across several of the main avenues out of the area. It's easy to see where the name of the neighborhood might have come from. There is a large open area in the middle of the main square here, that probably once boasted a verdant park. Hard to tell in the darkness, of course, but it doesn't look very healthy now.

A number of halflings are trying to reason with the City Guard, begging them to let people through, but the guards remain stoic to a fault, barely even deigning to recognize they're being spoken to. It's not a riot -- halflings are notoriously prone to good cheer and politeness -- but it might not take much encouragement. The tension in the air is thick.

@Coreene: See if you can find Blossom in this crowd.

Verrian wades into the crowd, looking for the face she'd seen earlier in the day. As she walks, she shares only with the halflings within thirty feet of her position, @Everyone: Blossom Silverstream, Wilitan is looking for you. Blossom Silverstream, please look around.

Minama was still tired, and not up to the quick pace that Verrian and Coreene had set. Coreene now clutched the girl to her chest and nodded to Verrian as she scanned the crowd, and sent out messages all around her to try to find Blossom Silverstream, careful not to share with the little girl so that she could try to sleep through this madness.

"...Wish I had library access, so much left to myster-Huh?" Elora turns to Ember, just now realizing she was having quite a conversation with herself. "I, uhm, am trying to pass the time; all this commotion is...unsettling me. Do you think we're almost through? I really hope so." Elora stares ahead, trying to gauge their approximate distance from the gate.

Ember flashes a quick smile while she looks toward the gate.

Don't worry, El. We'll be out soon.

The Naucans' sending creates a ripple of confused looks as the crowd searches for where the voice in their heads might have come from. One halfling, a round fellow still wearing pajamas and a nightcap, curly black hair sticking out from underneath, sticks his hand up in the air and waves it cheerfully, hopping up and down to get... someone's? attention. "Blossom? I know Blossom!" he calls out.