A little while later (Patreon)

the femmes and I gathered just outside of the Scrying Tower, in readiness for our expedition. I turned to address Meadow and everyone listened.

“Now we've got some time to go on an excursion," I began. "The trees will continue cleaning up the fields around Albric Tor, but I don't want them trying to clean the city itself. They're too likely to tear up the streets and buildings with their roots. We'll save that task for when Eltsac Mailliw is fully healed, which gives us some time to do something else. Now then, Meadow, as you said earlier, there are two places we can reach directly from here using the Gate. The first is Athstead, the Birthplace of Irenaeus, where I once went on a quest in which I received a vision from Fuma and gained her blessing of Luck. The second is a marshy region of Faerie where a community of Seelie elves have returned to living according to the Old Ways of our tribal ancestors. You told us that Athstead is suffering from a depressed economy due to their limited farmland and the scarcity of any sort of outside trade due in no small part to the sad fact that very few elves know how to use the Gates. The marsh community that you mentioned is living in the shadow of a monastery that has forsaken the worship of our blessed Lady Fuma and instead is the headquarters of a cult that worships a giant fish that I may know all too well.”

“Yes," Meadow nodded. "Yes, I did tell you all of that.”

“She did, my lord," Rebecca nodded cheerily. "We were all present.”

“Is there a reason why you explained it all again word-for-word?” Burnside asked.

“Well, uh," I floundered. "It seemed important to reiterate it, you know. Bring everyone up to speed. Someone might have forgotten.”

“I remember," Thomson confirmed. "It was only a day and a half ago. But in another way it seems like ages ago. It feels good to get out of that grimy bathrobe. What luck that we found a trove of Floozy clothes.”

"I'd have been surprised if we didn't find any," Meadow sniffed, "considering how many Floozies Estmere kept around. With all of the outfits available, why did you choose that one?"

"It's comfortable," Thomson shrugged.

There was an awkward pause as they all turned to me with expectant looks. “Well, good,” I nodded with regal authority. “It is time for us to decide where we shall go first. Athstead seems like the prime choice for our first destination: A well established settlement with historic ties to the empire would be a good ally that will owe us a favor after we help them. We may need all the help we can get for whatever evils are plaguing the elves in the Marshy Region. However, if the fish god this cult worships is the one I am thinking of, their peril may be more dire than we know. Time could be of the essence. So perhaps we should go there first. Or, since whatever's happening there has been happening all this time without us, we could go see Kelly first, and THEN choose a destination in Faerie.”

“Well then, where do YOU think we should go first?” I asked, turning and pointing.

Are you asking me?” the Shrub guard rustled nervously. I'm just a privet."

PREV www.patreon.com/posts/153229518