>>5950246You and your small party depart: Costella on one side, Pearce taking the lead, and Veloz resting upon your wizard-hat to save his energy. You’ve noticed his plumage is more vibrant lately, though, and his fluttering flights of fancy and food-collection more frequent; the Sylvan Realm has been good for him, its energies closer to those of the moon, even if the gravity remains an impediment to the long jaunts he used to take across the tiny world. You hadn’t realized how hard living in and around Hawksong had been on him…
“Worried about the Ranger Commander reaction?”
You look up with a start at Pearce, who is looking over his shoulder at you.
“You were pouting,” he explains.
“I was not!” you protest.
“It’s cute,” Costella reassures you. “Don’t feel, like, self-conscious or anything!”
Pearce nearly nods before he catches himself, but it’s too late: you saw. You give him a knowing look, and he coughs and looks back ahead.
“I'd almost forgotten to stress about that, actually, until you reminded me,” you answer his query. “I was actually thinking about Veloz… About the ethe effects living here on Earth might have on him long-term.”
“Classic Tips,” Pearce laughs at that. “Always worrying about animals.
“It’s because he’s an altruist,” Costella says confidently, sounding out the last word in a way that tells you she learned it recently. “He always, like, thinks about everyone else, and looks after them. Even, like, big scary monsters like that ‘prince’! I bet he took one look at him in a cage and couldn’t stand to see him all sad. Am I right, Tips?”
“S-something like that,” you stammer.
"Classic Tips," Pearce repeats solemnly.
In truth, it’s a bit more complicated than all that… But you’re not sure how much you can, or should, share. On the one hand, these two are your friends—well, more than friends, where Costella is concerned. On the other hand… Izirina Henzler has been dabbling with dark spirits, and it was in deference to this somewhat-sinister secret that you ‘liberated’ the Unknowable Prince.
Will you tell them what happened, and get their input and advice?
>Yes, ask Pearce and Costella about the Nothic, and about Izirina’s behaviour—honestly, they’ve spent more time with her this last year than you have>No, keep your own counsel about these shadowy disclosures for nowGoing out for drinks with a bud, so sorry for the short-ish updates. I hope the extra one makes up for it, and this art by abismomorbido 