>>5814632>>5814388>>5814389>>5814394>>5814395There was really nothing for it. Both Henzlers were right, in a way, your realized: this WAS a great opportunity, as the Archmage had said, and there really WAS no way out of this which didn’t entail de facto banishment. Better yet, one Henzler could cancel out the other, for if the elder Henzler became unbearable, the younger could free you—and keep you free, affecting a more reliable and permanent egress than you could have done had you not consulted with her. Besides, this could allow you to keep your promise to Zith-Zi, AND presented an opportunity to stay close to Izirina, and to ensure she didn’t do anything TOO crazy… Maybe even to heal her, and to persuade her to maintain at least SOME of her worldly attachments.
“Thank you,” you told Izirina, and meant it.
She simply smiled that enigmatic smile.
You left her then, and returned to your home. To your relief, neither Muffins nor Zith-Zi had slain the other, though the goblin was perched upon your banister with scimitar drawn, and Muffins was delighting himself in prowling below her.
“That’s a play stance,” you reassured her. “he doesn’t actually intend to eat you.”
“The goat head isn’t much better,” she said, nodding to where one of the bed’s legs had been buckled and splintered by an impact. “I’ve seen how that little pisser ‘plays’.”
You sighed, rubbing your forehead to hide a small smirk. After all, you supposed you wouldn’t be bringing your bed or frame with you, and in light of that these antics were less upsetting—and more amusing—than they would have otherwise been.
“Come on down,” you said, entwining your fingers in your three-headed chimera’s mane and gently tugging him back from his greenish plaything. “We need to talk.”
“That’s never good,” Zith-Zi remarked, but slid down the bedpost with a flourish and a twirl, sheathing her scimitar upon her belt as she did so.
You told her what had happened, then, at least in short. As Izirina had done, Zith-Zi pet the drake at the center of this whole mess while you spoke, though she was at least a modicum more attentive than your other friend, nodding along and grimacing at the tale of tentacled assault upon your person.
“What a bitch,” she said when you were done. “And you expect me to come live in her creepy-ass dungeon with you?”
You shook your head sadly.
“No, I don’t expect anything,” you admitted. “I have… Ways… To get in and out of there, but… Well, they’re not reliable, especially for a magic-resistant goblin. I can’t do it all the time, though, or the Archmage will catch on. But if you leave Hershy with me…”
“No fuckin’ way.”
“I was going to say,” you continued testily, “I could heal him, and bring him to you, good as new.”
She regarded the feathered drake, expression uncertain.
