>>5717338>>5717342>>5717343>>5717397>>5717477>>5717504>>5717601"All right. But only-"
"Thanks! You're a real one!" She chirrups, moving with such alarming alacrity that she is already partway through the exit. 'A real what?' You wonder to yourself, before you think to go after her. Setting your glass down, you give chase, bounding toward the door as Ilanis works an exotic surfacer device - a sort of small canopy attached to a metal rod - and raises it above her head, gingerly shutting the way behind her. Gripping the handle, you fling the door out to its furthest extent and survey your surroundings.
The girl must have been in a mighty hurry, for she is nowhere to be found.
"Vith ol," you murmur to yourself, locking the door. For the first time, you are alone in the Dreaming Dragon, and given the hour, this will be the case for quite some time. Returning to the bar, you raise the glass to your lips, withdrawing them in shock shortly after. The taste - no, the contents - have changed. This container which you hold in your hands is no icy cocktail, but instead a quarter-full wooden mug of tepid water.
In your haste, you reason, you must have misplaced your drink elsewhere, though a search of your immediate surroundings turns up nothing. It will be found in time, you suppose. Relocating to an impressive round table of carved marble, you elect to dedicate this time to reading through the letters given to you by Emitia. Laying your wet cloak on an unoccupied chair, you pull up a seat and set to work.
