Embers in the Dust

Darion stepped back from the sphere, and Mr. Muffins watched as Humboldt and his crew walked closer to the temple. He was curious as to what would happen next, but the confirmation of his friend working with the enemy gave him little care toward their actions. Darion shook his head, upset and confused by the visual they had received.

“Wait… What has been happening since I’ve been in Moonbright?” Darion asked, clearly confused by the conversation.

“It’s been a long two months,” Leaf answered, stepping away from Wulfgar’s side to explain. “It started with Helena.”

“The hag in Moonbright,” Mr. Muffins added.

“Yes. She planned on bringing Dubh Catha back, though. What does it have to do with Avernus?”

“Dubh Catha is one of multiple Hounds of War for Asmodeus. The Hag Countess we’ve met, and she seems uninterested in joining either side, but has offered to help.”

“Then, we fought Zidingris in Aramore and saved Trista, The Hag’s last living daughter,” Myla jumped in.

“After, we went to Avernus, where we met Hades,” Lyla stated.

“And we learned that Zarin is a general of Asmodeus as well. He’s the Justifiable,” Rhokhishi answered.

“After all of that, we found that the other four are part of a larger entity, along with Zidingris. Zidingris was actually an aspect of its true self, and the five dragons are actually Tiamat.” Leaf finished.

“That’s… A lot to take in, but I’m keeping up. What does this have to do with the Deans or our Dragon companions?”

“Well, that’s where things got tricky for us,” Muffins said as he leaned against a bookshelf. “Apparently, Ramona wasn’t just trying to get revenge and bring back a member of the Fae Court. She was actually trying to raise Dubh Catha in order to kill him and take his power for herself. She had placed shades in other places, like here, and they possessed people. Cerrin was one of them.”

“Goodness…”

“That’s not all,” Rhokhishi explained. “Zarin is working with a group of others, the ones you just saw in the sphere. We’ve met a couple of them.”

“They’re trying to use the power the dragons have, along with the connection to the deans, in order to bring back Tiamat, then kill her. If they do so, they’ll all gain power from her death,” Leaf explained.

“How could someone orchestrate all of this under our noses?”

“That’s a great question. I think they’ve been at this for some time,” Mr. Muffins pondered. “I knew that the last Dean of Berkton died, but they never really talked much about what happened to him. I suspect they were catchin’ on to something, but was stopped. With you being new, you’d not have time to learn anything. Hell, we pulled you away from the academy as soon as you really started getting the swing of it here.”

“I talked to Cerrin about it. He’s the one who advised me to go. If only I had known…” Darion added quietly.

Darion sat on one of the tables, his head in his hands as he tried to take in the overwhelming information. Mr. Muffins knew that it was a lot, but this wasn’t the time to break. He walked over to Darion, placed a hand on his shoulder, and spoke.

“There is no time to worry about fault. We have limited time, and even more information to piece together.”

They sat together and Mr. Muffins listened as Leaf went on to explain more of their story. He started when he met Lyla, to fill in Wulfgar, then moved the story forward. From meeting Ana, traveling to Stillmight Campground, meeting the Hag Countess, then their time in Aramore. Once finished with that, Lyla, Myla, and Rhokhishi added in the various visions and deities that they had or met. Darion sat there, a look of shock on his face through most of it. At the end, Leaf recounted their time in Berkton, up to meeting with Darion earlier. When Mr. Muffins looked up at the clock, he realized that they had been talking for almost an hour at the table. The sun was passing through the windows, but night would arrive soon.

“It seems like you’ve all been terribly busy. I have to ask, when did you change, Gisela? You seem different since we last met in Moonbright,” Darion mentioned.

“I was in the Fae Realm for a while. Time difference,” She answered.

“Ah. I’ve been there once, for only a few hours. It was a week in Midgard. Interesting place,” Darion added. “Now, I suggest you all rest, and we’ll think more on this over the next couple of days. I’ve been away from the academy, and I’ll most likely need to attend to all the duties of the deans, while helping as Archmage until you finish your quest.”

“I would appreciate that, Darion. It shouldn’t take us too long. We have a little more work to do tomorrow, then we can leave soon after.” Leaf responded.

“Oh! That reminds me,” Gisela added. “I bought a few scrolls for you while at the shop. I figured they could be useful.”

Mr. Muffins watched as she pulled a multitude of scrolls from her bag and handed them to Leaf. He set them before him on the table, then nodded.

“I also have something that Myla might enjoy.”

Gisela walked over to another table, where a broom sat. She brought it over to Myla, and explained.

“I know that you enjoy being high above everyone, especially during fights. With a command, you’ll be able to use this as a means of travel, quicker than running, and keep yourself safe from harm.”

“That’s wonderful, Gisela! Thank you.”

“Well, let’s get you some rooms here at the academy. We still have the spare dorm for parents and supervisors, and it’s empty currently. I’ll let some of the staff know and they’ll have it prepared for you in a few hours.”

Darion stepped away, and they all sat quietly. Mr. Muffins saw that everyone was exhausted from the last few days, and he also welcomed a comfortable bed to sleep on. He was swept up soon after by Candace and Khoros, who were taking their late evening to get some more research finished. With his help, they both left an hour later with a stack of books, and promised to meet at the library the next day to go over any new developments. Darion returned when their rooms were ready. He walked them across the campus and gave Leaf a key in order to unlock the building’s front door.

“I’ll most likely be in my office most of the night. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

Mr. Muffins walked behind the group, as they chose their rooms. In his, he found a bed, desk, and nightstand. It was simple, but comfortable. Laying his items down on the desk, he pulled his boots off, laid on his bed, and fell asleep instantly.