WHUMP.

Chase took a deep breath, and put away her cards. “Here we go. Are you ready?”

“Are you sure this is the strategy you want to follow?” Thomasi asked. A thin bead of sweat rolled down from his hairline, marring the impassive front he was putting up.

WHUMP.

“It's the only one that has any chance of working, if they're guiding me correctly. And they haven't failed me yet,” Chase said.

Then she opened the door, and gave Greta a thumbs up.

“Cagna! Send the message!” Greta yelled down the hall.

WHUMP!

Then the big halven girl darted in and hugged Chase, squeezing her close. “Don't screw this up. This isn't Boggy Wilker and the pickle jar. This is a dragon.”

“I know,” Chase said, and squeezed her back. “You stay safe too!”

“Only way I'll be unsafe is if we have to save your butt. You remember that, Chase Berrymore!”

WHUMP!

Oh, it was way too close. “Go!” Chase said, and sent her on her way with a push.

Greta ran, taking the stairs two at a time when she came to them.

Which was precisely why they'd chosen this insula for the task.

Not because of the stairs, mind you. It was due to the size of the stairs. And everything else in here, really.

This insula, like many in the district they'd chosen, had originally been designed for gnomes. And unlike most of the others of its era, it had never been repurposed.

As such, Thomasi was sitting, doing his best to keep his head down, and even Chase found the ceiling a bit close for her liking. Cramped quarters all around... and it was paired with some of the sturdiest construction still existing in the city.

Chase figured it would buy them five, perhaps ten minutes. If they needed more than that then it was probably hopeless anyway.

It also had one very important feature that hopefully wouldn't come into play...

Then a new voice whispered in her ear.

“Get ready!” Madeline said. “Renny's on his way to yah now.”

WHUMP! WHUMP whump whump...

The dragon was circling now. Something had changed.

Noise on the stairs. “I'm here!” Renny called out. “You need me to make an illusion of what you're doing, right?”

“Yes! Just as you see it. Stand... there.” Chase said, pointing at the door to the apartment.

“Where do you want me?” Carmina asked. “What am I doing again? I forgot.”

“You're our escape route if it goes wrong. Keep that Loot Bag ready in case you need to scoop us up. But... ah, you shouldn't be in sight. Hide behind the sofa or something.”

By the time Chase looked back she was gone. She might have lost a lot of levels, but she was still good at hiding. Just a bad Burglar, that was all.

Well.

Time to buff.

“Lecture, Silver Tongue,”

“Okay, it's up!” Renny said.

Chase cleared her throat. “Okay. If I flick my hand at you like this, then pause the illusion. This means start again.” Then she dug in her apron pocket, and held the egg up for Renny to see.

And above her in the sky, a much-larger illusion of herself was doing just the same thing.

“Hello there, Therasimalazyn. I call for parley. If you continue on this path, you will destroy—”

The building shook.

A wave of sound, filling the air, filling her head, and she fell to the ground, feeling blood well up in her nose and drip to the ground, as fragile tissues gave...

...until the sound eased, and she could hear again.

“I didn't show the part where you fell over,” Renny said. “Also I'm lowering the sound of his roar in here. Let me know when you're ready again.”

“Okay,” Chase said. “Lesser Healing.” The pain in her head went away. “Thomasi?”

“I'm good. My constitution's a bit higher than yours.”

“I'm okay too!” Carmina shouted.

“All right...” Chase straightened back up, mopped her face until there wasn't any more blood.

“Let me,” Thomasi said, and one handkerchief later he deemed her good to go.

Finally she set her face into a glare of annoyance, and waved her hand at Renny. “Oh control yourself. Temper tantrums aren't dignified. You can either parley or we can run off with this egg and then you'll be responsible for losing two of them. Which is it?”

The voice again, faint at first but rising as Renny lifted the sound barrier around them. “show yourSELF YOU LITTLE WORM.” It echoed throughout the building, past the blown-out windows, through the empty halls. It was doing the same through all the nearby buildings, she had no doubt.

Despite herself, she shivered. But halvens were no stranger to fear, and she knew the course she needed to run. “After what you did to this city? I think not. Not until we've come to an accord.”

“I SHALL BURN YOUR BONES TO ASH AND TAKE BACK WHAT YOU HAVE STOLEN.”

Chase flicked her hand at Renny, the signal to stop. “Foresight,” she said, then checked the future.

Her face blanched, as she listened to things spiraling out of control. Two more Foresights and another level of the skill, and she had a good response ready. She motioned for Renny to start again. “If you burn us, you burn the egg. You know what happens then.”

Silence, and an echoing growl. A growl with just a hint of annoyance. “THEN I SHALL FIND YOU AND EAT YOU, AND PLUCK WHAT YOU HAVE STOLEN FROM YOUR DEAD FINGERS.”

“Or, we could talk it over,” Chase said. “We don't want the world to end any more than you do.”

“THEN YOU HAVE ACTED VERY FOOLISHLY.”

The building shook, and Chase winced.

“He's taking apaht one two blocks dahn from you,” Madeline whispered in her ear. “I'll let ya know if he gets too neah.”

Chase nodded, and used a quick Foresight. Then she waved for Renny to continue, and spoke again. “You put your faith in our enemies. They were fools and we slew them. Try working with us instead.”

“YOU HAVE BEEN MORE OF A THORN THAN THAT HALF-BREED TOLD ME YOU WOULD BE.”

“Because we're not alone. We have allies. We have the heart of the city on our side.”

“A ROTTING AND RUSTING HEART, THAT ONE. DYING. CLINGING TO AN EMPIRE LONG LOST. BOUND BY ANCIENT CODES. WORTHLESS TO ME.”

“Oh? Then look to the east. And stand clear.” She motioned Renny to stop. “Send Cagna the signal!”

Renny nodded. He couldn't do wind's whispers, but he could put illusionary words at a pre-determined location.

Silence, for a moment.

Chase began to worry that something had gone wrong.

And then, a flat crack. Again, the building shook, and something exploded overhead.

“Nahss!” Madeline said. “That woke him up.”

Chase signaled Renny to begin again. “That was a metal rod the size of a Church steeple, going very, very fast. Our rusty and rotting friend could shoot you down at any time. We haven't. Because we want to parley. Do you want to parley or do you want to see how well you can fly when he starts shooting at you?”

That was a bluff.

Vitale had restored the lightning road, repurposing it to move some hastily gathered and forged metal spikes down it, but it could only be aimed vertically, not horizontally. And it took a few minutes between each shot, for reasons that were way too technical for Chase to understand.

The silence stretched, and she swallowed... then closed her eyes in relief as new words appeared.

Your Silver Tongue skill is now level 35!

But the dragon still had some suspicion. “HE DID NOT USE THAT WEAPON ON ME EARLIER. WHY?”

“Because there was no lord of the city to command him to do so. He was still abiding by the old treaty. Now there is a new lord, and he has decided that you have broken the treaty. So Vitale can fire at will. But that wouldn't solve the real problem, now would it?”

“He's coming yah way!” Madeline said.

Chase grimaced. Something had alerted him, she didn't know what. They were running out of time.

“You have two options,” Chase said, considering the crystal in her hand. “You can refuse to parley, and we will flee with this egg. We'll still try to stop the corrupted egg, but we won't be working together and we'll likely both fail. Or you could agree to parley, and we'll give you the egg, and try to find a way to work together. And maybe we can do this. Maybe we can save the world.” Chase spread her arms, and smiled her most winning smile. “What do you say?”

The building shook again.

A roar echoed through the room... but this one didn't seem angry.

“Oh—” Madeline swore, finishing up with, “—he's using skills! Gaht no idea what they ah, they sound like Shaman...”

Her voice faded away, as her Wind's Whisper cut off.

No! No, damn it all! Chase bit her tongue. She had been close, so close, she was sure of it! She waggled her hand at Renny to turn off the projection, then turned to the couch. “Carmina! The Loot Bag!”

But Carmina wasn't there.

Carmina was across the room, opening the secret door that Vitale's people had shown them.

Carmina was screaming, and jumping back as vines writhed and grew out of the door, gumming up the gears that operated it, filling the space, and digging into the stone.

Carmina was absolutely no help whatsoever. As usual.

“Chase!” Thomasi said, drawing his whip with a smooth motion.

She looked at him, followed his pointing finger to the doorway...

...to the top of it, where cracks lined the stone. Cracks filled with writhing green.

And then they lifted.

Chase stared, ignoring the chunks of concrete falling around her, stared up as a wicked, huge claw slid under where the vines were pushing upward and gave them a boost.

From behind and below her came a mighty crash, as the floor above her fell back into the adjacent street.

Leaving the small group staring up at a huge green-scaled head, and two black, black eyes.

Therasimalazyn's Dragon Fear inflicts 52 points of Moxie damage to you!

You have been afflicted with the Frozen in Fear condition!

Chase couldn't breathe.

She couldn't swallow.

The dragon was right there. It had shucked them out of their protection like a cook peeling a potato.

“I GREW TIRED OF SPEAKING TO ILLUSIONS,” The dragon purred. Its breath was sulfur and charred meat, and it washed over her like a miasma, choking and swirling her hair in its wake. “WHAT HAVE YOU TO SAY NOW? DO YOU STILL WISH TO SKEWER ME WITH THAT SPEAR HURLER?”

Chase had to speak.

Couldn't.

She knew that the next few words could do it, that she had the dragon on a precipice... but she was so close to going over herself.

But then Thomasi twitched. He shook his head, mustache shaking. “We... we can parley like this. Chase? Chase, come on now.”

“I DO NOT SPEAK TO SACRIFICES.” The dragon's gaze didn't leave Chase. “WILL YOU RETURN THAT TO ME, THEN? I ACCEPT YOUR OFFERING.” Long, long claws reached down, moving carefully, their points inching closer and closer to the crystal....

...and Thomasi took her free hand. “Chase? It's up to you. We need you, Chase!”

Chase was frozen; she could not speak. She could not move. Unless... unless maybe...

It took every bit of effort she could muster, it took strength she didn't know she had, but she managed to twitch her lips. Just a bit. Just four words.

“Silent Activation, Transfer Condition,” she breathed.

WILL+1

Your Transfer Condition skill is now level 16!

You are no longer afflicted by Frozen in Fear!

Chase stepped back, taking the crystal with her. The dragon's claws closed on air.

“Do you agree to parley? Will you keep this peaceful?” So what if her voice was a little squeaky? So what if she was shaking with fear? She was still talking, and that was enough.

“I AGREE,” Therasimalazyn said.

And this time when his claws closed around the crystal, she let him take it.

He sighed then, and his back seemed to ripple... no. No it was a crest of light scales. They had been raised, but now they were settling down.

He's on edge too, Chase thought, then glanced to her friends. Renny was by her feet, growling, arms ready to cast. Thomasi...

Only then did she notice that her hand was stuck. He had it in a death grip. His eyes were locked on the dragon, and he was as still as stone.

Have to apologize for that later, Chase made a note. “Well. Okay then,” she said, trying to regain her balance.

“TELL THE ONES CIRCLING ME THAT IF THEY ATTACK EVERYONE HERE DIES.”

“It's fine guys! We have a parley!” Chase yelled at the top of her lungs.

“Understood” Cagna whispered in her ear. “I'll get Bastien and Dijornos to back off.”

The dragon waited patiently, with the solidity of something that cared little about time.

But Chase knew better. In two days or less, the world would end. “What's going to hatch out of that egg? The one that Tabita corrupted?”

“AN ABOMINATION,” the dragon answered. “IT MUST BE SLAIN.”

“All right, all right,” Chase rubbed her cheek, thinking furiously. “The people who got caught in the... black stuff... when it grew, are they alive? Are they okay?”

“THEY MAY LIVE. THEY WILL BE TWISTED. ALL WITHIN THAT SPACE SHALL BE CORRUPTED. IT MUST BE DESTROYED AS WELL, AFTER THE ABOMINATION IS SLAIN. I MUST SURVIVE THE BATTLE TO CLEANSE IT. YOU CANNOT.”

“I see,” Chase nodded. He was acting in good faith, she felt. He could have gone a different direction here. “What did Tabita do?”

“YOU TELL ME. THE SACRIFICES HAVE STRANGE MAGIC THIS TIME. IT IS NOT BEHAVING AS WE PREDICTED.”

“You called Thomasi a sacrifice, what do you mean by that?” Renny burst in.

The dragon's eyes shifted down to him for the first time. “I MEANT WHAT I SAID AND SAID WHAT I MEANT. IF YOU WISH TO WASTE TIME WITH POINTLESS QUESTIONS THIS PARLEY SHALL END.”

“Not so pointless,” Chase protested. “We don't know what we're truly up against. Knowing how it came to be would give us an idea of how to defeat it.”

“YOU FIGHT IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE. KNOWING MORE WOULD NOT AID YOU HERE, AND I HAVE NEITHER THE TIME NOR THE INCLINATION TO EXPLAIN THE ELDER MYSTERIES TO YOU OR YOUR PET SACRIFICE.”

“Sacrifice,” Thomasi said, shuddering finally. Chase pulled her hand free the second it was loose, rubbing to get her circulation back. “Please,” Thomasi asked. “Every word you grant us helps me to understand. I beg of you, help us solve this. Help us fix what was broken.”

“I DO NOT SPEAK WITH SACRIFICES.”

“Yes, we know,” Chase said. “But you're speaking with me. Pretend I'm asking the questions. Tell us why they're broken?”

“BROKEN...” The dragon's massive head turned, considering Thomasi with one eye. “TO THE WORM, THE BIRD'S QUESTING BEAK IS A FLAW IN THE WORLD. TO THE MOUSE, THE HUNTING CAT IS A HORROR IT CANNOT COMPREHEND. THE NATURAL ORDER GRINDS ON, AND ALL IS AS IT SHOULD BE. WORRY NOT SACRIFICE. YOU GOT WHAT YOU DESIRED, AND YOUR TIME IS ALMOST OVER NOW. THIS CURRENT SUFFERING IS TEMPORARY. THE INEVITABLE IS ONLY SLIGHTLY DELAYED. EVERYTHING IS WORKING AS IT SHOULD.”

“But it isn't,” Chase pointed out. “Or this hatching abomination would not be here.”

The dragon growled. “A MINOR OBSTACLE AT BEST.”

It isn't or you wouldn't be talking with us, Chase realized.

WIS+1

“How do you know I wouldn't comprehend?” Thomasi asked. “Try me.”

“ARE YOU A CODA?”

“What?” Thomasi frowned.

“A WIZARD OF YOUR OWN WORLD. ONE WHO MANIPULATES THE FORMULAS THAT BIND YOUR MAGIC.”

“I... wait. Coda. You mean a coder? No. No, I'm not a programmer,” Thomasi shook his head. “But I know a few who play this... played this, anyway. If they're still alive—”

“IF YOU ARE NOT THEN YOU CANNOT COMPREHEND.”

Chase could tell that the dragon was losing patience. Its crest was rising again, and she hurried to cut Thomasi off. “We can discuss that after the battle.” Maybe. She didn't know if she trusted the dragon not to tie up loose ends after he didn't need them any longer. “How can we help?”

The dragon's crest smoothed out a bit. “AFTER THE ABOMINATION HATCHES I SHALL FIGHT IT IN THE SKIES, AND FORCE IT TO GROUND. YOU MUST HIT IT VERY HARD WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE.

“ALSO IT WILL SPREAD CORRUPTION. DO NOT LET YOURSELF BECOME CORRUPTED.”

“What happens if we do?”

“THEN YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE THE CLEANSING.”

She coughed. “All right. That's enough to work with. Now here's what we can bring to the table.” Quickly and concisely, she outlined the three trump cards she had lined up; the lightning road, Sir Barriano and the Duodecimen, and even the secret that she hadn't dared speak of in front of Vitale.

“...all those come with our own assistance,” Chase said, winding up. “We've got a good mix of skills, and we're all willing to help do the right thing, here.”

The dragon considered her for a moment, then nodded. “MAY IT BE ENOUGH.”

And then, with a beat of leathery wings that cracked the air as loudly as the lightning road shot had, he was gone.

You are now a level 16 Grifter!

CHA+3

DEX+3

LUCK+3

You are now a level 19 Oracle!

CHA+3

LUCK+3

WIS+3

“You know,” Renny said, lowering his paws and flopping to the ground, “The guys back there were thinking this would need like kings and queens of liars, but you guys mostly just told the truth.”

“That's the best kind of Grifter, Renny,” Thomasi said, coiling his whip. “The kind that only has to tell a lie once.”

CHASE'S CHARACTER SHEET

Spoiler: Spoiler

Name: Chase Berrymore

Age: 15 Years

Jobs:

Halven level 12, Cook level 5, Archer level 9, Gambler Level 10, Grifter level 16, Medium level 10, Oracle level 19, Painter level 2, Teacher level 6

Attributes / Pools / Defenses

Strength: 75 Constitution: 44 / Hit Points: 119 / Armor: 10

Intelligence: 74 Wisdom: 142 / Sanity: 216 / Mental Fortitude: 60

Dexterity: 150 Agility: 70 / Stamina: 220 / Endurance: 0

Charisma: 253 Willpower: 62 / Moxie: 315 (366) / Cool: 73

Perception: 145 Luck: 306 / Fortune: 451 / Fate: 55

Generic Skills

Archery – Level 1

Brawling – Level 8

Climb – Level 15

Dagger – Level 2

Dodge – Level 13

Fishing – Level 14

Ride – Level 10

Stealth – Level 19

Swim – Level 7

Throwing – Level 31

Halven Skills

Fate’s Friend – Level N/A

Small in a Good Way – Level N/A

Cook Skills

Cooking - Level 20

Dishwasher – Level N/A

Freshen - Level 12

Archer Skills

Aim – Level 9

Demoralizing Shot – Level 6

Far Shot – Level 1

Missile Mastery – Level N/A

Quickdraw – Level N/A

Rapid Fire – Level N/A

Razor Arrow – Level 8

Ricochet Shot – Level 21

Gambler Skills

Ace in the Hole – Level 2

Ante Up – Level 8

Assess Challenge – Level N/A

Cardsharp – Level 9

Deadly Dice – Level 1

Double Down – Level 1

Gambler’s Fortune – Level N/A

Hold’em – Level N/A

Slot Machine – Level N/A

Suit Sorcery – Level 1

Grifter Skills

Bluster – Level 1

Feign Death – Level 7

Fools Gold – Level 4

Forgery – Level 11

Master of Disguise – Level 15

Mega-Moxie – Level N/A (+15% Moxie)

Old Buddy – Level 7

Pickpocket – Level 21

Silent Activation – Level 36

Silver Tongue – Level 35

Size Up – Level 9

Unflappable – Level N/A

Medium Skills

Bad Fortune – Level 17

Crystal Ball – Level 10

Draw Fortune – Level N/A

Focus Vision – Level 5

Fortuna – Level N/A

Good Fortune – Level 18

Object Reading – Level 1

Palmistry – Level N/A

Séance – Level N/A

Stack Deck – Level N/A

Oracle Skills

Absorb Condition – Level N/A

Afflict Self – Level 1

Diagnose – Level N/A

Divine Pawn – Level N/A

Foresight – Level 47

Grant Vision Level 7

Influence Fate – Level 14

Lesser Healing – Level 51

Omens and Portents – Level N/A

Random Buff – Level 9

Short Vision – Level 17

Transfer Condition – Level 16

Painter Skills

Fast Dry – Level N/A

Painting – Level 5

Teacher Skills

Lecture – Level 24

Red Ink – Level 3

Smarty Pants – Level N/A

Unlocked Jobs

Farmer, Herbalist

Gear

Enrico’s Last Hand

Light Leather Armor