Cantio returns with a glass of water, offering it to Cirice with a warm, but apologetic smile nonetheless; he blinks his surprise when she apologizes. Mostly because… well, the enthusiasm has all but faded from her voice, hasn’t it? Cantio frowns, watching her as she looks towards the room full of stacked chairs, awkward furniture, and wilting plants.

“Oh, you don’t need to apologize. It's not your fault.” he argues, pulling back once she’s taken the cup from him. He nods, looking towards Ur with a weak smile as the rabbit starts trying to move things back around. “Um… yeah, she did.” Cantio laughs softly. “She also built us this house, so… I’m really indebted to her; she’s… um, she does things uniquely, but…she’s really clever. It really does pack a punch, though… maybe too much of one.”

He nods to himself as he speaks of Veliky, then blinks when Cirice asks about the Mage’s Guild. “Well,” he starts, slipping the strap of his violin further down his shoulder, so that he can pull the instrument from its case.

“I was playing one night for a group of Mercenaries in the King’s Valley,” he strums across the strings; embers flicker from his fingertips, glinting like sunlight as he does so. “And I noticed something weird— I thought at first it was my violin,” he takes his index finger and strums it across all four notes; embers flutter out in response; then, he lifts his hand and cups his palm.

The embers that had emitted from his music gathers, merges, and takes the form of a small finch in the palm of his hand— similar to the way the little Wolpertinger had formed. It twitches, twittering soundlessly, and looks at Cirice.

“But, I quickly realized it was actually me.”

He cocks his head, smiling sheepishly.

“No one in my family can use magic, and it came as a surprise… so… At first, I started practicing it to use in my performances.” He looks from Cirice, to the bird twittering in his palm. “Then I started wondering where it came from, and… I just… want to know why, y’know? How it works, how I can use it for the better, and not just… use it for entertainment?”

He hesitates slightly; the finch in his palm seems like it reflects his nervous nature.

“I know so many people who use their talents to change things, and I… want to learn to do that.” He looks back to Cirice— and he looks embarrassed. “I’m sorry, that was— a lot more serious than I intended for it to sound!” he laughs; the finch flutters from his fingertips, evaporating in a sparkle of sun rays. “But um, my magic is self taught; I thought, maybe it would be good to learn from people who know what they’re doing, you know? And now that Astrid knows magic? I would like to learn for her, too— she doesn’t have any interest in the Mage’s Guild— but I’d like to help her anyway I can… especially if it means she can use her magic more safely... What about you? You said... Mother Moon inspired you?”

“I think your magic is wonderful and it’s incredible you’re self-taught!” Cirice looks at him with admiration and wonder, “I’d love to see you perform in like a show. Your reasons for wanting to join the Mage’s Guild are perfect and we’ll do it! You and me!” She hops to her feet, her energy returning with her zeal for helping him. “I’ll tell you all about Mother Moon as we go!”

She takes his hand and before he can really argue they’re marching out of Skypeak Village and she’s happily chattering along. “Mother Moon is Lunala, she saved my life when I was a child and I dedicated my life to her. She grants me magic and I go around and spread her name and her love. I want to change things for the better too! We both want to learn from those who know more about it though, I’m just really getting started out adventuring you see, so I want to find a really awesome teacher to help me do a better job.” She keeps chattering away as they go, trying to give him chances to talk as well because she likes him and he’s pretty hesitant and almost… Shy? Its really cute.

Making pretty good time down the mountain due to Cirice’s excited almost-running and the steep incline of the road they’re about halfway down the mountain when they hear furious cursing over the chiming of bells in the distance. As they pass a small outcropping a small wagon comes into view before them further down the road, a horse struggling with all their might to drag the colorful tattered monstrosity up the mountain. A patchwork tarp flapping in the wind proudly proclaims the wagon as "MORRIGAN MOONWEAVER'S WAGON OF WONDERS."

As Cirice hurries forward to inspect it another loud curse comes from behind as a handsome purple humanoid with ram-like horns falls on their ass and the wagon rolls backwards onto their foot.

“Oh no! Hold on I'll help!” Cirice runs to help steady the wagon as the figure struggles to free themselves.

It was utterly inconceivable that Morrigan Moonweaver, the self-proclaimed wizard of a long list of proceeding titles, the enchanter, diviner, storyteller, godslayer, and maker of elixirs most wonderful, would meet their match at a bloody mountain of all things.

Though Morrigan did not often venture to Dragon’s cradle, where the risk of getting struck by lightning or eaten by a vicious monster outweighed the rewards, they were passing through on their way back to Zeinav from Frostgale and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a little extra coin pawning off some extra stock of Dragon-B-Gone. The crates of snake oil were just taking up space, and really, why did Morrigan need to hold onto them when they could just as easily sell them? The scam had seemed cute at the time, but now that Morrigan had been properly accepted into the Golden Consortium, they had set their sights on loftier goals.

The Mage’s Guild.

Yes, Morrigan had great ambitions, for someone who did not hold a single spark of the arcane in their body. They were going to perform the ultimate con- sneaking their way into the mage’s guild. All Morrigan had to do was figure out a way to create some ‘miraculous feat of magic’ that would impress those stuffy old academics and then no one would ever doubt the Great Wizard of the Wastes again!

Or at least, that was the plan, if they could just make it up this stupid. Fucking. Mountain.

Morrigan wheezed as they let out another string of swear words in a mixture of common and the infernal tongue. With no one around to see their shame, they were a complete mess, sweating up a storm and barely able to breathe from the physical exertion. Their poor, unfortunate horse was faring no better, struggling to lug the heavy behemoth that was Morrigan’s workshop and store all in one up the steep hill.

“Come on you… slow beast. What the hell am I paying you for?” Morrigan grumbled as they struggled up a particularly steep part of the hill.

Sparkle Blossom did not respond, of course- namely, because it was a horse, and also because Morrigan wasn’t even paying it a wage in the first place on account of its aforementioned equine status.

It was at this moment that Morrigan, who’d been about to deliver a petulant kick to the side of the wagon, slipped and fell on their ass with a startled “SHIT-!”

Before they could get up and recover from their embarrassment, their wagon wheel rammed into their foot. Morrigan would have let out another unpleasant scream if it were not for the concerned shout of a young lady who immediately rushed to their side. Morrigan blinked as they were helped up by a young lady with lavender skin and moon markings all along her face. She was completely unfamiliar to them- her crimson companion that was rapidly approaching them, on the other hand, was not.

Oh?

What was Cantio Von Lumen doing here in Dragon’s Cradle?

They perked up in interest as the tiefling mage that they’d once scammed- given a legitimate tour of an underground city too long ago approached the little lady. “Ah, thank you kindly for your assistance!” They said to the elven lady with a showman’s bow at the waist before throwing up their hands with a shower of glitter in the young lady’s face from their sleeve. “It seems that I have vastly underestimated the steepness of this hill… and vastly overestimated the strength of my steed here.”

When the other tiefling finally approached them, Morrigan threw their hands out with another burst of glitter, a sharp-toothed grin on their face. “Ah, Cantio Von Lumen, what a pleasant surprise! I have ventured to Dragon’s Cradle because the stars told me I would find great fortune here, and who am I to ignore the whims of the gods? Especially when it has led me to an old and dear friend, and such a beautiful star. Oh, you simply must introduce me to this lovely little lavender lady.”

Before Cantio could say anything, however, Morrigan grabbed the elf’s hand and placed a kiss on the back of her glove. With an utterly charming and completely punchable smile, Morrigan offered their own name. “Pleased to meet you. I am the great Wizard of the Wastes. Enchanter, diviner, storyteller, godslayer, and maker of elixirs most wonderful- but you may call me Morrigan Moonweaver.” They released her hand and straightened, now regarding the both of them.

The two both wore travel packs, as if setting off for somewhere. Morrigan’s confidence man’s wit smelled opportunity here, something that they could make use of. Maybe this trip to Skypeak had not been so useless after all, especially if it meant making a little coin off of these folk. At a friend’s and family discount, of course.

“Perhaps this meeting is more than just simple coincidence- tell me, do either one of you have need of a great and powerful wizard?”

Cantio blinks, surprised by Cirice’s genuine compliment; beneath his mask, the red tiefling’s face darkens a shade. “O-oh? Oh, um…” he trails off, laughing sheepishly as she hops, validating his wishes to join the Mage’s Guild, which… leaves him with a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest. After having his application ignored multiple times, to hear someone tell him his reasons for joining the guild are perfect?

That’s nice; it almost makes him want to believe it, himself. He tells himself too often that his wants are silly and whimsical, and no one takes a minstrel seriously.

He smiles sheepishly, but before he can thank Cirice for her genuine words, she’s grabbing his hand. “H-huh? Oh! Oh, okay!” He agrees with a squeak as she pulls on his arm; he’s barely able to halt himself to lock the door behind them when Cirice starts dragging him from his house towards wherever in Solaria’s name she’s taking them.

Cantio stumbles on his boots as he walks with Cirice; he listens to her explanation about Mother Moon, and can’t help but find it charming. “Really?” he muses, enraptured by her story; he ponders the possibility of being saved by a god, though, and it’s…. Low. That could be because Cantio’s own belief in the gods wavers after too many unanswered prayers, but at the same time— it’s hard to deny them when he sees the results of magic.

“That’s really admirable, Cirice.” he praises, his smile sheepish and warm as they walk together down the mountain— and then, their pleasant conversations are interrupted. Cantiopauses, looking forwards towards a wagon with patchwork… hey wait, Morrigan Moonweaver? Cantio’s tail wags curiously, and he runs forwards after Cirice, boots kicking up small clouds of dust as he jogs to a stop.

“Wizard of the Wastes!?” he exclaims, smiling warmly back at them. “What are you doing here so far from Zeinav?” Cantio tilts his head, listening to the exuberant tiefling’s explanation of their journey towards Dragon’s Cradle. “O-oh? Really?” he remarks curiously, then perks up. “Oh, this is—'' he cuts off when Morrigan takes Cirice’s hand and places a kiss on the back of her glove, introducing themself with as much charisma as Cantio remembers them having in Zeinav.

He waits patiently for Morrigan to finish, and perks up a bit when Morrigan asks if they need help. “Oh! Actually— ah, first… Morrigan, this is Cirice. We’re on our way to investigate an old dwarven ruin she found— that’s what it was, right?” He looks at Cirice sheepishly, trying to recall what it was she’d found— she talks quickly, and a lot, and Cantio is a bit slow— then looks back at Morrigan. “...for the Mage’s Guild; to have you join us would be wonderful! Cirice’s been working very hard to learn magic, I hear— and to have such a great and powerful wizard join us would be a great example!”

“Hello! I’m Cirice Lunestre, I’m a cleric of Mother Moon! I’m from the Crescent Isles.” Cirice smiles widely as the new purple tiefling friend kisses her hand gallantly. “Cantio is right we’re going to go delve some old dwarven ruins and join the mages guild! Nice to meet you, Morrigan! Moonweaver… I like that name a lot! You sure have a lot of nicknames. You’re a wizard? Are you a member of the Mage’s Guild already?” Her eyes light up with excitement and delight -and maybe some of the glitter- at the prospect of having an accomplished wizard help them in their quest to join the guild. She looks over this strange new friend and takes in their colorful appearance and ragtag wagon.

“Wait you said the gods sent you here? Which one?? Does Mother Moon speak to you as well??” She hangs on their arm, elated to meet another follower of the divine out in a place like this. She hops up and down and accidentally hops directly onto their hurt foot.

As always, Cantio Von Lumen was a bundle of nervous interjections, though his presence was a welcome surprise, one that joyed Morrigan greatly. Yes, for all intents and purposes, they had attempted to scam Cantio Von Lumen upon last meeting, and was about to do so again to him and his little bouncing companion, but Morrigan had a soft spot for the little minstrel. He was so bright and naively trusting that it was hard not to find love in one’s heart for him… or take advantage of him. Morrigan felt about Cantio the way one might feel about an adorable Pomeranian- one that you wanted to scoop up and keep away from the other scammers while still slipping the woefully empty little coin pouch from his belt.

They nodded along with rapt attention as Cantio and Cirice Lunestra, the little moonbeam personified, explain what had brought them to these parts with considerably varied levels of enthusiasm. “Dwarven ruins, you say? I haven’t visited anything of that sort in quite a while…” Or at all, really. They rubbed at their chin in mock-thought. “Oh, I would be more than willing to assist the two of you on your daring quest to recover ancient artifacts untold. Why, just the last time Cantio Von Lumen and I met, we were on a mission not too dissimilar from this one!”

Cirice Lunestre didn’t even wait a couple seconds after offering her name before firing off a series of rapid-fire questions as she bounced on her heels. Morrigan waited until she was finished before flashing her a grin they hoped was charming but probably came off as sleazy. “I like this one, Cantio Von Lumen. Her energy and power is strong, far too much to be contained in the likes of this mortal vessel. I see great power in you, Cirice Lunestre of the Crescent Isles.” They gave her hand a firm squeeze before pulling back, draping an exaggerated hand over their forehead- the picture of a woeful, scorned maiden.

“I am indeed, a great and powerful wizard. So powerful, in fact, that those in the Mage’s Guild deemed me too powerful for admittance lest I make the others look bad by comparison. As such, I’ve taken to honing my craft in other areas. You two are looking at a proud member of the Golden Consortium-“ For the whole span of approximately ten days that Morrigan had been one- “And maker of fine elixirs. But I dare say it’s high time to spread my wings and take a chance! In fact, the two of you would be doing me a favor, allowing me to guide you with all my might and expertise, through this mystical caper!”

Cirice suddenly took that moment to latch onto Morrigan’s arm, eyes sparkling with hope as she asked about the gods that Morrigan claimed sent them here. Who the hell was a Mother Moon? Morrigan was pretty sure she was talking about Lunala, but that was never a title they had heard her called, and they never really bothered all that much with the cruel indifference of the gods, aside from what fame the use of their titles brought Morrigan. There was always a chance that this was another god entirely, one that existed outside the pantheon, as well. Morrigan had been learning all about those gods lately.

The scar on their back tingled for just the briefest moment.

But this Mother Moon chick. Sure, why not? Morrigan would use her name if it meant getting the little Cirice Lunestre on their side, and if she really was just some minor goddess, then she probably wouldn’t smite Morrigan to the ground for using her name. And if she did, that was just another one that Morrigan would add to their shit list.

“Mother Moon is but one of the many deities I do the bidding of.” They said with another wave of their hand, another splash of glitter through the air. “I do the work of many gods, you see- I could never pledge my allegiance to any one god for fear that the others get jealous. But today, it must have been Mother Moon that led me to you, I’m sure of- ACK!”

That was the exact moment Cirice hopped on their foot and sent the two of them spiraling to the ground in a heap of purple and glitter. It was a small miracle that none of Morrigan’s potions broke in the ruckus or that would have been an entirely different story.

“OOF- little lady!” Morrigan grunted, attempting to pull themselves up before helping her to to her feet as well, their own foot throbbing in pain the entire time. “Ah, you’re rather strong, aren’t you?” They wheezed. “All the more fortunate for us. Now! Shall we… set forth? I happen to have a wagon for all of your convenient transportation needs.” They started awkwardly hobbling back to the wagon of wonders, beckoning Cantio and Cirice to follow.

Cantio stands by with a smile as Cirice introduces herself and approves his guess that they are, in fact, going to delve through old dwarven ruins in hopes of joining the mage’s guild. He nods to back her up, tail swaying contently as Morrigan goes on to confirm that they’d be interested in their outing after a brief pondering.

Cantio perks up, “You would? That’s wonderful!” he repeats, his tail wagging, not all too dissimilar from an excited pup. He gives Cirice a bump with his elbow, practically sparkling; he leans over as if gossiping.

“It’s true, Morrigan showed me around these old ruins in Zeinav Desert. Did you know that Jasmine Spiced Biscuits are a draconic recipe? I had no idea!” he speaks with a slight whisper, as though it’s a secret; it’s not, really, but he certainly treats it as though it is. Cantio straightens his posture when he hears his name, his smile bright when Morrigan compliments Cirice. “Really?” He looks at Cirice with an aire of excitement for her around him. “That’s great, Cirice!”

What a compliment!

He looks back to Morrigan, palms pressed together in front of his chest while Morrigan dramatically announces that they are a member of the Golden Consortium. “A magician and an alchemist,” Cantio wonders, tail swaying with curiosity as he listens attentively to Morrigan’s entire spiel, clearly enraptured by the verbal glitter and theatrics that they might be clearly spewing to anyone with more than half a brain cell.

Although, their relation to Mother Moon is a tad surprising! Then again, if Mother Moon is Lunala— then perhaps not. Cantio just nods attentively, following the flutter of sparkles as Morrigan tosses a handful of shimmering debris into the air. He needs to invest in that; it seems like it would be a fun way to make an exit on stage…

He blinks when he hears a sudden yelp, and looks to Cirice and Morrigan with a mild panic as they both go down in a heap of soft blues and lavenders. “Oh! Goodness, are you okay?” he frets, pacing around them like a frantic mother hen; once someone starts to move— Morrigan— Cantio reaches out in an attempt to help them up.

He smiles apologetically at the lavender tiefling, but nods enthusiastically at their suggestion that the group set forth. “Right! Yes, that would be great! Oh— Cirice, do you still know the way if we go with Morrigan and their wagon?” he asks, looking cheerily at her as he gestures for her to follow.

He strides after Morrigan like a trusting duckling.

“Could we follow it on the roads and everything, or will we have to go off the roads at some point?”

“Oops sorry… Let me heal your foot.” Cirice slides in after Morrigan and Cantio and lays a hand on Morrigan’s shoulder. The runes down her arm glow with soft moonlight and a wave of warm healing energy washes over Morrigan, healing the bruises on them¹. She watches Cantio’s tail wag excitedly and finds it just so cute. “Mother Moon’s blessings upon you friend. Draconic recipe hmm…? Do dragons cook? I always imagined they just like ate things whole or just roasted them alive before eating them… I’ve never seen or met a dragon though….” She settles in comfortably in the front of the wagon, though they're all a bit tight up there together.

“Where we’re going we can mostly stay on roads. At least until we get to the mouth of the ruin, then we’ll need to go on foot. If you can’t see in the dark I can help. We just need to go that way!” Points down the mountain the way they were going.

She smiles, thinking back over everything her new friends have said and her eyes light up and she jerks to her feet in surprise. "Wait… You’re in the Consortium??? Wait… Consortium? Morrigan? Kvasir has mentioned you!!!” Cirice bounces so much the entire wagon pitches slightly. “Tell me all about you guys’ and your adventures, Kvasir basically waxed poetically about you Morri Moon?”

She leans in closer to Morrigan, hands curled around her chin and cheeks and eyes full of excitement. “You guys were going to go on a lovey adventure, as sexy ladies if I remember right, tell me EVERYTHING as we travel. It will be a few hours before we get to the ruins. Keep going down the road until you wee a small red shack that’s fallen over on the left. We can leave your wagon there. Meanwhile you can give me alllllll the spicy details. I’m sure Cantio would love to hear too! Riiiiiiight?²” She winks at Cantio.

---

1 Massive Heal
2 Smooth Talking

“It’s true!” If there was any bit of strain in Morrigan’s voice at the mention of their botched scheme, one that Cantio Von Lumen had still yet to recognize as such, it did not show. They accepted Cantio’s help back up to their feet, brushing the dirt off their fine jacket. Cirice’s hand on their shoulder bathed them in a strange kind of warmth- it must have been healing magic, for the pain in their foot immediately began to wane, but it felt vastly different from the healing magic Morrigan had experienced before. Where Kvasir’s was gentle like a summer’s day, Cirice’s felt like being pulled back and forth by the tide of a full moon until you’d lost balance entirely. They experimentally rotated their foot, checking to make sure everything was in working order, regaling Cirice with the story of the spiced biscuit scroll. “Perhaps now dragonkin burn their food, but back in the days before the collapse, civilization was much more advanced. There is so much technology and magic that has been lost to time. Perhaps dragonkin were, back then, much more sophisticated than they are now!”

In reality, that little bit of forgery was one Morrigan hadn’t intended for Cantio to discover, but somehow, he’d actually bought that the fake piece of parchment was actually an ancient draconic piece of history. Morrigan still wasn’t sure how they’d gotten away with that lie to this day.

Well, it was all the better for them, since Cantio was still fully convinced that Morrigan was powerful enough to aid them in this quest.

They led Cantio and Cirice to the back of the wagon, pulling the curtain open to reveal the veritable mess of the most eccentric possessions, potion components, and liquor known to man. Bright objects and colorful dreamcatchers drew the eye every which way, so nauseating it might give any lesser person a headache. But Morrigan was clearly well versed in the chaos, as they beckoned Cirice and Cantio in with ease, navigating around the books and crates on the ground until they reached the front flap that led to the driver’s seat, tying it up so that the occupants inside would be able to see out the front easily. “Make yourselves at home, and feel free to help me navigate, Cirice Lunestra. Just be careful not to wake bubbles- he’s cranky if he’s disturbed in the middle of his afternoon nap.” They gestured towards the small pile shoved in the corner of bits and baubles, with a small dragonkin curled on top, chest rising and falling softly.

They weren’t expecting Cirice to jump up so suddenly that the entire cart creaked and shuddered violently just as Sparkle Blossom set off once more in the direction she’d pointed them in. Morrigan flinched at her sudden exclamation, eyes widening as she mentioned Kvasir Sigurros. Waxing Poetic? Did Kvasir talk about them to others? More importantly, when had he met this little star? He’d certainly neglected to tell Morrigan about it.

… Morri Moon was an endearingly adorable nickname, though. Morrigan didn’t often like being referred to by anything but their full name- they’d worked hard to pick it out themselves, after all!- but they supposed they could make one small exception for Cirice, who looked so damn excited that squashing that felt like crushing an innocent little firefly.

Completely unbeknownst to them, however, Morrigan’s tail had begun swishing in earnest. Whether it was at the mention of Kvasir or the nickname they’d been granted, no one would be able to determine, and they would deny such an action to their grave if Cirice brought it up.

“Indeed I do know Kvasir Sigurros!” Morrigan began, in the grandiose tone of someone who loved nothing more than to talk about themselves, and was ready to launch into a story. “He is a talented medic and a dear friend of mine. We joined the consortium together to further our alchemical talents.” Well, that was why Kvasir had joined, at least. Really, Morrigan didn’t give a damn- they’d mostly joined because Kvasir had been interested, and it seemed fun at the time. “He told you about our venture as sexy seductresses, did he? We did indeed make a pair of striking ladies together- or in his case, a striking vixen."

“We went undercover to break up an illegal potion-making ring.” Morrigan had really just been interested in stealing their stock, to be honest, but that particular detail didn’t matter. “The members were all women trying to make illegal love potions- but none were as beautiful as us!” They laughed. “I even got Kvasir to hide potions up his bra. You should have seen the look on his face!”

The wagon bumped lazily along the road as they inched closer to their destination. Once Sparkle Blossom got going, Morrigan leaned back in their seat, turning back to the two mages currently seated in their cart with varying levels of comfort.

“But enough about the past. Tell me about these dwarven ruins. What kind of wonders do you hope to find inside?” Surely they must have found something interesting if they thought it would help them gain entry into the mage’s guild. Morrigan wanted to know more.

“Oh— well, I don’t know if dragons do, but Dragonkin likely do! I suppose they’re kind of descendants of the dragons in some weird way, maybe?” He laughs a little, tail waving as he follows Morrigan to the back of their wagon. They open the doors, showing off the chaotic interior which, somehow, Cantio feels is fitting for them.

He looks around curiously, stepping in after Cirice with a kind of reverence that one might reserve for someone more well-known than the Wizard of the Wastes. He looks at the baubles, books, and trinkets as he passes— wondering if there’s anything particularly special about them— but he’s too afraid to bring it up. He notices the small dragonkin in the corner and tilts his head, “Is that Bubbles?” he remarks in a whisper to Morrigan, pointing at the snoozing Dragonkin sheepishly.

He steps out into the front of the wagon with the two, listening to a sudden switch in conversation, in which Cirice seems to recognize someone whom Morrigan knows. “Kvasir?” He repeats curiously, tail swaying idly; he can’t say the name is familiar to him, so he lets them chatter amongst themselves while he takes a seat— or he would take a seat, if he didn’t have to flail wildly to keep his balance when Cirice starts bouncing.

Cantio clings to the wall of the wagon, golden eyes wide as Cirice leans in to Morrigan, begging him for details of some kind; the red tiefling pushes off the wall, sheepishly chuckling as he sits on the other side of Cirice— wait, what are they talking about? The bard’s cheeks flush a darker shade of red, “Huh? What?” he repeats, looking quizzically at Cirice, then at Morrigan. “Um— well, I suppose! It… sounds like a fun story, I think!” he agrees, despite not having the slightest clue what he’s agreeing to.

Still, it’s coming from the Wizard of the Wastes so it’s something, right?

He leans his elbows against his upper thighs, tail swaying curiously while Morrigan begins telling them about their escapade as attractive women, apparently… He looks Morrigan over curiously while they tell the story; aesthetically, Morrigan is pretty, so he could believe it! Their friend must be really pretty, too.

“An illegal potion-making ring?” he repeats, looking stunned when they mention illegal love motions. “W-wait, are there really love potions like that? I’ve never seen them before…” he trails off, considering the spooky possibilities of an actual love potion before blinking back into the conversation as Morrigan laughs. Cantio chuckles, his smile returning with the joke; as the wagon bumps along, he looks out at the Dragon’s Cradle.

It’s weird to consider a place so far from home… homely, but he’s getting used to its overcast skies in the strangest way.

He looks to Morrigan with a blink, and looks a bit sheepish. “Uh, well…” he looks at Cirice sheepishly, before looking back at them. “Lost magic, or old artifacts is what we’re hoping for, I think.” he says, “Really, anything we could turn into the Mage’s Guild and have them know we’re serious about joining. Uh— at least, for me. I’m afraid they’ve kept me in the dark several times now… but Miss Cirice is very talented! Even if they don’t accept me, I think she’s got a great chance of getting into the guild!”

Cirice listens to Morrigan’s story with rapt attention. She loves hearing about the adventures her friends have had and she loves meeting people through them even more. Morrigan certainly does enjoy talking about themselves, but that just makes them easy to get to know. She likes the purple tiefling, finding them bright and fun to talk to, even if the showmanship is a bit much.

“Illegal love potions you say…? Did you try one out and fall head over heels for my foxy friend, Morri Moon?” She teases with a wink.

“Oh yeah Cantio, the best doctor in the whole world is Kvasir, he has a place in Zenaiv and its lovely! You should definitely meet him! He’s wonderful! His tail wags so cutely, just like you guys!” She giggles, “When I first met him he let me pet his ears!”

Right they’re on a mission, she should really try to focus more. She clears her throat. “The Mage’s Guild wants us to try to find something cool thats never been seen before and I’ve heard theres a crystal in this dwarf home, embedded in the ceiling that mimic the movement of the sun! It allows for growth of plants, even underground! That’s what I want to take them, think of all the use it would have if it could be replicated! We’re going to get into the guild no problem, all of us! Turn here!”

Morrigan has to swerve to not miss the turn but soon they’re bouncing down a small, unrefined path that jostles them with every movement of the wheels. Eventually its too much for the wagon to bear and they have to stop and continue on foot. Luckily right as they crest a small hill they see the opening of the cave!

“We’re here! Come on!” Cirice cries happily and skips towards the entrance with exuberant delight.

“Yes, my wonderful apprentice and student in the ways of magic!” Morrigan eyed Bubbles, who was still curled up, a peaceful rise and fall to his chest where the little guy was napping. “He wishes to learn magic in preparation of the day he grows into a full-fledged dragon. That is why he has constructed his hoard you can see over there.” The little guy was so earnest that Morrigan didn’t have the heart to tell him that kobolds did not grow up to dragons, and he would likely be little forever. Bubble’s dreams would be squashed if he learned he would never learn to grow wings or breathe fire the way he wished. “We should leave him to rest. The little kiddo is a hellion if he’s interrupted from his sleep without a snack or some juice.”

So the two left Bubbles to slumber while Morrigan recounted the dramatic story of their infiltration of the potion ring. By the time they were finished, both Cantio Von Lumen and Cirice Lunestra were suitably impressed by their exploits, a fact that pleased them to no end. That enthusiasm that was accompanied by a good retelling of a tale was squashed when Cirice asked why they hadn’t used one of the love potions on Kvasir. Morrigan flinched, jerking on the reins of the horse so harshly that the wagon swerved and nearly tilted on its axis. They managed to right the cart before it could veer off-road and cause serious damage to the goods inside, but not without considerable panic to the occupants inside.

“W… Why would I do such a thing?” They laughed just a little too hard to be considered natural. “Those things were love bombs, after all, not real potions! There is no way I would use such a thing on Kvasir Sigurros, and even in the event they were true love elixirs, there would be no need for me to use one on him, thank you very much!”

They turned their attentions to Cantio Von Lumen to conceal the mortification of what Cirice had just inquired about. “Yes, you would be surprised the number of amateur chemists in Sol City that want to try their hand at potion-making. I suppose it’s about as dangerous as novice mages who have gotten their hands on powerful spells without fully understanding what they’re doing.” To be honest, Morrigan didn’t really give a damn about the Sirens and the laws they were breaking, but they wanted to get their hands on those bombs. “As for whether a true love potion is real or not…” They shrugged. “I could not say.” Nor did they have any interest or need to make one, despite what Cirice Lunestra might think! “Those ladies certainly had no idea what they were doing.”

As they rolled closer, Cantio Von Lumen and Cirice Lunestra both recounted what they were looking for in the dwarven ruins - the mention of a crystal made Morrigan perk up in interest. “Oh?” They were rather fond of the search and collection of magical artifacts, always searching for things that helped them mimic the true greatness they so desired. “Well allow me to guide and assist the both of you in any way I can. I have quite a collection of the rare and arcane. Unfortunately, since my specialty primarily lies in Zeinav, I have never heard of this particular crystal. But if it is as powerful than you’ve heard rumor of, then it shall be a discovery more than capable of knocking the socks off those damn mages in that tower.” They finished with a wink at the two in the back of the wagon.

They pulled the Wagon of Wonders to a full stop when Cirice Lunestra spotted the aforementioned shack and the cave. Morrigan made sure to secure Sparkle Blossom and ensure that everything was parked before turning to the other two, fanning themselves delicately with a lavender and black beaded fan. “Alright, you two. Today we set off in search of wonder and amazement. You two have been incredibly brave on your own thus far, but there is no longer any need to worry now that you have a great and powerful wizard on my side. I assure you, we will find this crystal, and I - we - will soon be amongst the ranks of the mage’s guild!”

Their incredibly awe-inspiring and motivational speech finished, Morrigan turned on their heel and made their way into the cavern…

Only to immediately trip on their boot lace and fall flat on their face.

Before anyone could help them, Morrigan jumped to their feet, brushing the dust off their jacket. “I’m fine! I’m fine. I meant to do that. Now, shall we get going? Cantio Von Lumen, the light, if you please.” They remembered that the younger tiefling had a knack for light magic and an affinity for conjuring small, wondrous songbirds from nothing like it was effortlessly easy. Still fanning themselves with Kvasir’s gift, Morrigan ushered the two inside the dark of the cavern in search of a gem harnessed straight from the sun.

---

Parasite Poison applied to concealed blades on Dancer's Fan

“Aw…” Cantio looks over his shoulder beyond the curtains and the trinkets in Morrigan’s wagon where Bubble is asleep on their hoard. He’s not entirely sure what Bubbles is— but Morrigan mentioned when they grow up they wanted to be a dragon— so maybe they’re a Dragonkin? After their explorations in the Zeinavian Desert, that kind of makes sense… he hasn’t asked Morrigan, but maybe they specialize somewhat in that topic?

It would make sense for such a great wizard!

He listens eagerly to the recounts of both Cirice and Morrigan; and laughs sheepishly when she mentions something about their tails. She thinks it’s cute? The red tiefling’s skin tone seems to darken, and he chuckles sheepishly, up until Morrigan suddenly jerks the reins of the horse. “Wah!” Cantio clings to the wagon to ensure he doesn’t go flying off, and looks at Morrigan with wide eyes.

“Eh? Uh,” Goodness they swerved so hard from that conversation that he felt it physically! Maybe… Morrigan the Wizard of the Wastes has a little crush? He can’t help but think, since he tends to get defensive and jittery when he’s speaking to Melodia.

Wait— Cantio flusters again, waiving the thought away with a sheepish chuckle.

“R-really? That makes sense,” he agrees, tail swishing worriedly. “I would suppose it would take a lot more training than just throwing some things into a pot to make a potion, right?” he suggests, glancing at Cirice when she chimes in cheerfully— but seriously— and he nods in agreement, breathing a soft chuckle in return. “Right! Of course we will.”

Eventually, they make it to the cave— and Cantio steps out after Cirice and Morrigan. He waits until Morrigan has secured their steed, and listens eagerly to the Tiefling’s speech with admiration glittering behind his amber eyes— and then Morrigan falls flat on their face. “O-oh! Are you okay?” he stutters, moving to help them— but Morrigan’s already up on their feet before he gets to them.

Cantio pauses, watching Morrigan breeze away the fall with a beautiful fan; but before he can comment on its craftsmanship, Morrigan requests him of his light. “Oh! Right, yeah, of course!” he agrees; and the tiefling snaps his fingers, closing his palm around the gathered sunrays; and reopening it to a small songbird placed in the middle of his hand. “Let’s go then! Shall we?”

He offers Morrigan and Cirice a warm smile before stepping forwards; he’s ushered into the cavern and decides that he’ll take the lead since he’s holding the light. Although it’s less of a decision and more of a, ‘pushed into the cavern in a particular order’. Still, he doesn’t want to look like a coward, so he steps forwards and takes the first step into the cavern.

It’s dark inside— old planks of wood rotting, criss-crossed over one another to barricade branching tunnels. Old lanterns swing uselessly, drowning in cobwebs and rust, in the weak illumination of the outer edges of the songbird. Cantio steps cautiously over rusted iron rails, and circles around an abandoned minecart with an edge of curiosity.

“Well… it sure is old.” he remarks, his voice echoing in the darkness; but one step too many without looking down, and—

— suddenly, there’s a crack; Cantio gasps; and the little songbird flutters down aimlessly, settling on the edge of a dark pit. It tilts its head a few times, then looks to Morrigan and Cirice.

There’s a breadth of silence interrupted only by the drip of condensation from the ceiling and the splinters of a once-boarded mineshaft caving in on themselves where Cantio had once been standing. If one were to look down, they’d only see the darkness.

It’s easy to imagine the worst, but that illusion is broken when Cantio’s voice travels up the mineshaft. “W-w-watch your step!” he calls up; a small pin-prick of light shines at the bottom of the shaft, illuminating the tiefling’s silhouette— but he’s much too far for them to see him shivering and shaking. The only thing that had saved his life being a gift from Miss Veliky… it sure was a good call… ⁽¹⁾

“Um— K-keep going! I’ll… I’ll find a way to catch up with you!”

---

^{(1) Free Flow Scarf}

^{(Cantio Exits)}

Morrigan’s reaction to her joke about the love potions had amused Cirice greatly. They really were crushing on her foxy friend. She finds it absolutely adorable and she hopes that the two of them will have a great life together. Morrigan is quite the flamboyant showman, full of charm and pizzazz, and sure to keep Kvasir on his toes. She enjoyed imagining the two of them together, kind, serious and studious Kvasir with this flashy tiefling. The image in her head is cute enough to make her almost squeal aloud.

As they disembark the wagon and begin their trek into the cave she turns back to see Morrigan as they fall and right themselves with the air of a performer. She liked this strange tiefling quite a bit. Cantio summons a little bird of light and takes the lead as the intrepid adventurers head into the darkness of the cave, and she takes up the rear. Darkness isn’t really a concern for her, the runes on her face glowing softly lavender as she looks around at all the things left in the mine¹. Seems that when the discovery was made they’d left in a hurry.

She isn’t paying the most attention to her companions, finding the light a little distracting to her darkvision and she’s startled when there’s an audible cracking sound ahead. Cantio gasps and Cirice looks forward just fast enough to catch the sight of the ruby tiefling falling into the shadows below. Powerless to stop his fall all she can do is watch in horror as he falls to his seeming death. Astrid is going to kill me… The thought comes unbidden to her mind before his voice calls up to them.

“W-w-watch your step! Um— K-keep going! I’ll… I’ll find a way to catch up with you!”

Cirice runs forward and looks down at him, trying to find anything that could help them get him out of that hole, but its too deep and even with her heightened vision she can barely see him.

“Cantio! Are you alright?” She calls to him but he’s already started moving away, the light disappearing into a tunnel below.

“We have to find him Morri. Let’s go in deeper and maybe we can find him and the artifact as well.” She looks worried as hell. And she puts her hand on Morrigan’s arm to grant them night sight as well¹. “Be careful. I’ll take the lead. Whatever happens stay by my side. I can’t lose both of you down here. It’s going to be hard enough to find Cantio.”

She takes a deep breath and creates a bridge over the gaping hole Cantio fell down, and leads Morrigan further into the caves².

They wander together for what feels like hours in the dark, following twisting tunnels deeper and deeper into the earth. Calling out occasionally for Cantio but not getting any response. They round a bend and see a faint light ahead!

Cirice rushes towards it, making sure to watch where she’s going. “Cantio! You’re okay! I thought we-” she starts but the words die on her lips. They haven’t found their friend. They’ve stumbled into a hollow mountain full of ruins. They found the dwarfhome, or rather what’s left of it. Looking up the light appears to be coming from a gem fixed into a what was once a tower in the center of the ruins. Its partially fallen over but still pouring sunlight into the remnants of the garden below it. Overgrown plants tangle around it, reaching towards the gem desperately.

“There it is! The artifact!” Cirice exclaims. “Oh but where is Cantio?” She looks around for any path that might lead back towards where he’d disappeared, distracted.

---

1 Night Sight
2 Wall of light

Honestly, Morrigan could not be rightfully blamed for this accident. Sure, they’d been the one to tell Cantio Von Lumen to look ahead, considering his light-based magic, but the wood beneath Cantio’s feet was old - far older than Morrigan had expected. One moment, he was there, and then the ground shifted and a sickening CRACK rang through the air before Cantio Von Lumen and his songbird disappeared entirely, plunging Morrigan and Cirice Lunestre into darkness.

“Cantio Von Lumen!” Morrigan gasped, following Cirice to the ledge of the half-rotted wood where Cantio had fallen into the darkness. Their hands fumbled blindly in their bag for one of their sight-enhancing potions, tearing the cork off and downing the contents - but even their enhanced sight couldn’t help them spot more than the dim, fluttering light of a songbird trailing off in the distance where Cantio Von Lumen was heading off in search of another way out.^[1] “Damnit, my minstrel, it’s not wise to split up in situations such as this!”

Unfortunately for Cirice Lunestre, Morrigan Moonweaver had the object permanence of an infant, because the minute Cantio Von Lumen was out of sight, he was already partially out of Morrigan’s mind the more they wandered through the caves, Cirice half-guiding Morrigan with her own magical wall of light and her keen elven vision. He would be fine… wouldn’t he? Morrigan hoped that there weren’t cave spiders down there or something. “You’d think it would be easy to find a bard.” They grumbled. “He’s got a damn violin strapped to his back! We should be able to hear him wherever he’s going!” Bold words coming from someone who walked around looking like a circus tent and jingling like a windchime wherever they went.

But the deeper they ventured, the less confident Morrigan was that they would find Cantio Von Lumen. Just as they were about to suggest turning back, see if they could scrounge up some rope from the wagon or something, a bright light cut through the darkness around a corner of a cavern.

Cantio!

Cirice immediately darted towards the light, nearly leaving Morrigan alone in the dark. “Hey, wait for me!” They called after her, gathering their jacket and picking up their pace -

Only to nearly run into her when she came to a stop.

They skidded to a halt, waving their arms before Morrigan could send the both of them careening to the ground for a second or third time that day… honestly, they’d lost count. But honestly, that was the furthest thing on their mind at the moment when they saw what Cirice Lunestre was staring at.

“Wow.”

It was sad to say they’d never actually seen what dwarven architecture looked like before now. Morrigan was used to sandy stone buildings of the desert, wagons built to withstand the sands. But dwarven stone made Morrigan feel like they had been transported to an entirely different world, one of sturdy brick and purposeful design, not a stone gone to waste. It was a shame that little was left standing - Morrigan had a feeling that this city in its heyday would have been a sight to see. Even more beautiful, though, was a bright, sparkling gemstone that cut through the darkness.

“The stone.” They breathed, suddenly feeling as if they’d been punched in the stomach with how breathless they were.

They liked to fancy themselves a curator of beauty and fine things. Morrigan coveted fine things as readily as their own apprentice, from fancy items to everything that glittered under the sun. And magical items were another matter entirely. This gemstone pulsated with power, something that Morrigan could feel even all the way from here. Oh, how they wanted it.

Morrigan’s gaze flitted towards Cirice Lunestre. The young woman was more worried about Cantio Von Lumen and had turned her back to them entirely.

They looked at the gemstone once more.

And back to Cirice Lunestre.

Surely… it would not hurt to get a head start, right? One of them had to go after the gem. For the Mage’s Guild, of course. Not because Morrigan desired to hold that power in their hands, feel what it might be like to possess even a fraction of the magic that Cirice and Cantio held.

Yes, they would merely start making their way up to the gemstone. One never knew what threats or dubious characters might be lurking around to steal such things, after all. With one last look at the elven woman, Morrigan silently started making their way to the base of the tower, determined to start climbing the ivy and get closer to the gemstone.

---

1. Eagle's Sight Potion