The malfunctioning sigil circle swirls in front of them, bursting with violet arcane energy. Mina stares into vortex. Two things best known for spacing out meeting at last. Shadowheart tilts her head as she walks around the stone the ruined portal is attached to, trying to figure out what to do with what they see before them. Behind them comes the heaving of Hestia Balfour climbing up the hill from the crashed nautiloid.

"Hello!" came the voice inside the Weave circle: The one who claimed was in need of assistance, "I see there are three of you. Wonderful!"

"Oh", Hestia pants with her hands on her knees, "It's from in there."

An arm extends out from the portal, its sleeve covered in purple cloth. A shriek erupts from Hestia before quietly being put out.

"A hand? Anyone?" The arm waves politely.

Mina claps softly in response, looking around at Hestia and Shadowheart, who stare at her.

"Oh", Mina drops her arms as looks at the disembodied hand, "You mean you want me to pull you out?"

"That would be greatly appreciated", the arm gestures with its finger pointed up sternly, "I should have clarified: a helping hand?"

"Who are we talking to?" Shadowheart cuts in.

"Just a fellow traveller, who had a little trouble traversing the realms. Just pull me out, and we'll have time to explain."

Shadowheart and Hestia glance at each other.

"That's very suspicious. How… urgent you are.", Shadowheart raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah", Hestia nods, "Are you a wizard? You sound like a wizard. Suspicious."

"Yes, yes. You are spot on. I am indeed a wizard. A wizard in need of a couple of people to pull me out? Please?"

Mina shrugs at her party, "He's just a wizard."

She gingerly grips the hand with one arm and the other on the elbow, "You good? You comfortable?"

"Quite!" The arm grunted, "Quite the strong grip you have there. Though, I would suggest that you and your companions join forces. I assure you that I am very much stuck."

Mina looks back at her companions.

"I won't make a difference. I have sticks for arms", Hestia waves her stick arms around.

"Not to worry", the arm says, "Even sticks and stones may break my bones. Don't actually break my bones."

The three of them form a line in front of the sigil circle, Mina in front, Shadowheart in the middle, and Hestia the caboose.

Mina counts down. On one, the three women heave. Mina uses her arms, gripping the arm tightly as she steps backwards. Shadowheart does the same, holding onto Mina's waist. Hestia just tries to fall back while holding onto Shadowheart.

"It's working!" The arm cries out, "Just a little more-"

Pop. A whole entire wizard lands on Mina Minos. As Mina and the wizard stare at each other, Mina could hear the disturbance of rocks and dirt and Hestia screaming further and further downhill.

Down the hill, Mina could hear the sound of a crash, a yowl, and a thump before everything went quiet. "...I'll be with you in a second", Hestia calls from below.

Mina gently pushes the wizard off of her stomach as she rolls on her stomach and pushes herself on her feet.

"Helloo", Mina waves.

The wizard, dazed, blinks, pulls himself up, dusts himself off, and waves back, "Hello! I am Gale of Waterdeep. Thank you for your assist there."

His eyes make it known that he is including Shadowheart as well.

"So, given that we are all in the same area, I suppose the two of you-"

"THREE", calls the voice downhill.

"Ah, MY APOLOGIES", Gale calls down the hill, "I suppose the *three* of you carry the mind-flayer tadpole as well. It seems that we are all on the same ship. Well, *were* on the same ship."

As the two women stare at the verbose wizard, Hestia finally makes it up the hill, "Oh, are we still introducing each other? Well, I'm Hestia, Hestia Balfour."

She does a halfhearted flourish with her hands.

"I'm Mina Minos!"

"Shadowheart."

"Friends, it is a relief and a pleasure to make your acquaint- wait, Hestia Balfour?! 'Mumford Kerry's Song' Hestia Balfour?"

"...yeah?" Hestia raises her eyebrows, "You know THAT one?"

"Why, it's my favorite! An extra pleasure to make your acquaintance", Gale walks up to Hestia and shakes both her hands.

Hestia looks up at Gale and chuckles, "Well, if I'd known that intelligent hunks pop out of sigil circles I would have looked harder!"

"What?"

"Nothing. How are you?" Hestia asks the ground.

"Anyway", Gale decides to ignore the question, "I suppose none of you happen to be a cleric? A healer? Surgeon? Uncannily adroit with a needle or perhaps ice pick?"

Mina blinks. She looks at herself, then back to Gale, then turns to Shadowheart like a kid at the doctor’s waiting for her mom to answer, then back to Gale, "...I'm a little adroit."

The walk is quiet. In the scorching heat of the open forest trail, nobody really wants to talk about who they are and their mysterious ways.

It is Mina who breaks the silence, "Hey, a gate."

She points over the hill, where the edges of something wooden and artificial is just out of sight.

"OPEN THE BLOODY GATES!" Someone shouts on the other side of the hill.

"Welp, there's someone live", Hestia mumbles to herself.

"I'll stand on the high ground", Shadowheart climbs the hill, peeking over the ledge. She turns around to the group.

"Goblins", She mouths.

Mina twirls the handle of Betty Girl as she starts to jog around the hill. Gale takes a deep breath as he quietly swirls his arms around, flashes of orange envelope him as his Mage Armor settles upon his robes. Hestia runs up the hill where Shadowheart is, her hands tightly holding down her floppy hat; the feather on it jiggling with every step.

As Mina turns the corner, she is greeted with the full vista of the skirmish: humans banging on the giant wooden gate barring them from a fortified grove behind emerald cedar trees.

"Nobody gets in here!" Shouted someone from above. Mina squints up as she spots a tiefling waving his arms at the human man.

"There are goblins on their way here!" the curly-haired man, the leader, Mina assumes since he's doing all the talking, shouts at the tiefling.

"Goblins?" another tiefling shouts as he freezes around the corner of the ledge. This one is older, wearing a paladin's armor. His face gnarled and weathered as he glares at the human leader, "You brought goblins here!"

An arrow cuts through the air, heading towards the tiefling standing wide open above the gate. His eyes widen. Before he could open his mouth, he is shoulder-checked sideways by someone gray and blue: a drow. The arrow collides with the drow's shoulder, sending her tumbling backwards out of sight.

"Kanon!" the old tiefling cries out.

"He's fine you old git!" a female voice groans out of sight, the drow no doubt, "I'm not! Get ME a healer!"

Mina's eyes lock on to Hestia's, who were already staring at Mina, eyes wide.

That was a friend of ours, their minds thought in sync, tadpole unneeded.

Goblin mooks, booyahgs, bugbears slowly emerge from the woods. Some of the goblins, noticing the new arrivals, turn their crude scimitars towards Mina.

Before the goblins could yell out "Ova there", a gush of dark light blasts through one of them right through the chest, sending them scattering.

"Vile creatures!"

A dark-skinned man bounces from rock to rock, landing right in front of a stunned goblin woman who drops her bow in shock. The man stabs the goblin in the chest with a rapier with a masterly finesse.

"Provoke the blade..." the man declares, pulling it out with a flourish as the goblin stumbles backwards and lies on her back, blood gushing out the wound.

"...And suffer its sting", the man smirks as he poses with the technique of someone who has practiced countless times in the mirror before today.

The goblins split up: one group heading for the gate, one group charging up the hill. Mina sprints around the hill into the woods. A goblin archer fires an arrow towards her. Mina's eyes widen, grimacing as she steps wide over the arrow that burrows into the dirt. She miscalculates her step, sending her off-balance.

"Mina!" Hestia cries out as she clutches her hat. Mina responds by crashing into the goblin archer who was so smug seconds ago. She bowls through the squad of goblins as all of them go tumbling onto the floor.

Mina shakes herself awake as she tries to sit up from the floor. The goblins gang up on her, swinging their scimitars onto the ground. Mina turns to her side just in time as a scimitar grazes her, leaving a cut on her hip. She winces, her eyes landing on Betty Girl lying in the dirt just out of reach.

"The human-" one goblin was about to declare before a burst of radiant light, Guiding Bolt, harmlessly flies to the ground below her feet.

"Damnit!" Mina hears Shadowheart yell out.

Mina realizes Shadowheart gave her to perfect chance to do what she needs to do. Mina grabs the distracted goblin by the face, pushing the goblin's back to the floor as Mina crawls towards Betty Girl.

"OUUEEGGHH", the goblin gags, her eyes popping as Mina's knee weighs down on her throat. Mina leans forward and grabs Betty Girl by the handle.

Hello, baby.

Mina twists around and swings Betty Girl diagonally instinctively.

Crack.

Betty Girl sets up shop inside the goblin archer's cranium. Mina huffs as she places her foot on the deceased goblin's agape mouth as she wrings Betty Girl out of the goblin's skull.

"You killed Gribmaw!" the remaining goblin says as his last words as a homing ball of Magic Missile hits it in the chest, leaving a gaping hole where his ribs once were.

"A-HA!" Gale points triumphantly before putting his hands on his hips.

Mina gets on her feet as she looks up at Gale up the hill. It's just him now. Mina looks below and sees the ongoing scene. Shadowheart has positioned herself in front of the three human adventurers. Her hands are held in her front of her as she concentrates on a spell that appears to be boosting the dark-skinned man. The dark-skinned man's eyes glow radiant as he flips over the boulders, landing in between a squad of goblins.

"MO-RE!" the dark-skinned man conjures a dark cloud, enveloping the goblins as tendrils of pale green energy strikes their hearts. The goblins scream as they become frozen stiff, collapsing onto the ground.

Looks like they got that covered, Mina thinks to herself as her eyes shift to the right. Hestia runs across the battlefield clutching her lute as a worg barrels behind her.

"I don't have a weapon I DON'T HAVE A WEAPON!" Hestia screams as she sprints past Mina.

Before Mina could ask more, the worg changes directions, thundering towards Mina. Mina launches Betty Girl at the worg's face. The maul lands clean, striking the worg across the face. Mina changes her stance wide, holding Betty Girl defensively in front of her.

"HESSIE!" Mina frantically cries out, "Help me out?"

Nobody responds. Hestia probably already fainted. The worg shakes the impact off it itself and tackles Mina, biting onto the collar of her garbs. Mina feels the world spin as the worg rears its head. Then, air. The world swirls in her vision. Clouds, ground, trees, all becoming one. The world turned into a kaleidoscope of threads.

Then, ground. Mina's head bounces off the dirt, rattling the tadpole in her brain. It squeals inside her, sending signals that pulse in her temples, telling her that a bugbear is staring above her.

"You'll be meat for the camp, Pinky", the bugbear sneers as he brandishes his javelin, "Fresh human brain for dinner."

The javelin comes down. Mina brings up Betty Girl as the javelin stops inches into Mina's chest. Blood drips out from her. Her hands shake as the bugbear forces itself down. She screams, not in pain, but with the energy of something else. Something more primal. She roars. Blood rushes to her head. Her muscles expand and contract. Her eyes dilate. Her face tattoo glows a faint white as she presses Betty Girl even harder towards the bugbear. Then, she drops her maul, the bugbear's javelin shoots to the floor, sending both their weapons tangled and the bugbear straight at Mina. Mina's legs lock onto the bugbear's hips as she grabs onto the bugbear's head.

She bites down on the bugbear's face. The bugbear yowls out a sound slightly more high-pitched than his speaking voice as he tries to claw Mina off of him. Mina muffled screams reverberate on the bugbear's cheeks as she bites harder, sinking her human canines into the fur of the hairy goblinoid. She shakes her head bearlike, digging her nails into the bugbear's back. The bugbear rummages through Mina's back blindly before grabbing onto her peach-rose locks. He slams his forehead on Mina's forehead tattoo, sending her onto her back, rolling backwards until she lands on her knees.

"You..." the bugbear stumbles as he points at Mina, "Kill...YOU-"

Thwip. Thunk. As Mina's vision spirals, she could barely make out the bugbear collapsing on his knees as two crossbow bolts jut out of the back of his skull. The bugbear seizes, gnashing his teeth before falling head first into the gravel path.

"Gotcha ye cunt!" the drow woman's hand waves up at the ledge holding a small hand crossbow.

"Khhshzs..." the bugbear says into the dirt.

"DINGUS!" Hestia cries out as she throws the crossbow she picked from a cadaver onto the ground, sprinting towards Mina. Her body feels cold, Mina could feel as the rage dissipates out of her, blood and saliva spilling out from her mouth as her eyes roll backwards.

"Through...the forest", the bugbear oozes out from his throat, "birds...of...the candle..."

And Mina falls off to sleep.

"C'mon, go!" Hestia shouts as Mina's legs bounce around Hestia's hips. She had gotten heavier since the last time they met. Hestia could tell that this year had been more bountiful than the last for Mina.

"I'm trying!" Gale shouts back clutching Mina's unconscious head as he marches uphill behind Hestia, "I was not prepared to carry an a hundred-eighty-pound woman today!"

Shadowheart strides alongside them, carrying Betty Girl in her arms, as the trio march up to the human leader and the older tiefling bickering.

"We was runnin'... for our lives", the human leader glares at the old tiefling.

They was runnin' alright. Hestia thought. They couldn't even wait to funnel into the gates like mice to a hole in the wall.

"You could have ran..." Hestia pauses to catch her breath, "A little later? To HELP ME CARRY THIS WOMAN?"

"I didn't run", the man growled at her, "And you seem to handle yourself just fine for a Faerie."

"FOR A-" Hestia bites her tongue.

"Didn't run?" The old tiefling bursts out laughing, "You were scrambling at the gate with your tail tucked between your legs begging me to let you in! If it wasn't for her and the drow the goblins you led here would have killed Kanon! You coward!"

"Shut your mouth", the human sticks his finger on the old tiefling's shoulder, "What did you do? Holding your tail while we risk our lives out there? No wonder you let a damn under-elf in to save your own hides"

"Woah woah woah!" Hestia intervenes, dropping Mina's legs onto the ground and marching up to the two men. Gale huffs as all of Mina's weight is now all on him.

"Listen", Hestia shakes her hands in front of the human man, "I'm gonna ignore what you just said but no more of this, alright? You've got injured. I've got injured right there. We do not want this."

She points to Mina, who is flat on the ground as Gale stands next to her with his arms crossed.

"Saving your own hides, both of ya", the human grumbles as he storms off. Leaving Hestia and the old tiefling face to face.

"I'm sorry you have to hear that", the old tiefling gestures at the human, "I'm Zevlor."

"I'm Hestia", she smiles exhaustedly, "That's Gale, and that's Shadowheart."

"Pleasure", Zevlor nods at the two companions, who nod back wordlessly.

"We are looking for a healer!" Hestia gestures with both hands at Mina, who responds with a loud snore, "My friend Mina here is completely out."

"Among other things", Gale coughs.

The worms. In their heads. Right. Hestia wrinkles her eyebrows as she looks back at Zevlor.

"We need a healer", Hestia repeats.

"Talk to Nettie", Zevlor angles his shoulder towards the trail leading into the cave, "She's in the Inner Sanctum. Though, I don't know what good you'll do being here. The druids here are planning on casting us out. The only person who can talk some sense into them would be Halsin, the archdruid of the grove, and the best healer, though Aradin seems to have at best lost him on the way back."

He points to where the grumpy human once was.

"Anyway, thank you for helping us defend the grove", Zevlor smiles gently, "I'll be tending to Kanon, if you need me."

The grove descends down the path into this sanctuary that makes Hestia hold her breath. Natural vaulted ceilings made from the earth supported by ancient granite. Vines that reach down from the sky holding each other hand in hand. Grandfather ferns sprouting on the sides of the gravel brush past her feet as she lumbers down the road, Mina's feet hoisted between her hips.

"You know, we could rest her here", Shadowheart raises Betty Girl at stack of hay next an oxcart.

Gale sighs in relief as he and Hestia maneuver Mina's sluggish body, plopping her half-heartedly next to the straws of hay spread evenly in the mud.

Hestia pants as her hands rest on her already wobbly knees.

"What do ye mean I cannae stay here anymaer?" She hears someone say, "I jus' saved your whole bloody grove!"

Her weary eyes drift straight forward. Down the yellow road, Hestia spots her.

The drow woman perches on a boulder smoking a pipe next to a herd of oxen. She glares into the middle distance as a druid stomps off, savouring the smoke. She blows it out of her mouth while haphazardly rubbing her shoulder, where the arrow would have been thirty minutes ago.

That is Meekah Duskfate.

"MEEKAH DUSKFATE!" Hestia screams at Meekah Duskfate.

The drow woman turns to Hestia across the path. Her eyes widen.

"Wait a-"

Smoke comes out in puffs as her coughs echo loudly around the chamber. She gets up on her feet and starts jogging over, covering her mouth with her arm.

Hestia dashes towards Meekah, "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!"

"UGH-", Meekah manages to reply as more smoke comes out from her mouth.

Hestia leaps into Meekah's arms while Meekah tries to pivot and side hug her back.

"My SHOULDER, watch my shoulder", Meekah winces as she pats Hestia on the back.

"I knew it was you on that ledge, plum", Hestia's muffled voice comes out from Meekah's quilted gambeson. Hestia pulls away, composing herself.

Hestia dusts herself off and pivots to her two companions.

"Everyone", Hestia clasps her hands dramatically, "Allow me to introduce my friend Meekah Duskfate!"

"You're a drow", Shadowheart points out.

"Naw, I'm just gray, they make gray kids down in Rivington", Meekah toasts with her pipe, "It's alright, we're all friendly. We all fought together just moments ago."

"Greetings! I am Gale of Waterdeep. Are you also here for the..." Gale gestures to his brain.

"Oh yeah, waiting in line right now. Fuckers' want me out", Meekah gestures towards the steps leading down an amphitheatre, "Also, what's weird is that after I got plugged I don't need my-"

Meekah's head winces, and so do the rest of them. The tadpole writhes in Hestia's head. She could see flashes of forest in the night, the cry of a wailing newborn, and a vague feeling of anxious righteousness.

"Woah", Meekah shakes her head, "Was that the-"

"DO I REALLY LOOK LIKE THAT?!" Hestia grasps her floppy hat as she stares at Meekah, "I SAW MY OWN FACE FROM YOUR FACE!"

"Yes."

"GODS."

Mina adds with a snore. Meekah seems to just notice Mina lying in the hay this whole time.

"MEENER MOONOOS!" She points.

"Yeah, she found me over at the nautiloid crash", Hestia adds as she tries to readjust the kohl in her eyes, "Ooh! Speaking of, where's-"

Meekah's face drops. Even without the tadpole's help, Hestia knows that expression. Sadness. Pain. Guilt. Self-blame. Hope that was just there a bit ago, gone.

"Huska didn't land with me."

"Oh", Hestia's arms drop, "BUT. But, She's tough. She'll find us, right?"

"Aye."