#baronyofthesilverwolf

Sadly, Gwen's hurrying won't be fast enough

As she lays the boys out on the grass, Art curls up and starts retching, though nothing is coming up. Wracking coughs.

Madern feels like his head is spinning, a bad hangover from shitty booze, best comparison?

"Ow" Ernie says

Gwen says "Okay, art, you're really bad off. I want you to try something. Find the poison... and dictum it out of your body safely. Can you dictum yet?"

He just shakes his head blearily. "Just.. need to rest a bit." He leans back down. Gwen, with her Dairrean training, even though it's not her specialty, that he's got a bad dose of whatever that toxic cloud was. He's in no immediate danger, but she, or someone, will need to find an antidote.

Madern as well, but his eyes are less dilated, he seems to be holding up quite better.

MEANWHILE....

The circle that Thistle cut bursts out, and that brilliant light floods the room for a moment. Briar squawks and scrambles back, and Citrine, peeking out from hiding, chimes excitedly. Once Thistle's eyes clear, she sees... ivory and creamy golden coils, sliding out from the hole, the color of clouds and the warmed edges where sunlight shines through. Hints of the gold and amber of a sunrise. As the last bit emerges from the crucible, the Nocker finds eyes settling on her...

"Hooo-leeeee sheeeeeeeeee..." BIG eyes.

Big eyes, blue as the sky - or the color the sky should be. Each the size of a saucer to her, the head alone half the length of Thistle's height. It leans in, and a breath of hot air puffs over her, smelling of sunlight on green grass.

"You." The voice is soft, yet some how large. "You... trapped me?"

"I would argue I freed you, Sunshine."

Slow blinking. "The air turned evil. The sun could not shine. The forests burned, and the cities with them." Coils undulate. "The poison... " She, as the voice seems somewhat feminine, exhales again. "I could not fight it. The fear, and toxins, together..."

"You were all Giovanni'ed, chica. Full shadow pokemon."

"You freed me." She agrees.

Eyes roll as she looks around the interior of the plant, and her scales ripple. A rumbling growl rattles the walls and ceiling, and dust and stray bits fall from the catwalks that are still intact overhead.

Briar covers her head. "Oh-shit-it's-gonna-eat-us!"

MEANWHILE....

Gladiola has managed to stabilize Art, though she doesn't like the green tinge to his skin. She hears a CLATTER and a rumbling growl from within the Plant, and the walls tremble!

"We got to get you to a pro... I..." She says "Oh god" She says "Art, stay alive please." ANd she races off, heavy but athletic footfalls

heading back in

IF SHE can

"She ain't!"

Gwen can! And sees a looming monster - wait, no, that's not quite right. A Magnificent chimerical beast, shimmering ivory and golden coils, rising up into the air and looking around, over Thistle and Briar (who, she will later argue, is NOT COWERING.)

But as the Beast exhales, the air in the plant clears - the smoke and sulfur smell of the fireworks, and the lingering fetid odor of the sludge, they fade and the air is refreshed.

Even the glass panes that remain in the windows are cleared, and the light that shines in is of a warmer, cleaner sort.

Of the wilted foliage that has intruded into the floors of the plants, they perk up, and a few tiny flowers even start to bloom.

Thistle's eyes shine, taking in the beauty of it.

"A boon." She rumbles down to Thistle. "You may claim. It was by your hand that I was entrapped in the Crucible, and yet, it was by your flames that I was Purified."

Gwen drops her jaw at the entry way then she says "Arty is poisoned, Ernie too.. not as bad"

Blink... blink...

"Can you help my friends?"

"Can you help them, Luck Dragon??" She looks at the purified room. For a moment she condemns herself for an IDIOT. If she had left them in here they might have been cleansed. But how was she to know? THen she frowns. NO no time for whining or beating herself up.

Her head swings from Thistle to Gladiola, and the warm breathe bathing over the Troll feels like... she is reminded of laying in the sunshine cloudwatching with Chuck, a happy memory. A bit of the hurt from the breakup bleeds off, as she remembers the good time that was had, and feels, good times will come again.

"Show me."

"Art's hurt?" Worry.

"RIght this way, and ... I guess you know that Thistle saved you, we all did but her most of all and Briar led us to victory.." She feels better. that doubt gone. And you know what? She hopes Chuck and his Girl ARE well, "Yes, Thistle. He's poisoned. Greenish look to him. I don't have the skill with poisons to help"

"Wait, ask for gold! Treasure! Can I try dragon meat?" Briar is ignored as the luck dragon undulates towards the door after Gladiola.

"Nope. And nope."

Art is sitting up with Madern's help, but they both look rather ill, pallid and sweat breaking out on their forheads that has nothing to do with the summer heat.

"Art, you idjit! You aren't supposed to lose your mask!"

Art manages a weak smile at Thistle. "Should have.. held onto my.. mask."

Citrine darts over and is scolding Madern roundly!

Tiny finger waved!

"Yes, mother" Madern coughs as Citrine fusses

"You fought me. Why? I may have slain you, in my madness." The dragon looking over the party, question addressed to all, even as she leans in to sniff at the two weakened boys.

"You were hurting people."

The dragon looks to Briar, and Gladiola.

The redcap squirms. "It didn't bother ME none, but the air stank, and our dogs didn't like it. They ain't got AC and masks an' shit."

"I'm a troll. You were hurting my charges." Gwen answers honestly "And our town. We protect SIlverwolf and it's evirons"

Art coughs. "It's... our duty. Our families live here. We can't just... sit by. Like Thistle and Gwen said... and let people get hurt."

"You weren't hurting people on purpose."

"All those fires and everything..."

"It was not your fault" Gwen nods "But you were our problem"

Mad Ernie says "If I'd known you were this I don't think we whould ahve done it the same way. But we'd still have saved you, w'ere NOT Douchenozzles"