Hive of Minds
“Yes.” Hertz answered Ramza's question. “There is a small building that girl who was researching left behind. Although it is on an island in the lake, and the bridge has been destroyed. I've heard from your colleagues it can be entered by swimming, but I'm not sure about the details. The wasps don't seem to be able to go underwater, so I think that is safe.” Hertz said, conveniently also addressing one of Daniel's questions. “There is a weird pinkish layering on the water, it smells sickeningly sweet but we don't know if it's poisonous. You can find it drift in spades all throughout the river. I should have some samples...” The ranger turned his head and scratched his brow, for a moment doubting if it was relevant to show the librarians, but then asked for a moment and took off his backpack; from which he took three small jars filled the thick, pink liquid he described.
“We've not tested it for poison. I wouldn't know much about it anyway.” Hertz explained, as he gave the jars to Ramza, Daniel and Deneaerys. “But it keeps the parasites away. The tiny ones. The wasps don't take hosts, but those bugs do. I meant to give this to you for protection, but beware; although it repels the parasites, it attracts the wasps.”
“As for their flight patterns, I don't know. I'm... I don't want to get enough to find that out.” Hertz admitted, his lack of courage being a sore spot for the man. Although unknown to the librarians, Hertz had lost two colleagues to the recent changes, of whom one Vignar had to give a mercy killing in Hertz' stead. “But they're flying further each day. It's as if they're scouting... It's not safe to be out in the open.”
The man then turned to Daniel to answer his questions in order, “I don't know their number, but from what I was told, the nest could house at least fifty and they've been expanding it. They mark places like the river with those pink liquids; I'm guessing that is how they communicate. We've found it near abandoned hives of the parasites as well, or near the bones of the animals they possessed... The stuff in these jars was f-f-found-” The ranger suddenly stuttered. “O-o-on my colleague. She was one of the first human victims of the wasps...”
Hertz took some papers out of his backpack and gave them to Daniel. “I have a small booklet with what I've already told you, you can have it. But we don't have any explosives, however and as I'm sure you've noticed, we're quite far from the civilization. The closest town is a day's walk.” Hertz sighed, realising that would be of little help. Fortunately for the ranger's spirits and the mission, Deneaerys herself was a firestarter.
“But there is a lot of dead wood and fungus in the forest now.” Hertz told the woman, “You could get a large fire started. Be careful a previous holder burned down a quarter of the forest... We'd like to preserve as much of the forest as we can...”
Will 'o the Piper
Medusa was followed into the water by thoroughly frightened kappa. Although she could have taken them on land easily; the slimy lily-pad wearing creatures were far more agile in the water. The three of them all snatched at Medusa's skin with their clawed hands and duck bills.
Charles didn't fare much better in negotiations. The only thing he could make out was there being something the kappa were far more afraid of than him. Those in front of him exchanged only a few word, before they would jump onto him and Sophia. Claws out, the little slimy creatures would attempt to tackle them and push them into the river, where they would have the advantage.
A Clayman's Finale
Unfortunately, the taunting would do nothing to soften the incoming blow. While her shield's absorbing effect had done away with the icy breath, the icicle was not at all a spell. The frosty spike rammed in Maria's side, and scattered upon impact into many sharp, tinier icicles. It was fortunate that the young rook was tough, but the invisible spirit broke off even more of it's spikes and continued battering her in a relentless assault and while Maria was tough, so was Valenci's spirit. She wouldn't be able to last this kind of beating for long.
