“Vardinn. Vardinn wake up.” Saga says as she shakes him, “we are almost there now. Just over that hill there. We should go over the plan one more time before we arrive.”

Shaking himself fully awake and to attention, Vardinn says, “fair enough. I slept long enough as is. The plan.” motioning her to continue.

“Super simple. We get ourselves past the guards, enter the castle, wait til sundown, then sneak our way into the old castle. Once there, you do your thing, we sneak back out and be gone before sunrise with no one the wiser.” 

“Uhuh, and do tell, how are we supposed to convince the guards to just let us in?”

“My fathers the king.”

“...excuse me?”

“Did I not mention that before?”

“No you did not. See, I thought you were worried about me when we first met because I was royal and you assumed I was weak but Now I see it was just me.”  

“It was more because you looked hungry, tired, and lost but sure, go with that.”

Cresting over the hill, Saga firmly states, “Once we get there, let me do the talking. It will go smooth as…what.”

Shocked in silence, as the city comes to view, they see a majestic stone metropolis normally steeped in ice and snow but currently ablaze with towering blue flame.

“What is happening” Sage says in utter disbelief, unable to focus.

Scanning the land surrounding the city for any clues, Vardinn spots a rather large temporary town of tents and stalls with red and orange flame beings like Saga outside. “Saga! Look there. It seems that some of your people have set up a temporary housing district. Perhaps your father is there?”

Snapping out of her locked disbelief, she snaps her head over to the tent. Scanning each tent until her eyes land on a specific one. 

“That one at the edge of the city line! It bears my familys’ crest. It has to be them.” she says as she snaps the reins with hurried strength.

Weaving through the tents and small but traversable roads, you can hear the citizens murmur about the return of the halfling. The princess of flesh and fire. Saga ignores them, she is too focused on finding her father. Finally they arrive at the gates and she leaps down to the tent without a moments’ pause.

“Father! Are you here!?” she belts out as she tears the flaps open. 

There, inside, she finds a confused but otherwise unharmed man standing with his closest advisors. The tent outwardly appears like any ordinary tent but the inside looks like a wooden hall vastly larger than it could logically be. Four burly men with heads of flame but bodies of segmented metal, draped in furs and leather, stand before a table. The table has a projected image of the city made of unmoving light. Upon seeing her, the king rushes to his daughter.

 “Saga?! What are you doing here?” he says as he lifts her into a deep embrace.

“I saw the city on fire and feared the worst.” returning the embrace.

“Oh you know me better than that daughter! I am iron and fire, I won’t go down to some measly blue flame.”

“Speaking of which, what is going on?! Why is the city on fire? Why is the city evacuated?”

Letting her down, he spots and points to Vardinn. “Before I explain that, who is this one?”

“This is Loc Vardinn. High Elf Prince and Third seat to the Greater Eleven Council.  Vardinn, this is my father. High King of Brimstone and Obsidian. King Brim for short.”

Vardinn bows slightly to King Brim, “an honor sir.”

“What is an elf doing in the Unknown?” he says, eyeing him up and down.

“Explorer. I have made it my life’s mission to take my people to new heights and leave mysteries for them to solve for generations. Currently, it was to visit your fine city with my friend and your daughter, Saga.”

“Enough of that, explain the situation father, please."  

He motions for them both to follow and says, “it’s easier explained up close.”