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"Oh dear." Locky says with a downcast look.. "Its a Dragon you know, far more powerful than me." Rubbing her head her eyes light up. "We need to talk to them, if they can hide then the dragon will think they have gone! Or, perhaps..." She looks around, "Perhaps we could use some of the dragons treasure against it? Is there a chest we could damage a bar with?"

(Locky looks at the dragons treasure pile with interest)

"I can talk to them, I assume Qualinesti is at least related to their language." Moving towards the bars he raises his hands. "My Name is Jerrard, your people have sent us to try to help you." Remembering he ushers Locky closer, "They have give us this." he shows the token they were given.

"If the gods will it, we'll meet again," Ulster says. Thuskar seems less sure of that, however.

Meanwhile, in the dragon's cave, Locky sifts through the thousands of steel coins in hopes of finding something useful. She spots a couple of potions, a wand, a man-sized suit of plate mail and a small-sized suit of chain mail. But no weapons, unfortunately. And no chests.

The children are obviously quite surprised to see the party. Their small cell doesn't have any room for them to hide, as Locky suggested. A couple of the older ones swim up to the bars. One of them, a young lad, seems to recognize the symbol. He says something in Dimernesti, which despite Jerrard's assumption, sounds almost nothing at all like Qualinesti. But it's clear he has seen the pendant before.

Imani rubs her forehead as she watches Locky and Jerrard. She steps into Jerrard's air bubble so that she can speak. "We need to leave," Imani says.

"No." Locky answers simply, "You go, I am going to try, I wonder..." She looks at the Potions with interest, perhaps in the bubble Jerrard could taste them.. "Can you test these?" She asks, lifting the potions, and the wand.

The Kender looks rather resolute, wishing she had her pouches, but she didn't.

The ground suddenly vibrates slightly with a minor tremor. There's a loud, thunderous roar outside of the cavern, amplified further by the water. Locky and Temeral, with their superior hearing, can also hear people shouting outside.

"Locky, we have failed. We need to go if we even hope to survive," Imani says.

After the brief talk with Ulster and Thuskar, Babushka goes below deck to rejoin Dekker. She makes the donkey lie down and sits beside him, leanihg against his shoulder and neck with a sigh. She had seriously misjudged the desert people, Imani, Malika and Imaran were mystery to her. She had done wrong to Imani, mistrusting her, and then trusted Malika and Imaran too much. Especially with Imaran, she had not seen he would not think along the same lines as she. Patting the donkey and fondling his mane, she thinks if maybe her mentor had been right, retreating from much of the world.

But she had Ulster and Thuskar who depended on her. And retreating from the world would also mean definite parting with Locky, and she already was missing her terribly. Her friend would now probably be fighting a dragon, no one could know if she survived that. Babushka swallows hard, but it doesn't really help. All she can do is prevent herself from crying loudly as tears run down her cheeks. Slumped against her animal friend, she is a picture of misery.

"No." Lockys face fell, it was the Kender all over again, once again sense was telling her that she had failed, she had tried something that she couldnt achieve.

"I don't want to..." She pouts, "They are relying on us." Looking to the others eyes she frowns, "I have to don't I? Would the Silvanesti help? If we told them...."

Reluctantly she turns from the Children, "Life is cruel and sad." She wipes away an Invisible Tear, "I want to see Babuskha."

"Come." Jerrard takes the little Kender, pulling her into the bubble and on his shoulders, "We will find a way, I am not sure how." He starts to move towards the cave entrance, "The Dragon may be out there, prepare to defend yourselves."

Imani follows after the mage and cleric, knowing full well that the dragon probably was out there.

When the four step outside the cavern, they see the massive dragon has already arrived on the scene. Every Dimernesti capable of fighting is also present, surrounding the beast and slowly approaching.

"We must fight for our children!" shouts the leader, who nobody in the party ever asked for his name. "Don't cluster together, avoid his breath! Abbuku the Fisher, god of nature and wildlife, is with us in this battle!"

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(OOC: Remember, you must be standing adjacent to Jerrard on the map in order to be inside his airy water bubble. Also, that although the map is 2D, the battlefield is 3D--at least for those who can swim. Time for action and initiative! Fight or flee?)

Imani looks at the sea elves that are surrounding the dragon. She looks conflicted at first before she lets out a sigh. "We have to help them," she finally says.

"Of course." Jerrard responds kindly, "I cannot fight it with a dagger, but I can distract it."

"I suggest that you try to aid them, I will keep with Locky so she can heal those that get injured, and I have a surprise of my own."

(Casts Mirror image on himself).

"OOooohhh." Locky quickly calls on Paladine, imbuing Imani with his care (Protection from evil, +2 to saves, and +2 to AC). "I will do that."