Pahhu: Shifting Sands of Time 5: Back On Their Feet

Pahhu made light laps around the yard of Hyssop Home. It felt good to be moving again, it helped with the physical itchiness and restlessness. The itchiness in her mind though continued to bubble, there were a lot of questions and new thoughts she found hard to process. It was easier to just use her feet and run in circles, and in doing so run away from the thoughts that seemed to be chasing her in circles.
 
Today was a good day, the soreness had cleared up and the Sisters were letting her move around freely and visit with others. That was good, for Pahhu would have guests soon who wanted to check on her, and even she knew that showing she was back to her old self would stop them from worrying and fussing over her. Ed was always trying to protect her too much, and she was pretty sure she didn’t need four more Eds. “I wonder if my mom and dad worry about me at all…” She quickly shook the thought off and moved her feet.
 
Pahhu rounded the corner and saw Theodore and Marinette, together as they often were now. She reflected back on what she’d learned about the ways of life and felt a small pang of wonder at what spark may be struck between the two of them. They had a quality not unlike flint and steel she thought. Well, Theodore was always running around as a rock anyway, and Marinette had steely blue eyes and a certain way about her. “I wonder if it only works with flint and steel. Well there’s other ways to make sparks, I guess.” Pahhu sucked her teeth and thought maybe she was closer to flint after all.
 
Pahhu ran towards the group and gave greetings, making sure to not to miss a beat and draw any worry. The group caroused for quite a bit, glad to be together and in good health. There were visitors to the home as well. Jorah had come to visit the flowers and donkeys, and a newcomer by the name of Nyx had gotten lost and found herself drawn to the hustle and bustle of the home. After Pahhu mistakenly thought perhaps the diminutive Nyx was Marinette and Theodore’s child, the group’s attention turned towards the more pressing business. What next?
 
Charva seemed hesitant to speak with Pahhu or anyone too close to her, perhaps fearing that his own prophecy might come to pass. He was choosing to work with the Hawthorne guild, providing them information on tracking and capturing the time criminals. It seemed there was a chance that Charva’s Sanctuary might one day be restored, but as unstable as Pahhu was Charva seemed more keen on keeping the chaos she was dragging in her wake as far from his duties as possible.
 
That left Pahhu’s parents, somewhere long gone to the High Ice north of the Anauroch desert. It was an enormous place and they had no idea where to start. Would finding them answer any questions? Would it be a happy reunion or would they tell her to leave them be? Had she been left behind with sorrow or disdain? And how should she act? The only way to find out would be to find out how a family was supposed to act.
 
Pahhu ran her motor mouth and teased Marinette and Theodore, and took the opportunity as soon as she saw Nyx near them, asking if Nyx was their daughter and if the pair was fulfilling their obligation with Charva against Birgallaz. The three looked confused, but Theodore was too polite to make it seem as if he was opposed to the idea, and Marinette didn’t seem to pay too much attention to words or titles, Nyx however was just an open-hearted soul it seemed. After some cajoling Pahhu had planted the seed and she began to watch, hoping to learn some concept of family from the trio.
 
With that the group tried to identify a way to find the location of Pahhu’s mysterious parents. Theodore, realizing they had their names and a swaddling blanket they’d both once owned brought the group the chapel, where he used the holy water fountain to scry for the two. His vision went north, deep into the desert, and ended at a great cliff of ice bordering the plain of standing stones. It then cut to nothing, as the scrying attempt was denied further information. Their destination was vague, but they had a direction and a twenty year old trail grown cold in more ways than one to follow.
 
Their departure from Hyssop Home was swift, a Tree-Stride to Poppy’s Oasis followed by a Wind Walk to the desert’s border. They made camp near the the High Ice and the Plain of Standing stone, putting themselves in striking distance of Theodore’s vision area the next day.
 
DAY 6
Travel to the glacier went rather uneventfully, the group sighting a tribe of goblinoids not far from the ice-cliff but no other signs of life. They made landfall and began to inspect the ice as the sun began to set. It soon became clear they’d make no meaningful progress and that making camp would be best. As they began to set camp, a goblin scout sighted them and began to run back towards his tribe at his full speed, a trivial thing for the group to match who quickly caught and questioned him. It became clear this goblin knew nothing, but his elder might.
 
Negotiations went fairly well, despite the goblins not trusting the party. They agreed to tell the party what they knew if they would hunt the ‘great stompers’ on the glacier. Not sure if this meant mammoths or something else the party agreed, and demonstrated their mettle and capability to the goblins. The agreement being struck the party returned to making their own camp, soon settling in for the night.
 
Barely a few hours into their rest though the ground began to shudder with thunderous tremors as the sound of heavy galloping feet grew louder and louder. They were under attack! From the cover of darkness six cyclops charged the group, who had managed to stand and at least arm themselves before the arrival.
 
Uncertain of the extent of the threat the group reacted swiftly and decisively, as Theodore and Jorah rendered two of the massive and proud cyclops into harmless critters. Pahhu followed their queue, ripping the time stream open and pulling two of them from the sands leaving them in a place out of time. Pahhu felt the familiar twinge of her magic running away from her, but barely contained it. The remaining two cyclops were quickly engaged and without the safety of their numbers they were isolated and rent asunder by Marinette’s furious eye gouging, with cover from Nyx’s heavy bowshots and her pet panther Tona’s vicious claws.
 
The first of the giants fell, their clumsy charge turned on its head almost instantly under the group’s sudden and potent control. Barnaby, a Korred in Theodore’s service left one of the giants stumbling in a clumsy dance which Ed used to land a blinding smite to the Cyclops’ single eye, leaving him writing in a blind dance on the sands. Jorah approached with a single hand outstretched, making contact with the giant and ushered the very life force from his body guiding his vitality to aid her allies.
As the fourth giant fell the two time rifts wavered in the air above the sands, promising the return of the giants held within. The party made their preparations, weapons were readied and Theodore opened a yawning pit in the earth below one, filled with suffocating quicksand. Pahhu released her spell and simultaneously cast another, for the first time truly leaning into her powers as she ripped the area apart with temporal turbulence. The giants howled in distorted voices as their temporal cohesiveness began to melt under the shredding force. Arrows and blows struck the desynchronized giants as they were helpless to defend themselves. Marinette leaped atop one, toppling it into the ground after Ed made short work of his leg. The other sank deeper and deeper into Theodore’s quicksand pit as Nyx’s arrows, Tona’s claws and Jorah’s magic withered it.
 
As the last cyclops sank beneath the sand the dunes went quiet, the only sound being their labored breathing as they looked about the chaos of the situation. A move in camp was in order… and a finished night of sleep.