A firm handle

Blair watched for several seconds as Caesar continued to nuzzle against Damya. He pounced Damya and licked her cheek. She giggled as her arms reached around him, hugging him gently. "Thank you. You're sweet too." Blair playfully smiled as she walked over to them. Her hand ran along Caesar's back but her eyes were focused on Damya. "Mm, that's a good look for you. You have such a lovely smile Damya." Damya's attention immediately focused on Blair, but her hands ran along Caesar's back. "I'm smiling? That's strange. I haven't had a reason to smile in a long time. I guess spending time with you and Caesar has changed that."

Blair's eyes gazed into Damya's for two intense seconds before looking away. "I see. That's a bit, unfortunate. For you see, as much as I would love to spend more time with you. I need to focus on finding a way to kill Zane. You already know why.." She turned fully away and took a few steps with a soft sigh. She turned her head slightly to allow Damya to be able to see her quivering lip. "He is such a vile man after all." Damya floated up with Caesar in her arms. She nuzzled her cheek gently against the top of his head while floating closer to Blair. "Your memories have shown me that he is quite the sore. Hmm, might I suggest allowing me to possess one of his servants?"

The left side of Blair's lips curled up into a smile, but her eyes looked with concern in Damya's direction. "What would that accomplish?" Damya's left hand gently stroked the top of Caesar's head. "It would allow me to get closer to him and find a weak point for you." Blair's lips turned downward as she began to pout, turning to face Damya. "Wouldn't that be too dangerous for you? They slay the undead on sight." Damya kissed the top of Caesar's head before setting him down on the ground. "I will be but a whisper in the wind. They will never see me coming." She faded from view before reappearing right next to Blair. Caesar walked over to Blair's side and nuzzled against her right leg.

Blair gently rubbed the top of Caesar's head while she puckered her lips. Her eyes looked in Damya's direction. "If I let you go, how will you keep in contact with me?" Damya grinned. "I can send you text messages with their cellphone. I have memorized your number." Blair quirks an eyebrow. "You almost sound like a stalker, Damya." Damya looked slightly away. "I simply have a good memory." She turned around, floating away for a few seconds before looking in Blair's direction. "I have, but one request for doing this."

Blair tilted her head slightly before looking to Caesar. "Oh? What do you want for this valuable service?" Damya bit her bottom lip while floating slightly further away. "I want you to touch me again. Make me feel alive like you did earlier. I-I've never felt anything like that before." Blair walked slowly over to Damya. Her eyes gazing deeply into Damya's. "Then you shall have it, Damya." Damya's eyes looked down to Blair's lips. "Thank you. Um, before I go." Her eyes looking back into Blair's eyes. "I would like to join my territory with yours." That is when a new notification appeared in the center of her view.

Damya has requested to join her territory with yours.

Do you wish to allow the joining of Damya's Discarded Building Supplies and Materials with Blair's Discarded Supplies?

Accept or Decline?

Blair smiled as she mentally hit, 'Accept.'. "That would make things easier. I look forward to working with you, Damya." As she spoke, the area around them began to change, morphing dramatically to incorporate the other illusion barriers it was now linked to. Like before, her mini-map had changed as well. Damya turned around to look at the expanded area. "And I with you, Blair." Blair expanded out her mini-map until she could see all four territories. However, something new was on her mini-map that she had never seen before. A green exclamation mark was right where Uggozan's throne room was.

Blair wasn't sure what was going on, but Damya and Caesar were both focused on that direction. Caesar let out two soft yet short howls before looking curiously to Blair. She knelt down and hugged him gently. "What's wrong? I've never heard you howl like that." Her nose wrinkled as an odd odor entered her nostrils. 'It reminded her of blood, but this was too thick.' Damya didn't move or overt her gaze. "He said Uggozan has a new smell. He is surprised you can't smell it." She glanced in Blair's direction. "I can't smell anything, but I sense something interesting in that direction." She pointed in the direction she had been looking.

Damya's eyes looked down a moment before focusing on Blair. "Your frail ally, Izorha was with her, no? I wonder if he is still okay." Blair's eyes widened as it clicked in her mind that Uggozan might have killed him, but why? She looked down as her right hand gently massaged the back of Caesar's neck. This was to comfort both him and her as she continued to think. 'Uggozan wouldn't have eaten him. Right?" Caesar turned to gently lick Blair's right cheek before nuzzling his muzzle there.

Blair softly smiled before kissing Caesar's cheek. "Thanks Caesar." She stood up and stretched slightly. "I swear this is turning into a long day." She started to walk off in the direction of that mark on her mini-map. "I will handle this alone. You have more important matters to attend to." Damya nodded slightly. "Right, I will contact you as soon as I make progress." Blair turned slightly. "See that you do." With that, Damya vanished from sight. Blair let out a soft sigh and rubbed her nose gently. "I can't imagine this is any more pleasant for you. Come on, we need to see what's going on." Caesar appeared to nod as he let out a bark.

Blair and Caesar ran across most of the map, having started in the south western side. Although nothing appeared to be out of sorts in Gina's or her own territory, there was clearly something off when she reached Uggozan's area. A red mist and the stench of **** hung in the air. It was thick enough to drastically reduce their visibility. She covered her nose and mouth with her hand, but it did little to reduce the sickening smell. "Come on, Caesar. We're almost there." After stumbling around for another minute or so, they located one of the many tunnels of Uggozan's network.

Shortly after Blair took her hand off of her mouth and nose, her eyes saw a rather terrifying sight. The insectoids that had once worked and protected these tunnels were lying dead on the floor. "What the.." She knelt down and touched one of the bodies. It felt like a normal thick carapace, but there was no movement. She used Observe on one of the bodies, but only a small notification popped up saying this is a dead insectoid that hadn't put up a struggle. 'So it was told not to fight?'

Blair stood back up to make her way with Caesar to Uggozan's throne room. As they walked, she began to wonder what she would find. Would she find Izohra was still alive? Was there a new threat to Uggozan and her swarm? Or had something else happened? (Alternative answers are welcome.)