A new morning

When you wake up in the morning, you panic slightly when you realize you can’t move! Your panic subsides when you realize there’s a large red arm, and a large green arm across your chest. Uzume is snuggled against your left side, while Dura is against your right. Meanwhile, atop you is a vaguely feminine blue shape, Hana having allowed herself to become more amorphous in sleep.

You’re sore after the previous day’s exertions, but extremely comfortable at the moment. Even so, you need to get up, and you know that at least Uzume won’t be up until lunchtime. With some effort, you lift the muscular arms off, and your movement wakes Hana, who forms up into her familiar form and smiles, helping you disentangle yourself.

Once out of bed, you gather your clothes and go bathe, rinsing away the evidence of last night’s extensive debauchery. You dry off, dress, and make your way to breakfast.

As usual, the only ones not up are Maya, Sadie, Lynn, and of course Uzume. Clarissa laughs when you walk in. “How are we feeling this morning?”

You grin. “Sore, but satisfied.”

Everyone laughs as you sit down with a groan. Elys looks at you with amusement in her silver eyes. “We were taking betsss on whether or not Kali would need to heal you after lassst night.”

Kali looks serious. “That’s not funny. I would be really upset if they hurt Josh!”

Samara chuckles and quips, “You’re just jealous that they didn’t invite you to join in, sis!”

Kali huffs and crosses her arms. There’s just enough truth there to upset her, and there’s giggles all around as all the girls realize it. However, before the banter can start up again, a new voice comes from the doorway.

“It seems like I missed an adventure, didn’t I?”

Ruka walks in, stopping to kiss you in the cheek before sitting down. You laugh. “You could say that. You’re back, Ruka! Learned how to be a goddess now?”

The green skinned dryad nods. “I’m all up to speed. And I got the people moving towards the border.”

‘The people’ is how the myriad of forest races tend to refer to themselves. You nod. “I assume you’ll need to go back and lead them?”

Ruka nods. “I only came to say hello, and to tell you we’ll be ready when you call for us. All I ask is to remember that we’re not really an army.”

You smile. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of using them like that. I’ll give everyone the detailed plan when we rendezvous. We’ll leave tomorrow morning. Everyone who’s coming with, rest up today.”

Around the table is a buzz of excitement and nervousness. You stand up. “Meanwhile, I’m going to go wake a certain half-dragon. I owe it to her to spend the day with her before we go.”