Fixes and family

Andrew seems relieved that you and Sanni have arrived. He looks noticeably more disheveled than last time you saw him, though that’s understandable, especially when he leads you to Rina. The blue haired golem is seated at a table, staring into the middle distance. Her hands are folded in her lap, and if you didn’t know better, you’d say she was a statue. Nearby, Amie the dwarf and Nina the holstaur stand by, looking similarly concerned and frazzled.

Sanni is immediately all business. “So, what happened?”

Andrew shakes his head. “I wish I knew. Whatever it was seems to coincide with whatever happened down south. Everything I’ve animated up to this point simply shut down, except Rina. And she’s practically catatonic. She’ll respond to basic things, but the personality she was starting to develop is just…gone.”

He looks at you. “I hear you were down there not long ago. Did you see anything weird?”

You shake your head. “Nothing in particular, although from what Sanni has told me, I missed all the excitement by about a week.”

Sanni nods. “You would be well away before it happened. I felt it clearly, a major magical ripple. Something big happened.”

Nina speaks up. “We considered having Andrew push more of his magic into her, but we were worried that might change her. She was doing so well until this happened.”

Sanni smiles. “Well, I’ll see what I can do. If the magic hasn’t been completely lost, I may be able to fix it. Andrew, I will need you nearby, just in case.”

Andrew nods, and the two of them sit down across from the motionless golem. Sanni takes Rina’s hands in her own, and looks at you. “This may take a while. I’ll let you know if I need you too, Greg.”

You nod, and Sanni closes her eyes. You feel a buzz in the air as you move to stand with Andrew’s girls, and once again you’re aware of just how powerful Sanni actually is. You can practically see the magic radiating from her. You don’t know how long this will take, so you get comfortable, leaning against the wall.

Amie, the brunette dwarven woman, glances over at you. “So, what were you doing down south? I heard rumors that the Forgefather sent you.”

You chuckle. “The dwarven rumor mill is pretty good, huh? Yes, he sent us south to bring back a new traveler that needed an escort.”

Nina looks at you now, curious. “Oh? A new guy?”

You shake your head. “New girl, actually. Her name is Julie, and she’s moved in with us now.”

Nina laughs. “Bit of a full house, then!”

You smile, nodding. “It is, a little, but everyone seems pretty happy.”

The two of them look at each other, then back to you. Amie speaks first. “So…how is it, with so many?”

You shrug. “Pretty great, actually. We all get along so well, like a big happy family, really.”

Nina grins. “That’s good to hear. We’ve been trying to get Andrew to add another one or two girls, but he’s worried about jealousy.”

You nod. “I can see that being a worry. It hasn’t been a problem for us, at all, though. We just all wake up tired sometimes.”

Both girls laugh at that, and drop the topic for now. You wonder if your group is an anomaly, though. Such a large group, all together happily? You’re not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, as long as everyone is happy. You hope you haven’t just set up Andrew’s group for a big fight either. He seems like a decent guy, and his girls are lovely as well.

You shrug. Not something you can worry about right now. You settle in, watching Sanni as she tries to fix the golem girl.