Answers and Clarifications

Rhyn seemed to stall, stock-still where she leaned against Farryn’s currently-vacant armchair. The portal behind her snapped shut a moment after she’d stumbled in, so she was no longer glowing under its light. “So… daughter Elnore and her girlfriend?” The cloaked woman eventually asked, pointing first at Ozzie, then at Ophelia.

“Not my girlfriend,” said Ozzie, at the same time as Ophelia snorted and said “No.”

“And, not Elnore,” Ozzie continued. “I’m Ozzie Grimm.”

“Ophelia,” said the demon woman, lifting a hand.

“Right, got it. Lady Elnore…?”

Farryn waved dismissively. “Rhyn, please, you don’t need to hide yourself. These two have been to the new world as well.”

Rhyn nodded, then unclasped her cloak and tossed it back into the armoire. Now standing in the middle of the room was a striking dragon woman, deep scarlet scales lining her form where her skin was visible - her cheeks, her neck, her sides, the top of her hips, her knuckles, the backs of her hands, and surely more under her clothes. Horns rose from her temples, short but sharp, and large dragon wings flared out from her back, giving Ophelia a pang of jealousy. She had a strong dragon tail, too, trailing ever-so-slightly.

Rhyn was out of place, though, as she wore slightly-ragged modern streetwear, her top a bit torn and her dark cargo pants worn at the knees. An oversized white jacket hung on her shoulders, her pants rode low on her hips. Eventually, Ophelia’s eyes drifted back up to the fiery orange-red of Rhyn’s gaze.

Hanging from her neck was a glowing green crystal, wrapped in golden bands, held in a cage of copper, and engraved with runes. Rhyn quickly took it off and shoved it in a pocket, like a child trying to hide something from a parent.

“Rhyn Tempest,” the dragon woman finally said, holding out her arms and bowing slightly. “At your service.”

Farryn gestured to Rhyn. “She has been running errands for me for a few months.”

“Is she going back and forth between the new world?” Ophelia asked. “That portal…?”

“Yes, she has.” Farryn approached to take an offered satchel from Rhyn. She opened it, and within were bundles of copper wire, scattered lumps of various stones, dried herbs, and even a few gemstones. “Rhyn, why is it all just loose in here?”

The dragon woman shrugged. “Wanted to be fast. I told mom I’d be home soon, so I had to make it quick. I think everything you asked for is in there?”

“W-wait, how can she just go back and forth? I thought that once you go through a portal, you can’t go back through it?” Ophelia stepped between them. “If we can go through that portal-”

“I’m no dimensionalist, Ophelia,” Farryn said, setting the bag aside and pulling out one of the bundles of wire. “That portal only opens in specific places I’ve had people set up in the new world, firstly. Secondly, it only opens both ways for that pendant I made for Rhyn.” She pulled out another of those green crystals from one of the many desks, then frowned at it. “I have very few of the required materials. These stones are made by dimensional magic, but you can only find them at natural sites of such magic - old fairy rings, hellmouths, that kind of thing. They must be within a specific size to serve as a two-way key. Any other will fail or detonate upon attempting to pass through a portal.”

Rhyn sat in the chair Ophelia had previously occupied, picking up the teapot and a forgotten cup. As she poured, her tail curled around her feet, out of the way. “Yeah, if you look close you can see the scars where one of them blew up. It was the weirdest feeling - halfway between a burn and a slap.”

“Took quite a bit of trial and error, and we’re running low on ones of the right size. Which is why Rhyn - strong, fast, flies somewhat under the radar - is my main… assistant.” Farryn kept rifling through the drawers of her desk, before triumphantly holding up a small lump of unworked ruby. She started wrapping it with copper wire and a length of bluish twine. “Rhyn has just brought me the materials to potentially make another, excepting the core crystal.”

“It was quite a trip trying to explain to the guys at the hardware store that no, I’m not trying to build a horde out of copper - gold is better anyway - and no, I’m not trying to make a Faraday cage, whatever that is.” Rhyn picked up a cookie, considered it for a moment, and shoved the whole thing in her mouth. Speaking around the cookie, she continued. “Took me a bit to do the math on how much it all cost, and they gave me weird looks for buying so much, but whatever.” The dragon woman kept eating the various treats laid out, seemingly very hungry.

Farryn tilted her head as she began to hang the ruby off a simple chain. She scraped a few runes into the rock with a sharp implement. “It kind of is a Faraday cage. Initially, it’s a new world concept, sort of like a warding enchantment. This one just works with magic. Nevertheless,” she held out the newly-crafted pendant to Ophelia. “This won’t protect you from a diabolist’s codex, but it will mask your energies to anyone that may be looking on a more general level.”

Ophelia took it and put it on. “Any chance you can make us some of those amulets? Get us back to the old world?”

“If, and only if, I can get more properly-sized keystones.” Farryn sighed and leaned against her desk. “I’ll get to work on that. Let’s get you two sorted. Rested, cleaned up, and I’ll connect you with Tyler tomorrow, or whenever you get up. Sound good?” She gave a warm smile, first to Ozzie, then Ophelia.

She’d said the name so casually, it took Ophelia a double-take to understand what Farryn had said. “You- wait, Tyler?”

Farryn’s brow furrowed slightly. “Yes…?”

“Tyler Jones, the elf wizard? Who works at the AWIO?”

“I… believe that all is correct. Mostly.” Farryn gave a little shake of her hand. “Fey, but close enough. One of the old friends I alluded to earlier.”

“You... you know him? Hells, he’s here?”

“Yes, in fact he’s staying at the Flickering Lamp with the other person I was going to point your way. I should be asking you how you know him, Ophelia.” Farryn shook her head. “I suppose it’s a small world.”

“And we will reconnect with him… soon,” Ozzie interjected. “Mother, I would love to chat and have tea, but I… need to speak to you in private. Our rooms?”

Farryn straightened with a start, concern suddenly painted on her face. “Of course.” She started toward a wall, which opened to reveal a stairwell. “Rhyn, avail yourself of the tower, as always. Ophelia, Ozzie, follow me up to your rooms.”

“Have a good rest, you two,” Rhyn said around another mouthful of food, barely making an effort to cover her mouth. “I’ll be… around.”

Ophelia helped Ozzie stand, and the two of them slowly, falteringly followed Farryn up the stairs.