The Black Cat

> A familiar face appears to those who are familiar with my campaigns!
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## Summary

Hoshimi visibly shakes after seeing the black figure in the jungle while Seven hides behind her. Olwen Edgeworth looks around with her scope but notices the creature is long gone. Hoshimi calms down a bit and notices that the scent is the same as one of the scents in the Galgari Jungle. Flint quickly sketches it down as Hoshimi suggests that they stay out of the jungle.

The group begins crossing the bridge and notice a black panther circling a tree. The black tabaxi from earlier was dangling from the tree in a trap. Seven, Xaillen and Seven go to help the tabaxi and the panther growls at them. Hoshimi tells everyone to cover their ears and lets out a fox screech even louder than before. Seven assists with a glare and the panther runs off. Seven, Flint and Hoshimi go to help the tabaxi down while he's saying that he'll get them the money. Hoshimi makes sure he's real and the tabaxi wonders if they come across people tied in trees that aren't real often. Hoshimi cuts him down with her bladed fans as Adrian Tanlaial breathes heavily over the edge of the nearby bridge. Hoshimi makes the tabaxi promise not to bolt once she cuts him free and he promises on the lightbringer.

Everyone does introductions and the black tabaxi introduces himself as Jojo. Seven gives him one of her rations and Jojo promises to pay her back. Hoshimi checks on Adrian and Olwen with Adrian wanting to go home. As they move to the river, Jojo passes around a flask of something sweet. Flint recognizes it as something his dad once made. He asks if he met a man named Ivan Windstrummer but it turns out the flask itself was enchanted to bring flavors of joy to whomever drank it. Jojo calls it the flask of friendship and Seven hugs him with delight. Jojo gasps for air and notes that he hasn't seen a griffin before. He accidentally sees Seven's rod and she hides behind Olwen so she can fix it. Xaillen asks if he's seen Raquel. Jojo says no but he did see someone that matched Arpolian's description in Urzaban. His purse was then cut so he got shanghaied into an archeological dig with the drow supremacists then escaped from the drow when the displacer beasts got loose. Olwen freaks out and paces because she knows Adrian's going through a tough time right now. Xaillen quickly goes over to Adrian who's having a cup of water tasted liked mulled wine. He mentions he has a lead on Arpolian while mentioning Adrian wasn't paying attention to his strengths. Adrian takes offense to that and walks off much to Hoshimi and Olwen's protest.

As Seven snuggles up to Adrian to comfort him, everyone hears a large cart coming around the hill, pulled by six powerful horses. Some guards come out and pull out their spears at the group. Lhark comes out of the cart and tells the guards to throw down their weapons before hugging Adrian. She hugs Flint as well mentioning that Maryl knew Adrian would be here. She mentions she's taking them to New Gatless and Adrian feels a lot better. She gets her assistant, Althea (a drow), to look over the horses. Caius recognizes her and she's relieved that he's okay too. When she asks where Jarrod is though, and Caius confesses that he didn't make it. At Hoshimi's urging, everyone piles into the carriage.