What? The World needs saving AGAIN? IC Thread 8

[Xihirli]

The bronze dragon approached, and Gina hid behind Petra. “There you are. Are you ready to kill that god?”

[Valmark]

"Wh- Trinuma? Are you sure you're well now?" Eris looked surprised "I thought it'd take you longer- one of our companions is out currently. We'll be able to depart tomorrow" she nodded at Leff "She also hasn't gotten her spells prepared for traveling. I think. Leff, could you Send to... Well, the usual people. Anaweir, Marû, Tanaquill- even if they can't help they should still be informed"

Eris' gaze fell on Gina and the sudden urge in her tone caused by Trinuma lessened.
"...actually, could I ask for your help right now? Just a few minutes would be enough" she asked the dragon.

[Xihirli]

"Okay." Leff spent a few minutes casting.

"What do you require?" The bronze dragon sounded disappointed about not chasing down evil right at the moment.

[Valmark]

Well maybe bronze dragons were a bit too gung-ho. Anyway, she walked over to Gina and patted her head to reassure her.
"You'll understand soon. Trinuma, this is Gina. Gina, this is Trinuma- don't be scared. She's a bronze dragon- they are good dragons that... Uh... Defeat the evil creatures that would attack the innocents" she tried to keep it in simple terms.

"The reason I wanted you two to talk is because... You've had similar experiences, differences in experience and might notwithstanding" she frowned and covered the kid's ears "Gina was kidnapped by mind flayers. They did to her something similar to what Trem Krom did- and she was going to be sacrificed too. She's still plagued by nightmares" Eris explained to the dragon then she removed her hands.
"Gina, Trinuma suffered through a similar experience as you. The reason I wanted the two of you to exchange a few words was because I wanted you to see how she's faring" Eris explained to the kid.

"Of course you don't have to say anything... But I thought words from you could make her stronger or at least more at ease, Trinuma"

[Xihirli]

Gina swallowed and began to speak when the bronze dragon spread his wings, and Gina hid her face in Eris's side.
"I am not a babysitter, Missus Lelahinn." With a wingbeat, the great dragon lifted into the sky and Gina's feet lifted off the ground. The child lost grip on Eris and was about to fall.

[Valmark]

"Not what I meant!" Eris catched Gina, pursing her lips at the dragon.
"Sorry- that went worst then I thought.
All dragons are different" she lifted the kid up in her arms to hold and reassure her "We met one who was very polite and would talk your ear off"

[Xihirli]

Gina's eyes were shut tight and she was shaking in Eris's arms, not responding.

[Valmark]

Eris sat down, cross legged, and motioned Leff and Petra over. When they were close she spread her wings to cover the three of them.
"Look, Gina" she whispered softly "There's just us here. Nobody can do anything to you while we're here. There's Petra too" it had worked to make Mávro confortable, after all.

[Xihirli]

"Don't crowd her," Leff insisted, noting the state of panic she was in. "If you want to hold her and comfort her, do that, but if we all join in it will overwhelm her."

[Valmark]

Eris understood and changed to just holding Gina, stroking her hair very carefully a bit.
"It's alright, everything's alright, Gina" she kept whispering, but mostly waited for her shakes to stop.

[Xihirli]

Gina held Eris close and mumbled a name. "Dlilah."

[Valmark]

"She'll be back soon, don't worry" Eris assured Gina "She loves you very much. How about you tell me how's Delilah? With you I mean"

[Xihirli]

"Sh... sings," Gina said haltingly.

[Valmark]

"She's got a good voice" Eris nodded "Have you ever thought of singing along?"

[Xihirli]

"N... can't sing that well," Gina answered, crying a little.

[Valmark]

"Don't worry" Eris said whiping her tears gently "I can't sing well either. But I'm an adult which means that it's way harder for me to learn- I'm sure Delilah would be delighted if you asked her" she smiled.
"We could be there to help you ask if you want?"

[Xihirli]

Gina shook her head. "Can we go inside?" She wanted to be in that place where dragons weren't.

[Valmark]

Eris nodded, helping her up.
"Of course. Let's head back" she took her hand to walk back in, letting Leff or Petra take the other.

Well alright Petra can't take a hand, but she can rub her head insistently until she gets petted.

[Xihirli]

Petra did that, and Leff found some math problems that Gina didn't want to work on.

[Valmark]

"...I don't wanna do math either" Eris whispered to Gina "Come on, let's work at it together. Maths' pretty important, unfortunately"

[Xihirli]

Gina frowned and stared at a few of the simpler multiplications. She put down five for two times three.

[Valmark]

"Mmm look here" Eris held up three fingers for each hand "If I have three fingers for two hands, how many fingers are in total?"

[Xihirli]

She looked at Eris's hands. "Ten."

[Valmark]

Eris wasn't sure if Gina was being sassy or not.
"And if I tell you to consider only the lifted ones?"

[Xihirli]

"Six," She said. Her face didn't look sassy.

[Valmark]

"Good" Eris tapped the multiplication "If three lifted fingers times two hands is six, three times two is...?"

[Xihirli]

“Six?”
“That’s right Gina. Since you can see three two times. Get it?”
Gina looked down at one times five. “So... five?”

[Valmark]

"Exactly" Eris nodded with a smile, trying to hide that "you can see three two times" had amazed even her.

[Xihirli]

Gina put the papers down. “I know math now. Can we do something else?”

[Valmark]

"Can we, Leff?" Eris gave her the puppy look. And waved the tail in the background to distract the genasi.
"Oh! How about drawing?"

"Leff, can you add Sirthis to the number of people we ask for help? I remember now that he lives relatively near and has that one mass fast-escape spell"