Day 164 (142nd)

Day 164 (142nd):
We were up and on the move by sunrise. Marble, as we called him, carried all eight of us to make the trip easier on our "tiny feet". I could feel the others as we got closer. Sarah and Lisa reported on the illness they were sensing. I had to nearly shut down to not be overwhelmed by them all. Anger, hate, all manner of hurtful emotions raged in the large cavern that housed their village. We wondered if we could heal so many and clear such a large area. Marble's sadness was so deep, I feared he would crumble. Scanning the village, I found a point of utter darkness. Asking Marble, he said it was not there when he got stuck on the surface. No one he had spoken to knew where it came from. Most said it just "appeared". We all came to the conclusion that it was the source. If it was gone, the natural behavior of the people would possibly return. Mattis cloaked us as Marble sat us down.
We got to the darkness which was a large orb of black stone nearly the size of Rono's inn. Anna told us it was sent to this place to do just what it had done. Tharinzar's master had actually pulled this from this own body to corrupt these beings into allies at best, no threat at worst. We began the spell to vanquish demons. The orb shrank as we chanted. Even concentrating, I could feel the emotions changing from the edges inward. Smaller and smaller the orb shrank. When it was two-thirds its original size, other large voices joined in our chant. I chanced a glance around us. Marble and other stone people encircled us and had taken up the chant. The orb shrank faster, the emotions changed faster, and the pain got smaller. Around halfway, another group encircled us. Those from the village edge had regained their natures and were helping us. The orb shrank even faster. From the size of a large house, it had shrunk to the size of a cow. I felt the exiles returning and racing to join us. Their energy caused the orb to nearly implode. Finally, the last fragment was gone. Stone people of all types cheered. They found family and lost friends. Such love and warmth filled this cavern that we were all moved to tears. Above us, the stringy brown moss that hung from the ceiling became green and thick. The shriveled mushrooms all around fattened up and stood tall. More cheers echoed as they noticed this new event. Anna explained that the moss and mushrooms were their primary food source. The evil had effected the environment as well as the people. Now both could flourish. Apologies rang through the village as food and other materials were redistributed. Plans were made to search for the other tribes to check on their health. Marble took us back to the cottage. He was so happy, he nearly flew through the tunnels. I could feel it as we got out from underneath Baaloc Prime. Also, I could feel the good of the stone people seeping up into the rock around them. We wondered what effect that would have above ground.
We reached the cottage to hear Kendar calling for us. Marble lifted us up to the door in the floor. Kendar was aghast. We explained where we had been and what we had been doing. He relaxed a bit. He told us the plan was working. None of our friends admitted they knew us or had ever seen us. The Baalocs could not find any evidence we had ever been inside the city. Our stuff at Rono's had been brought to the cottage. Kendar also came back to ask if we would approve of a plan our friends had thought about. Since Nigel thought we were Mara's handmaidens, would he meet with us to discuss Mara's accommodations at the palace? We liked it. We drafted the request to sound as spoiled as possible. Alice was a great help on that, having known very spoiled nobility and how they sounded. We asked to meet him at the spot designated for Mara's examination. Mattis said he would be the messenger. He left by the outer door and magically produced a horse and headed for the gate. Kendar stayed and ate with us.
About an hour later, Sadal hit the tunnel door just before Mattis came through the outer door. Both were breathless. Sadal began as Mattis rested.
"I don't know what you girls are doing, but it is astounding. The city feels different. People who hated each other are talking politely, rivals are working together, and people are actually happy. What did you do?"
We explained what happened below ground and how it changed them and their environment. We had wondered and now we knew the above ground effect. Then, Mattis told his tale.
"I galloped to the gates and said I had an important letter from Princess Mara to Lord Cornwall. I was escorted to Cornwall and presented it to him. After reading it, he ordered Nigel to meet with you at the outpost outside the gates. Nigel did not seem too pleased, but agreed to do it. I was told to return to you and get you there as soon as possible. I have a carriage I can summon. Appropriate garments would be a nice touch."
We agreed. We told Sadal and Kendar that they should return to the city. We guessed we had a while before we had to leave since the wedding procession was two days away, at least one by a fast horse. They would not expect us until sometime tomorrow. Mattis used his wizard glass to contact the wedding party and tell them what we were doing. They seemed to approve. They asked if we were pleased with the job they were doing. We confirmed they were doing exactly what we had hoped. To get the timing right, a rider would head out in a few hours at the pace of a carriage. We directed him to the underground cottage. While we waited, we decided on our look. We wouldn't have working frocks since we were supposedly traveling with a full escort. Envy's skills as a master seamstress came in very handy. By sunset, we had our dresses decided upon and would magic them on as we exited the carriage. Kendar returned to the inn and Mattis stayed with us. We decided to have him with us as a kind of chaperon. As both Nigel and Cornwall had seen him and didn't notice him as a master wizard, we felt that they would probably not notice tomorrow either.