This is our longest solo of the mission, beating out Sassy's own Dinner at Father Crimbo's from three pieces earlier. It's the second longest piece after a co-write, Darkest Hour, three roleplays afer this one.

It also won multiple bonus point awards for the Search quest.

 
We set up a camp that night within sight of the big O, but off to the side of the main track.  I get a fire started and start to cook some roots.  When I am not looking, Tickle sneaks away in the brush.  When I realize he has gone, it is too dark to follow him.

"Just what we need; a wandering elf.  Hope he is all right."

"He isn't," says Lyre.  "He never was safe.  I don't think he likes it safe."

Linger asks, "Do you know what we are going to do, Sassy?"

"Not until tomorrow morning.  Where is Tickle?"

At the mention of his name, he bounds out of the brush and starts to tickle me.  He wears an ear-to-ear grin.  "Guess what I found?"

"Where have you been?" I ask impatiently.

"Good question, Sassy. But wrong one.  I asked you to try to guess where I have been."

"Crimbo town?" asks Linger.

Tickle shakes his head no.

"Been visiting Grelva?" asks Lyre.

"Not this late at night.  Try again."

"Probably looking at that O again, right?" I say.

He cackles and laughs.  "All guesses are wrong!  I was just out getting this!"  He brings from behind his back a dead rabbit.  "Supper will be rabbit tonight!"

Linger asks, "Where did you get that?"

"Well," he says and he seems to relish the attention, "it is really a fascinatin' tale.  Was out in the brush, kind of wandering around. Did look at the O, but a bit farther up the mountain, I found this woman.  She was sitting on a big log and singing a song.  I snuck up on her and tickled her.  Anyways, me and the black-haired beauty must have hit it off cause she guv me dis rabbit for supper.  Said she could catch anodder one for herself.  Told me to make sure that Sassy cooked it for me."

He starts to hand me the dead rabbit and I back away.

"What's wrong?" Tickle asks. "You okay?"

Linger moves between Tickle and me, making the elf back up a bit.

"Black hair?" he asks.  "Rayvon, right?"

"Sure it was," I say, "and the rabbit was her way of letting me know she hasn't forgotten and she still wants to kill me.  I don't think any of us should eat that rabbit."

"Awww," says Tickle, "He's dead.  He can't hurt ya!  I'm hungry.  I'll cook it myself.  We'll dine in style tonight!  Cause it ain't all I finds out there.  I finds dis too."  He pulls out a bottle of wine from behind him.

I look at it critically.  "Can I see that?"  I take the bottle and sniff it, but there is no smell.  The cork is still in it, but that really doesn't mean much.  "Where did you find this?  Did the black-haired woman give you this as well?"

"Naw."  Tickle shakes his head.  "Found this among some rocks.  I figures a traveler must have dropped it or lost it."

"I really don't think we should drink that wine or eat that rabbit?"

"Why not?" asks Tickle.  "After I finds 'em, why not enjoy 'em?"

"Because for one thing, the Crimbo said?  'Don't eat or drink anything unless you know where it came from.'"

"Yeah, only I knows where they came from, don't I?" he asks.  "The rabbit was guv me by the woman.  The wine I found in the rocks.  By the way, if you ain't gonna drink it, can I hav it back?"

Reluctantly I hand him the bottle.  "You found it, but I strongly advise against drinking it."

"If none of yous will drinks wit me, I'll gurgle it down meself."  So saying, he pops the cork and takes a big swig from the bottle.  He smacks his lips and drinks some more.  He goes to the fire and starts to skin and roast his rabbit.

"You better not worry," says Lyre, "Wine is good since t'ere isn't a rogue elf on these mountains with packets of poison.  Remember what Father Crimbo said, Tickle doesn't like wine.  You might say he hates it!"

I look at him and realize he is saying that Tickle may have a drinking problem.  "Hey Tickle.  Please don't drink any more wine."

"The black-haired woman was right.  You are very bossy."

"I think that you will be sorry if you continue to drink it.  At the very least, you will feel it tomorrow when you wake up."

"Awww, just leave me alone to enjoy me rabbit and me wine."  He looks at the others.  "The rabbit is real good; anyone else want to have some?"

Linger and I decline but Lyre goes over and starts to eat ravenously at the rabbit.  Tickle continues to keep drinking the wine, despite the attempts of Lyre to get it away from him, until the bottle is empty completely.

He laughs and chuckles.  "Not anodder droop leff.  Shor mished shome good w-w-wine."  He hiccups and then falls to the ground and begins to snore.

Lyre comes to us.  "This is good.  He is wide awake now.  He probably won't sleep for hours."

"Yes, I only hope that the only effects of tonight's feast on him will be a headache in the morning.  I am really afraid for Tickle."

"Do you have any more potion left?" asks Linger.

"Some, and I can make more.  Not sure of how much to use though.  It is different for each person's weight and size."

"Wot you mean?" asks Linger.

"Well," I patiently explain. "If you were poisoned, it would take more potion and stronger potion to help you than it would Tickle here."

"Dat makes sense."  The troll looks with concern at me.  "Wot we do then?"

"For tonight, we watch him.  One of us stays awake and watches the camp.  We will take it in turns to watch the camp.  I am starting to feel sleepy; it might be best if you watch for a while, Linger.  You wake me if anything goes wrong or in say when the sun rises."

"Me can do dat.  If Tickle has problems, should I wake you too?"

"Yes," I say.  "Definitely wake me for any problems, especially if he has problems.  I suspect that he won't though.  He might sleep the whole night long."

"By the way," says Linger. "Where did Rodrigo the wizard go?"

"Oh," I say with a big yawn, '"I suspect that he stays close to that O to guard it and watch travelers try to find it.  We'll probably see him again in the morning.  Well," I say as I stretch, "I'll settle down and get some sleep.  Linger, you have the watch of the camp. Wake me if you need to.  Good night, guys."

"Good night, Sassy," says Linger. I notice that Lyre has also flaked out near Tickle and they are both fast asleep.  With any luck, I'll join them soon.  Good night everyone.  See you in the morning.

Sometime later...

It seems like I have barely turned over and closed my eyes when Linger is shaking me.  I come alert slowly.

"Uh, oof, wha'sit?"  I ask him.

"Linger worried.  Tickle has gone."

I bolt up, fully awake.  It is still dark nighttime.  I can see that Lyre is also awake and scrambling to get his gear together.

"What?  Where is Tickle then?"

"Um, out dere somewhere.  Don't know.  He lef' camp a half hour ago. I thought he was just going to use the bushes, but he hasn't come back yet."

"My brother!  My brother Tickle is ober dere by the fire.  Him is safe."  Lyre looks around with fear in his eyes.  "Him stone sober too.  Him didn't drink a drop last night."

"Okay, guys," I say, "let's calm down and think this through.  It's a cinch we can't follow his tracks out there in the darkness."  I dress and gather my belongings and weapons and then pack supplies.  "I am not fond of the idea of trying to find him out in that darkness, but we can't let him get hurt out there."

I fashion some torches and light them from the fire.  "Linger, you stay here and guard the camp.  I'll take Lyre and we will try to find Tickle."

"Okay," says Linger, "You not be long?"

"If I am, I'll send Lyre back to find you."  I pass one of the torches to Lyre and we start for the bushes to find Tickle.  Lyre looks really concerned and fearful.

"This light is good.  Not get hurt in the light."  He scampers ahead of me.

"First we can check the O.  He seemed to like that a lot.  Perhaps Rodrigo has seen him."  We find Rodrigo on guard near the O and we ask him about Tickle.

"Have you seen him tonight?" I ask him.

"Aye, Lassie," he rumbles.  "No too lang ago, saw him wi' some black-haired woman headin' up to the rocks over there."  He points to the rocks.  "It seemed like he wasn't his usual self.  Summat bad happening in those rocks tonight."

I thank him and we are on our way.  If Tickle is indeed with Rayvon, well, that could be a very bad thing.  The oppressive darkness seems to engulf us and weigh down upon us.  Lyre doesn't seem to like it at all.

Shortly, we come to the rocks that Rodrigo had pointed out to us and there sits Tickle with Rayvon and another elf.  It must be Jack.  I can tell right away that Tickle is acting strangely and not quite himself.

I wonder if it is the wine or the darkness or his companions who have changed him.

"Tickle!  You is in camp!" squeals Lyre.

"Hello dear brother.  Hello Sassy Shishy Shashy Shnake.  I am shorry to make you come out this way hic."

"What I tell you?"  Lyre says, "Him still stone sober.  Him not drink any more."

"No, hic," hiccups Tickle, "No more, but den no lessh."  He begins to giggle at his joke.

"What are you doing here, Tickle?  Why didn't you stay in camp?"

"Came out to be with my friends, I did."

"Friends?  I thought we were your friends, Tickle."  I sit next to him.

"Um, uh, huh, hic, hic. Friends are Rayvon and good old Jack here.  Jack used to play the funniest tricks.  They are my new friends."

"And what about us then?" I ask him.

"You is too shasshy for me!  My friends have shown me that you is bad and you is bad for elves and especially for me."

"What?  What did they tell you?"

"Oh," purrs the silky voice of Rayvon next to me, "we just told him about you and your shady past and how you always seem to hurt people. Would you like some more of this excellent wine, Tickle?  Perhaps you too, Lyre?  I am sure that Sassy won't drink with us."

"Because she is a sissy, right?" says Tickle and begins to giggle as he drinks down more wine.

"I don't feel like having any wine."

"Especially with the likes of us, right?" purrs Rayvon.  "Your friend here is interested in that O back there.  I promised to show him all about it and tell him about it in the morning."

"Yesh, she hash.  Going into the O to check it out and Jack is going with me."  He hiccups again.

I pull Lyre aside.  "This is not good.  Your brother is in some serious trouble with this company."

"I don't see no trouble here."  He laughs and he starts to swill down wine; between Tickle and him, they manage to down a couple of bottles.

"Tickle, Lyre, come back to camp with me."

"You see," purrs Rayvon, "That's the problem right there, isn't it, Tickle?  Instead of asking, Sassy has to order you around.  She wants to be in control of you guys and everyone else.  Isn't that true?"

"Yesh," he stammers. "True.  I won't go to her camp and I won't follow her no more."

I look at him dumbfounded.  "So, what have I ever done to you, Tickle?"

"You take me away from Father Crimbo, make me do t'ings I don't want to do; like leaving dat O, and go to that horrid camp of yoursh when my friends are on the rocks waiting for me."

"We came here because we wanted you back because we care about you."

Rayvon softly chuckles. "You care what people will say if you let him do what he wants to do.  You meddle with elves who are perfectly fine on their own."

"Is that the way you feel, Tickle?"

"Shore, shure, shuar.  Hic, hic.  Doin' fine wit dese peoples, we is friendths."

I turn to Lyre. "Well, it looks like Tickle doesn't want to go with us.  Come on, let's get back to camp."

"Yes," he says and shakes his head no.  "I'm coming now.  I am walking along with you back to the camp."  He doesn't move a muscle, but sits as if he were carved from stone.

"So, you don't want to go either, then?"

"Why don't you leaves my brudder alone, Sasshy?  If you wants to go to camp, go ahic hic go hic go ahead."  So saying, Tickle topples over and starts snoring and he is followed by Lyre.

"Awww," purrs Rayvon, "Aren't they the cutest thing you ever saw? Sleeping elf brothers.  I must remember to let Uncle Crimbo know he can come and pick them up.  He'll take good care of them in his village."  She laughs menacingly.

"You mean he will tak 'em for slavs, don' ya?" asks Jack.  "They are puny, but the whips will help them do the job."

I frown down at them and I know that I can't help them.  "Let me have them.  Let me take them to my camp."

Rayvon stands and draws a wicked-looking dagger.  She flips the blade so it points between my ribs.  "No!  No!  They are mine!  I found them and I'll use them.  I think you had better head back to your camp before something bad happens to your lumbering oaf, Linger!"

"You are pure evil, Rayvon!" I shout and she laughs with delight.

"I may be evil, but this time I win!  I usually have the upper hand. You can't save these two and, if I was you, I would worry about saving yourself right now."

I slowly turn and head back down the mountain to join Linger.  He raises his eyebrows in question when I come back alone.

"Where are de elves?"

I point up to the rocks.  "With their new friends Rayvon and Jack. They were quite emphatic that they didn't want to return to camp with me."

"Dat not so good.  Tem was our guides.  How we get out of these mountains without them?"

"The best way we can.  In the morning we will try to find our way out of here.  You were right for wanting to leave earlier.  If I had listened to you then maybe Tickle and Lyre would be out of danger."

"Lots of danger up here, Sassy.  You can't blame self for dis danger."

"They have both been poisoned, Linger."

"Go back and gib 'em some potion den."

"This kind of poison I can't cure.  There are all kinds of poison. Don't know if it was the wine, this hideous darkness, or Rayvon's lying treacherous words or a combination; whatever it is, they have been deceived into believing her and believing that I am bad for them."

"What we do den?"

"Nothing to do, Linger, except get off this mountain before we succumb to whatever got them.  Morning can't come too soon to suit me."

"I wonder how Icy and Bristle are doing?" I ponder aloud.

"Don't know," says Linger.  "Why don't we find 'em and finds out?"

"Yeh, why not?" I say and we head down the mountain.

As we settle down to wait for morning, we hear evil and menacing laughing.

During the night, Linger and I both have our sleep disturbed by loud rumblings and crashes.  We wonder what is going on, but figure out we will find out in the morning.  I rise early as the sun rises in the sky and I look down from the mountain and wonder if Linger and I can figure out how to get out of there without our guides.

As we gather up our supplies, Linger shakes his head.  "Not sure we can do dis."

"What do you mean?  Find our way down?"

"Yes," he says as he thinks about it, "might be more treacherous than we thought.  Wish we had at least one of the guides here with us."

"I know, Linger, but that couldn't be helped.  I tried my best, but I quickly saw I was fighting a losing battle.  Sometimes when you lose, the only thing you can do is leave the field of battle.  That's what we are doing, at least for now."

"You gonna come back for de elves?"

"Well."  I sigh.  "Not right away.  I need to rest up from this rest of ours."  I laugh and pat him comfortingly.  "Don't worry, big guy. We'll be back."

We strike the camp and pack up the supplies.

"I want to see Rodrigo one last time and see how he is doing and say goodbye to him."  So saying, we climb back to the O where I am surprised to find Rodrigo close to tears.  "What has happened now?" I ask him.

"Och, lassie, 'tis you then."  He looks up from his crying.  "Me O, me beautiful O.  Jus' luke at it."  I look and see that it has been seriously damaged.  It is completely blocked by snow and ice and it has collapsed in several places.

"Hmmm, looks like someone did a more powerful magic than you did, Rodrigo."

"T'was the trolls, it was."  He says.  "An' what they didn't do, the avalanche finished."

An avalanche?  Could we have slept through all of that?  "When did this happen?"

"Yester eve aboot midnight.  T'was right after the elves and the black-haired woman went into the O."

"What?  I was afraid of that.  She didn't even wait till morning, did she?"

"Nay, lassie," he says sadly, "she didn'.  Now they be all trapped in thar and I canna find a way to help them."

"I was going to warn you about them in the morning, but it looks like I was too late.  I wouldn't worry too much about them, if I were you, but what are you going to do now?  You don't have an O to guard now, do you?"

"Nay, I dinna hae that."  He looks at me.  "The byrde tol me to guard it, but I canna do that now."

"You could come with us then," says Linger.  "We welcome your company and you may be able to he'p us.  We wan' to go down, can you help us wit dat?"

"Aye, I think so."  So saying, he picks up his staff and leads us in our descent.  We only go a few hundred yards when our path seems to be blocked by some ice walls.  We try to skirt them, but they go on for miles without any end.

I whistle.  "Wow, these didn't happen overnight.  Did they?"

Linger approaches a wall and starts to shove it and push with all his might.  He is soon worn out and there doesn't seem to have been any difference in the walls.

"You get the feeling that something or someone doesn't want us to leave these mountains?" I ask my two companions.

"Yeh, maybe so," Linger says.

"Wal," says Rodrigo, "We could climb higher and see if we can come across a route that will take us aroond and doo'n."

We are thinking this over when we suddenly hear some booming noises coming our way.  "Thunder? Must be a storm coming."

Linger shakes his head, "Afeared not!  Dat noise is too musical to be thunder.  I knows thunder, but that not it."  I listen and see what he means.  It is rhythmic and sounds almost like someone huge walking.  I lift my eyes to look up and see it.

"Oh, wow!  Look out, you guys!"  We all freeze as a mountain-sized creature comes thundering toward us.  It was his huge feet we that thought to be thunder.

Rodrigo says, "Trolls!  I toll ye there be trolls here."  There is fear in his eyes and he looks like he would like to find a place to hide.

I stand frozen with fright.  "Oh, wow.  Oh, wow.  W-w-w-wow.  What is it and what do you think he wants with us?"

Linger looks the creature over.  "Oh," he says if he were about to introduce us to a friend of his. "Dat's just my little brother Boulder."

"Little brother!  Little!  That is a mammoth troll!  If he wanted to be, he could be a mountain by himself!"

Linger chuckles despite of the fear we all feel.  "He would be glad to hear you say dat.  Him always felt bad because him so small."

"Small?  He makes you look like one of the elves and you are quite large yourself."

"Best not to tell him dat."  He raises his head and he yells, "Hey Boulder!!  It is me, Belinda!"

The newcomer plows down the hill and embraces Linger in a tight hug. How he manages not to break bones, I have no idea.

"Wellll, Belinda!"  He rumbles with a voice deeper than a well is deep.  "It's good to see you, big brother!  Who are these others with you?  Do you wants me to crush 'em fer ye?"

"No," says Linger, "These be friends.  Dis is Sassy Snake."

"She don' look like no snake."  He laughs and his laugh shakes the whole mountain.  "Her skin not green or slimy."

"An ' dis is Rodrigo the wizard."

"Urh, don' like de wizards.  Dem magical peoples done hurt us 'nuff."

"No," says Linger, "these are friends, I say.  Dey eben calls me by anodder name.  I is Linger."

"Linger, huh?  Wall, I guess dat's okay.  So where is you goin' to den?"  He asks and he hefts a huge stone axe like it was a roll of paper.

"We was gonna go down, but we is blocked in by dese walls."

"Walls," he says. "Dat no problem!"  He goes up to a wall and pushes it aside.  "Dere yous go!"

"Ah," I say. "Thanks Boulder."

"Tanks for bring'gingg my big brodder back to us."

"I wasn' gonna stay dough." says Linger.  "I likes bein' with Sassy and I have some odder friends here."

"You is not going to stay?" questions Boulder. He then proceeds to seal up the wall again.  "An' now you is gonna stay.  Welcome home big brudder."  He laughs and howls with laughter and then he thumps along back toward the O.

Linger looks at me.  "Linger t'inks we be in troubles now."

I shake my head.  "Well," I say, "I think you may be right.  You were certainly right about your family.  Why did he seal the wall up again?"

"Him do dat to say, 'yous stay wid us or I will makes you stay.'  He would probably let yous go, but not me."

"Well," I say, "He is not going to get away with that!  You are my friend and where you goes, I go."  I turn to Rodrigo.  "What about you, Rodrigo?"

"Aye, lassie, I'll stay wi' ye.  Just waitin' til Linger's rockhead brutha's out 'o range."

"Not take long," Linger answers.  "Him never stay in a spot too long.  He pro'lly be on de od'her side of da mountain starrin' at sky castle again."

"What are you planning?" I ask Rodrigo, but he just smiles and makes a 'shh' motion with his finger over his lips.  In a few minutes, Linger's brother is gone out of the picture and we no longer hear the rumbling.

"Linger, your brother might have put the wall back, but he didn't bother to put the magic seal back, see?"

"No surprised," Linger answers.  "Him bad at understandin' magic.  Most trolls is."

"But.. ahh, here we go."  So saying, Rodrigo turns to face the ice wall, using a flame spell to start melting a path through it.  We follow in his wake, although it seems to take forever, and Linger has to kneel to follow him.  Worse, the ice around us chills us even further.  More than once, I have to retreat outside to try to warm up, but eventually we get through the other side of the ice wall.

This little trip is becoming more stressful with each passing moment.

We continue down the mountains and eventually take a break.  While resting we can clearly hear the sounds of battle.

"Dat not sound good," says Linger who looks around him in concern.

"No," I say, "It doesn't sound good, but I suppose we had best check it out.  Might be that we could help whoever is up here."

We rest a few moments longer and follow the sounds of battle up the side of the mountain.  We are soon in the middle of a fight.  Linger's presence seems to have had an impact on the snow ninjas as he strikes among them with his whip and his club and they soon run for their lives.  Or rather, they vanish from sight into the snow around us.  Perhaps they think it is a wild troll from the mountains.

We come upon a cluster of battle-weary people; some ninjas, a couple of goblins, and here is Becky Joy!

I gave her a hug, but not too tightly as I see she is not looking too well.  "What happened to you, Becky?"

"Fighted.  Got.. hurt helpin' them .. ninja .. buddies."  She starts to collapse, but Linger stops her and lays her gently on the ground.

"Is she alright?"  Goblina comes up to us.  Taking charge, Goblina then turns to the two closest Knob Goblins.  "Green, Karrl, please double back up to where we were split up from Red and the others.  It should be safe to go backtrack for them now."  She turns to Rodrigo and notes, "You seem to be a mage.  Could you please accompany them to retrieve our friends?  We can do introductions when you return, if that's okay?"

Rodrigo smiles at her.  "Aya, lassie, I cana go with them, no problem."

"Thank you," Goblina says as they walked off.  She turns her attention to me, smiling.  "Thank goodness you showed up, Sassy.  It's been a while."

I smile as I reflect.  "That's right, you were with Becky when she saved me from the thugs.  Not so good times.  I thanked Becky but I'm not sure if we talked so thank you for helping.  We were in way over our heads."

Goblina smiles.  "No problem.  Then with that airship attacking.  I'm still not quite sure what happened when the airship crashed."

I nod.  "There was so much going on trying to get people out of the way of the ship that I barely had time to look up."

"I meant to bring it up when I saw you in Seaside Town during the festival," Goblina notes.  "But then things got completely insane again.  How did you end up in the mountains?"

The question surprises me.  "Looking for the Toot, of course.  Isn't that why you and Becky are up here?  We've been through quite a lot of trouble there, although I did enjoy staying at Crimbo Town.  But anyway,  I assumed that you and Becky were up looking for the Toot Oriole as well."

She laughs, shaking head.  "No, we went to aid Becky after Becky went to help when she heard her allies were ambushed.  Red, Green and I were lucky enough to be with Sir Fumblies when he found out what was going on and went to help.  He arrived just in time to save them from the Black Paladin and his allies."

She goes on to recap how Becky was recovering when they found out about the ninjas who had been left behind, and how Becky lead them to try to save the two ninjas, only to lose two more in the process of the snow ninja's strange attacks.  At first, I assume she refers to the battle we broke up but it turns out this was an attack later, right before they could get off the base of the mountains.  I want to ask more questions, but suddenly Becky's goblin Red and the others are back and we have to get to work setting up camp.  Of course, we have to get past the base of the mountains first, but that doesn't take long.

By the time we get to a suitable location for camp, Becky's awake and insists on helping.

Even as big as it is, it's impressive how much happens in a single piece. The whole thing with the elves plays out, including Sassy's response - wanting to leave the mountains. They grab Rodrigo the mage and encounter the ice walls from Becky's solo, and they run into Becky and her crew! The voter had a lot of kind things to say about this one, first praising the unique voices of everyone. As he points out, "it took a real serious turn, and everything didn't end up all sunshine and rainbows, and it was handled well."

Although Sassy and Rodrigo seemed to get over the idea of Rayvon and the elves being possibly trapped rather quickly, which was a little odd considering how guilty she felt over leaving them there.

A very real world'ish problem took the award for "Search's" Best Plot Twist Bonus Point Award here: "Tickles the elf being an alcoholic and refusing to go back with Sassy," a dark turn which voter Ichiro praised as "a change of pace" from more typical problems of the Kingdom. We see those every now and then, even among the dimension hopping and time-controlling dragons and epic battles.

"Things can't just be solved with magic, violence, or even talking," in Ichiro's own words, and the issue of Tickle (no s) and Lyre refusing to go with Sassy isn't solved at all. Not here, not in the Finale, and probably not for a while. This piece is obviously mostly Sassy's story, but since Becky's here for more than a cameo, it's eligable for Best Plot Progression piece, and it takes that very award on the Search side for it's quality and for establishing a connection between Sassy's story arc and Becky, one which sets both characters on their "final paths" to the Finale. Finally, Ichiro called it "just really good overall," also awarding it "Best Co-write," resulting in points for both Sassy and Becky!

I know I've written a lot but this seems like a good place to point out both Sassy and Becky took "Best use of an NPC" for their respective quests, Search (Sassy) and KOKOL (Becky). Both took it for their use of multiple NPC's, with the voter noting the sheer number of NPC's for each, praising Becky's as "great and defined personalities that enhance any piece they are in," and admiring Sassy's "killer NPC's," saying he can "tell characters apart just on their accents and ways of speaking."

There's a lot of similarities here. We see some regulars from each gal (Linger, Red and Green), but others are missing - Darson, Icy and Bristle. Instead, we get new-to-the-mission NPC's, like Rodrigo, the elves and the ninjas. Both stories are on a darker than normal turn. It just makes for a very unique co-write, even though it's mostly a Sassy solo. Very different from their first meeting, which played up the playfulness and cheerful, innocent nature of both ladies to a t, set just six missions earlier, during Konall's Grudge.

, Wildfall and Mary run into Alys. After, Blackeagle gets oriented!