The Ballad of Adler Young, Canto 2.5

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>Adler: More bad news?! No!
>Adler: What else is there to do but panic?

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OH NO!!

For a moment I gave in to sheer panic as I imagined the prospect of a squadron of bloodthirsty Shrub Knights hunting for me.

>Pfft, what are they gonna do, throw shade on you? Let them grow their forces for all they want, odds are they end up rooted on the spot!

But as I thought about it further, the panic subsided. I had seen these Shrub Knights in action, and although they had technically bested my troops in battle, those troops were idiots - and the Knights were armed with nonlethal weapons.

What exactly were they going to do, rustle their leaves at me? I could move faster than a Shrub any day of the week!

Command the Ixie to reword her report and give you the bad news in a good way.
>Adler: These little pests really do seem to have an agenda different from your own. You're not really in a position to tell them to scram, but watch them like a hawk
>Adler: tentatively ask if any of your lieutenants survived.
>Send the ixie to gather your friends to your help! Well, allies. People you know.

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"You could have worded your message a bit more positively," I scolded the Ixie. Was she deliberately trying to scare me? I recalled that there were many reasons not to trust these creatures.

"Sorry, Sire," she apologized. "The Shrub Knights survive, and they remember thee, and have great personal interest in thy future."

"Speaking of survivors, how many -" I began.

"We've seen no trace of any of thy lieutenants nor any of thy loyal troops, saving only ourselves."

"Where exactly have you been the last few days?" I asked suspiciously.

"Gladsome Antglade is quite peaceful now that the Duchess is away," she replied.

Ah yes, my mother had mentioned something about the Duchess being loose. I wondered what that was about. Oh well, it would have to wait.

"I want you to try to locate some surviving friendly elves who would rally to my cause," I instructed the Ixie. She saluted and pooked away.

With that, I entered the scrying chamber and gazed into the orb.

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I opened it using the Gramarye command I had discovered earlier, and approached the tree-shaped crack in the wall of the scryspace.

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I peered through the crack to observe Jerry standing in the circle of stones outside, yelling my fake name.

"Lord Randall!" he called. "Come out! I summon and abjure you!"