As soon as Dianne came down, Esme started nosing at her, trying to get the bag of fruit.

Armin sat down as well, leaning his back against a lichen-covered tree trunk. 'She's only small. I guess she still gets worn out easily.'

{Dianne held her attention away from her purse, where the fruit was held. She simply sat with Esme, enjoying her company.}

Dianne: "Makes sense. She still very small."

Esme lay down, tucking her paws under in a cat-like position, and folded her wings.

'Getting bigger, though,' said Armin. 'Give me some of the mango in a minute. I want to see how fast she can fly in a straight line, instead of just upwards.'

Dianne: "Alright. It's in my purse."

{She hands Armin the bag of fruit, petting Esme as she sat there.}

After a while of sitting peacefully, Esme stood up and tried to get at the bag Armin was holding. In response, he shifted into his wolf form and pulled out a large piece of fruit in his teeth.

//Come and get it,// he goaded Esme, before sprinting off across the park. He ran faster than Esme could run, forcing her to flap her wings and start taking off as she chased him.

{Dianne sat and watched, slightly amused.}

Dianne: "Huh, she's pretty fast, huh?"

Armin didn't respond, as he was quite far away by then. Esme continued to chase him, flying low and fast, occasionally dropping altitude so her feet bumped the ground. As he ran back to where Dianne was sitting, Armin slowed down to let her catch him. He then good-naturedly dropped the mango piece for her.

//Faster than I expected,// he said. //Do you think that's enough for today?//

Dianne: "Yeah, that's probably enough. Let her catch her breath and we'll get going."

Armin gave Esme another piece of mango, and she lay down on the grass, eating happily. Just then, someone's dog - a large border collie - burst through the trees, barking loudly and aggressively at the dragonet.

{Standing quickly, Dianne scoops up Esme and faces the dog.}

Dianne: "Easy, Fido. Let's not do anything you might regret..."

The dog, however, seemed greatly unsettled by the presence of the small dragon. It continued barking at her frantically. Just then, Armin came forwards in his wolf form, growling. At that, the border collie turned tail and fled with a yelp of fright.

//Best get him away before Esme decides to spit a fireball at him...//

{Dianne sighs quietly in relief.}

Dianne: "Good call. Let's get going."

{With that, she starts to walk back to the truck, Esme in hand.}

Armin effortlessly shifted back to human form as he walked along, accompanying her back to the truck.

'I don't think dogs like non-humans very much,' he said with amusement. 'Just like horses.'

Dianne: "True. Well, the stupid ones, at least..."

{She looks around the park, eyeing the dogs and their owners uncertainly.}

Dianne: "Where was that dog's owner anyway? I thought they weren't supposed to be left unattended?"

'Eh, people let them run around the park. That one must have run off. Probably a young or badly-trained dog that shouldn't have been let off the leash. Some people are kind of irresponsible with making sure their dogs are obedient.'

Dianne: "Always comes back to an issue with discipline..."

{She falls silent as they reach the truck, waiting for it to be unlocked.}

Armin opened up the truck for everyone and hopped inside.

'So, we're going over to see Pythia first?' he asked.

Dianne: "Yeah, I think that would be the best place to start."

{Buckling in, she sits Esme down on her lap.}

Dianne: "...Maybe we should get Esme a baby seat..."

Armin set off, back into the main city.

'I can't say I've ever seen baby seats built for dragons before. She could sit in the back seat once I get a normal car - but there'd still be the problem of not being able to buckle her in properly.'

Dianne: "They must exist. There are dragon families everywhere. I can't imagine they would just drive around with their kids not strapped in?"

'Maybe they do exist, then. But this city didn't even allow dragons in for a long time, and there still aren't many around. You probably can't get them locally. You could borrow Rex's computer and try looking online.'

Dianne: "Perhaps. I think I'll just look in Alexandria, when we get there. They ought to have it, given how diverse it is."

'Yeah, we'll do that. I'd like to buy some things other than clothes, anyway.'

He then lapsed into silence, continuing on towards Frederick's house.

{Despite being curious about what he meant, she remained silent until they arrived.}

When they pulled up outside Fred's house a while later, Ryder was guarding the entrance as usual. Armin jumped out of the truck, approaching the house. //Hope there aren't too many sick people to push out of the way...//

'Afternoon, you three,' said Ryder amicably.

{Luckily, they seem to have caught a lull.}

Dianne: "Good afternoon, Ryder. Is Pythia in?"

'Yep,' Ryder replied. 'It's been quiet for a while now, so she's probably taking a well-deserved break. Fred's not here, though. Little guy is still living at my place.'

'Yeah, we're going to see him too, after this,' said Armin as he approached the house. 'We're leaving for Alexandria tomorrow, so we thought we'd say goodbye in person...'

Dianne: "Poor kid. For a germaphobe, he picked his house guest poorly."

{She says amused.}

Dianne: "How's he doing at your place?"

'Eh, he's alright,' said Ryder. 'He's sure having a better time at my place than he was here. Clean, quiet, and no people with diseases.' He grinned.

Dianne: "That's good. Last time he was over, Barnabas threw a goomboogly fruit at his head...I bet he's much more content with the peaceful atmosphere of your place."

'Oh, definitely. I think he's happy enough staying with me until Pythia is able to leave.' The dragon stretched, shifting into a more comfortable position. 'Well, you should probably go talk to her before the next wave shows up.'

Dianne: "Good idea. Have a good afternoon, Ryder."

{With a wave she heads inside.}

Dianne: "Pythia?"

Pythia: "Over here."

{Pythia was in her bedroom, sitting on her bed, reading a book.}

Armin followed Dianne into the bedroom, letting her go through the door first while he surveyed his surroundings.

'Hey, Pythia. I see that you finally got a break from the patient swarm.'

Pythia: "Yes, it's nice to get a break. So what brings you three by?"

Dianne: "We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning for Alexandria, so we came to visit and say goodbye."

Armin came further into the room, looking around curiously. Esme sniffed at the air, but stayed quiet.

'Yeah, we just thought we'd drop in for a second while it's not busy. How's the house buying process going, by the way?'

Pythia: "Oh, the escrow is almost up, so I'll be moving in there by the end of the week. I have to thank Fred for his hospitality and you, Dianne, for your generosity."

Dianne: "It was nothing, really. I was happy to help."

Pythia: "I just want to say thank you. You're all the best friends I could have."

Armin smiled a little. 'Don't worry about it. I'm just glad things seem to be going well for you, after... well, the whole Order thing. Though, you should really consider taking breaks sometimes. You can't work all the time.'

Pythia: "Oh, if only I could right now...but, maybe the next time you plan a trip to Alexandria....Maybe I could tag along?"

Dianne: "Of course. We'd be happy to have you."

'Yeah, next time, we'll let you know in advance so you can arrange to come,' said Armin. 'We should really stop keeping the place all to ourselves.'

//Hmm, maybe I should try getting a gift for everyone while we're there... A souvenir, of sorts.//

Dianne: "Perhaps we should invite more of our friends. Except Ivy, of course."

Pythia: "Oh, you shouldn't exclude her like that. It would hurt her feelings."

Dianne: "But she's so intrusive, always asking us personal questions."

'Well, if Jerry comes with us, then he might not want to exclude Ivy,' Armin mused. 'If Jerry doesn't want to come, then we can easily leave her behind. She hasn't done anything to deserve coming with us.'

Dianne: "Perhaps, but Jerry is also a workaholic. He needs a break too sometimes. Even if that means suffering through Ivy's incessant questions."

Pythia: "Well, you could just put her in a separate car from yourselves."

'We can't all fit in that truck anyway,' said Armin. 'We'd have to find an alternative method to get there. Maybe we can all take our own cars and Dianne can get zombie dragons to carry everyone.'

Dianne: "Armin, have you any idea how much biomass is required to build even a single Hydra? Unless you have a few dozen dead dragons on hand, it's not feasible."

'Well, I don't see many options. Besides driving there - which would take much longer - or getting hold of a plane.'

(Lore tidbit: Big passenger planes don't exist here. There are airports with small planes meant mostly for transporting goods and packages, and sometimes they carry passengers to different regions. But you can only fit a few people in each plane, and hiring a flight is expeeeensive.)

Dianne: "Ew, planes. Too prone to crashing, no thanks."

Pythia: "Well, at least you can fly long distance for free with the, erm...Hydra."

(Lol, then mechanical hydra thing Dianne was considering might have civilian transport implications. No fuel costs, one hundred percent soul powered.)

'Yeah, Titan's great. Until he eventually disintegrates, of course,' said Armin.

(She could set up a hydra taxi service and charge people less than they'd pay for plane rides. XD)

Dianne: "Yeah, he doesn't have much time left. He's degrading. However this trip will likely be his last."

Pythia: "Well, he was useful while he lasted..."

'And we're not likely to have any more dead dragons on hand anytime soon,' said Armin. 'I sure hope Titan doesn't fall apart right in the middle of our flight tomorrow.'

Dianne: "Oh, no. He'll be stable for about another few months, but come spring, but come spring, I'll have to retire that form. Now, if I could convince the king to fund my automaton research, I could make a mechanical Hydra. It wouldn't rely on biomass, it would last a lot longer, and it would be a lot sturdier in fights."

'You'd better take that idea to him, then. Maybe once we come back,' said Armin. 'If you drop a hint that you can use the mechanical hydra to help defend his city, I'm sure he'd be willing. Well, that, and the fact that he's too scared of you to say no to anything...'

Dianne: "Yeah, I'll approach him about it after we return. He'll likely agree, due to his fear. Gee, I wonder if he'd hand me the mantle of ruler if I asked..."

Pythia: "Mmmm, let's not try anyway..."

'You don't want to rule the kingdom,' said Armin. 'Too much responsibility. Anyway... I guess we should go, if we want to say goodbye to Fred too.'

Dianne: "Yeah, probably. Anyway, Pythia, we'll be leaving tomorrow, but we'll be back in about a week.

Pythia: "Have fun and be safe out there. When you get back, do visit me at the new house."

Dianne: "Will do. Looking forward to seeing it."

'We'll do that. And take it easy. I know your job is important, but you don't need to devote /all/ your time to other people,' said Armin.

Pythia: "Yes, I know. I have a bad habit of not looking after myself as well as others..."

Dianne: "You'll be alright. Just save some time for you and your hobbies."

Esme squeaked, sounding like she was agreeing, although she didn't really know what they were talking about.

'We'll see you around,' said Armin. 'And we'll keep in touch by phone. We don't want to worry anyone, considering what happened last time we went out.'

Pythia: "Of course. Have a good time out there."

Dianne: "We will, see you in a week's time."

{Waving goodbye, Dianne begins to walk out.}

Armin followed. Ryder watched them as they stepped outside.

'See you when you get back, you guys,' he said. 'Try not to get into any trouble out there, huh?'

Dianne: "We'll definitely be careful. Take care of Pythia for us, ok, Ryder?"

'Will do,' said Ryder amicably.

Armin jumped up into the truck, starting the engine and waiting for everyone else.

{With Esme in hand, Dianne got into the truck and buckled in.}

Dianne: "Alright, to Ryder's house."

Armin pulled away from Fred's house, leaving the big purple dragon to watch for approaching patients.

'Wonder what Pythia's hobbies actually /are?'/ he wondered as he drove off into a part of the city they'd never explored before.

Dianne: "Aside from reading, she told me she likes hiking and swimming, but she never has the time to do that. She also seems to have a fondness for making little terrariums with plants and stuff. Those two on her shelf have been around since the war."

'That's quite sweet. I noticed the ones on the shelf,' said Armin. 'I hope she finds the time to do other things, too. She needs off-time from her job, especially since she's not really even paid for it...'

Dianne: "Yeah. However, she certainly isn't very materialistic. She's a sweet girl, I hope she finds a good balance between her job and herself."

'I hope she can, but it seems a bit hard to believe at the moment. It seems like taking care of other people has pretty much been her life for the last... who knows how many years.'

Dianne: "She said she started when she was sixteen, and she's....what, thirty or so now? That's most of her life. Old habits die hard, or so they say..."

'Geez. That's too long to be doing the same thing with no time for anything else.'

Armin fell silent as he contemplated this.

{Dianne fell silent as well, waiting to arrive at Ryder's house.}

They drove through a busy downtown area before arriving at a house on a street corner. The rest of the street was lined with convenience stores and takeout places. A pigeon sat on a nearby wall, eyeing them with a bit too much intelligence.

Armin jumped out of the truck and went over to knock on the door. Moments later, it opened to reveal Frederick.

'So this is why you wanted to know where Ryder's house was? Well, good afternoon. Do you need something?'

{Picking up Esme, Dianne walks after Armin.}

Dianne: "Oh, we don't need anything from you. We're leaving for Alexandria tomorrow morning and we wanted to visit and say goodbye."

Fred looked mildly surprised by this, as if he were unused to people coming over just to visit.

'Oh. Well, come on in. I'll make some tea. Actually, I was going to come over later and give you some things for your trip, so I'll just do that now.'

He stepped aside to let them into the small, cosy-looking house.

Dianne: "Oh, thank you, Frederick."

{She says, walking in and surveying the interior.}

In the living room, there was a trio of armchairs arranged in front of a small, old-fashioned TV. Pictures of various dragons, some resembling Ryder, hung on the walls. Most of them seemed to be in a mountainous area.

'Sit down, if you want,' said Fred. 'I promise it's a lot cleaner than my own house is right now.'

{Dianne sits in an armchair, momentarily looking at the photos before speaking up.}

Dianne: "Yes, about that. Pythia says she'll be moved into her new house by the end of the week, so you'll have your place back soon."

'Ah, yes, I heard. It will be a relief to have my own house back - although I think I'll have to hire someone to deep clean it before I can actually move in.'

'You really hate mess,' said Armin, amused.

'Yes, I do. I think that much is obvious.'

Fred went over to a closet at the side of the room and began searching for something.

Dianne: "Regardless, she is extremely grateful for your hospitality and understanding. She had nowhere to go and you opened your home to not only her, but also the people who needed her help."

'Of course. I'll do what I can to help friends and allies when they need it. We all need each other, especially when dangers like the Bloodrazor Clan hit, so it's only natural that we support each other. And I doubt that Pythia would have allowed me to turn the sick people away.'

Dianne: "Yeah, she seems adamant about helping /everyone/...She was so helpful that she got fired from her order..."

'Well, no-one can doubt that she's in a better situation now. With funding, a house of her own to move into, and the freedom to help anyone she likes.'

'Yeah, the Order can go screw themselves,' said Armin. 'They obviously aren't much use to anyone anyway, if people keep coming to Pythia to be healed.'

Dianne: "You heard the High Seer. Pythia was one of the best healers they had in their entire order. She was deperate to not lose her. People keep going to Pythia because she's damn near impossible to replace."

'They're idiots,' said Armin. 'And they should be thankful that she still chooses to spend her time helping people, when she could easily say goodbye to it all and run off to enjoy a life of leisure.'

'I doubt she would,' said Fred. 'Order or not, she seems to enjoy, or at least gain some personal satisfaction, from aiding others.'

Dianne: "A life of leisure?! On what money, Armin? The poor girl is broke."

{She asks, chuckling.}

Dianne: "But, Fred's right. She seems to enjoy her work."

(Posting new room)