It had been quite some time since she had last seen or heard of Professor Ryou, especially after the peace treaty with Onnen had been established. Adeluna had been lucky to be spared from the invasion, though the siege to reclaim Endapano was no easy feat. War did many things, sundering and uniting being just a few. What trust that had been broken by the gods' affliction of vice was slowly mending in the face of possible annihilation. The great elven kingdom of the north was slowly but surely healing itself. It was for her mother's relatives best interest that things would return to as they once were; Adeluna had never quite given up on its past history of conquest. If it weren't for her royal highness Qendresa, Adeluna would surely be making more attempts to succeed where it had failed years ago. But for the time being its attention would be diverted with the discovery of new lands across the west. And it was from those lands that she received a letter from a familiar hand. 

Her beloved former teacher was now working with other scholars of Iria, spearheading the Mage Academy's research on the new continent. Though knowing the woman's habits, she was likely touring the cities interviewing anyone willing to give her the time of day. Detailed accounts of fantastical and sensational new creatures were scribbled within the words all with the less than subtle invitation to join in the fun. The professor's request was simple: to come along on a grand expedition into the untamed wilds leaving no stone unturned, while bringing back a few live specimens–of course. The allure of new discoveries and alchemical reagents was more than enough to give her sufficient reason, and with some diplomatic negotiation with her mother, Liselotte was free to make the voyage westward. The arcanist had been considerate to enclose a prepared portal rune with the letter, explicitly for her to use to come to where she was saying currently. With the activation of the magic within the stone, the rune's light faded as a swirling vortex to Namibia opened before the lady alchemist. With many goodbyes and good wishes, she stepped through to the new world. 

She had brought along her dear Harenian lizard mount Basil as well as her small pseudo-wyvern Marcasite to accompany her. The streets of the greatest city of the Sandawe were magnificent with many types of people she had never seen. There were many beast-men present, much more than in Canelux. Humans were also present but not the sole majority as was with Adeluna. Her blonde hair and bright eyes drew some attention from the locals, though everyone was quite accepting. They had likely grown accustomed to visitors coming from abroad by now. The directions in the latter portion of the letter told her where she could find Professor Ryou within this labyrinth of a city, so that was where she set her course. She didn't need to walk far as her eye caught a familiar figure wave at her with a face grinning from ear to ear. "Professor! How have you been? Enjoying your excuse to travel from the Academy?"

It wasn't easy for Myouga to sit still, let alone sit in one place for more than an hour. But she had to stay put until she got an answer from Lise, then she'd pass the information over to Ong. Maybe she was getting impatient. Every day on the dot the little arcanist went to grab a seat outside at a big cafe with colorful cloth canopies made from papel yarn and wait to see if anybody came. Each time she ordered the usual–something salty and something sweet, eating them together. At last her waiting paid off when she saw what looked like the half-elf's head bobbing through the crowd. Rubbing her eyes, she was totally sure when she saw a Harenian lizard underneath her. "HEY LISE!!! OVER HERE~" Shouting at the top of her lungs the small oni flailed her arms like a distressed bird to get the attention of her former pupil. The rest of the customers around her had faces with confusion, annoyance, and perplexity–but she was too busy to notice at all. Once she confirmed it was Liselotte in the flesh, she stood on her seat to give the taller woman a hug. "You made it, that's great! I gotta tell Ong!"

"And who is 'Ong'?" The half-elf asked. She wasted no time to explain, in summary of course. "That's the name of my goblin guide here in Onnen! We met during the big skyfish festival weeks ago. I would've asked you to come see it but mail travels slow outside of portals. Anyway, he's going to be showing us around starting with his hometown up northwest. He's a mage too, and we started talking about stuff when I asked him to give us a tour. I told him I'd be sending you a message to see if you'd come with." Patchouli climbed up the table to snack on Myouga's half-eaten food when she pointed at it. "Patchy–good timing! Quick, go find Ong and tell him we're ready to go! Hopefully he hasn't changed his plans, 'cause I can't wait any more!" She was so excited! Now that everybody was here it was time to get this trip started! Scarfing down a few more mouthfuls of food, the jackalope lifted off and flapped away with bulging cheeks. The anticipation had been building up for so long Myouga thought she'd explode.

While Patchouli went to find Ong by tracking down the scrap golem the oni had given him weeks prior, Myouga was busy telling Liselotte everything that had happened while she was in Onnen. She talked about skyfish, kites, local customs, races and tribes only found in these lands, and the map Ong had showed her that was supposed to be of the new continent. As of now there weren't any maps of Onnen from the Sister Continents, which was one of her tasks as an assigned researcher. A geographical depiction of the general areas of Onnen would help exploration and study greatly for all fields and departments. If she could get her hands on one, she'd be willing to pay for it.  

Ong had returned to Namiba a few days ago after a week spent in nearby Benin. He hauled a rucksack over his shoulder filled with foods, waters, and other necessities for the trip. It had been years since he had last seen Igbo but, he remembered the way to return very cleary in his head. If they moved swiftly they would reach Sahel in a week and a half provided they didnt run into hostile territory. However, he was sure Ms. Myouga and her friend would want to examine the creatures in the Savannah so, he would choose a safe yet, scenic route for her. Walking over to nearby store, Ong approached a burly looking blacksmith wearing a fine gold necklace round his ebony neck. The man turned to him as he approached with a small katana in his hand. "How is it looking, Ma'jay?" he asked.

The blacksmith answered with a smile as he unsheathed the blade. It shined underneath the rays of the sun and nearly blinded the half goblin. Ma'jay had outdone himself, cleearly this would be of great use for the coming trip. Ong paid the man a hefty bag of silver and moved further into the city near where he had encountered Myouga. He handed to pass bay a mirrior merchant and noticed himself in the reflection. He stopped to look over himself, his bald was nice and shiny, teeth sharp and white, and no sign of dust on his clothes. A day prior he had bought new traveling clothes, along with a night spent at the local bath. He dont want to appear a barbarian to Ms. Myouga's friend as he wanted to make a good impression. Looking around he searched for the oni around the market where they had met. His stomach pinched with excitement as he sought her out.

[OOC: For convenience's sake I'll alternate between Liselotte and Myouga between rounds!]

"THERE HE IS! HEY–HEY ONG!!!" Her former professor shouted loudly, making herself as visible as possible for her stature. Following her line of sight Liselotte caught the glimpse of a goblin who recognized the arcanist. Professor Ryou was still standing on her chair, now practically floating with glee with everyone now present. Once he was close enough that the extra height was no longer necessary, the alchemist introduced herself. "You are Mr. Ong, am I correct? It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Your reputation certainly has preceded you thanks to Professor Ryou here. I am Liselotte Ellebore, one of her former pupils at Iria's Mage Academy. I am an alchemist by profession and look forward to learning more about your village and Onnen." Giving a curtsy, locks of her blonde hair swept down as she did so. Motioning to the small wyvern perched on her shoulder, she said: "Along with the requested equipment my dear former teacher asked for, I've brought a few of my pets along to see the sights. This is Marcasite, and when we are ready to depart I'll have you meet Basil, my mount." The olive-green reptile lowered her head for her owner to stroke, and she eyed the goblin with reserved caution.

"This is great! Now we have a team! I'll focus on magic, Ong can multi-class, and Lise can handle the ranged damage with healing!" As the oni chattered on, the professor's familiar was now coming back. Ong had found them sooner than it could find him, and it was a bit miffed that it had skipped out of snacking on its owner's food for nothing. Warbling unhappy noises, it landed on the table and crawled into Professor Ryou's bag. The sounds of crunching and chewing told it was helping itself to the rest of the arcanist's snack stash. "Both of us greatly appreciate your offer to be our guide. It'll be a wonderful learning experience for all of us." Liselotte smiled, folding her hands together. Her attire was distinctly different from the locals, giving Ong an example of the dressing habits of those from the Sister Continents. With her mixed heritage it was harder to tell that her mother's side was elven as she did not have pinnate ears. It was a happy coincidence that all three were representing their continents: Ong for Onnen, herself for Canelux, and the professor for Parvpora. "Shall we get going? I fear if we wait any longer Professor Ryou is likely to burst."

Ong turned around at what sounded like a familiar voice. As soon as he turned he was greeted by a lovely blonde woman who introduced herself as Ms. Myouga's pupil. His heart leapt in excitement at meeting another fellow mage and he quickly bowed to her in salutations. Normally, he was cautious around others because of the way he looked might seem frightening but, all that seemed to skip his mind. Myouga and Liselotte after were fellow colleagues of his craft and he relished the chance at working with them and escorting them on such a venture. "Greetings to you Miss Liselotte, I am indeed Ong and I will be your escort to Igbo, a pleasure to meet you!" He was flattered at the mention of being mentioned to be a talented mage. He learned many things on his own but, Ms. Myouga was further along the way than he was. "An alchemist you say?! That will be of great help along the way. I know paths that arent too treacherous but, I can't guarantee we may not encounter some trouble along the way". Looking up he saw Liselotte's prized mounts, the giant reptile looking at him cautiously. Incredible! Such, a beautiful species domesticated for use as a mount. Still, he wouldn't want to get on the creatures bad side. "Are you also from Ms. Myouga's home continent, Ms. Liselotte?"

At that moment, Myouga had arrived expressing her excitement  of the trek. "Im happy to see you again Ms. Myouga" he nodded as she designated the roles for the trek. Ong's eyes caught sight of the familiar crawling back into Myouga's bag. Rubbing his chin he thought perhaps she'd be interested in collecting specimens for her study. Perhaps, there might be some creatures that might harmless for her to bring home. Though, Onnen had a very diverse ecosystem and the creatures tended to blend well in a balance. Turning to Liselotte he nodded to her "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Liselotte, I will guide you to the best of my ablilities, though we should hurry as there have been a few skirmishes between the tribes in the savannah".

In the time, since there last meeting Ong, had surveyed and asked around the locals of the happenings in the Savannah. The warring tribes were gearing for war as the rainy seasons would be coming in the next few weeks. This meant securing territory full of resources would be vital. They would need to avoid as much as they can. Ong reached into his bag and produced his map to show the two ladies. "I was thinking we would head up north towards the Efte Mountains and cut across left towards Sahel. We could cross the Savannah but, the tribes are engaging each other in this area, there are beautiful fauna but, I dont want to risk your safety. How does that sound?" he asked.

"Sounds good to me!" Myouga chirped. Though to be fair just about anything sounded good to her ears. While Ong was showing them their planned route, she carefully studied it to make mental notes for future visits. Even if they didn't get to see more of the savanna she wasn't bothered. As long as she got to see new places and creatures she was happy. The little arcanist was quick to clarify the goblin mage's assumption. "Nope, Lise is from Canelux! It's the continent you hit first when you go east from Mamjaku. Parvpora's farther away." Lise nodded in agreement, and was more amused at seeing her in such a good mood. With Ong's advice that time was of the utmost importance when it came to safety in their travel, the half-elf couldn't agree more. "Yes, that would be prudent. I believe we all are prepared to go. Shall we? Any longer and Professor Ryou might not be able to contain herself." 

"Yes! Finally!! Oh boy I'm so excited~" With Lise having brought her own form of transportation, the small oni hitched a ride not wanting to walk. "Hmm…Ong want to take a ride on Basil? We can switch every few miles." She patted the back of the Harenian lizard. She could just float along while he was taking his turn on the saddle. If you had large magic reserves, why not use them? Once everything was accounted for and final inspections were done, they set off into the great Onnen wilds.

"Canelux! Yet, another land I must visit someday. Perhaps, there are magics and mysteries there that I would find most intriguing." replied Ong clasping his hands together. Looking over to a nearby sundial, he nodded in agreement with Lise about the time.Ong looked at the giant lizard and gupled at its imposing stair. "Thats very kind of you to offer me a ride Ms. Myouga but… "

Ong looked up into the sky and brought his palm to his lips. Quietly he whispered to his and reached down into his pocket. He produced a pinch of blue sand and brought it up to his other palm. After speaking the incantation he blew dust into the the air. "Pardon" he said relaxing his arms "I must call for my mount". After, a few minutes a blue shape could be seen darting towards them at a quick pace. Within secs it swept through the crowd and right in front of Ong. The shape looked as whispy as mist but, was thick as a cotton candy ball. It was a cloud called from the heavens, only recently purchased by Ong during the weeks he had been away. Ong quickly climbed on top of it and turned to them smiling.

"Let us make for the gates and towards the savannah. When we reach the great river we shall turn north towards the mountains". Ong nodded to them and slowly proceeded ahead of them. "Let us be off, and if you have any questions feel free to ask"