<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">Day 85, Race of Eight Winds Prelude</span></span></div><br/>Lillin was near the main gate, sketching a picture of the southeastern Sun Tower which comprised one of the academy's spires.<br/><br/>"Yo Kleris, how you doing? Been practicing more sketches. I think I'm doing rather well, figure to try some landscapes and buildings as a break from portraits."<br/><br/>The tiefling was eager to follow Kleris' lead for the free time they had. "We can go sight-seeing in Sharn. Heard you and Elmira had some fun," she said with a lecherous smirk. "Or perhaps we can take a race of our own around the school walls. I just got the hang of a<em>fly</em>spell from Dean Doil and the energies around here...seem to make it easier. Doesn't last very long though."<br/><br/>Thumbing through her spellbook, she cast the spell as a bit of demonstration. With an excited yelp she took Kleris by the hand, flying into the air.<br/><br/>"Ouch Kleris, try to grab hold by my shoulders!"<br/><br/>Lillin was supporting Kleris by one arm, which was a significant strain on her body as the pair hovered in the air. "Alright, we have about half a minute before I need to<em>feather fall,</em>so let's enjoy it fully!"<br/><br/>Soaring over the school's southern buildings, non-winged students looked on in jealousy. Arturon's familiar, Edgar, was flying by and gave a reassuring flap alongside them.<br/><br/>"Hey, make sure to feel for the updrafts," he cautioned. "We're high up enough that the winds can be quite severe above the walls."<br/><br/>"Maybe for you," Lillin said as she stuck her tongue out at him. "But we ain't lil' birds!"<br/><br/>Edgar shook his head as they parted ways.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">Day 86, the Race of Eight Winds</span></span><br/><br/>(https://i.imgur.com/sdDTGIm.jpg?1)</div><br/>This was it. The annual event which the city of Sharn waited for with fevered anticipation. There was not a city street to go by which didn't have banners displaying neighborhood favorites or spirited debate over the probabilities of winning. Unsurprisingly, several of Kleris' friends offered to watch together as a group: Zullinat, Rensha, Lillin, and Carson. Zull and Rensha wore green tee shirts with the image of the pegasus racer Markados IX.<br/><br/>It was Rensha's idea for them all to get together, as part of the CUMS group. Carson took some persuasion, but Arturon was spending the holiday on a date with Utari and Edgar told the group to start without them. It wasn't hard finding an open-air patio at a nice little coffee and bagel shop in Tavick's Landing to overlook the upcoming race. An elderly gnomish couple sitting nearby giggled at the sight of Rensha holding Kleris' hand.<br/><br/>"Remember when we were that young?" the wife asked her husband.<br/><br/>"No, cuz I was in diapers!" the husband responded with a laugh.<br/><br/>Zull laughed as she looked over the menu. "That's a pretty good cover actually. Let's pretend we're all on a date!"<br/><br/>"Should we split into pairs, or the polyamorous kind?" Lillin asked with a wink.<br/><br/>"There's five of us here, so pairs don't work," Carson said, less than eager to entertain any fantasies. "For your sake please leave me out of your little girly games."<br/><br/>Zull rolled her eyes as she ordered some bagels with poppy seeds and a latte. Lillin cast a<em>silent table</em>spell on their table, and the next CUMS meeting officially began!<br/><br/>"Alright, what's the status report on our CUMS mission?" Lillin asked.<br/><br/>"No word from Allainian retaliation," Carson answered. "Arisad must be biding his time to attack Redhurst again. Nothing else much."<br/><br/>"I've been snooping about school's catacombs," Rensha said as she set down her coffee. "It's not on any maps, but sections of the catacombs have a sort of...planar subspace, akin to a very large<em>magnificent mansion</em>or bag of holding. I consulted sketchwork to see if this is anchored to Eberron, but nope. It's been with Redhurst all this time. Apparently they're well warded off, and...there's been this weird homunculus I see about, pretending to be a janitor or cleaning things up, but only once it spotted me. Otherwise it was...searching for something."<br/><br/>Rensha shuddered. "I don't know if it's related to anything, but we can't be too careful."<br/><br/>Zull raised her hand. "Oh yeah. That ring guardian you had, Kleris? It's a quori, some kind of dream-being. Apparently they're worshiped in Eberron in a nation to the east. Perhaps your Dad was there for a time?"<br/><br/>Rensha, still holding Kleris' hand, raised it up to admire the ring. "So err...can he hear us inside there?"<br/><br/><em>Indeed I can</em>Horishkad answered.