The next morning Storm got up early to get everything in order, to review the requirements to get the caves repaired, as well as to plan the day's events.
Once he had everything planned out, he contacted Augustus mentally and summoned him to his study.
Once the elf acknowledged him, Storm went searching for Aurora's mind with his thoughts.
"Aurora! Can you please..." started Storm .
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" Screamed Aurora.
Storm held his head to nurse the headache that had started to form.
He then realized that she had never heard his thoughts before.
"Sorry Aurora! Didn't mean to startle you!"
"What do you want, Storm?!" She asked.
"Can you come to my study? I have something urgent to discuss?"
A moment later Aurora and Augustus was standing in front of him. Aurora was still very upset and was giving him an angry glare.
"Don't ever do that again!" She said.
"I said I was sorry!"
"How do you even do that anyway?" Aurora asked.
"Telepathy? Anyone with a talent for magic can learn it."
"It's a pretty efficient means of communication. You can contact someone over long distances and you don't have to worry about someone overhearing your conversation. " Explained Augustus.
"Still doesn't make it right!! What if my thoughts were .... indecent... when you contact me!!"
"That's.... not quite.... how it works. I can only communicate. I can't read your thoughts.
Not unless I press harder, and your mind would warn you if I did that." Explained Storm.
"You could have still warned me!! I nearly jumped out of my skin when your voice spoke up in my head!!" Said Aurora.
"I... am... sorry!! How many times do I need to say it?! I've grown so accustomed to using it, that I didn't realize you might be unfamiliar with the method." He replied.
"Perhaps it would be best if we addressed the reason for you summoning us?" Said Augustus.
Storm held up one of the scrolls Augustus gave him yesterday.
"I believe you mentioned yesterday that we need workers that know how to build and work with stone if we want to repair this place? I happen to know where we can find some."
Storm opened a map and pointed to a small mountain to the east of the Hatching grounds.
"There was a small settlement of dwarves here 50 years ago. I want you to run there as fast as you can and see if it's still there. Then I want you to bring the overseer to me."
"Would they even agree to see me? Dwarves rarely work without compensation and we currently lack the means to pay them?" Asked Augustus.
"Tell them 'Calamity' has returned, and that 'the debt has come due'. That should be enough to secure their cooperation. "
The elf bowed to show his understanding.
"Am I to ferry them to and from the settlement?" Asked Aurora.
"No! I have a different task in mind for you!"
Storm pointed to another small mountain further north.
"You should find a small eyrie of Griffins here. Seek out their leader 'Razor' and tell them 'Calamity ' is calling.
That should be enough to get them squawking with happiness. " grumbled Storm.
"I get the feeling you do not like him."
" 'She' had unfortunately developed something of an annoying fascination with me the last time I was here and had been a nuances ever since!"
Aurora struggled to hold in her laughter.
"You've got a secret admirer?!"
"What!! No!! Her interest was more 'academic ' than physical attraction!!
She was curious about my lightning abilities as well as it's origin and was nagging me incessantly about it!!
Hopefully she has outgrow it by now!" Exclaimed Storm.
Aurora snickered in response.
As they left on their individual missions, Storm continued searching through his father's paperwork for anything useful before leaving to go oversee the elves work on the Greenhouse.
By midday, Storm felt Augustus return. So he sent him a mental command to bring his guest to his study.
When Augustus brought the overseer to him, he was suprised to see it wasn't the dwarf he was expecting.
He was a short man at just under 5 feet in height but his body at was broad and packed with muscle with a long black beard that ended at his chest, and had been carefully braided at the tip.
His hair was tied together into 3 long braids. 2 braids had been tied together on either side of his head and was hanging by his shoulder.
While a bigger and longer braid secured the rest of his hair and hung down his back.
He wore a simple brown leather vest with several pockets along the front. The vest had no sleeves, leaving the dwarves' muscular arms exposed.
Two unknown tattoos were inked into his upper arms and seemed to be depicting some kind of crest.
On his arms he had simple iron bracers, his brown pants ended at his knees and on his feet he wore 2 boots with tips made of solid steel.
Hanging from his belt was a small unlit lantern, as well as a large axe that seemed to be freshly sharpened.
"Grombrim? What are you doing here? I asked for your father?" Asked Storm.
"I'm overseer now! My father passed away 10 years ago in a cave collapse!"
"Ohh!! You have my condolences then, Grombrim. He was a good man."
Grombrim dismissed it with a wave of his hand.
"Save it, dragon!! We both know you didn't call me here to chat about family!! You want something, so out with it!!"
Storm held up a claw. "Not quite yet, there's still one more person that must join us before we can begin."
Not long after he said that, Aurora brought in a white feathered griffin. While griffins often carried the traits of hawks, eagles or other birds of prey.
This one had features closer to that of an owl. She had a short but sharp beak and two large yellow eyes.
Pure white feathers covered the top half of her body, up until her chest. Everything below that, including her front paws, were those of a striped white furred tiger and ended with a long feline tail.
She showed signs of aging, the tips of her feathers had begun to fade, and her beak showed sights of wear.
She held her head high, displaying the same arrogance and pride as the others of her kind.
"Bird brain." Mumbled Grombrim.
"Cave Goblin." Muttered the Griffin.
The Griffin stopped in front of Storm and looked him over.
"Good to see you again, Razor. " Storm said.
"So! That dragoness wasn't lying! 'Calamity' has indeed returned to us!!" She replied.
"Aye!! So it would seem!! Are you just passing through? Or do you actually intend to 'stay' this time?" Asked Grombrim.
"I go wherever my crusade needs me most, dwarf!! However, for the moment I am here to stay! And I'm going to need you two's help for the next stage of my plans."