As Tako looked around at all of their clones they clear their throat bringing their attention and the attention of a sleepy Lyra and excited Finn to him. "Now that we have all the clones cloned and named it's time to address the main issue. I am having trouble with controlling all the clones at once properly. It's a little overwhelming multitasking so much at once."
Finn perks up and raises his hand excitedly but doesn't actually wait for permission. "Actually, I kind of noticed earlier, and I was thinking about that and well, I have and Idea do you know what temporary instance dungeons are?"
And Tako Shakes their head. "I can guess from the name but I can't say I know exactly no."
Finn smiles and continues. "As one can insinuate from the name a temporary instance dungeon is a temporary dungeon that appears randomly. However what sets these dungeons apart is the instance in their names. Once entered time flows differently inside the dungeon than outside and they don't disappear until the clear requirement gets met. The clear requirement can be almost anything and the dungeon can last for years until the requirement is met with those inside the dungeon cut off from the real world.
"Slaves are often used to clear these dungeons and the appearance of one within a 4 day journey of the twilight weavers borders are why we are out here in the first place. They can be dangerous if a dungeon break happens and we followed your dragon believing there was a chance they came from the dungeon. There is an Item to track the appearance of temporary instance dungeons inside the bags of the elves."
"I have a theory that these dungeons might be a temporary solution to having too many clones at once. You can send some of your clones inside the dungeon when you find it and test if your clones get cut off from the clones outside the dungeon. Whether they do or don't doesn't matter as the time inside is usually faster than the time outside the dungeon and can be used to train faster than normal and get used to having this many clones. And if they do get cut off then you'll be able to train yourself with less clones at once."
Once Finn is done explaining their theory and plan Tako nods along excitedly. "Yes yes I think there is a good possibility this might actually be able to work. However I think we should wait until morning to track down this instance dungeon and try sending clones into it."
Finn looks at the yawning Lyra and nods. "That is probably a good idea however I think we should go just before sunrise and send some of your vampire clones inside since the instance dungeon always allows whoever enters it a way to move around. Undead get daylight immunity, merpeople get water bubbles. If it's a sky dungeon you are given wings if you don't have them, a fire dungeon gives fire resistance. This is however unique to temporary instance dungeons and a rare few other dungeons, so don't just charge into random dungeons haphazardly."
Tako nods in appreciation and smiles thankfully at Finn and grabs the bag from the twilight weavers that currently holds all the elves stuff and hands it to the young scholar. "Would you mind showing me the item and explaining it to me Finn?"
Finn takes the bag from Tako with a nod and opens it pulling out a clear sphere with a smaller silver half sphere compass inside. "This is a Chrishnosphere or a Temporary instance compass, fairly common most large towns have at least one or two. Basically it points to the nearest temporary instance dungeon and goes from blue to purple to red depending on how close you are. as you can see the needle is a red color but not bright red meaning it's less than a day travel by foot and it points opposite from where we came from yesterday and slightly down from here. This number at the base of the needle is the max amount of entrants." Finn points to a glowing number that is translated to a 6.
"You can take it inside the dungeon without an issue but I personally recommend keeping it outside the dungeon as it can't be used inside the dungeon. I would send a group to the dungeon right now if I were you."
Tako nods once again, "thank you Finn I think I will heed your advice and send a group out now. I will send Dee, Kuro, Dalman, Ley, Rey, and Fey, to enter the dungeon and talon to bring the Chrishnosphere there and back."
The head clone nods to the other clones as they are named and the smaller ones other than Fey, all mount Dalman and Talon's backs. Tako hands Dee and Kuro each one of the empty white twilight weaver spatial storage bags after loading a couple weapons and a spare sphere of Iron, and then hands them the Chrishnosphere. Other clones open the door in closest to the direction the needle is pointing in and the dragons walk out onto the landing platform and take off without much more of a word.
Tako turns back to Finn and Lyra. "Lets go relieve the others of watch duty and get some rest." The head clone says to a grateful agreement and the clones and friends all head back down the tree with all the vampire clones heading to the wall. Zarion flies ahead to relieve Thorne, Kael, And Borin of their guard duties. and most of the clones and their friends go to resume getting some shuteye.
As the others slowly fall asleep back at the Tako Tree Tower the group of 7 carefully fly towards the temporary instance dungeon. The group stays above the trees but close to the tree tops and flies at a decent speed for small dragons, very fast for the little flyk flying with them. The smaller clones hold on tight with Dee holding Rey so the rabbit clone doesn't fall off for any reason.
As they fly the compass needle slowly grows more and more red and gradually points more downwards until after about two and a half hours later it points nearly straight down while glowing a bright red. This prompts the dragons to slowly fly down and locate the thin swirling blue mass that is the dungeon portal. they forgot to ask for a description of the portal but they didn't really need it.
The group cautiously approaches the temporary instance dungeon portal and dismount their rides. "Well here we are." Talon says as the dragon shrinks into a dragonkin in order to take the Chrishnosphere from Kuro. "Now I guess that you just enter it and we learn weather you get cut off or not."
The other clones nod and smile as Dalman takes charge and speaks. "Everyone back on my back lets make sure that the lot of us make it in this together since we didn't exactly ask for a tutorial. Guess there is a lot on my mind." The clones all let out a stupid little giggle as most of them climb aboard Dalman and hold on as the dragon clone takes a few tentative steps towards the portal that looks small next to it.
"Ok well here goes nothing." Dalman leans their head down and puts it against the portal and is welcomed by a blue screen that reads.
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"Would you like to enter the portal?
Yes / No
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This screen also appears for each of the clones on Dalman's back and all of the clones take a deep breath and select the yes option. Once everyone has selected yes they all disappear leaving Talon standing by a now black portal holding the Chrishnosphere, an empty spot in their mind where the other clones used to be.
Talon looks at the portal which has turned black and shrugs talking to no one in particular since nobody is around. "Well I guess it worked, I've lost my mental connection with all of those clones but it doesn't feel like when Zarion died. It's more like there is a dull static now where they used to be. Guess I'll head back now and figure out the rest in the morning." With that the clone turns and flies back towards the Tako Tree Tower.
As Talon flew away the other clones found themselves in a desert of brown sands on the outskirts of a village built around a cluster of red oasis'. there were plenty of trees spread throughout the village that grew above the short roofs of the squat desert houses.
The trees are dark blue with red leaves and have thick clusters of branches that grow upwards and outwards creating plentiful shade. People can be seen on the rooftops touching the branches with wands and growing lone large orange hard shelled fruits with a bulbous end. that are then harvested. There are a few small fields of light blue sunflower like flowers with red petals spread in sunny patches of the village where people harvest seeds in the same way as the fruits.
Near the oasis' there are thick brown reeds with a light brown cotton like substance growing in corn like bundles from the stocks. People can also be seen harvesting these using wands and gloves as well.
The group finds themselves next to a windmill built on the top of a nearby rock outcropping that is a darker brown than the dull brown sands that seem to spread near endlessly only broken by similar plateau like outcroppings. A screen appears in front each member of the group.
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Welcome to the (Common) Temporary instance Tarrasis' Last Stand
Objective:
Figure out and prevent the destruction of Tarrasis the Last Oasis of the Dotarra desert.
Time Limit:1 Month
Weak Undead Detected Daylight Immunity Granted
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After they read the screen it disappears and the group slowly takes a look around at their surroundings. Their observations are interrupted by a voice coming from the door to the windmill behind them.
"Hey who are you and what are you doing here?! Answer me! I'm not afraid of fighting a dragon or dragonkin if I need to." Dalman feels the tip of a spear dig into their side and the others on their back turn slowly to look at the stranger.
The stranger is a sort of tall man about 5'10" with bronze skin a rectangular face and a thick bushy beard and auburn eyes. He has a broad muscular build and is wearing a brown robe, sandals and turban.
Dee answers the man while lifting their hands in the air in a sign of peace in order to try to pacify him and show they mean no harm. "We are just travelers who happened upon this place we mean no harm. Please lower your weapon and allow us to dismount so we can talk to you face to face. Maybe you can tell us a bit about where we are."
The man backs up a bit but doesn't lower his spear. "Fine dismount the dragon but try anything funny and I'll strike you down where you stand. I don't care that you are young, we have had a hard time with strangers lately."
The group carefully dismounts and spreads out a little keeping mostly still and trying to show that they mean no harm, which is a little hard for the animals but everyone of them lifts their front arms in a sign of peace.
The sight of a wolf and horned rabbit confuses and startles the man even further for a moment before his brain processes a solution for a moment. "Wait! what's going on...? Are you summoners, no there's a scent of blood Necromancers? No.... undead ah.... vampire contractors, Why didn't you just say so!! You must be here for the bloodflower seed oil!! Lucky For you I just got done with a batch, what did you bring to trade?