Continued.... Zalkore responds with sudden rage, and tells you that if you will not give her what she wants, then you will all become her slaves. With that she sweeps back her veils and the face of the beautiful chultan woman depicted in sculptures throughout the garden is revealed. But where her hair should be are writhing snakes. You all feel your blood start to become sluggish and your skin starts turning grey, but all of you manage to throw off the effects of the petrification running through your veins. But now you know what danger you are in. You all avert your eyes and try various tactics to defeat her. Trayzeal runs at her with his weapons trying to kill her outright. Trayzeal throws an area of magical darkness at her to try and hide her face. Grizzlee turns into a giant snake that slithers into the dark area, locates her with his blindsight and attacks. At the same time however, 6 Eblis (the large crane-like birds seen before) land at the door to this building and also start attacking. Another 4 small Eblis appear in the room with you. Trayzeal attacks the small Eblis to find that they are illusions, the eblis try to hypnotise you. Zalkore pushes her way out of the darkness and begins attacking Sudrin with a vengance and for a while the battle is focussed on the two of them. However suddenly a ghostly presence appears above Zalkore - a 10 foot tall chultan warrior. Whenever someone hits Zalkore, the warrior unerringly stabs his spear through them. Sudrin is knocked down but Besh quickly heals him. Zalkore continues to land blow after blow on Sudrin, but eventually you prevail. With Zalkore dead and all but two of the Eblis killed. The remaining two escape and fly away. You collect the black orchid, a small amount of treasure and then search the gardens where you find a large amount of mystical herbs and plants that can be used for various effects. You then rest the night before heading back to Kir Sabal. You return to Kir Sabal, a journey that takes 6 days due to 2 days of pounding rain. However on the day you return the weather is relatively good. You climb back up the cliff-face walkway and return to the monastery where you are welcomed by the Aarakokra. Mwaxanare also appears and seems delighted and surprised at your survival. She asks after the health of her many-great-grandmother, Zalkore, and asked if you retrieved the orchid. You lie about Zalkore's health and show the orchid which makes Mwaxanare even more happy. She informs you (with Besh translating as always): "Soon you will see that I did not send you to my many-great-grandmother on a whim. As your ruler I expect you to obey me without question, but I want you to know that I always have a reason for my commands. You will see why I wanted this orchid and how it will help you to achieve our shared objective. For we have a shared objective. You want to travel to Omu and I want you to retrieve an item for me. For the good of Chult I command you to retrieve the skull chalice of Ch'gakare for me. It is lost in Omu and would be a symbol that would cause the common people to flock to my banner. It was crafted from the skull of my distant ancestor, Ch'gakare and serves as they symbol of office for royalty. Ch'gakare is said to have beheaded the previous king after escaping the Nine Hells on the back of a mastodon". She continues, "You have served me faithfully and proven that you can be trusted. Meet me tomorrow morning at the top of the plateau and all will be revealed. I have one final command for you, Trayzeal, you will join me again in my bed as my companion." Trayzeal is not one to refuse a direct command and endures another night of acrobatics while the rest of you sleep. The next morning you all climb to the top of the plateau where you find many aarakocra, the princess and her brother waiting for you. Asharra uses the orchid as a component in a ceremony called 'The Dance of the Seven Winds". The aarakocra dance and chant in an ancient language that Besh recognises as primordial. He can't make out much, but recognises prayers to the Wind Dukes of Aaqa as part of the chant. At the end of the chant, Asharra's wings disappear and you feel spiritual wings grow from your shoulders. Aashara explains that you now have the ability to fly and that will last for three full days. He suggests you make haste to Omu as it is a long way away. You quickly retrieve your equipment and take to the skies. You fly for 3 days, resting on the ground each night, but are slowed a little by bad weather along the way. You see many creatures below moving through the jungle or along the river banks, but nothing disturbs you at your lofty vantage.You pass a vast lake where you can see portions of the lake are actually boiling, sending up clouds of steam that can be seen for miles, and then over a burned out valley where fiery embers belched from the Peaks of Flame drift across the sky and fall like rain onto a blackened wasteland. You are getting closer and closer to the volcanoes so veer westward to avoid them. As night approaches at the end of the third day, you find yourself approaching jungle canopy again, but his canopy is so much taller than you have seen before with massive jungle trees reaching a great distance into the air. As you approach the canopy, you see what looks like a ship in the trees. You fly to investigate and find the wreckage of a flying ship, broken into three sections. As you get closer you can see the name of the ship on the stern. This was the 'Star Goddess'. You fly in to investigate closer:
