In the town of Mossden, the murderous child attacks with a powerful blast of lightning. After being confronted, the old woman dispells her illusion, revealing herself as a hag and her cat as a displacer beast. The group engages in combat, slaying the hag and displacer beast, and wounding changeling child who turns out to be a young blue dragon. The dragon is hesitant to reval his name to fey and cites that it may be too frightening of a name for the group to handle anyway. They eventually convince him, and he introduces himself as Penelope, the son of Slenderbard, Nero‘s brother.
The townsfolk demand that the group leaves, fearful of the dragons that they are harboring and angered by their decision not to slay them. They return to the beach with Penelope and an unconscious guard, and start to get the story of why Penelope attacked Mossden. Cassian Grimlock captured Slenderbard, assuming it was Nero, and Penelope had been trying to kill the guards that took his father away from him. The unconscious guard stirs, surprised to see that Nero is free, but seeming unremorseful about capturing Slender instead. The group demands that he take them to Slenderbard, but he refuses, citing that Grimlock would kill him in a way far more unpleasant than what he believes the adventurers could manage. They dismiss it, but Nero admits that they may or may not fully recall the way to Grimlock’s estate.
Xaveria notes that Calliope would likely know the location of Amissa Aestate as a fey that had lived for over a millennia, but when confronted, Cal declines to guide them there. She cites the fact that Nero’s missing person poster contained the seals of not only one but two archfey as her reason, and gives them to order to return to the material plane in the morning. Xav tries to talk her down while Nero voices their frustration. Xaveria notes that Grimlock’s death would mean one less slaver in the world, but Cal begs Xav not to push her since she only wants to keep the group safe. Nero gets the support of Dreamer who doesn’t want to see anyone suffering as a slave, and Stabby who secretly was assigned a quest by his patron to be completed in Amissa Aestate. When morning comes, the Shadow Prophets get ready to leave on the quest to help Slender, but Calliope gets in their way, telling them that if they want to throw their lives away, they have to get through her first.
The ensuing fight is relentless, with Calliope holding nothing back as she attacks. Save for Stabby, the group has a tough time keeping up, but seemingly knocks her with a few of them left standing. However, as soon as Calliope hits the ground, electricity coils around her, and she jolts back up with glowing blue eyes. With a playful smirk, she warns the group that the real fight had just begun.