Unrelated Floating Islands

What follows is a recounting of a DnD 4e adventure in the Nentir Vale. For a summary of what happened in the last adventure. If you’re a regular reader I forgive you for skipping over this. I expect it’s only really interesting to the players involved.

Greek & Puddle went back to Winterhaven where they tried weedeling some more reward out of Commander Traxe for killing off the Kobold threat. They definitely aren’t philanthropists it seems. They were offered free room and board whenever they should happen to go to Winterhaven, and also they were named champions of Winterhaven. So that seemed to appease them. They blew their load of money at the trading wagon, which had still been hassling the store owner who couldn’t pay for all his order. Greek got a dagger, which could suck the life out of people. It’s called Life Drinker and is totally bad ass. The trader mentioned she got it off a frost dragon that they had finished off.

After this Greek & Puddle struck out for Fallcrest, about a weeks journey. They were lucky and met no one on the road till they were only a days journey from Fallcrest. a couple Hobgoblins, a Goblin Hex Hurler, and the shadowy spirit human (whome they had seen consorting with the Kobold camp) walked right into the pairs ambush.
The Hex Hurler fired some weird curse at Puddle, who was hiding behind a rock. The spell missed and struck the rock, burning a strange pulsating red rune on it.
On the Hex Hurlers next try he hit Greek in the chest. The same pulsating rune appeared on her. The Hobgoblins went down quickly, and the spirit person disappeared.
Puddles knowledge of magic served him well, and he realized that  the rune was used for tracking them. That night they were confronted by the spirit human guy again. He knew about Maloreth and his demise. He also saw right through Puddle & Greeks lies about Orcus’s Skull. He told them he wouldn’t stop till he had it in his possession again. He told them they should probably be wary of the Rage Drakes he was sending after them. At this they heard baying in the distance, and suddenly decided that they had had enough of camping in the wilds. They ran all night. Puddle cast a spectral crevice, which slowed their pursuers. It was pretty rad.

They arrived at Fallcrest and the guards hurriedly closed the gates after them. They brought the skull to the Septarch. He was rather flustered and baffled at the whole thing. I guess it’s not everyday someone brings you the head of a demon lord and expects you to know what to do with it. He told them that it would take him at least a week to deal with, so shove off.

They went back to the gates, as they did they heard rumours from other guards rushing around that they were under attack. The air in the city that day was electric with fear and excitement.
Two Rage drakes, with Dragon Born riding them faced the gates, Demanding the two adventurers. About this time Greek found out she was pretty awesome with a Bow. She tried it out on them. The drakes charged up the slope, one clawing it’s way up the wall, the other didn’t quite make it that far. The commander of that section of wall was pinned under the drakes giant claws. To be helpful Puddle set him and the drake on fire. I made a controversial decision that the fire which Puddle casts doesn’t always just magically miss his allies. Give those wizards an inch and they’l take a mile. Wizards right *rolls eyes*.
Greek managed to stop the drake in its tracks by jumping up on it while Puddle whittled it down.

They successfully repelled the attack and Fallcrest was safe.. Kind of.