"Sorry for disappearing." Mom appears easily enough. "Any further issues?"
"None, Your Majesty."
Mom nods. She walks beside me. I am the one she is protecting more than anyone else. "What is the plan?"
"We're bringing Ergra back to the goblins. Then we're teleporting back to camp." Vincent explains.
"No." Mom scans things. "That would be a bad move. William and Thomas can return to camp. We should walk back."
"Your Majesty...?"
She pulls out a compact mirror and calls for Odin. She only nods before shutting the spell down. I would think that was a waste of magic, but it's seconds later he's here next to us. Mom just needed to give word. "You're handling camp."
"Are you sure?" Odin eyes whatever the others have noticed. I am unaware of what it is. My senses do not register whatever the problem is. Lack of skills or magic.
"Yes. Thomas and William will support camp. You'll support them."
"Easy as pie." Odin reviews me. "So you're going healer spell group, huh? I always thoguht teleportation, mister escape artist."
I ignore his snickering. Healing spell group would limit with can teach me. Most of the healing magic is innate. Which means... I'll be stuck figuring it out as I go. Mom will help as much as she can, but I also know the limits.
"And we're here." Ergra spins to face us. Her village only starts here. But I can see several of the goblin guards half hidden. "Thank you for the escort."
"Warhog or escort if you're visiting us." Vincent offers a bow. "Please stay safe." Ergra waves while running into the village. "Now...?" He looks to me.
I exhale. "I'll see you back at camp."
"I'll handle route." Odin places a hand on my shoulder. That's always been to stop me from doing something foolish. William never fights. Even when I tricked him into helping me, Odin always had first priority.
Appearing at camp doesn't shock anyone. Until they see Odin with us.
Lyrie calls out, "All hands on deck!"
"You can be more relaxed if I'm here." Odin waves it off sitting on the log near the fire.
"You wouldn't've shown if there wasn't a concern. Where's Vincent?"
"With Mom." I say. Lyrie noticeably shivers. Not that anyone would blame her. Not only is Odin around, but so is the queen? "I asked for help with the dying bear."
"A bear attacked? That's... Oh." Lyrie pulls out her sword. "All hands on deck. This is not a drill."
Odin grins. "Someone knows what creature can set off a bear, hm?"
I sit down next to Odin even if I'm honestly too anxious to do so. It just seemed the only safe place out of the way. "What do you mean?"
"Few creatures could get a bear to engage with a stronger opponent without there being a specific reason in play."
"There were no cubs. And the bear came to us. Beserked." William explains watching the chaos around us. Things are getting set up for a battle. They're expecting something? But if whatever it was refused to attack before, why would it now?
"So?" Odin rests. He knows what is out there threatening. "It may not come here. They may draw it away from us. That was the plan. I offered to handle the work, but she runs faster." Odin clicks his tongue. "Why did I need to learn how to run well when I can teleport at this level?"
"Because the royals are tricky." William says moving closer to us. That's because a magic blockade is going into effect focusing on the fire. "Should we be caught?"
"Yes. If you can't work through such a guard, do not fight." Odin knows what is happening and how to handle it. He grips my hand to deny me escape. I am being told not to fight. What is coming? Or what could be coming?
"Aren't they more likely to fly at night?" Lyrie questions.
"They don't normally bother the harvest. They're carnivores." someone answers.
"Do they eat goblins? Are we stopping their harvest?" Lyrie whispers. I hate hearing those words.
Odin pats my hand. "It's a strigipsx. And yes, we probably are ruining it's annual harvest by stopping the goblins."
"They eat goblins?"
Odin reviews me. "It's a large owl like bird. Similar in size to us. It uses psychic abilities to draw in unsuspecting prey. Think of the level of magical requirements to get a bear fighting a stronger opponent."
I think of that battle. Vincent wasn't winning. This creature didn't just get the bear fighting, it gave the bear protections. Would Vincent have won without support? "I have to assume the creature is smart, but I don't think I should try to make it a citizen."
"Why not?" Odin asks keeping me trapped in my position.
"Because of the second requirement: to act civilized. I don't think they can act in a manner to fit our communities." Mom made it clear for me to support the goblins as citizens, I had to think they could both pass the tests and act as proper citizens. These owls... The way they just forced a bear on us as a test?
"Incoming!" Lyrie calls out.
"Do you know the mental guard ritual, Thomas?" Odin asks.
I shake my head.
"Grab the book. I'll show him the page."
William hands me my father's book with rituals in it. Odin flips through the pages to reach the one in question.
But I haven't read through these spells yet. I haven't figure out how the rituals are explained. It feels as if I am expected to pull it off when I don't even have an idea how.
Odin stands up as I stare at the page. "We're going to lose someone at this rate." He looks to William. "Do nothing. Stay here. It won't be able to see you." Then the mage walks out of the safe zone.
Daniel and Ryan sit down at my sides watching things. They're stuck here, too. Not shocking, although I didn't see them get trapped. I focus on the book even if the loud squawks and clang of metal and wood has me tensing. "Don't look." Daniel forces Ryan to duck his head.
Before I can pull my head up, William is in my direct line of sight. I can't see pass him. "I..."
William shakes his head. "Do not look. You'll... struggle."
My only real task is to try for this ritual. That I don't know. Maybe that was a fool's decision on my part. I should've started my study with the rituals. I can use the rituals. I can gain for studying them. But I never did. It hasn't even been that long since I received the books. I barely looked through any of them. But this is where I need to focus.
The scream is someone I know, but I don't want to place it. I refuse to place it.
William pulls me against him so I have no chance of seeing anything besides him. "Nope. Not letting you."
"We should..." Daniel looks to William.
"I can't use magic through the barrier. We are not leaving the barrier. It'll be over after a while. Strigipsx leave once they're full."
Daniel gags at whatever I cannot see. Ryan is also being blocked from the visions. William looks to be handling the sights best. He is the oldest, but I didn't think this was his experiences. To see carnage as the sounds suggest.
"Hold it down!" Odin calls out. Given the type of monster, a mage would struggle against it. It comforts to hear his strong voice, though. He's alive and well. Still fighting. Not giving up. "Blasted. Get in the barrier, fools. If you can't take-" His words end in a grunt. Not as in he's getting attacked. More he knows his words are going no where. But that grunt would mean... There's no one capable of listening to him. Are there others in the barrier? I don't see anyone. Did they think they'd just... Fight it off? Why? Pick safety.
"Your protection spell did help, but... It wasn't enough." William flinches. I heard the crunch of bone. "And that... Looks to be... It." Still William isn't giving me space.
Daniel and Ryan scans the place. I can see how much damage there is by their eyes. Do not look sounds like the best option. "Did anyone survive?"
"I did." Lyrie whimpers out. "Don't question." No one else answers though.
Odin pats my shoulder. Not to show me anything, more to keep me in place. "I'll lower the spell. Please bring Thomas back to the estate. Bring back whatever healers are on call."
"Yes." William squeezes me.