Breakfast just refused to settle in Tony's stomach. His normal DeMontfort breakfast wasn't much different than what he'd had this morning, so why did his stomach keep churning uneasily?
Kevin, noting the minotaur's preoccupation, tapped him on the shoulder. "What's up, Tony?"
Tony shrugged and shook his head. "I'm feeling a bit queasy. Nothing much."
"Something bad to eat this morning, or is it a case of butterflies in the stomach? Or did you decide to eat those butterflies this morning?" Kevin queried, smirking slightly.
Tony laughed uneasily. "Probably the butterflies, now that you mention it."
Tony and Kevin stopped for a moment. They had traveled a good two miles south along the west shore of the lake already. The scenery should have been giving Tony a good feeling. It was a beautiful walk with the forested foothills in the background and the tranquil lake acting like a mirror, reflecting the nearly perfect blue sky.
"So much for the bad weather that was forecast," Kevin mused, looking up at one of the few clouds in the sky.
"Well, that was back in our world, remember?" Tony reminded the cat.
"Oh yeah. Well, you probably can't trust the meteorologists here either."
Sharon and Cindy finally caught up to the two men.
"We're taking a small break, I'm guessing?" Sharon asked Kevin.
Kevin shrugged. "Probably a good idea. We're probably about halfway there already, and it's still before noon, I believe," he said, looking at the sun.
Cindy took out a jug of water from Tony's backpack and passed it around the group. After the silent drink, Kevin glanced across the lake, toward the town they were headed to.
It looked pretty small, but busy. Kevin estimated that about two hundred people lived in the town, most of whom were probably either farmers or fishermen. A few scattered boats were out on the lake, but most of the activity was in the town proper.
Kevin scanned the rest of the lake path they had to traverse. It looked like an easy enough journey, probably around another three miles. Kevin's legs ached slightly from the walk already, but he ignored it.
Glancing down at the others who were sitting down, chatting softly among themselves, he decided to give his feet a short rest also.
Sharon watched him sit down.
"So, in order for this to feel like a real trip, I have to ask it," Sharon said to Kevin.
Kevin looked confused.
"Are we almost there yet?" came the whiny question. Sharon giggled slightly after she finished it.
Kevin just shook his head and smiled. "Nope. About two or three more miles. Unless you're able to walk on water."
Sharon laughed. "If I could do that, I'd already be there, waiting impatiently for the rest of you to arrive."
A moment of somewhat awkward silence passed before Tony stood up. "Shall we keep moving?" he suggested.
"But I just sat down," Kevin complained.
"Would you like us to carry you there?" Cindy asked, patting his shoulder in mock sympathy.
Kevin grinned wickedly, looking at Tony's broad shoulders. "You know--"
"Don't even think it. You're walking there yourself," Tony warned as he started down the path.
Scott was leading his party along the trail he had found the previous night. The path was well packed dirt with a few shallow ruts. In spite of looking so heavily traveled, there weren't any people on the road.
Crystal noticed this first. "Isn't it weird that we haven't met anyone on this road yet?"
Scott nodded. "Yeah, it is a bit strange now that you mention it. Wonder why that is?"
Doug shifted his backpack higher onto his shoulders. "Perhaps they know we're coming and are preparing a big feast for us?"
"How can you even think of food after that breakfast you had?" Crystal retorted.
Doug patted his stomach contentedly. "That's a good point, I suppose. I did have quite a bit, didn't I?"
"Three oranges, two full bowls of cereal, a couple chunks of the fish we salted last night, two very large glasses of water, a large handful of the carrot sticks, and one of those two-day old doughnuts," Lisa recalled, counting each item she named on her fingers. "And that's just what I saw you eat."
"I believe there were two additional doughnuts in there," Rich added, his eyes still on the road in front of them.
Crystal piped up. "I think you also forgot the additional orange he had as we left."
"And there were two handfuls of carrots, I think," Scott appended.
Doug slowed down and smiled, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, well, us big fighters have to eat big, you know," he explained pitifully.
Crystal and Lisa rolled their eyes and looked down the road.
Rich put his hand on Doug's shoulder, shaking his head, as he passed Doug. "If I didn't know you better, I'd swear you were trying to sabotage our limited food supplies." Rich smiled good-naturedly as he continued walking.
Doug chuckled at the absurd suggestion, keeping the sheepish smile on his face until Rich was well in front him. The sheepish smile turned into a wicked little grin for a moment as he entertained an amusing thought. The grin disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, however, as he hoisted the backpack back higher on his shoulders and broke into a jog to catch up to the others.
Tony hopped as quickly as he could over the rocks. Everyone else was waiting for him on the other side of the stream at the south end of the lake. His hooved feet, even in the boots he was wearing, didn't hold onto the slightly moist and mossy rocks very well, so his balance was tested with each bound. Misjudging the last leap, though, he was about to fall when Cindy caught his hand. She yanked him up onto the bank.
"Thanks, Cindy," Tony said, as he slowly regained his balance. He was blushing slightly.
"No problem," Cindy replied, casually wiping her hands on her robe. "Just take it a little slower next time if you need to."
"Well, I didn't want to hold us up any longer," Tony explained.
"Don't worry about that, Tony," Kevin interjected, still looking in the direction they were about to travel. "It's still early in the day, and we're almost there. Plus, it's reassuring to see that your wit is the only part of you that's slow currently." He turned around, smiling at the bull.
Tony glared back.
Sharon was already walking ahead. "Shall we continue?"
The rest of the journey was rather uneventful. They soon came across a small road that went right into the town and followed that in. A few others traveling on the road gave the party the occasional strange glance, but no one threatened them in any way. Most of the glances were of the slightly curious kind, and while it was disconcerting the first few times, the party soon became used to them.
The forest around the road soon gave way to a very significant amount of farmland as they neared the town. They were about to pass by what appeared to be a wall around the town proper when a voice stopped them in their tracks.
"Excuse me, misters and misses." They turned around and found the source of the voice. It was a muscular middle-aged man, with a bushy mustache, dressed in full plate armor. A few gray hairs were mixed in with his head of thinning jet black hair. His sword, in its scabbard, bounced lightly off his armored legs.
He continued, now having their attention, "Would you please state the nature of your business in Arapatta?"
"Arapatta?" Kevin asked. Then it clicked.
Cindy, who had understood what the guard was saying, stepped forward before Kevin could ruin their chances to enter the town peacefully.
"Yes, sir. We have come to your fine town to buy goods and gather information for the longer journey we are on."
The guard seemed pleased with the explanation. "Thank you. Please excuse the question, but we've had some trouble with people coming into the town and causing trouble. Also, there have been some strange occurrences near here which have frightened a good number of people. We're just watching for possible troublemakers."
Cindy continued talking for the party. "Well, if we may, we would like to pass into town now." She paused as she thought about their mission. "Unless you don't mind answering a few questions for us first."
"Questions? Like what?" He arched one of his eyebrows.
"Well, we're new to this area, so we're wondering about its history and geography. Someone like you would know quite a lot about such matters, I should think."
"You flatter me. Yes, in fact, in those matters, I can and will gladly help you," the guard said. "Follow me, please."
He strode through the group and headed toward the town. Obediently, the party followed him into one of the first houses inside the town's short wall.
He motioned to a sturdy looking table and chairs in the center of the one-room house. "Please, have a seat."
"Thank you very much," Sharon said as she sat down. After being on her feet most of the morning, the chance to sit down was well received by her legs. Tony dropped the heavy backpack he was carrying near the door before taking his seat.
The guard had started shuffling through a stack of papers he had on a table near the back of the house. Eventually he found what he was looking for, and joined them at the table, laying the large piece of parchment in front of him.
"Let me introduce myself first," he started. "My name is Trenton. I'm the lead guard here in Arapatta."
"Nice to meet you, Trenton," Cindy replied. "I am Cindy." Going around the table, she introduced the others. "This is Kevin. He's Anthony, or Tony for short. And Sharon is next to you."
"Nice to meet all of you," he bowed his head slightly at all four individually. "So, you were curious about this area, you said?"
Sharon spoke up. "Yes. Whatever you can tell us would be very helpful in our journey."
"Well, let me show you a map of the valley first." He turned the piece of parchment around so that the party could read it better. Trenton started pointing to various landmarks on the map.
"This is the lake our town is situated on," he said, pointing to the blue oval. "The area around the lake itself is mostly uninhabited excluding our town and a few farms stretching up this side. We're pretty well sheltered from outsiders here thanks to the mountains all around." His finger traced the outline of the valley as he said the last statement.
The four studied the detailed map intently. They noted where their cabin was (it was a small clearing with no buildings in it, according to the map) and the landmarks they had passed on their journey. They also noted that there were four towns in the valley itself. There were, in addition to Arapatta and the one to the northwest of their cabin where the others went, a pair of towns further south in the valley. One was situated in the narrow pass that acted as the entrance to the valley. The other was a bit further north of that one, between the stream and another landmark that was marked with a red "X".
"What's this landmark?" Cindy asked, pointing to the red "X" she noticed.
The guard looked at where she was pointing, and took a deep breath. "That place was the bane of our existence many years ago."
"What do you mean?" Tony asked.
Trenton leaned back on his chair. "Ready for your history lesson?" he asked.
The four nodded and listened to him intently.
"Many years ago, that place was a large castle, filled with many people and brimming with life and activity. This valley was part of a kingdom that was ruled from that castle. The ruler of this land was gentle and virtuous during most of his rule. Unfortunately, about twenty-five years ago, the king's disposition abruptly changed. He started sending out his troops to forcefully take over the surrounding towns. Of course, the towns' elders were confused by this, because they were already a part of the kingdom's holdings. So they wondered, 'Why should the king have to take us over?' The elders of each town tried to reason with the armies, but to no avail. Martial law was set up in each town, and the king started ruling the valley in a very unjust manner.
"It was decided at that point by the elders still left, that the king had to be removed from the throne. They had already tried talking sense to him, and he had many of them killed for disobeying him. So, the elders hired a seasoned party of warriors to capture or banish the king, but only kill him if necessary."
Trenton paused, collecting his thoughts. "I was part of that party. Under the guise of another group of negotiators, we tried to talk sense to him. As was expected, he refused violently and we retaliated. During our battle with the king, our mage, Kyther, cast a banishment spell on the king, sending him to another world where he couldn't do this again.
"Ever since that day twenty-five years ago, the valley has been peaceful, but without kingdom. There were no noble relatives left and no one wanted to rule anymore, so the castle and the town near it were abandoned and fell into disrepair. The closest we have to a king is Kyther, the sage, who lives in the north end of the valley." Trenton leaned forward and pointed to a house on the map a little ways north of the lake. "Kyther doesn't rule like a king, but is always available for advice. Many of the elders from the towns in the valley go to him for important questions."
"Do you think this Kyther would mind a visit from us?" Kevin asked.
"He welcomes all visitors. I would be very surprised if he minded. In fact, he might even be expecting you."
Kevin nodded. Addressing the other three in his party, he said, "We might want to talk with him after we're finished here."
"Probably a good idea," Cindy agreed. "He might be the powerful wizard that Paul talked about in that--"
"Excuse me for interrupting, Miss Cindy," Trenton interrupted. "Did you just say Paul?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well--" he started, but didn't get any further. There was a sudden shout for help from outside. "Excuse me," he apologized briefly. He quickly got out of his seat, reaching for his sword as he left.
Kevin walked over to the open door after Trenton had left.
"Well, I think that we should--" That was as far as he got in his statement. He stared out the door.
"What's wrong, Kevin?" Tony asked, turning around in his seat.
"I think you should come see this."
Sharon jumped out of her seat and ran over to the door. "What is it, Kevin?" she asked. Kevin just pointed outside. Sharon looked outside and gasped.
Cindy and Tony had gotten up from their chairs a bit more slowly and had made their way to the door. Both stared, surprised, at the sight before them.
Rich stopped suddenly. Scott, who was staring at the weeds in the path at the time, nearly ran into him, but saw Rich's shadow before he hit him and halted.
"What's the hold up, Rich?" Scott asked.
Rich turned around and held his finger up to his lips. The other three had stopped and were staring at Rich. They listened carefully. Besides the occasional bird singing, the air was quiet and still. Scott pivoted around, listening in all directions. After a few moments, Crystal, exasperated, sighed.
"What did you hear, Rich?" she inquired of the cat. Rich still stood there, absorbing the silence. Crystal didn't like being ignored, so she was about to ask Rich again, when she heard the sound.
After the first instance, there were a few more, accompanied by some faint yelling. She was trying to place the sounds she was hearing.
"Sounds like a sword fight of some sort," Rich explained to the group.
Crystal listened to it for another moment. "I think you're right. Sounds like it's coming from the town we're heading to."
"Do you think they're in trouble there?" Lisa asked.
"Could be. Tough to say," Rich admitted. "Scott, how far to the town from here?"
"Probably about another half a mile or so. Just around that bend in the path, I believe."
"Let's hurry and see what's going on, then," Rich suggested. "We should probably help out if the town is being attacked."
"Is that wise?" Doug asked.
"We'll worry about that when we find out what's going on, okay?" Rich turned back around. "Let's go!" he shouted behind him as he broke into a comfortable run. The others looked at each other, shrugged and followed.
A horde of small green humanoid creatures was rushing down the forested road, advancing on Arapatta. Most were running, holding a small sword or knife in an upraised hand. There were probably around forty to fifty of the creatures in the horde, all obviously unhappy about something and, unfortunately, apparently willing to take it out on the villagers. Some men from town, including Trenton, were gathering just inside the wall, near the road, with various weapons in hand. Trenton was attempting to rally them.
Sharon watched the scene unfold with distaste. "Goblins," she muttered.
"Goblins?" Tony asked. "Those are goblins? Like the ones we fought last night in our role-playing forest fight?"
Sharon nodded silently.
"So, what should we do?" the minotaur queried.
"Well, my conscience is saying that we should help them fight the little monsters off," Kevin stated. "But I'm also wondering why we should risk our lives?"
"Well, if we don't help them and the townspeople get beat, won't the goblins come for us next?" Cindy noted.
Sharon was already starting out the door.
"Where are you going, Sharon?" Kevin called to her.
"I'm doing what I think I should do: help this village out. Remember, we're more powerful than most normal people now."
Kevin sighed, shrugging. "You know, I hate it when someone talks me into risking my life." He jogged to catch up with Sharon.
Tony just stood there, undecided. Cindy touched his arm. He looked at her. "Excuse me, Anthony. You're in the middle of the doorway."
"You're also going out there to fight?"
"Sharon's right. We have to help out here. It's the proper thing to do."
"But what if we get hurt?"
"Then I heal us up. Don't forget I can do that." She dashed toward the gathering army.
Tony took a deep breath. He felt he might regret this, especially if he had to kill one of the creatures, but they were all correct. He ran to catch up with the others.
Trenton noticed them running his way. He called to them, "Thanks, but are you sure you want to risk your lives for our town?" The rest of the villagers assembled stared at the four party members running toward them.
Sharon replied as she got close, "Yeah. We'll help you all get rid of these little monsters."
The others joined the militia group. Sharon looked at the coming horde and the wall. "Not a very sturdy or tall wall, now is it?" She winked at the other three. "Let's make a more dangerous barrier."
Sharon started chanting, holding her rod in front of her with her eyes closed. Concentrating on the spell, her earrings and the orb on the rod both started glowing red. When she opened her eyes a second later, they scanned a small path across the road just in front of the wall. Flames shot up from the ground and continued burning, effectively blocking the entrance to the town from the rapidly oncoming horde.
Trenton noted the fire barrier Sharon had erected and ordered the militia, "Spread out along rest of the wall and defend it with your lives!"
The militia spread out obediently and quickly as the horde sped closer to the town. Kevin and Tony dashed toward the western part of the wall, preparing for the onslaught. Cindy paced behind the militia's ranks, preparing her healing spells. Sharon positioned herself directly behind her fire barrier, planning her next action.
Tony unsheathed his sword. He took a deep breath as the first goblin raced right at him. It's either him or me, the minotaur thought. His confidence unexpectedly surged. No, he doesn't stand a chance.
The goblin jumped over the wall right at Tony with sword flashing in the midday sun. Tony, just like in practice with Crystal the day before, raised his sword, blocking the attack. As the goblin came down, Tony kicked out his foot right in the path of the descending goblin's torso. The attack connected, knocking the wind out of the goblin and sending it back against the wall. Tony hesitated, allowing the goblin to regain its senses from the hard hit. The goblin charged him again. Tony instinctively swung his sword outward in front of him in a large sweeping arc. The goblin jumped back hastily, but the swipe scratched its chest, opening a small wound through its flimsy cloth armor.
The goblin touched its wound, grimacing at the pain. Tony stood there, sword in a ready position, as the goblin turned its gaze back at the minotaur. Tony shuddered as the creature let out a scream of rage, charging and swiping at him. Deftly blocking the repeated strikes with his sword while slowly retreating, he waited for a counterattack opportunity.
When the goblin tried an overhand slice, Tony saw his opportunity. Using his strength, he blocked the attack high, pushing his opponent's blade abruptly upward at the end. As the creature's hands let go of its sword due to the powerful disarming stroke, Tony's wrist and forearm instinctively twisted, pulling his blade into a downward sloping lateral strike which hit the goblin full in the chest and abdomen. The goblin collapsed in front of the bull. Tony watched the goblin fall. He stood there, breathing heavily, stunned.
Wait? I just killed it? Tony thought to himself. I did that? His eyes clouded slightly as his hands dropped to his sides. He looked back down at the dead body of the goblin. This has to be a dream! Nothing is making sense anymore! He was about to scream before he caught himself. Get a hold of yourself, Tony. It was in self-defense. It's not like you searched it out and killed it. He took a deep breath. But, I still killed some--
"TONY! Watch out!" he heard Kevin yell. Tony's head jerked up in time to see another goblin charging him, jumping from the top of the wall. He swung his sword up just in time to block the attack. The goblin hopped backwards after the failed initial assault and swiped at the minotaur again. Tony was about to take a defensive position and prepare a counterattack when the goblin abruptly stopped and fell forward. There was a small dagger in the middle of its back. Tony looked at Kevin who was pulling back from his throwing stance.
"Thanks, buddy," Tony thanked his feline friend as he rushed back toward the wall. The goblins, after having lost a good number of their members, were retreating now. Sharon was standing behind her flame wall, casting another spell.
Kevin and Tony heard Trenton yell, "Charge!". They shrugged and started running toward the retreating creatures. Sharon completed her incantation and a ball of fire erupted from her rod and shot out toward a small group of goblins, immediately engulfing and incinerating them.
Kevin hurled another dagger at a retreating goblin. It connected cleanly with the back of the goblin's neck, causing the goblin to pitch forward, dead.
Tony stopped running after the creatures when it was obvious that he couldn't catch any of them. They had scattered and were dashing back down the road. Only about ten of them remained as they fell back into the forest.
The town militia still standing gave a large collective cheer. Kevin stooped over the goblin he had just hit, retrieving the knife. He sighed. Slightly saddened by the scene, he whispered to the dead goblin, "Sorry, but you did this to yourself."
Tony was waiting for him. The two friends exchanged gloomy glances as they walked slowly back toward the town. Sharon met them at the wall. The flames she had set up on the road had already died down. Tony, noticing Sharon, scanned the area for Cindy.
Sharon noticed the gesture, and addressing the bull, pointed toward one of the houses, "Cindy's over there. She's healing a few of the townspeople that got injured."
Tony followed her hand until he saw Cindy stooping over a man who was in obvious pain. The bull let out a small, weary sigh. The three sat down, exhausted, on the short wall. There was a melancholy spirit hanging over them.
Trenton noticed the three and walked over. "Thanks for your help. The townspeople appreciate it," he told them. He stretched out his hand to Tony. Tony looked at the extended hand for a moment. He finally accepted the handshake. Trenton noticed the hesitation and the glum expression of the minotaur.
As he released Tony's hand, he asked, "First time you've killed, is it?"
Tony sighed at the question and nodded once. Trenton looked at Kevin, who looked more angry than glum. Kevin noticed the glance from the man and explained, "Tony's a gentle kind of guy. Just give him some time to sort this whole thing out."
Trenton knelt down in front of the bull. "I know it's tough. If you have a good heart, no matter how many times you have to kill something or someone, it never comes easy." Tony looked up at Trenton. The experienced fighter continued, "Unfortunately, sometimes you have to do it, to protect yourself and other innocent people. If you only kill for those reasons, you can live with the pain it causes. Just don't let the pain eat you alive. Remember, you might lose someone close to you by not fighting when you could have saved them. And that's a worse feeling, trust me."
Tony looked at the head guardsman and nodded slowly, eyes still clouded slightly. He sniffed softly and leapt off the wall. Trenton stood up.
"Thanks, Trenton. Thanks for the advice," Tony replied. Addressing the pair of friends behind him, he told them, "Give me a moment alone, okay?"
Kevin nodded, sympathetically patting Tony on the arm. Tony walked slowly back to Trenton's house, thoughts flying through his head about his first battle.
Cindy stood back up, having just finished healing the last of the injured. She looked around quickly, trying to find the others. She noticed Kevin, Sharon, and Trenton talking at the wall. She scanned around a bit more, looking for Tony, before she saw him enter Trenton's abode. She jogged towards the house.
Kevin watched Cindy as she did this. He smiled a bit, knowing Cindy would help Tony sort it all out. He turned his attention back to the conversation Sharon and Trenton were engaged in.
Lisa slid to a stop on the dirt road. She hadn't expected to see anything like this. Crystal stopped right next to her and scanned the scene in front of them. About thirty small green-skinned creatures were fighting about fifteen men on the farmlands outside the town. It was obvious that the townspeople were in desperate trouble now.
Crystal and Lisa glanced at each other and nodded. They dashed into the battle, Crystal drawing her sword as she ran.
Lisa suddenly felt warm and much stronger. She quickly glanced back without missing a step and noticed Rich running right behind her, finishing a spell. Rich smiled back at her. "For your protection," he explained.
"Thanks, but I don't think I'll need it," she quietly admitted, smiling slightly.
Rich stopped and quickly cast his levitation spell. He then started preparing a larger spell.
Scott and Doug, who had stopped a bit further back, dropped their backpacks and drew their swords. "Ready to beat up on some goblins?" Scott asked Doug as they ran toward the melee.
Doug smiled a vicious looking grin. "You bet!"
Lisa jumped as she neared her first target. The goblin had his back to her as she landed on him, wrapping her legs around his neck. Quickly using the leverage of this jolt, Lisa fell forward, still holding onto the goblin's head in her legs. She landed on her hands, wildly swinging the goblin into the air over her head and sending him flying. The goblin landed a few feet away with a loud thud, knocked unconscious. Lisa sprang back to her feet off her hands and looked around quickly for Crystal. Off to her left, Crystal finished a slash across the midsection of her goblin adversary. Her opponent fell to the ground. Crystal looked up at Lisa and the two quickly picked out their next victims.
As they advanced, they heard a loud swish above their heads. Two yellow orbs of energy flew harmlessly just over their heads, rushing to their intended targets a few yards in front of them. A pair of men were barely holding off the attacks of the targets of the spells, and were surprised when the goblins they were fighting suddenly lurched and flew a few feet away from them. The missiles had hit their marks, and Crystal and Lisa followed closely behind, willing to finish the job the magic had been sent to do. Crystal landed a strong blow to her shaken adversary, killing the creature. Lisa caught the goblin's arm in the middle of its sword swing and disarmed the beast. Fists and feet flying, she landed a good number of punches and kicks to its midsection, before finally flipping it over her shoulder. Like the last one, it landed hard on the ground, obviously unconscious.
"Thank you very much, misses," one of the two townsmen they had saved thanked them.
"Don't mention it. Plus, we have others to save," Lisa replied, and rushed off to her next adversary.
A few minutes and three more goblins each, Crystal and Lisa looked at each other, then glanced around the suddenly more empty farmlands.
"Well, looks like we're out of opponents," Crystal said to Lisa, pulling out a rag. After a quick cleaning of her blade, she carefully placed her sword back into its scabbard.
"Good. All this fighting is tough on the body." Lisa paused, adding in a melancholy tone, "And the mind, too." She clutched a small cut on her right arm from one of her battles. A small tear ran down her cheek.
Crystal hugged Lisa, comforting her. "Just remember that we helped these people in the process. So all this killing wasn't without reason."
Lisa looked out over the town they just helped. "Yeah, that's what makes me feel better about all this." She wiped away the tear. She noticed that a woman was approaching them.
"Well, there are the butt-kicking ladies," they heard behind them. Lisa and Crystal turned around to see Scott and Doug walking up behind them, cleaning and sheathing their blades. Scott was smiling at the comment he just made.
Lisa squatted into a fighting stance, fists ready. She grinned as she retorted, "You wanna piece of this?"
Scott laughed, holding up his hands. "I'll pass on your offer for now." With a nod, he gestured toward the town. "Anyway, we have a visitor and you kicking me around in front of strangers wouldn't be polite."
"Or healthy for you," Doug added, smiling.
The woman that they had seen approaching was now standing in front of the four. She looked like she was near fifty years old. A mixture of gray and hazel hairs atop her head, tied back in a simple ponytail, waved in the light breeze. Her beige robe was embroidered with a simple, multicolored pattern and tied around her waist with a plain red sash.
"Thank you so very much for helping save our town," she said. "I'm the head elder of Caladone. You may call me Tressa."
Crystal bowed. "You're very welcome, Miss Tressa. Let me introduce ourselves. I'm Crystal. This fine lady is Lisa. The two men behind me are Scott and Doug. And--" Crystal paused, looking around the farmlands for the group's tricky magic user. Tressa motioned slightly in the upward direction.
"And my name, Miss Tressa, is Rich." Rich drifted down between Crystal and Tressa from his position over their heads. Crystal stepped back as he landed. With his feet back on solid ground, he reached for Tressa's hand, kissing it gently. "Excuse my rude entrance," he apologized to the old woman. Tressa blushed slightly, not being used to such charming gestures from strange feline wizards, but quickly regained her composure.
Lisa whispered to Scott, "And I thought you were corny around women." Scott chuckled softly.
"I heard that, Lisa," Rich whispered back to Lisa, smiling. Lisa giggled.
The elder woman continued. "We would like to thank you for your help this afternoon. Please follow me."
Scott spoke up, pointing behind him. "I'm sorry, Miss Tressa. We left some of our belongings back on the road before we began fighting. Could you wait for a moment? We'll quickly retrieve them."
Tressa smiled. "No need for you to carry that back here." She called to two men close by. They came over to the group and thanked them. Tressa instructed them to find the pair of backpacks where Scott said they should be. They were then to bring them back to her house as soon as possible. The two men nodded and went on their search.
"Shall we?" Tressa asked the party, turning around and walking into the town.
The five followed closely behind her, accepting the thanks of the townspeople along the way. Rich cast his healing spell on Lisa's cut arm as they walked, chuckling with her about his behavior towards the elder woman.
Tressa opened the door to a large house in the center of the town. Holding the door for the party, they entered the domicile of the elder.
Crystal looked at the interior of the one-room house. "Very nice decor," she commented sincerely. The room was simply decorated, with multicolored and geometrically patterned blankets and rugs draped over most of the furniture. A sturdy and simple table with four chairs took up most of the center of the floor, with a few smaller tables and desks scattered along the walls with some small statuettes and adornments set on them.
"Thank you, Miss Crystal," Tressa replied as she entered behind them. "I'm sorry there aren't enough seats for all of you," she added, indicating the table with four surrounding chairs, "but please find somewhere comfortable to rest your feet."
Rich told the others, "Go ahead and take the chairs. Don't worry about me."
"You sure about that?" Scott asked.
"Yes, as long as Miss Tressa doesn't mind someone floating in her house," he addressed the elder woman.
Tressa shook her head. "However you feel comfortable."
Rich cast his levitation spell and sat cross-legged, suspended a foot in the air.
Crystal shook her head. "Showoff," she said to the floating feline.
Rich chuckled and shrugged. "Whatever works, right?"
The others took the remaining seats at the table. Tressa spoke to the party, pacing around her house.
"First of all, I would like to thank you again for your help in the battle today. Most of our militia is untrained because we haven't had to worry about mass attacks for years now." She stopped, looking at each party member individually. "Something has obviously happened recently that has disturbed the peace of this valley."
Crystal looked at the elder woman, confused, "How long has this area been peaceful?"
Tressa thought for a moment. She replied, "Nearly twenty-five years now. Ever since the fall of the deranged king."
"Deranged king?" Lisa asked.
"You do not know of the story of King Paul?" she looked incredulously at the group. She sighed as the party shook their heads, wide eyed at the mention of Paul.