Part 6

A barrier spell.

He couldn’t see it, but he could feel it.

It had surrounded both the yard and the house. It was the first line of defense for the residence.

The man stood in the yard but did not take a step forward. He could feel that something was off.

"Locate."

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

The floating metal ball began to melt and drip into the ground, spilling out on the floor. Out of the liquid that had spilled on the floor, gray rats began to emerge from the puddle.

The small metal rodents began to spread out in various directions. They were small enough not to trip over the barrier. The man stood there as he let the pest move about through the yard, looking for the barrier seals.

"Squeak"

A small noise broke through the quiet night.

Even though the mouse had no organs, the metallic mouse was squeaking at the man. Several mice are surrounding a potted plant.

"They found a seal."

With no organs or bones, the metal mice slid under the potted plant and pushed it to the side.

There was a small symbol engraved into the stone. The mice began to converge on the stone tile, clawing and chewing at it. The pressure of the rodent’s assault broke the stone tile into several small pieces.

The man took a step forward into the yard as the mice began to look for their next target in the yard.