The pounding of hundreds of heavy hooves growing louder, each beat vibrating through the ground, accompanying the movement of a hundred riders clad in black steel armor thundering down the hill, like an all-devouring black wave, were more than enough to stir panic in the crowd despite Wetina’s voice cutting through the chaos.

“It’s Drackar! It’s Drackar!” she yelled.

I snorted realizing the confusion.

“Calm down! They are our troops!” I said, infusing my voice with mana. That did seem to ease most of the tension, though a few still darted toward the side streets. Ju leaned in close, whispering in my ear.

“Maybe we should design a new flag for the barony? It’d make our troops easier to recognize!”

I nodded, picturing Drackar riding beneath a black flag emblazoned with a white pigeon clutching an olive branch in its beak. It would definitely leave an impression. I tucked the thought away for later.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I realized the leather jacket I’d worn was proving to be a serious mistake. With the suns blazing overhead, I was practically roasting alive.

As I shrugged off my jacket, Ju’s scandalized gaze locked onto me.

“I’m melting,” I muttered, hoping to explain myself.

“Oh, I thought you were just making yourself presentable for your friend,” she whispered in my ear, her eyes gleaming with sly amusement.

I shook my head, half in disbelief, half in exasperation.

The company halted just before entering the village, and only a small group of riders advanced at a light trot through the crowd. The remaining people instinctively parted to make way, their murmurs fading into silence.

The riders stopped and dismounted in near-perfect unison, their movements fluid despite their heavy armor. Metal boots hit the ground with a series of resounding thuds. Drackar handed his reins to an accompanying orc and strode toward us. He looked worn, his expression grim, and his complexion darker than usual.

“Blessed be your hearts!” he called out loudly in greeting, and several people, including me answered. He turned to me, nodding respectfully.

“Lady Lores, we are under attack. My recommendation is that you and these good folks retreat to the castle while we deal with the attackers.”

“Is that why you’re here?” I asked, wondering as to how could he show up at the exact moment the horns sounded? Since how long were we under attack?

Drackar blinked, momentarily confused by my question, scratching sheepishly his head with his left hand.

“Ah!" he replied "We were training with the troops after noticing... let’s just say, some lapses in discipline. Since we knew about the congregation, we'd already planned to be nearby, ready in case we were needed. The moment we received the warnings, I decided it was best to hurry here and secure the perimeter around your ladyship without delay.”

I raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing him.

“What kind of attacks?” I asked. The entire congregation seemed to be hanging on our words, eager to know what was happening.

“Arson and random killings,” he said grimly. “We don't know who they are. They’ve hit three places so far—two villages and one hamlet. In each, they killed a few peasants, set fire to houses and food stocks, then disappeared before our boys could catch them.

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“There’s still fire in Donnercup, the hamlet on the Northern Rim,” he continued, pointing northward. “But the southern village, Deraa, is the real worry. We’ve had no further news from there. It could be bad.”

“Mom! Let me check what’s there!” Sid’s eager voice echoed in my mind.

I nodded instinctively, but realizing that he’d used telepathy, I quickly replied, “OK, do so, but be careful!”

“Sure, Mom!” he chirped, his excitement palpable.

“There’s smoke to the east,” Woktarod interjected, pointing along with several others toward the hazy horizon.

Drackar sighed, his expression darkening. “That’s new. It might be Malahe village.”

“How did they get there so fast?” Tom wondered aloud, his voice tinged with alarm.

“Where are they coming from?” another voice chimed in.

“Are they everywhere?”

“How many are there?”

The questions swirled in the air like a rising storm. Two attacks on the Northern Rim and one on the southern border of the barony—was this a coordinated assault, closing in from all sides?

Before I could fully process the implications, a deafening, earth-shaking dragon’s growl shattered the tension. Sid soared above us, brimming with eagerness, his roar reverberating through the air.

“Ahm...” Drackar hesitated, his eyes darting to me inquiringly.

“Where should the dragon go first, Drackar?” I asked, keeping my tone calm despite the murmurs rising from the crowd around us.

“I think Malahe village is the most critical. It's all the way to the East and we have no news from there. Then the Deraa village, but you and the others here should head to the safety of the castle's garrison and the protective field you erected last night. It’s the most secure place right now.”

I felt a wave of relief hearing Drackar mention the protective field. We hadn’t had the chance to agree on how to explain the spirit tool’s barrier to the people, and now that was settled.

“You did what?” Ju asked, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.

I nodded to Drackar, then took Ju’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze to remind her we’d talk about it later.

Turning to Alice, I said, “Alice, please take the lead and guide our people back to safety.”

Then I addressed the vice-queen and the prince. “Your Highness,” I said respectfully, “as Captain Drackar mentioned, the castle is now protected by an additional domain field. It would be wise for you to retire there until we resolve this situation.”

Finally, I turned back to Ju. “I’ll explain everything later. For now, I’ll stay here with Captain Drackar.”

She shook her head firmly. “I’m staying too. There won’t be another healer here, while the castle will have plenty—” she gestured toward the paladins and elves “—so you’ll need me.”

She had a point, and I could see there was no convincing her otherwise. I let the matter drop. Ju always did have a knack for being right when it mattered.

Most of the villagers had dispersed, while the people from the castle gathered around Alice to form an orderly column. Drackar instructed Hordius to take half of his orcs to accompany the group retreating to the castle, ensuring their safety.

There was a brief commotion when the prince initially refused to leave, arguing against retreating. Some of the paladins even suggested opening a portal to the capital for his safety. After some tense deliberation, however, the prince reluctantly agreed to retire to the castle, as did the vice-queen and her elves.

Before leaving, Alice approached me, her brow furrowed with concern.

“Should we leave now or wait for the children? They’re on the way to a farm about half an hour from here. It was planned as part of their visit after the lament singing!”

I sighed, weighing the risks. “Go now, Alice. We’ll take care of the children and bring them safely to the castle.”

She sighed, her expression apologetic.

“Sorry for adding to your worries,” she said softly.

Before I could respond, she pulled me into a quick, warm hug. Then, without another word, she turned and hurried off to join the column.