Another Fae was near Sophia and tried to console her. “There was nothing you could do. You can’t tame new Monsters and still prevent your Monsters from killing the newly tamed ones during a fight. You gave an order to your Drakes, so they will do all they can to stop the Black Shucks.”

“The Black what?”

“That’s the name of those Monsters. They live in packs of ten individuals, but this pack was enormous, and they were killing any Demis, Oomans, and animals they could catch, and their number kept increasing because of so much food available in this area. They are vicious, violent, and extremely dangerous Monsters, and they are also known for attacking other Monsters and eating them. By exterminating this pack, you were doing a favour to anyone who lives in that City back there.”

Meryda looked up at her Drakes and Karkadanns, who were flying in circles and looking down, searching for more targets.

The Emptiness and the Salamander were again next to her, and Craydon got up the moment the Fae, which was protecting him, melted on the ground, setting him free.

He looked back at the group of soldiers and Mages, who were now pointing their swords and staffs at them, and he asked, “Is that a way to thank someone who just saved your lives? Talk about being ingrates!”

One older Demi-Cat Mage dressed in a dark blue robe signalled the other Mages and the soldiers to lower their weapons, and he took a few steps forward. He stopped three metres from the unknown group and made a slight nod. “Thanks for the help, but you can’t blame us for being careful. We all thought we were about to die the moment those Drakes landed. And there are also two Karkadanns with them, flying high in the sky. Who are you?”

“Just a group travelling north to the front lines near the mountain range of the Demon's country. We saw you were fighting down here, and it seemed you were in trouble, trying to prevent that horde of black Monsters from attacking the City behind you. Which country is this? We have been flying for a while, and it gets difficult to find out where one country ends and another begins.”

The older Mage gave a slight smile and said, “You are on the east side of the Kamawaran Kingdom, and that City is Sumgon. We are between the Shoq League and Oka, actually, and if you are travelling to join the front lines, you have to go to Oka next. Even by flying, it will take a few days to get to the front lines if you stop to rest.”

Craydon sighed and complained, “This voyage is taking way more time than I anticipated. I thought we would be there by now!”

“My name is Adad Rholed. Are you the Monster Tamer? I suppose the little girl is an Earth Mage, considering the Spells she used.”

“I am just her father. She has all the Magic in the family.”

The old Mage blinked a few times, completely astonished. “She is a Monster Tamer and an Earth Mage? How is that even possible?”

“I honestly have no idea. So, considering your group and the fact that the City is now safe, we should get going. We have a lot more land to cover.”

“It is getting late. Why don’t you all come with us and rest in the City? We have a few cosy Inns, and even the Guild of Explorers and Adventurers has some empty rooms. I will give a good word for you, considering how much you helped the City, and your room and meals will be paid for.”

Craydon looked at Meryda, who seemed too tired to camp and sleep on the hard floor, and he said, “We could accept that offer if it wasn’t because the last City where we were and a Count there tried to prevent us from leaving. I am not sure if he wanted to deliver my daughter to the Ooman Alliance, or if he wanted to make her work for him. Considering we are already travelling to go to the Alliance, trying to snatch us for a reward seems pointless.”

While pointing to the Drakes and Karkadanns, which were still flying in circles in the sky, the Mage said, “It would be stupid of us to try anything with those Monsters over there. Not to mention the dangerous Salamander and the deadly Emptiness near your daughter. Please accept my sincere invitation and come with me to the City. They will receive you all as heroes the moment we tell what happened here. Maybe it won’t be needed, considering the guards stationed on the City walls probably saw most of the fight.”

The Fae nodded at him, and Craydon agreed to follow the Mage and his group. Meryda called the flying Monsters and told them to wait for her but to be on the lookout for any Monster who could try to attack the City during the night.

While the two Karkadanns approached Meryda and her father for them to ride, she gave two balls of Magic from the blue crystal on her staff to feed the Drakes, and they went to a nearby tree and lay on the floor to rest.

The older Mage joined his group and walked on foot towards the City, at least until another group arrived, holding horses by their reins for all the Mages and soldiers to use.

As they were approaching the entrance of the City, Craydon signalled with his eyes for Meryda to look up while mumbling, “It does look like something to give good luck.”

Above the main gate, there was a rocky sculpture engraved on the wall, very similar to the one in their city, Crosslot. It looked like a Human with horns, with the mouth wide open in a scream. On the left side of that one, a Human had a spear in his raised hand, piercing the horned head.

The moment the Karkadanns stepped into the City, a choir of cheers echoed in the walls around. Craydon looked left and right, surprised to see so many people on both sides of the main street.

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Meryda was all smiles, waving at everyone who waved at her. The smiling Fae was throwing kisses, much to the delight of the children who were in the street.

Adad Rholed, the old Mage, slowed down his horse and rode next to Craydon and his Karkadann and said, “I told you that you were all going to be received as heroes, but I wasn’t expecting this much. I have sent a soldier ahead to take care of a room for you and your daughter. The Inn also serves meals, and I hope you can join us later at a local tavern for a much-deserved celebration.”

“I have to decline the tavern. I have to go to bed early because we have to continue our voyage. It wouldn’t also be a good idea to leave my daughter all alone while I was drinking in a tavern, but thanks for the invitation.”

“That’s unfortunate. I am sure there would be plenty of people willing to know you better, with a good number of single women in that mix.”

Craydon saw the Mage winking at him, and he said with a slight smile, “One more reason for me not to go. I am already taken, but if you won’t mind telling me, what happened for so many Monsters to attack this City?”

“I am not sure. Black Shucks are mostly active during the night when they are almost invisible, but we never saw so many of them. For more than two years, those Monsters were attacking this area, but in smaller groups. Probably they were breeding because they had so much food available, and today, because their number was so high, they thought they had a good chance to invade and fill their stomachs. They would have succeeded if it weren’t for you and your daughter. That kind of Monster is deadly, and in such great numbers, it would cause a lot of deaths. My group went ahead to delay their attack, and the guards stationed at the walls were our last line of defence so that the people could have time to retreat to the caverns in the mountains nearby.”

“You mean, the Mages and soldiers that were with you were going to…”

The older Mage nodded and continued, “We all volunteered for that task, even knowing we had no chance of survival. Everyone who was with me against that pack of Black Shucks has family in this City, me included. Considering you are a father, I am sure you understand our reasons.”

“I do. But there are no Adventurers or Explorers? I only saw Mages and soldiers.”

“The few Adventurers and Explorers we have are all out hunting Monsters to keep our City safe. I am not sure if they are still alive or when they will return. If they had met that pack… they are all dead.”

Craydon went silent, thinking. Life in Crosslot was difficult for common people, the ones without Magic or without Monsters to protect them. He was extremely lucky because with Meryda’s Magic and her Monsters, he and she had never been in danger ever since they arrived in that world.

When the group arrived at the front of an enormous building with a sign on top of the front door saying it was an Inn, Craydon dismounted. Meryda joined him, and the green Fae took the Karkadanns to the nearby stable while the older Mage, Adad Rholed, said, “Once again, you have my deepest gratitude, and if there is anything I can do for you, all you have to do is ask.”

Craydon shook Adad’s hand and answered, “I am happy we could help, and I hope the Adventurers and Explorers will return safe and sound.”

While Craydon and Meryda were entering the Inn, back on their farm, Pof Grinun was scratching his head, staring at the absurd number of horses a bunch of Fae were mounting.

They had arrived at the farm moments ago, and Rusha Banei was wondering where she could put so many horses.

Tetil Stog, the happy Demi-Lamia, slithered to one horse and asked the Fae on his back, “What did you do, you crazy one? And why do you have a sword in your hand, and all the other Fae have swords as well?”

The Fae answered, after dismounting the horse and putting the sword on top of a pile of swords on the ground, “We may, or we may not, have confiscated these swords and horses from a certain Ooman army that was marching to get here to snatch Meryda from us. We had to sell a few horses and swords during our voyage to get here because we had way too many!”

Another Fae gave a huge bag to the curious Pof Grinun, and when he opened it and saw all the silver and gold coins inside, he gasped. “What the… This is a fortune!”

“We should go to the house and split the coins evenly. Fae don’t need money, so this is all for you guys and girls. Don’t forget Meryda’s share!”

Hazer Cemim looked inside the bag that Pof was holding and said with his eyes wide open, “But all this? And what are we going to do with all the swords and horses?”

“Sell them in the market tomorrow, maybe? Or the day after? That is not our problem; it’s yours!”

While slowly shaking his head, Hazer faced the mocking Fae and said, “But this is too much… We will take forever to sell everything!”

Pointing to the Bone Boars who were guiding the horses to the corral, a Fae answered, “You either sell the horses, or those guys are going to make food out of them! We know there is a Quest at the Guild from a few merchants asking for swords of good quality, and these swords seem to be well-made. Well, they came from the hands of Nobles, so we are sure these are good swords; the best money can buy, probably!” The Fae then looked around and asked, “Why are there so few Bone Boars here? And where are the Gigantic Spiders?”

While still looking inside the bag, Hazer Cemim answered, “They stayed on a farm not too far from here, finishing a water canal. We got a few orders from farmers asking us to build windmills or water canals on their farms. We are earning a steady income from those side jobs, and we just need to visit the places with the boars and the spiders and make a drawing for them to follow. They already know how to do everything all by themselves.”

“That’s so cool! That means you don’t need to go on Quests to earn money anymore! You can put the boars and spiders to work, sell the products of this farm, and with the money in that bag, you are set for life!”

Hazer Cemim gulped while messing with the coins with his open hand, feeling the coins tingling. “Yeah… We can retire already, and we are still kids. Our parents will freak out the moment we tell them we don’t need to work for the Guild, and that we have so much money that we don’t even know what to do with it!”

Rusha Banei clapped her hands and said, “Let’s go inside, everyone! While you guys split the money, I can finish dinner for everyone! Are you going to join us, Fae?”

“Only one of us will, if you don’t mind, because the others have to check if the horses will be alright with all those Bone Boars surrounding them!”

While one Fae followed Rusha and the kids, the others ran to the horses to make sure they survived the night so that the kids could sell them in the morning.