The first attack came just mere moments after Gabe took position over Freya. One of the creatures leaped from the roof of a nearby building and angled its dive directly toward Gabe. Raising his offhand, he connected the artifact's mana to the spellform for Thornstrike, manifesting a foot-long thorn that shot through the air, impacting hard against the creature’s shoulder and sending it crashing to the ground in front of him. Before he could activate another spell, the dark-skinned man returned, slamming his staff into the creature’s back and again at its neck. When its tail stopped twitching, he twirled the staff around and pointed its tip at Gabe.

“You have five seconds to get away from Freya before I attack.”

This wasn’t good. Gabe had been so focused on getting to Freya and healing her that he hadn’t considered what Iansi’a’s party would do to him once he got there. He was saved from having to respond by Freya, who groaned while shifting positions underneath him.

“Lay off, Eldin,” she said sitting up. Gingerly, she poked at the moss that covered her injuries. Apparently satisfied, she slowly began peeling the moss away, revealing unblemished skin beneath. “See, he came back to heal me. All good, now please point your staff somewhere else before you get an arrow to the knee.”

Eldin held his staff where it was for a few heartbeats before eventually lowering it. Gabe let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. The Verdant Guardian class was strong, much stronger than he was without it, but already he could feel the mana granted by the artifact waning. He may have only cast a handful of spells, but his spiritual sense told him he was down to less than half. There was more in his life node of course, as far as he could tell he hadn’t even accessed any of his normally available mana, but there was only a single spell Gabe could access within the Verdant Guardian pattern that only used life mana and it was just a self heal over time buff.

Part of him wished he had grabbed the sword when they rushed out of the citadel, but there was nothing to it now. Feeling at least somewhat assuaged that Eldin wouldn’t attack him, he glanced down at Freya who was still pulling moss off her leg.

“Freya, are you okay?”

She snorted in the way that she does when she’s emotionally overwhelmed but trying to hide it. “I’d say I’m just fine, your fancy new spell patched me up right as rain. But the real question is are you okay Gabe? We’ve been trying to rescue you ever since you left. I was worried when I saw you leaving just now, but you came back for me so Alrik must not have messed with your mind too much.”

“I…what? Rescue me? From the professor’s vision?”

Before Gabe had time to parse what Freya was talking about, more of the creatures darted toward them from different directions all at once. He was just about to cast another Thornstrike when the man with the giant shield appeared, bashing one of the creatures to the side before slamming his shield into the ground, releasing a circular wave of amber energy that pushed all the other creatures back.

“We don’t have time for chitchat, there’s a battle going on in case you forgot. Freya, I know you’re happy to see your friend, but until he’s vetted we can’t trust him. This could be a trap. The gods only know how many times that gnome has pulled this kind of crap. Let Eldin do his thing and if you’re up to it, Iansi’a and Mirael could use your help with the alpha. Aim for the openings in its armor that Iansi’a has created and we should be able to take it down. Selira has gone quiet for some reason so we’re on our own until we can re-group.”

He addressed the group without taking his eyes off the creatures. He didn’t even stop talking as one to the left of him got on its feet and prepared to charge again. The ground beneath his feet shifted and propelled the man in front of it where the creature ran headfirst into his shield. The man wasn’t phased by the attack and he quickly pulled a hammer from his belt and swung it into the creature’s body with such force it went flying directly into one of its kin that was just shaking off its own dazed state. The two creatures collided and collapsed into a pile, neither one moving.

“Let’s move people, we still have an active situation here,” the man said peering over his shoulder at Gabe, Freya, and Eldin. When his gaze passed over Gabe, his eyes were hard and calculating, causing Gabe to involuntarily shiver. Those were the eyes of someone who had borne witness to something truly horrific. Just what had Freya gotten herself wrapped up in? He was about to ask her as much, but his friend was already getting to her feet and testing the string of her bow.

“Freya?”

“It’ll be okay Gabe, you’re safe now. Just do what Eldin says and stay close to Thormar,” she said tilting her head in the direction of the man with the shield. “They’re good guys, or at least Eldin is.”

“I heard that,” growled Thormar.

“You were supposed to,” chuckled Freya. “Look Gabe, I’m sure there’s a lot that doesn’t make sense. Compulsion spells are a bitch to recover from, but Eldin here is a terrific healer. He’ll make sure your thoughts are your own while Thormar keeps the seraphdrakes away from you two. Just sit back while we take care of this. Thormar, a little lift?”

Thormor grumbled something under his breath as he stomped a foot on the ground, a pillar of earth rising up underneath Freya and catapulting her to the roof of a nearby building. She landed with a roll and had already fired two arrows at the alpha creature before she was back on her feet. Gabe couldn’t help but notice that she had said “while we take care of this”. Somehow, in just a week or so since he’d gone with the professor, Freya had become a member of this elite team. His own journey had been full of revelations and changes, but somehow he thought things back in Aranthia would stay the same.

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“She’s pretty amazing, isn’t she?”

While Gabe was watching Freya, Eldin had come closer to Gabe, close enough that Gabe was officially within range of Eldin’s staff. He fought the urge to grip his knife tighter and instead sheathed the weapon. If this Eldin character was half the warrior Thormar was, then a measly dagger wasn’t going to help Gabe anyway.

“That she is,” Gabe said standing up from the crouched position he’d taken when healing Freya and looking Eldin in the eyes. “What did she mean when she was talking about compulsion spells? What is she even doing here?”

The next few moments passed in silence as Eldin regarded Gabe. When the man spoke next, his words were curt, measured.

“Freya is here because she could not be convinced to stay behind while we searched for your group. I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you have been lied to. Alrik Foontwal is a criminal and a fugitive. We have been sent to arrest him for a litany of crimes, the most severe of which are unlawful mental dominance of another sapient creature, treasonous acts towards several kingdoms and nations, and murder. You have unfortunately been caught up in a scheme concocted by a very evil wizard. Until we can determine that you are of sound mind and not acting as an agent of Alrik’s, we will be forced to treat you as a prisoner.”

And there it was. Gabe would have laughed out loud if the circumstances weren’t so dire. The thought of Professor Alrik being some evil wizard plotting treason against anyone was just ridiculous. Gabe still had some unresolved feelings of his own regarding the gnome and how he withheld the truth of what they were searching for, but even with that he just couldn’t see how anyone who spent five minutes with the professor would think him capable of such atrocities.

“Look, Eldin was it? I’m sorry to say, but you guys are the ones who have been lied to. Professor Alrik isn’t a criminal or a mind controller, He’s just someone who’s trying to prevent a slaughter. I don’t know why, but there’s someone in your organization that does not him to succeed and has sent you all after him. This has to be a big misunderstanding, if you could just arrange a meeting with Arch-Magus Vernma, I’m sure this will all be sorted out.”

Gabe knew it was a long shot, but if Freya trusted these people then he hoped that they could be reasoned with. Eldin didn’t respond right away, his expression remaining neutral, until at last he replied.

“Our orders come directly from the Arch-Magus himself. I repeat it is you who is mistaken. I will ask this only once- do not resist. I know a powerful spell that will remove any trace of mental compulsion or dominance magic. If you try to fight or run away, I will be forced to subdue you and place you in restraints, but the result will be the same. Do you understand?”

Indecision warred within Gabe. He was hesitant to subject himself to unknown magic, but he also knew that the best chance of resolving things peacefully was by complying. Ultimately, he knew that there wasn’t really a chance. He comforted himself knowing that the longer he kept this group’s attention, the more time Simon and Professor Alrik had to get away.

“Fine, cast your spell. It’s not going to do anything, I’m not under any the influence of any mental spells.”

Eldin didn’t respond, instead, he lifted his staff and began waving it through the air in a complex pattern. When he finished, an orb of silvery liquid materialized above Gabe. Without warning, it dropped on top of him, the liquid cold as ice as it made contact with his skin before sinking down into his soul, where he felt it for only a moment before it dispersed. There was a cracking noise as the bark coating his body began falling apart and he immediately became aware of a soreness in his back, an indication that both of his other buffs had been canceled as well.

“Thanks for that,” griped Gabe. “You could have given me some warning that your spell was going to remove all my active buffs. But see, still me.” He held his arms out and spun around. “No compulsion spells, no other form of mental trickery. I’m telling you, you guys have it all wrong.”

“That will be for Iansi’a to decide. You will wait here until the rest of my team finishes off the seraphdrake alpha, then we will all have a little chat.”

Gabe didn’t have to wait long. With Thormar more than capable of handling the few remaining seraphdrakes still on the ground, Gabe resigned himself to watching the fight against the alpha. He still couldn’t believe just how good Freya was. From her perch on the rooftop, she let loose arrow after arrow, each hitting the alpha in spots where the woman with the flaming wings who Gabe assumed was Iansi’a had carved away its scales. No matter how the beast maneuvered or flew through the air, Freya never missed her mark.

The end came as the beats of the alpha’s wings became more labored and it no longer flew high above the city. It struggled to remain airborne and at last, Iansi’a flew above it, her glowing sword elongating as she cleaved through its neck. The alpha seraphdrake’s head went flying, knocking over a building a few blocks over as the rest of its body dropped to the ground, sending a shockwave through the city.

After that, all there was to do was clean up the remaining seraphdrakes that hadn’t run away. Just ten minutes after the alpha fell, Gabe found himself face to face with the elite battle team of the Pathways of Illumination, with Freya standing amongst them, trading insults and compliments with equal measure.

“Gabe, I know this must be tough for you,” Iansi’a said, stepping forward, the others falling silent. “I am Iansi’a Ere’ialo, a Knight Captain for the Pathways of Illumination. I don’t know what Alrik told you, but I assure you I and the rest of my team are the good guys. Freya can attest to this. We’ve been spending a lot of time together and she’s really become a part of the team.” She looked over her shoulder, giving Freya a warm smile before returning her gaze to Gabe. “You could too if you wanted. Freya has told us all about your gift with life mana, we could always use an extra healer. Would you like that, to join our team with Freya?”

When Iansi’a first approached, Gabe prepared himself for the flood of accusations and demands he was sure to follow. The sincerity that came from the elf was certainly not what he was expecting and it caught him off guard. He’d been ready for an interrogation, not an offer to join the team. What was going on?

“Um, I don’t know. I’m not even sure why you guys are after Professor Alrik. I already told Eldin, I think you’re making a mistake.”

“It does seem like we have some opposing perspectives,” she said, nodding along and still wearing an inviting smile on her face. “Tell you what, why don’t you tell me everything you know about Alrik Foontwal and we’ll see if we can sort out this mess. I would feel awful if we’ve been mistakenly hunting down an innocent man.”

A wave of relief washed over Gabe. If he could convince them, then maybe they’d even help the professor. He cast a glance over at Freya who was nodding at him. Clearing his throat, he started to tell the group everything that had happened since he left Aranthia that day.