Calling the Cavalry

There was a certain amount of nostalgia to the sound and scent of chickens, one Teri hadn’t thought she would miss as much as she did. True, the warehouse barrier’s lack of natural airflow would mean those smells would likely become overpowering, but for now, it was a small, but sad, reminder of the old home. It also meant she had little time to herself as she had to undertake the herculean task of bringing order to the chaos.

It was tiring, but seeing the relaxed faces of her kin made it worth it. The haunting gauntness of their flight had diminished slightly at the small return of normalcy and Teri hoped that the seed they planted the other day would grow quickly. Her thoughts turned to the memories of that day, both the adventure to claim that seed and the relaxing afterwards.

‘Maybe once things really get settled, we’ll be able to do more of that,’ she wistfully hoped.

“Thinking of your humans and bird?” Gryit suddenly asked, causing Teri to jolt slightly, so lost in her thoughts she hadn’t registered her friend’s mischievous presence. Kitai, who had been resting in her usual spot around Teri’s shoulders, let out a displeased squeak from the sudden movement.

“I don’t think Aeolia would like being called that,” Teri deflected as she turned to face her friend, frowning at the sight of Gryit’s widening grin as she gave Kitai a soothing pat.

“Don’t hear you denying it,” the tall goblin jibed. “You’ve been kind of off since Friday. What exactly did you guys do? I don’t buy you spent all that time just to find some barrier Mr. Hero might be able to turn into something we can use.”

“‘Mr. Hero’?” Teri questioned Gryit’s nickname for John. “And what makes you think John can do anything about the barrier we found?”

Gryit made a dismissive gesture and answered, “‘Cus it isn’t hard to see that he’d be the one able to do something. The others don’t seem like they’d be able to do anything like that. Hells, we saw him do some weird shit against that monster, so it ain’t a hard leap to think he might have something up his sleeve.”

“I think there’s a wide gap between what he did in the fight and shaping a barrier into something for us,” Teri said, doing her best to keep from letting Gryit catch on to the fact that John’s abilities were playing a part in giving them a new home.

“You know you have a terrible poke her face,” Gryit said smugly. “When you’re trying to hide something, your ears twitch backwards.”

Teri flushed and clamped her hands over the tips of her ears.

“It’s ‘poker’,” she grumbled in an attempt to delay talking about John’s powers or the world tree seed. “One word.”

“Ugh, why are you so tight lipped over this anyway?” Gryit asked. “Am I not your friend? Or is there some human custom about keeping secrets?”

Feeling actual hurt buried under Gryit’s humor, Teri sighed. “It’s not that I’m sworn to secrecy, but more that we’re not completely sure if it’ll work out in a way that’s good for us. No point in getting our hopes up just yet.”

“Guess that’s fair,” Gryit relented, placing her hands behind her head. “You know that the elders are expecting a quick fix. So don’t go and drag things out for dramatic effect.”

“When have I ever done something like that?” Teri chuckled.

“Well, you did hold off on your first showing as shaman,” Gryit answered.

“That can’t count,” Teri reproched. “I had to make sure everything went well. Not exactly a good omen if the ascension ceremony goes poorly.”

Gryit’s emotions fluttered with something dark and guilt touched, and Teri knew she likely thought about the misfortune they had experienced in the last year. Before she could say anything on it, Gryit beat her to the punch.

“None of this is your fault,” the warrior said solemnly.

Teri smiled weakly but couldn’t meet Gryit’s eyes. “Doesn’t feel like it sometimes. Vrexty seems to place the blame on me.”

“If he had legitimate claim against you, he would have tried to remove you,” Gryit said. “Plus, you got us our friends and everyone seems to like having an actual place to call home, even if it’s only temporary until you get us something better.”

“I suppose,” Teri said, a small smile working its way to her lips.

“And after everything’s settled, you can help me learn some of the human speech,” Gryit said with a grin.

With an exasperated sigh, Teri asked, “You’re still trying to go after Mason?”

Gryit nodded. “Figure it’d go better if we could speak the same.”

“Yeah, being able to communicate usually is a good way to start a relationship,” Teri remarked flatly. “Him being available for one is another. I’m not going to help you ruin his and Cammie’s.”

Gryit shook her head. “I’m not going to break them up. I can share. It’s working with Mr. Hero, isn’t it?”

“Not everyone can pull that off,” Teri muttered. “And Mason already said he isn’t comfortable with that sort of thing. Let’s not poke the bear and make him not want to help us.”

Gryit pouted then grumbled, “Fine. I’ll lay off it.”

“Thank you,” Teri said. Before she could shift topics, a low hum caught her ear, her gifted phone ringing. She fished it out of the satchel, seeing Vivian’s name on the display.

“John and Senka were pulled into a trap,” Vivian’s harried voice emanated from the speaker, sapping the warmth from Teri’s body.

“What?” she gasped out.

“They were out shopping, well, John was out shopping with his mother and the beacon went off,” Vivian recounted. “We’ve got a good idea of where it happened. Aeolia’s already heading there. Do you think you could whip up some help and meet us there? Mason and Cammie are out of town so we don’t have the van, and…”

“We can manage,” Teri cut her off, slipping into her professional tone. “Just to be sure, you’re calling us in as Blood Kin, right?”

“Yes,” Vivian answered.

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do,” Teri said. “Text me the area and I’ll let you know when we’re on our way.”

“Okay,” Vivian agreed. “Beth and I are on our way there.”

“Good luck,” Teri said. “And don’t try to be heroes. Cavalry’s going to be on the way.”

Vivian made an acknowledging hum and ended the call. A second later, a text arrived with the location information.

“What was that about?” Gryit asked, an anxious curiosity radiating from her.

“John was ambushed,” Teri informed her as she began to march towards where the elders had set their quarters. “Vivian has called for aid.”

“Should I start getting everyone ready?” Gryit asked, her posture straightening as she put on her professional face.

“Let them know things might be about to happen,” Teri said after a moment. “I can’t guarantee that they’ll let us go.”

“Be a big mess if they denied a call for aid from Blood Kin,” Gryit remarked. “Even K’mels would turn against them for it.”

“We can hope,” Teri muttered, and she nodded at Gryit as they reached the door to the elder’s chamber. The warrior returned the gesture and dashed to spread the word. Pausing to take a focusing breath, she knocked on the door.

“Enter,” came the soft voice of Bryit.

Teri walked in, her pace reflecting her urgency. The three elders sat at repurposed desks, though Teri had no idea what they needed them for, besides to feel important.

“Shaman Tsxhel,” Tjkon said with a smile, “to what do we owe this visit?”

Teri was somewhat confused that Tjkon was the one speaking for the elders. He was the one she had the best report with, if only because they hadn’t really interacted. But Vrexty usually took command of everything, which made his letting the others speak first an oddity.

Before she answered Tjkon’s question, she glanced at the head elder. He looked strained slightly, like he was holding aloft a great weight. She resolved to think on it later, given the circumstances, and began to plead her case.

“I received a call for aid from our Blood Kin,” Teri stated. “Some of them were caught in an ambush and the ones who did not have requested our assistance.”

“We are not exactly in the best position to be rendering aid,” Tjkon said after a moment of thought and a glance to Bryit. “However, to ignore the call would invite greater ills upon us.”

“A small company will have to suffice,” Bryit added. “Losing as many as we did, we can’t send all the warriors out anymore. Your party will consist of four.”

“I understand,” Teri said. “A few would be fine. Makes it easier to get there.”

Tjkon made a gesture, dismissing Teri. She nodded and exited the room, running into Gryit just outside it, already geared up.

“Troops rallied,” she reported. “We going?”

“Only a few of us,” Teri answered.

“Better than nothing,” Gryit said. “I think Grekol and H’metl are our best bet.”

Teri nodded, finding them to be fine warriors. She scratched Kitai’s head, rousing the dragon.

“Go find Grekol and H’metl and lead them to the door,” she bade her flying partner. Kitai let out a coo and flew to carry out her order as Teri and Gryit marched towards the exit. By the time they reached it, Kitai was already leading the two warriors to them.

“Time to repay the humans, right?” Grekol asked.

Teri nodded and H’metl asked, “Just the four of us?”

“The clan can’t afford to lose any more warriors,” Teri explained as Kitai landed on her. Their faces turned grim as they recalled the forest monster.

“Well, we ain’t going to save anyone standing around,” Gryit stated, clapping Grekol and H’metl on their backs. “Shall we get going?”

The two warriors nodded solemnly and Teri fished out the orb with Vivian’s invisibility array. She fed mana into it, creating a field that obscured them from sight. Kitai let out a trill and Teri felt her shadow twisting magic wrap around them too, furthering their veil.

Protected from sight, Teri led the small party out the barrier and they began their relief march.

‘Hold on, guys, help’s on the way.’

-9 HP

John wasn’t sure what was worse, the pain burning though his body from the claws that ripped into his flesh from the vine hound or the shriek of horror from his mother at the sight of him getting hurt. He felt his mana drop slightly and a spike of shadow manifested over his left shoulder before it shot out at the attacking hound.

7 DMG

The hound let out a snarl as it retreated before it could take further damage, sappy discharge running from the puncture wound on its shoulder, joining the various small cuts John had been able to inflict.

‘That’s around seventy overall damage,’ John thought as his chest knit back together. Sadly, his shirt didn’t repair itself, the ragged edges of torn fabric sticking to his chest due to his blood.

“I’m fine, Mom,” John huffed out, unable to glance back at her. A part of him was glad he had to keep an eye on the monster before him. It meant he didn’t have to see her likely terrified face or show her his bloody and torn shirt. “Barely scratched.”

‘It’s getting more aggressive,’ Senka noted as the hound continued to circle them.

‘Think whoever sent it is done playing it slow?’ John asked.

He got the impression of Senka nodding. ‘It’s testing our ability to fight. And now they’ve seen Black Thorn. Do you think we should still play it coy?’

‘No point in playing into their hands,’ John answered. ‘But I think boosting up with Rushing Winds should be subtle enough to not give anything away.’

The vine hound took his telepathic discussion with Senka as hesitation and charged again. Without missing a beat, John invoked his wind spirit’s bolstering effect, increasing his Agility by more than fifty percent of its current amount. With such a boost, John was easily able to adjust his footing, evading the bounding beast and bringing his blade down hard against its back with a sickening crack.

30 DMG

The blow **** the hound to the ground, its legs splayed out. Green viscous sap spurted from the gash across its shoulders as John pulled the Greatwood Sword free. In a fluid motion, he brought it up high and spun it around, bringing the point of the wooden blade to point at the oozing wound, and drove it down.

25 DMG

Vine Hound Defeated

104(6) EXP Gained

The Vine Hound vanished, leaving a few pieces of loot. Before John could collect it, Brenda let out a surprised and terrified sound. John whirled around, his eyes wide with fear as he saw his mother ensnared by creeping vines, one sliding over her mouth, the rest coiling around her limbs. Then a figure stepped out from the trees behind Brenda.

He was slightly shorter than the two Newmans and built like a truck. He wore a cruel smirk on his face as he clenched one of his fists. The vines around Brenda tightened and she let out a panicked and muffled cry. He flicked his other hand and a number of vines began to grow around them, twisting into four more hounds.

“Can’t say I’m that impressed,” the man said in a rough voice, hate filled eyes locked on John. “That hound wasn’t even serious and ya still got tagged. Maybe this’ll make ya a better bit of prey.”

Thanks again for reading this little story. If you liked the chapter, please hit that thumbs up, and if you want to support my writing, check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/ScrapCrow. Get access to my chapters before they’re published here and join my private Discord.