Between Battles

Getting back to the estate is easy. William has teleports down and knows each of us now. "That lock spell drained my mana. Everything was harder."

"You'll still want to learn it." I say looking around. Everyone looks ready for the incoming battle.

"Yeah. Glad Al is letting me visit. Finding a master class teleporter... I'll learn different spells from them versus from my father." William isn't looking for the battle I am. He knows out direction.

"Or Odin." I need to copy him. Focus on our following of Raida.

"Or others, yeah." William walks with me behind Raida. Butch is just behind.

Raida greets someone which has us walking toward my mother. She's marked lead. I did suggest that made sense before. She is a knight in her heart. No one can counter the fact the queen is the highest position here. And her qualifications as a knight still make her worth listening to. She understands knights. She probably would still be one if she didn't marry my father.

"You're back." The queen scans each of us. Then inhales sharply. "Where's Hydrangea?" She pulls me in for a hug. There's comfort in her tight embrace.

Raida offers a bow, "With Al. She... Took a bad fall. But don't worry. She'll come around in a bit." There is no fears of where Hydrangea is. Al was safe enough. I was safe while there.

William holds up his hand. "I'm going to go back in a bit. If we have a healer available..."

"That would be me." Callie says behind us. William spins to face her. "Let's go." William grins taking her hand. They'll gone in no time.

"She can't handle actual battle, so she's useless to keep here." Mom says looking over each of us. "Recount it." Raida goes into the details as she knows them. Then Butch fills in the rest. I have nothing to add actually. They knew about how my arrows because kill shots. Listening to the tale from their perspective, though... I was an active part. I am being marked the one who defeated Brok even. Will everyone believe I actually did the work? That I came up with the strategy? Crown princes gets special treatment. Yet...

I frown. "My ritual attempt didn't work." It was my first thought. I didn't think I'd be useful with the bow. I figured I just get in the way. The ritual, though, didn't work. At all.

Mom tugs her chin up. "The ritual requires you to be guarding your home. If it's not a place you're considered in ownership of, it won't work."

"That lock zone may have denied it, too." Butch adds. "Magic was impossible for me. Everything fizzled out. I tried to do a fire arrow. Failed attempt."

Mom waves him to try now.

Butch steps to the side. Once with a free space and open zone to shot, he loads his bow again. The arrow becomes covered in fire the moment it leaves his bow. It lands in a bucket of water at a distance. Glad he didn't try to set anything on fire. "Brok was a tough goblin. Given Al thought he had a chance to defeat you, I can't be shocked, but..." Butch frowns scratching his head. "You wouldn't've had any issues. Not with that."

"What about the fodder spell?" I ask him. Butch shrugs.

Mom thinks it over. "If he created zones of mana drain plus having a fodder spell? It may do it."

I blink. I didn't think that Brok was the one who created a mana drain zone. But it is possible. A lock zone is known to make things difficult. But Al was on our side. And a quality sorcerer. Our magics shouldn't've been limited. Unless Brok was the problem.

"Not to mention, the amount of magic in the weapon increased the effect of the electrical field." Raida adds. I didn't know that. "A normal sword wouldn't be a big deal. Hydrangea had a vampiric blade. It's impressive magic level. A normal fight would always leave her a victor with it."

"Unless the level of magic made it more difficult." Mom grasps the meaning as well. "I'll keep that in mind. Those aiming for me may do similar."

"Do you think Brok was capable of all of that?" I ask. It seems a little absurd to suggest that honestly. "I wouldn't call them conflicting, but normally a goblin sorcerer has one magical tree to work with. Only their talent. Even Al only had teleportation specialty."

"Then magical artifacts?" Mom blinks.

Loud noises has us turn to see the incoming battle. Goblins can sneak, but not when there is that many of them. They look like their going to war.

Mom reaches for me. "Tell your father."

I want to respond, but Mom teleported me back to the castle. I stare at the wall of my room. This is where I teleport when I am forced home. I pull out my letter from Odin. The bonus one. He hasn't replied yet. I give a quick response explaining the battle and how Mom is in the middle of it. Then I start on my path to my father. I know where he should be. I assume he'll be there.

If not, someone should know.

On my walk to my father, I am announced. It doesn't take me long to walk into my father.

His eyes scour me then pull me in for a hug. It's tighter than even Mom's. Did word reach him. Father waves his guards to move. "Join Telligence. This is not going to be easy." He says nothing more until it's just us standing in a random hall. He pulls back to review me again. "We need to get your mother out of there."

Is that my goal? Bring Mom here? "How? She'd never just leave a battle."

"They're aiming for her. We need to get her out of there." Father brings me to the teleport stone. He resets it. "This may be something I never thought I'd do, but..." He hands me a letter sealed. "Go. You'll understand when you get there."

"I will?"

Father doesn't take kindly to my response. He pushes me to the stone. I have no choice but to reach out and touch it.

It has me recalling most aren't used to teleportation. Yet I have always had it around me. I'll even be able to teleport myself in the future. Right now, though, I need to figure out how to save Mom.

Someone is out to get her.