Mage And Wolf
Chapter 284

Chapter 284: Chapter 284

Song cycles through a half dozen portals, opening them all in the same spot before stopping and leaving one open. "That should lead you just outside the city gates, tell them that High Priestess Katrina sent you to see Lala about moving in. They’ll understand."

The Bunnies all happily pass through, the city guards giving them a friendly welcome once they see it’s Bunnies coming through and Lelou waving at them from the other side. When Song said right in front of the gate, he meant it. Ten meters away, on the shoulder of the road, facing the gates. If he’d gotten it any closer he might have given the guards a heart attack.

Once they’re all through, he closes the portal and cycles through them a dozen more times, leaving random ones open for a while. It must be the best way to confuse the Divine Transfer’s attempts to determine where the portal led.

"I’ve got a communication token from a dead Guard. Half his body was eaten, so if anyone comes looking, they’ll think it was destroyed, but we’ll still be able to listen in on any group messages they send." Lelou says, holding up a round wooden disc with the symbol of the Divine Transfer on it.

"Which target is next? Or do we wait a bit for the chaos to spread?" I ask, looking at Karl.

"Next up is a small city called Xanax. It should be a calm place." Oh no, not the puns, anything but that.

"It’s home to a Divine Transfer allied Sect that the last batch of refugees said was notorious for killing nonhumans. So we’ll go there and deal with them while they’re busy with the monster influx." Now that’s a notion I can get behind.

We set out carefully, not wanting to attract too much attention from the monsters we set loose, who have all but won the fight for this area. A few battles can still be heard, but most of the Guards are either dead or gone already, not even bothering to try reinforcing their position. Not exactly a shining example of loyalty to the cause.

Circling the location where the Beasts arrived, we avoid confrontation with them for now and make our way to a small village, unnamed on the map but supposedly human, so it should still be occupied. Xanax is a full day’s journey, so we will stop here overnight and cultivate. Karl is right on the cusp of a breakthrough. I can feel his Domain trying to activate fully, it just can’t quite finish yet.

A village is an interesting place, not as primitive as I had expected. The streets are cobblestone, they’ve got a water tower, and sewage flows to a holding pond outside town. Much better than the dirty and smelly normal state of Mortal Realm cities that gives them such a nasty reputation in the Higher Planes.

"Is that Dutch? It’s Dutch, isn’t it?" I whisper to Karl, indicating a business sign.

"Indeed it is. A cigarette shop of some sort. That makes things easier on us. At least they’ll be speaking a language we know and not some garbled local human dialect."

We walk the streets for a few blocks, finding the only Inn in town is a green and pink painted wooden building. They’re happy to see us, as all of their cultivators went out of town to deal with a monster attack, and they’re not back yet. As a small town, everyone is required to help out in case of danger, so we’re now their second line of defense.

They’ve only got two rooms for us, so Lelou and Elder Song play the part of a married couple due to their apparent similarity in ages. They’re not that far apart in actual age either, but that’s multiple centuries older than they look.

"You two sleep first. We’ll help the innkeeper keep watch and trade out with you after midnight." Elder Song’s words bring a smile to the older man’s face. He’s not a cultivator, and with the local Guardians busy, the stress of an impending monster attack has weighed on him. He can’t tell how strong we are, but since it’s more than him, and we weren’t afraid to come here alone, it’s enough to let him relax a little.

With the watch rotation decided, Karl grabs me in a princess carry, bringing me to our room before setting out the lucky beanbag chair and stripping down. "Come here; I’ve got a good feeling about tonight’s cultivation."

I’ve got a good feeling about tonight too, but only partially about cultivation.

A little after midnight, Karl’s Aura starts to shift. His Domain is activating, and to me, it feels like pure arcane energy. The raw magical power makes every nerve on my body tingle, and I shift my position on Karl, bringing contact to more sensitive areas and a sigh to his lips. We’re so lost in the feeling that we don’t even hear Elder Song warning us of the incoming attack by the Titan Clan. In fact, we don’t notice anything until we’re forcefully thrown through space and paralyzed by an influx of Divine Energy.

[Are you alright? I seem to have been transported somewhere Dark, and I can’t move. It feels like you’re still nearby, though.] I send to Karl through the mate bond in a panic.

[Same here. But there are other people around me. Many of them, but nobody is moving or making a sound.]

Well, that’s disconcerting. I tried contacting Elder Song only to find that all access to cultivation energy had been cut off. But something is moving near me now, loud and heavy footsteps accompanied by a clang of metal on metal.

A giant hand grabs me around my head, squeezing and lifting me into the air. I’m still unable to move when I feel something pressed around my neck and then a click of metal on metal and a burst of heat near my throat. Did they just collar me? Who do they think they are?

"Get up, girl. It’s time for you to work." The command comes from a gravelly voice, and the bag covering my head is removed.

Blinking away the sudden brightness, I find myself in a holding room, intended for hundreds but currently only holding me. I’m thankfully still in my leathers and unharmed, but two Titans stand next to me. Immortal both by birth and Cultivation, while my powers are entirely sealed.