****************************POV Marcus*******************************

I enjoyed the morning sun for a moment and then went back to work on my field of slaughter, as I called it. I wanted to create the targets for my fireball squad first. Detonating a fireball into another explosive target could wipe out enough enemies in one go that they might rethink their attack. As they would be quite close to the wall at this time, I hoped that I would have killed a good part of them already at that time.

I sent a thought to Chara to come to me half an later, as she was my only free guardian at the moment as I was sure that Galen and his wives would need some time to gather enough strength for the rest of the day.

That half an hour should be enough for me to craft a decent test object for her to blast. First I build a pillar of stone again with 2 meters height and set hollow orb onto it, the size of a human head. Then I used clay again and filled the inside with it, charging the clay with mana to the brim, registering that it took 300 mana. I would have to increase my level if I wanted to charge all my clay bombs.

Chara walked to my newly created contraption and studied it closely, “Master, what is this thing? I sense mana in it, but I can't make sense of it.”

I was very satisfied with my work and said smug, “That, dear Chara, is an experiment of mine that will hopefully break any will to fight left in the goblins when they reach the walls. Let's get back to the wall and then you will throw a fireball at this orb. If everything went the way I want it to, then it will blast its surroundings into meat paste.”

She looked dubiously at me and frowned, “I don't want to be impolite but you sound more like a villain to me than a nice and sane person. I thought that you only wanted to build a city and not create weapons of mass destruction.”

Her words washed over me like cold water and erased any satisfaction and happiness for my new weapon, “You are right, Chara, but as history has proven more than one time, I have to defend what's mine because of the greed and stupidity of other people. Most of the old cities on my former homeworld had a very brutal and bloody history. The more power a city has the more enemies it attracts. That's a fact I could easily pass upon.”

We had reached the wall and Chara climbed the vines easily without getting hurt. As it seems my plants didn't affect my guardians at all, which is very useful information. Chara turned around on the wall and guessed the distance, “Should be around 50 meters, I think. The others should be able to hit it easily. Shall I cast my spell now?”

I looked around me and with only some kids and adults around I saw no reason to stop my little firecracker, “Go ahead and blast the thing. I want to see if it does what I hope for.”

Chara concentrated shortly and then threw a fireball at the orb with great precision.

Maybe I shouldn't have imbued to it with so much mana, because the blast was so strong that it vaporized the pillar, a good part of the ground it stood on and 10 meters around it. The air blast hit Chara with enough strength to threw her of the wall down to the roof of a shelter, making her roll dangerously close to the edge. Splinters of the orb and the pillar hit the wall and shredded the vines, burying themselves deep in the wall.

The bang was so loud that everyone in 5 kilometers distance should have awoken from it. The unfortunates close to the center were deafened, and even I could feel the vibrations in my crystal.

A mushroom cloud arose at ground zero and I watched the spectacle with horror as I was sure that I had unleashed hell on this poor planet. Explosives with so much potential for destruction could also easily destroy my beloved city. I would have to develop some counter measures in the future to disarm any such objects if I wanted to live peacefully and secure.

Chara shook her head and tried to stand up, but her balance was off and after almost dropping down from the roof she just crawled over to me with pure horror on her eyes. Her gaze examined the place of the blast and I could see, that I have destroyed a part of the child in her.

Fear and disbelief dominated her expression and I felt remorse for what I had done to her.

I sent her a mental pat and my honest felt regret for her unwilling flight lesson. To my surprise she grinned slightly madly which caused a shiver down my imaginary spine. Maybe I created a real firecracker here. Well, I will never have to search for a demolition man or woman anymore.

I knew rationally that I couldn't spare her the horrors of war and killing other beings, this world was such a primitive and brutal place, but I also knew, that the sooner she prepared herself for what was coming the better her chance for survival was. That didn't make me a lesser jerk for destroying her childish soul and replacing it with a battlemaiden.

The other elves came running up from the river with their clothes in massive disorder, some with weapons drawn, others prepared to use magic. Galen and his wives came running too, their looks alarmed and sending me demands for information if there was an attack.

After their gaze wandered to my test zone, they gave me reproachful looks and I had to admit that I felt a little bit of regret to have disturbed their fun.

“What the hell has happened? This looks like the front court of hell! Did you cause this, Lord Marcus?” asked Kitara with an eager tone in her voice.

“Ehm, yes, I tested a new idea of mine and it turned out a bit more devastating than expected.”

“A bit? A bit he says and everybody in 10 kilometers distance has been knocked out of bed by this blast.” Nala seemed a bit more agitated than her co-wife. Maybe I disturbed her morning fun?

“That was quite the explosion, Marcus. Could you repeat it next time with a little less juice? It seems the wall has gotten its part of the force and Chara looks also a slight deranged.” Galen wasn't as agitated as Nala by a big margin. He almost looked excited about my next test.

“Next time? Are you all nuts? He almost blasted our new home to pieces with his crazy ideas. Even Gillian lost some leaves because of the explosion. Can't you see that he gets crazier from day to day?” The person talking didn't register with me. An elf with short blond hair, middle aged I thought, with a rather plain face and ragged clothes. He had a somewhat zealous look in his eyes and spittle flew from him as he held his speech.

I took it easy and answered calmly, “Hey fellow, I don't know you yet good enough to remember your name, but you can always leave this place if you're unhappy with the way I handle this place. Do I have to remind you, that you came to me and not the other way round?”

The guy was startled first, but got back fast, anger and something other in his eyes, I couldn't place right there, “We didn't have much choice then, as our leaders decided to collaborate with you, but I think I speak for all the others that we're not happy with this situation at all...”

“STOP!” I interrupted him rudely now, “Everyone who thinks the same like this guy here, speak up now before he creates a bigger mess than he already did.”

The man wanted to say more, but Galen and my other guardians felt my anger and moved in to hinder him influencing more people.

“See? He sends his minions to subdue us! He's just a dungeon core in another face. Don't let yourself be blinded by his promises and shake off his chains before he can cement his hold on you.”

I had to give it to him, he knew what to say in such situations. If I wanted to keep on the good side of the elves I would have to do something about it fast, as I saw some sceptical elves watching my guardians.

“Galen, Nala, Kitara, step back. Chara, go to my crystal and stay there for a while.” My guardians didn't look happy with the situation but obeyed me, “Now to you, who still hasn't told me his name, you are free to leave whenever you want. I will even try to give Gillian enough mana to create a new seed for another hearth tree, but only after I have dealt with the goblin incursion, that your people has brought upon me. If you should choose to stay here, get it into your head, that this is my town and that I rule here. Kalla and other chosen man and women, advice me for the needs of their peoples, yes peoples, there will be more than just elves, but the last decision will always be mine.”

“So you will just get more races here and our opinion will be worth less with every new stranger! Our children will be dominated by your will and that of humans, orcs and even perhaps goblins. You won't destroy our future, you vile follower of a goddess who has plagued this world for ages.”

I watched the other elves and felt their fear and uncertainty of the future pull them to my opponent.

“Okay, so who gave you this buff for more children? Who gave you a home and a shelter? Who will give your children and their grandchildren a place to live and learn? You? Or I?”

The man looked angered and turned to the crowd with outstretched arms, “He tries to persuade you with empty promises. What did he give us, that we couldn't have done without his help? A wall? Some shady shelters? We could have done that all without relying on his help.”

I interrupted him again, “Oh yeah, and what about the hearth tree? Could she have grown so fast with only your help? Would your goddess have blessed your tree already? When have you spoken the last time with her and received her help with anything?”

Now I could hear murmer and some elves distanced themselves from the guy in their midst. He wasn't pleased to see that his support dwindled and threw angry gazes at the dissenters, “It could just be a big fraud staged by him and Tiria! Whoever can guarantee us that it was real? I....”

Suddenly I felt Gillian's presence like a pressure subduing the man and everyone around him, “SHUT UP! I am the best proof of Alvera's blessing. Do you question this fact, traitor?”

Gillian stood visibly before the man with green glowing eyes and a regal posture. I could feel the massive strain it caused for her and tried to offer my help, but before I could do something, I felt divine energy gathering around Gillian.

Gillian's voice became stronger and was imbued with Alvera's power when she now stared at my opponent, “What is it? Do you still want to deny that I got the goddess blessing?”

The sentient tree made even me shiver with the power she emitted, the idiot before got much more than me and I saw him wet himself, which made me chuckle inwardly. I was curious how he wanted to object to her?

He didn't at all, as he just let his head hang down and dropped to the ground as if all energy had left him. The other elves watched him with disgust now, but moments ago they had almost given him their vote. Hypocrites, all of them. I will have to keep my guard up and protect myself better from now on.

Kalla and the other elders seemed shocked how this scene had developed and turned their pleading eyes to me. I withdrew myself back to my core to think about what happened and ordered my guardians to stand guard around my body. I didn't want some fanatic idiot to get any fancy ideas,