With a start, Kapricus jumped to his feet hastily, nearly falling over. "Sir, My men and I ventured forth in the most dangerous direction, killing and evading many enemies, and during our most recent battle, some kind of fox creature ambushed us right on the heels of a dastardly ambush by some grass-beasts! We fought them off as best we could but were forced to flee. Luckily, My top-tier nose allowed me to scent this miraculous oasis, and these berries I discovered were perfect for stopping the bleeding of my man here, who lost his arm as the cost of retreat. I'll tell you, This scouting I've done will be instrumental in spreading awareness about our enemies, and even this oasis will be an essential resource! Surely I've done a meritorious deed?" Unable to decide between irritation and amusement, as was standard for working with Kapricus, Lord Cillas spoke, " Why do you say the effects of this oasis will be so amazing? I see nothing in particular which stands out, and this strange scent seems to be from this bush." "Well, Milord, It's impossible to truly describe the effects of this water, I can only advise that you drink a handful or two. I can promise you the effects are only positive; My man and I would both be very dead without this water." As much of a braggart as Kapricus was, Few had more loyalty to the city than he, so Lord Cillas leaned down and sipped some of the water before Gillard's over protectiveness could stop him. A moment passed and Cillas just about began berating Kapricus for lying, when suddenly, the mana is his body began rapidly increasing in density. Acting quickly so as to gain more insights, Cillas sat and began his meditation; quickly he was almost literally pulled into the trance state as he watched the mana in his body. Rather than him somehow absorbing external mana like a kill would be, he realized that it was actually the wellspring that had ben boosted. Entering the inner region, The disc shape ring he had made was much larger, and the wellspring was properly overflowing like a fountain now, instead of just wisps. Deciding now was as good a time as any, He took the disc and worked it into a spiral, where the potential would flow along a single track from beginning to end before finally becoming mana and entering his body. With this process, he felt the mana was being generated at a slightly better quality, like it was purer, or maybe denser. By the time he had finished his improvements, the Wellspring stopped overflowing and settled to generating at a rate that was a noticeable portion faster than it had been in the past, which was surprising. Now that the effects of the water seemed to have ended, Cillas left the wellspring region and checked the mana in his body once more. Surprisingly, The higher quality mana that was now being generated was positively influencing the mana that his body had already been infused with, meaning that he would not have to worry about significant loss of progress for improving his wellspring in the future. It was taking some time, however, so he would keep that in mind. Taking a second sip just to be sure, the water was indeed a one-time improvement, though it likely had uses outside the obvious. Standing, he got back to work immediately. "Men, I want everyone to take a sip or two of this water and cultivate the gains at once. Since it only works once, Kapricus and I will keep watch." The others began the process, and as they settled in to consolidate their gains, Cillas Turned to Kapricus. "You were right; This water will be a vital resource to boost our citizens. I'm unsure if the boost is flat or based on what the recipient currently has, but It would be too risky to wait. The usefulness of this water can only increase with time, especially as new children are born who need mana and training. Can you tell me more about the berries?" "Indeed Milord. Their miraculous properties Stop bleeding and also improve blood production for a time, since the effects of blood loss have been cured in what's left of my group." "Good. I want to bring any berries not still on the bush to be brought back for potential agriculture. Also some of the water; I want to know if the effects wear off, or can be diluted, among other uses. We'll likely have to make camp here tonight, but the commanders were told to expect me back in two to three days, so there's not much worry there. I want to-" An extremely loud howling interrupted Cillas' Speech, and many of the group meditating were shocked out of it, forced to stand and ready for what would likely be a difficult fight. The men formed up into a defensive position without needing orders; a result of their training. before long, one howl became two, became three, then it became difficult to tell how many enemies were inbound because of the overlapping howls and the fact that the disorientation was already setting in. Trying not to squirm in place, the men held stalwart, even with the disorientation getting worse and worse. Cillas found that the disorientation was significantly less than he had expected from reports, and had a thought. "men, try infusing your ears with mana, perhaps it will have the same protective effect as mana has on stopping the unnatural bleeding caused be the grass-beasts!" "It works Lord!" "This is good news, but we'll have to make the fight quick or else our mana reserves will deplete!" At this moment, three foxes jumped out from the grass in front of them, shortly followed by three more behind, and two to each side. The lead fox was twice the size of the others, and it's eyes had a gleam of intelligence that was startling. The men of Lodras were formed up well, so instead of being ambushed from behind, they were merely stuck in four fights against four groups. None of them had any experience against this new enemy, so it was best to be cautious. Before long, the fight began.