***Tirnanog, The Mycelium***

***Astra***

“Kill them!” someone among the crowd shouted while one of the guards thrust his spear at me.

I redirected the tip with my armour, then caught the shaft behind the blade and pulled forward.

The unfortunate guard lost his footing and stumbled with his face right into the sole of my boot which rearranged his face, hopefully for the better.

“Just what is wrong with these people!?” Thalia screamed with suppressed frustration, swiping her wings back and forth to keep the guards at bay while Mark fired arrow after arrow, taking non-lethal shots at limbs with uncanny precision. It was as if he could predict in which direction his target would try to dodge.

Thiago and Ginevra were the only ones having real trouble with the guards, so I sent out another lightning bolt, singing the ground between my comrades and their attackers. I didn’t want to kill or injure them, just force them to retreat and give my comrades some room.

“What are you doing?” Vencer screamed and gestured for more of her people to join the fray. “Get them!”

I tried to think of a way to defuse the devolving situation, but nothing came to mind. These people were insane and not listening to reason. It was true that beating up their guards and killing a few of their zombies hadn’t helped, but there wasn’t much we could have done differently without knowing their culture!

Yes, maybe we could have avoided killing shrooms, but who in their right mind would venerate a monster, a parasite who animated dead bodies!?

Yes, Magnus could have held back a little more, but the stupid guards attacked first.

And what was wrong with their major? Vencer hadn’t even tried to calm down her people. Instead, she had ordered her guards to attack soon after giving us the justification of us violating her people’s customs.

Disregarding injured pride and local traditions, what leader would have her people attack six paired warriors who had braved this world’s wilderness!?

They behaved like they were totally oblivious to the social relationships and power level between us! They were from some small, failing village while we were messengers from one of the big clans! Instead of treating us like the dignitaries we were, they were trying to take our gear and arrest us as if we were common vagabonds!

“For the last time,” I called out. “Step down or we will stop holding back!”

Jumping back, I dodged another spear and swiped my own to force the guard back.

“I’ve had enough of this!” Magnus announced in a dangerous tone and flash stepped, appearing right in front of Vencer, and hitting her right on the chin with a perfect uppercut. Before the guards next to the major could do anything, he hefted the disoriented woman and flung her upwards, using his entire body in what looked like a weightlifter’s final effort.

He flash-stepped again and the guards’ weapons swiped through empty air where Magnus had been just a moment before.

Appearing on top of the town hall, Magnus caught Vencer’s limp form and held her up for everyone to see.

“Stand down, or else!”

Seeing their major in the hands of their opponents made the guards and townsfolk hesitate where my words were ignored.

“Everyone,” I tried once more for diplomacy. “If you just lower your weapons and allow us to talk about this, I am sure there is a solution to our problem that doesn’t involve more people getting hurt.”

I looked around, searching the eyes of the people around us.

For the moment, the fighting had stopped, but as the silent stand-off continued, another problem became blatantly clear. Nobody stepped forward as the authority person next in line. These people, it seemed inconceivable to me that they had no chain of command, but it looked like this was indeed their current problem.

Thankfully, a new element inserted itself into the mix in the form of a man whose plant-like mutations had a strong resemblance to the girl we met at the wall.

“All of you idiots, stand down or I will spank you like the little children you are! Nobody uses violence in my place and gets away with it!”

I gestured for the others to lower their weapons, which was received well by the newcomer because he gave us an approving nod.

His eyes wandered consequently to the guards and to Magnus, who was still holding Vencer hostage. A few of the guards had climbed on top of the town hall by now and were threatening Magnus with their weapons, but they didn’t dare to come too close since Magnus was holding their leader.

“Them first!” Magnus called out, throwing a venomous glare at the guards.

I sighed inwardly, hoping Magnus wouldn’t get carried away again. “Magnus! Put her down.”

Magnus looked between me and the guards, which was not fast enough decision-making for the newcomer. Out of nowhere, fibrous roots broke out of the ground as well as the town hall’s roof, arresting the feet of every guard and townsfolk.

“What the heck!?”

Magnus tethered dangerously, his own feet also caught up in the suddenly revealed plant material which was apparently undermining the structure of the entire village.

More roots coalesced into two giant tentacles, one giving the rooted Magnus a lazy slap while the other caught the unconscious major.

My partner was flung off the roof in a low trajectory, hitting the wall of a building next to us and breaking it. The wall collapsed, burying Magnus beneath a pile of debris.

I winced, but I had seen that Magnus’s armour was intact. He would have a bruise, but he survived worse when Ancient Zacharias gave us a beating.

The newcomer turned to face me with a disgruntled expression. “Now to you lot. Why are you causing a ruckus in my village?”

I took off my helmet which I had put back on as soon as the fighting started. Then I bowed to the man, already having a suspicion about who we were facing.

“We are messengers from Clan Aerie, carrying an important message from Ancient Mary Frost for Ancient Balthasar Pinault. We are deeply sorry for the damage and injuries caused to your people, but the villagers wouldn’t listen even after we offered to make reparations for perceived offence.”

The girl from earlier, Charmaine, ran up to Balthasar and tucked at his sleeve. “Listen to them, father. They could have killed the stupid Quintuplets after they hit the lady, but they didn’t.”

He looked down at his daughter and frowned. “If you met them earlier, why did you bring them to Vencer instead of me?”

Charmaine threw up her hands. “How should I have known? They wanted to see the village leader. Not you.”

Balthasar clicked his tongue and swiped a displeased gaze over the rooted townsfolk and guards, apparently searching for someone. Having found his target, the root network brought a plain-looking villager over to us, handing the man’s feet from root to root as if the man was floating.

“What happened here?” Balthasar asked.

“They killed shroomheads!” the villager accused.

“To get past them,” I clarified.

“And injured our guards!” the villager accused.

“After they attacked us,” I clarified.

“And then you took our major hostage!” the villager accused.

“After she ordered the guards to arrest us and take our gear!” I clarified, finally having enough and raising my voice. “Thalia, what's wrong with these people? Do they suffer from some slow-acting fungus infection reducing their brain function or what!?”

The villager gasped at the accusation.

Meanwhile, Thalia hummed while thoughtfully massaging her earlobe. “I don't believe an infection would work that slowly. However, they might suffer some massive vitamin D deficit because of all this fog. It's proven that sun deprivation can impact cognitive capacities, causing stress which leads to heightened aggression and readiness to assume risk. From what little we have seen of them, it stands to reason that their isolated community might suffer some overconfidence. Judging by the man’s emotional state, there might also be a political reason why they don’t want strangers to be involved with Balthasar. Ah, hit the nail on the head, did I?”

Thalia shot the villager a gleeful expression, reminding me of a firehorn having caught its prey.

The villager glared at Thalia. “Is that supposed to be an insult, mindreader?”

“Though, aside from the matter with Balthasar, I believe part of the problem is also an isolated community slowly going nuts,” Thalia gave her final verdict, ignoring the villager. “This man gives me bad vibes. His feelings towards us are xenophobic and rigid because we are strangers. The same goes for more than half of the people here.”

“I don't have to listen to these insults!” the villager blustered.

Balthasar gave Thalia a judging look. “You are a Tate.”

Then his eyes wandered to me. “And one of Mary’s ilk.”

He let out a long sigh before returning his attention to the villager. “Tudeus, why did you and Vencer let it get this far.”

Tudeus looked at the ground. “People coming here and asking for you can have only one reason. They want something, and if that something causes you to leave the village, we are left without protection.”

Balthasar frowned. “So you decided if you could take care of the problem without involving me, all the better?”

The villager nodded.

Balthasar returned his attention to me. “It seems like I have to apologize – partly. Perhaps I should have held back a little more before hitting your partner.”

I waved my hand. “Oh, Magnus is fine. He has been hit harder.”

“Though, he will be mad once he regains consciousness,” Mark mumbled from behind me.

As if prophesied, a mad cackling came from beneath the debris and discharges of lightning danced along the ground before one of the larger pieces of the wall moved, revealing Magnus’s armoured form as he pushed up the debris lying on top of him.

“Ah, if you would allow me,” I talked quickly to stop Balthasar. “Mutation, he’s a little unhinged when there’s fighting!”

I dodged around the Ancient and ran up to Magnus, sending out a bunch of my filaments to wrap around him and prevent him from flash-stepping anywhere. “Magnus stop!”

He threw off the piece of wall hindering him, still chuckling, and I karate-chopped him when his glowing eyes locked on Balthasar. “Magnus! The fighting is over!”

We already talked about his battle mania in the past and Magnus always came up with some excuse as to why he was still in control of himself despite his crazy laughing. So far, it had worked out in our favour but after this incident, I was inclined to believe that Magnus was in denial.

As long as it was a normal fight, his assertion to be in control seemed true enough. But somewhere along the line, he had started overreacting whenever something threatened me. So far, I was willing to overlook it, but this was the last straw. The next chance I got I would talk to Gaia and Thalia about the problem.

Still on his knees, Magnus looked at me and gripped his spetum tightly to stay upright. Something within him seemingly warred between cold intellect and instinctual behaviour, but at least he stopped laughing. At last, he rose and swiped the dust off his armour. “I see. That’s good.”

I sighed in relief and helped him to his feet before we returned together to our comrades.

“Do you see now?” Tudeus asked. “They are dangerous.”

“I don’t know who he is, but can I hit him?” Magnus asked, still a bit wobbly on his feet. “My dad always said: Light hits to the back of the head improve the ability to think... though I believe it has more to do with motivation.”

“No!” Balthasar replied quickly after having listened to his quip. “I won't suffer any more violence in this village! Tudeus, go away! The same goes for the rest of you!” He gestured at the villagers and the guards. “I can't believe Vencer and you ill-begotten bunch tried to arrest travellers who made it through the fog! None of you comes even close to partnered warriors from the clans!”

He gestured with more shooing motions at the villagers, who followed his orders like scolded children. “Take care of the wounded and keep Vencer in check once she wakes up. I don’t want to hear anything from her until all the visitors are gone.”

Once the crowd was dispersed, Balthasar turned to us.“As for you people, tell me your message and be gone before you cause any more trouble!”

I searched a satchel at my hip and revealed the letter. “Ancient Mary Frost sends her regards. She gave us this letter for you with the request to bring you to her so you can have a discussion. Your old comrades are causing a lot of destruction and she needs to know which side you are on.”

Balthasar took the letter and read it, staying silent while his eyes flew over the text.

Once he finished, he folded up the letter and put it into a pocket. “You have risked much to bring this to me, but I have to deny Mary’s request. I cannot leave this village no matter who asks or it might fall.”

Thalia narrowed her eyes at the ancient. “If we might know… who else asked you to join their cause?”

Balthasar looked at our psychic with a surprised expression. “Miss Thalia, you are a little too good with that ability of yours.”

I raised my chin. “Mary made it clear in her instructions that she believes you would be at the very least a neutral party and that it won’t do us any good to approach you with less than total honesty.”

“If you must know, Ancient Nisha Dawson from Clan Vier arrived just a few hours before you. She is currently at my abode. Like you, she sought my assistance in this newest conflict.” Balthasar shook his head. “Just like her, I have to deny Mary. Aside from my responsibilities here, I just don’t want to take part in another conflict. I and the people with me have come here to avoid human conflict. I am not a pacifist, but I don’t see a reason to be drawn into your affairs.”

“There is nothing we can do to sway your mind?” I asked. “I am sure the Aerie can absorb a few more displaced people. A few hundred more or less won’t matter after taking in the Jeng.”

Balthasar shook his head. “We are doing fine enough for ourselves.”

A disapproving snort from my partner made me want to turn around and cuff him.

“With the uppermost respect I can muster, Balthasar, but it doesn’t look to me like your people are doing fine.” Magnus gestured at the village around us. “It’s plain to see that your village is slowly dying out. Your people are a xenophobic mess from what little I got to see. They have what looks like a little death cult going on with their ‘veneration’ of the parasites beyond the wall. And it looks like you can’t even spare the manpower to look after a child who should have no business at the village wall.”

I held my breath, feeling like Magnus had spoken a bit too candidly.

Judging by his expression, Balthasar was not pleased with my partner’s point of view, but after throwing a scolding glare at his daughter at the mention of her being on the wall, he let out a defeated sigh.

“At least you believe your own words,” the ancient admitted. “Denying it would make me a liar.”

Thalia raised a hand. “So, why don’t you allow us to at least talk to this Nisha you mentioned? We know so little about the Vier’s motivation to join the Thich. From our point of view, we are the recipients of an unprovoked attack. If you want to take a neutral position in all this, the least you could do is to provide us with the same amenities granted to Nisha.”

The Ancient looked taken aback at Thalia’s accusation. But seen from our point of view, Thalia was right with her assessment. Balthasar had invited Nisha into his house while he tried to throw us out as soon as possible.

His left eye began to twitch in what looked like an unhealthy quirk showing irritation.

Finally, Balthasar came to a decision and gestured down the road towards a stairway. “You are right of course. It was rude of me to try and send you off without so much as allowing you to rest while I invited others into my house. Just make sure that there will be no fighting. No matter whether you agree or disagree with Nisha.”