It’s Not So Bad Down Here - The Tranquil: Part 2

It’s Not So Bad Down Here
The Tranquil: Part 2

   Caelan and Aethone had to reheat the cauldrons when Meline and Cailu returned with multiple members of the Forgotten. Among them were several familiar faces and they seemed slightly uncomfortable being here. Meline already knew it was because of the Forgotten being so used to sneaking around and stealing that such an act of kindness was met with caution. Pyrri greeted them and invited them to have a seat on the comfortable pillows and warm blankets while the Pullers were occupied with reheating the meals. The Forgotten carefully approached the area, and still not sensing or seeing any danger with their keen eyes, they sat or lied down. The Tranquil approached them and with calming and soothing movements, untangled their manes or gently brushed their rugged coats. Of course there were some who didn’t accept such a gift, and thankfully, the Tranquil didn’t push on but left them be. Meline simply observed the sight before her, with Pyrri sitting next to her, admiring the kind hearts of her clan.

   The air was soon filled with the amazing smell of the stew and soup once again, which meant it was time to distribute the portions. The Forgotten murmured their thanks and devoured the food that seemed like seconds. Meline, Aethone and Caelan were also allowed to have a bite before the Forgotten got their refill, which they devoured at the same rate as the first round. The topsiders could perfectly understand why - the taste was exquisite!

   With the food gone and even the cauldrons licked clean, the Forgotten seemed to be in a much better mood now. They were softly chatting with each other as they let the meal set in their stomachs. Among them on the nice pillows and blankets, Aethone, Meline and Caelan had also found a spot for themselves and allowed some relaxation time, while Pyrri taught them some of the gestures or expressions the clan used for communicating. Meline felt her eyelids getting very heavy.

   She could’ve dozed off for a moment as she was suddenly shaken awake by an angry growl nearby. This sound was suddenly so out of place that Meline nearly jumped up and noticed how Aethone, Caelan and Pyrri were vigilantly watching a group of four muscled and partially armored Haedians marched closer from the distance, which had also caused the relaxed Forgotten to tense up, some of them running between the trees and the rest staying put, somewhat reminding of scared cats with curved backs and puffed fur.

“Our sources were right, the criminals responsible for defiling the altar of the mighty Oris are here. Seize them!”

“Hold it. This is the Tranquil grounds and no violence is welcome here.”

   Pyrri informed the newcomers. She didn’t seem to be afraid of them, while Meline felt dread enter her mind in the presence of these hostile Haedians and Caelan couldn’t help but hide behind the towering Aethone, while Aethone herself observed the action calmly but in the back of her mind, she could sense clear trouble. The armored Haedians stopped right in front of Pyrri, staring at her with their eyes burning with anger.

“Step aside, Pyrri. This is none of your business.”

   But Pyrri didn’t move. The rest of the Tranquil were a good distance away together with the remaining Forgotten, which meant it was up to Meline, Caelan and Aethone to somehow ease the situation. Fighting them was out of the question, due to the respect for the ways of the Tranquil but mostly thanks to common sense, which told them they don’t stand a chance against strong and armored Haedians. As they stood there, awaiting each other's next move, the leader of the armored Haedians suddenly yawned. It was now when the Pullers and Empyrian noticed how Pyrri’s eyes had rolled back as she swayed her head slightly from side to side, to what the agitated Hae seemed to relax to. The other three were confused, but when the leader managed to utter the command to get the criminals before she dropped to the ground and fell asleep, they furrowed their brows and turned attention ahead. It was obvious that Pyrri could focus on one mind at a time, so they rushed past her to complete their task.

   But they couldn’t. They were stopped by a magical glowing barrier between them and Meline. Good girl had reacted fast and not wanting to fight once again, she took the example of Pyrri to use magic in this situation. When the Haes tried to pass by from the side, she moved the barrier along them. Sadly, this irritated them even more so they started to break through it with brute force. With every new impact, Meline struggled more to hold it. However, this was enough time for Caelan and Aethone to react, and they rushed to aid her - Caelan summoned his best skills in mentalism and started to target the Haedians’ minds to ease the irritation, while Aethone stood next to Meline, resonating with her magic and boosting it with extra energy to make the shield stronger. Since the first one was already sound asleep, Pyrri could snap out of the trance and joined Caelan in the attempts to soothe the other three while Meline prevented them from intruding. It took some time, but eventually the Haedians stopped attacking the barrier, which allowed Meline to drop it and switch over to a mentalistic approach. Aethone stepped forward to be a physical blockade if needed, and decided to summon a handful of magical fireflies to lazily float around the targeted Haedians’ heads. Thanks to this trick, Caelan, Pyrri and Meline could reach their minds easier and soon the outraged Haes had calmed down enough to listen to reason. Pyrri held the negotiations with them while our three heroes recovered from the intense use of magic, and after having reached consensus, Pyrri woke up the leader so the armored ones could leave. Everybody took a breath of relief when they turned around and headed back where they came from. Pyrri turned around and smiled gleefully at Caelan, Meline and Aethone, as this was her way of showing great gratitude.