"Damn that beast man! Damien! Lift your spell!" Yelled Major General Marcus Muller to the trees in general, "What is going on in there?"
The path that connected the East Dormitory to the Magic Division's Infirmary had been ruined. It looked like a bulldozer went through the area and tried to dig a pool in the middle of it."
"Isn't the Chancellor here yet?" asked a black skinned professor wearing silver spectacles.
"Not yet, Professor Morell, they were in a late meeting with the rest of the college heads..." another professor answered, this one an elderly woman with lilac hair.
"Does anyone have any idea who the people in the woods are?" Professor Althea asked the rest of her colleagues. She has a bad feeling about the situation. "Are there students missing from the dormitories?" something tells her she knew the answer to her own question.
"From the magic division's East Dorm, there are still quite a number of students who have not returned..." Ms. Ermingard answered her. "It is, after all, still summer vacation and the curfew is later than usual..."
"Wait, I can feel the barrier rising..." Professor Morel said.
"This way!" Called General Marcus. They ran, flew, glided into the woods and deep into the adjoining forest until they came into a clearing devastated by a recent fight.
"There are bodies over here!" Called the elderly professor. "They seem to be wearing some sort of camouflage..."
The others looked around and found more bodies, some lifeless, wearing the same get-up. In the middle of the clearing, nestled on the flank of a gigantic wolf, were Dorin Silvius and Sebastian Revious. They seemed to be sleeping, their clothes thorn and filthy. Beside them sat a beautiful woman with pointed ears, wearing a silver cloak of weaved cobweb.
"Dorin!" Professor Althea ran to her nephew's side and was met by the wolf's growl. The fairy folk gently touched the large beast's head to calm it.
"Arlam." the professor with lilac hair called the lady. "Good evening to you."
"And to you too, little Belladonna" replied Arlam
"May we ask you what happened here?" asked Belladonna.
The fairy folk looked at a heap of bodies, then back to the elderly professor. "These people went after these young mages who have trespassed upon our forest." replied Arlam. "Brother Damien found them." she looked back at the fallen men. "We dealt with them accordingly."
"Are they all..." Professor Morell did not finish his sentence. One of the men in a heap gave a soft moan.
"There are a couple of lucky ones... I think." her gaze fell upon a prone body of the balding man. A large gash was on its neck. "The others.... not so lucky."
Major Muller knelt beside one of the bodies and looked into its pockets. He pulled out a wallet and opened it, his face turning darker. "These are imperial mages." he growled. "The University city is a neutral ground for all nations. Men like these have no right to be here unless they are part of a convoy with the right papers to allow them passage."
"They're back to their old games again..." Professor Althea said in an undertone.
"It's not like they ever stopped." Professor Dupont came up from behind them. "How are the two students?" he asked Professor Althea who was leaning over Dorin."
"They seem to be okay." replied the professor, "We'll have to take them to the infirmary..."
"Got it." Professor Morell took out 2 twigs from inside his coat pocket. He whispered a spell on both twigs before planting it on the ground. It quickly grew branches and turned into 2 wooden horses with backs wide enough to fit a person lying down.
"Professor Dupont! Have you called the rest of security?" asked Major Muller.
"Yes, they're right behind me." Dupont went to Seb and Dorin's side to check on the unconscious boys, but Althea was still fussing over them. "I can't believe we were together just a while ago..." said he.
"They'll be fine, just help me load them on the wicker horse." Professor Morell carried Dorin while Professor Dupont carried Seb and laid him on the other horse, noting how light the boy was.
"Are there any more survivors?" asked Ms. Ermingard.
"Three." replied Major General Muller. "Two of them are part of the millitary department." he said pointing at 2 of the groaning figures on the ground. "And that," he pointed at one of the corpses whose leg was at a strange angle. "s Drill Sargeant Robinson. Or rather, was."
"Oh, dear..." worried Professor Belladonna, wringing her hands. "This will be trouble."
"Not so much as it will be an international outrage once word of this reaches the other allied empires..." Major General Muller grumbled angrily.
"Well, it doesn't need to go that far." The group looked at a person approaching from the shadows.
"Damien Wolfsbane! What exactly happened here?!" Professor Althea angrily marched towards the approaching image.
"My apologies." replied Damien, raising his hands palm out at the fuming Althea. "I had to take some of my brothers home. They got injured in the fight as well."
"We need explanations, Damien." General Muller butted in.
"Have my sister not told you what happened?" he looked at Arlam who was still sitting with the wolf's head on her lap, both looking bored. "We were alerted by the trespassers," he told them, "when we came to investigate, we saw these men chasing after the two students who had stumbled in out territory in hopes of loosing their pursuers." he kicked one of the bodies on the ground. "The boys were overpowered, begging to be released, but upon seeing that they were not as powerful as they thought, the men decided to harass them before leaving them in the forest to our mercy..." he looked at the people who were listening attentively as he spoke. He gave a big sigh and went on. "Frankly, what is it that made those two catch the eyes of the imperial mages?" he asked with a snort. "They were practically crying as they begged for their lives!"
"Hmm..." Professor Morell said thoughtfully, "I did hear a rumor about this new student who blew up the East Dorm's kitchen..."
"And that story about a gun blowing up?" said Professor Belladonna, "I was in the infirmary then, stocking up on my herbs, I believe the patient then was young Sebastian Revious?"
"Oh, that explosion in the kitchen was a gas leak," said Ms. Ermingard. "Some fool hardy student who have never seen a gas oven decided to play kitchen. Good thing the failsafe switched on and saved him from being toasted alive."
"And the gun was already broken to begin with." said Major General Muller, "In fact I was on my way to see Professor Althea to give her the result from the artificers' inspection." He took a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to the infirmary head. "It seems the barrel was jammed."
Althea took the slip of paper and handed it to Professor Morell who was reading over her shoulder.
"I guess there really is nothing special about those two..." said the professor.
"So, a couple of rumors have caused all these trouble?" asked Belladonna.
"So, it seems..." smiled the game master. He leaned over the wolf and scratched it behind the ear. The large animal stood up, it's snout level to Damien's head. "If that is all, then my brothers and I need not stay longer."
"Wait..." Althea suddenly called out.
"Yes, Agate?" Damien asked, "Is there anything more?"
Professor Althea looked like she was about to say something, but shook her head instead. "Nothing..." she finally said, "We'll be seeing you around."
"Around. Yes." he turned to leave. Arlam had already vanished with the wolf. "Please take all the bodies with you. I wouldn't want my brothers to get indigestion." he added, "Till then, may the moonlight guide you."
With that the groundskeeper left, leaving no trail behind. The company shivered as a cold wind blew into the clearing, reminding them that they were not welcome in that territory. Not for long anyway.
"Take them to the infirmary." Morell instructed his wicker horses.
The two horses began to move, clumsily at first, then more fluidly as it took some speed. Professor Dupont was beside Sebastian, looking worriedly as they were taken away. He followed the procession, accompanying Professor Althea along the way.
The guards took the bodies, placing the live ones in stretchers, their arms tied in special cuffs. Soon the area was abandoned. Only the wind stirred. It began to rain, soaking the ground to heal the wounded earth, turning the broken pieces of golems back to clumps of mud and drenching one little clockwork mouse, tumbling in the craters, following the trail of a certain boy.