It was almost slow motion when the first projectile flew at the group with a disgusting amount of goo on it. Both Keisei and Fae cringed looking at it but Ameera seemed eerily calm and those sensitive to the movement of mana could feel it gathering and collecting under her feet. Taking in a deep breath and then letting it out arcane words trickled from her lips as one arm extended and a bow made of fire appeared in her hand. Raising it it up over her head her other hand pulled back the mana bow string and as the spell completed she let go and shouted "GET DOWN NOW!" Once the words left her mouth the group dropped to the ground as a hail of fire arrows rained down on the surrounding area setting some of the dry brush aflame but more importantly the horde of Ghouls and skeletons that had gathered.
When the spell concluded Ameera whimpered as her legs gave out and she hit the ground hard as she panted trying desperately to keep her mana circuits from going out of control. Keisei made her way quickly to Ameera upon sensing the dangerous mana swirling around and pulled the princess's body against her own and hugged her tightly. Activating a mana leech and soul soothing skill Keisei whispered soft soothing words in a low magnetic voice as one hand stroked the top of her head and eventually down the young woman's back in slow steady strokes until Ameera released a sigh of relief as the pain from her circuits eased and sagged against Keisei from exhaustion and went limp as a new born kitten. Keisei cooed softly like she was speaking to a wounded animal, "You foolish sweet girl you should have let us adults handle the battle rather than risking your life to save beings you hardly know..." Keisei released a long sigh as she knew Ameera could not hear her at the moment.
"Looks like our princess has imprinted..."
Keisei turned her head to look at Berric with a slight look of death gleaming in her eyes, "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
Berric chuckled and shook his head holding up his hands in mock surrender, "Calm down mama bear. I am just saying that it wasn't the group she was protecting, the bone spear almost hit you and I am sure she has seen what a ghoul's poison can do to any creature considering the state her kingdom was in when she left...." he trailed off looking at the girl in Keisei's arms and sighed tilting his head back to look at the sky.
Keisei frowned as she looked at Berric, "What are you not saying?"
This was the first time Keisei had seen the darkling male look uncomfortable in decades as she watched him shift his weight back and forth on his feet, "I gathered some information that things aren't nearly as rosey and bright as Ameera made it out to be. Such as her father beats her and even raped her once 'to teach her a lesson to keep her mouth shut'. In his mind once his favored concubine birthed him a son, she no longer held value in his eyes. She may be the only daughter of the king and queen but his harem has produced him many a female heir and now that he has a son he has no further need of her. Her mother sent her away so that her father wouldn't execute her along with his wife so he could elevate said concubine to the status of Queen to make his son the legitimate heir....."
Keisei paled slightly as her grip on the girl tightened subconsciously, "You mean to say after Ameera left her mother was executed.... and basically she has no place to return to...?"
Berric sighed and shrugged, "That seems to be case. However should word get out that she was violated, thus not being a virgin, by her father of all people no royal suitor would take her as their bride or even a concubine. He purposely took away her worth as a noblewoman because she was more loved by the people than he was. She's safer here with us sadly, so try not to be to hard on her when she wakes up."
Keisei hugged the girl like she was her long lost precious daughter and decided to adopt her later on, but for the moment they needed to move on. Looking over to a perturbed Fae Keisei let out a sigh at the obvious jealousy and decided to ask Taurek her favor instead, "Taurek can you come here and keep an eye on Ameera while I look at the corpses and summon a horse to carry her? She's not going to wake up for bare minimum 24 hours and we need to get moving."
Taurek looked at Norrik and asked, "Wouldn't it be easier to ask Norrik to carry her?"
Keisei shook her head with a sad smile, "I would not demean him like that, he's a centaur not a horse."
Norrik heard this and could not help but blush and interrupted Taurek before he could say anything else, "It would be my pleasure to do so, and with her being unconscious it would be better because I can make she she doesn't fall off my back in her sleep."
Keisei frowned slightly, "Are you sure Norrik? I have heard that allowing someone to ride on a centaur's back is the biggest shame and to ask one to do so is the biggest insult... I have no desire to insult a friend."
Norrik shrugged his shoulders and gave a weary smile, "I can feel your exhaustion from over here, there no reason to push your body past it's limitations when another encounter may happen and we are already down one party member for now."
Keisei still looked conflicted for a few moments then released a heavy sigh, "As you wish, I don't know why I argued to begin with, I will see if there is any loot while you guys get her settled." With that said Keisei reluctantly handed off Ameera to Taurek and went off into the woods putting out small fires and looting charred corpses that gave her a handful of copper pieces and even three gold and maybe half a dozen silver pieces. Considering that she was looting undead this was a decent haul. Slipping the coins into the 'treasury' pocket and headed back to the group to see the somewhat comical sight of Ameera tied to Norrik's back to make sure she didn't fall off while they moved on. Now what made it so funny was not the fact that the young girl was tied to but the uncomfortable expression Norrik had on his face because Ameera was drooling in her sleep and it was creeping Norrik out to no end.
Once the group was situated and Keisei chugged one mana and a stamina potion to bolster up her endurance to walk on her own two feet the group moved on until they came across the next ruined village. Setting up camp since it would be sunset soon, something felt.... off about the village. Minimal charring were on the buildings and the church they were in aside from the stained glass windows being destroyed was otherwise whole. Keisei decided as she was putting the wards in place around the church itself, which took so much longer, that she would snoop around the place after she slept and properly recharged. When she finished the wards around the tent that made it invisible to the naked eye as well as a subconscious nudge for any snooper to turn around and walk away because there was nothing interesting to be had, she was spent and barely made it through settling Ameera in her room and eating her dinner before she stumbled upstairs to sleep like the dead praying her hunch will amount to nothing at least for tonight.