The two boys carefully walked around the back of the inn, hiding behind whatever they could to reduce the chances of being seen by anyone.
"What are we doing now?" Zeke whispered to Leon.
"Looking for anything suspicious. We need something solid to confirm our thoughts before we can share them with others." Leon replied and stepped out of the shadows. Up ahead was a fairly busy spot, so he hurried to get there and seamlessly blended in with the crowd. Not even Zeke, who was a towering giant compared to humans, stood out too much, as there were many people of different races present there.
Before long, the boys spotted a pair of Ovocentaurs that were keeping an eye on the crowd. The signature smiled of the Ovocentaurs were nowhere to be seen, and their eyes swiveled as though they were keeping an eye out for something. Leon quickly held up the camera in his hands and took a picture of the two creatures.
"This is not enough. We need something more-"
BOOM!
An earth shaking explosion rang out in the distance, and in the next moment, a mighty gust of wind blew over, forcing most people to the ground. The Ovocentaurs on guard quickly acted, and a cream colored opaque barrier appeared around the walls of this area, blocking off the gusts of wind.
"What's going on?!"
"Keep your head down, son!"
Everyone reacted differently, and commotion broke out. The Ovocentaurs were too occupied with keeping the protective barrier that they had summoned up to turn around and help the people, but before a minute had passed, half a dozen more Ovocentaurs rushed to he site to help. There was something much more different about this group, though.
Instead of the biped Ovocentaurs that the guests were familiar with, this group possessed four legs, sticking more closely to the known centaur archetype that was widely known. In their hands were a variety of weapons, and their faces were covered in fierce expressions. Their wooly fur was covered in strong armor that clanked as they moved forward.
"Good job." The one in the lead told the Ovocentaurs that were holding up the barrier. He raised the staff in his hands, and a much larger barrier spread out, forming a dome instead of a single sided barrier, which covered the entire group. Seeing this the two Ovocentaurs dropped their arms and let out deep breaths.
"Who are those...?" Leon thought out loud.
"No way... Those are Criocentaurs!" Zeke whisper-yelled. The ears of some of the so-called Criocentaurs flicked, but they did not turn to address Zeke.
"Criocentaurs?" Leon asked, confused, as he got to his feet beside his friend.
"Yeah, let me explain. The Criocentaurs are the true sheep and goat centaurs. The Ovocentaurs are a sub-race under them, and they are more populous because their bloodline is more diluted and it is much easier to multiply for them. The Criocentaurs usually keep to themselves, so I am honestly surprised to see them here." Zeke quickly explained.
"Please, everyone keep calm! Follow us, and we will lead you to a safe place!" The Criocentaur that had conjured the opaque barrier around them yelled aloud so everyone could hear him. His stern tone, tough face, and the two curved horns on either side of his face gave him a fierce look that brooked no argument, not that anyone would want to argue now that their lives could be put in danger if they did not comply.
The group quickly left the garden area that they were in, heading to the central plaza that was just in front of the entrance to the inn's central building. They met up with a few more groups that were led by some other Criocentaurs. When they reached the central plaza, the group came to a stop. The Ovocentaurs quickly went through the massive crowd, and after a while, they announced that everyone was accounted for.
"Good, let us-" Before the head Criocentaur could finish his sentence, a large explosion shook the dome that protected the group. The earth trembled beneath their feet, and the barrier flickered as its integrity took a nosedive.
This time, it was not the shockwaves that reached them, but the actual attack. Someone was targeting them!
The Caster mages amongst the group quickly got to work, reinforcing the barrier, while the others prepared for battle. Some of them made their way to the edges of the plaza, approaching specific statues that seemed to conform to a certain pattern. They inserted their mana into the statues, and the statues glowed brightly with power, humming to life as another more powerful defense matrix came to life, forming a much stronger barrier around the group.
"Please, remain here and you will be safe. We will head out and handle the source of this commotion." The Criocentaur that seemed to be their leader told the crowd before leading his men through the barrier and into the distance. The crowd soon lost sight of the group under the cover of the dust that had been raised by the continuous shockwaves. Even now, they could all feel the subtle tremble that ran through the ground.
Only a minute had passed before the sounds of explosions rang out in the distance, and the trembling ensued once again. The people huddled together at the center of the barrier with the Ovocentaurs gathered around them.