"That'd be too easy and far too drawn out. I need to complete this thing before I head off to Atlantis with Z. We could take on one base each, but I can't let Circe alone for that. And it depends how many bases they've created…" reasoned Mavislin, cracking her neck.
"Why are you going there?" questioned Tomoe.
"My Ancient Relic is broken, and I need to repair it, or else I can't use it. It's still usable, but I can't unleash it to its maximum power."
"I see… While actively looking for them, I counted about six camps in total. I'm not very sure what are size of these camps is or if that number has doubled."
"I've received reports that the main camp is heavily guarded and shielded by some random barrier. They could only go near a distant perimeter before feeling like they were on fire," said Phanm.
"Maybe us Mages would have a better chance coming close?" suggested Circe.
"You cannot harm their base without taking down those barriers. And Familiars can't pass through them. Only being alive can break it… And I hate to say this, but it's… Him…" said Gillian, swinging open the door, causing quite the chaos.
First, Tomoe yelled and jumped out of his seat in terror and landed on poor Phanm, who could not withstand the weight of a matured Kitsune.
The Campania King tipped backward, slamming his head on the wooden ground while Circe was shocked to the point her hair became flames for a split Tock. The only one who was fine was Mavislin.
As the room calmed down, Gillian apologized after getting an earful from Mavislin.
"I thought you knew I was around…" was the pitiful excuse the Headmaster could devise.
"But my point still stands… None of us know enough of the Tribe to find out how to defeat them. Moreover, you must pray they don't use the sleeping Dragon against you during the infiltration. The only one who knows that is… That man."
Everyone in the room could swear that Gillian hesitated to mention the mysterious one who could deal with the Tribe's shields.
"Do we really have to call him? Do we even know how to call him?" asked Mavislin, shaking her head.
"I know a foolproof way, but… I'm not exactly sure if he can pop out or not."
"It's worth a shot, I guess… So, what do we have to do?"
"It only requires you to go to his house and knock."
The look on the Valkyrie's face was enough to send Tomoe and Phanm roaring with laughter. Mavislin sighed so hard that the air from her nostrils was enough to move poor Circe and her chair.
"Essentially, we are showing up in at his lair. Are you, by any chance, crippled in the head?" asked the Valkyrie, even angrier than usual.
"I thought it might be a good way to be comical. Ysabeau complains that I'm always too strict during these meetings…"
"Sometimes, these meetings are a circus, and you are the ringmaster... You don't have to be comical."
Mavislin sighed as she felt she had no choice but to take on Gillian's words.
"So, where's the Poisoned Pond located?" quizzed Tomoe.
"Beneath the land of the Urnsfield and North Albion Domains. Let's hope my memory is good enough to lead Mavislin there," instructed Gillian as he sighed.
"Why only her?" asked Circe, pouting.
"Because I wouldn't allow anyone younger than Mavislin to be around that thing, at least for the first meeting. He isn't very friendly, to say the least," explained the Headmaster.
"He has a point; Old Man Pond isn't known for making kids laugh. And the last time we saw him… We nearly killed him as he tried to kill us."
"We don't have a choice but to strike a deal with him. We need that Poisoned Pond to disable the shields, and he can be on his merry way..." closed Mavislin as she walked out of the meeting room.
"Besides, I can't be bothered to work with him."
As the meeting was dismissed, Phanm realized it might be a good idea to stay the night in the Old Chapel since… He doesn't know the way back home. And that there were some things he wanted to clarify with the Valkyrie.
The first thing on Phanm's mind was why on earth she was working with that demon fox of nature. The next one was when is he going to be fed? Man hadn't had lunch yet!
"How could you not know? Didn't you come here?" asked Tomoe, switching to his animal form for Circe to nap on his tail.
"I was kidnapped, you mangy fox. Are you suffering from short-term memory loss?" asked Phanm, rolling his eyes at Tomoe.