Page 68 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
Almost all of the two hundred guests were important dignitaries or elite, and they moved accordingly. Many were hereforthe show and calmly stepped away from the pews and into the alcoves along the walls, leaving roughly forty people in the main aisle.
Not everyone was interested in winning a magical elevator.
When the attackers didn’timmediatelysurrender, his mother summoned a six-foot-tall stone golem and sat on its shoulders as it began firing bolts of electricity. It was actually for show, he knew, since her concentration was entirely on maintaining the building enchantment.
“[Barrier].” Julian put up a single clear shield between the noncombatants and the fighting, willing four points of durability into the barrier and draining his mana considerably. It wouldn’t protect them if they left the area, but it did block the plumes of poisonous smoke someone had just dropped into the fray. A few beastfolk fell to the ground and changed into their beast forms as they succumbed to the wolfsbane, including Rufus.
From his vantage point, Julian could see a number of poisoned victims miraculously heal right before reaching their untimely demise. His sister-in-lawwas still here, hidden but keeping everyone alive. That meant Julia was also here, probably on guard, keeping Chloe alive.
“[Light Foot].” He landed on the dais and offered direction as he saw fit with [Battle Call]. “Queen Henrietta, the green dress on your right! Pram, ice the terrain! Visha, guard the door!”
While Pram froze people to the floor, Witch Agatha used her ice powers to seal the windows. She was a known lover of art, and so set about protecting the stained glass murals with a vengeance.
“Mother, to the left!”
He was a tad late, and her golem lost a leg to an assassin’s axe, slumping sideways. But Calisto wasn’t deterred. His mother was one of the strongest people on the continent; she could sink this entire building into the earth or obliterate everyone in the room with one of her more powerful magically crafted weapons … but she didn’t.
Instead, she prioritized securing the area, protecting her guests, and cleaning up the mess; it wouldn’t do to accidentally scuff a dignitary’s shoe and risk future trade agreements.
Even now, the noncombatants were gossiping among themselves behind Julian’s [Barrier]. One fox girl, Lady Brittany from Peldeep, fanned herself while watching her husband fight the baron of Tour on Marsh. An elder fae with a pixie on her shoulder calmly leaned against a staff while the pixie summoned a floating tea set for the pair. And snacks.
King Keith was also in the noncombat area for some reason, standing beside Gerda the Bridge Troll and looking dejected. Most had their own shields up as well—but Julian didn’t relax. It was his responsibility to keep the fighting to the combat area, and to make sure those who sought protection found it.
“Tully, you’re in acid.”
“Visha, protect Lord Brittany.”
“Hana, archer to your left.”
While he was talking, a stray [Fireball] hit his [Barrier], and he had to use another mana potion to restrengthen it. Otherwise, the battle itself was going well. The leader of his mother’s knights was locking blades with a ratkin paladin. Three archers had been taken down when Henrietta threw a pew on top of them. The baron of Tour on Marsh was bested by General Visha, who trussed him up like a floofpoof at a feast.
Of course, that was when the baron spat a poison-tipped dagger into Visha’s face. The elf clutched at her throat and collapsed forward, but Tully ran by and dumped on her an antidote specifically designed for the waurg poison.
Julian flinched; Tully was going to have a field day teasing Visha for letting her guard down, especially since the fight was practically over. Whatever theBlackfog had attempted to do here, it wasn’t anywherenearenough to defeat his family. It was almost laughable.
Especially after all the time and energy they’d put in preparing.
“Eeeek!” There was a crash, and a high-pitched voice cried out behind him.
Julian turned to see the unexpected.
Princess Contessa—a black-haired woman with light-brown skin from the Empire of Sands, and one of the noncombatants—was sitting on the floor with her hands up. And Gerda the Bridge Troll stood over her, axe in hand.
Julian cursed, uncertain which of the pair to subdue.
He dropped the remainder of his mana into a [Multi-Target Shield]justin time for Gerda to swing the blunt of her axe at the princess. The human lifted her arms daintily to defend, but his shield deflected the blow.
The recoil sent Gerda reeling back.
That one attack was enough to deal his shield two hundred points of damage and destroy it. He cursed again.
“That’s enough,” Julian told the pair, walking toward them as he summonedanothermana potion. “Gerda,stand down. We’ll take it from here.”
Unfortunately, neither of them appeared cooperative.
“You again!” The princess climbed to her feet, whipping out a decorative fan—adeadlydecorative fan tipped with poisoned spines.
“Me again,” the troll agreed, lifting her axe to strike.
