Six giant snow leopards, seven feet at the shoulder, leaped over the dwindling wall of fire and charged us.

  Bido responded with his red mirrors. He shot twin streaks of fire that must have had an augmented effect against the snow leopards because the one he struck yowled in fury and jumped straight up into the air and pushed off against a street lamp, allowing it to leap both above and beyond our defensive lines. It spun back toward Bido and swiped at him with two claw attacks, one scoring a hit that spun him in place, but he did not fall down.

  Brom, our conjurer, did not attack the leopard that was running toward him. Instead, he conjured a ten-foot cube iron cage around it. The momentum of the leopard caused it to smash into the front bars, yowling in frustration, if not so much in pain. It struck repeatedly at the bars, and while they were scratched, they did not break.

  Sandor the alchemist actually threw a potion that, when it struck the ground near one of the leopards, exploded in a dark blue gas that paralyzed the beast, and it slid to a halt at Sandor’s feet.

  Adriana took a page out of my book and levitated the giant snow leopard by her ten feet in the air and just let it float there, thrashing around but unable to do anyone any harm.

  Wilma, who had studied the most about the northlands, cast an illusion of a pack of three smaller, but still formidable snow hyenas. I learned later that the leopards and hyenas were natural enemies, and based on the way the giant snow leopard changed direction to engage them, it was clear there was no love lost between them.

  Our brown robed sage journeyman, Jakar, shot Mage Blasts at the snow leopard that was occupied with the hyenas, and he damaged it, but it stayed focused on its illusory enemies.

  The sorcerer Grolin cast a spell upon the sixth giant snow leopard, and it simply vanished. He had a smug look on his face and shrugged his shoulders. “Spirit animals with a growth charm on them.” He said matter-of-factly.

  Our thick glasses-wearing summoner, Eleanna, who was standing near Bido, sent Mage Bolts flying, and it severely injured the already wounded leopard, but it was still attacking the hyenas.

  Starla, who was also familiar with northern creatures, cast a fire rune from her staff that engulfed a trio of goblins that had made their way around the edge of my fire wall and were coming up on Wilma. The goblins burst into flame and ended up in a pile before the wall that slowed any other progress around that edge of the wall.

  Seeing the success with fire, Jade used one of the rings she picked up to send Firebolts into another goblin triplet. Two dropped, and the remaining one was injured and rushed her in a maddened frenzy. It engaged with her, and she had to use her staff to defend against its sword strikes.

  The last of our journeyman, Cecil, our wizard, hit the wounded giant snow leopard with a ray of white light that made it glow and start coming apart like unwinding yarn from a loosely knitted scarf. It was a bizarre sight but very effective.

  That left me to address the distracted and wounded snow leopard facing down its dreaded enemies, the snow hyenas. It was the largest of the creatures. I sent a three-point Mage Blast at it. I had thought it would be enough, but it only wounded it further. Since that was the only remaining opponent before us, several Mage Bolts struck it from the others, and it fell, disappearing when brought to zero health points.

  Unfortunately, the distraction that the spirit animals were meant to create worked. As we all turned our attention back to the goblins, a mage cast a spell that disrupted the wall, and the waiting three dozen goblins sprinted at us, screaming.

  The three silver arrows shot from our archers with explosive runes did slow them down and sent many flying through the air in various stages of surprise or dismemberment. But two-thirds of the goblins got through, and they were too close for more explosive rune arrows to be sent at them.

  Or at least I hoped the archers realized that.

  They did, and continued to send some arrows into the fog-filled space where robed goblins stood moments before.

  It was out of those exploding shots that I learned that the shamans had been the opening act for a group of vicious goblin mages. Goblin mages would not advance to levels beyond third, as a rule, but there were a lot more of them, as exemplified by a score of firebolts that slammed into our group all at once.

  It did not seem that the goblin mages were very discerning, and they did not attack in concert, merely at the same time. There was no coordination or focus of attacks, and several goblins were also in the line of fire and took hits from their own comrades, who may have been settling old scores more than merely accidental mishaps.

  But with the exception of Adriana and me, who took no damage from the fire spells, all the others each suffered at least one blow, and Bido got hit by three.

  My blood armor was stronger than the weaker gems offered, and I knew it would take a few serious attacks before I got worried, but it may not hold up if this was going to be longer of a fight than I had hoped. In a pinch, I could use one of the rings on my staff that Master Draconis gave me recently. It was a Wizard armor spell that, thanks to his generosity, provided me with sixty points of invisible magical armor protection if the more powerful Blood Armor gets worn down. The other advantage of the Wizard armor during battle was that I would not need to weaken myself in the process of making it.

  But for now, I used one of the summoner’s spells given to me at their guild hall not so long ago. It was called Nicon’s Restrain Group and worked off of total health points, much like the slumber spell I was familiar with. This was set at a decent level of seventy-five health, and that would likely restrain between half a dozen to ten of the goblins.

  I used the SUS ring and three sets of three goblins just dropped in place, rolling over and over like ragdolls on the cobblestones.

  With melee combat engaged, the brawlers and inquisitors went to work. Each mage would be capable of taking out a single goblin even in combat with our staves. But there was never just one goblin.

  And while the goblins worked in sets of three, inquisitors trained in groups of four. The first set of three that engaged the front inquisitors learned the hard way that their planned three against one quickly turned into four on three. Inquisitors were taller, had longer reaches, and their weapons and armor were better.

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  And to add spice to the combat, the clerics all cast Holy Light around them. While it would not do damage to the goblins or prevent them from getting closer like it would with shadow or undead creatures, goblins did not like bright lights.

  Inquisitors are good in combat. Clerics specialize in combat, both powerful spells and weapons. But better even than clerics in hand-to-hand combat were brawlers. They had waited for the chance to get their hands on the goblins, and they meant that literally. Brawlers fought with any weapon at hand, but they preferred their own gauntleted fists when possible. A couple used very large and heavy cudgels and battered the goblins around like some kind of kid’s whack-a-goblin game. Others, like Biff, either slammed punches into the nasty little creatures or picked them up and smashed them against one another. One brawler was actually using an unconscious goblin as a club against the other two members of its trio.

  The battle with two dozen goblins against such a force of arms and magic was laughable.

  Of course, these little pests had a couple of hundred additional buddies who were even now howling and charging our location.

  “Things are about to get more interesting!” Adriana yelled.

  Gwydion, help is nearly there. Hold them off for thirty more seconds. Bella told me urgently.

  I marched forward away from my comrades who shouted at me to get back and planted my staff in the ground. Time to use a trick Simon shared with me and that Cecil created for me.

  I used another ring, this one was silver. I cast a ten-point Scorching Light spell that sent ten points of damaging and burning light out from me in a cone that engulfed the front ranks of the goblins and burned them to ashes.

  “Get back here!” Biff yelled at me.

  I turned to get back into the protective ranks when I saw Sam and Brother Kane running side by side, followed by about a hundred screaming warriors and a smattering of monks.

  “Move aside!” Sam boomed, and as if by magic, we parted to allow the group through.

  It wasn’t until after they had passed that I understood that Sam had used a high-level skill against us. It was non-lethal, but we obeyed his combat commands without hesitation.

  Led by Sam and Brother Kane, the assembled warriors slammed into the ranks of goblins, and it was not a pretty sight.

  There was no good-natured bantering or side talk. They just hacked and slashed their way through the entire group, turned, and then divided up what was left on the sides. The whole battle with these veteran warriors took maybe ninety seconds.

  Bido and Steven were standing beside me, and Biff was walking around making sure there were no goblins playing possum.

  “That’s how you get it done,” Steven remarked in admiration.

  “We could have used that a couple of minutes ago,” Bido commented dryly.

  “We kept them from getting into the city and causing a real mess. We held them back just long enough for-” I began, but was interrupted.

  “The adults to clean up after us,” Wilma said with a laugh.

  “Not wrong,” Adirana admitted.

  Cecil looked over the battle. “But the real test is when there are a thousand goblins for each of them to fight. That will not go so easily, I think.”

  Grolin added, “I think that it would have been far worse if the Patron had not also slowed their ships down. That was fast thinking.”

  The others agreed, and I got a coupleof slaps on the back. The one from Biff, as usual, hurt. Apparently, the protective armor didn’t work against friendly slaps. I wondered what tempered those magical choices.

  But I was interrupted again as Davon came back, his voice chipper and happy. Nice work Patron! The ships that docked are sinking or in flames. The other ships, and there were at least twice as many that did not land, and twenty to thirty more out in the deep harbor, turned around. The leviathan is still chasing them and has accounted for three ships total so far. The warriors are mopping things up between you and the docks. The Duke sends his compliments and congratulations and asks you to join him at his manor when you clean up.

  I thought back to him. Thanks, Davon. What happened to the goblins that went into the sewers?

  He laughed again. Apparently, half got swarmed by undead, and the others met some gray-robed combatants with very sharp knives.

  The Gray Master defended his own. I was a bit surprised about the undead attacking them, however, and said as much. I had thought that the undead invasion and the goblins were working together.

  I can’t help you there. Aren’t you happy, though? He asked.

  Sure. I’ll take help wherever I can get it. But that one stumps me. I replied to him.

  Got to go. More messages to share. Nice work Gwydion. And Davon departed again.

  I shared the Duke’s congratulations to the team, and we all headed back. Nobody was seriously wounded, and only Bido showed any signs of wear thanks to the claw attacks of the giant snow leopard.

  The AL whispered into my ear. Enchanter Gwydion earns a spell or skill point to be placed as desired for leading the defense of Keelwell in the Harbor Goblins! quest. Spell and skill points must be reclaimed at a guild hall or sanctuary. Additions and notes have been added to your Book of Quests that remain unread.

  On my way back, Bella informed me that she had sensed that Davon was watching all of this using his sorcery, a kind of spirit walk and communication. She also sensed that an infernal was watching this first encounter with interest and, after sensing Davon’s presence, had reached out to him aggressively. She managed to sever Davon’s spirit link.

  This is my home! She said defiantly. It doesn’t come into my home. I didn’t get any more out of her; she was worked up about a spiritual battle in a realm and at a level foreign to me. I was just glad she intervened when she did. Davon would not have stood a chance. The only other sense I got out of her, just as I was arriving at the shoppe, was that this infernal was on par with her, maybe even more powerful, but this was her demesne, and his powers were not as strong here as hers here. However, she was limited in a way that it was not because of our bonding.

  After cleaning and dressing in finer robes, I departed for the Duke’s manor, which was down by the river and past the Arena. My guard was even larger than usual. I had four each of Watch, Inquisitors, and Brawlers. I wanted to avoid a major argument, and none would back down from their duties, stating that there could be more goblins or assassins out there. Because by this time, we had all heard about the Bishop. Steven was shaken deeply and departed along with the other clerics and all Inquisitors not guarding me to the cathedral.

  I thought back to my earlier meeting with the Bishop today and his very generous time with me. I understood now why he had insisted that he meet with me, and asked that I hold a special chest for his nephew Paternus. In hindsight, it seemed like he knew that this would happen.

  Another hard blow came when we heard about Ears.

  Junior had found him in the harbor on crates facing the alarm orb. His slingshot was still in his hand, and the magical sling stone was at the base of the broken magical orb. Ears had saved many, many lives. If not for him, all the ships would likely have landed, and a couple of thousand goblins would have been in the city before an alarm could be raised.

  TUF did his part, and perhaps an alarm would have been raised, but not until most of the ships had landed and the goblins made their way deeper into the city.

  In the main hall of my shoppe beside the babbling fountain, Junior presented me with Ears’s sling shooter, saying, “He’d have wanted you to have it. It was all he owned.”

  My delay in getting to the Duke’s estate had more to do with getting myself pulled together privately over Ears than it did dressing appropriately when visiting nobility.

  We held a very short memorial for Ears. Nearly everyone was present and on the main level. I cleared off a red silk pillow that floated over a white marble pillar. It was the most elaborate of displays and meant for the most expensive and impressive of creations to be seen as wealthy clients first entered the shoppe.

  After everyone had gathered, I lifted up Ear’s sling shooter so that everyone could see a single socket bare on its handle. I had one of the apprentice enchanter’s who could cast sockets, place one after I opened it for enchantments, and added sharpness and hardness bonuses. After she added the single socket to the crudely made weapon that was made magical by my intervention, I sealed the enchantments.

  Everyone stood silently as this was completed.

  I then reached into a pocket and withdrew Sliver’s 10pt dragon diamond teardrop and inserted it into the sling shooter. I closed my eyes, sent him a prayer, and placed the sling shooter on the silk pillow. All I said was, “Ears saved lives.” I kissed the tops of the fingers on my right hand, placed them on the pedestal, and walked away. My eyes were filled with tears.

  Everyone followed suit. And it would become a ritual, especially for the Irregulars, when they came in or departed the store, to kiss their fingers, touch the pedestal, and say out loud, “Ears saved lives.”