"Yup! I was coming to help you all! What seems to be the problem?" I asked as I walked over, but then I saw what I could see above.
One of the horses was lifting one of its legs awkwardly. That was no problem.
"The horse is hurt from the load," Steph said, and I nodded as I walked over to the big wagon.
I slowly walked up to the horse's head and slowly reached forward to stroke the smooth hair on its rounded jaw. I used soothing healing magic and placed three runes as small brands along the horse's spine. The beast stayed calm, and then I burned more glowing blue lines that covered the horse in unique Tribal spells.
"Oh! You know how to use Tribal Magic?! That is special Amphibious Monster Magic!" Steph exclaimed.
"This will make the horses be able to go faster, longer, and harder. This will also stay with them for the rest of their lives, so they will be amazing beasts for as long as you need them. I mean, in respect to their normal life spans," I explained as I moved over to the next horse and repeated the process.
Once I was done, the horses looked like magical beasts covered in glowing marks. Because of the magic in the air, the runes would always stay active without adding any more magic. They would just draw it in naturally.
"Well, now the horses should be good," I said, pushing my forehead into each of the horses before turning to the group of women.
"Are you going back to Northwall now?" Steph asked, and I nodded. "Do you want to ride with us? I know you can fly, but many of the girls were interested in meeting you."
"Oh? I guess the horses will be able to travel pretty well now, so taking an extra hour isn't that bad," I said with a smile, and the girls all grinned brightly. "Sure, I will come for the ride."
----
On the other side of the wall, far to the south, three Goddesses stepped out onto the steps of the ruined temple.
Listenia followed them, but Galio was nowhere in sight when the portal closed. It was hard to tell if he had been here since Listenia couldn't see this far from the wall. She had never even been this far past the wall.
"Where is this creature?!" Elfina demanded, and Listenia turned to her irritated mother.
"Galio probably decided that there were more important things to do. I would imagine that he would have gone to the wall to work on some more of the cannons he is preparing," Listenia explained, keeping a level voice.
She was not going to let her mother get to her. Listenia was eagerly waiting for her mother to meet Galio. She had underestimated him more than once and paid dearly. Even if her mother was the strongest, Galio was much better at everything else, which would be her mother's downfall.
Elfinia couldn't stand to be bested by anyone.
"Then take me up to the wall, Tallia!" Elfinia demanded.
"Keep it up, and you can yell at me from my shores. Open your own portal. You know where the wall is," Tallia growled, and Elfinia huffed.
"Fine, I will do it myself!" Elfinia snapped and gestured, walking through, and then the portal immediately closed.
"You think we should just leave her to her fate and go home?" Goldy asked, and Tallia smiled.
"Oh no. I would not miss seeing this for the world. From what I have learned about Galio, he will not stand for something if he doesn't like it. Elfinia will find this out the same way her daughter did. She has rubbed her strength in all our faces for as long as I can remember. Now, it is time for some karmic retribution from someone that believes firmly in it," Tallia said as she opened a portal to hear Elfinia complaining.
"Where is this beast?! What are these stupid-looking things?!" Elfinia raged as the girls stepped through.
"Oh? Would you like to see how one works? I learned through Breya how it works, and I could give you a demonstration. I could even let you fire it yourself," Listenia suggested mischievously.
Practically everyone in Northwall with a scarp of magic knew how to fire this thing already, but that was just how the Girl Vines worked. Everyone was connected, and when the news was told, it spread to everyone telepathically. This was the way all women stayed up to date with the latest rumors and gossip.
"Oh? This thing is like the Boom Barrels on ships? A Cannon does sound like a more fitting name. How do I do it?" Elfinia asked, suddenly curious.
Listenia explained and then loaded in a shell in the same way that Galio had shown Breya. She knew that it would be deafening and violent, so she backed up with the other two Goddesses and then turned to them when Elfinia was looking over at the cannon. Listenia motioned to cover their ears and then turned around to her mother.
"Are you ready?" Listenia asked, and Elfinia turned around.
"What is this supposed to hit?" Elfinia asked, and Listenia pointed to the stone golem that she had lined up, again, according to Breya, but the shot might not hit.
"I already aim it for you, just activate it," Listenia said, and her mother smirked, setting Listenia's blood afire.
"You aimed it? Like you aim a bow? Well, this would be interesting. If this thing can hit that golem, I hardly think that it will do anything!" Elfinia laughed.
Listenia was angry, but she knew it was pointless, and she would just take her pleasures elsewhere. Elfinia had always been like this, and that is why Listenia left and came to the Island Twelve.
Elfinia turned around laughing, Listenia pulled her ears with the other two Goddesses, and Tallia created a golden shield around them. Elfinia slapped her hand down, and the massive cannon barked out a shot that made a small crack in Tallia's shield just for the concussive force.
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