The carriage reached arge walled garden, and Ceri looked outside the window, "We''re here,"


    SWOSH! Isdis pulled her head inside, "We just got attacked, don''t poke your head out like that!"


    "But they failed," Ceri opened the door, jumping outside with a smile, "See, No attacks," She puffed her chest.


    "Be more concerned," Da looked back, walking down to stand beside her.


    Arad looked at the old crumbling walls. He could see traces of blue magic glittering between the cracks, followed by a golden haze.


    He walked forward, extending his hand, touching the cracks, "Hehehehe," At that moment, he could feel a sharp pain surging from his fingertips, his mana getting sucked out like a flowing river.


    "GAH!" Arad cried, pulling his hand out and staring at the wall with a sweaty face, "This thing absorbs mana like hell. We shouldn''t touch it,"


    Ceri put her hands on her hip, "I already knew that. Couldn''t you want me to exin it?"


    "Forget that now. I will jump over the wall and see what''s inside," Arad turned toward the wall, squatting as the muscles in his legs bulged.


    Ceri sighed.


    BAM! Arad jumped into the air, almost getting over the wall. CLANK! He suddenly hit an invisible wall, feeling his mana getting sucked out.


    "GAH!" As he gasped, his body fell on the wall, taking a second hit before rolling to Ae''s feet. "We can''t jump over it," He said.


    Ceri walked toward him, "Stop jumping in and let me guide us inside. This ce is protected. It would defeat the purpose of the wind spirit if you managed to get in with ease,"


    "Fine, what should we do?" Arad stared at her, not bothering to stand.


    "Are you giving up? I honestly expected you to be able to break in with all the insanity you did earlier in the castle." Ceri smiled.


    ^[This barrier doesn''t seem like the work of the wind spirit. It''s the work of a pixie, a powerful fairy to be exact.]^


    Arad stood, approached the wall, and stared at it, "Is there a door around here?"


    "It''s over there behind the corner." Ceri pointed out.


    Arad approached the door, looking closely at it, and then smiled, "I have a solution, but it will take some time," He touched the door, sending waves of magic into the metal. He then extended his second arm back, letting Doma absorb mana from the air for him.


    "I will stuff the door with mana until it explodes," Arad smiled.


    "Are you insane? That must be painful as hell!" Ceri cried, ring at Arad as he started channeling mana.


    "If it''s just pain," Da looked at Ceri, "Arad won''t stop,"


    Eris looked at Ae, "Is this your house? It''s quite big. Was your family rich or something?"


    "I won''t say rich," Ae scratched her cheek, "We worked as high ranking archer family. Mother was the ranged general of the kingdom,"


    Isdis stared at Ae, shocked, "You know how important is that?"


    "I know, but the title is linked to the person contracted with the wind spirit. Only mother enjoyed that privilege, or should I say responsibility?"


    "Having great power alwayses with great responsibility," Lydia approached Ae, "Don''t worry about it," she smiled.


    Ae looked at the door, "It''s been a while since I''ve been here,"


    "RWA!" They suddenly heard Arad cry as his body flew back, half charged as he rolled on the ground, "Damn it, I overloaded my body with mana," He sighed, barely sitting.


    "I have to rest a bit," Arad took a deep breath and then looked at everyone. "What?"


    "Nothing. Did you give up?" Ceri stared at him with a smug face.


    "Not yet, need to rest for a moment," Arad replied with a stern face.


    HOP! Ae ran away, hopping with a smile on her face.


    Eris looked at Arad, "How can you even absorb so much mana that you burn yourself?"


    "I don''t know," Arad replied.


    Thud! Ae put a wooden table in front of the carriage with a chair, "Arad, you can rest here a bit. I will pour you some water,"


    Arad smiled, sitting on the chair as Ae started pouring him some water.


    "Was this table on the carriage? I didn''t see it?" Eris stared at the strange wooden table and chair. She was sure they weren''t with them before.


    "Those?" Ae smiled, "We always keep some in the warehouse for when people want to sit outside,"


    "Weahous? Where?" Isdis looked around, seeing no such building.


    "It''s right in that corner inside the garden," Ae pointed toward the wall. ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! The open door cried like it was never oiled in decades, sending an ear-piercing screech.


    "You opened the door?" Everyone gasped at the same time.


    Ae looked at the door, confused, "I just walked in out of habit,"


    Ceri looked at her, "I was about to use this to open the door," She showed Ae a ring that belonged to her mother, "You should keep it now,"


    "Wait? I could open the door?" Ae gasped.


    "Whoever is protecting the house. It can recognize you and your mother, but it''s stupid enough to be fooled with a ring." Jack approached Ae, "Can I look at that ring?" He asked with a smile.


    Ae handed Jack her mother''s ring, and he inspected it. "Impressive craftsmanship, elvish in origin, but it has a hint of halfling touch. A marvelous ring that could go for up to one tinum coin for the right buyer."


    He then threw the ring to Arad, "Does it have any magic?"


    Thud! Arad caught the ring, "None that I can see from a nce, A mundane ring," He stood and gave it back to Ae.


    Ae put the ring on and walked toward the door, opening it wide for everyone to walk it. "Pleasee in slowly. I don''t know if the barrier is down."


    Everyone walked behind her safely, "This ce is big," Arad looked at therge nts in the garden, "How long do you need to leave grass for it to grow this big?" The single leaf was almost five times as tall as he, sending a menacing shadow.


    "They shouldn''t be able to grow this big," Ceri gasped, looking around with amazement, "This ce must be blessed with life."


    "You didn''t know about it?" Jack looked at Ceri, "Didn''t peoplein about it growing out of the walls?"


    "No," Ceri looked at Jack, "No one did."


    Jack stopped in his ce, "Fuck me..." He looked back at the wall, seeing it extending to the clouds.


    "The grass isn''t the one that grew big. We got smaller," He gasped.


    "Hehe!" They could hear the faint giggles of a little girl carried by the wind, "You''re a smart one, artifact holder," The voice grew closer, but it was louder. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    BZZZZZZZZZ! BZZZZZZZZZZZZ! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!


    As everyone red around in shock, they could hear something buzzing above them. They looked, seeing a giant woman flying with butterfly wings over them.


    The fairynded on a grass de, dangling her legs with an amused smile as she red down at them. "Wee to my y house,"


    "Get us back to normal," Arad growled.


    "You have to y with me first," The fairy smiled, staring back at him.


    Thud! Arad cracked his fists, "How about I pull your wings instead? Would you get us back?"


    The fairy looked at his, shaking one finger, "No! No! No! The spell would be permanent if I was harmed, or killed,"


    Ceri walked forward, "We will y your game. What is it?"


    The fairy smiled, "First, my name is Zephyr. I''m the daughter of Mei, the Pixies'' queen. You know me as the wind spirit if I''m not wrong," She looked at Ae, "I''m the one who let you inside."


    "Then? What''s your game, or are you going to exin something?" Eris stared at her.


    Zephyr smiled, "I want to y," In the blink of an eye, she caught Ae between her toes and flew to the sky, "The game is to catch me!" She smiled.


    VROOM! As she flew away, she could feel Arad after her, "Give her back," He growled.


    "You have something else to deal with," Zephyr smiled. CRACK! Something stabbed Arad''s back, ripping his wings off.


    "The hell?" Arad growled, looking back to see a cow-sized wasp. No, the wasp wasn''trge. It''s Arad that is small.


    "See you inside," Zephyr flew away with Ae as a swarm of wasps attacked Arad, dropping him to the ground.


    Arad gasped, coughing blood as he healed, "Bugs, I will burn them to ash," He lifted his arm, pointing at the swarm.


    CLACK! As he aimed, arge web fell on him, tying him to the ground. Right behind him, arge spider red menacingly.


    "A wolf spider! Burn the web and run away!" Da shouted as she pped an ant on the face, killing it.


    Arad growled, burning the web and standing. He looked around and clenched his fist.


    "Spiders, wasps, ants, cockroaches, worms, and even more, all the bugs of the garden are attacking us," He shifted into his draconic form, remaining as small as a beetle.