"Mage, get some golems over here," Borik shouted as he brought his sword down on the thing's toe, severing it.

"Will do," the raven-haired man spoke. Golems made of air sprang forward and began to harass the creature. The biggest golem as big as the thing itself, but, they were just air golems.

"Hey, ice mage, you too!" Demanded Borik, and the ice mage blinked again.

"Huh? Why am I not at the farm?" Borik groaned. What, was the older man hit with a forgetfulness spell?

"Ice golems, Kraedor. Create them," the raven-haired mage called, and the ice mage finally created a couple of giant ice golems, with hammers for hands. Borik knew those golems.

"What are you doing, letting the Ice Priest fight! He can't remember a thing," Borik yelled, as he dodged a claw, which he sliced off with his sword.

"He is strong," the wind mage argued back, and then created something like a tornado that picked up the creature and began to cut into it. Blood bathed them all, but the creature just laughed.

"This no use, we need to get through the barrier," Kraedor spoke, in one of his rare moments of remembering. "My son needs protection."

"We can't defeat it," the raven-haired mage agreed. Then, he turned towards Kraedor and ran to him. Borik did not wait for an invitation to run. He followed the two, just as the tornado finally stopped. The ground shook as the creature fell from the sky. But, they made it into the barrier and looked at the slowly walking giant of a monster.

Now, that Borik was behind a line of safety, he could see it more clearly. It had clawed hands, fangs, instead of teeth, the head of a buck, with antlers to boot. And it was hairy all over its body.

The creature then began to poke the barrier again, as if nothing had happened. They all heard a horn blast from the distance, and they turned to see adventurers, an entire guild, by the looks of it, come towards the creature. But, instead of the Huergaz flag, it flew the Canos flag.

Loud cheers erupted when the light mages attacked the creature with light mana, and it began to burn. It seems that was the only cue for the fire mages of the Canos adventurer's guild to go and begin to burn the thing. With the wind mages fanning the flames and with the earth mages adding stone missiles to the mix.

The creature sprouted bat-like wings, of all things, and flew away. People greeted the Canos adventurer's guild with roses and loud cheering, but the adventurers themselves were not happy. They were on edge. And that was doubly so when they saw the Naga, goblin, leprechauns and felt the dungeon core that was feeding this strange barrier mana.

"People of Huergaz, explain these mob's presence in your city," a dwarf came forward. He had a white beard and hair, but looked like a wall of muscle. He was Skormog Ironbraid, the Canos's adventurer's guild's guild master.

"They saved us. They got the evacuation signal in time and, thanks to them, no one died," duke Klorfiel spoke. He had his bow with him, and he had been ready to turn the monster into a pincushion, if it went past the barrier, despite not having that much mana himself. 

"We have a protection deal with the Huergaz adventurer's guild. Here are our papers, sir," Atha handed them the papers, and Skormog looked them through.

"What is that busybody Alklair thinking, offering mobs a protection deal?" Atha stiffened. Were they going to be rewarded for saving the city with death?

"Don't you dare touch even a single hair on either my son, my battle companion, or my party's wind mage," Kraedor yelled, waving his staff threateningly. "Or I will freeze the blood in your veins and make it explode!"

"Kraedor, is that you, man?" Skormog went to the Ice Priest and gave out a belly laugh. "My, you went back in the adventuring business? Good for you. If you vouch for the mobs, then I don't see any harm in letting them stay. But, the dungeon core..." 

"If it wasn't for Belle, we would all have been dead," Norrix spoke. The barrier had been strong, but soon it became apparent that it needed an external mana source, as a soul had been used for its creation, and not mana.

"You named the dungeon core?" Skormog sighed. Then, a text appeared in the air.

Guild master Ironbraid, sir. I will not allow for anyone to be left without my protection. Huergaz will remain under this barrier until its adventurer's guild comes home victorious. Please — do not attack me. I only wish to help.

"What a strange city," Skormog mused, then he shook his head. "Well, if things are handled here, I will leave a couple of light, fire and wind mages. Maybe five healers and ten tanks? Yes, this city is the crown jewel of Alcandino. If we lose this port, we might end up starving, come winter," the dwarf spoke, more to himself than to the gathered crowd.

"Does that mean you won't execute us?" Bog asked, slightly hiding behind Atha, who was looking at the dwarf with pleading eyes.

"Eh, I misjudged you lot. Kraedor, please stop glaring. How about we have another drinking contest? Remember your fiftieth birthday and that curvy barkeep that kissed your nose when you won?" Skormog gave another belly laugh, but Kraedor blinked.

"I, don't. You see, sir dwarf, I have been hit with a forgetfulness spell. But, this here is my son, Atha. He created the barrier that kept us all safe. And, this is my battle companion, Bog. He carved the stone. A better carver you won't find. And Norrix...he is the second member of my party. A wind mage. He did something for the barrier too, but I can't remember what," Kraedor pointed at each member of his family, and they were all relieved when he didn't remember that they had used the soul of a giant to create the barrier. For, that would surely land them in trouble.