Leon and Riya: How to Raise a Gnoll

Chapter 55

As Leiko and Leon's groups were traveling in the direction that they had seen Oshka run off in, Maria spoke up.

Maria: Can we stop for a minute?

Leiko turned to her with a questioning look.

Leiko: Why? Are you tired?

Maria shook her head.

Maria: There's something I need to do, Varna, do you think you can help me with it?

Varna raised an eyebrow at that.

Varna: Help with what exactly?

Maria unsheathed a dagger before placing it on the ground in front of her.

Maria: Do you by chance know a magic suppression spell?

Varna was quiet for a moment.

Varna: I do.

Maria: Good, I am going to bless this dagger and then I am going to need you to enchant it with that magic suppression spell if you can.

Leiko: Ah, you intend to keep it as a last resort, right? Just in case what she has planned is too much.

Maria: Exactly. That way we have a way to try to suppress her magic if we need it.

***

Oshka had run out into a clearing, looking around she spotted what she was looking for. The intricate sigil had been carved into the ground and encompassed the center of the clearing. As she got closer she could see that the sigil was as perfect as when she had first made it. Oshka smirked as she began to channel magic into the circle in preparation for when they arrived.

***

As they continued to march, Leon placed his hand on the dagger attached next to his satchel. Maria had given it to him as a contingency, it being the dagger that she had blessed and Varna had enchanted.

Leon: You said that stabbing her with this dagger should suppress her magic?

Varna: That's the idea, you stab her with it and it will either turn her magic off or at the very least make it difficult for her to cast.

Mu: It looks like there is a clearing up ahead!

As they reached the edge of the clearing they could see a black Gnoll sitting in the center.

Riya: That has to be her!

As they began to enter the clearing they could see Thorn's warband come in from the east side of the clearing.

Varna: Good, he made it.

Leiko: That should mean that Zenkoh's warband is close as well.

As they picked up speed to reach the middle they could see that Oshka was standing outside of a sigil of some kind. On the side opposite of them, they could see Zenkoh's warband approaching. Without warning Rose rushed ahead toward Oshka, sword drawn.

Riya: Rose, wait!

But it was too late. As Rose reached Oshka she dashed inside the circle, Rose following her. As Oshka passed over the threshold of the sigil it began to glow as a translucent barrier began to rise from it, Rose managed to get inside the circle but had it clip her sword causing her to drop it on the outside.

Varna slammed her warhammer down on the barrier, doing nothing to it.

Varna: It's no good! Beating on it isn't going to get anywhere.

As she said this Witherlings began pulling themselves from the ground around the circle in droves.

Leiko: Well, we need to do something!

After a short pause, he looked at Varna.

Leiko: Think you could rip a hole in it?

After a few seconds of silence, Varna began channeling magic into her claws.

Varna: I guess we're about to find out!

As Varna positioned herself at the barrier everyone else gathered around her.

Mu: Please try to make it quick! I don't particularly like the smell of graveyards!

As she said this she brought her halberd down on a Witherling, splitting its skull and shattering its ribs. Varna dug her claws into the barrier, her magic flaring a bright purple and her muscles tensing from the stress of putting her all into damaging the barrier. As Thorn and Valka took out several more that got close a small pinprick appeared in the barrier, the muscles in Varna's neck bulging from the effort she was exerting. Slowly the pinprick started to expand.

Inside the barrier, Leon could see Rose and Oshka fighting.

***

Rose blocked another of Oshka's claw swipes before responding with one of her own.

Oshka: You were a fool to follow me into this circle.

Oshka's right claw began to glow a sickly green before swiping at Rose again, Rose managed to just dodge away from her in time. The ground Rose was standing at slowly dissolved when her claw made contact, afterward Oshka's claw stopped glowing. Before Rose could respond Oshka leaped in her direction before punching her in the stomach, knocking her back several feet. As she tried to stand back up Oshka kicked her in the side before picking her up off the ground and throwing her across the circle, near where Varna was trying to make a hole.

Oshka: I hope you're ready to die!

As Rose managed to stand back up Varna had finally managed to make the hole big enough for someone to go through.

Before anyone could do anything Mu grabbed Leon and threw him through the hole, as he passed the threshold Varna let out a grunt of pain and lost her grip on the barrier, allowing it to close back up. Leon could see that outside the barrier they were continuing to fight as the Witherlings seemed to be endless. Getting to his feet Leon quickly spun around to see that Oshka was getting ready to charge Rose. He broke into a sprint to reach Rose just in time to shove her out of the way as Oshka reached where Rose was just seconds ago, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him off the ground.

Oshka: You seem to have a death wish. What do you hope to accomplish, vermin?

Leon locked eyes with Rose.

Leon: Remember Rose, your mother and I will always love you.

As he said this he pulled the dagger Maria had given him from its sheath and drove it into Oshka's right arm. Oshka wailed in pain before throwing him to the ground, the strength she threw him with causing him to skip across the ground several times before coming to a stop near Rose.

***

Rose watched her father come to a stop near her, tears welling up in her eyes. No, no, this isn't happening! As her body began to shake from what she had just seen happen her vision had started to go red. No, he wasn't...

***

A terrible, pained howl could be heard both inside and outside the barrier, some of those fighting on the outside turning to look at what was happening, among them was Riya having seen Leon get thrown across the ground, now seeing her daughter cradling Leon.

***

As Oshka slowly got closer she could hear Rose's pained sobs.

Oshka: Pathetic child, this is where you and him both die.

As she got closer she noticed that the pained sobbing had stopped, it had been replaced by a low growl. Rose placed Leon on the ground and then stood up, raising her head to look at Oshka, teeth bared as the growling intensified. As Oshka started to channel her magic, it suddenly cut out, as if something had blocked it.

Oshka: What!

Rose braced herself, ready to tear Oshka limb from limb.