Sheriff Friedbert Shepherd, Cathie speak softly, her voice etched with a weary impatience, addressing the fiery figure before her . Can you tell them to cease this utterly senseless squabble?"
"Shepherd! Why in the Abyss did you unleash your curs upon us? Explain yourself!" Azrael, her anger a palpable storm, roared, spiraling back down to solid ground from her aerial perch.
Sergeant Bristle, his hand stroking his chin in contemplation, interjected, "I expressly commanded you to escort them to the Kennel. This skirmish is entirely unwarranted; they are, after all, my esteemed guests." He then turned his gaze to Cathie, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. "And Cathie, I expected far better from you. Nea, in her wisdom, appointed you leader, assuring me of your unwavering reliability. Yet, to wield Fulgor with such wanton disregard is… far from it."
"Sir, I assure you, the K9 initiated the conflict! We merely defended ourselves, isn't that right, Isda?" Cathie protested, her voice carrying a hint of indignation.
"They unleashed Victoria," Sergeant Bristle retorted, his voice edged with urgency. "People began to crumple, even my own hounds fell victim to it. I had no choice but to act!"
Isda, a bewildered expression blooming on her face, clarified, "Victoria is a defensive enchantment, a tactic employed to achieve victory without bloodshed. It is a peaceful means to end discord!"
"Sergeant Bristle, gather your hounds! Retreat to the Kennel! I shall personally escort these… myself."
K9 barked twice, a sharp, decisive sound, and then vanished.
"And just like that, Sergeant Bristle and K9 slink away, tails tucked between their legs!" Hawo scoffed, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips.
As K9's presence faded, Malaliel crossed her arms over her chest, a slow burn of defiance in her eyes. "Wait, Sheriff! We never agreed to follow you back to the Kennel. We are quite occupied with preparations for the upcoming Harvest Festival at Rosalie Colony. Perhaps we can call upon you later, once our errands are complete?"
Sheriff Friedbert Shepherd turned, his gaze sharp and unyielding. "No. This is a matter of dire urgency. Your shopping can wait. Unless you wish for your temple license to be revoked?"
The team, their spirits visibly dampened, reluctantly abandoned their shopping and trailed the Sheriff back to the Kennel. Malaliel, a simmering fury in her heart, moved with a deliberate slowness at the rear. Cathie and Isda followed the Sheriff, their voices a low murmur of complaints and apologies for their earlier behavior. This only served to stoke Malaliel's anger further. It was made worse by the fact that she, a creature of the air, was forced to walk, when usually she would simply glide, a much swifter means of travel. But the Sheriff had forbidden it, declaring it their punishment for the skirmish.
After what felt like an interminable journey, they finally reached the Kennel. BOTH a Rottweilersquad and a Dobermann squad , stood as silent sentinels at the entrance. The team passed through the threshold.
"Alright, Sheriff, begin your explanations. Why have you brought us to this place?" Malaliel demanded, her hand slamming down on the Sheriff's office table.
"A Domain has opened near Rosalie Colony," the Sheriff began, his voice grim. "Your order is the only group I know in Heavenport capable of such a feat. We did not request this. Can you close it?"
The girls exchanged wide-eyed glances, then gasped in unison, "A Domain has opened?!"
"I assumed you were already aware," the Sheriff said, a hint of suspicion in his tone. "Are not all waypoints in Heavenport under the control of your order?"
"Yes, they are!" Cathie responded, her eyes widening further. "What if then…?" She bolted from the Sheriff's office, the other girls and the Sheriff hot on her heels.
The group caught up to Cathie near a waypoint not far from the Kennel.
"The Sheriff is right! A Domain has opened near Rosalie Colony!" Cathie exclaimed, her voice laced with alarm.
"That is ill tidings indeed," Azrael muttered, a shadow falling across her features.
"Not only that," Cathie continued, her voice trembling, "we've lost connection to the waypoints near the Red Light District, Fort Skywatch, The Great Watchtower, and Sylvan Ring too!"
"Strange," Isda mused, a frown creasing her brow. "They are all far from the Rosalie Colony Domain."
Malaliel countered, "Perhaps the Domain is not connected to the loss of the waypoints."
"Or perhaps they want us to believe that," the Sheriff interjected, his gaze piercing. "Who are 'they,' and why did Nea not forewarn you about this?"
The girls exchanged uneasy glances, a silent understanding passing between them. Only Cathie spoke, her resolve hardening. "It matters not. What matters is reclaiming control of these waypoints before lives are lost. These waypoints are now under the sway of monsters, meaning they have gathered enough power to attack and slaughter everything in their path!"
"The Sylvan Ring waypoint appears most corrupted. Let us begin there."
One by one, the girls stepped into the waypoint, which would transport them to the nearest uncorrupted waypoint to the Sylvan Ring. From there, their mission was clear: slay the monsters that had seized control and reclaim the passage.
Before Cathie could follow, the Sheriff halted her. "What do you think you are doing? Closing the Domain is far more critical! Forget the waypoints!"
"I do not believe your words," Cathie retorted, her voice firm. "The Domain is in a remote location, far from any large population, and it still has time before it fully manifests."
"You do not comprehend! You must close the Domain! The… the Grand Council of Heavenport demands whatever it takes to seal it!"
"When did the Grand Council begin to care for Rosalie Colony?" Cathie challenged, a bitter edge to her voice. "It is a colony of flora, their lives are brief anyway! You stood there in silence when General Jabari uttered those very words to my face! What has changed now, Sheriff?"
"There is an event taking place near Rosalie Colony. High-level personnel will be in attendance. If the Domain opens, their lives will be in grave peril! We cannot permit that to happen! Please, Cathie, help me!"
Cathie met the Sheriff's gaze, her expression unyielding. "Look, Sheriff, with all due respect, I have to regain control of the waypoints – that is my sacred duty, bestowed upon me by my Nea. And even if I wished to, the Domain has already been activated by another.
The only way to close it is to acquire the code from them, and who knows where they are now? Perhaps they've already fled the city.
If you're truly desperate, you could send K9 to track their scent, but your best chance to close it is to wait for it to fully open, then dispatch a guild to contain the Domain and purge the monsters within .
"Perhaps then you can recover the Crestal and Orb – the Grand Council would be enraged if the city lost such valuable resources and wealth."
"You think I didn't try? The scent led us directly to you!"
"Impossible! Your K9 must be mistaken!" Cathie declared, her voice resolute. "Regardless, I promised my team I would take them to Rosalie Colony for the Harvest Festival. If the Domain spirals out of control, my team will be close by, Sheriff." With that final declaration, Cathie stepped into the shimmering light of the teleportation waypoint, vanishing from sight.