Sama’s words got the attention of the Wolverine Hunters, who looked at Sama, then at Briggs.

“It will take me a couple of minutes.” Lady Fae put her legs down, turned southeast, and there was a small BOOM as suddenly Lightning leapt for the horizon, and she was gone.

“One of the things that has to be done to fight the Netherworld’s plans is the Dead Zones have to be closed down, and that means fighting the unliving,” Briggs informed everyone quietly. “In pursuit of that goal, we’ve been assembling and training a group of mages and wizards who are specialized in just that job. They’ve been getting in some practice individually in Egypt, China, Mexico City, and Machu Pichu. They’ve never moved out as a group as yet...” He closed his pale violet eyes, veins working at his temples for a moment as his jaw clenched.

“There’s no way the people in Franceville are prepared for an assault by undead Humans and Beasts. They will be massacred, the Ward collapse, and King Magogo will come in to eat them all and increase his forces. We can’t let that happen. Happily, we’ve got the single best undead-slaying Sage on the entire planet with us.” Sama’s smile was wicked with expectation. “Although I’m not sure she’ll be sticking around for this fight,” she admitted.

“What? Why not?” Elder Polanski blurted out in surprise.

“Because something out there was powerful enough to infect a Honey Badger King with the Undead Element. What do you think is more powerful and dangerous?” Briggs replied grimly.

Any protests that might have risen died instantly. It was a rhetorical question, not needing a response.

“And that’s why you’re bringing in your Undead Hunters,” Elder Oscar nodded along. “If they can just get the Ward changed, that alone will be huge.”

“They can definitely get it temporarily altered, although it will have to be fed with a lot of Light Mana to work. Happily, we’ve also got a lot of Light Mages working for us who are happy to help out.”

“How are you going to get paid for this?” Elder Bierlien asked, well-known for his nose for money.

“Future trade terms and the goodwill of the Great Beasts,” Briggs said easily. “If their Sage isn’t going to support them, why should they pay taxes to him?”

“Huh.” The Wolverine Hunters looked at one another, and nodded agreement at the idea. If you gave, then you received. If the other side gaffed you, you had no duty to them, no matter what they might claim.

“Sama left a couple observers in Libreville. Sage Ojibwae hasn’t moved an inch from his palace, and there’s no news being issued on what is happening save the rumors coming from some of the citizens. The local radio and TV stations have no word of the massacres at all,” Briggs went on coldly. “So, they were threatened into silence.”

“Standard procedure for tinplate dictators trying to cover their asses and misdeeds,” spat Chester Polanski angrily, stamping his scrawny foot. “Rest assured we’ll help against these undead, Commander Briggs!”

Briggs nodded gravely at those words of support, his scowl ferocious. “The Sage might not be long for this world, or at least this country. If he’s part of the movement to infect a King Beast with Undeath, the Great Beasts will totally wash their hands of him, and the sea will come in and take his territory completely. He’ll run, and if he gets anywhere near Beast territory, he’ll die.”

“The issue is what corrupted a King-tier Beast. Fae will be all over that, as it could start the two-way standoff the Netherworld and Nirvana want so badly.” Sama had her normal eight-toothed smile on, and it was making some of the younger Hunters shiver. “Guess what? Ojibwae has the Shadow Element. I think we know what side he’s on, and who he might be dealing with for a better position when they take over the world.”

There was more swearing from all around, and then a moment of quiet.

“Commander Briggs? Miss Sama?” one of the younger Wolverine Hunter Mages spoke up hesitantly. “I... have the Shadow Element, too?”

He was looking around, and the complete lack of reaction on everyone’s part was incredibly reassuring. He sighed in relief when the looks in everyone’s eyes didn’t change.

“Jason,” Sama said coolly, “we’re not the Church of Light. We aren’t going to crucify you for getting randomly Awakened to a Dark Element. It’s not your fault, and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It means the Netherworld has been doing a really good job for themselves.”

“That said,” Briggs drawled, “we ask that you to try not to use it, and if you want to break free of your Dark Element, we can help you with that.”

“You, you can? Uh, wow?” he asked, blinking in amazement.

“Does that, uh, work for the Curse Element, too?” another one of the Wolverine Hunters spoke up hesitantly.

“If you have the willpower, it works for all of the Dark Elements,” Briggs promised sternly, leaving both young Hunters thinking hard thoughts.

There was a swirl in the air, exactly where Lady Fae had been floating, which expanded into another one of the Portal archways.

“That is so cheaty,” Sama sighed for everyone, and headed right through it without pause, seeing the magical lighting on buildings, the paved roads, and the milling people on the other side.

------

“Who are you people, and what are you doing in my territory?”

The lovely young woman with long white hair and a crystalline Staff in hand looked up as the man came down from the sky, radiating his half-Sage Aura. He was an older fellow with a beard going peppery, long and skinny of limb and build, his skin even darker than hers.

She pulsed a Sage Aura back at him. His eyes fixed on her with both fear and desperate hope as that pure power made it plain he would not be intimidating her in the slightest.

There was a lot of fear in the air. Archmage Obai had felt the dimensional effect coming from inside the Ward, and had no idea what it was. Standing Portals like this were completely unknown to him, only burst Teleports with massive supporting Artifice he had seen used in the past, and there was none of that here.

Watching the last of the outlanders come through the Portal before it winked out, Archmage Obai and his guards' hackles rose, even as the four of his group landed, all of the locals using Air Magic and not Magic Wings. Still, he remained silent as the young woman popped up more Portals, and more outlanders with skin of various colors started coming through.

“Archmage Obai!” The sheer amount of command in the deep voice made the Archmage straighten up despite himself, and then he gawked up at the absolutely huge outlander stepping forward, a Hammer that looked to weigh nearly as much as the Gabon Archmage himself did slung over the man’s shoulder. “Wolverine Hunters from Michigan! We’ve been hired through the Hunter’s Guild to put down King Magogo!”

Obai’s eyes widened in shock. “Who... who is paying you to do so?” he asked. He wasn’t quite sure that he had enough money available to pay for such a deed!

“Oddly enough, Sage Ojibwae filed the request.” A massive hand was extended to him, an Aura washing past the tall and lanky man who’d never felt so small as he did right then, carefully accepting the massive grip as he felt the magic shudder and melt away all around him, leaving him almost powerless. The way his friends and guards backed up in shock, staring at the huge brute, showed they were experiencing the same. The pale violet eyes looking down at him were hard and knowing. “I don’t think he did it out of kindness, and he certainly isn’t expecting us for at least another twelve hours or so.”

Somehow feeling incredibly reassured at that observation, Archmage Obai took a deep breath in relief as his hand was released with only the slightest display of immense strength. “As you can see, there are many refugees trying to flee the mad Magogo.” He waved his hands at the many people about, not enough shelter available for them. “The King Beast has stopped at the outer edge of the Ward for the moment, but I am not sure we can stop him if he charges forward.”

“He hasn’t stopped at all. He’s eating everything around the edge of the Ward and turning it into Undead he can Summon forth.” Obai choked at the news, staring up at the big man in disbelief. “He’s been massively infected with the Undead Element, it’s why he’s rampaging like he is.” Briggs looked left and right. “Colonel Mick!”

“Sir!”

“This place needs emergency domiciles for ten thousand people! You and you! You, take the Mick and his crew to where they can put up the buildings! You, organize a group and get the refugees moving into the buildings as they go up! The first ones will be available within five minutes of finding a site! Go!”

Obai was shocked as his two aides saluted the massive man reflexively, Colonel Mick pointing and the KIA Earth-users moving out with speed to follow Mbasa urgently toward an open area that would normally be a park, but was now overrun with desperate squatters. Jihim, the other man, whistled for the attention of the very overworked city guards, gathering them up and telling them get the people moving towards the new places to stay.

“There’ll be rooms, rough beds they can throw sheets on, running water, and bathrooms,” Briggs assured the silently watching Archmage confidently. “Now, you need to lead these people of ours here to your Ward. We have to modify and upgrade it to accept a Light Infusion so we can weaken the undead who will be coming. As soon as we send it up, King Magogo will likely stop devouring new victims and attack... but that means fewer undead attacking, so it’s a good thing.”

He didn’t wait for Archmage Obai to agree to that, although the city’s Ward was the most important and valuable item in the entire city! “Lady Fae, an announcement for Light mages, if you will. They’re going to need them all.”

“Commander,” she acknowledged, watching the Artificers of Coralost come streaming through the newest portal, along with the home team of Undead Hunters. “Greetings, people of Franceville, this is the Lady Fae of Coralost.”

All conversations around stopped and turned, hearing her voice perfectly, along with a thousand-foot face in the night sky that was somehow looking right at each of them, a rather stunning and very attention-getting effect even if she wasn’t incredibly attractive.

“I am here with the Wolverine Hunters to put down King Magogo. It appears that some foul power has corrupted the Honey Badger King with Undead Magic, thus inciting his rampage. It also means that it will not be a Beast King attacking the city shortly, but an Undead King at the head of an Undead army.

“To weaken this attack, we will need to update and empower the City’s Ward. I ask for all civilian mages with the Light Element to follow Magistrate Ohumbai to the city’s center to aid in the empowering of the defenses of the city. The protection and survival of the city and all those within will rest on your shoulders.

“Please follow Magistrate Ohumbai to the city center, and be ready to enter the Formation and aid in the city’s defense.”

The stocky Ohumbai at least had the presence of mind to look at Obai, who just nodded and waved him off. Emitting a bright orange light, Ohumbai soared into the air, attracting much attention as he waved and formed a burning trail towards the city’s center. The silver eyes in the sky glanced at him, and everyone noticed who to follow, over three dozen outlanders with Light Magic standing on silvery Disks and flying along in a clear path behind him.

Obai noticed dozens of men and women around them were reassuring their families, talking to them, and then heading resolutely towards the center of the city. By the time they all arrived from all directions, he was sure that their numbers would include hundreds, if not a thousand or more!

It was undermining his leadership and power, but this was not a time to trifle over such things. While being saved by outlanders left a sour taste in the mouth, it was not he who was paying for such efforts... and, well, the Lady Fae was here! He could already hear the whispers about her gifts of new spells to the world, and wondered what it might portend, her being here like this...