The house was now only a short distance away, just slightly beyond the periphery of where the smoke ended. Ambika was now far enough to know that Leandros' blessing no longer had any effect on her, which meant that she was once again vulnerable to whatever manipulations the witch might throw at her. She would have to attempt to lure her out then, and hope the latter was desperate enough to perform the most rudimentary of mistakes.

Pulling out the seal tag for creating an illusion, Ambika would wrap it around a glass sphere, then cover that in camo cloth[1] before throwing it so that it lands just a short distance away from the entrance, enough that the witch would have to exit the house if she wanted to try anything funny by touch, which tended to be the most potent of magic. As it landed, a puff of smoke would appear and as it dissipated, a simulacrum of the old soul would appear, glaring intently at the house and its master, now seething at the constant failures to steer the two away, charged out in a frenzy which energies crackling in her hands. Ambika hadn't the knowledge to understand what spell it was, but it mattered not. There was an opening to exploit as the witch met only thin air in her unskilled flails, and a spear to the torso with her viscous throwing spear summarily staked the latter to a nearby tree.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The witch screamed in pure agony. Ambika simply ignored the screams and fired a Fear Tip[2] at one of her palms for good measure and kept her crossbow trained on her target, remaining within the obscurity of the smoke. Any interrogations and further investigation could wait until Leandros reconvened with her.

---

[1]Improvisation Engineer: Glass Sphere + Clone Scroll + Camo Cloth

[2]Fear Tip

Even if it was his own plan, Leandros was not excited to play bait for the beasts. It was the best option in his belief though. They were in the lair of the witch so they had to create whatever advantages they could. No guarantees were given in a fight, especially one like this.

"Your creatures are dying for you witch, are you certain you can afford to lose them?" Leandros calls out to the fog around him as he stares down the rune bear.

"Feh, your pride is nothing but hollow arrogance knight. I'll be sure to savor your fear as I drain the life from you." The voice cackles through the air.

Good, it seems her attention is focused on watching him. Time to uphold his end of the bargain and keep this entertaining to give Ambika her chance. He rattles his halberd against his shield an lets out a noise that is like a lion's roar.

The bear charges at the same moment Leandros does. As they lumber towards each other the knight presses forward until a moment before they would collide. He puts his halberd into the dirt and launches himself over the swiping claws.^[1] In his descent, he sweeps the blade downward to slice into the bear's flank and adjust his momentum so that he would land on his feet.

It turns quickly and swipes at Leandros, claws scraping against steel.^[2] The two trade blows, Leandros parrying off heavy paws while the bear is cautious to get in too close. Giving Ambika time was one thing, but there was a danger to prolonging this out. Thankfully the wail from the witch was all he needed.

The bear turned its head to the sound of its master, but suddenly found its neck and collarbone pierced by a powerful thrust of the halberd.^[3] This time when Leandros pulled the blade free, the wound was fatal. The bear lurched and swayed a moment before falling to the ground in a huff.

"You think you could so easily defeat me? You think I do not have legions of thrall's at my disposal?" The witch's voice was fear and panic made manifest.

She would slam her hands into the ground causing the shadows to bubble and roil. Skeletal hands would spring up and start to pull themselves from the void, but suddenly they would turn to dust and ash as the void closed. A heavy presence enters into the witch's hut, a surprise to her but likely not to Ambika.

Leandros pushes through the door and magic seems to fade around him^[4], "It is over witch, your gambit has failed. Release the children and I will find mercy for you."

---

1. Vaulting Style
2. 2/4 HQ armor HP left
3. Titanic Reach
4. Null Zone

Null Zone. One of the worst skills that could befall anyone harnessing any form of magic. Not a peak she had ever reached at any point, though that was largely because she dedicated all her past efforts to making sure there was no battle involved in the first place. Ambika watched as the smoke spear dissipated into nothing, not that it mattered at this point as the witch was all but defeated.
"Mercy? Hah! I will not betray my sisters, they should be coming to save me at any moment now!" The witch spat at Leandros out of defiance, surprised at her magic being shut down but still steadfast in her beliefs.
"Is that so?" Ambika began walking towards the witch, striking fear with every deliberately hard step to ensure there would be sound. Ascertaining bluffs from truths was a priority. Defending non-combatants against more of the witch's ilk was near-suicidal.
"Y-yes! I'm sure! I'm sure that- Why do I hear nothing? N-no, where- where are my sisters? The Moon Witch Coven! H-have you forsaken me!?" By the time Ambika was standing in front of her, the witch had turned from a cornered rat to a fearful mouse. The Moon Witch Coven was not a name the old soul had heard of, but she was willing to guess it was probably some kind of secret society or criminal organization as they tended to be.
"How many of them are you?" Ambika questioned.
"I-I am th-the o-o-only oneeee here. W-we are n-not told h-how many members or whe-where they are f-for security reasons." The witch was reduced to sobbing now, not knowing her so-called silence was induced by the complete isolation from magic. Smart. Can't pinpoint anything if nothing is made known.

Anyhow, the two ought to wrap up their business here soon. Some judicious usage of spidersilk wire[1] would result in the witch tied up expeditiously, assuming that Leandros would be rightly interested in further questioning given his honourable occupation. With that done, Ambika would finally feel safe enough to unlock the door[2] to the hut - thankfully no more dangerous than a regular door for the time being thanks to the gallant knight's efforts - and got it opened post-haste. Carefully pulling the door outwards, she would bear witness to the floors littered with groggy children who had just woken up from their magically-induced sleep, now whispering to one another fearfully in response to the sight of the scary stranger standing outside the hut. Leandros would likely fare better in providing reassurance, so she stepped aside to allow him entry and carried herself to the witch once more to ensure she did not try anything stupid.

---

[1]Spidersilk Wire

[2]Lock Pick

"Trusting others to help is a noble thought, but reliance on others to save your skin is a weakness. Cowardly begging when faced with the consequences of your actions is equally repulsive." Leandros put his halberd away as the witch is bound.

He helps pry open the door to the storage room were the kids were kept. Thankfully his large frame took up much of the door meaning the kids could barely see the witch behind him. The few who are barely awake seem to barely notice anything at all.

The knight crouches down, no longer the large and fiercesome Lion of the Landing, but the gentle giant most people saw him as, "Are you all right children? I am sorry we could not get here sooner."

"Who are you?" One little girl sits up, seemingly the most coherent of the group.

"My name is Leandros, my friend back there is Ambika. Your parents are very worried about you."

"Where...are we? I remember a nice lady singing to us...then I don't know."

"It is OK. We are here to take you home...Would you like to ride home on a dragon?" He smiles.

The girl brightens and shakes her head up and down. Some of the other kids begin to stir and waken up thanks to their friends. They eagerly murmur about a dragon amongst each other. It seems a bit of excitement could knock the sleepiness from them, typical of children. Leandros just smiles softly and stands, leading them outside and giving a sharp whistle.

"Do you have a way to transport her?" Leandros looks back to Ambika once the kids are outside waiting. Thankfully the remains of the summoned monsters burned away to ash only being magical creatures and not real ones. He could carry everyone home but maybe not the best to make the kids sit around the tied up witch.

"If nothing else, you and the children can ride homeon Haurach when she gets here. I can carry the witch back. She will have a much harder time influencing me."

Ambika considered her options - judging by the conversation with the children Leandros had, Haurach must be the winged drake outside the village. With that in mind, there may be a better option.
"If your Haurach does not mind, I am alright with hanging down from the dragon. That should allow you space to bring everyone including yourself in one go." Ambika pulled out a wire with an anchor on one end and a carabiner on the other[1]. Otherwise, she would simply take up Leandros' previous offer.

Regardless of the option, the flight would be uneventful for her, though the children's cheers mixed with hints of nervous fears here and there would reach her ears. If she were hanging down from the drake, she would jump once the distance from the ground was safe enough for her. Otherwise, she would wait for the drake to land first before descending. Either way, she would assist in the children's descent from the drake herself and help them reunite with their parents, and now-painful memories would flood back to her about her child-rearing days. Kishan was always happy about being carried, though he would never ask for it himself under the belief that troubling his parents was something he should never do. Semaini demanded it almost all the time and would wail whenever the parents refused. Cordelia had to be carried quite often due to her weak constitution compared to the other two siblings, and it only fueled Semaini's animosity towards her younger sister for the longest time.

Ambika would simply watch the families crying and getting together and shake her head at whatever compensation the villagers sought to provide, wanting no more than a place to stay for the night and perhaps a meal. The day had been long and harrowing, and she did it largely to stave away at her unrelenting guilt for failing to save her family.

The old soul would meet up with Leandros and express her gratitude.

"Thank you for today, Leandros. I will stay for the night, and continue my travels tomorrow."

---

[1]Improvisation Engineer: Anchor + Spidersilk Wire + Carabiner

"I think you underestimate the speed she can fly." He offers a smile and soft chuckle as he shakes his head. "Though..."

The ground shakes outside as Haurach lands and the kids lose it as kids are wont to do. They run and surround the dragon, immediately touching and poking at it. Thankfully, she is well-trained and suited for this. She holds her head high with pride and gently flexes out her wings before lowering her body.

"Come now children, find a spot you can settle and hold tightly." He ushers the kids on first before looking back to Ambika. "I think we can combine our plans."

Leandros motions for Ambika to help tie the witch to Haurach's talons. He would not risk Ambika's life, but the witch had already made her choice. The knight would not lose sleep if the witch were to fall to her death. He helps Ambika up into the saddle as well before climbing in himself.

The flight is a gentle and slow on, there are children on board. Leandros is thankful for the extra set of hands to watch after the kids though. They manage to avoid any close calls, but better safe than sorry. The kids slide off Haurach's wings like a slide once they land, running to tell their parents about getting to ride a dragon.

Leandros smiles at the tenacity of kids, so quickly able to tuck this memory away and replace it with a good one. Knowing how thin resources must be in this village, Leandros turns down compensation as well. He may have the scratches and dents in his armor, but these parents had been through the worst of it in his mind.

"I should be thanking you. The witch likely would have gotten the better of me without your skills. The extra pair of hands with the children was also helpful. My daughter is only a few months old, but I am already seeing how much of a handful they can be." He smiles and offers a hand shake.

"I will not be staying, I should get home to said child but any time you are in Sol City, feel free to search us out. My wife and I would be more than glad to host you."

Ambika was slightly surprised that Leandros would willingly risk the Witch's life like that, but she supposed the man valued the old soul's life more than that of the criminal in this instance. She gave a nod and assisted in tying up the Witch onto Haurach's talons, doing her best to have it be as secure as possible. Information had its own worth, and it would be remiss if she allowed it to be lost over a mishap on her end, even if she could assume the Guild Master of the Oath Watchers was unlikely to blame her for anything of the sort.

It had been years since Ambika last watched after children around the ages that those who sat with her on Haurach. Her children will always be children in her old eyes, even as Kishan and Semaini grew much taller than she was post-puberty, and Cordelia? She could only hope in vain that one day she could see even a glimpse of adulthood in her youngest daughter, but alas, that day never came, her life reaped on that fateful day. Even without the tragedy, however, Cordelia was already doomed to an early death, to leave the world ahead of her own Human mother.

Those thoughts would not serve her, so Ambika shelved it away as she kept the children steady, her arms gentle belying the sharp, stony counternance she wore.

"You should return to your daughter indeed. Children might not show their thoughts directly, but they absolutely do remember their parents' presences... and absences." Her mind veered towards Semaini, the middle child who ended up comparatively neglected when judged alongside the other two children.

"I will consider your offer." Truth be told, the old soul was too haunted by grief to even consider a day surrounded by a happy family. That felt like emotional suicide, but courtesy came first.

With that, Ambika waved Leandros goodbye and she set forth to rest in the village.