The very next day, they went out to find the remaining monsters. Midor was still asking all the animals for reports, and he was beginning to get some information coming in.
The giant serpent had, it was reported, slithered off. It had headed West, and had disappeared into the interior of the forest. The monster had gone so far that no one knew exactly where it was now, only that it was heading West still.
“It is fleeing,” said Midor. “It doesn’t want to encounter Vivian again after the damage she inflicted on it last time.”
“Can it heal itself like the spider?” asked George.
“Most living things heal themselves to some degree,” said Midor. “After all, whenever you cut yourself, your body heals itself. But can it completely regenerate lost limbs like the spider can? I don’t know. These monsters have very different abilities from each other. No one knows what they are all capable of.”
“Well, regardless, if it’s fleeing into the forest, it’s no longer our problem,” said General Graten.
Midor frowned. “This is not good,” he said. “We should catch the monster before they escape into the forest. There’s no telling what damage they'll create if we allow them to scatter everywhere.”
“If you have a suggestion, you can make it,” said General Graten. “Otherwise, I’m going to decide that we don’t need to worry about the Serpent anymore.”
Midor sighed, but he had to agree with the General. “In terms of short term strategic planning, you are essentially right. It doesn’t sound like the serpent will be causing us problems any time soon,” said Midor. “And if it does return, I should hopefully receive notification that it’s on it’s way long before it arrives at our castle. But I’m not happy that it escaped.”
“I haven’t been happy for years,” said General Graten. “What about the giant wolf?”
“It’s been located,” said Midor. “It’s staying in a cave on the underside of a mountain, one week’s journey from here.”
“One week?” General Graten balked in surprise. “We just fought the thing two days ago.”
“One week’s journey for us, I mean,” said Midor. “You saw how big that thing was. It can bound through the forest with leaps and jumps, and can travel in the course of two days what would take us a week.”
“Well, it would be foolish of us to pursue it,” said General Graten. “New monsters could come through that portal any minute. We can’t afford to travel one week there and one week back.”
“What do you propose?” asked Midor.
“We treat it like the serpent,” said General Graten. “It’s not our problem anymore. Not for the time being. If we ever get the portal shut, then it will be different. But for now, we can’t afford to chase it.”
“He’s right, Midor,” said George. “We have to stay here and guard the portal. Who knows what might come out of that portal next.”
“I know, it’s a difficult decision,” Midor said. “But George, your sacred mission, as someone who is bound by oath and by blood to fulfill the mission of the castle, is to protect the forest from monsters. We know where the monster is now. If we wait, it may get lost in the forest the same way the Serpent has. And then, there’s no telling what kind of destruction it could unleash.”
“If you feel so strongly about this, Midor,” said General Graten, “then you should travel with your wife, and defeat the monster by yourselves. Based on what I saw her do the other night, you don’t need the rest of us. She is capable of fighting the monster all by herself.”
“She doesn’t have control of the magic,” said Midor. “It takes control of her.”
“I know,” General Graten said. “I saw that too. But what I’m telling you is that we can’t afford to take our forces away from the castle for two weeks. You’re going to have to make a decision. Which is more important to you--protecting Vivian from the magic, or hunting down the monster.”
“Vivian only knows the blunt attacks,” said Midor. “She doesn’t know how to transform the monsters into harmless creatures. She can only wound them with bolts of magic.”
“You think it’s barbaric to have her kill the monsters that way? I’m not sure turning them into hamsters is any more merciful,” General Graten mused. “But if that’s what you want, I’m sure Catherine could teach her the spell.”
“It’s a tricky spell,” said Talon. “It would take a few days of concentrated study. But I’m sure Catherine would agree to teach her.”
“Fine,” said General Graten. “One less thing to worry about.”
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