Chapter 2: The Hunter meets the Carry
Kardel's hot breath huffed as he sprinted beneath the shading trees, beams of stray light pierced through their shields of leaves. Holding his rifle firmly in his gloved hands which were sweaty and clammy from anxiety, he raced over the gnarled roots that threatened to snag his feet, kicking aside fluttering fallen leaves and brushing against occasional undergrowth. His dwarf's heart raced, although thanks to his own races' amazing cardiovascular abilities, sprinting through the tranquil forest was easier for him than having to climb craggy mountains where his people were known to live their whole lives, traversing through dangerous cliffs and staving off high-altitude winds and freezing frostbite; in comparison, the forest was child's play, although the ambiance was rather unnerving to Kardel, as it was too peaceful, too desolate and ominous...
The soft trickling of flowing water broke the silence as Kardel went further ahead, a feeling of relief calmed him. Passing through a pair of trees, before him was a glistening stream, lumped with rocks and gushing from the east. Sliding down the dirt cliff, Kardel allowed himself to lower his guard, but not too low. The stream was where he and the other scouts rendezvous a few hours ago, before their duties commenced. At least by the stream, Kardel could have a refreshment from the ever-pure water that flowed away from the main river, which was normally polluted with blood from clashing troops. He took out from his back pack his prism glass bottle and allowed the water to collect at a moderate pace in it. As he looked closer, something shined with an odd light amongst the rocks, he reached his hand out and plucked it. Between his wet fingers was a finger-sized shard of stone that was engraved with intricate and ancient markings, the shape of the shard was of a word, a rune of an ancient language, the lines that engraved it glowed with a emerald green light that pulsated faintly; Kardel felt invigorated just by holding the rune.
The Radiant had taught Kardel of the history of these runes that somehow mysteriously appear in water sources and their magical properties, and it was great luck that he had found one of the four types of runes: the Rune of Regeneration. Ezalor told him that the runes were the special tears of the Sky Father that occasionally fell from the sky and fused with Earth Mother's blessings to form these shards of power, although the truth to their real origin was uncertain. Kardel dipped the sharp tip of the rune into his bottle, the green energy of the rune somehow diffused into the water as Kardel whispered prayers to the Earth Mother, like green smoke flowing, turning the once clear water into a vibrant, emerald green. Kardel capped his bottle, saving the regeneration for more dire needs, and instead cupped his hands and drank from the stream, wetting his dry lips and aching throat, even mountainous dwarves needed to drink.
Not allowing himself to be careless, Kardel fetched another observer ward from his pack and planted it above the dirt cliff where its vision was better, he then allowed his trepidation to ease. A sudden squawk from a fleeting bird alarmed Kardel, he jolted to his senses but receded quickly. Then, a sudden subtle crumble of pebbles by the stream broke the dead silence, yet Kardel saw nothing but the tumbled pebbles. Something wasn't right. Kardel readied himself in his sniping stance, with his rifle at ready. His anxiety returned and his stomach lurched as flies of fear filled it, he couldn't help but felt his skin crawl from sudden pressure, the fear of being ambushed kept him alert, although he was in Radiant territory, the deathly stagnant atmosphere made him feel worse, as it was just too quiet...
Swish! The winds sliced...
Kardel rolled out of the way as a shimmering claw emerged and slashed behind him, the attack missed him by a hair's breadth. Kardel got to his feet as soon as he could to eye the now floating, sickle-shaped white claw of shining metal that floated in mid-air before him. Then the air twisted and contorted over a transparent surface, the claw's form extended to become a red appendage, color filled in the transparent figure in the form of sleek crimson red and grey, the towering bulky form of a torso formed, revealing an extra clawed arm and torso armored in a crimson plate, next was the helm, a hollow visage with horns of a beetle, a serrated dual mandible design hanged from the jaw. The massive, tank-like abdomen came into view, armored in sharp, crimson shell and six blade-jointed legs stepped in, supporting the massive, monstrous body. The creature clicked its mandibles and hissed in displeasure due to its failed attack, its face was obscured under the helm, but its presence was more than overwhelming as it towered over Kardel like a gigantic war machine. The two faced off...
"Hah! Knew there was something lurking around!" exclaimed Kardel, "Thought you could back stab me so sloppily like that? Pu-lease!"
The creature hissed in annoyance, its prey was too smug, "Silence, inferior dwarf! I am the emissary of the goddess, Nyx and I shall cleave your head clean of your shoulders as a tribute to her," it swore in a rasp, deep male-voice of an alien race "You should be happy that a mongrel like yourself will have the chance to appease Nyx in all her glory in the form of a sacrifice, and I, the Nyx Assassin shall carry out such a prestigious task in the goddess's name! Nyx, Nyx, Nyx!"
"Oh be quiet, ya damn bug!" retorted Kardel, the Nyx recoiled in disgust "I've shot over-sized gnats like you from morning 'till dawn! So tell me... um ... Gnat Assassin, how did you grow so big?"
"A gnat! A blood-sucking gnat, you say? Blasphemous, audacious, impudent, insolent little dwarf! Prepare to feed me!"
The Nyx swooped in with hungry claws about to give the dwarf a cleaving hug to the throat, Kardel leaped backwards to avoid the converging blades as they slashed forward in an attempt to embrace him, the claws were a length away from Kardel's foot as he jumped, the massive beetle clanked in its armored form as it dove in. The Nyx followed up quickly and skittering forward with legs on fire slashed horizontally at Kardel's head, whom weaved under the deadly attack with lightning-fast response. The Nyx continued to slash at the agile dwarf, whom had the advantage of being three times smaller than the Nyx and had little problem ducking and weaving under the assassin's fluid but linear and predictable attacks, a long series of which the Nyx sent a flurry of stabs and swings at the evasive dwarf followed.
The Nyx swiped its left claw vertically, swooping down upon Kardel to cleave him in half. Kardel saw through the slow motion and slid on the balls of his feet backwards, evading the claw by a toe's length as it embedded itself into the rocky ground. Following up, Kardel yelled and used the stuck claw as a stepping stone, pushing off it and propelling himself forward in a leap. The Nyx swiped with its free claw, but to its dismay Kardel stepped on the swooshing claw as it threatened to slice off his feet, pushing himself even higher. Before the Nyx could react, the sniper was above him in mid-air, with a steady aim, Kardel fired a sharp-sounding shot at the Nyx's face, the bullet hit its target in the bull's eye, the bullet bounced off and sent sparks flying as it made contact with the helm, the Nyx felt its head rattle from the impact, hissing in pain and recoiling back, flailing its claws. Kardel finished his flight with a frontal flip, landing with a soft thud on the pebble-filled ground.
The Nyx pulled its sickle claw from the reluctant earth, clicking its mandibles in fury, it turned to face its prey. The Nyx claws hummed as they began to glow more intense with a emerald light, when they charged their power, the Nyx jabbed the claws forward and unleashed a bolt of crackling energy. Caught off guard by the Nyx's sudden use of magic, Kardel was blasted with searing bolt on the chest, he barked in pain as he felt his skin burn. Kardel gritted his teeth and attempted to raise his rifle, but then he felt his knees buckle and he fell to them. Kardel cursed, his mana had been drained by the bolt. Finding strength within himself, Kardel rolled aside as the Nyx dived in for a slash. Kardel got up and ran towards the stream, knowing it was unwise to continue the battle at close-range, of which was not in his favor. Quickly turning around, Kardel shot once more at the Nyx's head, stunning the creature as the bullet bounced off. The Nyx hissed in rage, upset that its hunt was getting too arduous.
Kardel took the chance to run across the stream to the other side where he was safer, splashing with every step. As soon as he reached the other bank, Kardel readied his rifle, pulling its special locks that were installed upon it. Kardel aimed his rifle upwards at a measured angle and fired a blazing bullet that burned with light; the projectile whizzed into the air and burst into a mini-explosion of burning shrapnel. The shrapnel rained down upon the Nyx Assassin as searing rain of crimson, bouncing off the Nyx's armor, denting it further as each shrapnel shard hit the metal surface. The Nyx recovered from its stun to realize its predicament, and how far its prey had moved away. The Nyx was once again greeted with a bullet to the helm, which caused his head to recoil from impact. The Nyx hissed, disorientated by the damage it had taken. Shaking its bulky form, the Nyx's body vibrated and ejected protruding hooked spikes from all sides. Kardel shot again, but the bullet bounced off without hitting its mark due to the Nyx's spikes. The shrapnel rain had ended, then with a receding step back, the Nyx allowed his form to slowly dissolve away into the background, once again becoming invisible.
Kardel cursed as he attempted a blind shot, only to crack a nearby tree's bark. His predicament had gone dangerous, with his hunter now invisible and impervious to his bullets. Kardel backed away from the river to a nearby tree, scanning his surroundings but unable to see his enemy. Kardel cursed his luck for not bringing a bag of revealing dust or sentry wards, for he was useless if he couldn't aim at his target. Calming himself down, he allowed his hearing to take the place of his sight, listening to the dead silence for the slightest of disturbance. All he heard was the gentle stream and the whistling wind, but not of skittering legs. If the Nyx were to cross the stream without Kardel noticing, he would be brought to a disadvantageous position once more, Kardel wouldn't desire to fight at melee range, for he had no suitable weapon, though he was agile enough to evade the Nyx's attacks before, he was tired from the bolt that drained him, the pain still stung his chest like a swarm of fire ants. Kardel ignored the pain and concentrated on putting his focus on the sounds, beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Issss that all you can do, inssssolent dwarf?" echoed the invisible Nyx's voice through the forest, like a ethereal ghost "The Radiant's standards have ssssurely dropped if they've started recruiting the likes of you into their ranks; what place does a puny dwarf with nothing but a metal stick have in the fields of battle? To die at my claws before the real war begins? You are here, weakened and cornered like a rat, without spells, durable armor, with only your pestering agility to protect you, so what'sssss the use? Jusssst feed me like the vermin you are, surrender and perish, in the name of Nyx."
The voice seemed to came from all angles, Kardel couldn't pin-point where the Nyx was. Yet his boldness didn't falter, "Shut the hell up, giant wingless gnat!" he retorted "You surely are pitiful if you had failed to kill an insolent dwarf the moment before he shot you in the face, your goddess must've picked the most unintelligent emissary ever, I feel sorry for her and the rest of your kind. To lose to a insolent dwarf, a puny dwarf, it is a disgrace to a fat bug such as yourself, even resorting to use magic, what a dimwit!" An angry hiss resonated throughout the air, followed by the wet, dripping clicking of mandibles. "Puuuny dwarf, you've caused me much trouble, FAR too much trouble," Kardel's teeth clenched and his grip tightened "Well now, I ssssuppose I should end this quickly..."
Too swift and ethereal for Kardel to react, from before him, the Nyx shot out from the air like a sudden burst of new colors, lunging towards Kardel with claws ablaze, merciless and bloodthirsty, with a shrill shriek of a war cry that chilled Kardel's spine. Kardel's feet froze in place, as if gripped by invisible hands. He was helpless. With a swift slash of its right claw, the Nyx sent a streak of crimson blood splattering into the air, the air filled with the pungent smell of iron blood and the sound of Kardel's cry echoed throughout the trees. Kardel fell and tumbled from the force, rolling into the pebbles like a rag doll tossed aside. He fell heavily on his chest, and he groaned in pain. The slash had cut open skin and muscle, blood flowed, staining his vest. At least it wasn't a hit to a vital, but the slash had carved open Kardel's chest, and he barked in pain as he felt his ribs, cracked by steel, send needles into his nerves.
The Nyx Assassin skittered towards its prey, pleased that it couldn't evade its pounce in time. The Nyx clicked its mandibles in satisfaction, relieved that its hunt was successful, but the feeling passed quickly, for it knew if it lingered here, contemplating on its victory, the commotion would've no doubt alerted nearby Radiant forces, to which was not favorable to the Nyx, unless it wished a certain death. The Nyx loomed over Kardel, the helpless dwarf that laid at claw's reach before him. It contemplated shortly, thinking of the perfect strike to end the insolent dwarf's life, and decided that it would be appropriate to behead him, then leaving his corpse to rot on a pike of earth, as a sign to all other insolent Radiant fools, to beware of the Dire. Yes, it was only befitting for the dwarf. The Nyx loomed over Kardel and pinned down his head with its claw, drawing more blood. Kardel panted helplessly beneath, drained by the loss of blood and mana, he was left without vigor nor hope.
This was how it would end? Death by an oversize gnat? Memories swam in Kardel's thoughts; how he shot the steepstalker on the day he turned adult; when his fellow villagers banished him to fulfill a prophecy Kardel had no idea meant; when he had to leave his siblings, friends and clan members to embark on his journey; when he first learned of the Radiant at a local bar; when he first enrolled into the Radiant ranks and the many friends he had came to respect. A tear rolled down Kardel's dirt-smeared face, he gritted his teeth, biting down the bitterness that swelled inside him. He would never see his family, his beautiful dwarven maiden who still waited for his return, neither would he see his clan friends, nor would he see the beautiful, majestic, mountainous valley of Knollen ever again. Alas, Kardel had to seal away his memories and braced himself to meet oblivion. Any moment, the sickle claw would rip his neck asunder and his head would plop like a pumpkin.
This is it? Kardel thought, My life's been nothing but all this? How could I've gotten so careless? Now I've let everyone down, including my sweet Shelia, my dear, beautiful Shelia, I would never see her blazing hair, smooth cheeks and sublime eyes ever again. O' divine Earth Mother, watch over my village and my Shelia, may my soul rest in peace by your radiance now and fore...
His prayer was answered; a deafening boom resounded as the earth cracked and erupted, a gigantic wall of jagged stones, a great barrier, stretching meters long, smashed into the side of the Nyx, sending the shrieking creature flying, smashing into a tree trunk with a pronounced thud, its body sprawled as it smacked with tremendous force, then the Nyx crashed down onto the unwelcoming stones that scraped its once brilliant armor further, and it laid there, too stunned to move. Kardel peered with a weary eye, trying to identify his savior, his vision was slightly blurred, but he made out a giant apelike figure, coated in dark earthen fur which stood on its massive knuckles and muscular arms, it seemed to carry a giant totem on its back, which was almost larger than its torso size, its eyes were intense and sentient, "The Earth Mother has answered your prayer, O' Dwarven Sniper," rumbled a rich, deep, almost divine voice "Help has arrived in the nick of time, and now you shall be safe from the clutches of the demon insect that has injured you so, I swear, unless my name isn't..."
"Cut the crap, O' Earthshaker, Raigor Stonehoof," wheezed Kardel, though he was still grateful at heart "I thank you for your aid, but please save the fancy schmancy bullshit for later."
"Bah! You and your pompous and impolite attitude! I rehearsed that well, don't you know. I'd like to see you speak in such a refined, eloquent manner, you midget scoundrel! But now's not the time to argue! Here, have some..."
"Save it Raigor, I don't need any salves or clarities or even a tango. I just need to use my rune."
Kardel sat up and quickly rummaged through his bag, and fished out his bottle filled with the emerald liquid that had diffused from the rune. He uncapped the bottle and took a quick swig; Kardel felt his skin mend itself as sinews sew back together and broken bones cracked into whole. Kardel felt his mana, his inner strength, return as well. The sniper leaped up, agile and rejuvenated instantly, patting the dust off his clothes and quickly adjusting his sniper goggles, which beeped with new life.
"Now then," said Kardel "Mind helping me with a little pest problem? If you can catch it, at least."
"Perhaps it would've been best to have brought a massive flyswatter," joked Raigor "But anyhow, my totem will fill in just as nicely to squash this Dire insect, as you've seen."
"It can turn invisible, that bug. Have you brought some Dust?"
"But of course!"
The apelike hero produced a small leather pouch in his giant palm, and the Earthshaker moved quickly on his knuckles towards the Nyx where it laid, and he took a handful of the purple, revealing dust within his pouch and threw a cloud of it at the Nyx, coating it with the purple sheet so that it may never escape their eyes. The Nyx reeled up with a furious shriek, angered by the apelike intruder, slashing its wicked claws in an attempt to slice tendons, only to meet the thick, granite-tough surface of Raigor's totem, which he had pulled from his back to block the claws. Raigor twisted his totem aside and jabbed with a straight punch, and the Earthshaker's merciless knuckles connected with the Nyx's helm, bashing it so hard that the Nyx reeled backwards and nearly tripped onto its side, as if it were hit by a boulder. Green blood dripped from the Nyx's mandibles, its senses were slurred by its recent bashing to its head. Yet it still had enough sense to see that the sniper was constantly pestering the sides of his armor with pelting bullets, denting the surface as they bounced off harshly. The Nyx knew it had to retreat to the shadows, or else it would attract more unwanted attention, and haste it must make.
The Nyx raised its wicked claws and brought them slamming onto the ground, then with a vicious snap, spikes of sharpened earth, pointed like snake teeth, each as tall as Kardel, erupted from the ground in a straight row. Raigor was caught surprised by the spikes, but not quite taken off guard. The massive ape brought its giant totem overhead and slammed the ground where the spikes were about to meet his torso, shattering the deadly spikes before they had a chance to impale him. Shards of sharpened earth flew like glistening jewels tossed in the air; then the Earthshaker charged with his knuckles ablaze. Raigor drew a small, silver blue, curved dagger from its side in the middle of its charge, and he tossed the dagger with its tip flying straight at the Nyx. The Nyx saw the incoming dagger and brought its claws up in defense, which was just what Raigor wanted, and with smile to his face, he concentrated his mana.
Divine Earth Mother, spirits of the wilds, lend me your strength and allow me to move as fast as a blink!
Then in an instant, the massive ape disappeared midway of its charge in a flash of blue, and simultaneously flashing before the Nyx Assassin, flying forward the surprised insect. "KNOW YOUR PLACE!" cried the Earthshaker, and with a mighty swing, slammed the ground before the Nyx with his totem, rumbling the earth with a great explosion as a massive dust cloud erupted from where he slammed. A shrill shriek of an alien creature ensued, and the Nyx flew from out of the dust cloud, flung aside like a rag doll by the immense force of the slam. The Nyx twisted as it was about to collide with a tree, and as it contacted, its springy legs hooked onto the bark, keeping the Nyx secured. The Nyx was in horrible shape; green blood dripped from its helm and sides; its armor was laden with dents, scratches and cracks; its claws were chipped and worn. With a resentful hiss, the Nyx turned and its body dissolved into the background, becoming translucent. However thanks to Raigor's dust, the Nyx was not completely invisible, and his see-through but visible outline was revealed. The Nyx leaped to the next tree, and to the next as it made its escape, desperate to lose its enemies before it received further punishment for its trespass. However, unfortunately for it, the sniper had his sights on...
Kardel had trained to snipe ever since he was a child, and to snipe was like a mere twitch of a muscle to him, a natural gift from the Earth Mother. Eying through his scope, he adjusted his rifle according to the Nyx's every movement as it leaped from tree to tree, finding his timing and aim for the right moment to kill. Kardel aimed for the head, which was just like the way he killed the steepstalker at his village. It was a great task, however, to aim at a moving target, especially one as swift as the Nyx. Taking in a deep breath, Kardel concentrated, and envisioned where the Nyx would move. His hands were sweaty, his fingers tensed at the trigger, his nose twitched, beads of sweat dripped from his brow. Then, he envisioned it, where the Nyx's head would be, and the right moment to aim...pull the trigger... and kill.
Easy as shooting gnats.
With a quick pull of the trigger, the bullet sounded with a boom. The shot Kardel made was with a special bullet, enchanted with Kardel's mana and sheer concentration. The lead projectile flared with radiant sparks as it sailed past trees like lightning, slicing through air like a knife through fabric, with an unstoppable aim towards its target. The Nyx heeded the sounding boom without care, and continued to leap from tree to tree. A fatal mistake, for the Dwarven Sniper never misses. The bullet closed in, almost instantly as the Nyx leaped in midair, catching it in half-flight. The bullet sped to its head, and the Nyx couldn't react as the lightning fast projectile reached in front of its eye. A flare of light was what the Nyx saw, and the rest of that moment would scar it forever...
BOOM! went the bullet as it made contact. The bullet's magical energy exploded with a brilliant, resonating sound. Huge flocks of birds took flight, startled by the noise. The very leaves rattled as the sound traveled, and the whole forest froze in silence, at that moment. Kardel let loose a sigh of relief, putting his rifle down. He was sure that the shot made contact, and a sure kill was bagged. The Earthshaker lumbered to his side, dusting dirt off his shoulders. "Did you get him, Kardel? Right where it hurts the most?" asked Raigor. Kardel spun to the ape, with a furious expression.
"What! Of course I got him!" yelled Kardel "Why would you doubt the best sniper in the Radiant for even a single moment? I would never miss my assassination shot! Never! That bug's as good as dead I tell ya! I was sure I got him square in the noggin!"
Raigor held up his apelike palms in submission, "Alright! Alright, I get it! You'll never miss! Seriously, you should work on that attitude of yours! I just saved your life, too!"
Kardel bit his lip, realizing how he had just spoken to his savior. Without Raigor's aid, he would've been dead, and he would never have the chance to see Shelia or his village again. "I'm... my sincerest of apologies, Raigor. I've forgotten what I owe you for saving me," he said "If it weren't for you, I would've been a goner, and the Dire would have one less thorn on their side, but most importantly, you saved the lover of someone and I thank you so much for that."
Raigor smiled, surprised that the dwarf would become sentimental all of a sudden. "She must be a beautiful dwarven lady to meet someone like you," said Raigor "You must worry about dying a lot, for fear you would never see her again."
Kardel chuckled, "Well, I was lucky," he said "Now then, let's be off. We can't be sure if that gnat assassin is dead so we ought to search for his lifeless body. I'll split the reward with you, as a token of thanks."
"Right, let's be quick so we can report back to base about this incident, so that no one else would be caught off guard."
Without more words, the two sped off with Kardel sprinting ahead and Raigor lumbering behind. It disturbed Kardel greatly, as he ran towards the Nyxx's direction, to realize how daring it was for a Dire hero to be lurking in Radiant territory and how it almost meant certain death for him. The Dire were fearsome brutes, but to think they would send a lone warrior to infiltrate so deep into enemy territory was audacious, even for them. Had the Dire finally decided to end the stalemate that they and the Radiant had for years? Kardel gritted his teeth; he almost lost his life today. Kardel looked over his shoulder to see Raigor, the lumbering gorilla-like hero that had saved his life. His head was rather round and matted with orange fur, and his dark nose was like a cow's, which was round and leathery, his eyes were dark hazel and full of intelligence, which separated him from the appearance of a savage brute.
The two searched high and low amongst the trees and undergrowth, but they couldn't find a tell tale sign of the Nyx's body, except for trails of green, acidic blood that had eaten away grass and tree bark. Kardel twisted the rims of his goggles, but could not see the Nyx anywhere, even at its peak performance. Raigor was searching when suddenly a large forest bear, covered in brown fur emerged from the bushes. The bear's beady eyes were full of pain, it showed its left arm to Raigor, whom held it in his giant hand, which even dwarfed the bear's large paw. Fur had burnt off from the bear's arm, leaving a patch of reddish skin. It was probably due to the Nyx's blood, which must've splattered on it. Raigor placed a palm on the burnt area, then in the language of the spirits, sent a prayer of healing and rejuvenation for the bear, as well as longevity and safety. Raigor let go of the bear's arm, and the bear felt relaxed and grateful, bowing it's head to the Earthshaker. Raigor petted the bear's head, "Rest assured, friend." he said gently, and the bear left his presence, disappearing back into the bushes.
Kardel cringed as he touched the new scar that streaked across his chest, his vest was torn badly by the Nyx's claw, and the feeling of the cold metal still lingered, haunting him. Kardel heard something clanked when he kicked a small object, and what he found was a broken shard of the Nyx's helm, freshly wet with acidic blood and still shining red. Kardel realized, that it could mean his shot had not dealt a killing blow to the Nyx, thanks to its helm, and rather it would still be around the proximity, badly injured or bleeding to death. Alas, Kardel was not renown for his tracking skills, and he was not accustomed to navigating through forests, for he was a mountain dwarf. Perhaps the Nyx had now found a safer distance to flee, but it would nonetheless succumb to its injuries soon, as Kardel predicted. Kardel recalled the days he spent hunting with his father as a boy, sniping mountain goats and following their trail to claim their dinner. Occasionally, his father would demonstrate how to snipe steepstalkers and soaring harpies, if they ever come across some. Sniping was a family trade to the Sharpeyes, and the Sharpeye clan were amongst the best of the best in the village, and Kardel was their heir, at least before his banishment.
Kardel watched as Raigor whispered prayers of healing to the trees, stroking their bark and the grass below them. Kardel recalled that the Earthshaker was born directly from the earth, called upon by the Earth Mother for the sole purpose of aiding the Radiant in their cause. Raigor had the power to forge mountain ranges and cause the earth to quake, at least that was what Kardel's generals told him. He was fortunate to see his powers in action, in the nick of time when he sent the Nyx flying with a wall of earth. Mighty, kind, wise, yet fun to talk to was Kardel's impression of Raigor; they knew one another since Kardel's recruit days, when Raigor would coach him on the importance of teamwork, warding, potions and whatnot. He was like an older brother to him, although Kardel was considered quite old for a dwarf, but Raigor's wisdom exceeds him both physically and mentally. Kardel considered bringing Raigor over to his village when the war was over, and introduce him to Shelia and his family, he thought surely Shelia, as the charming lady she was, would welcome Raigor warmly despite how he differed by looks.
Kardel smelled the stinging tinge of acidic blood in the air, a sour sensation that pricked his nostrils. However the trail of blood ended cold, without much trace left., by foul smell nor sight. Elusive the Nyx was, and Kardel sighed out of disappointment, for losing his target. There was a system in the Radiant that allowed the payment of gold coins to the warrior who claimed the heads of enemy heroes, soldiers and neutral monsters. They would then spend the gold on whatever they deem useful or desirable, such as new armor and arms, or just a few trinkets for fashion. Nevertheless, solid proof must be turned in to claim the rewards, and Kardel and Raigor were short on it for the Nyx's death.
"Blast it!" cursed Kardel "That bug's slipperier than a kobold in a rabbit hole, for the Earth Mother's sake! How did its trail of blood stopped? It couldn't have gone farther than a few meters away from here!"
"Perhaps he was not alone," suggested Raigor "Maybe someone had healed him along the way, or carried him further ahead. Regardless of the possibility, it seems nigh impossible to pin-point where the bug is, for we've lost the trail and we're cold on its tracks. We should head back with haste now, and report this to our generals, perhaps they could resolve this problem."
"Yes, so it seems. So let's be off so I can get back to my tent to smoke my pipe and get a good ole resting, for my legs ache and I feel fatigued."
After their dangerous episode, Raigor wished for nothing but the same. He nodded in agreement, only because he was as tired as the dwarf was, for even entities born from earth needed rest too. They left the trees and back to the stream, where Raigor amended the damage their scuffle with the Nyx had caused by lowering the miniature mountain range he had made by whispering prayers, as well as the spikes conjured by the Nyx, forcing them to retract back into the earth. There was a crater where Raigor had smashed his totem, and he amended it as well, filling the pit hole with earth. After all was done, they proceeded to find their way out of the trees by following a dirt path, then they reached outside of the crowding trees and onto the main road, towards the base. An erect, sentinel tower stood at guard as always, a few meters ahead of them, with the barracks beyond there.
The ground vibrated as the marching of a dozen feet stamped, and a troop of Radiant soldiers appeared before them. The Radiant had no use for the limited resources of human soldiers, which perished easily so the Earth Mother produced soldiers of organic material to serve their cause, for they feel no pain and follow orders without question. A troop of swordsmen, followed by a lone mage marched onwards. The swordsmen were men of leaves and earth, they wore hoods of green leaves that obscured their dark faces, showing only their shining blue eyes of light, their bodies were like men and they were wrapped in strong vines and leaves as armor, they wielded broadswords of shining blue crystal, and round stout shields of shaped granite stone. The mage was scrawnier than the more muscular swordsmen, and different in other aspects, for it wore a squarish headdress of wood, its mantle of leaves were dark brown, its eyes were of yellow lights and it wielded a staff of twisted dark wood instead of a sword. The troops marched onwards without expression, as blank as paper, towards where they might clash with demons in gruesome battles.
As they passed the troops, Kardel couldn't help but recall what the Nyx said: "Isssss that all you can do, insssssolent dwarf?". He went up against a powerful, spell casting insect from hell and only barely escaped death by the aid of another spell caster. Kardel realized how heavily outgun he was in this war, by so many casters that could tear him inside out with a flick of their finger. All he had was his sniper rifle, which hadn't dealt as much damage as he thought it would against the heavily armored Nyx, so what use was he when he crosses paths with mages? Unless of course he was far away, so that he could send a bullet through their magic-filled heads. Yes, he realized, that was his strength among the others. It only takes a few words for a mage, but a sniper must be precise, cool-headed and predictive, with a foresight for killing moments. He smiled to himself as he passed the foot of the tower, at least to reassure himself. Then he remembered why he needed to come back to base in the first place, to report his sightings of Dire troops to the generals. Realizing this, he told Raigor to quicken his pace, and soon they were in Radiant encampment.
Towering above the clusters of tents was a large structure of sturdy wood, the feasting hall was where the heroes would normally congregate for their daily meals, and it also served as the headquarters of the generals, a floor above the feast hall. Its roof was tiled and triangular, the doors were massive, twelve feet in height in order to allow entry to massive heroes, each with knockers of dark brass. Raigor pushed the heavy doors and entered the feast hall, where a grand table stretching several tens of meters laid empty without food nor drink, gold sunlight filtered through the windows, the atmosphere was silent as smoke. They walked onward, towards the staircase, above them they eyed the stuffed heads of monsters of great sizes that other heroes had bagged during their travels, displayed in their glory. There was a head of a werewolf, grey haired and snarling, with a bloodthirsty gaze that made it appear alive, it was taken down by Lyralei as Kardel recalled, during one of her missions, with just a single well-aimed arrow.
There was an even better prize, a head, or three heads of a legendary chimera beast, hung with the heads of a goat, serpent and lion. It was taken down by Traxex, with several arrows of frost to the body that eventually forced the mighty beast to succumb. However, they were all dwarfed by a prize that hung in the middle of the hall, snarling viciously was the five foot tall head of a frost dragon. Its scaly skin was still fresh and azure as if it was just killed yesterday, its horns curled like rams and its serrated teeth were laden with cold frost, and its ruby eyes gazed forward with a predatory hunger. A silver, gleaming end of an arrow was lodged in the side of its skull, which belonged to Mirana, a testament to her power and skill. The dragon met its end by a warrior of Selemene and her mount, whom raced beneath the moonlight. Kardel sighed, envious of their achievements, for a steepstalker nor a Gnat Assassin would compare with such grand prizes.
They made their way up the stairs, which threatened to snap under Earthshaker's tremendous weight, creaking with each time he pressed down his knuckles. Ezalor was in his office, or his study room, which he preferred to call, reading the latest reports for supplies and finances in the form of stacks of neat paper, which he scanned with scrutiny, down to the smallest of details. A tenacious pounding came from his door, and he called to allow entry. Much to his dismay, the loud-mouthed Kardel and heavily bodied Raigor entered into his sanctuary. Ezalor picked off his specs and placed the sheet of paper down on his desk, which was laden with paper and writing instruments. Books surrounded the study, or office, and the rays of sunlight beamed from the window behind Ezalor. "Speak your business, you two," he said "And be quick about it."
"General Ezalor," began Kardel, with a heavy, urgent accent "I've spotted Dire troops in our territory! And what's more they're not far!"
"What!" shouted Ezalor, alarmed greatly by the news "Where are they? We must eliminate them as soon as possible! And dear gods, what has happened to you, Kardel? You're battered up!"
"He was attacked, General," answered Raigor "By a Dire warrior whom we've heavily injured and is still probably in our perimeter, but right now our concern should be on the enemy troops."
"Good Lord! A Dire hero? In our territory! The audacity! Pugnacity! We must alert the troops! But first, where was the direction the enemies were headed?"
"South from here, close to the stream," answered Kardel "We should be able to gain visual on them, for I've placed several Observers in the areas. There weren't that many of them, so a small team should be able to dispatch them."
"Good," said Ezalor, whom rose from his seat "We'll have a team assembled to deal with them soon, for now stand at ready to defend the base, if the time comes. Warn the others, for they too must be on their feet."
"Aye sir," said Kardel.
"Indubitably," said Raigor.
"Kardel," said Ezalor "You must be tired, however I require your skills now more than ever. I need you to watch the perimeter of the base at a watch tower, for the enemies you've seen. We wouldn't want a sneak attack on our turned backs, now would we?"
"No sir, and it would be a pleasure. Though I insist on a little reward..."
"Blast it! Fine! A hundred gold for your troubles! But split it with Raigor!"
Kardel grinned wolfishly, pleased that he bagged in the gold easily, "A pleasure, General. I'll be off to the watch tower and to warn our friends!"
Ezalor pinched the bridge of his nose as Kardel swiftly exited the office, leaving footprints of mud on the once fine carpet that Ezalor treasured. Though he had to let go the frustration and turn his attention to Raigor. "Earthshaker," said Ezalor "We may need you now more than ever, we need you to defend our friends with your powers if the time comes. For you, Raigor, are a part of an entire jigsaw puzzle, and the puzzle would not be complete without you, so do your best."
"Aye General, I shall be off then." said Raigor, he turned towards the door to make his way.
"Oh! And Raigor!" said Ezalor, abruptly stopping Raigor "Be sure to tell Kardel that I was lying about the reward thing! But don't tell him I'm giving it all to you! Just say there isn't going to be any reward! But, make sure he gets a checkup on his health, to see if he has sustained serious injuries."
"I wouldn't worry about that hardy dwarf, General," said Raigor, his voice was calm, like the Earth's own "He has a heart of gold and a spirit of diamond, his body would not limit him. And please, keep the gold, for petty materialistic things do not appeal to me, but thank you, anyways. May the Earth Mother watch over you, and Mirana, during these times of bloodshed."
Ezalor smiled, soothed by the Earthshaker's words, "Same to you, O' Mighty Earthshaker. Bless you." He then sat down at his desk, putting back on his specs. Raigor turned to leave through the door, the floor shook as he lumbered out, like a gentle giant whose fists could shatter mountains. Ezalor replaced his calm composure with an expression of stone-cold seriousness and dread. A general always had to deal with such dreadful news, and fortunately Ezalor was not an optimistic person, for if he was, he would've been dead. The Dire's sudden appearance in their own area was inconceivable, and what of their plan? Ezalor contemplated on the best warriors for the job, but it'd be best to keep things relax, for it would not be good for his warriors' morale. He racked his brain, thinking of enemy stratagems and counters, even though Kardel said the forces were small, he could've been underestimating, and for sure the Dire aren't foolish enough to send a suicidal team for the hell of it. He would not underestimate the Dire for even once, no matter how weaker they may seem, he was not just a general, he was an intelligent one, superseding them all.
The Nyx was not pleased, not one bit pleased. It wheezed heavily as it dragged its heavily armored body as it bled acidic blood that hissed when it dropped to the grass, deadening patches of it. It had barely escaped death, thanks to its impressive helm, and a shielding spell that blocked the blunt of the damage, but the Nyx didn't expect a bullet of such force and power that it could shatter its helm and spell, and cracking the shell of its head, causing internal bleeding. The Nyx winced, jerking its body as pain coursed through its body. It vomited blood that hissed on the grass, melting the vegetation. At least it was lucky that the apelike warrior and the dwarf could not detect its presence when it spent the last of its mana staying invisible, or else the Nyx would've been dead. However, death did not seem to far, for if the Nyx failed to return to base soon, it would succumb to its injuries, and fail its Goddess Nyx, a fate worse than death. It cursed the Earthshaker for denying its prey from it, and the Dwarven Sniper for relying on petty tricks and luck to emerge as a survivor. The Nyx swore under its fatigued breath, as it skittered limply under the cover of the trees, that the Radiant fools shall pay, and the Dire shall avenge its failure.
Author's words: I guess the Nyx's appearance was all too obvious for all you Dota fans! Normally a Nyx should be able to overpower a puny Sniper with relative ease, but that would be way too brief of a battle :) Maybe my description's a little off? I'm trying to write like Christopher Paolini or something but I just can't get the feeling! Suggestions are welcome! Another thing, how many of you've seen a Sniper actually getting killed by his own Ulti when Nyx turns on his Spiked Carapace? I've seen one stupid enough to do so and he got killed just like that! Harhar! But it's a common mistake, and the damage reflection is just very imba! Anyways, are my descriptions way too plain and empty? Or maybe they're just too brief? Oh well, I've a lot to learn from Stephen King and whatnot. So guys and girls, review please and fav and follow. You can add me on Steam by entering hczs, so yeah! Feel free to Blackshop with me! Love you readers and fellow Dota players! Keep reading and keep playing Dota! Good Luck Have Fun!