AN: alright this chapter will be a little longer then the last few, I will try and be as detailed as possible since unless you have actually played the game the world won't be as clear as it is in my own head (I always play dark elf so the dark elf village is very well known to me XD )

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Chapter 25: the world as we know it.

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Walking up the twisting passage Harry looked at the thick rock walls, they were sharp and jagged like sharp tools had cut away at them to create this massive passage. "feels like we have been walking for ages, how much longer till we reach the surface?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't know, I have never been here before..oh god!" he clapped a hand over his nose. Draco pulled a face pulling the bottom of his robe tunic over his head. "what is that horrendous smell?" it smelt like sulfur and death and burned their nose hairs.

The walls started to lighten around them, and as the walls became lighter the smell became worse.

Harry could hear Draco behind him trying desperately not to breath and he couldn't blame him, the air was rank and stifling. Turning a final bend he was grateful to see the entrance of the cave, his legs were starting to hurt, it was a steep incline from the village to the surface.

Moving out into the open air he looked around, the sky was clouded over and the land, It was barren. The few trees that grew were sparse and looked to be clinging to life, their leaves looking more like moss clinging to the branches.

"This is, depressing." Harry couldn't agree more, no wonder his father never wanted to deal with anything to do with this area. Turning slightly he nearly jumped out of his skin, for standing not 5 feet away was a very nasty looking guard.

It was a young dark elven woman her outfit was strips of leather wrapped around her body, from her shoulders and back was sharp spiked armor that appeared to be some demonic sort of wings. Her hair was pulled back and up a strange design covered in leather.

Looking over the guard he blinked seeing thick leather straps crisscrossed over her face blocking out her eyes. "Hey, this one is like that to." Turning Harry looked to where Draco was pointing, sure enough on the other side of the entrance was another female dressed in an identical fashion.

"One thing we can write in our reports, Dark elves are creepy." Harry couldn't agree more. He knew most of his siblings had dark elven blood in them but they didn't dress anything like the people in the village did.

"Come on." Grabbing Draco's arm Harry pulled them away from the cave entrance. The air here was so thick it made breathing hard, "now I can see why dark elves can hold their breath for so long, they have to here."

Pulling the map out Harry started to fallow the well beaten down dirt road, "lets keep onto the road as much as possible, I just started my training I don't feel like meeting up with a monster that can kick my ass." For once Draco agreed with no smart comeback, he didn't know where he was and Harry seemed to know a little more about this world then he did. Harry died he was up shit creek without a paddle.

"how long do you think it will take us?" looking at the map Harry looked around seeing almost a half a mile in front of them was the junction between two paths, both led to entrances to the village. "a really long time.." it had never occurred to him exactly how big this land was.

Tucking it back into his armor pocket Harry started off down the path, "we need to cover some ground before nightfall." If they got caught out at night they were really going to in trouble."

Harry and Draco had only made it a few hundred feet when they heard the strangest sound, it was heavy breathing with the sound of a metal chain? moving over to a tree the two ducked down and looked out from around the side.

"oh sweet Merlin what in hell is that?"

Floating in front of them had to be one of the ugliest creatures either had ever seen, and this included blast ended skrewts.

It was a horrible humanoid looking creature with skin the colored of dried mud, with a similar texture to boot. His torso and legs were short, but head remained it's actual size making it look massive on the small frame. Long dangly arms housed sharp clawed fingers as long as it's head, huge bulbous round eyes were sewn shut with jagged teeth nearly poking into them from the small mouth. It was kept floating in the air by ripped dragon wings.

Around its neck was the source of the metal noise. A massive thick metal collar was latched around it's neck with a short length of chain still dangling from a loop.

Harry felt like he was going to be sick, "I don't know, and I don't think I want to find out. Come on.."

Quickly the two boys ran off down the road stopping only when the air began to burn their lungs and throat. Panting Draco bent over placing his hands on his knees. "that..that creature was hideous."

Kneeling on the ground Harry nodded trying desperately to catch his breath, it was a lot harder here as every time he took in a breath it felt like very little oxygen was getting to his lungs.

"Hagrid would say it's pretty and try and keep it for a pet." Both boys laughed at this knowing it was true.

"Don't tell him about it, might be on the next quiz." Laughing harder Harry looked over to their left and instantly stopped laughing. "uh.."

Rubbing his sore chest Draco looked over to Harry, "what are you uh'ing about?" he fallowed Harry's line of sight and about keeled over.

"are we seeing the same thing? Or is the air causing me to hallucinate."

"if you mean by a giant mushroom with crab claws jumping around. Then no..you're not hallucinating."

Sure enough up on the hill was a giant red top mushroom, very much so alive and mobile as it and several others behind it hopped around. Jutting from either side was a long arm with crab like pinchers attached to it. Occasionally the fungus would clack the claws together before pouncing off in another direction.

"this is some Alice in wonderland shit.."

"Alice in what?" Harry shook his head, "nothing Draco, muggle book."

"uh huh..OW! hey" Draco shot Harry a nasty look seconds away from hexing him, boy had a mean punch now. Rubbing his shoulder he was about to chew him out but caught sight of what he was looking at. "oh dear sweet merlins underwear.. for nearly a mile on either side of them Monsters covered the land.

Two groups in particular caught their attention, one was unmistakable; Goblins. The same type goblins that ran the bank in diagon alley. Though these were different these weren't the well dressed ones of the bank, no these were in crude leather and carried deadly daggers. Among them was the second group..short, big and ugly it was like looking at a cross between a monkey and the hulk.

That was not a pretty combination even in Harry's mind, these creature looked more organized they wore leather armors and carried anything from a bow to a sword.

"I hope they aren't aggressive.."

Many of the monkey hulks were standing very close to the edge of the road. "I think they are.." Draco pointed a shaking finger to a blood stain not far from one of them. Both boys swallowed hard before looking at the other, an unspoken agreement went between them. Moving towards the other side of the road more towards the bouncing mushrooms and goblins each boy drew their weapon. Draco his wand and Harry his dagger.

Slowly the two boys crept along the edge of the road Draco watching the left side, Harry the right.

The going was slow, very slow. "look, there is a bend in the road.. we're home free."

Harry was a walking Murphy's Law, no sooner had Draco uttered those words a monstrous roar sounded behind them. Both both froze mid step and turned behind them, charging from across the road was a monkey hulk his sword raised high above his head. "RUN!"