Chapter 4
Dwarves
We were walking down the rocky road that eventually leads to the Dwarf village of Durrintan.
It had taken us two days so far to get most of the way there.
Those two days had been rather uneventful.
Well, besides a lowly witch that had weakly attacked us with a fireball spell, which was the weakest projectile fire spell there was, I extinguished it with a water barrier spell easily.
She died instantly to having Velvet's walking stick swiftly pierce her throat, leaving surprisingly little blood.
We carried on after I collected the mana from her body, which was not much.
"Hey Vel, how much longer till we get there?" The Person who said those words was very obviously Yang.
"I told you already, Yang." Replied Velvet, getting irritated with Yang, which was a first as Velvet wasn't one to get irritated or angry, quite the opposite actually.
"When will we get there, actually?" I ask her.
"Judging by the map, by the end of today." Velvet said.
"Hey, why wouldn't you tell me!" said Yang.
"Because, you asked 10 times in the last two days." Replied Velvet.
Yang had no comeback, just a face of defeat at the fact that Velvet was right.
"Well, you weren't clear enough those 10 times!" Yang said weakly.
"Come on Yang, don't use such weak insults, I thought you were good at verbal fencing!" I said mockingly.
"Don't White!" Said Velvet, surprisingly.
"Okay..." I said, not wanting Velvet's wrath.
"Alright then." Said Velvet, suddenly calm again.
Velvet can still be scary sometimes.
"You think this is a suicide mission? Asked Yang, trying to start a conversation within the party again.
"Maybe, depends on what is wrong with the Dwarf village." I replied.
"What do you think happened?" Asked Yang.
"Probably Vacuoans attacking." I replied.
"You think Vacuoans stopped them from getting anything at all to the King?" Yang asked.
That's a good question.
One that will probably be answered when we arrive at the village.
"I see it!" Shouted Yang.
For once, Yang was right.
The sight of the giant entrance to the village in the side of a mountain was unmistakable.
We had reached Durrintan.
"There's something off about the entrance." Said Velvet.
Sure enough, there was a large hole in the gate that led into Durrintan.
Meaning that something very, very horrible and probably tragic happened in the village.
The same village we had to enter right now.
"You feel like this is a suicide mission yet?" Yang said.
"Damn near close at the moment". I replied.
"We still have to go in." Said Velvet.
Unfortunately, it was clear from Velvet's tone of voice that even she was hesitant to enter.
We reached the gate; it was torn up pretty badly.
What made it worse was the fact that the door was made from metal, meaning something VERY strong or large in size or amount broke it open.
"Who goes first?" Asks Yang, as if not knowing or wanting to acknowledge the obvious answer.
"Okay, I'll be the hero, cowards." Yang said, trying to stave away her fear, but it clearly wasn't working as it was obvious that she was the most terrified out of the three of us.
"I'll go first." Stated Velvet, neither Yang nor I argued.
She stepped into the gaping hole, being cautious the entire time.
When she gave the all clear, I went in next, Yang followed after.
The village was large, full of tall houses, long roads, and many towers reaching the ceiling of the mountain the village was built into.
The houses were basic in the material they were made out of, which was plain oak wood, but the Dwarf carvings of symbols on the walls and doors were simply stunning, they were very beautiful and very mysterious, some were full of round lines ending in sharp points, others with straight lines and round edges.
This was simply a feast for the eyes to see.
"This is something that few non-Dwarfs see." Said Velvet matter of factly, but with the tone of someone who was quite wowed by the Dwarf symbols themselves.
"There's one problem, where is everyone?" Yang's words broke the trance that the symbols had us in.
"Yang's right, White." Said Velvet.
"Well, let's start looking for them then." I said, trying to bring down my fear.
"For who?" Asked Yang.
"Anyone." I replied.
"Like that ominous looking bloke?" Yang said, pointing.
Both Velvet and I looked to where Yang was pointing and saw a black figure down the road.
It was just standing there, staring at us.
Then I saw another one down a different road doing the same exact thing.
"This is getting very creepy, guys." Said Yang.
That was an understatement.
There was a third down another road, but it was moving towards us at a slow pace.
Wait, all three of them were moving towards us now.
This is getting worse by the minute.
"Guys!" Said Velvet, pointing behind us, towards the gate we came in through.
There was a fourth figure, close enough that we could see that it was in rags and looked like it was a rotting corpse, which at this point that could be a possibility.
The fourth one was in front of the hole in the gate, blocking our exit.
They were ambushing us.
"Get your weapons ready!" I shouted to the others.
I readied a water push spell with my staff.
Yang put her hand on her blade; ready to slash at any of the figures should they get too close.
Velvet readied her walking-stick like a pike, having the bottom-end of it up in the air, ready to pierce it through flesh.
We put our backs against each other, now ready to kill any of these creepy demon-like creatures should hey attack, which they most likely will.
This was bad.
The three figures along the roads were now moving at a steady increase in speed, getting faster as they got closer to us.
"They're almost here." I said.
The one at the door hasn't moved an inch. Said Yang, watching our backs against the fourth creature.
The three unholy monsters had reached us.
I threw my spell at the one on the right; it fell back from the blow of the water hitting it.
Velvet blocked two swipes from her opponents, but one swipe got through and hit her left hand, leaving a gash in her plate gauntlet.
She waited till one went for a killing blow, hitting it over the head, causing it to fall to the ground.
She quickly stabbed its neck with her stick, piercing it and causing black blood to pour.
Unfortunately, the other one attacked Velvet.
Fortunately, Yang turned and slashed its chest.
It stepped back and, with a shiver, roared out loud in pain.
Velvet went for the kill and got it in the neck as well, causing it to slump to the ground choking.
All three of us turned to see that the fourth one was now surrounded by several other creatures.
"Crap." Sighed Yang.
I really wish that this won't end with all three of us dead and devoured, with our bones being nibbled on.
Well, maybe I was okay with letting Yang die, but her dying would just mean it being much likelier for the rest of us to be dead with our guts on the walls.
Think White, think!
There has to be a way out this mess!
One thing we had to do was run, and fast.
"Break for it!" I shouted.
All of us ran down one of the roads, our monstrous friends chasing us the whole way.
"They're too fast!" Shouted Velvet.
Velvet was right, at the rate they were running; they would catch us in a minute or two.
"This sucks!" Shouted Yang, her voice having gone a pitch higher.
"No kidding!" I shouted back to him.
We reached a corner in the village; we could perhaps use it to get back to the entrance.
Our feet were slowly but surely failing us in this chase.
We turned again to point us in the direction of the entrance.
I sure as Tartarus hope that these things aren't smart enough to have left one theirs behind at the gate, otherwise we may not make out of this without casualty.
One had caught up to Yang.
She turned and slashed at its throat, cutting it to ribbons and putting that thing down and out for the count.
There were still five or so of the creatures behind us, wouldn't win a fight against them.
We kept running.
Yang jumped over a cart that was in her way, the monster chasing her did the same, but its weight and strength knocked the cart over.
I could see the gate.
We were so close to getting out of this mess.
We could make it!
We could survive this!
Wait!
Do my eyes deceive me?
"There's a couple of them at the gate!" shouted Velvet.
"You got to be kidding me!" I shouted back.
"I really wish I was!" Replied Velvet.
There were two more monsters at the gate, blocking the only way out of this place.
"We need to get them out of the way!" I said to the others.
"Yang, slash the one on the left while Velvet can bash the other away from the entrance!"
"Alrighty then!" Shouted Yang in response.
We charged the monsters while shouting at them.
The point of the shouting was to try to scare them, but we gave up when it was very clear that they weren't afraid of us in the least.
Yang jumped at her target, attacking with a downward slash.
At the same time, Velvet used her walking stick as a club and knocked her target off its feet and away from the entrance.
I turned towards our pursuers and, with most of the mana in my body, which wasn't that much at all, threw a water push spell big enough to hit all of them at once.
"Nero sproxte!" It hit all of them, not only that, but the strength of the water hitting the monsters was tearing them apart a bit.
At least two had died from the spell.
I nearly fell to the ground.
That was most of my power.
If I try something like that again, I could die horribly.
I felt an armoured hand grab my arm and pull me towards the entrance.
It was Velvet who was pulling me.
"Come on, we'll escape them if we just leave, they might not follow us!" Shouted Yang.
Idiot.
I smirked at her stupidity.
I'm lucky to have such a friend.
I really hope she's right.
Even if such a thing probably wouldn't happen.
It was nice to have hope, no matter how dumb it might be.
"She's going unconscious!" Shouted a voice, I could only guess that it was Velvet.
"Carry her, we won't leave her behind!" Shouted another voice.
I feel happy.
I guess that happens when you aren't awake