Tags: Minor Character Death, Monsters, Prophecy
A/N: The battle mechanics in Dungeons and Dragons are based on taking turns. Each player (both friendly and enemy) rolls a die and that is what decides the order of battle. This chapter will be the first place where combat happens and it will simulate the turn-taking structure of a real DD battle. (Just a side note for anyone who does play DD, I rolled each and every battle that will take place in this story, and created maps with the movement for several of them. It was time-consuming, and somewhat not necessary, but I feel it made it more authentic.) I hope you enjoy!
It took a while for the dust to settle to the point that Blaine was comfortable coming out of the hut. Kurt had initially been in shock, the scene reminiscent of what he had experienced as a child when his whole town was demolished. Blaine, on instinct, held Kurt and tried to make sure he was grounded in the present. "You're safe. You're safe," he murmured over and over again, rubbing up and down his arms. "I'll protect you."
Blaine was able to eventually calm Kurt down, and they wept together for the loss that surrounded them. In the short amount of time that Kurt had known Blaine, he had learned that he wanted to help people, and it devastated him when he wasn't able to. When he was finally calm, and Blaine wasn't focused on him solely anymore, Kurt could see Blaine's thoughts trailing. "Don't. Don't start down that line of thinking. You could have been hurt. Or worse, killed," he said gently, pulling Blaine into a tight hug. "I know you have big plans for your life, but you can't change anything if you put yourself in danger."
Blaine was not sure how Kurt knew these were the thoughts he was having; he was just glad that he had intervened before his thoughts could take him too far.
Once both boys were emotionally calmed down, Blaine walked out of the hut with his crossbow and spells at the ready. Kurt followed behind him with Tiebreaker, keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings. Almost instantly, the boys noticed movement coming from the cathedral ruins and aimed their weapons at the approaching figure.
"I mean you no harm, young ones," an ancient high elf said. "I am Alin, and I am just as shocked at this as you are."
"Master Alin!" Blaine exclaimed and ran over to him, Kurt hot on his heels, his bow still drawn. "I was sent here by Headmaster Edyrin at Deswore to meet with you. What happened?"
"We've been having more and more trouble with purists in the area," Alin stated. "It seems that the rumors were true. There has been gossip that an uprising was on the horizon, and the purists were going to 'announce' their presence in a big way. I-"
Master Alin stopped at seeing Kurt's tattoo. He had seen that symbol before, and had heard terrible stories about the clan of gnolls to which the symbol belonged. "Child, why do you wear the mark of the Blood Fang Moon Clan?"
"They killed my family, my clan. I wear it as a reminder of what they did and how far I've come," Kurt answered tersely. "It's to remind me that I am strong and can overcome great sorrow and evil." Wanting to change the subject, Kurt asked, "I don't understand. What are the purist's hoping to accomplish?"
"They want to do away with, or at the very least separate, those of mixed lineage from the rest of the races," Alin stated. "Some radical got it in his mind that anyone who wasn't of a pureblooded lineage needed to be segregated or eliminated, and many others agreed with him. Preposterous if you ask me, which they clearly haven't."
"How are they planning to do this, and who is in charge?" Blaine asked determinately.
"Omno P-" Alin started to say as his hand clasped down on Blaine's shoulder. His eyes glazed over, and he spoke in a monotone voice, though he seemed to be in some kind of trance. "The day the wolves howl together will be the beginning of the age of acceptance, ushered in by the binder and his companions with the silver-scaled mark." When the last word was uttered, Alin's eyes went back to their original shade of green and looked at the two men in front of him, removing his hand from Blaine's shoulder and not quite remembering why he had put it there. Each of them wore expressions of shock on their faces. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Alin asked.
As Blaine was about to answer him, he noticed thin, green rays of light surrounding Alin. Then, the wizard just disappeared and all that was left behind was a pile of ash.
"What in the fuck just happened?" Kurt asked. "Can magic really do that, or are we dealing with other forces here?"
"It's not a spell I know how to do just yet," Blaine explained quietly, "though I know it is one I am capable of learning as I practice more and my magic gets stronger. It literally disintegrates you and everything you are wearing [Disintegrate] and there are only two spells that I know of that can bring someone back from it. My guess is, he was injured from the blast somehow, and it didn't take a whole lot to finish him off. The person that cast the spell has to be nearby, so stay alert." Why didn't they kill us too I wonder…
As if Kurt could read Blaine's mind, he asked, "Why didn't they disintegrate us as well? We were standing right by him, and it would have been easy enough to do. Any thoughts?"
"I was just thinking the same thing, and I've come up with a couple of ideas. Maybe they only heard the last part of what Alin was telling us or didn't even know he was telling us anything. Maybe they were just sent here to kill him. Or, maybe they ran out of magic, and, since they only had one shot, they wanted to take him out since he obviously has more knowledge and skills than either of us do. You see, as a wizard, I don't have access to limitless magic, at least not powerful magic. A spell as powerful as that I would only be able to cast once a day, and I would want to be SURE that I was going to succeed if I cast it. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, I think it does," Kurt replied. "So, there are some lower level, easier spells that you could cast as much as you wanted, but the stronger, higher level magic takes more out of you, and you can only cast those spells an allotted amount of times before you have to rest and regain your strength. Did I get it right?"
"Yep; that's pretty spot-on," Blaine answered.
"What was it that Alin was saying before he wasn't there anymore?" Kurt asked, feeling scared, nervous, and irrationally irritated at the elf for just disappearing on them without finishing his explanation of the cryptic message they were given.
"I don't know for sure, Kurt," Blaine started. "I've read about something like this happening though. From what I can remember, this seems like a prophecy, and it is no coincidence, as I'm sure you know, that it was spoken to the two of us. We have to be part of the prophecy."
"Well, shit!" Kurt responded. "Just great. I'm not the 'ushering in' kind of elf. I'm a loner, a hunter, and forager; I'm not equipped to do this. Maybe I'm not part of it... perhaps it was just meant for you to hear, and, since we met up…"
"Kurt," Blaine said hesitantly. "Look at your left hand."
Kurt looked down at his hand and saw a patch of silver scales that covered a large part of the back of his hand, just as it had been foretold in the words Alin spoke. When he looked back to Blaine, he noticed the half-elf holding both of his hands in front of him, staring at them in awe.
"I'm the binder," Blaine whispered. "My scale markings are on both hands. Unless you're the binder, but you only have scales on one of your hands. I guess we won't know for sure until we find the others. I wonder how many others there are." Just then, there was once again movement from the cathedral ruins. Blaine and Kurt drew their weapons and aimed them at the half-orc and human that were emerging from the rubble.
"Please," the human woman in white robes pled. "We mean you no harm."
"Forgive us for not believing you. The last person who said those words to us just vanished right in front of us after spouting off a prophecy with no explanation," Kurt snarkily replied.
"Do you mean that Master Alin is no longer among us?" the half-orc male in black robes asked.
"It would appear that he was magically disintegrated," Blaine explained, "though I cannot be sure, because I am not capable of that level of magic at the moment. I've only read about it. His ashes are right here. I know that if he were to be brought back to life, the ashes would need to be collected."
"Thank you. My name is Aedwen," the female stated. "Thirk and I respected Alin. If his time here was over, then his destiny has been fulfilled, and his last mission was relaying the message to you two. Please, what are your names?"
"I'm Blaine," he said. "And this is Kurt."
"I see you have the marks," Thirk observed. "You, sir elf, are a companion, I believe. And you, sir half-elf, I would guess are the binder. This is just speculation on my part, and you won't know until the other companions are found for sure and see whose marks are different. It is the binder's job to gather the others and make sure the prophecy is fulfilled."
"Now wait a damn minute," Kurt interrupted. "How is it that you know this prophecy if it was just spoken to us? Is there a book of prophecies somewhere just waiting to be spoken and passed on to their intended recipients?"
"Pretty much," Blaine answered. "At least, that's how I understand that they work," he said, looking to Aedwen and Thirk for confirmation. They both nodded their heads in agreement.
"This particular prophecy we have been most anxious to see come to fruition," Aedwen explained. "We aren't quite sure how many total companions there will be, but we are sure that they will have silver scales on one, or both of their hands."
"Aedwen had just finished scrying before we came up here. We were wondering if the blast could have been the catalyst for this prophecy, as we have been waiting for it and sensed it coming nearer. As far as we can estimate, your next companion should be somewhere in the vicinity of Frosa," Thirk explained. "We do not know what they will look like or how you will find them, though. Fate is on your side. Remember that you are meant to find these people, and they will come into your path some way or another." After he was finished talking, Thirk walked away, leaving Aedwen to finish giving them their instructions.
"What is scrying?" Kurt asked skeptically.
"Scrying," Blaine explained, "is a way for the one casting the spell to see and hear through a creature that they choose. I wasn't aware that it could work with an unknown person, but I guess it makes sense that it would. The one who is targeted could resist, and it seems like our luck has started since this one did not."
"You're right, Blaine," Aedwen said. "I was able to see through the creature's eyes, and hear what was going on around them and heard that Frosa was where they were headed. I'm sorry I can't give you more information than that though, especially as far as what they look like."
"The information you have been able to give us is wonderful, and we are grateful to you for passing it along," Blaine said.
"It will be best for you both to travel underground right now. We have no idea if the cowards who did this to our town are still around," Aedwen stated. "There is a tunnel that will take you to Frosa. It passes through some mines, but if you tell anyone you meet who sent you, they will help you. Here, let me show you to the tunnel."
"Thank you for all of your help, Aedwen," Blaine stated. "Please tell Thirk we thank him as well, though he doesn't seem as friendly and open as you do."
"We come from different places and have different thoughts on certain things," Aedwen replied. "He believes in balance and is more lenient in views of how that balance is achieved."
Blaine didn't want to ask any more questions as to how Thirk achieved balance. He was walking so close to Kurt that their hands brushed, and when they did, Kurt's eyes glazed over, and he spoke in a monotone voice, "The blue one you seek is in the smiling city."
After relaying the message, Kurt's eyes blinked back to normal, and he was confused as to why Blaine and Aedwen were starting at him. "What?" he asked.
"Your eyes just glazed over like Alin's did, and you spoke about a blue one in a smiling city," Blaine said.
"I am certain," Aedwen said, "now more than I was before, that you, Blaine, are the binder. It would seem that when you find a new companion, they will be able to give you the location of the next one, but what triggers that?" she asked, not having seen Blaine and Kurt's hands brush.
"My hand brushed up against his," Blaine offered. "Could that be the trigger? Physical contact?"
"That very well could be," Aedwen replied. "Alright then, let's get you on your way."
Aedwen led Blaine and Kurt to a small staircase that descended into seemingly never-ending darkness. "This is not a path that I have personally traveled, but Thirk assures me that it is quite safe. Trust each other and those that you gather. You will be the change that I have been looking forward to seeing all of my life. I am so thankful that I have been able to help, even if it has been in a small way." Aedwen bestowed a kiss on each of their cheeks and then turned away.
Blaine cast [Dancing Lights] four silver, glowing orbs that floated ahead of the boys several feet. They walked for about 30 minutes before they came to a three-way stop. "Should we split and each take one door then go through the last together?" Kurt asked. He didn't really want to do that, but he didn't want Blaine to think he was afraid of being alone.
"I think, for now, at least, let's stick together," Blaine suggested.
"I agree," Kurt replied, relieved. "Shall we go through the door on the right first?"
Blaine opened the door, and the boys were immediately hit with the stench of body odor that had them gagging back vomit. Holding their elbows over their noses, they entered the room, lit with the aid of Blaine's magical dancing lights. There was a candle on a desk and what appeared to be a robe that looked similar to the one that Thirk was wearing. "It doesn't look like there's anything here. Center or left door next?" Blaine asked closing the door and hoping that the smell did not follow them.
"I have a feeling that the center door is the one that will lead us through the rest of the tunnel, so let's check the left one first," Kurt suggested.
Kurt pulled this door open with gusto and was surprised that the smell was not as strong in this room. He walked to a cabinet on the wall and found 10 gold pieces. Then, he saw a letter on the desk nearby. Kurt showed it to Blaine, who read it. The correspondence was actually a daily log of activities, mainly talking about sacrifices to "the cause." Each page ended in the phrase, "All Hail Omno Persan."
"Shit," Blaine muttered.
"What is it?" Kurt asked with genuine concern.
"All of these letters end the same way, 'All Hail Omno Persan,'" Blaine stated. "Have you ever heard of him?"
"The name sounds familiar," Kurt answered, "but I'm not sure who he is or what he stands for."
"From what I've learned," Blaine began, "he is a high elf purist who wants to eradicate all half-breeds. He wants us to be separated and then eliminated if at all possible. He has a small following in my hometown of Wellume, and Sebastian alluded to him being quite heavily supported by the people of Cretopia."
"Why, though?" Kurt asked, genuinely baffled.
"I'm not sure," Blaine explained. "Maybe we will find someone on our journey that can help us to understand. I refuse to be a victim, and we have a chance to teach everyone that half-breeds are just like everyone else. Prejudice is just ignorance, Kurt, and this has been something that has followed me my whole life. I am gods damned tired of it. I didn't ask for my life to be this way, but I wouldn't change it one bit. All of the trials I have encountered have made me who I am, and, more importantly, they've led me to this mission and to you. I can't explain it, but I have this feeling in my soul that there is an even bigger reason that we met."
"I feel it too, Blaine," Kurt replied. "And if I'm honest, it scares me. I'm scared of getting my hopes up thinking that this might turn into a long-term companionship, because all I've ever known is death, loneliness, and heartbreak. However, I don't get the sense that that will happen between us. You're very quickly becoming my best friend and someone I feel completely safe around."
"Ditto," Blaine said, voice full of an emotion he didn't really didn't know how to express at that moment. After he took a breath and a moment to regain his composure, he said, "Should we go through the last door?"
"We should," Kurt replied as he grabbed the gold that was in the cabinet and put it in his pocket. If those jerks supporting that purist guy were sacrificing things in his name, they could surely do it without those coins.
Blaine opened the final door and went into the room. It appeared to be a combined bedroom and office. In the center of the room sat a circular bed with black satin sheets. To the right, there was a bedside table, and a chest sat on the left. Toward the far side of the room, there was a desk that had papers and journals on it. As Blaine was heading toward the writing table, a half-orc in dark robes adorned with a religious looking symbol blinked into the room, seeming to appear out of nowhere. Blaine had learned this spell at the college, and he had struggled to perfect it so much that it wasn't one he used unless he absolutely had to.
"Well, hello gentlemen," the half-orc said in a sultry tone. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence in my personal chambers?" He glanced at both of the boys but made a show of slowly dragging his eyes up and down Kurt's body.
Not liking the way he was looking at Kurt, Blaine got defensive, "This is the way we were directed to get out of here. Believe me, we are in no way here for your pleasure!"
"Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Sitroll Mord," he said, slowly taking each of the men in again, and lusting over each of them. "Perhaps we got off on the wrong…" he stopped mid-thought, noticing the scales on each of their hands. Suddenly, his expression hardened. "You won't find anything here to help with your pathetic mission." Sitrol had heard of a prophecy, and gathered that the explosion had likely been the catalyst to it beginning. That and the purists were all in a frenzy over something that nobody would talk to him about. "Beings like us will never fit in." And with that, he blinked away.
"What in the actual fuck just happened?" Kurt asked.
"My guess is that he first thought we were here to 'be' with him," Blaine explained, also shocked by what had just transpired. "He must have seen the scales…"
The boys would never find out that Sitrol was actually working for the purists in exchange for his own life. The purists had found him and wanted to kill him for being a half-breed, however, he negotiated with them instead. He was able to recruit dark beings and had a lot of pull in various circles, and in return, they spared him.
"There has to be something here that we can use to maybe gain some more insight as to what we are dealing with or where we need to focus our attentions," Kurt thought aloud.
Blaine paused and allowed himself time to focus and connect with the spark of magic within and then slowly reached out to see if any arcane traces existed in the room. He felt magical energies coming from both the bedside table and the chest beside it. "It might not help us in the long run, but there are magical items in this room," he told Kurt.
He first went to the chest and noticed a generic-looking lock on it with a number combination. "Any thoughts on what number might unlock this?" Blaine asked Kurt.
"Well, that orc guy seemed to know about the prophecy, so maybe something to do with that?" Kurt offered.
"It's as good a guess as any," Blaine replied. "So, we've got wolves, companions, and a binder. Let's play with a few numbers and see what happens."
Blaine tried a few combinations, growing frustrated when none of them seemed to work. Finally, after multiple attempts, he cast a spell on the lock, forcing the correct combination to appear. It was 251. "Two, five, one," he muttered, clicking in each of the numbers before the chest opened. Inside, he found 500 gold pieces, 4 rubies, a dagger, a black robe identical to the one he was wearing, a black pearl necklace, and a spellbook that looked like it was written in Abyssal. Blaine had learned Abyssal at the university and knew that it was the language of the demons. His justification for learning it, along with Celestial and Draconic, was that he would need to understand different tongues if he was to help and protect others. "This book is filled with extremely dark magic, something I wouldn't want to know or practice. It's also not something I want to leave here for someone else to get their hands on," Blaine explained.
"We should take it all with us," Kurt said. "Perhaps we will find a use for the other things and a way to destroy the spellbook if you'd like."
"Yes," Blaine agreed. "I think that sounds like a good idea."
"Was the book one of the magical items you sensed?" Kurt asked.
"Yes. The other item I sensed is on or around the bedside table."
Kurt went over to the table and only found a mirror on it. When he picked it up, nothing happened. He didn't see his reflection and it just stayed blank. Confused, he turned to Blaine. "This is the only thing here, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything."
"Let me try something," Blaine responded. He held the mirror in his hands and cast a spell [Identify] on it, knowing that it would allow him to understand what magical properties the mirror had as well as how to use them. Kurt had seen him do similar magic and knew it would take a while to get the answers he was looking for. So, he roamed around the room, looking for anything else that might be useful. On the desk, he found journals and papers that Sitroll had kept. The journals appeared to be his own personal diary, and the letters were correspondences from someone of a religious order. Kurt put them all in his backpack, figuring he would look at them later when he had more time.
"The mirror is a scrying mirror," Blaine explained. "It cannot be held when it is being used which is why it didn't do anything when you tried earlier." Blaine set the mirror up and spoke to it. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
After just a few moments, a young gnome woman came into view. "You are not my master," she stated, confused.
"I am guessing you mean Sitroll Mord?" Blaine asked. When the girl nodded, Blaine said, "He's not here right now. What's your name, and where are you? I'm Blaine, and this is Kurt," Blaine explained as Kurt stepped in front of the mirror.
"My name is Liddel," the girl said. "I'm from Slosa originally, but I've been here for a little over a month if my calculations are correct."
The boys talked to Liddel about where she was and why she was there. She told them that she did not know exactly where she was but that it was warm and smelled of lilacs. She added that she was visiting the markets one day in Slosa, and, out of nowhere, a man grabbed her and transported her to the tower she was now in. She told them that the man, who they clarified was Sitrol Mord, visited once a week, but the times were inconsistent. Liddel expressed to them that Sitroll had not told her what he was doing with her either.
"I don't know if our journey will take us to your homeland," Blaine told Liddel. "If it does, we will make sure to let your family know about your circumstances. Maybe they will be able to find you, though we will be looking out for the place you've described as we travel."
"Thank you for your help," Liddel replied. "I guess it is time for you to move on, and I will see you when you activate the mirror next."
"We will check in soon," Kurt replied before Blaine put the mirror into his bag of holding.
"Wow," Blaine exclaimed. "I can't imagine being abducted like that. I wonder what Sitroll wants with her?"
"Who knows?" Kurt answered. "While you were doing whatever it was you were doing earlier, I checked the rest of the room. I found some letters and journals that I figured we would look at later. Let's get out of here. Unless you sensed anything else." He paused, waiting to be sure they'd discovered as much as they could in the bedroom.
"Nope. The two places we checked were all I was sensing," Blaine answered. "If you checked the desk, I think it's safe to say we've gotten everything we can here. Let's get out of this creepy place!"
It took Blaine and Kurt awhile to find the door leading into a new section of the tunnel. It blended in with the surrounding wall, but Kurt finally found it, pushing it open with a heavy groan. Blaine cast his magical lights, and they started walking. He and Kurt continued to bond, becoming more and more comfortable around one another with every step. Each boy would longingly look at the other when they didn't think they were being watched, both of them falling for each other without saying a word. Each night, Blaine would conjure his hut, and the boys would fall asleep quickly, waking up the next morning, noticing they had gravitated toward each other throughout the night. Neither of them ever mentioned it.
It took them four days to reach an opening in the tunnel. What they saw in front of them was a large cavern with a stream running through it. There were stalactites and stalagmites near the edges, and it looked as though some had been manually moved to make larger paths to walk around. When they came upon the cavern, they saw a sign that read, "Stop feeding the twins rats. It makes their breath smell bad."
"Twins?" Kurt wondered aloud.
About that time, two enormous, white, snake-like creatures covered in fur popped up out of the water. Their faces resembled that of a cat, complete with a triangle nose and whiskers. They did not seem to be looking to harm the boys; it was more like they were curious about the two newcomers.
"I've read about these creatures," Blaine said. "They are called Uakari. They are very friendly and have no eyes, though what they lack in sight, they make up for in other areas. Their sense of hearing and smell is outstanding."
"They are oddly beautiful," Kurt commented as one of them slithered up to him. He reached up to pet the creature. "I wish we could take you with us. I'm not sure where we are going is any place for such a docile being, though."
"You're right, Kurt," Blaine stated, standing next to him and petting the Uakari as well. "They belong down here where they are obviously well taken care of."
"CANNONBALL!" a dwarf who came out of nowhere yelled as he ran and jumped into the water, completely nude.
"What the actual fuck just happened?" Blaine asked Kurt as the dwarf returned to the surface. "Excuse me," Blaine called to the nude dwarf who was in the water. "Is there a way out of here through the tunnel you came from?"
The startled dwarf sputtered, not expecting anyone to be there at all. "Possibly," the dwarf answered, suspicious. "Who are ya, and where're ya goin'?"
"My name is Blaine, and this is Kurt," Blaine answered. "We are trying to get to Frosa, and this was the only direction we could go from where we came."
"'m Bergus," the dwarf said. "Gimme a minute ta get dressed, an' I'll take ya back to camp. Balmuk runs this here mine. You c'n talk ta him."
Bergus got out of the pool shamelessly and put his clothes on. He looked Kurt up and down, which irritated Blaine to no end. Bergus winked at Blaine, seeing the glare he was giving him, and strutted, fucking strutted, to the opening of the cavern.
"I don't like him," Blaine muttered.
"Why not?" Kurt asked, missing the whole exchange in favor of petting the Uakari nearest to him. "He seemed pleasant enough to me."
"I just don't," Blaine stated. He couldn't tell Kurt he was jealous of the clearly lustful looks he'd been getting lately. It wasn't like they were in a relationship or anything. "Let's go meet this Balmuk guy."
Kurt bade the Uakari goodbye reluctantly. He really was becoming attached to the creatures, and it was probably a good thing that he could not take them with him.
Blaine and Kurt followed Bergus through the tunnels, the three of them making small talk as they went. After about 20 minutes, they could hear voices and other sounds of life. They eventually reached another opening, this time filled with mostly dwarfs. A few humans and half-orcs roamed around as well.
"Balmuk," Bergus called to a dwarf on the other side of the cavern. "These two 'r askin' f'r passage through the mines." He pointed at them with his thumbs.
"Where is it you're going?" Balmuk asked.
Blaine asked if they could go somewhere more private to talk, not knowing how the news he would share would be received. Once they reached Balmuk's tent, Blaine and Kurt told him about what had happened at the festival and briefly explained the mission they were embarking on. Balmuk told them how to get through the mines and then how to get to Frosa from the opening they would come to. He explained that there were quite a few other beings they may happen across due to the purists pushing half-breeds underground.
"There have been some sightings of people who don't act quite right toward the entrance of the cave," Balmuk added as he walked the boys to the tunnel they would follow. "Something about them having weird smiles and acting really sweet. I don't know exactly what's going on, so be careful." Balmuk provided them with rations and water prior to sending them on their way down the tunnel.
The boys walked for two hours before they both got a weird feeling in their cores. They looked at each other, and Blaine telepathically communicated [Rary's Telepathic Bond] with Kurt through magic, ["Do you feel that?"]
["If you mean the disturbing feeling in my stomach, then yes, I do,"] answered Kurt.
["Stay on guard and be ready for anything,"] Blaine warned. ["I have a feeling we are going to have to fight our way out of this tunnel."]
They took five more steps before they encountered their first foe in an opening in the tunnel, a dwarf who had a glazed look in his eyes, almost like his body was there but his mind was not. Blaine noticed immediately. ["He looks like he's being possessed by something. Defend yourself, but look out for whoever is controlling him,"] he said to Kurt.
Kurt and Blaine defended themselves for a few minutes, trying to do as little damage to the dwarves as possible. Four more had appeared near the first one, joining him in his zombie-like attacks on the boys. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Blaine noticed movement. ["Over to the left,"] he told Kurt.
As Kurt drew and launched an arrow, Blaine cast a spell [Shatter]. When the spell hit the creature, it screamed out in pain, the spell causing intensely loud thunder to erupt in its mind. Between the arrow and the magical damage, the creature was knocked out, and the dwarves' effects were immediately broken.
"Are you all ok?" Blaine asked as he made his way toward the fallen creature.
"What happened?" one of the dwarfs asked, looking dazed.
Kurt explained what he and Blaine had seen to the dwarves as Blaine approached the fallen creature. It appeared to be an arachne, part spider and part female elf. ["I think she was driven down here. She's a half-breed,"] Blaine related to Kurt.
"Do any of you know your way back to Balmuk?" Kurt asked the dwarves.
"I do," one of them volunteered.
"Could you fetch him for me, please?" Kurt asked.
["I have an idea,"] Kurt told Blaine.
["I trust you,"] Blaine answered. He checked over the arachne to make sure she was still knocked out but stable.
Nearly five hours later, Balmuk arrived in the opening. He noticed several other dwarfs resting and recuperating as well as the two men he had sent through the mines earlier standing near something he had never seen before.
"Balmuk, thank you for coming," Blaine stated.
"Dothun said that I was needed, and, when he described you two, I was curious. He couldn't tell me much about where he had been the last several days, though," Balmuk said, edging nearer to Kurt and Blaine nervously.
"When we came into this opening, he and the others here began attacking us," Blaine stated, gesturing to the relaxing dwarves. "I could tell that they were under some sort of possession spell, so I knew that the creature casting the magic would have to be nearby, hence the arachne here. She is knocked out, but not dead." He pointed to the creature at his feet. "I believe, though I'm not sure, that she was driven here by the purists. She may have no place else to go."
"What do you want me to do about it?" Balmuk asked. The creature looked terrifying, and he wanted nothing to do with it.
"That's completely up to you," Blaine answered. "She may be a good ally if she's willing. Otherwise, you could tell her where to go in exchange for her keeping her life."
"You are a very compassionate one, Master Blaine," Balmuk stated. He hadn't even considered the possibility of her being an ally, just an enemy.
"I understand what it feels like to have people ostracize and demean you for simply being," Blaine answered in a gentle but firm tone.
Balmuk nodded in understanding and said that he would personally talk with the arachne once she woke.
With thankful smiles and well-wishes, Blaine and Kurt continued through the tunnel until they came to the doorway leading out of the tunnel. Emerging, they noticed a town about a half-mile away. They started walking toward it and talked about what transpired in the tunnel, agreeing that the arachne would not be the last foe they would encounter. As they got closer to the town, they noticed two elves dressed in golden armor with the largest, eerily cheerful smiles on their faces.
"Hello," the guards said in unison, still smiling. "Welcome to Frosa."