“I had no idea that there was an Outsider king.”
“I don’t have time to waste with you, take me with who is in charge or get out of my way, before I kill you.”
“I think you forgot to say please.”
“You got balls, tiny man, I’ll give you that.” The Outsider revealed a two-handed axe he had concealed under his cloak.
“I am a Dwarf, and I will give you one chance to drop your weapon before I use it to take your own head.”
The Outsider charged at him, with twice the speed you would expect from a man of that size. And once he was close enough, he used both hands to swing his axe with enough strength to kill an Orc in a single blow.
Stundroff saw the attack and simply raised his right arm. The blade of the axe lodged in the Dwarf’s bone but it penetrated no further. And the entirety of the blows momentum came to a stop, when the Dwarf’s arm refused to budge an inch.
The Outsider was completely surprised by this and simply stood there for a second before trying to retrieve his axe from the Dwarf’s arm, but by the time he tried to do so, Stundroff had already placed his left hand on the handle of the axe and proceeded to snap it as if it was a twig.
Khall immediately recognized that he was not in the same league as his Dwarf opponent, but that did not stop him from trying to punch him in the face. The punch did very little to harm Stundroff, who then retaliated with a back hand slap in the shoulder of his opponent, that sent him flying several feet away.
The Outsider landed face first in the mud, but quickly got back up, only to see the Dwarf’s arm healing as soon as he removed the bade of the axe.
“You are as strong as Korgat, but your skin is weaker.”
“Who the hell is Korgat?” Stundroff asked, as he threw the blade on the ground.
“You do not know who Korgat the Gore Blade is?”
“No, and I honestly do not care. So unless you have something interesting to say, I recommend you go away and look for trouble someplace else, before I keep my word and kill you.”
Khall looked down at the Dwarf, who barely reached his waist. But considering he had just seen what that tiny Dwarf could do, he decided to stand down and fight no more.
“As I said, I bring a message from the Outsider king for the one that is in charge.”
“Well then, consider me in charge.”
“Very well, the new Outsider king, the blonde prince of Logrant city and Korgat the Gore Blade demand that this place rally as many troops as it can spare and take them to the Fire Mountains,” Khall said.
“Blonde prince? Do you mean Arius White Knight?” Stundroff asked, as he found it hard to believe that Arius would be in association with such a man.
“Yeah, I think that’s his name. I honestly did not pay much attention to him, he talks too much. But I can tell you that he was traveling with an Elf and a very attractive looking lady,” Khall replied, as he picked his nose.
Stundroff knew that it was too much of a coincidence for it not to be true, but nonetheless he asked for more information.
“And why would Arius demand such a thing?”
“Like I said, I didn’t pay much attention to the nagging little prince.”
Stundroff was still not fully convinced and found the outsider’s answer a little too vague, so instead of asking again the Dwarf gave him a serious look.
The outsider did not felt particularly threatened by that look, but he decided to humor the Dwarf with a response anyway.
“Look, the blonde prince and Korgat were talking about a big fight against some kind of special Orcs. Like I said, I didn’t pay that much attention, but I can assure you that there is going to be a lot of killing.”
“You seem pretty sure of that.”
“I am, trust me. Korgat never does anything unless there is a fight involved and when Korgat fights, lots of people die.”
“I believe you. But I can’t say the same for the others inside the castle.”
“I thought you were in charge?”
“Do you really think that a half-naked, dirty Dwarf like me would be in charge of a fancy castle like this?”
“I don’t see why not. You are very strong; I couldn’t care less how you dress.”
“Fair enough.”
Before Khall could say or do anything, Stundroff jumped back to the castle, taking Khall with him without any type of warning.
But to the Dwarf’s surprise, the outsider was not scared. In fact he screamed with joy, as he seemed to enjoy the ride.
Once there, the two warriors were escorted to the count by some guards. Then they proceeded to explain the demands that the prince had made. The count listened to them patiently and contemplated his response for a few minutes.
“No, my troops will go to Logrant city.”
“What? Why would you refuse?” Stundroff asked.
“I am in charge of this castle, and I serve the king. And the king sent a message with the royal sign demanding that my troops would go to Logrant, so that is where they will go.”
“I didn’t think you’d be brave enough for a real fight,” Khall said.
“And why should I believe anything a savage like you says?”
“You don’t have to, nor do I care if you do. I’m just telling you what Korgat said; besides I think we’re better off without you.”
“You’re not helping with this,” Stundroff told the Outsider in a low voice.
“See if I care what you and your coward friends think. I could not give a royal fuck, if you help us or not.”
“Why would anyone send you as a diplomat?” said the count.
“It’s cause I’m fancy with my words, you pompous asshole.” The Outsider spat on the ground.
“Yes, I can see that you are.”
The Dwarf noticed the smile on the face of the count and took it as a positive sign.
“So you will help us then?”
“Of course not, why would I put the fate of my men in the hands off this savage?”
“See, I knew you were nothing more than a bunch of cowards.” The Outsider smiled.
“That’s enough! Guards, arrest him.”
The five guards that where present immediately drew their swords and surrounded the Outsider, but Khall looked at them and smiled.
“So, which one of you wants to die first?”
Seeing that the situation was spinning out of control, Stundroff stamped with enough strength to make the whole room shake.
“Enough!”
Everyone present immediately directed their full attention towards Stundroff.
“There will be no unnecessary blood spilling here tonight. If you don’t want to help us, it’s fine. This brute and I will march towards the Fire Mountains and help Prince Arius fight the real fight. And if you say one more word before we leave, I will crush your skulls, you ignorant brutes.”
“Something tells me that we don’t need them as long as you’re on our side,” Khall said, smiling.
“I told you to shut up.”
“Yes, you did. But if I did, then I wouldn’t be able to tell you that you are not supposed to come with me to the Fire Mountains, because you have to meet with your friend the prince as soon as possible at Blood Howl village up north, for some sort of emergency.”
“And why didn’t you say anything before?”
“You didn’t ask.”
Stundroff was so upset that he pushed the Outsider with enough force to send him flying across the room until a table broke his fall; the Dwarf then walked towards the door and looked back.
“Do whatever you want with him; I am going to help my friends, and I am also taking this chicken.” The Dwarf grabbed a whole roasted chicken from a table and proceeded to leave the room.
In one giant leap he was on the north shore of the lake.
Stundroff had no idea what the emergency was, but he was convinced that he had to get there as quickly as possible. So he made his way up north, knowing that he would meet his friends a
t Blood Howl village.
Chapter 10
Outsider Hospitality
It had been two weeks since Arius and Licius said their goodbyes to Stundroff. The journey north had been long and difficult, for as the land grew colder, the harder it became to find food or shelter.
They had been on the road for three days without stopping, and the need for rest and food was taking its toll.
“I’m hungry,” Lizandra said, as she walked the road with Licius on her back.
“I know, so am I. but we need to find a safe place to rest for Licius, before we can get some food,” Arius replied.
“That is easy for you to say, you are not the one carrying him around on your back.”
“I am sorry, for all of this,” said Licius.
“Don’t worry; I know you would walk the rest of the way if you could,” Lizandra said.
“Yes, I would. But the fact that I can’t walk does not mean that I am helpless, you can leave me here on the side of the road and go look for food and I shall be fine.”
“No, there is no way I am going to abandon you here,” Arius said.
“Fine, then stay with him while I look for food. Just get him off my back so I can transform.”
“No, you are not going hunting alone. I need you to carry him the rest of the way.”
“It is alright my friend, my armor will keep me safe from any danger. Besides the fact that I can’t walk does not mean that I can no longer fight.”
“Yes, besides there are no Orcs this far north. He will be fine, trust me,” Lizandra added.
“How can you be so sure that there are no Orcs around?” Arius asked.
“Because Orcs don’t like the cold; it is one thing to kill animals and it’s another to survive in this weather. Those savage beasts would starve to death if they dared to venture this far north.”
“Very well, we will leave you here while we look for food. But we will be back for you, as soon as we can.”
The prince helped his friend off the back of the horse and placed him on the ground at the side of the road. Immediately Lizandra returned to her Human form and began to deviate from the road and into the cold wilderness. Arius said goodbye to his friend and followed her. But he could not shake the feeling that this was a mistake.
Lizandra and Arius walked away from the road and into the snow-covered tree line; it was not long before they could no longer see the road behind them, as the snow that began falling from the sky clouded their vision.
The druid complained about the cold temperature as she transformed into a bear, hoping that the thick skin and fur would protect her from the chilling winds, while Arius began to focus his holy energy around him to protect himself from the cold.
“Will the Elf be alright with this weather?” Lizandra asked.
“Yes, that armor guards him completely from both cold and hot temperatures.”
“I need to get me one of those.”
“You don’t really seem to need it, but if you really mind the cold so much, I would strongly suggest you get some clothes.”
“I don’t use clothes, they get in the way when I transform; besides there is nothing wrong with enjoying the cold breeze against your skin.”
“Then why are you complaining? Besides is not like you get cold if you transform into a bear.”
“You are probably right; maybe I’m just in a bad mood due to the hunger.”
The druid took a few steps further, just before making a sudden stop.
“What is it?” Arius asked.
“Deer marks, they are recent, which means it is close by. If we don’t move fast we will lose him in this weather, but we got to stay quiet or will scare him off.” Lizandra returned to Human form and knelt on the floor to take a better look at the marks in the snow.
“What do you suggest we do?” Arius asked the druid, as it seemed clear to him that she was the more experienced hunter.
“You will do nothing; I don’t want that loud armor of yours to scare him away.” She transformed herself into a Dire wolf.
And before the prince could answer, she sprinted as fast she could, following the trail of hoof marks in hopes of catching her prey before some other predator did.
Lizandra was running as fast as her wolf legs could take her, but the thick snow was erasing the marks quicker than she could follow them. Still her animal choosing had not been done randomly; she was counting on the wolf’s powerful sense of smell to catch a whiff of her prey before the tracks were lost in the snow. And fortunately for her, she did.
The druid ran through the storm in search of the deer for several minutes, until she made it out into a large clearing between the trees that was covered by a thick layer of snow. And in the center of that clearing, she finally found it, a big male deer with large antlers and enough meat for several days.
Lizandra knew that as soon as she stepped into that clearing, her prey would run away. So she stood there stalking him from a distance, until an idea crossed her mind. She then turned into a beautiful white owl and flew into the clearing from above the tree line, where she was barely noticeable to the deer, which did not run away, as an owl did not present any threat.
Lizandra circled around the deer twice, each times flying a bit lower. And just when she knew she was close enough, she flew just past the deer’s head making sure it would not see her, as she transformed into a lioness in midair.
The druid fell exactly on the deer’s back, quickly sticking its claws onto it.
The deer felt a sharp pain as the lioness’ claws work their way through his hide, immediately the poor animal began to run for its life, while Lizandra struggled to remain on its back.
The druid slowly worked her way up the back of the deer, until its neck was in her reach. But by then, the deer had made it out of the clearing and into the woods again. And as Lizandra lifted one of her paws to claw away at her prey’s neck, the deer ran just close enough to a tree to slam Lizandra against it.
The druid fell on the ground while still maintaining her lioness form, as the mortally wounded deer made his best attempt at escaping from his predator. It took almost a minute for Lizandra to recover after such a blow, but as soon as she managed to get back up, she resumed the chase.
This time there was no need for the wolf’s nose, as the blood trail was easy enough to follow for the lioness. Lizandra followed the trail of blood, until it lead her to the entrance of a cave in the side of a small, snow-covered hill.
Once there, the lioness began to prowl slowly, as she was unsure of what she would find in the cave, but as the pools of blood grew bigger, she knew that her attack had done the job.
She found the poor deer lying dead on the floor, no more than a few feet farther down the cave. It was pitch dark in the cave, and carrying that big heavy deer on her back through that darkness could be a challenge.
So Lizandra transformed into a big and strong gorilla in order to carry the heavy deer, but stood there wondering which way to go in the dark. She heard Arius’s voice in the distance calling her name.
“In here!” Lizandra called.
“Lizandra, is that you?” Arius asked, from just outside the entrance of the cave.
“Who else could it be?”
“Is this blood yours?” Arius asked, as he lit his hammer and began to slowly make his way down the cave.
“No, it’s not. But you will find a lot of you own blood in this cave if you don’t hurry.”
“Fine, I’m coming. And forgive me for worrying about you.”
“Just shut up and hurry; I could use your help to get out of this place.”
When the prince reached her, the light of his hammer revealed a group of frightened deer hiding in the cave. “Well, it looks like you solve all our food problems.”
“No, I do not hunt for sport. We have enough food for a few days with this one; I will hunt some more later down the road if the need arises.”
“Are you serious? We have enough food here for months.”
“And how do you plan to carry all this food? Besides, the balance of nature must be maintained. I do not know if these are the only deer left in this area, therefore I will not take part in their extermination.”
“Fine, I guess you are right, but you are going to do the heavy lifting.”
“You are a true gentleman.”
The two of them made it out of the cave, only to discover that the snowstorm had worsened. Now, worried about the wellbeing of their injured friend, they made their way through the heavy snowstorm towards Licius.
But Licius had had his own adventure while his two companions were gone.
◆◆◆
Licius sat on the side of the road as Arius and Lizandra faded into the snow, feeling trapped in an unresponsive and undying body, which was covered by an unbreakable armor.
Is this what awaits for me for the rest of eternity?
He had been dealing with the frustration of that thought since the three of them left the dark forest, with only the conversation of Arius and Lizandra to distract him.
But the more they traveled, the more he worried that his legs would never work again. For as much as he felt the armor moving inside his wounds, he seemed to make no progress. He could not even feel the cold of the metal against his skin below the wound, or make any muscular movement below that point.
“Maybe this is the price I have to pay for killing my queen?” Licius wondered, as his armor was slowly been buried under the falling snow.
Yet, as depressing as his situation was, a drive towards fulfilling their quest of stopping Xandraf kept him going. But how could he help his friends in their quest if he was not even able to walk on his own? And what would happen to him, once the quest was done? Was he to live an eternity away from his people, trapped in a metal body?
Licius had always been a patient and wise Elf, but not even he could help himself from letting his mind spin out of control into harmful thoughts.
Was all of this worth it? Maybe I should have never left my home? After all, the only truth that I learned is that my people have been being tricked by a corrupt dark sorcerer, for the past two thousand years and the only person I have ever loved turned into an unspeakable monster. My best friend hates me and wants to kill me; my people see me as traitor and now I am trapped in a useless body unable to help my new friends.
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