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Chapter 109 Intermission others
🕑 Added 2023-04-12 08:00:03 +0000 UTCChapter 109 Intermission others
"Ugh… Where are we?" Rhander said as he woke up from a daze. A rock knocked him unconscious, but luckily he was spared from a larger rock, unlike the dwarf beside him whose right leg was crushed by a rock a size of a horse. Rhegar took action and cut off his leg and applied bandages to him with his clothes.
"Rhander! You are okay!" Rhegar exclaimed with delight as he continued pulling piles of rock underneath him, trying to save other dwarves from the rubble. The dwarves all wore heavy armor, so only the heaviest rock could damage them. Moreover, they are all elite soldiers.
"If you have recovered, light up this area, please! We need to save Thor and Ugrek!" Rhander did as he was told, and a bright light shone through the tunnel. The tunnel they were in was the widest among the others. He grieved that his lord was not here and could only pray for the best.
As he lit up the surroundings, the dwarves praised him and worked harder to free their teammates. It was a miracle that only one dwarf was heavily injured, even though many were buried beneath the rubble. They had the most members among the other teams, but no blessed people like Lily, Niece, or Edelweiss were to save them.
This fact made Rhander giddy with fear. He unconsciously relied on Lily or Edelweiss to lead them, and now he has to take orders from Rhegar, Lord Alistar's right-hand man. Rhegar was technically the same rank as him, so he didn't have to obey his order, but unlike him, who was a recent graduate, Rhegar had more than ten years of experience in Fort Soleil under his belt.
After several hours the team was set. Several huge boulders were broken apart by hammers and axes from the dwarves. So unlike Lily, the progress went uneventfully. Rhander was thankful that the group consisted of elites. They didn't need any scolding, nor they questioned Rhegar, and they also worked fast. Rhander only had one campaign of leading mages under his belt, so he was unsure what to do if these dwarves were greenhorns.
"Sorry, pal," Boord said as he was piggybacked by Ugrek.
"Nevermind. You were just unlucky. Hahah!" the dwarves laughed as they continued marching. Boord was devastated that he lost his legs and almost committed suicide, but Rhegar forbade them. He said that If they could survive meeting Lord Edelweiss, she could fix his leg just like new. Other dwarves rushed to stop him when they heard the news, and Ugrek was handed the duty of protecting Boord until they met Edelweiss.
The group relied on Rhander and Rhegar for scouting, and as soon as they got surrounded by a swarm, they sprung into action. Skeletons had no chance against their weapon. As long as Rhegar pointed at the ambush the lizards were making, they could shield themselves. They had troubles when salamanders came, but Ugrek was still able to contribute with his crossbow.
Several hours later, they marched unimpeded, but troubles came when they desired rest. The group has neither torches. Without Rhander's light, the group was practically blind. Moreover, his feystones would not last that long. He only brought ten feystones, which is already the third one. Unlike Edelweiss or Lily, who can recharge their feystones and use them simultaneously, he could not do such a feat.
"So, how should we solve this issue?" Rhegar asked.
"I can stay awake for 2 days. It is not a problem." Rhander replied. "Though I must remind you that my feystones can only last less than two days if I use it solely for light."
"I see. In that case, we must make an impromptu torch." Rhegar muttered. This is why Rhander let him be in charge. He only saw him in action once in Fort Soleil, and Rhegar was brilliant when leading others. Rhander was intelligent, but he would never be so creative as to make torches to recharge his feystones and rest.
"Well, we only have our clothes and weapon. Even if we used our innerwear and the handle of our axes, I don't think it would make for very good torches." Helmet said.
"My handle is made from wood. We could make it. But is it really important? I need to tell you that I value my axes as much as I value my life." Ugrek and Boord commented.
"Yes. You guys and I are neither a mage. But I studied in an academy. I knew how ordinary mages work."
"I know about it. Dwarves also had ordinary mages, you know. It is not just my aunt and other blessed dwarves that know how to do magic." Helmet replied.
"Good. Then, here is the situation, Rhander needed rest and also needed to recharge his feystones. In the meantime, we won't get any light. That's why we need torches. Without light, we would get easily ambushed. Will you risk it?"
"Well, I guess not. Very well, we will sacrifice our axes." Helmet replied solemnly.
"I thank you for your cooperation. I do not know how much you value your axe. But it can be repaired, right?" Rhegar tried to be understanding, but Helmet reluctantly nodded.
The group went on with the plan with heavy feelings as Ugrek and Boord sacrificed their axe. The other dwarf cut off the handle, and then using clothes torn from Rhander's robe, Rhander lighted a fire using one of his feystones.
As soon as the light changed from feystones to fire, Rhander quickly meditated to refill his spent three feystones while the dwarves took turns sleeping while the others stood for the night watch. Rhegar was correct to be alert as the group was ambushed by skeletons several times during their sleep. While it was fine for hardened warriors like the dwarves and himself, Rhander certainly didn't take it well, and he barely had enough sleep come morning.
The group could only scream in anguish tomorrow evening when they met the glowing cave. Rhegar apologized as he didn't know the terrain, but the group stayed awkward as they proceeded until they met with others.
