it! Go get 'em! Go get 'em! Stupid fucking beast!”
A pleased Baldrich whispered to a perplexed prince with a furtive, underhanded smile:
“If I were you, I would never contradict her.”
The serpent passed through the tunnel with determination, flanked by the exhausted, frightened and still handcuffed men and orcs, who were surprised to see the monstrous serpent almost grazing them, but ignoring them, as if they didn't exist.
As the reptile emerged from the tunnel it lunged with unusually strong fury at the astonished sombers, which hurled arrows and spears at their attacker, though they did not seem to affect it much.
Already almost all the men and orcs were free from their ties and the serpent continued its fierce battle against the dark ones. Syriel, Lirieth, Baldrich, Hans and the two orc generals tried to analyze the situation.
“The serpent will not be able against all the dark and we’re disarmed to confront those who remain," said Syriel.
“Perhaps we could go back to Karbandur and get weapons," Lirieth proposed.
But a murmur of footsteps interrupted them and they saw their exit towards Karbandur cut by a squadron of about two-hundred somber ones that approached them very well armed and with two antimagic hoods prepared.
They went backwards until they realized that Kasariviel must have fallen, because lots of sombers began to appear at the other tunnel’s entrance.
Everything seemed to be lost: some two hundred sombers on one side and another one hundred and eighty on the other, and in the middle, inside a tunnel with no other exits, some two hundred and twenty men and orcs vulnerable. Only Syriel wielded a dagger which he was already gripping, threateningly holding it tight against the dark ones.
But suddenly there was a buzzing sound, and about sixty sombers of those with Karbandur on their backs fell inert or badly wounded. Behind the providential dwarf crossbow arose Garin and Bellamir accompanied by about four hundred dwarfs who grabbed axe in one hand and a sword in the other, which were given to both men and orcs.
Just as Syriel was about to receive a sword thrown at him by Garin, a somber suddenly appeared attacking him from the side. An instant before the somber wounded Syriel to death, Smolion's sword stopped the blow. A tenth of a second later, Syriel pierced the shadow's chest as he gave an expressive look of gratitude to the orc general.
In a short time, things changed a lot. With the newly arrived reinforcements armed with the swords received, they soon defeated the sombers, of which some two-hundred fell lifeless, badly wounded or captured and the rest managed to flee to the Badlands.
When the battle was over, Syriel went to meet Garin and embraced him warmly in thanksgiving.
“Garin, we are indebted to you. You have saved our lives and we will never forget it. What happened to your father?" asked Syriel with clear signs of relief.
“I'll start from the beginning. After I was locked up again, after a while, I heard a rumor spreading to the other side of the door and, as the door opened, Bellamir appeared again with all my dwarves released. All together we went to arm ourselves and went to the gates of the pass. At every level we captured the rebels we encountered and recruited those who declared themselves loyal, until we gathered considerable strength and filled the dungeons with rebels. When we arrived at the gates, you had already been expelled a while before and, after a dwarf versus dwarf battle, we managed to reduce the rebels and my father, who preferred to take his own life in order not to be captured. We opened the doors and came here as fast as we could, trying to bring weapons for you. So, you are indebted to Bellamir, because without him we would not be here," said the new dwarf lord.
“We are indebted to both of them. And I'm very sorry about your father, he was always a distinguished and loyal dwarf, but in the end, he was driven by hatred. Now, you will be the new lord of the dwarfs, I am sure you will know how to lead your people with greatness, wisdom and benevolence," said the grateful prince with conviction.
“Thank you very much, my prince. I will be worthy of the honor you bestow on me, and I will never disappoint you. But my command must wait," Garin announced.
“Wait? Wait for what?" asked Syriel.
“I must guide a stubborn prince in the Badlands who will end up in the jaws of some beast or in the hands of the dark ones if I don't accompany him," Garin proposed with conviction and a certain tone of derision.
“And why do you think that stubborn prince is going to let you go with him?” asked Syriel, continuing the joke.
“Because I am the one who knows these lands best, because I have their weapons and horses in my fortress, and because I am even more stubborn than that prince," challenged the dwarf, with a bitter smile.
“If the dark ones are going to recruit dragons, do you know where they will go?” asked the prince.
“To the Dragons’ Mountain, no doubt. The biggest mountain in the news and the only place in all of Frienia where there are still dragons," said a convinced Garin.
“Would you know how to take that obstinate prince there?" asked Syriel, already determined to take Garin with him.
“With eyes closed," concluded the dwarf, with sincere determination.
Syriel looked at Lirieth, who nodded thanking the dwarves for their help.
“All right, it will be a pleasure to enjoy your company in the country which we are going to," accepted the prince, "but try to keep your throne well-guarded, I wouldn't want to have to fight again to get it back when we return," asked Syriel with a half-smile.
In a good mood for the outcome, though saddened by the sad end of King Ankar, they began the return to Karbandur to prepare the journey to the Badlands.
From one of the many peaks that populated the pass, Turgarok gazed with satisfaction at the end of the contest. He then took a fine papyrus and wrote down the latest events. When he finished, he rolled up the parchment as much as he could and tied it to the small but fast hawk's paw as he whispered some strange words from which most beings would only have distinguished two: Teberion and Gulrath.
A few seconds after the little-sized falcon departed for its destination, in complete silence, but at full speed, a large haw took flight, carrying on its back an orc sorcerer, and took the opposite direction as its smaller predecessor.
In the hall of the throne room of Argoth Castle, with an almost imperceptible click, a frightened Elenir appeared. She took courage and swallowed saliva, crossed the royal door and advanced until she stood in front of her father, with a face of circumstances and a submissive attitude.
“You don't seem to be carrying good news," asked the king, with extreme harshness.
“Garin, the son of Ankar, has rebelled against his father, who has died, and has remained faithful to humans. Together they defeated our squadron, about one hundred and eighty were able to flee, and the princes escaped," the dark princess masked with contained rage.
“I DO WANT THOSE DAMNED PRINCES HERE, PROSTRATE AT MY FEET!!! AND I DO WANT THEM NOW! DON'T EVER PRESENT YOURSELF TO ME AGAIN WITHOUT THEM! AND I WANT THEM ALIVE! IF THEY DIE, YOU'LL SUFFER THE SAME FATE!” Nigriel exploded in
