There was an air of excitement as the dwarfs packed up camp that day. They were nearing Zebulon Pass, which was the widest and most accessible pass through the Kerali Mountains. On the other side of the mountain, the road became narrow and steep. However, four horses could ride side by side without any trouble, for the moment.
Their travel to the pass was uneventful until they reached the border bunkers. Elurra signaled for the group to slow as they approached the large guard station sprawled across the road. To her dismay, the gate was wide open, and the wind whistled through eerily. Everyone pulled their horses to the side of the road and gathered around Elurra, who was deep in thought.
“Something is wrong. The gates should be closed, and there should be men guarding it, but it seems abandoned,” she murmured. “I was expecting to have to go around the station, but clearly Nitiri is welcoming the army with open arms.”
After some debate and a vote, they decided going straight through was the only way, considering they were in a rush, so the group set out once again toward the bunkers. As they neared, Elurra could see it wasn’t completely abandoned. Bodies were scattered around the gate, and animals picked at the remains. The stench of death wafted over them, and she covered her nose with her coat as they rode through. She tried to bite back tears when she recognized a few of the frozen faces. Some of her father’s oldest and most loyal men had died there. She knew most of them by name. It was obvious it was Nitiri’s work, and fury burned in Elurra as she thought about the senseless slaughter.
“Nitiri cursed this place,” she hissed.
Only Tristen heard her declaration, and she felt him shiver behind her. They soon left the tomb behind, and the Zebulon Pass towered before them. As they grew closer, they began to hear the noise of an oncoming army. Thousands of footfalls echoed against the stone walls. A sense of urgency fell over the dwarfs, and they sped up without consulting each other. As soon as they emerged in the open stretch before the border, they could see the army. They looked like a river of silver rippling up the steep incline.
Elurra urged her horse forward, calling for the dwarfs to move faster. She knew she should feel excited, but a cold stone of dismay knotted her stomach, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. A cool breeze washed over her skin, cutting through the otherwise warm day. The bright sunlight before her dimmed unexpectedly, and consternation plagued her when she found dark clouds covering the sun.
The sky was cloudless only moments ago. Where did those come from? she wondered, unease plaguing her thoughts. She glanced over her shoulder to see her companions were looking at the sky with grim expressions. About ten feet from the border, her horse stopped abruptly, letting out a long whinny of fright. The other horses followed suit and backed away nervously.
The army was only a few hundred feet away. They would reach the border in minutes. Some of the soldiers in the front lines laughed gruffly as they watched the dwarfs’ actions. They clearly thought the oncoming army was what held the travelers back. Suddenly, Elurra noticed what the horses were getting worked up over.
“Back up!” she screamed, terror coursing through her.
Seconds later, smoke and shadow seeped up from the ground. Snore’s horse reared on its hind legs and neighed fearfully. He toppled off the animal and landed on his back, knocking the wind out of him. Plague quickly dismounted and helped his relative retreat to safety.
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“Fall back to a safe distance! Secure the horses!” Elurra called over the rising panic building before her. A dark mass started to take shape as she led the dwarfs to one side of the road and dismounted. Tristen followed her lead and helped her secure the horse to a branch.
“Princess, is it another Demon?” he asked, tremors of terror evident in his voice.
Elurra glanced over at the dark shape, which was growing larger by the second. She nodded as she squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.
“What are we going to do? Do we run? Didn’t we kill this thing already?” Plague asked rapidly, wringing his hands in agitation.
“Can Terrin kill it for us?” Tristen asked, his words mingling with Plague’s, who hadn’t stopped asking for answers. Terrin, Rowan, Aleah, and Kai joined their circle after securing the horses, worry clearly etched in their eyes.
“We cannot back down. That is what it wants,” Kai said immediately, echoing Elurra’s thoughts.
“Nitiri sent it here to stop us. We have to get past it somehow,” Elurra said decisively, hoping she sounded more confident than she seemed.
“I’m betting it wants to murder us, not just hinder us,” Aleah said dryly. “What are you planning to do against a monster like that?”
Elurra glanced over her shoulder and saw the Demon was almost fully formed. It was gigantic. The beast spanned the entire road, blocking their path completely. As she watched, burning red eyes blinked, opened, and focused on the group. A deep, evil laugh rolled across the open area, causing the horses to fight against the ropes holding them in place.
“Are you simply going to hide from me, tiny insects?” it hissed. The Demon’s voice was like sandpaper. “I can crush you one at a time if you wish, little ones.” The boiling mass of smoke and shadow edged forward, stirring the horses into a frenzy.
Tristen looked up at Elurra, his face as pale as parchment. “What do we do?” he asked, his voice cracking.
Elurra looked at Terrin, and everyone else gazed over at him expectantly.
“I am not asking you to kill it, just stall it,” she said curtly. “We need to come up with a plan.”
His face hardened, and he gave her a curt nod. “I understand. I will try to give you some time.”
Without another word, he ran into the middle of the road, blocking the Demon’s towering mass. To everyone’s alarm, Rowan ran after him. Terrin glanced at the former pirate and gave him a small smile. The red-eyed devil blinked in incredulously, then a hint of humor crackled through it. It halted its gradual forward motion.
“Ah, the brave ants came to fight the bear, I see,” it growled, chuckling deeply. The two boys stood their ground. Terrin balled his fists and glared at the Demon.
“You’d be surprised what a few ants can do!” he shouted up at the beast defiantly.
The rest of the dwarfs watched Terrin and Rowan with a mix of fascination and horror, but Elurra knew she couldn’t afford to gawk.
This one is undeniably more powerful. It arrived in the middle of the day and blocked out the sun. The Kutsal Stone can kill it, but I doubt it will let us simply chuck a bracelet at it, she thought, scouring her mind for anything to use against the Demon. In the end, she could only think of one plan, and it was incredibly risky. Behind them, the Demon issued an ear-splitting yowl. Elurra knew they didn’t have much time.
“We need long wooden branches!” she ordered. Without checking to see if the dwarfs followed, she charged a few feet into the woods, searching for fallen limbs. Tristen was right behind her. He had a new determination in his eyes with her plan. He picked up a stick uncertainly.
“Does this work?” he asked.
“Perfect. We are going to make torches. Get two or three.” She grabbed one about the length of her arm. The booming voice of the Demon was getting louder, and he didn’t sound happy.
Out of time, she thought as the sky darkened menacingly.
“We are going to battle a monster with a couple of sticks?” Kai demanded, obviously not sure where she was going with this.
She glanced back and took in the group of terrified young adults holding kindling. A bright flash of light lit up the road for a second, followed by a screech of pain and anger.
“Trust me. Follow my lead and keep yourself focused. Think of something important to you and keep it in your mind. The Demon will try to influence you, but you cannot give in. Whatever you do, do not listen to its lies or breathe the smoke. I believe in you,” she said with more confidence than she felt before charging toward the shadowy adversary.