We had been walking for almost an hour and despite this muscular body being up to the task I was beginning to regret not bringing our horses. We had known the mines were no place for animals and the entrance was fairly close to town so the idea was easy at the time. With our new plan of seeking out Killian however I had wished for the comfort and speed of Asta.
We walked single-file through the woods, Silas and his excellent memory for the game’s map leading us towards Killian’s encampment next to a large overlook. After a short while Jessica hung back a second and walked next to me. We walked in silence for a bit before she said, “So Kappa isn’t your cousin, does that mean you guys…” She was leading the answer from me.
I looked towards Kappa who was a few feet in front of us and finished the thought with, “…are really great friends, yes.” My response came as a relief to Jessica and in that moment I realized the code I had changed in her had carried over; her relationship status with me was still true and despite me having told her I wasn’t interested, her feelings were still true as well. I could feel my hands sweat beneath the leather of my gloves and as I considered telling her she said,
“God I love this.” I was taken aback slightly and cracked a smile.
“Ya?” I said, proud of Dunn and excited at how much she liked it.
“Ever since I was a little girl reading Tolkien and Pratchett I have dreamed of something like this. Being transported to a world of wizardry and magic, mystery and villainy… it’s a dream come true.” She watched the star filled sky above her head as we walked. The curvature or her neck against the moonlit tree line was like a deer, elegant and animal and as we walked I felt my heartbeat quicken. She continued talking as I watched. “I worry about home, I worry about what’s become of the people who didn’t get transferred into this world and despite my brain telling me to focus on those thoughts,” she pointed up to the sky and said with a smile, “how can you not just enjoy that?”
I had always felt strongly towards Jessica - from first seeing her in class I knew I had had a crush on her - but that was the moment I fell in love with her.
“Light.” Silas said and we each crouched down. We were still fumbling through learning to be an adventuring party but slowly we were getting better and this time we all got down around the same time. Just past the trees before us there was crackling fire light. Though it was barely visible Silas, with his massive eyes, saw it first. I nodded to Jessica and the two of us began moving up to join the other two and in a hushed tone I said, “He and his men should be easily approachable and welcoming if not cold initially.” There was a hesitancy in my voice and Kappa picked up on it immediately,
“What are you worried about?” She said cutting straight to the point.
“Well, if the AI is doing whatever it wants, I don’t know how safe they’ve been out here.” I looked around to the trees surrounding us and stopped to meet Kappa’s gaze. Her face was equally worried and after a deep breathe I added,, “I’m sure It’ll be okay.” I offered a confident, short nod and stood from a half-crouch and began to move towards the light.
As we moved through the trees the light grew brighter and eventually we came to the other side of a thicket to see an abandoned campsite. There were large empty areas where the earth was flattened by tents that had been broken down and taken from here. The few that did remain seemed abandoned; empty pots, broken glass and unused bedrolls littered the doorways of the small leather tents. The dim fire that crackled softly within the campsite revealed the scuff marks of boots; as if a camp had been torn down and moved. Silas turned to me with a scrunched up nose,
“They left.” He said and began walking into the campsite, kicking over an overturned pot.
“Huh,” I said, a bit disappointed. We moved in a little more to see some camping equipment strewn about, a few of the tents that had been used by Killian and his clan were still standing beyond a line of trees but looking in they were empty.
“Is there a way to track where they went?” I said, already feeling the doubt in my own voice.
When I reached the end of the campsite far from the fire I saw the largest tent still standing at the edge of the tree line. The ornate canvas that had belonged to Killian lay half standing and, doubtful I would find anything of value inside, I opened the flap to see the large dimly lit interior. A lone lantern cast dark shadows upon the deep purple fabric walls as my eyes fell upon a small pile of blankets. For a moment I let my vision adjust to the darkness but before I could understand the small bed that I had uncovered I heard a voice from behind. “Ye came back!”
The thick Scottish accent of Killian was unmistakable and with a smile I turned around just as Killian jumped on me and began crying. I lost my footing and fell into the tent wall causing it to collapse around us. In the tight quarters of the fallen tent, lying on my back, Killian wailed and hugged me. He laid half grappling, half hugging across my chest as his large orange beard brushed against my mouth and face. I spat and sputtered loudly. In our awkward hug the lantern had broken and within moments the deep purple fabric of the tent began to catch fire, a detail we only realized because of the burning scent of canvas and the heat emanating from my feet. Wide eyed, we shared a knowing look and both started scrambling out of the tent just as Kappa and Jessica lifted back the burning sheet.
Killian dove out and began rolling around dousing the small flame that had caught his beard as I kicked the remainder of the burning cloth away from me and stood up. Killian threw his hands above his head and in a surprisingly dexterous move hopped up. He stood for a moment and as if suddenly realizing we were not his clan said, “Ye dunnit belong to me clan.” With a thud he fell straight back on his bum and splayed himself out on the pine needle floor of the woods, weeping. Jessica gave me a look as if to say, really and I shrugged and walked over to him.
“No we’re not from your clan but we’re here to help,” I said as if it were a question. After a moment I stretched out a hand to help him up. He opened one wet eye which sparkled against the firelight and through sobs said,
“Ye are?”
“Yes,” I said, and looked to Kappa who rolled her eyes at his dramatic display of childlike frustration. He sat back up and looked between each of us. Killian was a Dwarf only slightly taller than Silas who had a long orange beard and short red hair on top. His thick, bushy eyebrows were in a permanent point giving him the impression of a much more menacing dwarf. His studded leather armor and high iron boots were well worn and rattled when he walked and as he took my hand and stood, wiping the tears from his eyes, he hugged me.
“Uh, there, there.” I said patting his back as he sobbed into the belly of my breastplate. After an uncomfortably long cry he stood back to see the soot covered metal, stained with long tear marks down to my belt and awkwardly he tried to wipe it away with his leather bracer.
“Okay enough.” Kappa said as she walked over to him and took his hand like a mother leading her child out of the supermarket. She turned him to face her, his eyes still wet and his mouth pouting beneath his beard. “What is wrong with you Dwarf.” Kappa said less as a question and more of a statement as she wiped the blackened soot from his face.
“Gone!” He belted, “My brothers and friends, my clan, they all be gone, left and gone!” he wailed into the night and pulled away from Kappa who threw her hands up in frustration. He walked to a broken stump and sat down. “I’m depressed. Without me Clan there’s little for me out there.” He looked out passed the treeline to the valley before us.
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The campsite sat next to a steep drop that opened to a large forest and in the starlight, the blue of the moon reflected in the small river that ran the length of the it. It looked like a storybook, it had an almost magical quality that was just breathtaking. Killian breathed a deep sigh and started to wail again.
I took a half step forward as Jessica stopped me. She patted me on the chest and approached him, kneeling next to the small dwarf. “I’m sorry your friends left, Killian,” she said in a sympathetic tone.
“CLAN.” He corrected, much like a toddler would. I could see her try her best not to roll her eyes and after a breath she said,
“Clan, yes, sorry but that doesn’t mean the fire has died.” She reached under his chin to move his face towards hers and spoke softly.
“We have all lost and will continue to lose. Strength is not having the power to break stone or move mountains; true strength is moving forward when all is lost. It is pushing on in the darkest times when there is nothing left to hold on to.” Killian’s eyes were locked with hers.Smiling she said, “We need strength, and I see it in you, it is not gone. The fire is low but the embers are hot and ready to be ignited once again.”
As the words left her mouth Killian sat unmoving, staring at her as if waiting for more. After a long beat he threw his head back and bellowed into the night sky. “FINE!”
Jessica sat back bewildered and like a child he hopped up and grabbed his axe. “You didn’t need to do all the weepy nonsense, yeech,” he said gesturing to me with a thumb pointing to Jessica as if to say get a load of the big baby. Jessica stood up, the look of utter confusion on her face as she turned to see Kappa smiling a knowing smirk.
“I get the gist of what ye says, I’ll join your clan.” He said leaning on the handle of his axe as if presenting himself to the party.
“No, no, no, no, no! Not this jerk,” Kappa said quickly towards me but also directed at Jessica.
“Who are ye calling a jerk missy?” Killian said as he walked towards Kappa his head held high and proud.
“You, you mangy Dwarf,” she said staring back at him.
For a moment they just stared at each other before I finally said, “Okay group huddle!” breaking the awkward staring match the two were having by stepping between them. Silas, who has been rooting through the trash like a dog stood up and met my gaze anxiously. With a worried look he scrambled over to me just as Jessica and Kappa turned as well. Between them, Killian pushed himself in and with hushed tone said, “What’s the plan, lad?”
“No, not you, Killian. Just the group.” I said looking between the others.
“I’m not part of the group?” He said with a squeak, his mouth down at the corners in a sort of childlike plea for dessert.
“No, of course you are,” I said quickly as Kappa shot me a look. I scrambled for the words and added, “I mean the group of just theeeeese people…” I said pointing to everyone but Killian, “they’re… they… it’s personal stuff, Killian.” I said hoping it would land and for a moment he just locked eyes with me.
He leaned in and loud enough for everyone to hear but directed at me he said, “Girl stuff?”
“Yes, girl stuff,” I said slowly and with doubt. Jessica rolled her eyes at me and the dwarf pointed to Silas.
“Why is he here then?”
“He’s a girl, too.” I said quickly.
“No I’m not,” Silas said confused.
“No, but he knows a lot about girls,” I shot back.
“No I don’t,” Silas added as Killian turned back and forth between the two of us.
In a frustrated burst I said, “No! Okay, but Silas is part of the group and I want him here and you shouldn’t be here and that’s the way the group works.” Kappa put her head in her hand as if to say god what a bunch of idiots.
Killian winked at me and said, “Girl stuff…”
“BYE KILLIAN,” Jessica shouted as she pushed him out of the circle. Mumbling to himself he began searching the campsite for anything left behind. She turned back to me and made a gesture as if to say, there done, now speak, and I did.
“So what’s the plan now?” I said breathing a sigh of relief at Killian having stepped away,
“Same as before,” Kappa said matter-of-factly, “except it’s only one Dwarf attacking the front instead of a whole clan.”
“We can’t do that, it’d be suicide!” I said in a loud whisper,
“Oh he’ll be fine,” Kappa said with a motherly tone that sounded as if she was downplaying a broken arm. “He’s a fierce, noble and capable warrior,” she said as Killian’s voice cut across the field.
“FORK HERE!” he shouted over the campsite. He held his gloved hand high up over his head, his face beaming with pride for a moment before turning back down and continuing his search. We each looked at each other doubtfully.
“Is he any good at sneaking?” Jessica asked hopefully, I turned to Silas who shook his head no. I nodded in confirmation and turned back to her.
“No, is there anything he’s good at Silas?”
Each of us leaned back from the group huddle and observed Killian for a moment as he picked up a chicken leg, sniffed it and after making a scowl looked around nervously. When he was sure he was not being watched he took a bite of it. We leaned back in and Silas said, “He’s got a high swimming stat.”
“Arrrrrg!” Kappa belted out in frustration. “Let’s just leave him here and do the mine’s ourselves!” She said turning to me for support. While I agreed with Kappa’s frustration to an extent I also recognized that we’d need all the help we could get it if we were to survive, as well as someone who could…
“Navigate the tunnels!” I said excitedly turning to each of them. “We need someone who knows the way in and out and can guide us!”
Jessica nodded and Kappa sighed as I leaned out and called Killian back over. He stood up from a pile of wood holding a broken axe handle and began skipping over to us. With an outstretched hand he presented the broken axe handle to me. He nudged it and nodded as if to say, take it.
“What is that?” I said
“Broken axe handle,” he said grinning to the others.
“Yes but why are you giving it to me?” I asked.
“It’s pretty,” he said with a frown. I dropped it in annoyance and turned to him.
“You and your clan were originally from the mines near Langen before the Orcs invaded, right?”
“Aye, it was our home first!” he shouted, drawing his axe as if I was objecting to it and ready to fight.
“God, stop! Yes I know, we’re going to get it back for you or at least try but we thought we see if you could help us.” I said holding my hands out to stop him from swinging. The axe fell from his hands and slowly his anger dissipated to a sad frown and he again began to cry.
“What now?” I asked in exasperation.
“It’s so kind of ye to help,” he said, his lower lip quivering. I rolled my eyes silently and put a hand around him as he leaned into me and sobbed. Jessica who was watching the interaction shook her head and spoke up.
“So is our plan still the back door?” she asked loudly over the Dwarven sobs. I looked to Kappa who nodded and back to Jessica.
“Ya I think so, though we may need to alter it as I’m not sure how sneaky we’ll be with the Dwarf,” Kappa said and as the words left her mouth Killian jumped up and pointed a thick stubby finger at her.
Through teary eyes and a pouting mouth he mustered as much fire he could and said, as if insulted, “Are ye doubting the sneakiness of a dwarf?”
“Yes,” Silas interjected but Kappa spoke again before he could continue.
“No, we’re just…” was all she managed to say before Killian turned to Jessica and demanded,
“What was the original plan?” His eyebrows bounced up and down as he asked. His wide, wild eyes danced as Jessica nervously looked past him to me and I shrugged.
“We had hoped that you and your clan would attack the front while we snuck in the back but…” she said and a grin slid across Killian’s face.
“Aye it would be right foolish to try to attack the front head on, one measly dwarf wouldn’t stand a chance… but who said its one measly dwarf…” he said as he rubbed his hands together.
“You did.” Silas said quickly, breaking the dwarf’s concentration,
“Aye, that is true,” he said sadly after a beat.
I threw my hands up as if to stop them and said, “ALRIGHT! Killian we appreciate the determination you’re showing but the front is a bad idea.” I took a second to compose myself and said, “The plan is that we’re all going to sneak in through the back and hope for the best, Killian I think it would be best if you stayed out and just gave us a description of the mines.”
“Would it!” he belted at my half question but more a statement and as he picked up the heavy head of his axe he twirled it in his calloused hands.
“Let’s see if that works,” he said in a hushed tone and nodded as if revealing a great secret. It was a long beat and then he started to laugh. The bellowing Dwarven laugh was equal parts menacing and insane and in the dim starlight we all shared a nervous look.