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Outside the gate of Threhbor.

The atmosphere was eerily quiet, and the air was filled with the stale smell of dust and decay. The only sounds to be heard were the occasional drip of water and the faint scurrying of rodents in the dark corners. In front of a large, intricately carved iron gate, a small group of men huddled together, their eyes darting back and forth as they scanned the gloomy surroundings for any signs of trouble.

"We've been waiting here for nearly half a day, yet the dwarves haven't even shown themselves. Something doesn't feel right about this."

The man speaking was tall and broad, his muscles rippling under the steel armor strapped across his massive frame. He carried a heavy warhammer in one hand, and his face bore scars of many battles past, giving him an intimidating appearance.

"I have a bad feeling about this place. It smells wrong," a thin, wiry man with a long, hooked nose and beady, black eyes muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as it echoed off the walls. His fingers twitched nervously as he fidgeted with the hilt of his sword, a gesture that spoke volumes about the tension and uncertainty that permeated throughout the group.

Suddenly, the gates slowly swung open, and a lone dwarf emerged, his beard reaching down to the floor.

"I welcome ya to the dwarven city of Threhbor." He greeted them with a deep voice that seemed to resonate from within the depths of the mountain, his eyes hidden beneath bushy eyebrows. There was something about his voice that sent a chill crawling up their spines, causing goose bumps to break out across their skin. It wasn't the voice of ordinary dwarves.

Something feels wrong about this. Something dangerous, threatening, and ominous.

"We're not here to sightsee, dwarf." The muscular warrior growled, tightening his grip on his warhammer as he took in the dwarf's strange appearance.

"Then speak yar business, stranger," the dwarf demanded. "I am the city's gate guard, and it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of all citizens and visitors. State yar name and reason."

"The name is Gawain, captain of King Reinhold's Royal Guard. I've come to seek an audience with the king of Threhbor and discuss matters concerning the future of the realm."

The dwarf eyed him carefully and nodded.

"Follow me, Captain. I shall escort ya to the king."

The dwarves, renowned for their nimbleness despite their short stature, navigated the winding passages with remarkable agility and grace. Gawain couldn't help but be awestruck by the intricately carved walls, each depicting scenes from the history of Threhbor. Some depicted fierce battles between dwarves and orcs, while others showcased the heroic deeds of legendary figures.

As they pressed on, the oppressive heat intensified, causing Gawain to feel as though he was walking through a furnace. The sweat clung to his skin, leaving him feeling uncomfortable and clammy, while the pervasive scent of sulfur caused him to wrinkle his nose in distaste.

Despite the discomfort, Gawain couldn't help but admire the vast and elaborate underground city that the dwarves had meticulously carved out. The network of tunnels and chambers created a sprawling metropolis that seemed endless, a testament to their skill and determination that left Gawain in awe.

After traversing the path for what seemed like an extended period, they eventually reached a grand set of doors, noticing the absence of any guards or any other dwarves. It was only then that they observed the skeleton-covered path they had been walking on.

The guard guarding the gate didn't seem to care at all about this grim scene and effortlessly pushed open the colossal doors, unveiling a spacious chamber ahead. Positioned at the distant end of the chamber was a mysterious figure cloaked in shadows.

"Gawain, captain of the Royal Guard." The dwarf introduced him. "And these people are?"

"We are the representatives of King Reinhold, here to discuss matters concerning the future of the realm," the wiry man replied, his eyes darting around nervously.

The figure remained silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, he stepped forward into the torchlight, revealing himself to the guests.

"Ah, I have long awaited yar arrival, Captain. I am Thoran, King of Threhbor. And these are my advisors and generals. Please join us in a feast we have prepared for you."

The group slowly made their way through the dining hall, taking in all of the extravagant details that surrounded them. The sparkling chandeliers overhead cast a warm glow over the room, adding to the luxurious ambiance. The meticulously arranged table settings gleamed in the soft light, showcasing delicate plates and intricately designed silverware.

As they passed by the walls, they couldn't help but admire the beautiful artwork that adorned them. Each painting told a different story, depicting scenes of grandeur and elegance. The tapestries, with their vibrant colors and intricate designs, added a touch of warmth and sophistication to the room. The group couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer opulence of the dining hall. It was a stark contrast to their usual surroundings, and they couldn't help but feel a little out of place amongst all of the splendor.

Despite their feelings of unease, they couldn't deny the beauty and grandeur of the room they found themselves in. It was a feast for the senses, and they couldn't help but be captivated by it all.

"Please, make yourselves at home," the dwarf king invited them. "We have prepared only de finest delicacies fer our esteemed guests."

However, as Gawain continued to observe the peculiar behavior of the dwarf and his companions, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that was creeping up on him. The atmosphere in the hall suddenly felt heavy and suffocating, as if a dark cloud had settled over the room. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the clinking of cutlery and the soft murmurs of the other guests.

Gawain couldn't understand what was happening. Were these dwarves under some kind of spell or curse? Or were they simply pretending to be emotionless for some unknown reason? His mind raced with questions, but he knew that he needed to tread carefully. There was something sinister lurking beneath the surface, and he needed to uncover the truth before it was too late. The disturbing behavior of the dwarves was a constant distraction, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

The dwarf's eyes suddenly widened, and he began to speak in a monotone voice, "You must eat. The feast is in your honor."

Gawain felt a chill run down his spine as the dwarf spoke, the eerie tone sending a shiver of unease through the room.

"Thank you," he forced out, trying to keep his composure. The wiry man sitting next to him looked visibly uncomfortable, fidgeting with his fork and knife as he stared at the plate of food in front of him.

"Eat," the dwarf commanded again, his voice sounding more forceful and authoritative this time. "You need not worry about poisoning. This feast is our honor."

As he finished speaking, his expression returned to its original blank state, and he resumed serving himself.

Suddenly, Gawain flipped the table upside down and exclaimed,

"These are no dwarves; dwarves never feast without mead!" His words were filled with a sense of betrayal and rage.

Without missing a beat, Gawain's companions wasted no time in joining the fray and forming a defensive formation. Drawing their weapons and taking aim at the dwarves, they followed Gawain's lead as he drew his sword and made a decisive strike towards the dwarf king.

The sound of metal clashing on the floor filled the room as Gawain's blade found its mark, slicing straight into the dwarf king's head. When the slash cut deep into his head, Gawain expected to see fear or pain in the dwarf king's eyes. But to his surprise, a wide smile still adorned the creature's face, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Kiekeiekikekekekke" An unusual and repulsive sound of laughter burst out.

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"You think you can kill us? You think you have won?" The dwarf king let out a low growl, his voice dripping with venom and malice.

Gawain's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to process what he was witnessing. The once-harmless creatures had transformed into something straight out of a nightmare. Their bodies now sprout spider legs from behind, ripping off their backs, while claws shoot straight out from their shoulders. Their muscles were bulging, and their skin suddenly turned rotten.

The eyes, oh the eyes—once normal, now glowed with a menacing bloody red and had multiplied, turning into six tiny red orbs of sinister, filled with a hatred that warned every cell and sense in Gawain's body.

But the transformation didn't end there. The dwarf king, in all his monstrous glory, let out a deafening roar that echoed through the cavern. His mouth stretched impossibly wide, revealing a mouthful of sharp spider fangs that glistened in the dim light. The other creatures followed suit, becoming hideous hybrids of their former selves.

Gawain could hardly believe his eyes as he took in the abominations before him. This was beyond anything he had ever encountered—a true test of his courage and strength. But he knew he had to stand his ground and face this new threat head-on, because his companions' safety depended on him.

Taking a deep breath, he firmly grasped his sword and took a fighting stance.

"We will eat your flesh and quench our ancient thirst with your blood. Your eyes shall be crushed, your liver devoured, and your brain consumed. Once we have finished with you, only your skeleton will serve as a reminder to others of your existence. Your destiny is now inevitable!"

With renewed ancient strength, they charged at Gawain and his companions, their legs swiping viciously as they unleashed a flurry of attacks.

Gawain's heart raced as he faced the horde of monstrous spiders, their multiple twisted limbs reaching out to attack him. With lightning-fast reflexes, he dodged one claw and deflected another with his sword, seizing the opportunity to deliver a powerful strike that cut deep into the torso of one of the spiders.

The battlefield was chaotic, with the spiders relentlessly closing in on Gawain.

In a moment of clarity, Gawain shouted at the top of his lungs as he continued to fend off his attackers with a barrage of slashes and stabs.

"Aim for their eyes! That's these bastards' weak point!"

His words seemed to spur his companions into action, and soon, a hail of arrows was raining down upon the spiders, piercing their eyes with deadly accuracy.

The creatures shrieked in agony, their movements becoming more frenzied and disoriented as they blindly lashed out in all directions. Seizing the opportunity, Gawain launched a deadly strike that tore into the abdomen of a spider, causing a gory mess of purple ichor and rotten meat to spill out onto the battlefield.

He pulled his weapon free and spun around just in time to parry an incoming blow from another creature; the clash of the sword and their claw sent sparks flying into the air.

The battle raged on, with Gawain and his companions fighting for their lives against the relentless onslaught of the monstrous spiders.

Despite their valiant efforts, Gawain and his team slowly feel the weight of the battle taking its toll on them. The vast and endless cavern echoed with the sound of swords clashing against sharp claws, mixed with the screams of these ancient creatures. Each swing of their weapons grew heavier, each step more labored, as they fought on against the seemingly endless horde.

As time dragged on, the hope in their hearts began to be overshadowed by the creeping exhaustion that sapped their strength. The warriors could feel their movements slowing, their once powerful strikes faltering as their bodies struggled to keep up with the relentless pace of the battle. Despite their bravery and determination, the unending swarm of creatures seemed to stack the odds against them.

For a moment out of rhythm, a soldier was viciously stabbed in the leg and fatally struck in the shoulder by a menacing claw. It tore his leg from his body with a tremendous force, as easily as plucking a feather from a duck. Poor bastard screamed in agony, flailing and throwing punches for his life like a desperate prey in a predator's jaws.

"Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He cried out in desperation, his eyes wild with terror and pain, as the creature closed its jaws around his head in one bite and crushed it like a ripe tomato, splattering his brain, skull, and blood all over the floor. The remaining spiders then descended upon his mangled remains; they tore at the flesh with their razor-sharp fangs and ripped it in a frenzied feeding frenzy, the sickening sounds echoing through the cavern.

Another soldier, frozen in fear as he watched the tragedy unfold before his eyes, had been watching in horror as the vicious spiders attacked his comrade.

In a split second, one of the spiders lunged at him, sinking its claws and teeth into his head and torso. His blood splattered across his armor in an instant. He fell to his knees, screaming in agony as he tried to wrestle the spider's claw from his body, but it was no use. The creature cut short his screams, tearing into his neck and ripping apart his throat like paper. Within a minute, his lifeless body lay motionless on the ground, his blood soaking the floor beneath him.

The battle raged on, the sounds of combat echoing throughout the cavern as the soldiers fought desperately to stay alive.

As the fight continued to unfold, Gawain realized the situation was quickly deteriorating, and he called for a retreat.

"Everyone fall back and regroup!" He shouted as he narrowly dodged a deadly claw swipe, the razor-sharp edge cutting through the air right where he had just stood.

The remaining warriors followed his command, hastily making their way towards the room's exit as quickly as possible.

"Keep moving! Don't stop!" Gawain urged them on, slashing at a few spiders that got dangerously close to the group, keeping them at bay as they made their escape.

Just as the exit came within reach, a spider lunged at one of the warriors, its fangs sinking deep into her neck. She cried out in agony, collapsing to the ground and clutching the fatal wound as the poison seeped through her body. It appeared they had no intention of finishing her off, but only wanted to immobilize her with poison and then drag her back to the nest.

"I'll cover you! Get her out of here!" Gawain yelled, leaping into action, swinging and slashing wildly at the surrounding spiders, his blade finding its mark and slicing through the creatures, their bodies falling to the ground in pieces. The warrior managed to drag her body through the doorway, with the others helping her to safety.

The last of the soldiers dashed for the exit, but Gawain found his path blocked by a massive, grotesque spider with eight bloodshot eyes that burned red with fury. It towered above him, its legs spread wide, poised to strike and ready to kill. Gawain braced himself as he stared down at the monstrous arachnid, his blade gripped tightly in hand.

"Come on then, you ugly bastard!" He taunted, his adrenaline pumping, as he waited for the monster to make its move.

"Kiekiekeeki" A shrill laugh echoed through the cave. In a fit of rage, the hideous beast charged toward him. Its claws lashed out, striking his arm and drawing blood.

"Is that all you have!?" Gawain retorted.

The beast lunged at him, its fangs bared as it attempted to sink them into his neck, but Gawain was too quick, dodging out of the way at the last second and delivering a powerful slash to the creature's abdomen. Purple blood and entrails spilled out, and the spider screeched in pain.

It stumbled backward, its wounds healing rapidly.

Gawain took the opportunity to deliver another blow, this time severing several of its legs, causing it to collapse to the ground with a thud. It let out an ear-piercing shriek that shook the entire chamber, causing Gawain to instinctively cover his ears in an attempt to block out the noise. The piercing sound reverberated off the stone walls.

Despite the pain in his ears, Gawain couldn't help but feel a sense of dread creeping over him. Gawain cautiously removed his hands from his ears as the noise subsided, only to experience a new sound that sent shivers down his spine. The sound of a thousand spiders' legs thumbling created an eerie and unsettling atmosphere in the chamber.

The combination of the monster's shriek and the creepy sound of spiders crawling only added to the tension in the room. The monster, weakened and sluggish from its injuries, rose to its feet once more, its movements slow and unsteady. Gawain could sense the creature's growing frustration and anger as it struggled to regain its footing.

"Sir Gawain, they're coming from below!" A soldier busted out, his voice full of horror.

"Fall back! Fall back to the gate!" Gawain commanded his soldiers to withdraw.

Gawain knew that he had to make a stand if he was going to have any chance at survival.

The monster let out a guttural roar, the sound echoing throughout the chamber. With renewed strength, it launched itself at Gawain, its razor-like claws tearing through the air as it hit his shoulder.

"You bastard," Gawain spat out, gritting his teeth and fighting through the pain as he brought his sword crashing down on the creature, the blow landing squarely on its skull.

The impact caused it to stumble backward, allowing Gawain to land another strike. His blade cut deep into the abdomen, causing purple blood to spill out. The beast screeched in agony before lunging at him again, its fangs mere inches from Gawain's face. Gawain dove under the beast's attack and delivered a powerful uppercut, his fist connecting with the spider's jaw and breaking its mandible, leaving the creature stunned and disoriented.

As he surveyed his surroundings, Gawain breathed heavily, his gaze fixed on the countless spiders crawling towards him. The sight sent a warning to every cell in his body.

"You're not the worst I've seen." Gawain mocked the creature.

Despite the gashes and cuts on its body from their earlier battle, the creature showed no signs of slowing down, instead launching itself at Gawain once more and sinking its fangs deep into his thigh.

Gawain cried out in agony and fell to the ground as the potent poison coursed through his veins. The monster stood above him, its body trembling with a feeling of satisfaction, the anticipation of finishing off and enjoying its prey evident in its posture.

"Kikiki." The hideous beast cackles in delight.

"This is it. It ends here." The words echoed in Gawain's head as black spots danced in his vision. Feeling the icy grip of death wrapping around him like a suffocating shroud, he refused to surrender to its inevitable embrace.

Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against him, he stood his ground again, determined to fight until his last breath. As he gazed around at his fallen companions, their bodies torn and mangled by the relentless onslaught of spiders, he felt a surge of rage and sorrow wash over him. The sound of their screams echoed in his ears, driving him to push back against the encroaching darkness with all his might.

Right at that moment of chaos and despair, a massive battle axe soars through the air with terrifying speed, narrowly missing his head before striking the giant creature square in the chest. The impact was so powerful that it sent the creature hurtling backward, crashing into the stone wall with a deafening bang. The force of the blow shook the ground beneath Gwain's feet, causing him to stumble slightly as he regained his balance. He couldn't believe the sheer strength and accuracy of the attack, despite the size of the axe.

'There is only one man in this whole kingdom who possesses the power to wield and unleash the might of an axe of such immense size,' Gwain thought to himself, feeling a surge of relief as he contemplated the situation. He turned his head slowly, wearing a proud expression on his face.