Chapter 3

The sweat clung to me as I sprinted through the darkness, the cries of other dwarves echoing all around me caused my pulse to race. The dozens of lessons I learned from my hatchfather cycles through my mind, but nothing we had done prepared me for the chaos that was attacking my rapidly beating heart. Pausing briefly to catch my breath in the dense air I light my dwarven fire, the darkness was starting to make the hairs on my chin restless. And it was then that I saw it staring at me in the distance, in a place the light from my fire couldn't reach. The whites of its eyes were the only thing that was visible but I knew very well what it was, and fear slowly crept over me. A Feargul, how long had it been watching me I didn't know, perhaps waiting, planning when to strike. Because they inevitably devoured men whole in a single bite.


I didn't wait or hesitate in summoning my fire, I launch a full-scale barrage of dwarven fire down the tunnel, scorching the very rock of the walls black with my intense blast. It shrieked in pain before blurring deep within the darkness leaving a smokey black fog in its place. A feargul, an entity of shadow that preys on your deepest fears. Often a story told by parents to keep young dwarfs obedient, the creature itself was the very thing that scared a dwarf most. If you let them observe you long enough they would creep into your minds, that's when you were really in trouble. The only thing that kept me from running is the knowledge of their weakness, for even a young dwarf knows light keeps the creatures of the night away. The screams of the other dwarves bring me back to reality, my herd scattered and some dead, I had no choice but to push on alone. Unless I wished to face my certain death in turning back. My muscles felt heavy as well as my eyes the pressure already weighing on my body, but I continue down the snakey and unknown path.


There were endless passages spanning along the walls, the shadows withholding whatever creatures that waited in ambush. But I didn't let the fear of uncertainty grasp me. Tracing my hands along the rocky walls I searched for any indication of moisture, any tracks from beasts, and any scorches from a battle fought before my arrival. In my disappointment, there was none, only the endless darkness ahead along with the occasional screams of an unfortunate dwarf causing me to jump slightly. If hours or minutes had passed I didn't know my only concern, doing whatever need be to survive.


The pounding of frantic footsteps quickly approached from behind, another dwarf struggling for survival, or perhaps another beast rushing for its next meal. Quickly I hid in a small crevice of the tunnel, extinguishing my fire. The steps grew louder, it closing in I realized it was the sound of boot pounding earth. Watching from the shadows of the tunnel I see two dwarves flash by along with the sounds of growls far in the distance behind them. I didn't wait to see what monster chased them but simply ran along behind them. Their fire flickered in the darkness as we sprinted through the passageways, before long they noticed they were being followed. Only glancing back briefly seeing that I was another dwarf before continuing on down the path.


How far we ran I didn't know, or how long. We didn't check the many passages we sprinted by simply running as far as our feet would carry us, yet no matter how far or fast we ran we could still hear the snarls and the rampant clatter of beasts behind us. I noticed their dwarven fire dimming, and breaths becoming ragged and I knew they would soon have no energy left to sustain the fire. Like a ray of hope, a faint glow resonated farther off down the corridor. Another lava vein in the distance I hoped. "We're almost there, at the end of the corridor we'll wait in ambush for the beasts!" one dwarf panted. "I don't know who you are but be ready there's a pack of prowlers coming our way."


A chill crept over me at the name of the creatures that chased us, Prowlers a creature deadly even above land. Their claws easily able to pierce stone along with their long sharp fangs that protruded from their mouth, if you were unlucky enough to meet a prowler capable of walking on two legs you didn't live to tell about it. For they were the alpha in the herd. With the introduction of the beasts known my exhausted body found new fuel and I pushed myself through the opening of the tunnel.


My foot pivoted and my back clung to the wall of the entryway, the other two dwarves standing on the opposite ends hammers at the ready as the snarls steadily increased. The grinding of there claws screeched as they drew near before the area was submerged in silence. Waiting the seconds seemed like hours passing by the urge to peer into the dark hole came but I ignored it and continued to wait in the unnatural silence. The other two dwarves glanced at me briefly before one peeked into the abyss.


It was fast as lightning, the muscular claw that gouged through the dwarfs head, the hammer fell from his lifeless hands as he was whisked into the darkness. The sounds of tearing flesh and the crushing of bones echoing through the room before 4 beasts emerged from the dark hole. Their muscles rippled through their black fur as they howled in unison preparing for the feast they would soon devour. I didn't wait for them to attack, swallowing my fear I set my hammer ablaze, and with my pot firmly planted on my head, I swung towards the nearest prowler. His head jerked in my direction and it stared at me mid-swing as if time was of no concern to it. That's when I knew I wasn't fast enough to keep up with the beast, It unsheathed its deadly claws but before it could strike a flash of dwarven fire whizzed from behind me striking it in the eyes. The other dwarf unleashing an onslaught of dwarven fire blinding the beasts. If he knew he just saved my life I didn't know or care because I smashed my hammer into its skull with all my might. The crushing of bone and flesh vibrating through my hands as the spray of blood-soaked me from head to toe.


The beasts limp body flew through the air, now set ablaze the smell of flesh and burnt fur entered the room. I didn't pause for a moment, leaping as high as my hammer would allow I swung my hammer down on the next unsuspecting prowler as it whined in pain from the fierce dwarven fire launched from my ally. It saw my hammer coming and shielded with its arm, but my hammer continued on, smashing through the bone and flesh. It leaped back away from the entrance, it's arm hanging by its side limply. The other two prowlers launched a full assault swiping their claws towards me. If not for the hammer forged by my hatchfather I would have lost my head, but instead, I repelled the claws of one with my hammer as the second dug it's claws into my shoulder getting past my cheap chainmail.


It burned and throbbed, as it withdrew its arm. I roared in pain and anger and as if answering my plea for vengeance another volley of dwarven fire dominated the beasts. They shielded their eyes from the blinding onslaught allowing me to regain my footing. Pushing off the ground, I now wielded my hammer single-handedly and bashed in the prowlers front legs sending it sprawling onto the floor before executing it with a swift smash to the skull. The blood sticking to my hammer as I lifted it upon my exhausted shoulders. The injured prowler tore it's useless arm off, howling in pain as it leaped over me, it was hard to follow with my eye's as it attacked the other dwarf. Its jaws ajar the dwarf didn't hesitate or show fear as he plunged his arms into the mouth of the beast, roaring he unleashed his magnificent flames. It shrieked and squirmed, then began biting into his flesh to no avail before it was set ablaze.


Releasing the burnt corpse the dwarf panted as the blood flowed down his arms, the punctures from the teeth of the beast not slicing deep into his arms. Looking at me he gave a small grin of triumph, an I to him as we faced the last Prowler. It paced slowly, realizing its pack had met an unforeseen end it was cautious. Snarling viciously, it began it's charge towards me. I smiled slightly as my hatchfathers lesson on beasts surfaced in my mind. The mind of a beast is not complex, nor hard to predict. They move and breathe on instinct, so when cornered they will charge towards their enemy unafraid in a final effort to preserve life. With that, you know where and how they will attack and how to put the beast out of its misery.


I clutched my hammer tightly before launching it at the beast, it whizzed through the air sharply. The beast continued on charging and diving to the side as the hammer flew by. It pounced at me. With no weapon the beast thought it had won, sliding under the fiend I grabbed its throat. Clutching it tightly my fingers bore through its fur and flesh, it yelped in fear as I unleashed my dwarven fire burning the beast alive. It's clawing slicing my arms and chest in resistance until it finally stopped squirming in death. Even after it's demise the corpse continued to burn as I tossed it aside, the fatigue from battle overtaking my body.


The other dwarf walked forward picking up my hammer in his approach. "What kind of dwarf throws his hammer in battle?" he murmured, a smirk plastered on his face. "A dwarf unafraid of the unknown," I reply casually, grasping my hammer before sliding it in its holster. "You say unafraid, I say suicidal." panting, I pondered the statement resting in the remains of the prowler, too exhausted to care how disgusting it may seem.


"If your afraid of death perhaps you've come to the wrong place, this is the Pit of Nowhere after all," I respond, my arm burned as the wound throbbed with pain upon my shoulder. Using the skill "Melt" I bind my skin, grunting from the mending of flesh before the sizzling stops. "What's your name?" he asks "Your no dwarf of Toradain," I couldn't help letting out a scoff at the remark. "I'm Galendale Evorales from the city of Curuz." I made sure to emphasize Curuz, we dwarves are proud of the home we hail from after all, "What's your name dwarf of Toradain?" I remark, "I've never seen a dwarf plunge his hands in the mouth of a prowler, perhaps your the suicidal one."


With that he let out a hearty chuckle, if one were to see him from afar perhaps they'd think he'd gone mad. Laughing like that with the burning corpses of prowlers scattered about. I scratch my beard awkwardly not knowing how to react to the laughter, "True enough Galendale, my hatchmates call me Ham." The nickname didn't suit the dwarf he was a muscular lad with an average frame and flat face, he didn't even have a beard! The bubble of laughter rising I catch it in my throat. "Who's idea was it to give you the name of a pig?" I ask, withholding my laughter. For what father would name his son after a swine?


Ham stared at me slightly amused at my poking, "It's short for Hammel, and I picked the nickname for myself. I happen to like the name, Ham." With the continued mention of the delicious meat, I could feel the bites of a hunger attack my stomach, the aroma of the burnt flesh of prowler tickling my nose. Rubbing my stomach Ham thrusts his hand towards me a grin on his face, "Here's to a long partnership together Galey." I glance at the hand briefly before grasping it, Ham pulling me to my feet. "It's just Gale, what made you think I would let another dwarf call me Galey? That's not even clever."


"Does it need to be clever to be funny?" He asked with a smile, I didn't respond to his simple question, only looking at the sizzling corpses of prowler scattered throughout the area. It was comforting when Ham asked my name, although I tried not to show it. For a dwarf didn't bother to ask another for their name in the Pit. Not unless you intended to survive together through the harsh trials of the darkness until the end.

Author's Note

Any review or advice is appreciated.