Chandea, Year of Severus, 15, I.R., the 48th day of Fall, Arenfall

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Ghwynmyr saw Lord Prestonheim and Commander Crovar, immediately rushing outside after ordering the rest of the squads to calm down and wait inside the tent. Everyone was on the edge especially with Joaquim's last report. The squads were curious on what they've seen inside the damned hole that made them call for a meeting right away.

He and Ulfaar waited along with the rest of them inside the tent. Ghwynmyr could feel the tension slowly smothering them again. Some of the knights were whispering to one another while obviously looking at both of them.

Their piercing stares and looks of disgust towards them intimidated the beastman. He looked down on the ground, avoiding eye contact and shifted restless on his seat, trying to find a suitable position were those damned bhstyrds won't find his presence.

"Their staring at us, again." Ulfaar whispered to him. "It's very uncomfortable." He added as he shifted his position from his chair to face the backside of the tent.

"What're yah doin?" Ghwynmyr asked. "Why're turnin yah back on 'em?"

The beastman leaned over to him and whispered, "Their eyes, they terrify me."

Ghwynmyr silently nodded. He couldn't blame the beastman for feeling that way. Being in the line of target of such ridicule could make anyone feel uncomfortable—except for him. He was waiting for the knights to make a move of them, so he could test the sharpness of his hammer axe.

He was thinking that maybe, if he could bring one of them down, it would change the way they would look at them. His thumb was twitching so bad, he really wanted to throw his weapon on one of them and see. He slowly grabbed his axe below his chair inconspicuously and was about to expose it when suddenly, he heard loud ringing in his ears.

"But yah promise, Dadah." A familiar voice echoed in his mind. "Nay anymore, Dadah!"

Ghwynmyr felt nauseous after hearing the voice. He stood up from his chair with cold sweat running down his brow. His throat was becoming parched as his hand trembled uncontrollably. Moments later he was already gasping for air. He ran out of the tent, pushing away the knights who were blocking his way.

Just as he was about to reach the opening, Lord Prestonheim, Commander Crovar and the rest of the reconnaissance team, came marching in. The dwarf stumbled after bumping to Lord Prestonheim. The silver-haired Commander reached out his hand to help him stand up.

"Where are you going?" The Commander asked with a baffled look on his face.

Ghwynmyr looked at him uncomfortably as his vision began to blur, "Tis a bit queasy inside. Gonna catch some air a lil bit."

He could see Commander Crovar stepping in, maybe he was about to deliver another blast of his insults, but the Lord Prestonheim was quick to respond. "Be on your way but return at once." The silver-haired Commander nodded.

He walked out of the tent and stumbled again on the exit. The elf caught him before he hit the ground.

"Are you alright?" The elf signed. "You looked distressed!"

Ghwynmyr took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Tis fine lass! Just need me some air." He said. "Go inside, I'll be there in a wee while." He wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible. His heart raced too fast, his he could already hear his heartbeat.

The elf helped him back on his feet and smiled, "Very well, don't stay out for too long. There is something you need to know."

He nodded at her and went on their separate ways.

Ghwynmyr rushed towards a clearing a few footlings away from the make-shift tent. His vision was getting blurrier by the moment. He stumbled on the ground once more as he gasped for air. He never thought he would remember that again. He ought not to remember that. He tried so many times to forget that moment her daughter begged for him not to kill that man. He tried to bury it down his memory and yet it resurfaced once more. He quickly stood up and tried to loosen the belt of his armor strap to give him more space to breath.

As the strap loosened, he was finally breathe comfortably again. He took another deep breath and finally felt his heart calming down. He sat on the empty space for a while as he took in more fresh air. He knew there was a lot of things he could've missed already from the sound of the roaring people from inside the tent.

Ghwynmyr scratched his head and took another deep breath, just as he was about to stand up, a roaming guard found him.

"Oi! Dwarf!" The guard called out. "Should you be inside?" He pointed at the tent.

Ghwynmyr was not in the mood for another human interaction at that time. His conversation with Lord Prestonheim was one too many already. He stood up, tightened his belt and left the knight without an answer. Just before he was about to leave, the knight called him out again.

"Oi! Dwarf!" He shouted at the top of his voice.

He turned towards the knight glaring at him. It was a good thing that the sun was slowly going down the horizon. The dim light casted a shadow on his face, and the knight most likely didn't notice his piercing gaze.

"You be careful down there!" The knight shouted. "A-and…bring them home!" He saluted to him and went on his way.

The knight's gesture surprised him. Maybe because, most of the knights he met only looked at him with disgust and prejudice. This one was different. His tone conveyed something different. He was expressing care genuinely towards him.

He had nothing to say to the knight. He can't say anything to him, he was too stunned and confused about the entire situation. He instead raised his arms and waved at him before going back inside the tent.

"We should strike while the iron is hot, August!" Commander Crovar pointed at him while being seconded by most of his troops.

"It's already night time, Syleon." Lord Prestonheim retorted. "We cannot let them go—"

The hardy Commander smashed the table with his hand, "It doesn't make sense, August! We are taking a gamble regardless!"

Ghwynmyr snuck in quietly while everyone was on their feet watching the old Commanders at it again. They couldn't agree whether they should go forward with the plan today or do it by the next morning. It was a regular occurrence with these two around. Both men had been clashing ideas since day one, and as this campaign went on, so are their clashes.

The Prince stood up from his seat and silenced the entire tent.

"I had enough of this bickering!" He said. "If we are to go down there then we shall go down there!" Prince Arterius stood his ground. He was determined to make his vision into a reality. It was that kind of determination that rulers are loved and hated for at the time.

Ghwynmyr hated the idea of them going into the hole. He hated the idea of dying for the sake of the empire who enslaved most of their kind, but he did it anyway, not for them, but for his friends. Going down the hole at this time was risky. You'll never know if those Dhampiirs were lurking somewhere inside the cave just waiting for darkness to envelop the surface. The worst-case scenario was to be slaughtered y those monsters as they make their way down there.

On the other hand, if they don't act now, then they just lessen the chance of seeing their comrades alive by the time they find them. Both decisions required sacrifice as the mission became more complicated than what it was originally.

Lord Prestonheim massaged the bridge of his nose and silently thought about it for a moment. "Very well, Prince Arterius, your will be done." He knelt to him and the rest of them followed.

Bowing to a human ruler was vexing for Ghwynmyr, but he had to make do of the situation he was in. He had to make the humans feel being respected.

Lord Prestonheim stood up and cleared his throat. "We shall regroup now! Only two squads are allowed below there. I couldn't risk the Prince's guards undermanned!" He said.

The knights saluted to their Commander who proceeded regroup and retask them. Ghwynmyr as luckily partnered with the elf on the new grouping, while the beastman was placed on the other group along with Commander Crovar who was now allowed to join them on their journey.

Ghwynmyr went back to his seat, tightened back his armor and picked up his axe. The new squads were ordered to convene immediately outside to make the descent as quickly as possible. The ones remaining on the surface have to cover the hole with a slab on stone with a light rune on it.

As the instructions  and preparations were getting done, Ghwynmyr went over to his squad where he was welcomed by a jolly Orkamuu. "Welcome my friend! Welcome! Welcome!" The Orkamuu extended out his hand to him. "Welcome, I am who they called Wahakim! I will be your leader!" He smiled.

He took the Orkamuu's hand and shook it, "I am Ghwynmyr, well met." He smiled back.

The Orkamuu patted him on the back and introduced him to the other members. "Are you ready to go and—"

"Tis always ready!" He answered.

The Orkamuu laughed, "I wasn't wrong about asking for you!" He wiped the tears off his eyes. "Come then, my friend, let's cleanup hell!"