He kicked up a dust cloud of ash before collapsing, saving our lives. How Gale could still move so quickly after the intense fire from the Pheonix was amazing, something only a dwarf with tenacious strength could do. Something I could only wish for. Trying to stand my legs continue to throb in agony making it hard to breathe. Was it Stone or Bolmer who shielded me from the brunt of the attack, trying to remember it's a haze. Doing anything sent constant pain shooting through my body, but I manage to set myself up against the collapsing cage. Ah, how I miss the smell of a fresh book, instead the smell of ash and cooked dwarf fill my nose, a smell I wouldn't mind forgetting.

Stumbling to stand Ham, limps for his hammer. Glancing briefly at Bolmer and Stone as they lay unmoving on the ground. I'd never seen anyone use their hammer in such a manner before, is it something dwarves from Toradain did often? I'll be sure to ask him if we manage to survive. Death was something that scared me, coming so close to it twice in the last few days had me thinking about it more and more. Did I regret joining the trials? The answer was yes, my need to prove my peers and City wrong about my family might just cost me my life. And what a lousy life it's been, thinking back on it the dwarves I met down here in the Pit are the closest things to "friends" I have.

When I first arrived in the Pit of Usx many dwarves from other Cities wanted me to join their herd. My large frame gave off the impression that I was strong which was the usual assumption most had when they looked at me. Their opinions quickly changed however after I spoke, hearing my continuous stuttering no one would let me join their herd leaving me to survive in the darkness alone. Something I experienced my entire life in the City of Moldan, the cause of me entering the Trials. My yearning to return to the safety of the library I spent most of my days kept me from depression, and after running into Stone who was also by himself I looked forward to the days to come. Having someone to face the unknown with rose my spirits to no end. Then stumbling upon Bolmer in the Goblin Village hours later I thought surviving in Usx wouldn't be as difficult as the rumors told at the orphanage. But all that changed when I met Gale and Ham.

When they spoke of voices, fortresses, and shards I was excited, thinking the stories about adventure and allies fighting for each other was something I was experiencing first hand. But after having battled the Slithra and now a Phenoix two creatures of both myth and legend. I was struck with fear and uncertainty of my survival after each clash, I could only wish I was as determined and confident as the others.

"Who would have thought the flames from a Pheonix could harm a dwarf." Ham hisses. He stood over Gale on unsteady legs, looking to see if he's still alive. I'd be surprised if he was. He was the closest one to the Phoenix when we destroyed the stone gate, taking the mystical flames at full force. Bolmer and Stone lay on the ground a few feet from where I sat, their chests still rose slightly telling me they were still alive. Perhaps knocked out from the shock of being burned alive.

"B...b.bring me my b..bag." Ham shifted his gaze to me before nodding silently. Stumbling Ham collects my bag as well as his own before sitting beside me letting out a deep breath.

"With burns like this there's no way we can keep merging the shards, to do so would invite death." He murmurs searching through his pack before withdrawing several bandages. That slight hope of him having something for the burns that throbbed endlessly at my legs disappeared, dampening my already low spirit.

Then again being a dwarf who would need to bring anything for burns? We could repel fire with ease. The magical blue fire the bird had used was something no dwarf could anticipate let alone plan for. Perhaps if we had been another species, one that couldn't survive in fire and heat we would be dead. Something so unlucky happening I can't help but feel it was in the All-Fathers plan to erase me from the world. Nodding in agreement I mimic Ham as he wraps the burns riddled across his hands and face.

My legs were already starting to blister but I would live, as would Ham. His eyebrows were gone and numerous patches covered his head where hair should be, but other then a few burns on his face he seemed to be fine. Finishing he stands up and checks on Bolmer and Stone, flipping Bolmer on his side he lets out a small chuckle.

Curious I struggle to my feet and stand behind him. Bolmer's beard was gone, and in it's place a short fat neck and double chin. Not really funny, personally I didn't find it all that amusing and gave a fake smile. Ham's an easy person to make laugh, something I noticed about his carefree yet cautious nature. Bolmer's clothing was for the most part well put together, if you were only looking at his upper body that is. His jacket and shirt only had a few burn marks which weren't so bad but his trousers had a gaping hole in his backside revealing his undergarments. Making me wonder how he had he managed to get burned there?

Stone, on the other hand, was in bad shape nevermind the clothes, the burns on his left arm, as well as his chest, were black. I now know where the smell of burnt dwarf was coming from. Being glad it was him and not me flashed through my mind before dismissing it, causing me to feel slightly ashamed of myself. We lacked the supplies and resources to treat such a wound, a simple wrapping of bandages would do little to nothing against such a burn. Looking up at Ham, he seems to have come to the same conclusion. Sorrow engraved deeply on his face, it reminded me of how my hatchfather looked at me before dropping me off at the orphanage.

The next few minutes consisted of us dragging the bodies of the unconscience dwarves into a building, and treating what we could. Bolmer came to a few moments after we were done, howling in pain and anger. "That stupid bird burned my beard! It took me years to grow that!" As always he didn't seem to comprehend the situation we were in, which wasn't bad at times but had also led to some situations I would have rather avoided.

"Stop moving around so much, and sit down," Ham growls. Locking eye's for a moment Bolmer quiets down before taking a seat folding his arms and silently mumbling to himself. He didn't lash back much to my surprise, something I had gotten use to Bolmer doing in the short time I've known him. He had a problem with taking orders and had his own way of doing things, something I admired about the fat dwarf.

"So what now? I suppose you still want to do what those pixies tell you to. Even after it nearly killed us." Bolmer spits. "Instead of wasting our time and energy listening to pixies we should be finding our OWN water, and getting food! This is a complete waste of time and effort."

Glancing at Ham briefly he waves a hand in dismissal without saying a word, clearly disagreeing with him. Opening his bag he began eating a small meal of bread and water, realizing he was being ignored Bolmer did the same. Leaving me to my thoughts I ate the stale bread I saved before entering the Pit. The silence that floated through the room had me thinking back to the many times I ate alone, the silence suffocating me.

A light rustling of dirt pulls me from my thoughts as Gale sits up, quickly looking around the area before spotting us. Releasing a breathe a small smirk surfaces on his face.

"And here I thought you died, instead your stuffing yourself fat like a true pig of Toradain." Looking at Gale the question that has been nagging since meeting the blunt dwarf was about the pot he wore on his head. It looked ridiculous and he never used it so assumed he had mistaken in for a helmet. He sure did use it like one. Taking off his helmet-pot his hair remained unburnt but the natural brown color it had was now black with soot.

"Coming from the dwarf that fainted after witnessing me crush the Pheonix, was the shock of my might that surprising to you." Ham retorts back revealing a grin of his own as Gale slaps his back taking a seat.

"I'm assuming the bird died than, before it could Rebirth?" I nod my head slowly as does Ham.

I didn't know much about Gale he seemed like an honest enough dwarf, he knew how to swing a hammer. Although he wasn't the wisest dwarf I'd met, he often did anything that popped into his head without a second thought.

"Took you long enough to wake up." Bolmer blurts sending crumbs spilling over himself. Glancing in the corner that Bolmer sat, a puzzling look crossed his face for a brief moment, staring at the chubby dwarf. Amusement fluttering in his eye's.

"Where's Stone?" Looking around the room Gale searches for Stone before his eye's rest on his body. The humor in his eye's turning hard as he examined him. "How bad is it?"

Muttering Ham tells him of Stone's condition and how it was unlikely we could do anything about it without proper supplies. His face forming a frown.

"Give your bandages and whatever water you have left." Standing up he wanders over to Stone. He was sweating a lot while low moans slipped from his mouth, not having ever been burnt before I couldn't relate how painful it was. Both Ham and I rummage through our bags giving up what little water we had left. I was reluctant considering we still had 2 shards left to merge before we would be allowed through the barrier.

"No way, this is my last bit of water." Bolmer retorts clutching his bag. Both Gale and Ham give him a scowl before ignoring the greedy dwarf. I wonder just what Gale was going to do with just water and a few strips of cloth, it wouldn't be enough to heal him. Grabbing a few small rocks he proceeded to smash them, turning them into s powder before dumping them into his pot. Adding the water to the dirt he mixed it with his hands into a thick mud before submerging some of the cloth soaking it for a few minutes.

"Mud, you think that's gonna help him?" Ham mutters unconvinced his brows furrowing slightly. "We need to cool the burns before wrapping them in the mud, then we'll add another layer to ensure it doesn't come loose." Gale continued to work over Stone's body soaking the burns in the muddy solution.

"Sit him up." He barks to which I pull Stone up, a moan escaping his mouth in the movement. "W...w.won't this just f.f.f.further infect the wounds?" Wrapping the burns in the muddy cloth he instructs me to sit him down before wrapping another layer of dry cloth around the muddy bandages.

"He was more prone to infection without a salve to cool the skin, at least this way it'll be less painful. As for now Ham you keep him warm with your dwarven fire, we don't need him freezing to death." Gale's surprising knowledge in the ways of medicine was astounding, even if they were barbaric if they worked who was I to judge.

"He won't last long like this though, those are serious burns. Mud isn't going to fix that level of damage he needs water maybe even some herbs to repair the skin. Otherwise, the wounds will get tainted, and he'll die."

I couldn't help holding a breath as Gale spoke of Stone's condition, I had witnessed countless deaths when entering the pit. But out of all of the dwarves that had died not one of them I thought of as an ally. Looking at Stone his breaths were fast and he was sweating tremendously, the pain he must be enduring must be excruciating.

"He's a liability," Bolmer mutters through his chewing, still sitting on the far side of the room. "I say we leave him to find some water and scout out the tunnels, forging the shards are nothing but a huge risk with little reward." His pompous carefree tone shifted, too a more steely voice. His gaze hard looking at Stone.

Ham snarled looking over at Bolmer, still warming Stone with his flames. Scoffing loudly Bolmer finishes the final bite of his meal, "growl all you want pig, this is the pit. If he's too weak to survive from a few burn marks that's on him." Standing up he picks up his pack before wobbling to the door. "Personally I've had enough of all the brilliant ideas you've all been coming up with, I don't trust the fairies or any of you with my life." Now it was Gale's turn to growl as he swerved his head towards Bolmer with a glare.

"We've saved your LIFE a dozen times, none of us would be here if it wasn't for another. So either help with a plan or sit in the cornor and stay quiet" His bark was low but the message was clear quieting Bolmer down.

"Now the fastest way to find enough water and supplies to help Stone would be through the barrier." Ham's eye's widened at Gales statement.

"Y...y.y.you can't seriously be thinking o..o..of merging the shards again, in our s.st...state it'd be suicide!" barking aloud Gale gives me a hard look before looking over at the others.

"I won't ask any of you to risk your lives in merging another shard, who knows what other creature will emerge. I'll be sure to combine them outside the fortress walls."

"E..e.even if you manage to merge the shard and k.k.kill the guardian, there a.a.a.are two shards left!! You ca..ca..can't kill two guardians alone." Wailing I try to catch my breath, I was scared to be around another merging of the shard.

"He won't be alone because I'm going with him." Standing up Ham picks up the remaining 2 shards, before handing them to Gale. They locked eye's for a moment before nodding.

"Ordwin you stay here and look after Stone, make sure his temperature doesn't drop to low or rise too high." I nod slowly staring at the two before a gruff scowl comes from Bolmer.

"You two idiots are really gonna throw your life away over Stone! This is the Pit! Survival of the fittest!" He barks sending his spit flying.

Gale stopped and looked at him real hard, I could see the gears turning in his head as he gazed upon Bolmer, "He saved our lives, it's only right we do the same." With that both Ham and Gale exited the building leaving Bolmer thinking to himself silently. Using my Gift I summon my dwarven fire before hovering over Stone, sorrow weighing heavy on my shoulders at the possible death of my first friend.