Even with their keen eye sight, the old dwarven tunnels were dark. The small gray globe of light stayed far ahead as they walked. Besides their footsteps, a drop of water sounded from somewhere mysteriously in the distance. As they continued their trekked through the dark labyrinth beneath the mountain the drop of water never sounded closer nor farther away.

“That sound, it will drive me mad before I leave this place.” One of the druids said in a whisper to himself, his voice carried and bounced off the rock walls.

Aύok stopped and although he could hardly make out facial features in the darkness, he stared down the speaker.

Only use your thoughts fool! Aύok’s voice sounded in all their heads and the guilty druid lowered his head. We are among long forgotten creatures who have made this their home and can number in the thousands.

Aύok shook his head and continued down the tunnel in silence.

His sensitive ears twitched at every sound. The many journeys he had taken through the mountain were always long and fear always found a footing in his thoughts. He had come across many odd humanoid creatures who were blind, but could run full speed without missing a step. He had killed his fair share of curious goblin kin and nightmare monsters from long forgotten stories during his journeys over the years. Sometimes they were creatures that lumbered along by themselves, other times in packs or by the hundreds. Every blind corner was a threat and potential point of battle.

He knew using the dull gray orb was a risk, but he had discovered most of the tunnel dwelling creatures would walk past it without being affected or alarmed by its dull pulse. Anything brighter and they knew immediately something was amiss. The druid’s sensitive eyes could pick out subtle things within the globe’s light which would prevent the risk of blindly walking into a patrol or hungry beast.

He had lost himself in the labyrinth a few times and only his mental fortitude had kept him from truly losing his mind. Over the years of traversing the tunnels he found his way deeper and deeper into the mountain. By linking his essence with the weeping willow, he was always able to find his way back.

When at last he found his way through the mountain for the first time, he created a thin line of essence to exist between the weeping willow and small roots that dangled from the rock near the exit. The life line he created grew stronger over the years as the plants grew and their roots thickened. Now, with a simple use of his will, he linked with the line of essence and he could feel his progress and confirm he had stayed true to the path. It was his safety rope through the mountain, and one he relied upon every treacherous expedition.

Grumbles of an unknown language and metal on metal whispered in the silence, echoing off the tunnel walls. Aύok pressed on, knowing they would reach a wide-open cavern within the hour.

It housed a clan of goblin-orc hybrids, but the cavern was large enough for them to make their way around the main living quarters without being detected. The creatures were often loud and cared little of the noise they sent echoing throughout the tunnels. During one expedition, Aύok had watched the hybrids hold off a host of diminutive, bi pedal creatures with reptilian eyes and gray skin. He had never seen or read about such creatures and found them fascinating to watch until they were slaughtered by the hybrids and then turned into a grand feast.

His light orb cleared the last of the tunnels and vanished, plunging the druids into darkness. They stopped un sure of their next movements.

Ahead lies an open corridor, be silent as we slip along the shadows. Aύok thought to his clan, still moving forward.

When they entered the cavern, small blue lights illuminated its center. Light crystals were embedded into makeshift huts and pieces of rotting wood. The ragtag settlement resembled a town, but its buildings slanted and with gaping holes. Doors were hides of unknown creatures or odd pieces of metal. Bones were strapped together with anything that resembled rope or vines. In the town’s center stood a tall golden figure, its head a skew and its nose snapped off, only half a smile could be seen on it. Tusks were held in place by the mouth with a thin piece of rope and a silver crown sat oddly on its head. In one of its golden hands, it held a golden rod that had its top and bottom snapped off in a jagged angle. Hanging from the lower side of the hand was a dried-out head of a decaying creature with a missing mandible. The other statue’s golden hand was raised slightly and held what looked like a golden book. Treasure littered the golden statues feet, armor, weapons and small jewels spilled out around black mold covered pillows. On them sat a large, obese gray skinned creature. Two tusks jutted out from its mouth, its large round head was bald and spotted but held a silver circlet similar to the one on the golden statue. It sat surrounded by smaller hybrids offering it small rusted plates of raw flesh. Grabbing the flesh with its sausage fingers it would squeeze the meat and waggle it around grunting in odd words then palm it into its mouth, juices flowing from its cheeks and chin. Half armored hybrids stood at either side of the monstrous beast, their figures impressive with muscles and old wounds. They held spears with tips of onyx-colored rocks. Other hybrids resembling the guards made their way around the center of the town always in pairs, abusing smaller members of their race and keeping order.

The settlement seemed to grow and expand each time Aύok crossed through it. It would expand its limits and buildings would seem to be built in a different style. The only consistent feature through the years was the golden statue which held a different decaying head each time.

Aύok kept his druids to the dark shadows and they eased their way around the town. Fights among the hybrids caught their attention and guttural noises sounded followed by painful shrieks. Cheers of celebration and grunts of mating. It was a whirlwind of sounds that bounced off the walls and echoed out the tunnel. When Aύok reached the end of the expanding town he climbed the wall and hoisted himself up onto a ledge.

We will rest here. Aύok thought to his druids. They joined him on the ledge that overlooked the entire cavern, watching the hundreds of creatures going about their life.

Blue crystals were strategically placed throughout the settlement so there were no shadows long enough to host a predator. A crude wall of bone, rusted armor and weapons kept everything at bay. Only the entrance at the front allowed for an attack.

The druids rested, their journey through the mountain quiet, but long. They held shifts watching out over the ledge making sure nothing came their way. The endless sounds of the hybrids became a constant noise and eventually eased them into rest.

~

A bright blue light shot from the ground and lit up the dark, uncovering the shadows near the settlement’s entrance.

“Kill, steal, repeat, kill, steal, repeat.” A high-pitched voice complained bouncing off the cavern walls. “All for his majesty. I say why don’t you just kill him? Not like he can stop you chieftain.” A taller figure holding a white bone scepter that reached just above its shoulders followed behind, standing taller than the other four. All five of the smaller hybrids carried large sacks bulging on their backs.

“Enough Slis, when the time is right, our clan will take its place.” The chieftain said in a grumble of words that came out commanding.

“Tonight, let’s cut his fat from his bones and celebrate our victory with you as high chieftain.” The chieftain said nothing but stared hard at the creature with mis matching armor. It squeaked in fear and lowered its head. The other four kept their mouth shut, but had bobbed their heads in agreement to Slis’s words.

The large blue globe flowed forward bathing everything in light. The edge of the ring of light touched the lip of the ledge the druids hid on. One backed up, its hand for a brief moment in the light. One of the hybrids caught the movement and its head turned to the darkness. It watched the shadows, and let out a small growl. The chieftain casually looked in the direction its underling looked. But its ear flicked catching a noise from behind it.

“Hornless…” The chieftain said in a hiss laced with venom.

“They came for our horde; we will kill them good we will.” Slis said dropping his sack, unsheathing his crude weapons. Four black cloaked figures appeared from the shadows and moved forward. The other hybrids followed Slis’s example and they waited for their chieftain.

“What brings you here?” the chieftain asked, anger at the edge of his voice.

“What have you seen in the tunnels?” A calm voice said from under the cowl. The chieftain eyed the smaller figures cautiously. But before he could respond Slis ran forward shouting, his weapons aimed to kill. The other four followed Slis’s lead and charged the cloaked assassins. They easily dodged the clumsy attacks, their hands appeared from the cloaks and sharpened horns pierced hybrid flesh. Slis dodged the attack and accepted a cut to his side. His weapon came down, the hornless raised its hand and caught the blade with a sharpened horn. The hornless in one fluid movement, crouched and twisted, Slis weight still on the block, sent him stumbling forward. A sharp pain in his hamstring sent him to the ground. He rolled over clutching his bleeding leg. Slis forced himself up, his left leg not willing to support him. Shifting his weight on his right leg he stood his weapons held at the ready. The hornless came in close and his horn dagger collided with Slis sword. It slipped from his bloodied hand and scattered on the ground. Without hesitating the hornless thrusted the other horned dagger deep into Slis’s throat quicker than his other hand could move. Their eyes locked and the assassin watched the last of the light fade from his eyes. The remaining hybrids fell quickly to the attacks leaving the chieftain alone with the assassins.

“Well?” the assassin asked looking from the dying hybrid back to the chieftain.

“We been seeing nothing but the usual. Dark eyes, tuskers, scale backs, sharp tails and leggers. Few orcish ones and now you.” The chieftain responded nodding at the hornless. The cloaked figure stood still; his facial features masked by the shadow of the cowl.

“Perhaps we should relive him of his fingers and ears to get our answers.” Another assassin said moving forward. The chieftain stepped back, but found a sharp pain in his spine. He could feel the breath of the assassin on his neck.

“Tell us and you will know mercy.” The attacker said in a whisper.

“That would not be wise.” The chieftain said looking up at the blue light. “If that goes out, they will come in force.”

“Will they?” The attacker asked with amusement, the tip of the weapon parting flesh and digging in deeper. “I think not.” The assassin cupped the chieftain’s mouth and the point thrusted in deeper. A muffled shout disappeared among the noise of the settlement and landed on deaf ears. The chieftain was thrusted to the ground and the dagger was removed from his back.

“Last chance.” The assassin whispered again bringing its head down close to the dying hybrids ear.

“They are watching.” He said with his last breaths. The assassin shook its head in dissatisfaction. Gripping its few tufts of hair, he pulled the hybrid’s head back and the tip of the horn dagger sliced the throat, gurgle coughs following. The assassin cleaned its dagger on the dying chieftain and stood up.

“You were not ordered to kill it.” The leader said in frustration.

“You did not order to not kill it.” He responded in a shrug watching the dying chieftain take its last breaths in a pool of its own blood.

“It’s gods are watching, if they cared about this thing then…” The assassin paused and raised its hands looking around, waiting for something to happen. The blue light faded as the chieftain died and the area was replaced with darkness. The glow of the shambled town stood out like a beacon and thick darkness separated the assassins from the gates.

“Ah, so they don’t care. Not even the missing light raised an alarm.” He lowered his arms and kicked one of the sacks and it fell over, random metal spilling onto the ground. His foot sifted through the rusted metal and rocks until something caught his eye.

“Well look at that.” He reached down and picked up a small red gem. “Looks like this was not completely pointless.” He stuck the red gem under his cloak and walked pass the rest of his group, a grin on his face and laughed. “They are watching. Your stupid gods care nothing of your kind.” He said kicking a dead body as he passed. The hornless turned from the settlement and went back to the cave where they came from and the leader stopped in thought.

“What gods do these hybrids follow?” he asked. The gem thief stopped and looked back curiously.

“What do I care of their habits?”

“They don’t.” Said another looking out into the darkness.

“Watch the shadows.” He said, his hands landing on the grips of his horn daggers.

~

The druids watched the deaths of the hybrids and their sharp hearing caught every word. With a wordless command the druids transformed into their lycan form, bones snapping lightly. The shadows the assassins were now in rushed away, their eye sight strengthening. Aύok watched the leader give a command to the others and he started backing away silently, leaving the four hornless assassins gripping their daggers facing the ledge. They crouched and readied themselves for an attack. Aύok watched the leader disappear into the tunnel and his strengthened hearing heard the soft sound of running.

Aύok dropped down from the ledge, his clan landing silently on padded feet. Slowly, Aύok approached the hornless and reveled in their expression as they entered their view. Their cloaks hid their faces, but his eyes saw their reaction as if it was day. With a thought some of his druids crept silently to the tunnel, cutting off their retreat. One of the assassins found its courage and leapt, horn daggers aimed for Aύok’s neck. Fangs and claws intercepted him in midflight and held him to the ground. With a snap of bone, the druid’s fangs bit down on the assassin’s throat and the hornless died. The last three backed up, but their backs stopped against armor. They spun and found armored lycan, their fangs dripping with drool while they let out a low growl. One began to run away and when he stepped into a shadow he disappeared from sight. The other two collapsed under sharp fangs as they followed the first coward. Aύok closed his eyes and breathed in. He could smell the small bull and his ears heard the rapid breaths. The assassin stood still in the shadow, but when Aύok opened his eyes there was nothing there but darkness that kept his eyes from focusing on the area.

“Nice trick little bull.” Aύok said trying to focus his eyes on the shadow. With a mental command his druids rushed the shadow and claws ripped through the hidden assassin ending the shadow step.

“I have not seen that in centuries.” Aύok said resuming his druid form watching the hornless die.

Let us be gone from this place and swiftly. Aύok thought to his clan.

But one escaped, we must hunt him, kill him, and devour him! A voice sounded back.

Leave it be, back to your druid form, we leave. No protest flooded his mind, but Aύok felt the disappointment from more than a few. He searched for his line of essence and once connected to it he led his druids into the tunnels and away from the settlement. He could smell the scent of the assassin who made its escape and it split down another tunnel. He paused thinking about tracking down the survivor.

They do not know of our druid form, even if they know we crossed, they will be looking for wolves, not elves. He thought to himself and continued on into the darkness, his dull gray orb leading the way in the distance.