RONALD

We have to keep moving. Kajar is waiting for us.

Leading the beta group through the mossy forest, Ronald was having a huge amount of difficulties. The trees and branches were all coated with a layer of slippery and slimy mosses. It was almost impossible for the dwindles to get a good grip while leaping across the forest. Nonetheless, it was not an option as this was the only and safest way away from the Kingdom of Alora.

Observing the movements of the pigeons in the ruby skies, the experienced chief knew that men were right behind them. "Let's move!" Unfortunately, majority of the elders and younglings were facing huge obstacles in doing so. His father, Elnor Biscus, was one of them, leading the group at the back. They weren't trained to leap for such a long period of time.

"Ronald!" A familiar voice traveled across the mossy forest. It was Kanor's. Trusted by the chief, he was sent to scout the direction they were heading.

"What is it?" The chief responded with a few breaths flowing in a hurry. He was preparing himself for the worst news he could possibly hear. "Knights?"

"No, it was two men on sabers, about fifty leaps upfront," Kanor responded as he rested his little feet. It was certainly tiring to leap around the branches although they had powerful legs.

"Sabers? They must be the members of the forsaken clans," Ronald hypothesized. Being  enslaved in the Elven Forest wasn't the best thing that could have happened to the dwindles. Having literally no knowledge about the outside world, it was hard for them to determine anything. Everything seemed unfamiliar beyond the Elven Forest.

"I couldn't get a good look but it seemed that they were searching for something."

"I presume that it will not be safe for the tribe to go there." Ronald made an assumption that was based on the safety of his tribe. Nearly a hundred dwindles were following his tracks and the chief definitely felt the weight on his shoulder.

"Yes, we must avoid them at all costs," Kanor agreed wholeheartedly.

"We'll keep moving but stay away from them at least twenty leaps. I don't want them to spot us," Ronald commanded to Kanor and his entire tribe.

"Roger!"

Upon nearing the location where Kanor saw the saber riders, Ronald took precautions. From branches to branches, he leaped with coordination with Kanor and a few experienced scouts. They were inching closer every time they leaped.

Ronald, rubbed his eyes thoroughly, had observed like an eagle towards the two faded shadows. As he looked carefully, he noticed the height difference between the two riders.

Wait, could it be?

Bombarded with curiosity, Ronald leaped in close proximity. Soon, he was able to see clearly. On the left, there was a female riding on a saber. But on the right, there he was. A dwindle.

Riding on a saber, the foreign dwindle was certainly not one of them. His clothes were coated with not silk, but iron. It seemed that the chest piece he was wearing was purposely mended with a smaller size just for the dwindle.

Ronald, looking at the saber rider in disbelief, whispered to Kanor, "Is that a dwindle? How is that possible?"

"I believe he is... one of us." Kanor was very sure.

As the saber riders seemed to be done with the place they were in, they started to move out. Ronald, still scratching his dwindle head about his origin. He felt a weird sensation when he saw that dwindle, riding on a beast, mounting freely across the forest.

"Let's follow him." A change in decision was made on that instance. The dwindles could continue their journey towards West, but the appearance of the members of the forsaken clan caught their attention right away.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Concerned about the safety of the tribe, Kanor questioned his chief.

"We wouldn't know until we find out." With that, Ronald commanded the rests of the tribe to follow him. "Besides, we'll keep a safe distance from them."

"As you say."

The beta group followed the girl and the dwindle through the slimy texture of the forest. The mosses contributed an unpleasant smell towards the forest. This explained why there were significantly lesser living creatures around this area.

Out of the red, the two riders stopped. They got down their mount and found what they were looking for. Bodies painted with blood were lying all over the ground. Alorian lances jabbed through their flesh like a butcher knife. The girl's scream could be heard, "No! This can't happen!" 

It had seemed to Ronald and Kanor that they were finding for their friends, only to find them lifeless on the soils. Feeling a sense of pity for them, Ronald remained silence as he could not risks anything.

Suddenly, a lance came out of nowhere. Splisck!

The girl was impaled by it and stuck onto the ground like a puppet. The dwindle quickly whistled and roared for help. The two sabers quickly surrounded the dwindle and protected him. 

Ronald, witnessed what happened with his marble eyes, froze. What in the Rog Hells just happened.

Frowning with disturbance as he scanned the forest carefully. There they are. Two Alorian riders came out from the bushes. Their eyes emitting the color of blood was frightening. Its appearance gave Ronald a chill down the spine. This feeling... Blood magic.

As the two Alorian riders approached the lone dwindle, he shouted, "Shé Né!"

The two sabers opened their killer jaws and lunged towards the riders. "Aer!" Screams of both bloodcrawlers and deathorses filled the green forest with a hollow of fear.

It was the dwindle's only chance. Leaving the two sabers behind, he climbed a tree with his defined legs and leaped away from the bloody scene. 

It was easy to shake the bloodcrawlers away as dwindles. All the dwindles had to do was to cling on a higher branch. The foreign dwindle dashed and leaped across branches to branches, seemingly still shaking from that incident.

Oh no, he's coming towards us. Noticing that the foreign dwindle was leaping towards Ronald's tribe of dwindles, he knew it was too late to hide. Within seconds, he ordered his followers to be prepared and hid behind the trees.

"STOP!" A forceful command burst through the air as the stranger landed abruptly on a tree branch. Ronald Biscus, was standing on a higher altitude, looking down at the escaping dwindle as if he was his slave.

Shrugged by the sudden voice, the foreign dwindle flinched. As he balanced himself on the slippery branch, his eyes were fixated onto Ronald. Staring back at the foreign dwindle, it could be clearly seen that the dwindle was not one of them. 

A leather headband across his forehead and a katana tied onto his back. Metal chest piece with a scratch over the Alorian sigil, it must have been looted from another miniature knight. Oddly enough, it seemed that he was dressing just like men. 

"A dwindle I see," the foreign man replied. "You must be the dwindles from the Elven Forest"

"Who are you?!" Ronald demanded an immediate answer. Dozens of dwindles were surrounding that unknown dwindle with sharpened rocks in their hands. Though he was definitely one of their kind, his dark origin was not to be fooled.

"The name's Kyoshin, from the Mizu Clan," stated the geared dwindle.

"How did you escape?" The chief, still clouded with questions, asked for an answer.

"It is not me who escaped. It was my grandfather. He was one of the lucky ones who managed to escape during the last revolt," Kyoshin explained with his muffled voice. His right hand was supporting his left elbow. It appeared that he was injured. Ronald's face was filled with disbelief. 

"Take him down." Dwindles from all directions leaped onto Kyoshin. Bodies of dwindles slammed onto the foreigner like a wave of boulders. The foreign dwindle struggled to reach for his katana before getting pinned down by Kanor.

Kyoshin urged for help, "Please, let me go!" His arms, locked by Ronald's followers were weak and his wounds was not in his favor. "You have no rights to take me down!"

"As the chief of the dwindle, I have all the rights to take you as captive, whether you like it or not."

"What wrong have I done?!" Kyoshin protested with anger.

"Carrying the blood of a dwindle, but not living like one."

"Is that a crime?!" The foreign dwindle barked as he tried to free himself. But it was no use.

"Yes, indeed." Ronald replied with authority. Using his loud voice, he then ordered, "Kanor, seize him."