Sort of how the Underground Dwarven Den looks like - Source: Blood Lad^

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"So let me get this straight." Mikyla rubbed her temples as her strides marched the dwarves run. "There's been a war between you guys and the 'Trolls' since Excalibur Mountain rose from the ocean?"

"That's right." The dwarf panted as he guided Sam and Mikyla through the winding tunnels of the Underground Dwarven Den. "The Trolls have been dormant ever since we burned their last bridges as well as their knowledge scrolls. Since then, they've been trapped in the other side of the canyon but the Earth has been trembling lately which could only mean they have made a contract with the other elves to build the bridges in exchange for dark magic."

Mikyla blinked hard as she maneuvered in three dimensions, avoiding treading on the dwarves whilst also ducking between golems. It all happened so sudden; Sam and Mikyla had barely agreed to aid the Dwarves in vanquishing the Trolls before war bells went on high alert. Like clockwork everyone transformed from the jolly imposition into a colony of working ants. The sound of steel striking anvils was only the beginning and before long dwarves of every occupation were running amuck, tethering supplies together, emptying weapon vaults and mass producing chain mail and the like. It was absolute manic yet Mikyla feared the worst was yet to come.

"And what is dark magic again?"

The dwarf shook his head. "An acursed ancient art that rose with the demons of Gehenna. It calls upon the user's soul-force instead of mana, shortening ones lifespan with each use. It's powerful, often more so than the caster can comprehend. But alas, everything has an equivalent exchange."

"Can't we just stop it with a barrier spell?"

"No. Mana can only influence the very thing it's made of - matter. The soul is untangible thus is able to permeate through all things. Trying to defeat dark magic through normal magic would be the same as trying to eradicate a religion with a fly-swat."

Sam slammed a fist into an open palm. "Right. So basically we just gotta stop the Trolls before they can build their bridge and give the others the secret to dark magic."

"Yes, essentially, however, I fear as the path to the canyon is further than Excalibur Mountain, the bridge may have already been built."

Sam shrugged. "Then we'll just burn them."

Mikyla blinked as Sam's words seemed to trigger something in her mind. "Sam, say that again."

"We'll just burn the bridges?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought I was a bad liste-"

"That's it. It's part of the riddle!" Mikyla grinned.

"Huh?"

"Hey, how much knowledge would you say Har'dro possesses?"

"The fairy? She's our forests guardian deity; it has been rumored she knows all things past, present and future. Legend has it that she herself pulled Excalibur Mountain from the ocean and drank it all up out of thirst."

Sam flicked his head between the dwarf and Mikyla. "Did I miss something because I have no idea how this is connected to how we're going to help."

"Bridges burnt to the shell." Mikyla recited. "It's as you said, we're going to burn their bridges."

"Then what 'shell' did you mention?"

Mikyla tapped her nose. "That's for Har'dro to know and me to find out."

Sam opened his mouth to say something but instead a sigh came out. "I'm lost but I'll just trust you to do your riddle thing. But first, how are we going to get to the canyon? Didn't you say there wasn't a mine cart?"

"Precisely!" The dwarf stopped in front of a giant vault guarded by two golems. "That is why we shall use our noble steeds."

Before anymore questions could be asked, the dwarf nodded to the two golems. The golems then proceeded to lift the portcullis like entrance to reveal and underground paradise. Without any context, it appeared to be the garden of Eden. A raging waterfall was the most noticeable icon which traversed into a small river which fed into a lake surrounded by all manner of lush greenery. He temperate environment was only enhanced by the amniotic birdsong and if a quick look up didn't reveal a colony of growing mushrooms, one could mistake it for a picturesque spring day. Sam and Mikyla could only gape at the utopia before them but as one of the noble steeds approached to be petted, the scenic landscape from a fairytale was all but explained.

"We're riding... we're riding..." Sam gulped.

"Unicorns." Mikyla whispered in continuation.

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The sun had barely set by the time a bellow from the other side of the canyon rattled within Mikyla's bones. Each tremor provided an ounce of regret and in hindsight, volunteering for conscription was one of the worst ideas she has ever had. She had never fought on the front lines before and as the silhouettes grew infinitely larger and more grotesque the closer they got to the canyon, Mikyla had second thought. She was used to danger, yes, but she was used to running away from it rather than two it.

Clutching her chest, Mikyla took a deep breath as goosebumps pricked her skin. She felt her stomach lurch even with the swiftness off the unicorn underneath and glancing from her peripheral vision only made it churn even more with the contorted war masks that even Sam endowed.

A hundred meters or so, the dwarven army halted, a standoff between the approaching Trolls and themselves. With a makeshift wall in front of them, the Trolls too faltered before forming their own, their clubs and maced bared, providing a thick shield for the other Nobles cowering behind them.

"Hold steady." The dwarf Sam and Mikyla had met earlier roared.

Mikyla gulped, not only because of the imminent danger but also because she never asked for the dwarves name. What would become of him? Would he become a nameless casualty of war that could befall so many others? Would he be a sword in the ground, torn to unrecognisable shreds? It was at this time the true nature of war started to reveal its ugly face, the one facading behind the mask.

Was this all worth an answer to a riddle? No. She could turn back as soon as the battle started- none would be the wiser but she had to stay. For the portal? No. But instead for the dwarves she had barely met, for the community she had just immersed in, for the families who had begged on their knees. She had to help.

"And fire!" The dwarf once again roared and this time a flurry of arrows soared into the sky but it was all for naught. A magical barrier was cast in no time and it only appeared to anger the Trolls. In response they bellowed their own commands and charged forwards to where the dwarves met them, the unicorns fighting the first wave using their horns to shoot beams of light at the oncoming threat.

Pursing her lips as the blood faded from her cheeks, Mikyla gave Sam a brief nod and he charged for the flanks, his mission to burn the bridges. Whilst he did that, Mikyla held her ground and she flickered through her magic tome. It didn't appear that the others had learned dark magic yet so she still had her whole arsenal at her disposal. The tome, however, was as compliant as always and as Mikyla cast spells to and fro, shrinking Trolls, turning others into pairs of socks and causing some to grow outlandish afros, it became apparent that whilst her spells were aiding to slow them down, her mana supply would not keep up for much longer.

More and more Trolls crossed the bridge over the canyons, the other Nobles providing backup. The suns hue casting everything in a morbid light gave the impression of everything having soaked in blood but there was no way to know for sure. The sand already the colour of stardust and the clamour of the battlezone proved impossible to recognise any fallen bodies, friend or foe. Mikyla would just have to trust her instincts and as her steed blasted a gaping hole into the Troll charging towards her, it would seem she would need to focus on herself for the time being rather than others.

Mikyla shook her head in annoyance. "Bridges burnt to the shell. What does that even mean?"

As Mikyla caused oranges to rain from the sky just above another approaching horde of Trolls, it became apparent that the tome was only a nuisance until a life or death scenario. However, that didn't mean she would just lie on the floor awaiting to be bludgeoned into a bloody pulp in the hopes that the tome may or may not come to the rescue. She would just have to rely on the spells she had already cast but she would have to choose wisely. Stronger spells cost more mana and if she burned-out, she doubted she would see another day.

Phoenix fire would be a good spell. It's attack power and speed was exactly what she needed, however, its range was a double edged sword and would most likely lead to friendly fire. Illusions wouldn't work in this case either. Even if Mikyla could summon up a chimera, she doubted the Trolls would feel fear and it wouldn't be able to do any damage anyway. The only thing that seemed suitable was the lightning strikes. With fork lightning, Mikyla could attack many opponents at once and her aim would be direct. The only problem was that the sky was devoid of any clouds and she had no idea how much mana it would take to accumulate water in such an arid environment- unless.

Flicking to the page where Mikyla saw it last, she grinned at her alternative. At the time upon discovery, she thought that creating a haze from sand would prove nothing more than an annoyance, however, the static charges that it could create was ideal for her situation. Leaving no room for error, Mikyla read directly from the book, the sand underneath painting the sky an even deeper vermillion. It spiralled upwards, filling the air with its looming presence and just as predicted, sparks appeared out of friction and Mikyla began to feel her skin tingle.

Now for the tricky part. Mikyla closed her eyes as she ran through her memory's archive, flitting through the halls of where she last saw lightning, envisioning it, feeling it, creating it. Mikyla became one with the erratic charges in the air, moulding them to her will. She felt her mind accumulate them, squeezing them with abundant pressure all the while the words spilt out of her mouth, binding them together. As she forced them into a concentrated cloud, she felt the presence of ash and knowing that Sam had successfully completed his part motivated her to do hers.

Opening her eyes, Mikyla directed the flow of charge straight into a crowd of Trolls. The bolt of electricity following her fingers direction exploded in a cloud of sand and ash and a mighty uproar followed. Mikyla felt the mana sap out of her with a jolt, draining the energy, leaving her cold. It didn't matter- she couldn't stop even if she wanted too. The charges were already locked and loaded and they wouldn't disperse until they were all used up. Ignoring the backlash, Mikyla obeyed the elements will, stabbing her finger at any large group of Trolls in sight. Each attack appeared to create a mini geyser of debris and before she knew it, Mikyla collapsed upon her unicorn, the battlefield eerily silent except for the settling of dust.

It took a few minutes for the dust to settle but when it did, a mighty uproar of cheers and whoops celebrated what could only be inferred as a victory. Mikyla lifted her head from the unicorns neck, her body dripping with sweat and the mere action of staying awake more of a challenge then ever before. However, the sight before her gave her enough energy to smile. It was beautiful. As expected, the ground was littered with bodies but despite that, victory in its own sense was glorious. Perhaps optimistic, but Mikyla was happy. She was happy that there were those still alive, she was happy that the dwarves could rejoice, she was happy that even after such trauma, there were those who could move on.

Her stomach couldn't. Despite the overall outcome, Mikyla couldn't stop herself from hanging over the unicorn and covering the sand with an entirely different colour. Who was she kidding? Death was death any way you looked at it but she knew she had to keep smiling for any other way would be disrespectful for those who had fallen.

"Hey, you feeling alright Mika?" Sam wore a concerned expression as he rode up next to her.

Mikyla managed a weak smile. "Y-yeah."

Sam sighed, "That's a relief. I thought perhaps you overdid it making those shells trapping the Trolls."

Mikyla grimaced as she sat back up on her unicorn. "I didn't make any-"

In the distance it became apparent. Wherever lightning struck left behind a shard of glass erupting from the earth. The stalagmites scattered, leaving a wall next to the canyons edge but at parts, the shards came together forming a shell where the silhouettes of Trolls could be seen from the inside. Mikyla shook her head at how the riddle came together so easily. Was this all planned from the beginning?

Suddenly, the dwarf from earlier appeared beside Mikyla on a fist and knee. "Without you, we couldn't have won this war. I, Khazêd Longbeard, on behalf of my people, offer you our eternal gratitude."

"Khazêd? Do you happen to know Khazâd?"

"Why, yes." Khazêd gave a knowing smile. "He's my brother- the one who owns all the golems of our people. Right now he's instructing the golems to push the Troll shells into the canyon. They're really quite strong; a golem is said to have the power to lift a mountain. Here- I'll go get Khazâd for you."

Khazêd whistled and with an earthquake, a golden gilded golem cam running with Khazâd on his shoulders.

"Yes, my king? What is it that I can do for you?"

"I told you not to call me that Zâd!" Khazêd coughed, his face slightly tinged. "Anyway, our saviours here wanted to see you."

"Oh?" Khazâd grinned. "If it isn't you again? I'm sorry but if you're looking for the other Elves, they've already disappeared. A troublesome lot I dare say, it would be best if you didn't stick around with them."

"Oh, well." Sam shrugged. "An other note, remember that favour you still owe us? We heard your golems are really strong and there's this boulder in front of Excalibur Mountain that we want moved. Do you think they could do it?"

Khazâd held a thoughtful grimace before he shook his head at the obscurity of it even being questioned. "Yeah."

Sam fist pumped the air with a wide grin. "Then let's do it."

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Word Count for Chapter 25: 2523
Total Word Count: 44326

Authors Note:

Hope you liked the UNEDITED chapter 25! Don't forget to press on those magical stars to light up Mikyla's future path and leave a comment telling me what you like so far or what you don't like. Thanks for reading so far.

Happy reading 
~ Dracollavenore