Dwarf

Dwarf

On the forest path at dawn, sunlight filtered through the dense branches, casting dappled light over the swiftly advancing group. Small animals occasionally darted through the roadside grass before vanishing back into the deep woods. Roderick, Antoine, Adrian, and Arnold rode alongside the caravan as it headed east of Southshore. The caravan consisted of dozens of wagons, most loaded with grain, traveling in a single-file column toward the Refuge Pointe of the Stromgarde Kingdom.

"Adrian and I will clear the way ahead. You two keep watch at the rear." Following Roderick's arrangements, two riders sped ahead to the front of the convoy, while the other two slowed down and followed behind the wagons at a moderate distance.

"Where's your Lupos? Aren't you afraid he'll get lost? There's all sorts of things in these woods." Roderick slowed down, keeping an arrow's distance from the caravan as he asked the knight beside him.

"It's fine. Lupos is smart. He hasn't been out in a while, so I'm letting him play on his own. If he showed himself, those packhorses would be scared stiff." Adrian spoke casually, looking entirely relaxed.

As the two chatted, the caravan gradually left the range of human settlements. The grass swayed like waves in the breeze, making the scene feel wonderfully refreshing. Larger predators began to appear as well. Brown bears occasionally wandered lazily into view, while cries that sounded somewhere between cats and leopards could sometimes be heard, though their owners remained unseen. Several wild wolves trailed the caravan far behind and to one side in an inverted triangle formation. The sheer number of wagons, horses, and humans kept the beasts from attacking rashly.

Near dusk, the caravan reached an abandoned watchtower. Under the caravan leader's direction, they began setting up camp, preparing dinner, unhitching the wagons, and feeding the horses. The place soon became bustling with activity. Adrian and Arnold slipped into the woods, saying they were going to hunt some game. Antoine was busy preparing the tents, while Roderick entered the watchtower alone and idly looked around.

This watchtower, located northeast of Southshore and south of Tarren Mill, had been abandoned for many years. Arthas's army had swept across the entire Kingdom of Lordaeron, and even the mage kingdom of Dalaran had fallen. A tiny watchtower stood no chance. Roderick found signs that battle had once raged here. The top of the tower had been completely destroyed by Undead catapults, leaving heaps of shattered wood and stone collapsed inside. Looking up, he could see the darkening sky. The spiral staircase had been destroyed as well, and it would be difficult to reach the second floor without repairs. Some of the outer stones on the tower's upper level had begun to fall away, but the overall structure remained intact. Once tents were set up inside, it would make a decent shelter from wind and rain during the journey.

He wondered whether the guards stationed here back then had managed to escape, or... Roderick did not want to continue that thought. After a small outpost had been attacked by an Undead army, was there really any doubt about their fate? Before long, the hunters returned. Adrian truly deserved his reputation as Southshore's strongest ranger. The two of them had caught four rabbits and even brought back a pheasant.

The knights' enthusiasm put the ordinary caravan workers at ease. They lit a campfire and happily shared a simple dinner. Roderick arranged the night watch shifts, and the exhausted group quickly fell asleep. Only the crackling of burning firewood and the rising and falling chorus of insects in the wilderness could be heard. Another day was coming to an end.

The night passed without incident, and the rested caravan set out once more. The journey remained smooth that day. They encountered neither harassing animals nor bandits blocking the road. After crossing the gently flowing Hillsbrad River, the knights and the caravan finally parted ways.

The caravan would continue along the road toward the Stromgarde Kingdom. If all went well, they would reach Thoradin's Wall after nightfall. Stromgarde troops were stationed there, and nearly every merchant passing through Thoradin's Wall chose to rest there before continuing to their destination.

Roderick's group, however, was headed for Dun Garok, which lay beneath the cliffs on the southernmost side of Thoradin's Wall. After bidding farewell to the caravan, Roderick and the other three followed a winding trail toward Dun Garok with a wagon loaded with Southshore Spirits and barrels of food.

As the sky darkened, signs of wild animals became increasingly frequent. The warhorses were fine, but the ordinary trained horses pulling the wagon were trembling in fear. At this pace, they would definitely not arrive today. Roderick had the driver cover the horses' eyes with strips of cloth. After Adrian let out a sharp whistle, a mournful wolf howl sounded in the distance.

In the distance, a pair of glowing green eyes drew closer. His massive wolf mount gradually came into view. Though the trained horses could not see it, the scent of the wolf mount drifted over from behind them. They began stamping their hooves anxiously, desperate to flee this dangerous place.

Spurred on by Adrian's pet, the small group's speed increased dramatically. The sun sank completely beneath the horizon, forcing them to light torches and continue onward.

"We should be there soon," Roderick said to the others.

"You've been here before? I can't see anything ahead," Arnold asked doubtfully.

"It's the sound and scent of the sea. We're about to reach the end of the land," Adrian explained.

After rounding several more small hills, they heard fierce fighting ahead, along with a Dwarf's signature roar. "For Khaz Modan!"

"Fire a signal flare. Guard the wagon. I'm going to save him." Before Roderick had even finished speaking, he leaped from his warhorse and charged into the distance in an instant.

The Dwarf seemed to spot the signal flare and the torch in Roderick's hand, and tried to move closer. However, he was quickly intercepted by his enemies, and the clashing of weapons grew fierce once more.

Several Naga surrounded the Dwarf. Seeing someone approach, two towering Naga warriors twisted their finned tails and charged at Roderick.

The Naga attack did nothing to slow Roderick. He threw away his torch and stunned one of them with a Hammer of Justice. At the same time, his whistling warhammer crashed toward the other warrior. The Naga warrior raised his trident to block Roderick's strike, but the warhammer, carrying far more force than he could withstand, not only shattered his weapon but, with a wet pop, blew his head apart like an overripe watermelon. Roderick swung backhanded, and the still-stunned Naga warrior's head became a smashed tomato as well.

This sudden, brutal assault made not only the Naga stop fighting, but also left the besieged Dwarf staring in stunned horror. Roderick showed no discomfort at all. With a casual gesture, a transparent halo formed around the Dwarf. The recovered Naga warriors struck it with all their strength, yet it did not react at all. It was a paladin's Blessing of Protection, capable of blocking all physical attacks for a short time.

The Dwarf seized the opportunity to escape the Naga encirclement and moved to Roderick's side. Roderick had no time to pay attention to the bedraggled Dwarf. Beneath the swings of his warhammer, the Naga warriors suffered heavy casualties and were beaten back step by step.

Just as he was getting into the fight, a Frostbolt shot from the darkness. Roderick's entire body was instantly covered in frost, and his movement speed plummeted. After a shrill Naga cry, all the Naga warriors began retreating. Slowed by the frost, Roderick could not catch them. He could only watch as every Naga fled into the sea and vanished without a trace, leaving behind only severed Naga limbs and corpses scattered across the beach.

"Are you all right?" Roderick asked the rescued Dwarf as he finished off the groaning Naga on the ground, one hammer blow at a time.

"I'm fine, mate. But right now, what I need more is a mug of ale." The Dwarf's chainmail had been torn to shreds, and blood smeared his face. Fear still lingered in his eyes as he looked at Roderick.

The price of killing the Naga warriors at full force was that Roderick's entire body had been drenched in their splattered blood. As he walked, blood occasionally ran down his armor and onto the ground, forming little streams. He looked more like one of those demons from the Burning Legion, the Dwarf could not help thinking.

Roderick was also extremely uncomfortable with the blood covering him. Cleanse! The filthy blood all over his body evaporated away. What a useful Holy Light spell.

Once Roderick returned to normal, the Dwarf let out a long breath as well. The two headed together toward Dun Garok's main camp. The Dwarf introduced himself as Talmar Thunderfist, a lieutenant of Dun Garok. He had come out alone to fish that day and had been ambushed by Naga on the eastern beach. He had been struck by a Naga ice arrow immediately, followed by a fireball that completely ruined his signal flare. Carrying only a fishing rod and a small axe, the Dwarf had relied on his fine armor to hold out until Roderick arrived.

"Titans above." Talmar Thunderfist silently marveled at his own good fortune after escaping death.