If Only

Chapter 13

You scream at the ogres who turn and spot you running at them.

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You pull your sword from your bag and squeeze the handle. The sword grows in your hands as you jump at the first oger and slash your sword across its face and chest.

You turn around to see another ogre reaching for you. You move out of the way as his arm passes your dodge. You then bring the sword down hard and cut off the ogre's arm.

Before any other ogres can come at you, you squeeze the sword's handle again and throw it in your bag. You sprint to V, grab him under his arms, and begin to drag him as fast as you can back out onto the path.

You continue down the path as you hear the other ogres begin to follow you. Sweat drips down your face and your arms are screaming to stop pulling V.

You round a curve and hear the ogres getting closer. Your heart squeezes with fear.

You're not going to make it.

You're not going to make it.

As you look up you spot a small little man running at you.

"Oh, dear! Quick this way!" He says urgently as he jumps off the path and into the brush motioning you to follow.

You don't know who he is, but when you spot an ogre coming at you, you get off the path and follow the little man.

He runs towards a large cave and turns around waving his arms at you. You drag V into the cave as you spot ogres running at you.

"They're still coming!" You yell at the little man.

But as you blink, instead of the forest and ogres running at you toward the cave entrance, you only see a stone wall.

You let go of V and spin around. All around you are stone walls, like the inside of a cave with no entrance. You look at the little man who walks towards you.

He's about 3 feet tall and has a long braided brown beard that almost reaches the floor.

"You're a dwarf!" You say to the small man.

"That is correct." He says as he stands in front of you. "My name is Bamir." He says as he gives a little bow.

"Bamir what happened to the cave entrance?" You ask pointing at the cave wall that used to have forest and ogres running at you.

"I just shut the door." He says as he points to a small stone switch in the cave wall.

You stand eyes wide and adrenaline-filled next to V's limp body on the floor. Your breathing begins to calm and you slump to the floor exhausted.

"Oh, dear! Come now little lady, let's get you and your friend fixed up!" Bamir says as he runs to the cave wall and presses into the stone, opening a second door.

You watch as the stone folds in on itself revealing a huge cavern and a stone city.

Stone homes stand erect on the flat cave floor. Torches line the cavern walls and stand like street lamps on the ground, illuminating the cavern in a yellow glow.

Bamir calls out and two dwarves run-in with a stretcher and put V on it, they carry him through the second door and down a set of stairs into the city.

Bamir walks to you and helps you up, you follow him through the doors as well and down the stairs into the city. You look back up behind you to see the doors you just walked through close back up.

You limp next to Bamir and behind the two guards carrying V on the stretcher. You walk past stone homes where other dwarves go about daily life.

Women dwarfs hang laundry and men dwarfs ruffle the heads of small children dwarfs.

You get many concerned glances from other dwarves, who notice your tall stature and injured friend. You're led into a stone building and down a long hallway.

You pass many stone doors until the guards stop and walk V into one room. You start to follow when Bamir says, "no you'll go to this one dear." As he leads you to the door opposite the one V was just carted through.

He walks you inside a small room with a small cot and chair, where women dwarf with long red hair that almost reaches the ground, and a white tunic comes up to you.

"Oh my, a human girl!" She says surprised.

"I found her and her companion outside our doors being chased by ogres, they were injured and needed our help," Bamir says.

"Of course." The women dwarf says, motioning for you to sit in a stone chair.

You sit and set down your bag. You are surprised by the softness of the stone.

"Alright Bamir, I'll take it from here." The woman dwarf says as Bamir walks out of the room.

"What's your name dear." She asks as she comes over to you and looks you over.

"Y/N." You say nervously.

"Oh no need to be nervous dear, you're not so banged up." She says encouragingly. "You can call me Asta." She says as she checks your pulse.

"Asta, will my friend be ok?" You ask as you feel your throat choke up.

"Oh, sweets I'm sure he will be." She says smiling at you reassuringly. "Now I want you to come with me, you need a nice wash and some rest," Asta says as she leads you through another door.