Rugiel trailed behind Armand, her anger almost tangible as they moved toward Bauru. Armand muttered to himself, his voice a low rumble in the eerily silent tunnels. She almost reached out to get his attention but thought better of it. His mood was foul, almost deadly. A strange aura rolled off him like an uncertain tide. At times, tendrils of rage barely brushed against her—fleeting and insubstantial—only for her to drown in his fury the next moment.

The shifting extremes unsettled her, but she refused to fall back. She was no cowardly rabbit fleeing from a single predator. If she was to guide her clansmen and fellow dwarves into a new era, she would face men and women far more dangerous than Armand along the way.

When they entered the cavern where Bauru lay wounded, a pang of pain struck her heart. Outwardly, he bore no wounds, but she knew better. His mind had suffered the blow. She had felt the lump at the back of his head. The shaman's strike had done more than just knock him down, it had wounded him deeply. Rugiel had heard of humans losing their sanity when double vision never faded. She could only hope Armand hadn't cost them their chance to have Serene examine him.

Her nose crinkled in disgust at the thought of that vile woman. Kara was terrible, yes, but at least she wore her hatred openly. Serene was just as rotten, yet she cloaked her ugliness in false warmth, feigning love and understanding. It made Rugiel sick.

As Armand neared Bauru, his aura receded, the storm of his fury calming like a tide pulling back from the shore. The wounded dwarf leaned back against a rock, looking thoroughly annoyed. Armand grinned, and Bauru shoved him in the shoulder. The sight made Rugiel smile.

Closing her eyes, she focused. So much had changed since she set out on this path, blacksmithing, ancestors, battles, and more. For the first time, she felt truly connected to herself, to who she was at her core. She had always adapted to survive by, molding herself to fit wherever she found herself. It was the only reason she and Bauru were still alive.

Being a slave had been brutal. People assumed serving a noble would be easier, but it came with its own horrors. The prince's desires were dark and often bloody. He had never turned them on her or Bauru, but they had been his first slaves, his first possessions.

That relentless fear had driven them forward, always searching for something they could claim as their own. Now, at last, they had found it dangerous, crude, yet undeniably theirs. Even the weapons she forged would always be hers.

She slowed her breathing, visualizing the dagger she had made. A faint sensation, like wind brushing against her forehead, guided her. Following the feeling, she heard the soft clanking of metal. Rugiel crouched, shifting a few rocks aside, and smiled as she retrieved the missing dagger.

It vibrated slightly in her grasp. She released the mental image of it, and the weapon stilled.

Bauru was trying to rise when Rugiel handed him the dagger.

"Do take care not to misplace it, brother. It was no small effort to craft."

Bauru glared at her but reached up to take the dagger, only to miss it entirely. A flicker of worry passed over both Rugiel's and Armand's faces.

"I zink 'e 'as a concussion. We must get 'im to a 'ealer. Zis is bad, Rugiel. I do not zink 'e can continue," Armand said, his gaze fixed on Bauru.

Bauru grunted in frustration, snatching the dagger on his second attempt and pushing himself up. Rugiel placed a firm hand on his shoulder, trying to keep him seated.

"Rugiel, I can do this. It's just a bump on me head. Just need to walk it off a moment." Bauru insisted as he staggered fully upright.

Rugiel didn't look convinced. "We shall bring this matter before the Thane. His will shall decide."

Bauru met her gaze, his jaw tightening before he gave a small nod. She extended a hand to steady him, but he hesitated, his pride flaring. With a small shake of his head, Bauru turned and strode into the tunnel leading to Stronric, his steps unsteady yet determined.

Stronric savored a rare moment of peace, seated atop a mound of dead gnolls. He surveyed his work with quiet satisfaction. He peered deeper into the cavern, hoping for more to come. They had stopped some time ago, and boredom was setting in. The distant sounds of battle from the other two parties had long faded, followed by an explosion of something dangerous. Stronric assumed it was Armand's aura—something the knight had kept hidden.

He had suspected Armand was stronger than he let on. It was only that damned lightning bolt from the shaman that had kept him from unleashing his true strength. His battle with the shaman's aura had granted him insight, a deeper comprehension of the raw force that guided warriors like Armand and himself. Aura, it was one's soul given form, or something close to it. Every kill, every battle, every scar—it all left its mark.

In all of Millstone, few possessed the ability to manifest their aura, and Armand stood among those rare few. Something must have angered him, or perhaps he had faced an enemy worthy of intimidation. Stronric had felt Bauru's and Rugiel's auras before, but they lacked the weight of blood and death that clung to Armand's. Adjusting his pauldrons, Stronric pulled a pipe from inside his tunic, took a few puffs, and leaned back, reflecting on his time with the knight.

Armand had never shown fear. Not during the siege nights, not in battle, not ever, except for when his charger, Rio, was injured. That had been the only time Stronric had seen fear in his eyes.

Footsteps echoed from the tunnel ahead. Stronric reached for his axe but relaxed as he recognized the figures. He had arranged the gnoll corpses in a grim half-circle around the cave entrance, a barrier of flesh leaving only a narrow passage along the side. Now, stepping from behind his grisly barricade, he spotted Rugiel, Bauru, and Armand approaching.

Rugiel halted mid-step, staring at the morbid wall of flesh. Bauru tried to focus on it, but Stronric noted the way his gaze wavered. Armand, however, paid it no mind, his foot tapping impatiently as he peered into the darkness ahead.

"Rugiel! If you are to stop and gaze upon somezing, at least make it bright enough for us all to behold, non? Zis darkness offends mine eyes!" Armand quipped.

Rugiel glanced at the wall of meat, then back at him. "I doubt you'll want to lay eyes on this."

"Surely, it cannot be zat bad. We left Stronric alone for but a short while, non? A few bodies 'ere and zere, but mon dieu, ze smell—what 'as he been up to?" Armand said, waving a hand before his nose.

So far, none of them had noticed Stronric lurking nearby, observing their reactions with quiet amusement. He glanced at his work, then at his approaching companions. Maybe I did go a bit overboard. He was about to call out when another commotion echoed up the tunnel behind them. The echoes of approaching footsteps announced Giles' group before they emerged from the tunnel's shadow.

The others turned as they approached, and Stronric took in their condition. They had not come out unscathed.

The ice witch bore a reddish-pink scar across her face. Dale's face was bruised, a bandage wrapping around the back of his head and neck. Giles had a red stain beneath his nose. Only Serene and Lirian seemed untouched. Lirian carried himself with the same confidence as before, but Serene clutched her staff tightly, her face pale.

What the hell happened back there? Stronric pulled at his beard. It shouldn't have been that hard.

Rugiel's face lit up at the sight of Serene, but when she approached, Serene flinched away.

"Pardon me, I did not mean to startle you. Forgive my intrusion, but I must ask for your aid. My brother has suffered a fall, his head struck hard. Please, tend to him." Rugiel's voice was calm, and she even tried a pleasant smile.

Serene's nose wrinkled in a sneer. Her eyes darted to Giles, silently pleading. Please, no.

Giles hesitated, then glanced at the darkness beyond Rugiel. Just at the edge of the flickering light cast by Morgal's flame on Rugiel's warhammer, Armand stood, watching him. The look in his eyes could kill.

Giles stiffened, then quickly turned back to Serene. "But of course, we shall aid our allies."

Serene's shoulders tensed. Her hands trembled, but she took a slow breath, steadying herself. Then she lifted her head and forced a wide, unnatural smile.

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"Of course. I would be more than happy to help."

Rugiel nodded slowly, then waved Bauru over. Serene took a steadying breath and knelt beside Bauru. She had done this countless times before, mending wounds, knitting flesh, easing pain. Healing was second nature to her, a skill honed through years of practice. But this? This was different.

Placing her hands gently on either side of Bauru's head, she closed her eyes and summoned her magic. Warmth surged through her fingertips, golden light blooming around her hands. The familiar pulse of healing energy flowed into Bauru's body, seeking out the damage beneath the surface.

And then, nothing.

Her magic slipped off him like water over stone. It barely seeped beneath his skin before dispersing, dissolving into nothingness.

Serene's brows knit together. That's strange. She adjusted her focus, redirecting the flow, increasing the strength of her spell. The glow around her hands flared brighter, a steady, golden hum. The warmth should have been soothing, easing the swelling in his head, repairing what was damaged.

But once again, her magic barely reached him before fizzling away, like a candle flame snuffed out by an invisible force.

Serene frowned, trying again, this time carefully weaving her magic, fine-tuning it as she had done with the most delicate of wounds. The result was slightly different. She could feel her magic heal a small part of his injury.

Bauru exhaled through his nose. "Oh, that one felt nice lass."

That didn't make sense. Serene was an experienced healer. She had treated wounds in the heat of battle, saved lives teetering on the brink of death. This wasn't an issue of skill or strength. Something else was at play.

Stronric, walked closer and joined the group, exhaling a slow puff of smoke from his pipe. "Well, seems like magic can't fix all of our problems."

Serene shot him a sharp look but didn't respond. Her mind was already working through possibilities. If magic wasn't working, then the cause wasn't her, it was Bauru.

Slowly, she reached for her satchel and pulled out her medical tome, flipping through the pages with quick, practiced fingers. The others watched as she scanned through sections, skipping over broken bones, burns, and internal injuries.

Then, she found it. Her breath caught as her eyes darted across the text as she silently read:

"Dwarves possess a natural resistance to magic, including restorative spells. Their innate resilience against arcane influence makes magical healing significantly more difficult. Traditional medical treatment is often required where magic alone proves ineffective."

Serene stared at the passage, her fingers tightening slightly around the book.

Of course. It wasn't her failure. It was his nature.

She looked up at Bauru, then at the others. Rugiel waited expectantly, Armand was watching with mild curiosity, and Stronric, who smoked his pipe.

Serene sighed, shutting the book with a quiet thud. "I can't heal him with magic."

Bauru's brows furrowed. "What? Why the hell not?"

Serene exhaled through her nose. "Because you're a dwarf."

Bauru blinked. "Aye. And?"

She tapped the book. "Dwarves are naturally resistant to magic. That includes healing. My spells aren't powerful enough and the amount of magic I would need to use to heal you is more than I am willing to give."

Bauru grunted, rubbing his temple. "Well, that's just great."

Stronric tone turned to stone. "Why is that?"

Serene rolled her shoulders, pushing past her frustration. "If I use all of my magic to heal him, I would have none left for anyone else. I'll have to treat you the old-fashioned way. Bandages, medicine, and time."

Stronric sighed but gave a small nod. "Does that mean even healing potions won't work on us?"

Serene opened her book and scanned through it. "It doesn't say, hmm," Serene looked Bauru up and down excitement filling her features. "Would you allow me to try a few things?"

Rugiel stepped forward, defensive of her brother, "What things?"

"Well, I have a few salves, magic and organic. I would like to test them on Bauru to see what works. After all, if we are going to be traveling together, I need to know how to help if your injured." Serene said, her elitist tone gone and replaced with genuine interest in the healing arts.

Rugiel was hesitant and looked to Stronric. He nodded once and motioned with his pipe to hurry up. Rugiel stepped back and Bauru looked at Serene.

Bauru grumbled but finally shrugged. "Aye, go on then. Just don't be puttin' anything weird on me."

Serene didn't bother answering as she dug into her satchel, pulling out a small collection of vials, salves, and dried herbs. She carefully laid them out on a cloth. She sorted through them quickly and efficiently with practiced ease. Her earlier frustration had vanished and was replaced by something far more familiar. Focus.

As Serene considered where to start, the rest of Giles' party settled in to wait around the only soft glowing light Serene used to see. Dane leaned against the wall; his own head still bandaged but otherwise he felt fine. Giles sat between the hardened warrior and Kara who stood leaning against the wall. Her face was barely illuminated by the soft light. Rugiel shivered as she took in the ice witch. The light projected up onto her lean face causing the shadows to dance around her. They twisted behind her into a large beast like shadow and horns projected at odd angles from her form. Rugiel rubbed her eyes and shook her head, and the shadows returned to normal. Kara set her gaze with a questioning brow. Rugiel turned from her, I wonder how much more this cave will affect our minds and bodies, Rugiel though as a shiver went down her spine.

Rugiel's attention snapped back to her brother and the healer before him. Serene reached for a small jar first, its contents a faintly shimmering blue. Arcane-infused salve. A blend of alchemical compounds and raw healing magic.

"Let's start with this." She said, unscrewing the lid. "This is a magical salve, gentler than direct healing magic, but it should work in a similar way."

Dipping her fingers into the cool, gel-like substance, she applied a thin layer to Bauru's temple, where the bruising was worst. The others watched closely as she leaned back, waiting.

Nothing.

Bauru blinked, rubbing a thumb over his temple. "Huh. Feels a bit cool, but that's about it."

Serene frowned, glancing down at the jar. That should have done something.

Stronric let out a chuckle, exhaling smoke through his nose. "Aye, figures. Magic salve, magic spells, it's all the same."

Serene pursed her lips but nodded. "Alright. Next one."

She grabbed a different jar, this one filled with a dark green paste. Herbal remedy, traditional medicine, no magic involved.

"This one is purely organic. A mixture of willow bark, wintermint, and a few other painkillers. It should help with the headache at least."

She applied it in the same way, rubbing it gently into his temple. This time, Bauru let out a small grunt and exhaled.

"Now that one's doin' somethin'."

Serene smirked slightly, pleased with the reaction. "Good. That means we have a baseline."

She wiped her hands clean and reached for a different vial, this one filled with a silvery liquid. She swirled it briefly before looking up at Bauru.

"This is a mild healing potion. Lower magical potency than a direct spell, but it should still have some effect. Drink." She handed it to him.

Bauru took the vial, uncorked it, and downed the contents in one gulp. He smacked his lips. "Tastes like rotten berries."

Armand snorted. "Ah, but of course, ze healing potions, zey always taste like merde."

Everyone waited for a moment.

Bauru blinked, rolling his shoulders. "Huh… yeah, that worked. Head feels clearer."

Serene nodded, satisfied. "It seems potions can bypass the resistance completely. Interesting. I wonder if your skin is the problem and not is the problem, not your entire body. If you're badly wounded, you're better off drinking a potion than relying on magic."

Armand hummed thoughtfully. "Ah, zat is good to know. Potions, zey are not cheap, non, but at least we shall not waste time on spells zat refuse to take hold."

Serene jotted down a quick note in her book. "Agreed. I'll have to stock up on more non-magical remedies if I'm going to be treating dwarves properly."

Rugiel, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke. "Thank you."

Serene looked up, briefly caught off guard.

Rugiel continued. "For taking this seriously. I was worried you'd be frustrated."

Serene hesitated before shaking her head. "Healing is my craft. If I don't understand something, I learn. If we're going to be traveling together, I need to know how to keep all of you alive. That includes adapting."

Stronric chuckled, clapping Bauru on the shoulder. "Aye, well, looks like ye got yerself a dedicated healer, lad. Even if she can't magic yer skull back together."

Bauru grunted but gave Serene a small nod. "Much appreciated, lass."

Serene exhaled, packing her supplies back into her satchel. "Just try not to get hit in the head too often. You only have so much resilience before even dwarven stubbornness won't save you."

Bauru smirked. "Aye, no promises."

The tension from before had eased. As Serene tied up her bag, her fingers brushed against the worn cover of her medical tome. On the inside, faintly scrawled in her younger handwriting, was a note, a promise she had made to herself as a young woman. She stared at it for a moment, her expression unreadable, before allowing the smallest of smiles to tug at the corner of her lips.

Stronric exhaled, waving out his pipe before tucking it away. "Alright, listen up. We're goin' forward down one tunnel. It's long and ends in a bend I can't see around. Keep close. The enemy knows we're here, so light yer torches if ye need 'em."

The humans fished out torches from their bags, striking flint and steel. As flames flickered to life, Dane leaned toward Kara and muttered, "Who died and made him boss? I don't have to take orders from a mud-eater."

Kara gave a slight nod, but before Dale could smirk in satisfaction, a firm hand clamped down on his arm.

Giles leaned in close, his voice low and sharp, just loud enough for Dane and Kara to hear. "Do not insult Thane Stronric. His clansmen and himself have… uncanny abilities." He tilted his head slightly, gaze shifting toward the cave walls. "I am rethinking our plan…"

One by one, torches flared to life, and light spread across the cavern. The shifting glow of flames flickered against the damp stone, stretching deep into the tunnel behind.

Then, Serene lifted her staff, murmuring an incantation. A miniature sun bloomed just above the staff's tip, illuminating the entire chamber in a bright, unnatural glow.

Giles' entire group froze.

The grotesque sight before them sent a shiver through even the most hardened of warriors.

The wall.

A macabre barricade of gnoll corpses chopped and stacked, their severed limbs twisted at unnatural angles, their guts spilling like mortar between the bodies. The sheer volume of the dead was staggering.

Serene's breath hitched, and she stumbled back, barely catching herself. Dane's instincts flared, his muscles tensing as he activated a defensive ability.

Stronric turned, watching the humans pale, their expressions shifting from disgust to something bordering fear. He let the silence hang for a moment before exhaling through his nose.

A slow, deliberate smirk formed on his face.

"Oh? You wouldn't happen to be scared of my work, would ye?" His voice was calm, almost amused. He tapped the ground with his boot, glancing back at the grotesque display.

"I mean, I am just a mud-eater, after all."

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