401 CDI. The Guardian Of The Passage (1/2)

”Arf!” Thalos barked, finally returning to his master, who when he saw him, lowered himself for a moment towards him and made sure he was fine.

The wolf had nimbly managed to avoid the impact, but the surprise attack had frightened him a lot, so much so that he forced him to retreat with his tail between his legs.

”Dag, what is it?! What are we going to do?! That hand is huge, it definitely belongs to a monstrous being!” Gridd exclaimed, who as soon as she managed to re-ignite her torch helped her brother illuminate the area, noting that the huge hand was still there, but it was slowly returning in absolute darkness.

”Get out into the open I said! Step forward and face me, if you have the guts!” Dag yelled, making it clear to Gridd and all his listeners that he had no intention of backing down and that he would clear the passage at all costs.

”Hey, Dag... listen... we are relying on the words of a dying man, we must remain alert! Who can tell us that the tunnel exit is that way? We have to...”

Egill's words, while he was trying to reason with his colleague, were interrupted by the baritone voice, which returned to speak in response to Dag's affront.

”Facing... you? Hahahah!” the monstrous being chuckled in the darkness, mocking Dag's proposal.

”Me against you. No interference from my men” Dag continued, convinced of his words and confident of his abilities.

”Mmmh... I think I'm going to kill all of you, one by one...”

”I don't think so... are you even afraid to show me your true face, how could you defeat dozens of soldiers trained by Okstorm's most powerful Masters?”

”Okstorm... you've traveled a long way... just to die in this cave and become food for my feral warriors?”

”Feral warriors? So you must be one of those bastard wolves! Ehe, I doubt they will be able to eat our flesh, being all dead! If you're interested, I've killed them all and ransacked your village, ate your supplies, and drunk your exquisite mead. Now, if you don't want me to end the existence of your Clan forever, step aside and let me through” Dag continued, with a more enraged look than usual and an air of superiority.

”Mmmmh...”

Another incredibly baritone verse was followed again by the same huge hand, which sprang back from the dark tunnel and lay on the ground.

Dag's soldiers retreated in fear.

A second hand immediately stood ahead of the first, making the monstrous being advance, which moving towards the light of the torches, slowly revealed its nature.