Bond of the mind - part two - chapter 4

Senna tried to run alongside Spark, but it was terribly slippery inside. 

"I'm sorry," Senna said. The female just nodded. The elf then jumped on top of her and now she was riding along. After all, carrying her wasn't difficult. She was light, as if Spark was carrying only a few leaves from trees on her back. Senna took her two short swords in her hands and cut everything she could along the way. It took a while to get to its heart. After all, its body was huge. Senna pushed off Spark and jumped towards the heart, which hung high above them. She stabbed it with both swords. Now came the expected reaction. The snake began to twist and writhe, almost breaking the roots that bound it. Tragir grabbed Li, who was already at the end of her strength, and ran with her toward Mirthana. The reptile continued to defend itself and twist. Some of the roots began to crack slowly under the pressure of its enormous body. Meanwhile, Senna continued to stab at the heart. Blood spilled everywhere around her. With one of the snake's movements, as it threw itself around, Senna's swords slipped out of the snake's heart and fell down. Fortunately, they were stopped by Spark.

There was a huge explosion when the snake's heart couldn't take it anymore and exploded with the force of the blood. All the blood began to flow back toward the snake's mouth. Sennu and Spark were pulled back like a strong river current. The snake now pointed its head upward. Streams of blood began to flow out of it, carrying the two girls with them. They fell several meters to the ground. Spark barked again to slow their fall, even though the blood was pushing them down. After a moment, the snake's head began to sink. The reptile landed right next to them, and its last hiss could be heard, after which its tongue remained outside its mouth.

Senna immediately began to crawl away from its head. She knew that snakes could still bite, and she didn't want to take any chances. 

Soon, Senna and Spark joined the rest of the group. Both were covered in red, covered in snake blood. The elf had to at least rub her eyes to be able to see properly.

"How is she?" Senna asked Mirthana, who was sitting with Li's head in her lap. Li's eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily.

"She'll be fine. She must just be exhausted. Stopping such a creature must be really stressful for such a small body."

"We have to get out of here. The sun is setting," said Tragir, and everyone looked up. He was right. The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, and they knew very well what was coming in the evening.

"We have to go back to the mountain and hopefully find some shelter there," said Senna. With that, they began to get up. The elf looked at Spark, and it seemed that the dog knew exactly what she was thinking. She lay down next to Li so that Senna could put her on Spark's back. Then they all set off back towards the mountain. 

Soon they were standing in front of the mountain. They split up, but none of them could find a hiding place big enough to fit them all. It wasn't long before they gathered again in the same spot in front of the mountain.

"Did anyone find anything?" Senna asked. The others shook their heads. They could feel the last rays of sunlight touching them. Soon the sun would disappear completely behind the horizon. Time was really running out. Tragir raised his hammer and ran towards the mountain. He struck it with all his might, but only a small crack appeared. It would take a long time to make a space big enough for everyone to fit in. They were slowly starting to get nervous because they knew they couldn't survive the night outside.

"You know you shouldn't be out here at night, right?" said a familiar voice behind them. They turned around to see Yin standing there, smiling. They couldn't have asked to see anyone they were happier to see at that moment. Yin walked over to Spark and took a good look at Li.

"I see you've done what you came here to do, so there's no reason to stay here any longer," said the little girl. They really didn't understand her words. Soon, a dark gate stood before them, which began to open. Outside, it was slowly but surely getting colder. 

"It's time to go. Hurry up before you freeze to death," said Yin, and then they set off through the gate. The little girl went last, and the gate closed behind her. Then she led them through the forest back to the stranger's house. There was nowhere they would rather be than back in this safe world. They knew they would be safe here.

They soon arrived at the house, and Yin led them back to the rooms where they had been staying before. Li got her own room to rest, as she still hadn't regained consciousness. Then the little girl took them to the dining room, where food had been prepared again. During the meal, the group chatted as usual. Senna, however, seemed to be lost in thought. She kept thinking about what Yin had said. It seemed to her that she had known all along why they had been sent there, and that it wasn't just for their safety. She also hoped that she would finally be able to talk to the stranger again and perhaps get some answers to her questions. After eating, they rested for a while, and then Yin led them back to the bathroom, where she joined them this time. 

The stranger was back at work. As usual, he was thinking about the other world and often spent time reflecting on the past. He always thought about many things at once. He even replayed conversations that had taken place or could have taken place in his head. He usually lost himself in his own thoughts and sometimes felt as if something that had already happened was repeating itself. He also loved chess, so he liked to think ahead and consider his next moves. In the other world, he had to be prepared for anything and everything. This way of thinking had gotten him this far. He had once been one of the three highest-ranking heyen leaders. It was right around the time he lost the one he cared about most. His name was Black, and he was his only dog. But he died when he was only two years old. The stranger always carried a photo of him with him as a memento. It wasn't because he had forgotten, but because it made him feel like he was still with him. He didn't like to think about it, though. After all, it was something that couldn't be brought back. After work, he headed to the store, where he bought everything he needed. Then all that was left was the trip to the apartment where he lived alone. He cooked a simple dinner, and after washing up and taking care of his personal hygiene, he headed straight to bed. He needed to spend as much time as possible on the other side. He had a big day ahead of him and there were many things he had to do before returning to reality. It didn't take long before he was able to clear his mind of all thoughts and fall asleep.

Senna left the bathroom early today and left the others behind. She wanted to see if Li had woken up yet. She tried to enter the room where they had put her to bed as quietly as possible. But she didn't see anyone in the bed. Suddenly, the door closed behind her, and Li lunged at her, knocking her to the floor. Senna saw fear and despair in her eyes.

"You don't have to..." she tried to say, but Li interrupted her.

"Where are we? Where did you take me?!" Li demanded. Now Senna could see her eyes up close. They were bright red. There must be something special about her. She had never met anyone with eyes like that before.

"It's okay. You're safe here," Senna tried to calm her down. Li was clearly still tired because she was breathing heavily. She lowered her eyes and slowly climbed down from the elf. Then she moved to the corner of the room, where she sat down and put her head in her hands.

"There's a tremendous darkness all around us..." she added quietly when she was in the corner.

"I know, but nothing will happen to you here. I promise. We had to leave here, otherwise we would have frozen to death," Senna tried to explain. 

"What about the snake?" Li asked.

"Don't worry. We managed to finish it," Senna smiled. Li just nodded without looking at her. 

"Can you tell me the truth about yourself now, and why you pretended to be a man?" Senna asked.

Li didn't want to answer, but she felt she owed her at least that much now that she was still alive.

"My real name isn't Li, but I used it as a shortened version of my name, which is Lilly. Ever since I was little, my parents dressed me and covered me up like a boy so that no one would know the truth, which is why I didn't interact with people much. Both my parents died in the desert when I was still a child. Sometimes I really didn't understand why they were so ashamed of me, but that wasn't it. You've seen the status of women in our country. They either end up as someone's wife or remain in the service of the tribal leader as companions for his armed men. So I understood very early on that a woman's life would be difficult. That's why I never stopped hiding my identity and gained a good position, because, as you've noticed, I'm stronger than ordinary people, which allowed me to rise up..." She tried to explain as briefly as possible, then looked at Senna. Senna seemed to think about it for a moment, then just nodded and smiled. 

"You must be hungry. Would you like me to bring you something, or would you like to come with me?" Senna asked. 

"I'll go with you," said Lilly, trying to stand up, but she needed help from the elf, who immediately helped her without asking. They went down to the dining room together. Yin was already there, setting the table. She noticed them right away. The little girl's golden eyes lit up and she ran over to them. Lilly was now crouching behind Senna and holding on to her tightly. She could feel the pressure of the darkness. 

"I'm Yin. Nice to meet you, Lilly," said the little girl. This startled the girl. She wasn't aware of having told her name to anyone else, or of ever having met her before. She didn't understand, but for now she let it go and just nodded her reply from behind the elf. 

"I am a child of darkness, which is probably why you are afraid of me, but you are definitely safer here than in the desert," Yin continued and laughed. Then she invited them both to sit down at the table and eat if they were hungry. Senna and Lilly sat down at the table. The girl still looked uncomfortable, and it took her a while to take anything. When her stomach growled, which made Senna laugh, she finally took something to eat. When they had finished, they sat there for a while.

"Come with me. I'll show you where the bathrooms are. You haven't had a chance to wash since we got here," said Senna, getting up from the table. They headed straight for the door that led to the dressing room and then to the baths. Then the elf turned to leave, because she had already been there today. But Lilly grabbed her by the wrist.

"Please stay with me," she said in a soft voice, but it was filled with fear and uncertainty. Senna smiled and nodded. In the dressing room, they undressed and each tied a towel around themselves. Senna noticed that Lilly had many scars on her body. Her life must have been really hard, remembering how relentlessly she had fought the snakes. But there was something she was hiding. She couldn't be just an ordinary person. Together, they entered the baths. Spark and Mirthana were still there. Lesoženka looked like she had fallen asleep, judging by the way her head was tilted back. Senna got into the water and headed for the opposite side, next to Mirthana. Lilly tested the water with her hand first and then followed her. Spark watched them for a moment, but then continued to rest. Now they were both leaning against the edge, submerged in the water except for their heads. The temperature inside was pleasant, as always.

Senna soon noticed that Lilly was still looking at her.

"What is it?" asked the elf, because she had the impression that she wanted to ask her something.

"Judging by those long ears, I assume you're not human..." said the girl. This made Senna laugh. In the desert, she had probably never encountered any race other than the people who lived there.

"I'm an elf, so we differ from humans in many ways. Most notably in our longevity," Senna replied, then continued, "But you're definitely not an ordinary human either. I've never seen anyone fight like that before."

"I age just like ordinary people, but ever since I was little, I've been able to control any natural element after touching it," replied Lilly. She then touched the surface of the water with her palm, and it immediately enveloped her entire hand without moving or dripping down.

"Of course, I have to be in constant contact with the element," she added. 

"I noticed that you even disappeared for a moment in the desert and then reappeared in front of the snake," Senna continued with her questions.

"To be honest, I don't know how it works..." Lilly replied, and the elf knew from her expression that she was telling the truth. The conversation would probably have continued, but Yin appeared in the baths.

"Is it okay if I join you again?" she asked. Senna invited her without hesitation. Lilly unconsciously moved closer to Senna so that she was now touching her. The feeling of darkness emanating from the girl made her feel very uncomfortable. Yin slowly directed the water towards her. Soon she was really close to Lilly. Then she leaned her head even closer and looked into her eyes for a long time.

"Are you still afraid of me?" she asked. The girl didn't answer. Soon, however, it was clear that her fear had been replaced by sadness, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. This took the little girl quite by surprise. She hadn't expected such a reaction.

"Don't tell me that..." Yin began, but Lilly interrupted her.

"Yes, I was afraid of the darkness around you, but now I actually feel sorry for you," she said. The little girl didn't know how to respond to this. It sounded exactly like what the stranger had warned her about. Lilly got up, covering her face, and ran toward the changing rooms.

"I'll find out what's going on," Senna Yin said, then apologized for what had happened. She hoped she wouldn't take it too personally. She headed for the locker room and found Lilly sitting in the corner of the room. She walked slowly over to her without saying anything. Then she sat down next to her and gently stroked her hair.

"Do you want to talk if something's bothering you?" Senna asked, trying to sound as kind as she could. For a moment, only Lilly's sobbing could be heard. After a while, however, she wiped her eyes and looked at Senna.

"Okay. I'll tell you what I saw, but it won't be pleasant," she said. The elf just nodded. Lilly then told her everything she had seen in the darkness of Yin in a condensed version. All her memories were there, the faces of everyone who had lost their lives at her hands, and also her past, which even she herself did not know, because Lilly could see that the darkness had robbed her of those memories. But in her eyes, it was all so clear. Senna listened silently, paying close attention to everything she said. When the girl finally finished, there was silence for a moment. It was so much.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," Senna said, her voice trembling. She tried to smile, but couldn't hold back the tears. After all, Lilly had also told her something about herself. 

"We should go back there. I think Yin would feel bad after this, but for now, keep it all to yourself," Senna said when she managed to calm down. Lilly nodded, and then they both returned to the bathroom. When they got there, they both apologized to Yin, but she just waved it off and smiled. Mirthana had finally woken up and realized how many people were there and that they had all seen her sleeping for so long. Her confused expression amused everyone. They talked for a while about their adventure in the desert, because Yin was curious, and then they all, including Spark, went back to the changing rooms, where they dried off and put on their clothes, which were clean and like new.

They headed to the dining hall together, because they had spent a lot of time in the bathrooms. Tragir didn't surprise them at all by already being there, stuffing himself with everything he could reach. So they sat down next to someone and started eating. Spark had prepared something just for her, mainly so that the dwarf wouldn't eat everything. Tragir was the first to get up from the table. He said goodbye to everyone and then headed straight to his room. Not long after, the rest of the group got up and headed to their rooms. 

"Don't you want to stay with us, unless you want to be alone in your room, of course," Senna asked Lilly. wasn't used to so many people in one room because she lived alone, but she was glad the elf offered and gladly joined them. 

"You can lie down next to me today, but don't get too used to it. This spot belongs to May," Senna offered. 

"Who is May?" Lilly asked. Senna didn't answer, but just smiled slightly.

"She's our friend," Mirthana replied this time. This was actually the first time she had spoken to Lilly. 

"Hmm... when will she be back so I can meet her?" she continued. No one could answer her, and the girl realized it would be better not to ask any more questions at the moment. Spark lay down again next to Senna, and it wasn't long before they all fell asleep. 

A few hours later, they all woke up when Yin knocked on the door and entered the room again.

"Breakfast is ready," she announced. Then she knocked on Tragir's door and, without entering, called out to him from behind the door. She didn't even have time to step away from the door before the dwarf was standing in front of her, ready to go. He must have been awake for a long time, waiting for this. 

"Let's go!" he exclaimed and headed straight down to the dining room. The dwarf had a real enthusiasm for certain things and was able to step out of line and lead the others. Especially when it came to food, of course. Soon everyone gathered again in the dining room. 

"After lunch, you'll have a little rest, and then we have a program for you," Yin announced when everyone was seated.

"Program?" asked Mirthana. The little girl nodded and smiled slyly.

"You're a nice group now, but you still don't know each other's strengths and you don't know how to fight together. That's why the stranger suggested that I be your instructor for today. He'll be coming to watch too," she explained, continuing, "I said 'today,' but in truth, we'll finish when I decide or when you manage to defeat me. Now eat up," she concluded, then turned and quickly left the room. Tragir already had a sour expression on his face.

"Personally, I think it's a great idea. We've been together for a long time, but we've never focused on coordination before," added Mirthana, who was really excited about it. Senna nodded in agreement. 

"Will this apply to me too?" asked Lilly, confused.

"I think you always have a choice," Senna began, then continued, "You can either stay and join us, or go back. That is, if you have anything to go back to. Personally, I'd be very happy if you stayed." After that, Senna looked at the girl for a long time, waiting for her to decide.

"I have nowhere to go back to. I'd like to join you," Lilly replied, looking at the ground.

"Another girl," said Tragir and laughed. Senna and Mirthana just smiled and nodded. After eating, everyone went to rest for a while and prepare for the program that awaited them soon. 

Yin soon arrived.

"It's time. Follow me," said the little girl, and everyone followed her. They headed toward the forest. It seemed endless, as always. After walking for some time, they began to see the end of the forest. Suddenly, a field stretched out before them, seemingly without end. They had just left the forest, but it was no longer behind them. Lilly was already crouching behind Senn. She didn't know what was happening because she had never seen anything like this before. Now Yin turned to everyone.

"Now I'm going to move away from you and give you some time to prepare. But stay alert. There will be no warning, just like out there," said the little girl, and then she began to move away from them. In the distance, they noticed a figure shrouded in black sitting on a rock. They already knew it was the stranger. After all, Yin had mentioned it. It was his idea, and she had said she would come and see. Lilly was slowly but surely overcome by a growing fear. Even at such a distance, she could feel it. The darkness emanating from the girl was nothing compared to what she was currently sensing. Senna noticed that Lilly was not feeling well at all. 

"Are you okay? You can step aside if you want," she said with a smile.

"We won't force you to do anything," added Mirthana. Tragir just nodded. He knew there was nothing more to say. The girl took several deep breaths and tried to calm down.

"We can't choose out there..." said Lilly. After that, she stepped away from Senna and seemed to feel better. She looked more determined now. Just like in the desert when they faced the snakes.

"Don't forget that she's really fast, so stay alert," Senna told the others. For most of them, fighting Yin was nothing new. But Lilly hadn't seen her fight yet. She bent down and touched the dirt on the ground. Everyone was ready and just waiting for it to start. They were starting to feel nervous because nothing was happening. Lilly stepped a few feet in front of the others.

"Don't go too far," Senna called out.

"Don't worry. I'll be your shield," said the girl and smiled. Her bright red eyes seemed even brighter now. 

A scythe was flying towards them from a distance. Senna saw it first. After all, she had the best eyesight of them all. 

"Watch out!" she warned the others, and they all immediately became alert. Lilly planned to dodge it, but she felt someone holding her ankles. From her shadow, she noticed two hands holding her in place, and Yin slowly began to emerge. The girl looked surprised at first, but that expression was soon replaced by a smile.

"Got you," she said. Yin was now stuck halfway and couldn't move. The ground began to shake, and then dirt from the ground began to cover Lilly's body. When her hands were finally covered, she managed to catch the scythe in midair.

"Hmm... it seems you're stronger than you look. But this won't be enough," said Yin, and with a snap of her fingers, she disappeared. Now the sky began to cloud over. It was the first time they had seen anything like this here. They expected that this wouldn't be easy and that Yin would prepare the environment to suit her. Visibility was beginning to deteriorate significantly.

Tara's class finally ended. She quickly got dressed and ran out of the building. Her grandmother, who was supposed to go with her to visit May again today, was already waiting in front of the school. They headed straight for the hospital. On the way, they stopped for ice cream because little Tara really liked it. Her favorite flavor was vanilla, just like her sister's. Grandma also stopped at a flower shop and bought some flowers to replace the old ones. Then they finally arrived at the hospital. As usual, the room where May was staying was terribly quiet. May was lying there, just as she had every day before. Grandma immediately started changing the flowers, while Tara took Spark for a short walk around the hospital. As soon as she had walked her, they returned to the room together. After all, Tara didn't want to be away for too long. They sat together next to May's bed. Grandma always broke the silence and, as usual, began to tell Tara some exciting story. She was never sure if she made them up or if they were from her own experiences. Grandma then dozed off for a while. She was an elderly woman, after all. Tara decided to take advantage of the situation. She moved to the other side of the bed, which was freer. She took off her shoes and slipped into bed next to her sleeping sister. 

"I hope you have sweet dreams," said Tara. Then she hugged her sister and soon fell asleep too. It seemed like only a moment had passed when her grandmother woke her up. 

"Is it time already?" she asked, still sleepy.

"Yes. You have to go to school again tomorrow, and it will be dark soon," their grandmother replied in a kind voice.

"I had a strange dream," said Tara, and without waiting for a response, she continued, "May was there in strange clothes, and Spark was bigger and talking. After a while, the bright sky clouded over and soon it was completely dark. So dark that I couldn't see anything."

"Dreams can be good and bad. Don't confuse them with reality," replied their grandmother. Then they said goodbye to May and Spark and headed out of the hospital.

Everyone was starting to get exhausted, but Yin didn't give them a moment to rest. However, it was clear that they were starting to improve and, most importantly, were slowly learning to work together. The little girl was a tough opponent for them. She was able to move easily between them, copying their movements and aware of their weaknesses.

"You look exhausted, and we've only just begun," said Yin.

"Started? We've been here for hours," Tragir snapped. 

The dwarf was starting to get really grumpy because he was beginning to feel like she was just playing with them. They hadn't even managed to hit her once. Senna and Lilly were doing the best. Spark and Tragir were guarding Mirthana, who was trying to prevent the girl from attacking them from underground. 

"We have to do something about this. We'll all be exhausted soon," said Senna.

"I'll try," Lilly replied firmly. But there was no time for further discussion. Yin attacked her from the front. She didn't use her weapon too much so as not to hurt the others. She may have had small hands, but her blows were really powerful. It was incredible that Lilly was able to block her and keep up with her. Of course, this was also thanks to the clay that formed a kind of armor around her body , because as an ordinary human, she couldn't have withstood it. But she wasn't ordinary. Yin didn't stop, and under the onslaught of blows, the armor slowly but surely began to crack and crumble. Lilly didn't have a chance to catch her breath, so her armor couldn't regenerate properly. 

With the last series of blows, the armor cracked completely and fell apart. Lilly was no longer protected. After that came a kick, a cracking sound, and then she was flying through the air. This blow hurt terribly, and she felt like her ribs were broken. She knew that if she hit anything at this speed, she would be knocked out. Her red eyes lit up. She unconsciously bit her thumb again. After that, Lilly disappeared. Yin looked around to see if she could see her, but it was as if she had suddenly vanished.

She felt a bloodthirsty aura behind her. Yin knew she had to get out of the way because it looked dangerous. She just managed to turn her head and saw Lilly with glowing eyes, aiming her fist directly at her head. She didn't have time to react and get out of the way. There was a loud crack. Lilly's hand collided with the hand of the stranger, and the ground beneath all three of them cracked. But that was her last blow. After that, she fell to the ground, exhausted. Yin breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't felt anything like that in a long time. She believed that if she had hit her, it would have been really painful. Senna immediately ran to Lilly. All the time the two were fighting, she couldn't shoot because Lilly had her back to her and with all the quick movements, she risked hitting her. Fortunately, she was fine, but she was so exhausted that she couldn't even answer Senna. 

"That's enough for today," said the stranger, then continued, "Go get some rest today, and then you'll have to leave." None of them knew what he meant or where they were supposed to go, but there was no time for questions. Mirthana and Sennah took Lilly, and they all headed back to the house. Tragir couldn't help because he was shorter than the others. 

When they arrived, most of them went straight to wash up and then to bed, except for the dwarf, who went to eat a proper meal. After all, he couldn't go to sleep without eating properly. Soon, Yin woke them up again. It was time to go.

"We don't have any more time for training. You need to leave today," she said, and when she noticed that the others had questions, she added, "He'll tell you." The girl was, of course, referring to the stranger. So everyone quickly ate something, packed their things, and got ready to leave. Today, Yin was heading in a different direction than last time. They were traveling far to the west. 

Finally, they arrived at the place where the stranger was waiting.

"You need to set off after her today if you plan to see her. Where you are going, you will be in a land that belongs entirely to darkness. Neither I nor Yin can enter there, because they would know about us immediately. Of course, we won't force you to do anything, so the final decision is yours," he said.

The group didn't have to think or discuss it for long. She was one of them, after all. They weren't going to give up now that they had come this far. 

"We'll go," they all replied in unison. The stranger just smiled and a dark gate began to form behind him.

"Don't forget that you won't find any friends there. It's a land that belongs to darkness, so you won't find any human cities or anything like that. You will be alone," he warned them once more. Still, they wanted to go. They had no intention of changing their minds and giving up now. " " The stranger stepped back from the gate to let everyone pass. Soon they were all on the other side, and the gate closed behind them and disappeared. 

The air was heavy. There was no sun to be seen. Only something that looked like a red moon, which didn't move. It cast a red light across the landscape, which in places turned purple through the clouds. In fact, nothing in the vicinity had a natural color. The trees, bushes, and grass were all dark in color. It was obvious that something was wrong with this land. The only sound that echoed through the landscape was the cawing of crows. Just being there was enough to fill their minds with dark thoughts. They weren't sure which direction to go. In the distance, they saw a fortress built around a single tower, the tallest in the area. It was so high that they couldn't see the top, which was shrouded in darkness.

The group set off in that direction, because they somehow sensed that they would find exactly what they were looking for and the reason why they were there. They had been walking for some time when they realized that something was wrong. The fortress was still ahead of them, but they began to feel that they weren't getting any closer. No matter how far they walked, the fortress remained at the same distance. The environment around them was changing. So it wasn't easy to tell at first glance that they hadn't actually gotten any closer. 

"We're not getting anywhere like this..." said Senna, and the group stopped.

"Do you have a plan?" asked Lilly, who had no idea how to get closer. The elf looked at everyone and considered their abilities.

"Mirthana, can you do something about it?" Senna asked her. Although the nature here didn't look natural at all, she had the impression that at least she could do something about it. She thought for a moment.

"I'll try," said the forest nymph. She sat down and touched the ground with her palms. Leaves and needles from the trees began to flow toward them from the trees in front of them. Then it stopped in the air and remained levitating in a clear stream in front of them.

"This should be our path," said Mirthana, rising from the ground. The group had no choice but to follow the levitating leaves and pine needles, which stretched forward in a single stream. It seemed to be working, because they finally felt like they were moving forward, and the fortress in front of them seemed closer than before. They made good progress along the way, encountering nothing to block their passage. Soon they were standing at one of the fortress walls. This time, however, there was no way to climb up, as the wall was several meters high, and they couldn't see the top from below. They had to look for another way. The group first set off to the right. After a while, they came across a gate where groups of dark warriors were still moving. 

"We can't go this way," whispered Tragir as everyone crouched along the wall so as not to be seen. The group had to turn back and try the other side. The path in this direction seemed endless, because it was beginning to look like there was only one gate leading into the fortress. They reached a place where the wall ran close to a rock. Finally, however, they came across something that looked like a way out. Behind the bars, there was an opening through which water was flowing into the fortress. But it had an unnatural dark color. 

"We're not going through there," Mirthana said with disgust.

"It looks like we don't have much choice. I doubt we'll find another way, and this looks like we can get inside unnoticed," said Senna, waiting for the others to react. None of them looked very happy, but there was nothing they could do but agree with her. Unless they planned to try to break into the fortress, this was their best option . First, however, they had to figure out how to get through the grate blocking the entrance to the sewer as quietly as possible. 

"I'll take care of this," said Lilly. She stepped closer to the grate. Although it was metal, it was still something that came from nature. She touched the grate with her palms, and after a moment, it began to move, forming a circle large enough for them to squeeze through. They gradually began to jump inside. The water was knee-deep. But that wasn't their biggest problem. Worse was the stench and the corpses that were everywhere. This wasn't just an ordinary sewer. This was where they disposed of prisoners who were no longer of any use to them. It was a truly disgusting place. 

"We have a small problem," said Tragir. Everyone looked around but couldn't see him. They raised their heads and saw that he was still above them. Only then did Lilly realize that she hadn't made the opening big enough for everyone. The dwarf was hanging there, clearly stuck at the waist.

"I see only one solution..." said Senna, nodding to the others. They all approached the dwarf's legs and began to pull. At first, it seemed that the dwarf wouldn't budge, but after a while he gave way and there was a loud splash. There was more water for Tragir than for the others. While most of them were only knee-deep, the water reached almost to the dwarf's waist.

"Thanks," said Tragir. It was obvious that he didn't like what had happened, but it wasn't entirely his fault. The others looked genuinely amused by the situation. Lately, there had been fewer and fewer things that could make them smile.