Chapter 3 The second chapter comes to an end

A tuft of golden raspberry hair fell in front of Danica's exotic, almond-shaped brown eyes, which she impatiently blew away, staring intently down the forest path for signs of approaching enemies.She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, always in perfect balance, and her hundred-pound frame was free of any flab, her well-trained muscles tensed in preparation for the conflict to come. "Are the dwarves in place?" asked Abereth, the new king of the Simista elves, his strange, almost spine-chilling silver eyes examining the woods surrounding the path, not the path itself. .

Two other elves—one a blond maiden, the other with the same brilliant black hair as Abereth—come over to join their friends. "I think the dwarves will be ready in time," Danica assured the elf king. "Ivan and Pikel have never let us down." The three elves nodded at the same time; Abereth couldn't help but smile.He still remembered the first time he met the two rude dwarves, when Ivan, the stronger of the two, met him imprisoned by the enemy, bound hand and foot, and helpless.The elf never expected that he would be so unreserved and completely trust the pair of bearded brothers soon.

"The dryad is back." Tinteg, the black-haired elf magician, said to Aberes.He directed the Elf King's gaze to a nearby tree, and Abereth struggled to make out the shape of the old dryad Hamadin, who was always on the run.With brown skin and green hair, she was peeping out from behind the tree trunk. "She brings news that the enemy will arrive soon," said the elf girl Xuelin.The eagerness in her voice and the gleam in her violet eyes reminded Danica of this brave maiden's desire to stand up to her enemies.Danica had seen Shereen "play" with sword and bow at the same time, and she had to agree with what Ivan Stoneshoulders had said: luckily Shereen was on their side.

Tinteg motioned for the others to join the rest of the elves at the gathering place, where there were about forty Abereth's people, almost half the number of elves left in Simista.After evaluating the terrain, the elf magician began to arrange the elves on both sides of the path, trying to make the most appropriate allocation of elves who are good at close combat and those who are good at using bows and arrows.He called Danica to his side and began to chant magic, strewing white birch bark crumbs as he walked along the procession of elves. As his chant came to an end, Tinteg took his place and told Danica to move to the old seat next to him, before throwing crumbs on himself and the human companion.

Then the magic was done, and Danica and the other forty elf warriors, transformed into rows of inconspicuous birch trees, stood in their assigned positions. Danica looked around the forest through her new disguise.The forest seemed vague and foggy to her now, more like it existed in her senses than it had real form.She focused her attention on the path, because she knew that she and Tintage had to have a clear grasp of the surrounding situation, and had to emerge from the disguise magic when Ivan and Pikel launched an attack. She wondered what she would look like when she turned into a tree.Moreover, every time Tinteg casts this spell, she will think this way, if she can maintain this appearance for a little longer, she can quietly look at the surrounding forest, and feel its power through her feet that have become roots , how good it would be.

But now, there was still a killing waiting for her to execute. ※※※ "Woo," moaned Pikel Stoneshoulder, looking at the fruit of Tinteg's spell in the distance. He was a dwarf with thick shoulders, a beard dyed green and braided to the back of his waist, and thick knuckles. She wears open-toed sandals on her feet.The longing in his eyes was clear, and Pikel almost fell from the tree he was sitting on. "Don't do it again!" his brother whispered sharply at him from the opposite side, scoffing at Pikel's desire to become a druid.Ivan stuffed his yellow beard into his wide belt, moved his hard dwarf ass on the branches, adjusted the helmet with antlers on his head, and tried to find a comfortable place in this very undwarven perch. posture.In one hand he held a stick fashioned from a thick dead tree trunk, and around his waist he hung a thick rope from a branch above the path.

Ivan agreed to sit up high because he knew how much fun it would be to wait, but he was adamant against being turned into a tree—despite the screaming protests of his would-be druid brother.Although Ivan offered a compromise plan, asking Tintage to adjust the great magic a little, but the elf magician declined because he was really incapable of turning people into stone. Across the path, at the perch opposite Ivan, Pikel seemed much more comfortable with his position in the tree, and with the big stick in his hand.He also tied a loop of rope around his waist, and the other end was connected to Ivan's.However, even though Pikel was very satisfied with his position on the tree, he still frowned because he wanted to be a tree in the land of Simista just like the elves.

Roaring from their throats, the goblins crashed down the path, warning the dwarves of the approaching enemy. "Ambush," Ivan whispered with a wide smile, trying to cheer up his brother's depression.Ivan didn't want Pikel to pout and lose his temper at such a critical moment. The hands of the two dwarves tightened their grip on the stick. Soon, the enemy line passed directly below them, ugly spindly-armed goblins, orcs with a mix of pig faces, and even larger orcs.Evan had to force himself not to spit at the loathsome creatures, he had to remind himself that if he and his brother stayed where they were for a little longer, there would be more fun waiting.

Then, as Harmaddin the Dryad had told them, a giant appeared, plodding down the path, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.According to the Dryad, this was the last giant left in Simista, and Ivan did not intend for the wicked thing to climb back to its mountain home. "Ambush," Ivan whispered again, as he called himself and his brother.He knew that it would not be long before all enemies - especially giants - would learn the truth of the name. The giant head slowly approached them, and one goblin stopped suddenly to sniff the air. But it's too late. Ivan and Pikel lowered their sticks, nodded to each other, and jumped from their perch, swinging over the path.Their timing was impeccable, and the slow-moving giant walked right in between them, still staring ahead, its huge swinging head at just the right height.

Pikel hit one second faster than Ivan, and the two strong dwarves pinched the monster's head with a violent swing.Yiwen immediately dropped the blood-stained stick and pulled out his favorite double-edged battle axe. In the path below, the smaller monsters were in chaos, pushing and jostling, either hiding on the ground or fleeing in all directions.They've lost a lot of their mates over the past few weeks and now know what's in store for them. The magician Tinteg called out the keyword to dispel the magic, and Danica and the other forty elves behind her returned to their original appearance.Some of them drew their bows, others charged forward with their shining swords aloft.

The dazed giant swayed unsteadily, but stubbornly and stupidly kept his balance, and Ivan and Pikel, swinging almost twenty feet above the forest path, sprang into action. Ivan's tomahawk shaved off an ear, and Pikel's club flattened the monster's nose in the face.They pounded the beast again and again, knowing that they were vulnerable hanging high, and knowing that if the giant could get them just one blow, it might send one of them back to Mengzhi. Half way to the library.But the two brothers didn't think about this grim truth at the moment, because they were having a good time. Below the hanging dwarves, there was the sound of the elves pulling their bows, and the arrows shot out one by one, sinking deeply into the bodies of goblins, orcs, and orcs. The monsters died in great numbers, and those who survived howled in fear and terror, while the elves continued their assault relentlessly, sword in hand, slashing at the wriggling forms of the vile invaders, for the monsters so deeply defiled the precious land. elf home. Danica spotted a group of monsters fleeing sideways through the woods, and calling out to Tintage, she ran after them at full speed.She produced a pair of crystal-bladed short knives, one with a golden orb carved in the shape of a tiger, and the other silver orb carved in the shape of a dragon. ※※※ Pikel's club slammed the giant's head back so hard that the dwarf could hear the giant's neck snap.The giant was able to stand a little longer, looking dazed and confused before dying.It bent toward its huge heels, and fell forward like a felled tree. Ivan took a quick glance down the path where the giant would fall. "Two!" the dwarf cried, as the giant's fallen corpse crushed the two hapless goblins. "You owe me a gold piece!" Ivan yelled, and Pikel nodded happily, more than willing to pay the bet. "Come again?" Ivan called. "Ooh!" Pikel agreed eagerly.Without saying hello to his brother, he grabbed a nearby branch, quickly pulled the rope around his waist, and let go of the end of the rope. Ivan only had time to open his eyes wide in surprise, and he had to wait to curse at his brother after he fell straight to the ground.Thanks to Pikel, Yiwen, who fell straight down, overwhelmed another goblin. The yellow-bearded dwarf sprang to his feet, spitting sand and cursing.He slashed the heavy ax casually at the wounded goblin, ending its whining, and looked back at his brother, who was climbing down the tree in a much more normal fashion. Pikel shrugged and smiled, "Ahhh." He indicated, and Ivan said the word at the same time through gritted teeth, knowing that his brother would only apologize for so much. "Wait for you to get off me..." Ivan began to threaten, but the goblins suddenly ran over and surrounded the lonely dwarf.Ivan howled happily, completely forgetting his anger at Pikel.After all, who could keep being mad at a guy who threw himself into so much fun? ※※※ Among the escaped monsters, a goblin is leading the way, rolling and crawling through the thick undergrowth, desperately trying to escape the fate of being slaughtered.The monster's ankles were hooked by the crisscrossing roots that grew thickly in the area, but it managed to break free.Then it was hooked again, but this time it was not so easy to get away. The goblin shrieked and tugged, only to look back to realize that it wasn't a tree root that was holding it back, but a woman, smiling at it maliciously, and clutching its ankle. With a sudden jerk of her arm, Danica dashed forward and up from her low hiding place, tripping the hapless creature.In a blink of an eye, she was on top of it, brushing aside the terrified creature's feeble slaps with her free hand, and with the other hand gripped the golden-hilted short knife, delivering a sharp, deadly cut. Danica rarely needs to take more than one cut. The young woman rises from the corpse to face the slain monster's surprised companions, who are weaving behind and sideways through the woods.The group of monsters looked at her curiously, and looked around, not knowing how to deal with this woman.Where did she come from?And why is there only one person?In this area, no leaves or bushes were shaking, although the fighting continued on the trail behind. Thinking of this, a Uruk howled for everyone to rush, eager to catch at least one victim in the whole defeat.The pack of monsters rushed toward Danica from three directions, through undergrowth and thornbushes, their confidence and determination growing with each stride. Abereth leaped from a tree trunk above Danica, wearing a glowing sword and shining armor that belied his eminence among the elves.Some of the monsters stopped short, while others slowed, looking back and forth curiously at the elf and woman, and their timid companions. A short distance away from the side, Xuelin appeared from behind a tree, and immediately drew her bow to attack, shooting down the monster closest to her companion in one fell swoop. The orcs were yelling for everyone to run, and the goblins had been prepared to take that step.But Aberes and Danica moved very quickly, rushing ferociously towards the nearest goblin, while Xuelin concentrated on the orcs with bows and arrows. The other monsters that were not attacked started running frantically, fleeing for their lives through the thick woods and undergrowth. A wall of mist rose in front of them.The terrified goblins stopped abruptly and slipped and fell one after another.But the orcs directly behind them pushed forward, because they knew that if they stopped, they would die. An arrow hit the back of one orc hard, and another arrived a second later, so the two remaining orcs who were still alive squeezed the goblins in the front row into the fog. Standing on the bough above, Tinteg watched the battle unfold, then quickly cast another spell, the sound carried into the mist through a rolled-up parchment cone.The monsters originally thought that the fog was not dangerous, but a painful cry came out from the fog, which made these hesitant creatures change their minds immediately. Three arrows knocked down the second orc, and the remaining one crawled all over the ground, trying to use the goblin as a shield.It ran to the side of the group of monsters, trying to bypass the fog... only to find Aberes waiting there, and the sharp sword in his hand. ※※※ "It's time for you to get off!" Ivan growled when Pikel finally climbed down the tall tree and came to Ivan's side.Being several yards away from his fellow elves, and with so many monsters in between, made Evan's situation extremely difficult.However, the mighty dwarf managed to survive without being mortally wounded, as the monsters were more focused on running than fighting. And the goblins soon discovered that anyone who came near Ivan's furiously swinging axe would not survive long. Now, the dwarf brothers are back to back, in this battle a new bloodbath unfolds.After a few minutes, they overwhelmed the nearby monsters, and then they rushed up the path and routed another group of monsters. The elves launched an equally fierce offensive. Warriors with long swords slashed at the group of monsters from all angles, while the archers not far behind them made the monsters who had left the group suffer.The goblins had nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide.Soon, there were more dead monsters lying on the ground than standing, and as each passing second passed, this ratio became more and more favorable to the elves. ※※※ Tinteg watched as the first goblin pushed into the mist emerged unharmed from the other side, and he had to fight the urge to kill it with a bolt of lightning, because in this battle, his The job is to trap the monsters so that Abeles, Sherin, and Danica can finish them off.He took more dried peas from the bag and sprinkled them on the ground, perpendicular to the wall of fog.The sorcerer casts the appropriate spell to conjure up a second wall of fog, enclosing the monsters inside. Following the three arrows fired by Xuelin again, Danica continued to rush into the bewildered crowd of monsters.She wiped the dagger in her hand towards the neck of the nearest monster, killed one goblin immediately, and let the other fall to the ground screaming in pain, the enemy couldn't stand the ferocious momentum. The remaining orcs were also unable to compete with Aberes' sword skills.After fending off the elf's first tentative slash, it swung the heavy club menacingly.Aberes dodged the blow with ease, then advanced from behind, stabbing the delicate longsword into the chest of the much slower beast several times. The creature blinked several times, as if trying to see clearly with its already blurred eyes, but Abeles didn't want to wait for it to decide what to do next. He waved the hand with the shield, and moved the shield —his father's not so long ago—slammed into the Uruk's head.The monster fell heavily, the star-shaped symbol of Simista embossed on its pig-shaped face. Xuelin was waving a sword in her hand, and she appeared from beside the elf king, and rushed into the group of goblins with him confidently. The cornered goblins fought back, and three of them surrounded Danica, slashing frantically with their short swords.But they couldn't keep up with her quick movements, ducking and dodging, so they couldn't even touch her sides. Danica had the luxury of waiting patiently.A frustrated monster swung vigorously, drawing a large arc in the air.Before he had time to recover from the unbalanced movement, Danica's foot kicked straight up, hitting its jaw, causing its jaw to sink under its nose, and the goblin disappeared instantly. In the bushes. The second beast charged behind the distracted woman. A spell of lightning struck from the treetops, searing its head and neck.Howling, the goblin clawed at the wound, and Danica, perfectly balanced, spun half a circle and kicked high with one foot, hitting it in the face with a spinning kick.Its head turned wildly over one shoulder, joining its dead companions on the ground. Danica only had time to give Tintag a grateful nod before charging forward to tackle her last goblin.She flew with her hands and feet, hitting from all directions, piercing through the gaps in the poor creature's defense net again and again.A kick missed its sword, and before it could utter a cry of surrender, Danica's bristling fingers dug into its throat, ripping out its windpipe. The battle is over in an instant and all monsters are dead.The four companions—three of them stained with the blood of the enemy—stood resolutely and gravely, examining the outcome of this necessary evil. ※※※ "Tell you, elf," Ivan said, when Abereth and the others joined them on the trail. "It's so easy." The dwarf spat in both hands, grabbing The handle of his ax -- the ax itself was buried deep in the skull of an orc.With a disgusting click, Ivan drew the ax out. "First fight in a week," Ivan continued, "and these guys care more about running for their lives than fighting!" Aberes could not deny the dwarf's observation, but he was far more satisfied with what the goblins' escape represented. "If we're lucky, maybe another week before we need to fight," he replied. Yiwen was blocked in this way, and turned to hack the bloody ax into the soil to clean it up.As Abereth turned away, the dwarf spat the words at his brother, "Speaks like a true elf."