Chapter 68: Ch 68 – Hero

As the townsfolk piled in behind us and gave my goblins sketchy looks, Dragon Smith stepped forward glancing around at the various vines in question.

“They react when they are disturbed.” I explained what I had deduced upon our last visit.

“Ah…” He noted, then without warning, he stepped down onto a section of vine that ran along the wall in the corner.

I stiffened as the memory of our last visit to this place roiled within.

The vine splatted green fluid from under his boot and what remained of the vine on the side that led deeper pulled back as far as it could into the wall. There was no attempt at capturing him, and the reaction itself was instantanous.

I could see vines further upshift as well. This one plant covered a significant space if that was anything to go by. I was glad to relax as the threat of the vine was replaced by a very different but very real understanding of how this might go based on what I'd just seen. I was glad Dragon Smith was as close to being on our side as he would likely get.

Dragon Smith scratched through his beard considering things aloud. “Not too brave… If we keep moving then we can probably use this tactic.”

Having an idea of my own I asked, “Naan, can you seal up the holes that it pulled into?”

Which was met with an immediate, “No. The area is contested.”

“Maybe we should wait to see if they come back?” I asked out loud since my other idea was a dead end.

“I think we should move quickly, capable soldiers are in the back.” Dragon Smith stated.

Devin and Gerl, of course, were with me and my goblins and we were at the front, so I at least didn’t feel too concerned, at least about the vines. I spotted Charlene past some of the other towns folk and she waved at me from next to her husband.

I gave her a smile, but turned back to Dragon Smith, “If you think so. I’ve seen these things kill a man… or something.” It had been a demon I supposed, not that I could say that with people as tense as they were.

“We’ll figure it out. You said you could help make an exit when the time came. So if we need to do so, that should work fine.” He said walking back to the entrance and lifting up his massive hammer.

“We can, but keep in mind there are restrictions.” I whispered to him.

“Fine time to bring that up.” He grunted.

“I figured that would be obvious.” I replied.

He shook his head and spoke up for everyone practically booming, “Alright. We will begin working our way through this dungeon. The plants themselves are dangerous, but they seem to be cowards when it comes to actually being harmed. Soldiers are to keep their swords in hand at all times. Cut, or slash anything, vines or plant, that looks like it might be moving. We’re going to move, and we aren't going to stop. If you get tired drop your belongings, your life isn’t worth it. If you see someone weak or injured falter, do what you can for them. But know this, if the elves catch up they will kill you.”

Taking one last breath he finished, “Good. Now, let's move.”

We set off down the hallway, each vine Dragon Smith smashed with the top of his hammer or under a booted foot. He was relentless and didn’t show a bit of concern for the plants. Not that I would have either. Had I had it my way, I’d probably have burned the whole of the place out somehow. Unrealistic or not, that would have been preferable.

The flowers closed up and pulled back into the slight impressions in the walls or in other cases straight-up holes.

Because of this as we moved the passways gradually dimmed, I ended up creating floating orbs of light to keep the place properly lit for fear a vine might snatch someone up in the back.

I didn’t want anyone to get hurt after all.

As he said, we marched. Whereas when I had last come through we had moved slowly just walking as we went. This was unusually steady, especially with Dragon Smith mercilessly painting the walls green where needed. We barely slowed as he decimated the local flora.

I couldn’t help but find his existence almost impractical, or otherwise insane. Even with all the other magic, I’d been witness to, his monstrous strength and hammer simply seemed in a league of their own.

“Do… Do you mind if I ask you a question?” I asked as we moved.

“Not precisely. But I might not answer it.” He replied as he snatched up a vine that had tried to pull back into a hole but couldn’t quite fit. He pulled it free, the vine pulling bits of dirt, and stone free from the wall as it was pulled out of its hiding hole.

He set his hammer down, and moved down the length, tearing chunks of it off at a time and tossing them to the side. Over and over again he went until there was nothing left. When he reached the end he picked up his hammer and we resumed walking.

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I glanced down at the lengths of torn vine longer than I was tall. Then followed after him, “How… how did you get this strong?”

“That’s a good question.” He replied. “One that I really don’t have an answer for.”

“As in your refusing to answer? Or because you don’t know?” I asked tentatively.

He chuckled, “I guess that's what I get for saying such things. The second one mostly. I mean I understand that it's an ability or several, my mana is dense and the result is that my body is far stronger, and a might bit sturdier than it has any right to be. But as for how? That I don’t know.”

“What about your mana?” I asked.

“How do I get it? That's actually a fairly mundane answer, forges. The heat, I absorb it.”

“I guess that sort of makes sense considering you being a blacksmith…” I replied.

“You trying to think of a way to fight me?” He said giving me a confident chuckle.

“Not remotely!” I replied quickly waving my hands to emphasize how much I wasn't thinking that, “But I have something I don’t really understand that is similar. So I guess I just was a bit interested in learning something.” I said as briefly paused for him to mash another vine.

“Hmm… I suppose that makes sense. Speaking of which.” He said pausing to rip a glowing flower bud from its plant and tossed it to the ground where it faded to a dull grayish pink. “You’ve been using a considerable amount of mana yourself. You lit up that chamber, and you’ve been lighting the path as I kill these things off.” he paused glancing back at me, “Care to explain that?”

Naan interjected new directions, and I replied, “You know about my proclivities. That's how I make mana. Oh, and go left up ahead.”

“So that’s why...” He mused as we took the next left. We continued for over a half hour this way, I barely heard the sound of swords or anything else besides Dragon Smith's one-man death march. For the most part, I just let him do his thing, and he did it well. I hadn’t even considered trying to scare the plants off. Of course, I really had no idea how I’d even try that, but seeing him in action spoke to the difference in our approaches. Not Devin, Gerl, or Emmett could do what he could, and his confidence in his strength spoke volumes about his straightforward nature.

We had just made several turns that made it feel like we had turned around. Then we started down a very long hallway. I couldn’t help but glance around to check on the outline of the dungeon body behind us. The loop we made had been done with downward angles, but it wasn’t expressly obvious with the slow slope of the halls.

“You're not getting lost are you?” Dragon Smith asked me skeptically.

“No, I was just surprised how we passed under the other path.”I replied.

“Hmm…” He grunted glancing down the hall. This hall was larger than some of the other ones. There were also several of the big bulbs, and vines far thicker than the other halls, no doubt because of the extra room to grow.

He started forward again and holding his hammer over the green foot thick mass of plant matter he thrust it down pulverizing it into the stone underneath.

The passageway shook, and I heard a grinding sound. Tiny rocks and sand trickled down the wall to my side and I glanced up to see that the massive slab of stone over me was tilting.

“Retreat!” I screamed.

The grinding of stone filled the air as my group pushed backward into the townspeople who had either also noticed the problem, or didn't need much more than my scream to rush in the other direction.

We all surged back, some of the townspeople being forced against the walls and a few even fell underfoot. Then the massive stone slab that made up the ceiling came entirely loose, slipping down instead of grinding, and crashed down into the hallway separating us from the massive smith on the other side.

Stone, newly ground, and old dust came up in a rush that burned my eyes. I wasn't the only one squinting through the dust, nor was I the only one coughing.

I couldn't help but glance overhead. After all, if that could happen once, it could happen twice, right?

Luckily that didn’t seem to be the case, though I could hear, and feel something happening on the other side. I was trying to pay attention to my senses and not Naan's but as always it wasn't so simple. Especially with the new contract, we had made with the captain. While not a physical sensation, it was just more new things bouncing around in my head that I really didn't need distracting me.

Minutes passed with us crowding around in the hallway. The dust was slowly settling out of the air. The sound of groans was evident. I hoped none of the injured had been hurt too badly in our frantic evacuation, but at least no one was imitating a sandwich either.

I couldn’t help but glance through Naan’s sight to see the vines tossing and throwing Dragon Smith into the walls, even as he swung his massive hammer to shatter the walls and try to smash the vines in question.

But my attention was pulled back to my side of the blocked passageway when someone let out a scream. I turned just in time to see them drop, or be pulled to the ground.

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