8. The Dilemma

The 100 higher world soldiers were in a precarious situation, their mission to apprehend or kill Eryndor having taken an unexpected turn. Instead of finding the infamous bad luck magnet, they had stumbled upon a dark world Lich, Xandros, and his army of 10,000 undead minions.

The battle was raging on, the clash of steel on steel echoing through the forest as the soldiers fought for their lives. Commander Grimbold, a seasoned veteran, was facing a difficult decision. If he retreated, he could save his soldiers, but it would be a blow to his pride and honor. On the other hand, if he chose to stay and fight, he risked losing his entire army.

As the fight continued, the soldiers were beginning to tire. The undead minions were relentless, their numbers seemingly endless. Grimbold knew that he had to make a decision, and fast.

Xandros, the Lich, was watching the battle with great amusement. He was intentionally mocking Commander Grimbold, calling him weak and cowardly, trying to provoke him into making a mistake.

"Ha! You call yourself a commander?" Xandros sneered. "You're nothing but a coward, hiding behind your soldiers. Come, let's see how you fare against me, one on one!"

Grimbold, however, was not one to be swayed by Xandros's taunts. He was a veteran commander, and he knew that to fall for the Lich's tricks would be to invite disaster.

"Fall back, slowly and steadily," Grimbold ordered his soldiers. "We'll retreat and regroup, and then we'll come back stronger than ever."

But Xandros was not about to let them escape so easily. He ordered his minions to surround the army, cutting off their retreat.

"Ah, no you don't," Xandros cackled. "You're not going anywhere, Commander Grimbold. You and your army are going to stay right here, and you're going to die."

Grimbold's face was set in a grim expression. He knew that they were in a precarious situation, but he was determined to save his soldiers.

"We'll not be intimidated," Grimbold said, his voice steady. "We'll find a way out of this, no matter what it takes."

Xandros laughed, his voice echoing through the forest. "We'll see about that, Commander," he said. "Steve, my faithful companion, what do you think? Will they escape, or will they die?"

Steve, the skeleton, shrugged his bony shoulders. "I don't know, my lord. But it's been a while since we've had a good fight. I'm excited to see what happens next."

Xandros chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Yes, it's been too long since we've had a challenge. But I think we'll be able to handle these soldiers. After all, they're no match for my power."

As the Lich and his minions closed in, Grimbold and his soldiers were faced with an uncertain future. Would they be able to escape, or would they succumb to the Lich's power?

Meanwhile, Eryndor, the sneaky little mouse, was busy hoarding Xandros's treasures inside his spatial magic ring. He was completely unaware of the battle raging outside, and he was too busy counting his loot to notice the danger that lurked outside.

Xandros, on the other hand, would be furious if he found out that an idiot with bad luck had stolen all of his treasures. He would stop at nothing to get them back, and Eryndor would be in for the fight of his life.

But for now, Eryndor was content to count his loot, a sly grin spreading across his face as he thought about all the things he could buy with his newfound wealth.

"Ha! I'm rich!" Eryndor exclaimed, his voice echoing through the cave. "I'm the richest mouse in the world!"