Chapter 5: Wrath and Ashes

The group was now advancing through a barren and rocky terrain. The sun had already risen, and exhaustion was evident in each of them. They had spent a chaotic night, unable to rest, and now they felt completely drained.

In the distance, something astonishing appeared before their eyes: a waterfall. It was so unusual that it seemed like magic, as it didn't fit with the barren environment they were in. The water cascaded in a series of bright droplets, contrasting with the dry terrain surrounding it.

"How is it possible that there isn't a single tree here, but there is a waterfall? This makes no sense..." Reik exclaimed, frowning as he observed the water.

Fain stopped walking and looked ahead. With a sigh, he pointed at the waterfall.

"We are one hour from our destination. Let's rest here for a moment. Those small details don't matter right now," he replied, trying to keep the group's spirits up despite their exhaustion.

As Laira and Tharion approached the waterfall, Reik walked up to Fain to start a conversation.

"I know we don't know each other well, but I'd like to know what our chances are in the attack on the Shadow Valley. You don't look too good, and I assume it has a lot to do with the comrades we've lost," Reik said, looking at Fain seriously.

"Indeed… our chances are practically zero," Fain replied with a sigh.

"Then, is it possible that the plan ends up being a failure?" Reik asked gravely.

"We haven't just lost several people in the forest... The worst part is that we lost Kaiser, and he was our best shot," Fain answered, a sad look on his face.

"Even if the chances are one in a million, I'm not giving up. We'll save the slaves from the Valley, no matter what, and not only that, we'll slowly take back our kingdom," Reik said with determination.

Those words made Fain smile broadly.

"You're incredible, Reik," Fain responded, impressed.

"What's wrong? Are you laughing at me?" Reik asked, a bit confused.

"Not at all. You're just an incredible young man. Now I understand the hopes Kaiser had placed in you," Fain said with a smile.

"Kaiser has hopes placed in me?" Reik asked, surprised.

"Many, Reik. So keep that strength that drives you to give your all, and don't let it go," Fain replied, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Fain," Reik said.

Fain's words motivated Reik, who, smiling, moved away from him and walked over to spend time with Laira and Tharion. Hours passed, they ate, bathed (which was much needed, as they smelled terrible), and finally went to sleep to prepare for the big day.

At dawn, Reik, fully awake and full of energy, shook his companions enthusiastically.

"Wake up!" he shouted with a firm voice. "Our moment has arrived! Today we will reclaim what's ours and show that humans can defeat those filthy demons."

One by one, his companions began to wake up. Some still had sleep in their eyes and blinked in difficulty, trying to shake off the sleep. But Reik's words sparked something in them: a spark of determination, a fire burning inside.

Almost in unison, they responded with a shout that echoed across the camp, filled with strength and resolve:

"Let's go get them!!"

As everyone prepared for the great assault, Laira approached Reik with a concerned look.

"I want you to promise me something," she said firmly.

Reik looked at her, noticing the worry in her voice.

"Tell me, Laira. You seem worried, what's going on?"

Laira clenched her fists, lowering her gaze for a moment before meeting Reik's eyes again.

"Of course something's wrong... I want you to promise me that during the attack, you won't do anything reckless. I can't lose you, Reik. You're really important to me," she confessed, a shadow of sadness on her face.

Reik gave her a calm smile and hugged her tightly.

"Laira, nothing's going to happen. Everything will be fine, okay? I'm not going to die until the last demon has fallen. You won't lose me for anything in the world. I'll always be here, for you and for Tharion. You are my family."

"Alright, I'll trust your word," Laira replied with a calm smile.

After that heartfelt conversation between Laira and Reik, they both walked over to Tharion, who seemed to be more asleep than awake.

"Tharion, we need you to wake up! You're our expert in amputating legs," Reik joked, taking the opportunity.

Tharion raised his head, rubbing his eyes.

"Very funny, as always. You're still making dwarf jokes, how strange of you," he replied, with a lazy smile.

"Hey, I could use a nail trim... Bring your axe and give me a little fix-up," Reik continued, cracking another joke.

"Guys, stop talking so much and let's go already, we're wasting time. Remember, we still have an hour before we reach the valley," Fain said, his voice firm.

Without another word, they gathered their things and started heading to the valley. At that very moment, no one was thinking about their slim chances; everyone was convinced, without a doubt in their minds.

When they reached the valley, they could see the imposing walls of the fortress from a distance, rising about 20 meters into the sky. At that moment, more than one of the group felt a sense of doubt, as if the task ahead of them was impossible to achieve.

Considering that the group was currently made up of only 18 people, it was clear that the mission was almost impossible. However, neither Fain nor Reik intended to worsen the situation by agreeing with them. Although they didn't plan to lie, they knew that guaranteeing no one would die was impossible. Deaths were inevitable, on both their side and the demons'.

"I'll fight. If anyone wants to desert, this is the moment. If we do nothing, our world will be completely theirs. It's now or never. It's time to change the situation," Reik said, looking at each of those present.

After Reik spoke, silence fell over the group, interrupted only by the wind. Everyone knew what was at stake, but Reik didn't mind reminding each one of them.

Fain, looking at Reik with a slight smile, said:

"These are the things that impress me about you, your determination. You don't doubt, and your mind is completely focused on what matters."

Then, turning to the rest of the group, he continued:

"Alright, if none of you have moved, I assume Reik's words have convinced you."

Everyone responded in unison: "Yes!"

Except for Tharion and Laira, who had no doubts. Moreover, Laira felt especially motivated and ready, thanks to the conversation she had had with Reik.

"Well, I suppose you all remember the plan we had: disable the control points of the magical surveillance network they have," Fain said.

"Yes, I remember. Where are those points?" Reik asked.

Fain took out a map they had created with information provided by the spies. The map clearly showed the control points at the four corners of the wall.

"Alright, we know where they are, but I have two important questions," Reik said.

"You have questions because I haven't finished explaining yet, Reik. Trust me, when I'm done, you won't have any," Fain replied, patiently.

"Sorry, continue," Reik said, a bit embarrassed.

"The plan is as follows. First, I'm going to give you some cloaks."

Fain took out eight cloaks and handed them to Reik, Tharion, Laira, and four other members of the group.

"We only have, unfortunately, eight cloaks. These are used to hide from the magical artifacts they have at the control points, so we'll go in pairs of four," Fain said.

"Will a cloak really hide us?" Reik asked, doubtful.

"Of course," Fain replied confidently. "It's not just any cloak, it's a Spectral Cloak. It's designed to hide the wearer from magical detection artifacts. It distorts the signals emitted by the human body, making us invisible to those artifacts."

Once everyone had put on the cloaks, they noticed that Tharion's was excessively large.

"¡HAHAHAHA!" Reik and Laira couldn't stop laughing.

"What are you laughing at, you brainless fools?" Tharion said, annoyed, as he walked toward them.

But as he took a step, he stepped on the cloak and slipped, falling to the ground. This made Laira and Reik laugh even harder, and soon the whole group joined in the laughter.

"Alright, alright, sorry, Tharion," Reik said.

Tharion didn't respond and instead turned his back. Once everyone stopped laughing, they looked at Fain.

"I'm going to explain the second part of the plan. Once you reach the control points without being detected thanks to the cloaks, it won't be easy to destroy the artifact, but in this case, we have what we need to do it. However, we have a small problem," Fain said in a serious tone.

"It can only be destroyed with an anti-magic weapon, and we only have two," Fain said, pulling out two daggers from his backpack.

"Anti-magic? I've never heard of it," Reik commented.

"Because almost everyone is unaware of it. Anti-magic can counter any type of magic," responded Fain.

Everyone was surprised by Fain's knowledge of anti-magic and its advantages, and Reik looked at him with a curious expression, eager to learn more.

"This guy is a genius, learn, Reik, learn," said Tharion.

Reik said nothing, as he accepted that he had much to learn, and Fain could teach him great things.

"Since we only have two daggers, those of us who carry them will have to take care of two artifacts. So, Reik, you and I will handle the magical artifacts," Fain explained, handing him one of the daggers.

Reik looked at the dagger; it seemed completely ordinary, like any other. He saw no difference between this dagger and the ones he had seen before.

"Reik, you'll take care of the control points on the left, and I'll handle the ones on the right," Fain said.

"Understood," Reik replied.

"We will be two teams. Team 1 will be: Reik, Laira, Tharion, and Sarep. And the other team will be me with Kiran, Lior, and Zarek," Fain said.