Bromgar looked at Arix, who was standing near the entrance, crossing his arms.

  “Are you going to join us? Your strength will help us defeat them more easily.”

  Everyone turned their heads toward the group.

  “Umm,” Lyra said when Arix leaned toward the group and interrupted her. "I think we should join. He already promised us the prison location if we help."

  “Wait,” Tarin said as he straightened his shoulder and spoke to Bromgar.

  "You said if we help you, you would show us the prison location. And we already helped you once. So why should we join you again?”

  “I asked you to help us against the Nyctona. And we will not win until we kill their leader.” Bromgar spread his arms as he said this, looking around. Everyone started cheering again.

  “But we already helped you once,” Tarin said.

  “Please help us again. Look around you at all the damage they have caused. With your help, we can defeat them,” Bromgar requested.

  Tarin looked at Arix, who nodded at him slowly.

  “Fine. We will help,” Tarin announced, and everyone around him started cheering.

  “Rest and recover, fellas. We will launch the attack exactly six days from now,” Bromgar said, getting down from the table and moving toward Arix.

  “Thank you for all your help. I will show you the way to your stay,” he said and walked out of the town hall.

  The group followed him to a big house in the town. It looked like a normal human house.

  “Wow. You guys have big houses too?” Lyra asked as she turned around to look at three identical big houses.

  “Yes. We made these for guests, as they can’t fit properly in our homes.” Bromgar went toward the door and opened it with the key he had in his back pocket.

  The door swung open.

  “Here it is, fellas. Ask for anything that you may need during your stay.” Bromgar entered the house and looked around. "I will send someone to clean tomorrow. Please bear with it for tonight," he said, glancing at the dust and cobwebs.

  “It’s okay,” Arix said and went inside to put his bag on the table in the middle.

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  Lyra, Meilie, and Tarin settled in as Bromgar left, shutting the door behind him.

  “This is a big house, even for humans,” Tarin said, looking around.

  “Maybe it's for other creatures, not just humans. We haven’t found any humans yet here on the mainland,” Arix said.

  “Probably,” Tarin replied when the door opened again.

  Three dwarves entered the house with plates full of food in their hands.

  “Hello, I am Kazrim, he is Kragan, and this little fella here is Hroth. We are here to serve you during your stay.” They went to the table and put the food there. “We will now clean this house. Until then, please enjoy our food.”

  “Bromgar said he will clean the house tomorrow,” Lyra said, sitting at the table.

  "Bromgar found us sitting idle, so he sent us here. Everyone else is helping with the wounded," Kazrim replied.

  Arix and the others ate the food while Kazrim, Kragan, and Hroth cleaned the house from every corner.

  After the servants finished cleaning and left, the group rested for the night.

  - - -

  The next day, Arix helped the wounded dwarves by applying bandages and assisted in rebuilding the houses.

  They cut down trees from the nearby forest, brought them back, and repaired the houses.

  The whole group was busy all day helping with repairs. In the evening, they trained for the upcoming battle.

  That night, more guards were posted than usual. Every small activity was reported to Bromgar instantly.

  The next four days were the same. Most of the dwarves recovered—they healed faster than humans or other creatures.

  Many houses were still damaged. Some were being rebuilt, while others had burned down completely and needed to be constructed from scratch.

  On the sixth day, it was finally time to launch an attack on the Nyctona.

  Arix and the group stood ready at the entrance gate in the morning, alongside Bromgar.

  Bromgar was pacing, hands clasped behind his back.

  “Are you afraid?” Arix asked him.

  Bromgar stopped and looked at Arix. “Of course I am. I'm leading my warriors into battle. They have battle experience, but still, it is extremely dangerous. Not all of them are going to survive. Some of them will die, and it will be because of me.”

  “To die for your land is the biggest glory a creature can have,” Arix said, which made Bromgar smile a bit. “I guess you are right. Tell me, where did you get that weapon?” he asked.

  Arix glanced at the sword on his back. “I found it on Everfrost Mountain.”

  “You must be special to get chosen by that sword,” Bromgar said.

  “Don't know about being special. But I'll fulfill my goal and get the revenge I promised this sword.”

  "Revenge, huh," Bromgar muttered when the sound of marching feet approached.

  The dwarf warriors marched toward the entrance. Women and children cheered for them from the houses as they walked with pride toward the entrance.

  Upon reaching the gate, they stood in silence, ready to march.

  There was silence for a while. Bromgar and Arix’s group were standing in front of the army. The wind was blowing. It was still early morning, the sun just beginning to rise.

  Everyone was wearing leather armor. Arix had learned from the dwarves that this was standard battle gear.

  The dwarves had offered the group leather armor, but they refused because they already had their own special-material armor and didn’t like the idea of wearing animals’ skin.

  Bromgar cleared his throat and shouted to the army, "Fellas, this is the day we take our revenge. Blood for blood."

  Everyone raised their hands and cheered.