It launched its head towards me only to get jerked back by the chains wrapped around it's neck.
The sickle dug into its scales from the force of it's lunge.
I slide on its back at the last moment and jump into the air clearing the rest of the encirclement while running towards the incoming bearded dwarves.
Not a single one was above five foot wearing helms and chainmail of iron underneath heavy armor.
Weapons as large as the druid next to them are held in hand.
An iron spear came for my head from the right angle.
My eyes blazed with mana as I used fast thinking.
Whoever tossed that didn't aim where I was but at where I was supposed to be.
It was too precise, there are more coming.
On the next step my right foot lands on my heal with my toes pointing completely to the left.
This would have dislocated every joint in my leg and torn as many muscles if I didn't use ten mana tendrils to manipulate my lower body.
The force from my sprint turned into momentum as I spin my body to the left.
With eyes wide I caught a glimpse of the scene behind me.
Leen was the closest running two steps behind me.
In slow motion I can see her face instead of an outline in the dark.
Her slim face and nose along with the sandy blonde hair made her look like a malnourished child.
The grim expression she wore and short knife in hand made her seem pathetic in front of the incoming horde.
I deeply respected her change of heart and new found resolve to live as my head turns.
Jashas dagger is flung with my left arm using the force of my turn aimed at the general direction of the one who tossed the spear.
I couldn't tell who it was.
I count seven before moving my eyes onwards.
I have no time for arrays but all ten tendrils in my body working in synch with mana vision gives me a different type of rush.
As soon as my arm snapped everything changed.
It felt as if my body is reacting as soon as the chemicals released from my body get to my head.
Instead of my brain sending a signal the muscle and organs respond at the same time.
It was an odd feeling, like a veil has been lifted and instead of watching the world slowly I could move somewhat.
The new sensation caused me to hesitate before rolling to avoid the next spear.
The feeling goes away as fast as it came as I run into Leen and we both get knocked down.
Her new found love for life and the visceral fear from seeing a spear fly in front of her hastened her steps at the wrong time.
The angle made it so that she hugged me and we rolled with me in her arms.
I hold her tight instinctively, hoping she would act as a human shield.
A kick to the center my back from a plated shin stopped my momentum and nearly snapped my spine.
I spat blood and heard a heavy accent shout out a long winded "No"!
Turning my head I see a druid with a thick beard and heavy eyelids underneath his helm raising a great sword half his size above his head.
"He's a mage tha woon" a druid said from behind him with a thick accent.
A kick to the head and my face hits the ground.
A knee is pressed to my back and another on my neck so fast I couldn't even let go of Leen.
Her screaming and struggling intensified as she is pulled away from me.
My arms are placed behind my back and kept there by what feels like some metal construct but it was only the three druids.
One of them had Jashas dagger in his shoulder.
It was like sticking a hot knife into a tub of water.
The knife will lose heat and the water will escape.
The bright white dagger dimmed as his body acted as a natural retardant for my mana and red aura leaked out.
I can see Yuit and Leen pinned down next to each other to my left.
Alia and Fooya had already run past us going through the center where the druids have not filled the open gap.
Greem and Rumi are backed against the wall to my right.
"Him"? A druid asked while standing over Yuit.
A thick druid who is holding him down and has his hand on his back nodded.
He took a step forward and pointed at Leen.
"Her"? He asked.
The one holding her shook his head and the druid took three steps forward and pivoted.
He used the force of his turn to bring his sword down over Leens neck.
Her head rolled stopping between Yuit and I.
Her wide open eyes looking directly at Yuit.
The muscles in her face are still trying to take in her last sniffle.
Yuits cry rang loud as the blood flowed moments later.
His cry of anguish turned into sobs as he realized this was his fate.
I on the other hand I continued to struggle sending out as many tendrils as I could but it felt like I was trapped around gold.
With a palm on the center of my back the druid steadily releases aura into my body.
The sensation of bugs crawling underneath my skin made the veins in my neck bulge.
I am lifted by two of them and brought over to the wall where I find Rumi and the beheaded Greem.
Yuit and I had two people holding us where as Rumi had four.
All of them are piled on top of him in different angles as he struggles.
"Ai ya wanna throw yer weight"?
"I'll show ya throwin weight" the druid who killed Leen said before jumping in the air and bringing his elbow down over Rumis head.
"I've got more time wipin mine hide than ya do throwin weight" he gruffed while getting up leaving a barely conscious Rumi.
I continued to look around as if I was panicked but in reality I was looking for a way out.
The druid who elbowed Rumi paced back and forth seemingly at home in the madness and slaughter around us.
The humans have been pushed out of the mountain passage by another band of druids.
They are being cut down in between Oskana and the other dragon-kin.
"Today be a fine day" his voice which was laced with emotion came out from underneath his helm.
"Ya will see the slaying of Oskana the Hated and Ham the Defiler".
"Remember this as ta be yer tomorrow" he sounded genuinely emotional about this whole affair.
I am emotional because he mentioned tomorrow, meaning they wouldn't kill us today.
"Check em" he said and took a step back while they lifted Rumi to his knees.
A blood trail from his face to the floor was created.
A druid began to sing making me think of the death by kobe beef joke I told Ava.
'Death by song is alright' I thought as I tried to escape but nearly got my arm pulled out of its socket.
As the druid sang Rumi opened his mouth in a silent scream.
A thin white tendril could be seen above his head disappearing as it got higher.
The lead druid grabbed Rumi by his blonde hair and pulled his head back even further looking into his eyes that are open wide in pain.
"Grisel the White... you disgusting filthy little thing" he said with his eye twitching.
"See what we druids do to those that threaten the hearth and home"?
He pointed towards Hams jaws that are being wrenched open.
"We will find ya and do tha same".
'Hateful little things' I think to myself as look at the expression on his sadistic face.
"Buh nah before milkin this fruit of yers dry" he smiled savagely as he slapped Rumis cheeks.
Another druid with pitch black hair from his head to his waste like all the others steadily walks towards us from the scene where Ham is being literally ripped apart.
Unlike all the others he carried an Axe that was sharpened on both ends.
The metal itself was as large as he was but he wielded it like a child wielding a stick.
All the other druids deferred to him immediatly and the one singing stopped at once.
As if he got his voice back Rumi bent his head and began to pant heavily, moaning in between gasps.
The druid stood over us, looking at us in the eye one by one.
His voice is so deep it felt as if the sounds of the world are muted just for him.
"Mine name is Agamon of the Blood Ooin-Son, know this seeds of Grisel".
His pupils look like pitch black holes.
"Ya are to be chained down and flogged".
"Ya will then be moved to the caverns where ya will be flogged".
"Ya will then be left in the mines to work for the rest of yer natural life and so help me Ooin you will be flogged".
Thick tears began to fall from Yuits face and his sobs sounded exactly like a vacuum cleaner.
He had no idea what was being said but sobbed louder at the right moment.
The finality in the tone was hard to miss.
Rumi and I turn to look at each other at the same time.
"You really are cursed" he chuckled as the blood dripped and covered his eyes.
I relaxed in the arms of the druids getting ready to empty out my mana core in one go.
It seemed Rumi is doing the same.
"At least it can't get worse than this" I replied.
A loud sound was heard not a moment after I finished speaking.
Like a comet hitting earth the largest beast I have ever laid eyes on landed on top of the druids chaining down Oskana.
Standing in front of us the druids all had a look of shock which quickly morphed into smiles.
As each of them had seen a long lost lover.
He smiled as what I can only describe as a dragon squashed his men and attempted to rip off the chains on its smaller brethren.