"Because that's what you wanted me to do, you shitty dwarf." Krastinaff tries to be as rude as the dwarf, the dwarf laughs shortly, unimpressed.
"Then keep walking heap of shit, in the fort I'll settle the score with you" the dwarf keeps imposing a difficult march even for him, everyone is scared and weak, they pass once again through the camp they had left behind in the second cycle of mission.
It's even worse, the creatures must have passed through there after trying to find them again, Susano is amazed, the tracks seem recent, the leaves of the trees almost disappeared and it's only been 2 cycles since they were there for the last time.
The dwarf notices Susano's attentive observation, to complete the strangeness of this time that the dwarf doesn't speak much, the light period starts to have purple shadows far above the trees, there must still be at least two hours to end the light period.
"Snake fart, you're getting smart, but look up you shit, that's where the real danger is" Susano is more amazed by this almost friendly behavior of the dwarf.
Susano had noticed those strange shadows, but everything there looks abnormal, the trees get drier minute by minute, it reminds Susano and Krastinaff of their escape from the dark side of the extra layer, they say nothing but recognize in each other's faces the thoughts on the extra layer.
Krastinaff feels as if the whispers are uttered by someone whispering in his ears, he still feels that the stones he carries have something to do with him being more lucid and he holds them more firmly, everyone feels a growing drowsiness.
"Don't sleep you shits, keep your eyes open, those things must be coming" and indeed they hear as they fight their tiredness frightening sounds, more vivid than what they had heard during the dark period of the second cycle.
Only then do they realize that those sounds have started some time ago, maybe since those strange shadows started to appear, the shadows expand in all directions and get closer to the ground, already touching the tops of the trees.
There is almost no more light, much sooner than they expected, the smell they see from those shadows reminds one of the undead chimeras, a little less rotten.
There is still at least a cycle to reach the fort, they realize that the creatures are already on their trail and try to walk faster, the noises become louder and heavier, the light creatures surround them as if they were playing with them, those creatures are waiting for something.
Krastinaff sees things that seem impossible, humanoids fluttering among the creatures, their shapes are also hidden by darkness, he's sure it's the same thing that happened before, natural light seems to refuse to illuminate them, and the creatures must too reject his light, even though the only light he sheds now is that which comes from the stones in his hand.
"Give me your stones bitch" Amira obeys, and begins to understand what is happening, the creatures seem to be afraid to approach only Ramon, who even carrying the greatest weight can keep walking ahead of everyone.
"Mutts run as long as you can, get to the fort as quickly as possible and send me backup, but if they're already gone, you can drop to the ground and give up." Ramon picks up his pace, he can't run, but slowly he gains distance from the rest of the group, as Ramon gets further away, the creatures get closer to the rest of the group.
The creatures start attacking, just like the first time they are lighter attacks, but this time Ramon isn't there to help, there's no fire, they've even improvised some torches while walking, picked up dry branches from the ground, and even without being able to see right, that zone begins to resemble the floor of the arid zone they've passed through recently.
The dwarf hooked his torch to a bulge of his armor that until now Krastinaff and his group had not understood what it was for.
Amira is holding a machete in one hand and she carries a torch in the other, Susano and Krastinaff without much option hold their torches with their own mouths, Ramon has already disappeared in front of them, and the creatures' attacks have become heavy.
Krastinaff is sure the whispers seem to contain ghastly and wicked laughs, those things must be having fun, they bleed slowly, the attacks are clearly meant to inflict pain, if those creatures were attacking to kill they know they would be already dead.
Hours have passed since Ramon disappeared into the darkness, he mustn't have been caught or they would have already found his fallen body, or maybe he's a little further ahead, is a recurrent thought in their minds, they even found a fallen stone on the way.
Now they walk slowly, the attacks aren't deadly, but if they don't try they won't last much longer, they're already surrounded, Krasstinaff struggles, but he can't even raise the gleam in his eyes, there won't be a shield for protect him like last time.
The dwarf's armor protected him well, but it's no use anymore, neither helmet nor sprain, he's less injured thanks to this, Krastinaff sat and leans against a tree waiting for the bitter end.
"Get up heap of shit, I should have killed you when I had the chance" Krastinaff's companions are visibly upset and disappointed, the dwarf takes out his frustration by attacking the creatures with the pickaxe.
The creatures seem to mock the dwarf letting themselves be hit by his attacks, the dwarf and Amira try how they can fend off the creatures, repel the attacks, but they are knocked down and torn apart little by little, the creatures wait for them to get up after each attack.
The creatures had already taken several pieces of skin from the dwarf, Amira and Susano. Their pain is excruciating and can only be compared to frustration, Krastinaff is still sitting surrounded by 3 creatures with shape of bull that are staring at him, trying to intimidate him, he hasn't been seriously attacked yet, he has really surrendered.
The dwarf is even more furious seeing that the creatures do not attack Krastinaff as they attack him, when one of the creatures prepares to give Krastinaff the coup de grace seeing that he will not react or be a toy for them, a strong explosion erupts in flames a few meters from Krastinaff.
Some creatures are immediately shredded by the explosion, others are injured, the creatures try to regroup, the explosions follow, pushing their way through that morbid hell, the dwarf's eyes fill with joy and surprise, Amira and Susano are just surprised, Krastinaff remains surrendered, almost unconscious, he is very weak and listless.
A semicircle of flames forms in the opposite direction they were going, a fine drizzle begins to fall, the drizzle hurts even more the wounds of that group, it is corrosive, invasive, profane.
In the midst of that sea of destruction, a figure moves very fast, shredding what's left, a tongue of fire comes towards the group, the dwarf runs towards the tongue of fire celebrating, Amira and Susano follow the dwarf by instinct, Krastinaff ignores and continues waiting for that moment of hope for his fellows to end, he has already embraced death.
"Sir!" the dwarf is relieved to see his leader.
"Not now, I just caught a glimpse of the mutt and I already know what it's about." The leader is focused on exterminating the creatures and making his way back to the fort.
"How did you know?" the dwarf cannot contain his curiosity.
"The newcomer felt you getting closer in the last cycle" the answer is simple, but it's enough for the dwarf to understand and shut up, Amira and Susano are not quite sure what it means.
But it's not death that's carrying Krastinaff, Krastinaff glimpses reality for a moment, it's the second-in-command that carries him, the creatures fall behind, reunited with the fort's leader and his loyal squire they return to the fort, without much difficulty.
The battle has been tiring, the entire fort is on alert, they continue to defend themselves from the creatures' invasion attempts, one of the walls has caved in and the body of a creature bigger than an elephant is burning against this wall.
The creature's own body serves as a trench to make it difficult for the others to invade, it should be almost light again, the sound of the new cycle sounded a few hours ago, the shadows overhead slowly disperse and the last creatures disappear towards what's left of the Forest.
The fort took some casualties, and spent many valuable resources to defend themselves, almost all the material that the dwarf had proudly announced a few cycles they had in reserve is already in use, with the balmy light it is possible to clearly see that many bodies of creatures surround the fort.
There's a graduation scheduled in a few hours, they'll regroup and leave, the fort is doomed, Krastinaff's party hasn't seen Ramon since they arrived, Ramon and Amira have received medical care in the crooked hut, and they and Krastinaff have received some food and water.
Krastinaff is still badly hurt, Susano and Amira's scars are large, Susano and Amira have done what they could to help Krastinaff with his wounds, but it is clearly getting infected, as Rikka had.
Krastinaff still doesn't show the signs of the fever that hit Rikka, but Amira and Susano are already lamenting in advance, Krastinaff remains malnourished and has not received new equipment, Susano and Amira receive second-hand equipment.
It's already halfway through the light time, but it's still as if it's starting, so far the purple shadows haven't completely disappeared, everyone in the central courtyard seems tense, Ramon hasn't joined Krastinaff's group yet.
The leader leaves his hut accompanied by his squire, the dwarf and Ramon who stays behind, the four are serious, anguish fills the eyes of Amira and Susano, they've gone this before, Krastinaff remains listless and pale, it just does what they say, the infection proceeds much more slowly than Rikka's infection, but it's a generalized infection.
"Listen well" roars the leader, his eyes are stern. "We'll leave immediately, straight towards the new settlement, if you get out of formation you'll die, let's clear the way through the night, take turns advancing the front line, those in the rear, take sides with the flanks as we go, archers take care of air strikes, and before we leave you will hear for what we sacrificed so much." The leader returns to his hut accompanied by his squire.
"It wasn't even half of what I wanted to bring" before the leader manages to close the door the dwarf start yelling. "Still, there should be enough for at least one full armor and two sets of weapons, maybe three." The dwarf clears his throat and looks at Ramon who stops beside him.
"Besides the neonite, I also found out that this mutt is not a goner, now he will be part of our company, with a little training, he can become a minimally capable warrior" Krastinaff and now his two remaining friends watch the Ramon's indifferent gaze in their direction.
The message is clear, whatever happened to Rikka has also affected Ramon now, before they thought it had to do with the disease, maybe that's it, as Ramon also underwent strange changes with the infection, but they seriously doubt that now.
Ramon goes towards Krastinaff and punches his nose hard, Ramon could do worse, Krastinaff falls to the ground with the impact of the blow and his nose oozes blood, he presses his nose to stop the bleeding and doesn't say anything, he doesn't even show surprise.
Ramon goes to the column next to the column Rikka is in, they look at each other like friends who have found each other and remain silent to maintain order.
"Right, and that pile of turd was more useless than I thought, but don't worry, if he survives our mobilization, his punishment awaits him at our next destination." The dwarf signals the group to disperse and they break formation.
Amira and Susano help Krastinaff get up and accompany him to the barracks to pick up anything that might be useful and has been left behind, perhaps even a new outfit for Krastinaff.