Niss and the group were now on the move, they had to travel a ways into the forest from the roadside camp. The carriage had taken them as far as the closest road in the direction of the dungeon but of course that is not all the way to the entrance.
Everyone had refilled their mana reserve, they were in good spirits after a nice meal. Traveling and laughing, they lost track of time as they wondered closer and closer to the dungeon.
..MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM..
'Huh? What, why is my danger sense going crazy. We should have a little ways to go before we get there.'
Niss looked around, "Everyone stop. Something is wrong."
The group halted immediately, as they all trusted Niss and did not doubt his words.
"What is it? Traps this far away from the dungeon?" Trevor gave a confused look around at the nearby trees.
Niss was busy scanning the area visually checking if anything was awry.
'How could I have missed this? Broken branches, fresh foot prints... Orc footprints. They seem larger than normal though. I should have noticed this sooner, why was I not paying attention? Just because I'm not in a dungeon? Because I am with my friends?'
"Whoa! White orcs?!" Trevor lifted his broadsword splitting a large tree trunk that had been thrown at him.
Leaping up from the dusting of snow were two large and unfamiliar orc type creatures.
'White skin? It is thick and leathery like a normal orc would be though, no it seems.... way stronger!'
"Trevor! Get away from them!" Niss yelled.
SMACK!!!!!
Trevor's body slammed into a nearby tree and cracked it, toppling it in the other direction.
"HAHAHA! TIMBER! puny human." The Pale Orc who had slapped Trevor aside laughed.
'Their auras... I can't even...'
CRACK!!!!!
The pale orc had followed up quickly grabbing part of a fallen tree, intending to smash Trevor to death with it.
'No!'
Finally the others caught their bearings, strong ice shot from the log freezing the orcs hands and a condensed ball of fire slammed into its stomach. It seemed to stall just long enough for Trevor to recover and dash back to the group. Curt started healing some of his broken ribs right away, while everyone else took a defensive position.
'Wait maybe we can take them if were all together.... No, this isn't right, where did they come from? Should we run....? They are way stronger we should...'
"... R-Run away!" Niss managed to finally shout out to his friends.
Niss's moment of indecision was all the orcs needed, the first one who had initially thrown Trevor was in front of Niss with insane speed.
'Oh fuck.'
SLAM!!!!!!!!!
The massive orc slammed into Niss, his stomach crunching and his body hunching forward. He was flung back, he did not get stopped by any trees and continued soaring away before hitting the ground 50 meters away. Rolling in the snow his consciousness fading.
'No no no! Stay awake! If you pass out here your dead! get a grip Niss!'
"AAhhhrrgggg!" coughing and spitting up blood, Niss managed to sit up and hang on to his consciousness.
'Ah... this was a fatal mistake... Nyx if you can hear me, please help, if I live through this I promise to always be vigilant and forever grateful.'
'Tsk... I don't have enough mana to intervene this time Nissss. Your strength needs to come from you. Just because I saw potential in you and changed my mind about your weakness doesn't mean you have suddenly become strong. These beings are not from this world, since you are having trouble gleaning their strength from their aura, they are sixth stage creatures. Get away from them.'
'But... my friends...I'
'You are to weak to do anything here Niss'
"Arrgghhh! Fuck!" Slamming his head into the snow to try and relieve some pain from contacting Nyx and simultaneously punishing himself for his stupidity.
Niss had been caught up in enjoying spending time with his friends, he didn't even once think about danger or notice the signs that something recently passed through the forest. It was very unlike him, to miss such details. He had been hunting small beasts back in Rivenwood with his father all throughout his childhood, leading to his danger sense skill. He immediately blamed himself for his and his friends dire situation.
'Had I just been more....'
Niss could see his friends from here, trying to escape the other orc. Interrupting his thoughts the large pale orc that launched him all the way over here walked slowly towards him. A dark tattoo on his right shoulder glowing turning from black ink to a red magic, swirling to form a circle in front of him.
"*teɸnets!" Erupting in front of the orc was an impressive show of fire power, deep red flames spewed fourth melting all the snow in the area. Trees caught on fire just from the proximity, the flame blasting straight straight ahead. Aimed directly at Niss, the fire ripped through everything in its path decimating the landscape for nearly a kilometer.
Before the flames were finished erupting from the magic circle in front the orc, suddenly a man appeared beside the large white creature, his entire body was badly burned still wreathed in the red flames only scraps of clothing remaining. Both legs and his right arm were broken as he was on his knees behind the monster. He poured all the mana in his aura into one spell, and he uttered only one word as he fell face first into the cold snow.
"Scáth"
....
Trevor's POV:
Trevor turned his broadsword to the side creating a dense stone against the flat side of the blade. Just as he finished the stone cracked like it was never there, along with his sword and the bones in his right arm. Shattered and pushed back, he had bought time for the others to run, he was in unimaginable pain. He had seen a glimpse of the spell that got unleashed on Niss while he was separated and he had no hope left.
'Fuck, Im so dead. Buy time Trevor, just buy time before you di.... No... I am Trevor Thorne descendant of DRAGONS! These fucking orcs have no right beating me down!'
"DRAGONS, LEND ME THY STRENGTH!!!"
'múscailt dragán'
'Is fada ó shin ó dh'éirigh mé an uair dheireanach.'
Swirling brown and gold mana surrounded Trevor and half the orc in front of him. The massive amount of mana collapsing inward on him almost as soon as it appeared. Trevor was gone, and all that was left was the other half of the pale orc falling to the snow, staining the spot with deep crimson blood.
...
Siarra, Lys and Curt were running as fast as they could, forgoing all defense but their legs which they infused with as much mana as possible.
'Niss isn't dead right? he can't be dead! Trevor...Trevor too.'
The memory flickered in her head. Niss shouting for them all to run and Trevor stalling for them to get away after Niss was sent flying. Tears welled up and fell freely as she and the rest ran as fast as they possibly could.
'We just need to reach the guild... They can...'
"We need to make it to the guild! They can send someone to save them!" Siarra's voice shaking as she couldn't stop the tears from falling.
....