chaos in the ruins(chapter 46)

previously in chapter 45

The tiefling woman finally spoke up, her voice sharp and impatient, "I say we gut him and get it over with. I'm running late." Her weapon remained poised, ready to strike. Runa and Saavrin, however, cautioned against such hasty action. "That would not be a wise idea," Runa warned, her gaze unwavering. "This tiny human is not as weak as he looks."

Adam attempted to defuse the tension with a harmless smile. "I would really appreciate it if my organs stayed where they were," he quipped, trying to lighten the mood. The tiefling, however, remained on edge, her distrust evident in her stance.

Before the standoff could escalate further, another eruption of lava from a nearby room drew their attention. The tiefling grunted in frustration before rushing off, leaving the others to follow after her.

The group arrived at the source of the eruptions, a throne room where three figures stood: a large pale dwarf, a halfling, and the driver of the carriage Adam had ridden before. The tiefling woman launched herself at the carriage driver, prompting a surprised reaction from the halfling who exclaimed, "Sweet pastry!"

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As the tiefling and the carriage driver exchanged words, Adam took a moment to explain to Runa and Saavrin, "He once gave me a carriage ride that ended in a brutal fight. I didn't stick around to watch for long." Runa merely shrugged in response, her attention fixed on the unfolding scene.

Saavrin, however, pointed his loaded bow at the carriage driver, his expression serious. "And there would be justice," he declared, his gaze unwavering.

Adam couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. "You must have really messed up to have a pacifist wanting to kill you," he remarked, finding some humor in the irony. To his surprise, the halfling stepped forward, shielding the carriage driver with outstretched hands. "Wait," he interjected, his voice surprisingly calm amidst the tension.

Adam watched from the sidelines as the halfling addressed the group, "What? Why are you protecting me?" he asked incredulously. Adam, ever the observer, couldn't resist adding a comment, "Probably a Stockholm syndrome. It's quite common, actually." Sensing the glares directed his way, he quickly fell silent, allowing the halfling to explain himself.

As Runa, Saavrin, the tiefling, and Adam stood together on one side, the tension in the cavern was palpable. The halfling stood protectively in front of the carriage driver, who was holding a strange silver metallic object. The halfling's voice cut through the chaos, his words urgent, "A volcanic eruption is going to kill everyone in this cavern. We must work together and destroy that volcano tower."

Following the halfling's pointed finger, they all turned to see a small black monolith looming ominously. As if on cue, the ground beneath them trembled, breaking off into floating chunks. Each of them stood on their own precarious piece of earth, suspended in the chaos.

The carriage driver spoke up, his voice strained with urgency, "I can neither make a run for it nor destroy the volcano tower." He glanced towards the halfling as he tossed the metallic object towards him. "I am no hero, but you can be. Save the duergar in the cavern," he urged before the volcanic eruptions intensified around him.

With a grim determination, the carriage driver continued, "I am assuming your weak arms can lift it," just as the volcanic activity surged. It wasn't clear if he survived as the eruption obscured their view.

The halfling caught the metallic object, holding it for a moment before it released a brilliant blue energy. The energy spread like lightning, enveloping the black monolith and weakening the volcanic eruptions.

"It's weakening!" Saavrin's voice rang out amidst the chaos as they all rushed to attack the monolith. Adam, already in action, summoned a mana snake that slithered towards the monolith, gnashing and tearing at its base. Together, they struck at the monolith, each blow cracking its dark surface.

Finally, the monolith shattered, crumbling into pieces that fell into a newly formed pit beneath them. The group, except for Amos the carriage driver, found themselves standing on the edge of the pit, looking down. The tiefling couldn't help but comment, "Did Amos die before I had the chance to kill him?"

The halfling replied somberly, "I don't know if he got away, but he made the right choice... in the end." Saavrin peered down into the pit, noticing several roots and plants growing at a visible base. "Uhhh, Belvyre or Adam, did either of you cast a spell?" he asked, puzzled by the sudden growth.

They all turned their attention to the pit, where the roots and plants seemed to be flourishing. Belvyre, the halfling, smiled proudly, "The tower's collapse must have released a great magic from the lost city beneath the glacier. My plant growth worked." He marveled at the abundance of vegetation, "There's got to be months of food here. I can keep casting and growing more."

The halfling's happiness was infectious, and even the tiefling couldn't help but smile slightly. "Thanks to all of you, even Amos, the ten towns won't go hungry," he said gratefully, pulling the tiefling into an unexpected hug.

"I am not carrying any of this," the tiefling named Patience remarked dryly, to which Runa replied, "The Uthgard will help. They have large arms."

Adam let out a sigh, realizing it was time to part ways once again. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways, again," he said, waving goodbye to the group. "Unless there's some great beast that unites us again," he added with a wry smile.

As Adam walked away, disappearing into the cavern, Patience couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding. "Why do I feel like he just jinxed us?" she mused aloud.

Saavrin nodded in agreement, a sense of unease settling over them. "Yeah, I feel it too. It's like a great hex was placed on us," he said, his gaze lingering on the cavern's entrance.

Even Belvyre joined in with a chuckle, "Even the plants agree," he added, gesturing to the flourishing greenery around them as they prepared to leave the cavern, their future uncertain but their bond strengthened by the trials they faced together.

-scene change-

In the dimly lit cave, Adam sat in deep meditation, his expression serene and focused. The faint flicker of the fire danced on the walls, casting shifting shadows around him. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and a spell circle materialized before him.

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A/N atlas, the big forces behind Adam (me) couldn't handle adam making friends and has thus decided to make him a loner again.