The Battle Rages On!

Ezri swiftly launched another dart at the towering mountain, from behind the protective cover of a large rock. Mordir's furious roar echoed through the air, though it carried a peculiar undertone of delight.

As an otherworldly being, We marveled at the intricacies and complexities of mortal emotions. Observing the surroundings, We realized that Our Dwarven companion had vanished without a trace, leaving us alone in this perilous confrontation.

Sighing, We cautiously emerged from behind the rock, ready to face Mordir once again. Without warning, he charged towards us, bellowing, "NOT EVEN METAL BEES CAN STOP ME!" We shook our head in disbelief and swiftly discorporated; evading his charge and delivering another series of venomous stings.

Reflecting on our actions, we couldn't help but think, "We've never injected such high doses of venom into anyone before... If he survives, he will undoubtedly have a challenging time recuperating."

However, our contemplation quickly turned to dread, as we noticed Mordir's attention shifting towards Ezri, who had been vulnerable during our diversion. With a severe sense of urgency, We shouted, "Furry Flesh!"

Catching our gaze, Ezri's expression overflowed with terror and uncertainty, as the colossal beast clutched her throat, and began crushing it in his massive hands.

Mordir picked her up off her feet, and mercilessly slammed Ezri into the ground; again and again; causing the earth to crack, under the tremendous and repeated impact. Her arms and legs fell limp, and blood trickled from her mouth, as she struggled to breathe amidst the relentless assault.

In a brazen display of defiance, anger, and pain, she spat blood into Mordir's face, taunting him, "Kill me, you monster. Or did your mother forget to teach you not to play with your food?!"

Helplessly, we watched as Mordir, laughing maniacally, raised his enormous Great Axe high into the air, preparing to deliver the final blow to the brave Fuzzy Flesh.

Suddenly, a thunderous battle cry pierced through the town center, drawing everyone's attention. A dwarf with fiery red hair, an unruly bushy beard, and a distinct aroma of old, spoiled alcohol charged at Mordir, wielding a hefty and sturdy Dwarven hammer.

"YER KILLIN ME CUSTOMERS, AND BURNIN DOWN ME PUB! KNOCK IT OFF! RAAAAAAAAH!" The dwarf roared valiantly, undeterred by the overwhelming odds. However, Mordir shook his head, chuckling in disbelief, and diverted his focus from murdering Ezri, just for a split second.

Mordir turned to the distraction, and swiftly delivered a powerful kick; directly to the center of the stout dwarf's chest… We could hear his ribs break from here.

The force of the blow sent the brave dwarf sprawling to the ground, immediately succumbing to the effects of the impact and retching uncontrollably, the stench of alcohol and stomach acid wafting through the air.

Realizing his limitations, and overzealousness, the dwarf grumbled and groaned in pain, mumbling, "Alright. Alright. Ye told me. Hold on, now... I'm just gonna... Go back inside," as he crawled his way back to the relative safety of the tavern.

Seizing the opportunity, we unleashed another barrage of bees at Mordir; continuing to distract him, to try to do something and save Ezri. Mordir, seemingly having had enough, put his great axe down for a second, and took one of the handaxes from his belt.

He threw it at Us as hard as he could, and we didn't have time to react. It struck us directly in the chest, as blinding pain erupted in our body; and then somehow, the axe dislodged itself from us, and magically flew back to Mordir's hand.

He laughed again, reveling in the battle, and the blood shed; as he turned his attention back to Ezri. "Time to die, Kitty Cat."

In the midst of the chaos and destruction, a sharp and commanding voice sliced through the air, like a hot knife through butter. It belonged to the elven man who was casting the magic.

"Mordir. That's Enough. I am finished here," the elven man declared with an air of finality. The last remnants of the teal light escaped from the mouths of the captive villagers, being absorbed by the gem held aloft, by the elven man.

Placing the gem back within the folds of his cloak, he waved his hand, conjuring a portal through which he promptly stepped.

Addressing us with a chilling promise, Mordir growled, "Time to go. However, I promise you... We WILL play again, Bee Man." In a final fit of rage, he flung Ezri across the square, her body crashing into the wall of a nearby building, unconscious.

He absconded through the portal, stopping for a second before entering and snapping his fingers. In a somber every quiet, the remaining bandits mechanically marched into the portal, following Mordir and the enigmatic elven man.

"Yeah... We're totally looking forward to it, big guy," We muttered sarcastically, lowering ourselves to the ground slowly, and leaning against a different building.

Honey oozed from the cracks in our skeletal structure, and absolutely everything hurt… Serving as a testament to the toll that this battle had taken on us.

As the world began to spin around Us, We saw as the villagers who had lost their souls, marched right along with the bandits who had just attacked them. They exited through the portal and it shut behind the last man.

Taking note of this unsettling development, we understood that the recovery of the villagers' stolen souls would require further investigation, including finding out where the vessels would be kept. However, for now, we were too battered and wounded to continue the pursuit.

We desperately needed rest, succumbing to the encroaching darkness that swallowed the edges of Our vision as we blacked out, uncertain of what would await us, when we awoke.