“Are you coming or not?” Bromgar turned around and asked Arix and his group.

  Arix looked at the group and answered, “Yes, we are. Let’s go, guys.”

  He walked toward the door and stopped there, looking at the devastation the Nyctona had already spread.

  His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Tarin, Lyra, and Meilie were also shocked, standing at the door.

  Bromgar had already walked off into the distance. But in front of them, most of the houses were on fire. Smoke was rising from them, and Arix heard the screams of many dwarves around him.

  “Help! Help!” one mother screamed with a child in her arms when a creature riding a horse came and sliced her head off. It fell to the ground. The child was crying, but the creatures ignored him and rode ahead, searching for their next prey.

  The creatures’ bodies were completely black except for their white hair. They were naked, riding black horses. Each Nyctona held a curved sword in their hand. They made no sound; only their horses screamed.

  Arix tightened his grip on his sword. His jaw locked, his eyes narrowed, and his brows pulled down. “I will kill those bastards,” he said and walked off.

  Tarin also ground his teeth, veins visible on his neck, and moved in another direction.

  Lyra and Meilie stood at the door, trying to process what had unfolded before their eyes.

  “I saw that woman with the child watching us from her window when we came here,” Lyra whispered, her eyes wide.

  Meilie took out her staff when a Nyctona stepped in front of them. Without saying a word, he raised his sword, ready to strike Lyra. Meilie pointed her staff at him.

  A white beam shot from her staff and went straight through the Nyctona's heart, killing him instantly.

  Meilie shook Lyra’s shoulder. Lyra snapped out of it, and Meilie grabbed her hand and ran toward the burning homes, searching for anyone who needed saving.

  “Why was I frozen again?” Lyra whispered.

  Meilie glanced at her over her shoulder and kept running.

  "This is exactly what happened when Elena died. I'm making the same mistake again," Lyra said. A muscle in her cheek twitched. She tightened her fist and pulled her hand away from Meilie’s grip.

  Meilie stopped and stared at Lyra. Her eyes were hard, her jaw clenched.

  "I will not run away." Lyra paused. "I will save everyone here. I promise."

  Meilie nodded when another Nyctona stepped directly in front of her. His hands were already raised, holding a curved sword.

  Meilie’s eyes widened, and she pointed her staff toward him, ready to attack. But she stopped when she saw Lyra already at his shoulder.

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  Lyra was holding the Nyctona's neck with one hand and her needle in the other.

  “I will kill you all,” she said in a low voice and drove the needle into him.

  His curved sword fell to the ground, and so did he.

  Lyra landed on the ground and walked ahead of Meilie. “Come on, let’s see if anyone is trapped in these houses.”

  Meilie followed her.

  - - -

  Tarin ran through the village, killing as many Nyctona as he could.

  "These guys are weak," he said as he jumped and struck another Nyctona's head with his greatsword.

  He landed and took a deep breath as the Nyctona’s body hit the ground and its horse ran off.

  “Okay, who’s next?” Tarin said and turned around, only to find a Nyctona on horseback, facing him. But something was unusual.

  Instead of a curved sword, he held a long sword. His body was bigger than the other Nyctona, though he looked the same otherwise. His muscles were thick and defined, unlike the others.

  He jumped from his horse and stood before Tarin. “You killed many of my soldiers,” he said in a gravelly voice.

  Tarin grinned, stepping one leg back with his greatsword ready. “Yes, and I am going to kill you too.”

  He shouted and charged toward the Nyctona.

  Tarin jumped when he came within range and roared, "Agh—" striking at the Nyctona's head. But the Nyctona deflected the blow with his long sword and countered immediately.

  Tarin tried to dodge, but the long blade grazed his arm. Tarin’s sleeve tore open, and it began to bleed.

  “No worries. It was my left arm,” Tarin said and rushed him again.

  He missed as the Nyctona dodged left and kicked Tarin midair in the stomach.

  Tarin was thrown back, spit flying from his mouth as he hit the ground.

  He coughed and slowly tried to get up when the Nyctona spoke. "You are a human. How did you survive this long?"

  The Nyctona was already in range for his next attack when Tarin spoke in a low voice, a grin on his face. “You will know soon enough.” He scooped dirt into his hand and flung it into the Nyctona's eyes, blinding him for a second.

  When the Nyctona regained his vision, he saw Tarin already on his feet, mid-strike.

  The blow landed on his head—hard. It cracked his skull, and the Nyctona crumpled to the ground.

  "How can I die by the hand of a human? Our king will be furious. A general defeated by a human? Pathetic." The Nyctona general’s last words left his mouth before he died.

  Tarin breathed hard. He walked toward a nearby house and leaned against its wall for a moment, gasping for breath.

  - - -

  On the other side of the town, “Hel– Help me!” a dwarf child screamed, dragging his broken feet backward, one hand held out in front of him.

  A Nyctona on horseback was moving toward him.

  “Please don’t kill me. I have siblings to take care of,” the child pleaded as he dragged himself back.

  “You already killed my parents. Please, at least let me live. My sister is an infant, and my little brother will be all alone without me.” Tears streamed down his face.

  The Nyctona kept moving toward him. When he came within range, he raised his curved sword and swung it at the child.

  The child squeezed his eyes shut, certain he was about to die. But nothing happened.

  After a moment, he opened his eyes slowly and saw the Nyctona's severed head on the ground, its body fallen beside it.

  Arix stood in front of the child, holding his sword.

  He glanced over his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

  The child nodded. “Yes. Th– Thank you.”

  “Run, kid. I’ll handle it from here,” Arix said as he rushed toward another Nyctona.

  “I will not let anyone else lose their loved ones before my eyes,” he muttered as he leapt forward and cleanly slashed another Nyctona’s head off.