Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

Chapter 175  The Trio

An hour ago…

Two dwarves were carrying an injured comrade on their backs. The injured dwarf's legs were completely destroyed, with bones protruding from the flesh, broken in two parts, as blood stained the snow beneath them while they ran through the bone-like trees.

"They got me! They got me, Boris!" - The injured dwarf cried out as he was dragged by his comrades - "Leave me here! I am done for!" - He screamed even more desperately when he looked down at the gruesome sight of his leg. "Shut up, ye hairless idiot!" - Boris, one of the dwarves carrying him and the leader, cursed through gritted teeth - "We're not leavin' ye behind! We're almost at Stone Village! The chief will find a way to fix ye up. We just need to get away from those creatures." The trio was already out of breath, the two carrying the injured dwarf straining their muscles to maintain a steady pace. As they moved, they could feel the snow beneath their feet trembling constantly, as if an impending doom was about to wash over the land and swallow their souls. It was like a pulsing heart.

"They're gettin' closer!" - Boris said, looking at Oin and Fili - "We have no choice but to face 'em here." Boris was one of the most experienced dwarf from Stone Village and had ventured outside the city, carved deep and high into the mountains, countless times. He was responsible for scouting the area for humans and beasts, as well as collecting the corpses of prisoners pushed down the mountain to their deaths. He had had numerous encounters with the creatures called Ice Giants, gaining quite a deal of surviving ability.

The chief and other elders always advised them to stay away from these beasts and not engage them because they had an extra sense for Mana and could easily locate those who killed their kin through some sort of magical way. Fighting against one Ice Giant in a group was manageable, but when the beasts grouped together to hunt those who killed their own, they became a tremendous pain to deal with.

"Damn it, Hairless Filli! Ye shouldn't have gone for their foreheads! Ye know that's their weak spot!" - Boris cursed, glaring at Filli, who was helping him carry Oin. "Ye're the hairless one, Boris! I barely put any force into it! It's those blasted Ice Giants with their soft noggins!" - Oin retorted, rubbing his long beard, his face betraying his embarrassment. Oin had stumbled upon one of the giants, and in the chaos of saving him, they had killed an Ice Giant. Now, to survive, they had to return to Stone Village and likely stay there forever, as these beasts held grudges like no other. They couldn't reach the village itself since it was perched so high up the mountain that even the giants couldn't get to it with their massive, heavy bodies.

Boris and Fili helped Oin towards a tree and placed him there - "Leave me here! Run!"- Oin begged his two loyal brothers, but they only gave him their backs and took out their war hammers, preparing to fight against the Ice Giants coming their way.

The ground trembled more violently as the Ice Giants approached, their massive forms emerging through the trees. The chilling wind grew fiercer, cutting through the dwarves' light armor. Boris and Fili stood their ground, their war hammers gripped tightly in their hands. "Ready, Fili?" - Boris asked, his eyes never leaving the approaching giants.

"Aye, let's show these oversized icicles what Stone Village dwarves are made of!" - Fili replied, a determined grin on his face.

Both of them knew that they couldn't hold their own against the four Ice Giants coming towards them. Of course they wanted to run away; nobody in their right mind could say that they were ready to die. However, they would never leave one of their brothers and run away to survive alone. They would fight to their deaths and die together, like proud dwarves.

The first Ice Giant let out a deafening roar and dashed towards the duo, swinging its massive arms down at them. Boris dodged to the side, feeling the rush of air as the club missed him by inches. He counterattacked, swinging his war hammer at the giant's knee. The impact was powerful, causing the giant to stagger and howl in pain. However, no damage was caused to them, the ice covering their skin and the blue veins protecting them from harm. "Take that, ye great lump of ice!" - Boris shouted with a crazy smile.

The Ice Giant roared again, lifting its arm for another strike. This time, Fili was ready. He darted forward, targeting the giant's ankle with his war hammer. The blow landed with a resounding crack, causing the giant to stumble and momentarily lose its balance.

"Hit their joints! That's their weak spot!"- Boris yelled, realizing that the ice covering their bodies was less dense around the joints.

Fili nodded and struck again, this time aiming for the giant's other ankle. The combined force of their blows caused the Ice Giant to collapse to one knee. Boris seized the opportunity, leaping up and swinging his hammer with all his might at the giant's elbow. The ice cracked, and the giant's arm went limp.

"Now, Fili! Finish it off!" - Boris commanded.

Fili didn't hesitate. He climbed onto the giant's back, using the ridges of ice as handholds. With a fierce cry, he brought his hammer down on the back of the giant's neck, shattering the ice and breaking the spine. The giant let out one last, guttural roar before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

The remaining three giants, enraged by the death of their comrade, advanced with even greater fury. Boris and Fili braced themselves, knowing this fight was far from over. However, just taking out this single giant already required great stamina, and they couldn't even feel their hands anymore because they had swung the war hammers with such force and speed.

Boris and Fili exchanged glances and gave a smile to one another, ready to welcome their deaths - "Let's take one more with us!" - Boris said, his grip tightening on his hammer. The giants charged, their massive fists crashing down towards the dwarves. Boris and Fili fought valiantly, dodging and countering with all their might. But the giants' sheer size and strength were too overwhelming. The joint attacks of the three giants were too much for them to handle.

One giant's fist connected with Fili, sending him flying into a tree. He tried to rise, but his body refused to obey, the pain too intense - "Boris!" - He cried out, looking at his leader and brother desperately fighting by himself.

Boris didn't turn around and kept trying to strike the Ice Giants at the joints, but every time he tried to hit one of them, a giant arm was already pouring down at him. He was tired and his movements were becoming slower. It didn't take long before a giant's fist smashed into him, knocking the wind out of him. He struggled to his feet, only to be met with another blow that sent him sprawling to the ground.

The giants closed in, their massive forms towering over the battered dwarves. Boris and Fili, beaten and broken, looked at each other one last time.

"It was good fighting alongside you!" Boris said with a bloody smile as a giant fist descended upon him.

Fili, struggling to keep his eyes open, nodded weakly - "Aye, it was an honor, Boris" - he managed to say before another giant's fist came crashing down on him. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Unbeknown to them, a pair of purple eyes was watching the scene closely.