With a gentle flash, a small figure appeared near his shoulder—a Pixie, no taller than his hand, her wings fluttering like glass petals. She carried a tiny stick, its tip glowing softly with Light cantrip.
"Yes!" she chirped, her voice like the chime of silver bells.
"Scout ahead. Stay hidden. Report back if you spot any movement—or if you feel tremors."
The Pixie saluted midair and vanished into the dark. Her glow shimmered once, then disappeared completely as she cloaked herself in invisibility.
Henry and Kegan waited at the base of the rope, checking weapons and equipment. The Dwarf adjusted his armor straps, muttering a brief prayer to Moradin, while Henry prepared a few spell scrolls.
Minutes dragged by until the faint hum of wings returned. The Pixie reappeared, landing lightly on Henry's shoulder.
Her expression was grim. Through their telepathic link, Henry saw what she had witnessed—a sprawling network of tunnels, lined with slick mucus and quivering earth. Dozens of Earthworms writhed there, each the size of a grown horse. They clustered in groups of two or three, but deep in the farthest chamber, a monstrous one over four meters long lay coiled beside four slightly smaller worms.
Henry frowned and began to calculate. "A direct assault would be suicide," he murmured.
Kegan crossed his arms. "Then what's the plan, lad? Dig through 'em like dwarves through granite?"
Henry shook his head. "No. We'll lure them out. Draw them to the surface and burn them alive."
The Dwarf's eyes glinted. "Hah! I like that kind o' thinking."
They began their preparations. Kegan stayed behind to collect firewood and dry brush from the nearby forest, while Henry made the trek back to the village. He purchased two large clay pots filled with rapeseed oil, a new torch, and a handful of tinder packs from Brown's storage shed.
---
An hour and a half later, the cave floor beneath the entrance was a deadly trap—a thick carpet of wood and dried grass spread nearly ten meters deep. Kegan wiped his brow, stepping back to admire their work.
"Looks like a bonfire waiting to happen."
Henry returned, setting down the heavy oil pots. "Let's make it one, then."
Together they poured the oil over the firewood until the air reeked of it. The sticky sheen glistened under the glow of the Light spell.
When it was done, Henry nodded. "Once the worms rush out, they'll meet this first. Then I'll cast Grease to make sure they don't get away."
Kegan grumbled as he stripped off his helmet and chest plate. "Why in Moradin's name am I always the bait, eh? Bein' chased by overgrown worms ain't exactly my idea of fun."
Henry smirked. "Because you're the fastest, the toughest, and the loudest."
The Dwarf raised a brow. "That last part sounds like an insult."
"It's a compliment," Henry lied with a grin.
Kegan snorted. "Aye, sure it is."
Henry's voice grew firm. "Think of the reward, Kegan. Twenty thousand gold coins. Enough ale to flood Belgost's taverns."
The Dwarf froze mid-motion, eyes sparkling. "Twenty thousand… by the Stonefather's anvil, that's more wealth than months of work! We'll be legends! I'll buy every cask o' mead in the barrels, maybe even taste of the richer wine!"
Henry chuckled quietly. Money truly was the Dwarf's favorite kind of magic.
Before the Dwarf descended, Henry unfurled a scroll and spoke the incantation softly. A faint golden shimmer spread from the parchment to their weapons.
"Bless," he said. "May our strikes find the heart."
Henry used a divine spell scroll before the Dwarf had climbed down; this spell could make your and your teammates' weapons more likely to hit the target's vital points.
Kegan tested his axe. The blade hummed faintly. "Feels good. Like the Forge itself approves."
Henry struck his flint, lighting the torch in his hand. Its flicker painted the cave walls in hues of orange and gold.
"Kegan," Henry called, his tone steady but sharp. "Run fast once they appear. I'll cover you with spells. Just make it back alive."
The Dwarf grinned wide, his beard bristling. "Alive? I'll run like the wind, lad! Ain't no worm fast enough to catch a son o' stone!"
Then, with his glowing axe held high, Kegan descended into the dark, his laughter echoing faintly as he vanished deeper into the pit.
Henry waited at the mouth of the cave, torch burning bright in his grasp.
The air trembled. The ground shuddered.
Within a few minutes.
The earth trembled faintly beneath Henry's boots. He could feel it — a subtle, rhythmic quake running through the dirt floor.
"They're coming…" he muttered under his breath, tightening his grip on his staff. The faint vibration grew heavier, echoing through the cavern walls like a deep drumbeat. Kegan and the swarm of tunnel worms must be close.
Henry inhaled deeply, feeling his nerves clawing at the edges of his calm. "Alright… steady," he whispered to himself. "When the Dwarf gives the call, you cast."
Moments later, a bellowing voice erupted from below, rough and deep — the kind only a Dwarf could muster. "Now, lad! Let it burn!"
Henry saw Kegan leap from the shadows of the lower tunnel. The Dwarf's compact, muscular frame swung up to the rope with surprising agility. "Pull, you long-legged chicken!" he barked as he climbed, beard swinging wildly as dust and sparks rained down.
Henry raised his hand. "Grease!"
The long-prepared spell was cast behind Kegan.
The spell unleashed with a slick shimmer of arcane light. The stone floor below glistened unnaturally as a thick, oily substance coated the stacked firewood at the bottom of the pit. The scent of magic mixed with oil filled the air.
The spell covered a large area of the firewood at the bottom of the cave with Grease.
Without hesitation, Henry hurled the torch downward and began to pull the rope.
It vanished into the darkness — and then boom!
Flames roared upward like the breath of a red dragon. The oil-soaked firewood below ignited violently.
The blast of heat struck his face, forcing him to shield his eyes. The Dwarf, however, wasn't as lucky. The edge of the fire licked at him before he could clear the rim.
"By Moradin's hairy arse—!"
His clothes, shoes, hair, and his most prized beard were all set ablaze.
The Dwarf, who had been pulled up, immediately began to roll on the ground to put out the fire.
Kegan screamed, tumbling onto the rocky floor, beard and boots ablaze.
Henry immediately reacted. "Water Creation!" he commanded. A swirling orb of blue light appeared above his palm and burst, releasing a flood of conjured water that drenched the Dwarf from head to toe. Steam hissed as the flames died with a sharp ssshhhhhh!
Kegan sat up, dripping wet, staring mournfully at the smoldering remnants of what used to be his magnificent beard. "By the Forgefather's name… half o' me pride's gone!"
"Half a beard's better than none," Henry replied dryly, though he couldn't help but smirk.
"Easy fer you t'say, twig-boy. Ye don't grow yer honor on yer face." The Dwarf grumbled as he wrung out the remains of his beard. His pants were scorched below the knees, and yet his spirit was undimmed.
Still, he wasted no time. Within moments, he was strapping his armor back on with Henry's help. The clinks of metal echoed softly, a rhythm of preparation and dread. Both knew the worms could strike again at any moment.
Henry opened his mouth to speak — then froze. A cold ripple of instinct ran down his spine. Danger.
"Behind!" he shouted, pushing Kegan aside.
A monstrous earthworm burst from the scorched hole, its charred carapace gleaming in the firelight, its mandibles snapping open wide enough to bite a man in half. The air filled with a sulfurous stench as the creature lunged.
The Dwarf rolled back onto his feet, shield raised. "Come on then, ye slimy bastard!" he roared.
"Damn it, I knew it wouldn't be that easy!" the Dwarf cursed, getting up and quickly charging forward with his axe.
The worm's head slammed into the shield with a deafening crack. The sheer force drove Kegan back a step, but he held firm, boots grinding into the dirt. "For the Iron Halls!" he shouted, swinging his axe upward.
The blade found its mark — the vulnerable joint beneath the mandibles. A wet thunk echoed as he buried the axe deep.
With a "thud," half of the worm's head was cut off.
The worm screeched and thrashed, green ichor splattering across his body.
"Disgustin' beast!" Kegan spat as the slime hissed against his armor.
The worm's head sagged, half-severed, twitching violently. Kegan brought his axe down again. Wham! The head fell cleanly, rolling across the dirt like a grotesque melon.
Breathing heavily, Kegan leaned on his axe. "I'll tell ye, lad… these things are hotter than a forge-fire in summer." He wiped his brow, his hand coming away slick with green ichor. "Reckon the rest down there're roasted crisp."
Henry knelt to inspect the carcass, expression thoughtful. "Their bodies are mostly water. They can't handle extreme heat — burns them alive from within. This one was already half-dead before you struck it."
"Ha! So ye mean me victory was half-stolen by yer bloody fire?" the Dwarf grumbled, though his eyes twinkled.
"Think of it as teamwork," Henry replied, smirking.
"Teamwork my arse. Next time ye burn me beard, I'll toss ye in after the worms!"
The two chuckled, though neither let their guard down. Henry's gaze shifted toward the tunnel below that wasn't dark anymore. The smell of burnt flesh lingered, thick and heavy.
"How many do you think were drawn to the bait?" Henry asked.
"At least thirty," Kegan replied grimly. "We'll count 'em after the smoke clears. If any's left alive, we deal with 'em tomorrow. Aye, I'm too old fer this shite. Been three centuries swingin' an axe, and still gettin' set on fire by magic men."
Henry smiled faintly. "You Dwarves live longer than most kings. You've got decades left of complaining."
"Bah. Complainin's what keeps us alive," Kegan muttered.
The fire burned itself down over the next quarter hour. Smoke poured out of the cave mouth, black and thick, coating the air with soot. When it finally thinned, they crept closer.
The flames had done their work. The tunnel mouth was clogged with charred corpses — five massive worms fused together in death, their bodies blocking the entrance completely. The once-slick walls glowed faintly red from the heat.
The two re-tied their rope and descended cautiously. Below, the cavern shimmered with the strange beauty of death — the worms' blackened shells reflected the last embers of firelight like obsidian.
Kegan whistled low. "Look at that… thirty o' the beasts, all cooked proper. I'll be rich enough t'buy a new beard."
Henry laughed softly, stepping past a melted carapace. "Hard to believe so many creatures that strong were undone by a little oil and fire."
He paused, staring at the smoking pit, remembering something from an old book back in the world.
"A true Mage solves his battles through wit and wisdom," the passage had said.
"A man who fights with brute force is no Mage at all — merely a Barbarian who learned a few spells."
Henry smiled quietly at the memory. "Guess that still holds true..."