The caravan slowly approached the small town at the foot of Lonely Mountain. The dusty, rocky road twisted through the cliffs, and the wind, blowing through the ravines, carried the scent of wet stone and moisture. In the distance, the buildings could be seen, swallowed by the dusk—rough, squat, with massive doors and small windows that resembled gun embrasures.
Kano sat in the wagon next to Lianel, staring ahead. Something was wrong with this town. He couldn't feel the usual bustle, the movement, the rhythm of life. Here, there was only silence, broken only by the creaking of wheels and the clattering of hooves.
When the caravan entered the main street, Kano felt eyes on him. Heavy, cold stares. Dwarves, sitting outside their workshops and stores, lifted their heads and silently watched the newcomers. In their eyes was something more than mere curiosity. It was wariness. Even fear.
Kano involuntarily straightened up, his body tensing. The sense of danger was vague, blurred, but he couldn't ignore it.
— "Something's wrong here," muttered Lianel, her hand barely brushing the hilt of her bow.
Rudgard, sitting in the driver's seat, turned around over his shoulder.
— "This isn't the dwarven town you're imagining," he said quietly. — "Everything here is different."
Naira, sitting in the second wagon, crossed her arms over her chest and spoke loudly:
— "Why are they staring at us like that? As if we've brought a plague here!"
Her voice shattered the oppressive silence, and several dwarves quickly turned away. Others didn't react at all. They simply kept staring.
When the caravan stopped in front of the local tavern, Kano felt a chill run down his spine. The door was ajar, and there were no voices, no usual clinking of mugs. An inexplicable tension hung over the town, making him clench his fingers around the hilt of his sword.
— "Well, we've arrived," Eльгот said dryly, glancing around. — "Seems like they're not too happy to see us."
The door opened, and the tavern keeper appeared— a stocky, bearded dwarf with dark eyes that seemed as if they could carve stone with just a glance.
— "Where are you going?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
Kano felt an unpleasant knot tighten in his stomach. This was only the beginning...
The tavern greeted the travelers with an oppressive silence. The air was thick with the scent of hops, smoke, and something stale, as if there had been no revelry here for a long time. The dwarves sitting at the tables silently observed the newcomers, not speaking a word. The fire in the hearth crackled but didn't provide warmth— the coldness and tension lingered in the room.
The tavern keeper, the stocky dwarf with the thick beard, stood behind the bar, wiping a wooden mug. His gaze fixed on Kano and his companions.
— "Where are you going?" he asked again, without revealing any emotion.
Rudgard stepped forward and placed a few silver coins on the counter.
— "To the dwarven kingdom. I'm a weapons trader, these are my guards."
The tavern keeper's expression darkened. His hand, which had been wiping the mug, froze for a moment.
— "Better turn back," he said quietly, but his voice boomed like thunder in the empty hall. — "No one goes this way… and if they did, no one came back."
A heavy silence followed. Kano felt something weigh heavily on his chest. His back tensed, and his fingers instinctively tightened on his belt.
— "And what's there?" Naira crossed her arms over her chest, casting a sidelong glance at the dwarf. — "You make it sound like you've seen ghosts."
The tavern keeper stared at her, then slowly set the mug down on the counter.
— "If something doesn't suit you, you can move along," he said coldly.
The travelers exchanged glances. The atmosphere was stifling, and it felt as though the air had become heavier.
— "Well, you're a gloomy bunch!" Eльгот suddenly laughed and pulled out a handful of silver, tossing coins onto the counter. — "Pour everyone a good ale! Let's at least bring some life to this place, even if it's just for a moment."
The coins clinked, catching the attention of the dwarves. The tavern keeper nodded, took the money, and began filling mugs. First carefully, then more quickly.
The dwarves, who had been silent just moments before, slowly began to stir. One of them took a gulp of ale and muttered something to his neighbor. The atmosphere gradually shifted, like winter ice beginning to crack under the first rays of the sun.
Kano noticed something else. He saw how Eльгот was subtly listening in on snippets of conversation.
— "Gigantic monsters..."
— "They come at night..."
— "Eyes like predators..."
— "They kill everything..."
— "Someone saw them, but no one came back..."
Eльгот took a sip of ale, listening to the rumors, and scowled.
— "Well, old man, will you tell us anything else?" he asked, looking at the tavern keeper.
The dwarf silently wiped the counter again and replied:
— "You're not the first to pass through here. But I haven't seen anyone else since."
Silence returned to the tavern, but this time it was different. Not oppressive. But anxious.
Kano felt they had stepped into something much bigger than just a dangerous path.
The night in the tavern was restless. Although Eльгот's antics had melted the ice, and the hall gradually came alive with conversations and laughter, there was still an undercurrent of unease in the air.
Kano sat in his corner, holding a mug of warm ale. The drink had a pleasant aroma, but its taste was almost imperceptible—his thoughts were elsewhere. The sensation that had hit him back in the town still lingered. It was as though someone or something was watching them carefully from the shadows.
Eльгот, on the other hand, seemed relaxed. He leaned back against the bench, running his hand through his silvery-white hair. His sharp elven ears occasionally twitched, catching fragmented words from the corners of the tavern.
— "Alright, enough with the mysteries for tonight," he finally said, finishing his ale. — "Time to rest. Tomorrow's journey will be tough."
Naira yawned and stretched.
— "Yeah, and for the first time, we'll have a proper bed. I'm going to make full use of it," she said, standing up, cracking her neck, and heading upstairs.
Selina and Lianel followed suit, leaving the men in the hall.
Kano could feel the warmth of the drink spreading through his body, but his eyes remained fixed on the flickering candle before him. He still felt uneasy.
— "What are you thinking about?" asked Rudgard, sitting beside him, calmly stretching his powerful arms.
— "The town... those looks..." Kano turned his gaze to him. — "Something's off there."
The dwarf nodded slowly.
— "You're not the first to say that. I've been here a few times, and every time people were scared. But this time… it's different."
Kano wanted to say something in response, but his words were drowned out by the sudden sound of the door slamming.
A man entered the hall. He was tall, gaunt, with deeply sunken eyes. His fingers trembled as he approached the bar and placed a handful of copper coins before the tavern keeper.
— "Water... please..." His voice was hoarse, exhausted.
The tavern keeper silently poured him a mug of water.
Kano felt a chill run down his spine. There was something oppressive about the man. His clothes were torn, dirty.
As the man took a sip of the water, his hands steadied slightly.
— "They're there..." he rasped suddenly, his frightened eyes rising to meet Kano's. — "They... aren't human..."
His voice was barely audible, but it was enough for Kano.
Eльгот, who had been quietly observing until then, stood up and approached him.
— "What do you mean?" His voice was quiet, calm, but tense.
The man suddenly grabbed Eльгот's arm. His fingers were cold as ice.
— "They're there... in the dark... between the mountains... watching... waiting..." His whisper broke off, his eyes rolled back, and his body went limp.
The tavern keeper looked at the man with sorrow, as if he already knew the man wouldn't survive much longer.
— "You'd better go to bed," he said simply.
Kano and Eльгот exchanged a glance.
They both knew that tomorrow would bring something dreadful.
The night was deep, and the town settled into silence. Only the wind wandered through the narrow streets, carrying with it the distant echo of a howl. In the tavern, people slowly dispersed—some drunkenly nodded off at their tables, others made their way to their rooms.
Kano lay on the narrow wooden bed, staring at the ceiling. He barely felt the weight of fatigue, though his body was heavy. His thoughts kept returning to the words of the man downstairs.
"They're there... in the dark... watching... waiting..."
Kano closed his eyes, but instead of darkness, he saw something else. Shadows moving between the rocks. Eyes burning in the dark. He didn't know if it was just his imagination or something more.
Suddenly, the silence was broken—there was a knock at the door. Soft, but persistent.
Kano shot up, his hand instinctively reaching for the sword lying beside him.
— "It's me," the voice was muffled, but Kano immediately recognized Eльгот.
Kano approached the door and opened it. The mage stood there, holding a candle. The light flickered, casting strange shadows on the walls.
— "We need to talk," Eльгот said quietly.
He gestured for Kano to step out onto the tavern's balcony. The night air was cold, the fresh mountain breeze cutting to the bone. Far beyond the town, the outlines of mountain passes were visible.
— "You feel it too, don't you?" the mage asked, not tearing his gaze from the darkness.
Kano nodded.
— "Something's wrong here. This isn't just the dwarves' fears or rumors."
Eльгот thoughtfully rubbed his chin.
— "Tomorrow we leave. And you know what worries me the most?" He looked directly at Kano. — "We're heading in the direction where no one has ever returned."
Kano didn't know what to say in response.
— "Go to sleep," Eльгот said after a pause. — "Tomorrow will be a hard day."
Reluctantly, Kano returned to his room, but sleep didn't come. He lay there, listening to the wind knocking at the window, as if warning him of something.
He didn't know what awaited him ahead.