Chapter 67 – Dregor, the Great General
**[UNDERGROUND WORLD – WEREWOLF FORTRESS ]**
**Sprint** — explosive at maximum speed.
**Dagon**, **Steve**, **Orzun** — bodies **bursting** through the bright electric-green forest toward the fortress fifty meters away, boots **crushing** grass and vegetation, breaths **panting** in rhythmic effort.
**Orzun** and **Steve** — running **behind** Dagon five meters back, struggling to keep up with the veteran's impossible pace.
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**Fortress gate** — the **werewolf** guard (two meters tall, dark-gray fur, yellow eyes) turned his **head** upon hearing the approaching sounds, snout **lifting** to sniff the air, body **turning** alert.
He saw — three figures **running** out of the vegetation.
Mouth **opening** — preparing to howl an alarm.
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**Dagon** — without slowing down, voice **shouting** backward without turning his head:
"**Pay attention**, boys!" Commander-educator tone. "Watch how a true veteran fights!"
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**Eyes** — **changed** instantly:
Round human pupils **contracting** vertically, transforming into thin **reptilian slits**, normal brown irises **glowing** intense metallic gold, white sclera **remaining** but golden veins **spreading** across the surface.
**Transformation** — lasted half a second.
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**Speed** — **exploded**:
Body **accelerating** absurdly: from thirty kilometers per hour **surging** to eighty kilometers per hour instantly (highway car speed), legs **blurring** in movement impossible for the naked eye to follow, the fifty-meter distance **covered** in two seconds.
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**Werewolf** guard — mouth still **open** preparing to howl, brain processing **delayed** (Dagon's speed exceeded reaction capacity).
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**Dagon** — **materialized** in front of him.
**Axe** — not drawn, but right **fist** clenched.
**Punch** — struck the werewolf's **jaw** on the left side: **massive** force transferred (two hundred kilos of force concentrated in a five-square-centimeter area), jawbone **cracking** audibly *CRACK*, head **snapping** violently ninety degrees to the right, body **hurled** horizontally three meters, **slamming** into the wooden palisade wall, sliding to the ground **unconscious**.
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**Second** werewolf — on the eight-meter-high watchtower, eyes **focusing** on Dagon below, claws **gripping** the wooden edge preparing to leap.
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**Dagon** — didn't look up but **knew** (heightened senses), body **crouching** low, hands **planting** on the ground, legs **propelling** a vertical jump.
**Rose** — eight meters in two seconds, reaching the tower **platform**, landing on the wood with a **creak**.
**Kick** — lateral right struck the werewolf's **stomach**: air **forced** from lungs with a *WHOOOF*, body **folding** forward, Dagon's hand **grabbing** his neck, **lifting** the entire body (one hundred twenty kilos) above his head with pure strength, then **throwing** it downward.
**Werewolf** — fell **eight** meters in free fall, body **crashing** onto the grassy ground with a heavy *THUD*, remaining **motionless** in severe daze.
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**Third** and **fourth** werewolves — came **running** out from inside the fortress through the open gate, claws **extended** and snarling.
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**Dagon** — leapt **down** from the tower, landing softly on the ground (knees flexing to absorb impact), body **spinning** to face the two charging werewolves.
**Waited** — relaxed posture, reptilian eyes **observing** their trajectories, calculating.
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**Werewolves** — **reached** three meters away, claws **swinging** horizontally trying to rip Dagon's torso.
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**Dagon** — body **dropping** into a deep crouch (claws passing **above** his head, missing completely), right leg **extending** sideways, **spinning** his entire body in a low horizontal sweep that took out both werewolves' legs simultaneously.
**They fell** — backs slamming into the ground. Dagon **rose** immediately, fists **descending** with two simultaneous punches to their faces: the first werewolf knocked **unconscious** instantly, the second tried to get up but Dagon's knee **came down** crushing his chest against the ground, knocking him out as well.
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**Five** seconds — total time from the start of the sprint until all four werewolf guards were **neutralized**, unconscious but not dead.
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**Steve** and **Orzun** — **reached** the gate panting, stopping to observe the carnage, eyes **widening** in shock.
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**Voice** — **feminine** and cold, echoing **mentally** only inside Dagon's head (telepathy):
*"There's **nothing** inside the fortress."*
**Jelim** — floating ten meters above the fortress, eyes **scanning** the interior through gaps in the roof.
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**Dagon** — expression **shifting** from relaxed to surprised:
"**What** do you mean nothing?!" Loud, confused voice.
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He didn't wait for an answer — body **turning**, hand **grabbing** the wooden gate, **pulling** with force that ripped the internal crossbars *CRACK-CRACK-CRACK*, the gate **swinging** fully open.
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**Entered** — the fortress interior revealed:
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**Interior of the fortress** — **empty** and desolate:
**Size**: circular area fifty meters in diameter, **packed dirt** floor, inner walls of **rough** wood with no decoration.
**Cages**: ten **large** structures (three meters high, two meters wide, two meters deep) built from thick wood reinforced with iron, distributed along the inner walls, doors **open** with broken locks, interiors completely **empty**.
**Condition**: clear signs of **recent abandonment** — dirty straw scattered on the cage floors (improvised prisoner beds?), empty wooden bowls (food/water?), iron **chains** hanging on the cage walls (three meters long each, open shackles), **claw** marks scratching the inner wood (desperate escape attempts?).
**Werewolves**: three bodies **lying** on the ground at spaced intervals, completely **unconscious** (Jelim had knocked them out with telekinesis before the group arrived), breathing regularly but motionless.
**Smell**: animal urine, feces, sweat, fear — a **strong** odor saturating the air (prisoners had been here recently, hours not days).
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**Silence** — heavy and empty.
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**Steve** and **Orzun** — entered behind Dagon, eyes **scanning** the interior, processing the emptiness.
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**Steve** — voice coming out **confused**:
"Is this **really** where the different captured races were being held by the human hunters?" He looked at Orzun. "Are you absolutely sure?"
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**Orzun** — expression **indignant** and furious as he looked at the empty cages, fists **clenching** and trembling:
"**YES**!" Shouting in frustration. "I **remember** perfectly! This is **EXACTLY** where I saw my people imprisoned two days ago! Orcs, goblins, kobolds, trolls, demi-humans, **ALL** of them were here in these cages, locked and chained like animals!"
Pause — breathing heavily:
"There were at least **thirty** prisoners when I was here trying to rescue them but I was repelled by the werewolf guards! And now… now it's completely **EMPTY**! Where did they take everyone?!"
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**Dagon** — walking slowly through the interior, reptilian eyes **scanning** every detail, hand **touching** a hanging chain (still slightly **warm** from recent body contact):
"This makes the situation extremely **complicated**…" Serious, worried tone. "We have no **concrete** clues now about these supposed human hunters or where they took the prisoners…"
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**Sound** — **scratching** wood coming from a dark corner of the fortress behind the support pillars.
**Movement** — subtle, trying to be silent but noticeable.
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**Keara** — twenty meters behind the group outside the fortress, keeping watch on the perimeter, eyes **focusing** on the movement, voice **shouting** a warning:
"**WATCH OUT**!" Urgent tone. "One werewolf is still conscious and trying to **ESCAPE** while hiding!"
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**Werewolf** — came **running** out from behind the pillars toward a small side gate (emergency exit?), body low trying not to be seen, legs **pushing** in desperate speed.
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**Dagon** — head turning, eyes **focusing** on the fleeing werewolf, sending a **mental** telepathic command:
*"Jelim."*
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**Jelim** — floating ten meters high, right hand **raising** with palm pointed at the running werewolf below.
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**Telekinesis** — **activated** silently:
**Werewolf** — body **froze** mid-run, feet **lifting** off the ground against his will, floating **upward** two meters into the air, legs **pedaling** uselessly trying to keep running, arms **swinging** trying to grab something but finding only empty air, a frustrated and terrified **snarl** escaping his throat.
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**Dagon** — began **walking** slowly toward the floating, motionless werewolf trapped in the air, steps **calm** and deliberate, expression **serious** and intimidating, reptilian eyes **fixed** on him.
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**Reached** — two meters away, stopping, head **tilting** upward to look at the werewolf floating three meters high.
Voice coming out **cold** and commanding:
"Where did **all** the races that were imprisoned here go?" Simple, direct tone. "Answer now."
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**Werewolf** — snout **turning** to look at Dagon, yellow eyes showing **fear** but also defiance, voice coming out in a guttural growl:
"I **won't** say **ANYTHING**!" Stubborn tone. "You can kill me! I won't betray my human allies!"
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**Dagon** — sighed heavily, expression **hardening**:
"I **don't** have time at all for **torture** or prolonged interrogation." Voice gaining a dangerous edge.
He looked **up** — at Jelim floating.
Nodded **once**.
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**Jelim** — descended **floating** slowly from ten meters to three meters, positioning herself at the same level as Dagon and the trapped werewolf, white mask **turning** toward the creature.
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**Mental magic** — **invaded**:
Not visible externally but **felt** — the werewolf's body **trembled** violently, eyes **widening** with pupils maximally dilated, mouth **opening** in a **mental** scream of non-physical agony, mind being **torn** open by brute force, resistance **broken** in seconds, memories **brutally extracted**.
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**Five** seconds of invasion — the werewolf stopped **struggling**.
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**Voice** — coming out of his mouth but **not** his own — **monotone** tone controlled externally (Jelim manipulating his vocal cords like a puppet):
"The races that were imprisoned here were **taken** by the Great General **Dregor** and his two main assistants…" Mechanical, emotionless tone. "From what we simple werewolf guards **learned** through their conversations… they are being **transported** to the surface world… in the Kingdom of **Maldrath**… in the capital of the same name, Maldrath…"
Pause — forced breathing:
"The purpose of the transport… **unknown** to us simple werewolf guards… but we heard mentions about… **experiments**… **sacrifices**… and **slave trading**…"
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**Dagon** — processing the information, expression **not surprised** but confirming:
"I strongly **suspected** this was the work of that corrupt kingdom…" Bitter tone. "Maldrath has always been known for illegal slave practices and forbidden experimentation…"
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He looked at the werewolf again:
"What **direction** did they take? How do they plan to reach the surface from here?"
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**Controlled voice** — continued mechanically:
"**South** of the underground world… approximately ten kilometers from this fortress… there exists an **ancient portal** built centuries ago by a lost civilization… that connects directly to the surface world… emerging specifically in the Black Mountains north of the Kingdom of Maldrath… the portal is guarded but General Dregor has **official authorization** to pass…"
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**Dagon** — nodded, turning his body toward the south:
"**Let's go**!" Urgent commanding voice. "We have **no time** to lose! We need to reach them **before** they cross the portal and arrive in Maldrath territory, where it will be much harder to rescue the prisoners!"
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**Jelim** — fingers **snapping** with a soft *SNAP*.
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**Werewolf's head** — **EXPLODED**:
Not literally, but the skull **imploded** under telekinetic force compressing bone/brain/internal blood instantly, body **collapsing** to the ground dead and inert, dark-green blood **leaking** from the psychically decapitated neck.
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**Steve** — **saw** everything happen five meters away, eyes **widening** in absolute horror, face **paling**, stomach **churning** with nausea.
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Body **moving** — not thinking, just reacting, feet **running** toward Jelim floating three meters high, voice **shouting** indignantly:
"Was it **NECESSARY** to kill him in such a brutal way?!" Moral, angry tone. "Couldn't you have simply left him **unconscious** instead of coldly murdering him?!"
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**Jelim** — mask **turning** to look down at Steve standing below her, body **descending** until she was two meters high, face-to-face with him (still above but closer).
Voice coming out **cold** through the mask, **disdainful** tone:
"I have **no** reason to give any explanations at all, **especially** to you." Pause. "And besides… you are **too naïve** for my personal taste. Pathetic even."
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Body **turned** — floating away and rising back to three meters height, following Dagon who was already walking out of the fortress heading south.
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**Steve** — remained standing, staring at her as she floated away, fists **clenching** and trembling with helpless frustration, gaze **fixed** on her with a mixture of rage and incomprehension.
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**Dagon** — twenty meters ahead, stopped walking, turned his **head** to look back at Steve and Jelim:
Voice coming out **firm**, paternal but irritated:
"You **TWO**!" Commanding tone. "Must **stop** immediately with this constant fighting between yourselves! We are on a **serious** mission, not a recreational trip!"
He looked specifically at Jelim:
"And **Jelim**… I have told you **multiple** times: we **do not** kill without absolute necessity! That werewolf was completely neutralized and could have been left alive!"
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**Jelim** — voice coming out through the mask in a **bored** indifferent tone:
"**Spare** me that hypocritical morality, Dagon." She replied. "You yourself have killed dozens before without hesitation when it suited you. Don't lecture me now."
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**Dagon** — opened his mouth to **retort** but closed it, shaking his **head** and giving up the argument (no time).
He turned — and continued walking south.
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**Group** — **followed**: Dagon in front, Jelim floating three meters high behind, Keara walking on the ground, Steve and Orzun together at the rear.
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**Orzun** — walked **closer** to Steve, voice coming out **low** only for him:
"Don't dwell on it like that, Steve…" Tone trying to console. "Those werewolf guys really **deserve** this and even worse for what they did… for **killing** innocent people… for **massacring** entire races here in the underground world… and many other horrible things…"
Expression **changing** to sad and melancholic as he looked at the ground while walking:
"Believe me… they have no possible redemption…"
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**Steve** — looked at Orzun, seeing the genuine sadness on his green face, then looked **ahead** at Jelim floating in the distance.
Voice **whispering** more to himself than to Orzun:
"There is **no** absolute necessity to kill someone in such a brutal way…" Low, convinced tone. "Because then… we become exactly **like** them… monsters without compassion…"
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He looked up at Jelim — silent thought:
*Why is she so… cold? Without any emotion? What happened to her to make her like this…?*
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**The walk** — continued in silence for fifteen minutes.
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**Terrain** — changing: forest **clearing** with trees more spaced out, ground **rising** gradually, vegetation **decreasing** in density.
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**Thirty** minutes total walking — **five** kilometers south covered.
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**Cliff** — **reached**:
Vegetation **ending** at a rocky edge, ground **opening** into a fifty-meter vertical drop, a **wide** valley below stretching to the horizon.
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**Dagon** — stopped at the edge, body **crouching** low to stay less visible, hand **gesturing** for the group to do the same.
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**Everyone** — crouched: Jelim descended floating to two meters height (less conspicuous), Steve/Orzun/Keara crouched behind large rocks.
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**View** below — **revealed**:
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**Valley road** — a **wide** ten-meter path cutting through the valley, **packed dirt** surface heavily used, heading **south** until disappearing on the horizon.
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**Slave caravans** — a **long** procession:
**Quantity**: ten **large** wagons (four meters long, two meters wide, two meters high), **wooden** structures reinforced with iron, **large** wooden wheels, pulled by **unknown** creatures (not horses but muscular quadrupeds with dark-gray leather).
**Prisoners**: each wagon **crowded** with fifteen to twenty creatures of different races:
- **Orcs** — ten visible, moss-green skin, chained at wrists and ankles, **defeated** expressions.
- **Goblins** — twenty small ones (one meter tall), yellowish-green skin, large ears, whimpering.
- **Kobolds** — fifteen small reptilians (one meter twenty), brownish-red scales, dragging tails.
- **Trolls** — five giants (two and a half meters), stone-gray skin, **thick** chains needed to contain them.
- **Demi-humans** — animal ears (cat, fox, wolf), ten visible, **terrified** expressions.
- **Other demi-humans** — mixed features (half-snake, half-spider), five, bodies contorting.
**Total** estimated: **approximately one hundred fifty** prisoners.
**Chains**: heavy **iron** connecting all prisoners in each wagon together, making individual escape impossible.
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**Werewolf guards** — **twenty** creatures:
Ten on each **side** of the wagons, walking at a steady pace, claws **exposed** threateningly, eyes **constantly scanning** the prisoners, growling lowly in intimidation.
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**Humans** — **three** leading from the front:
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**First** — **mage**:
**Appearance**: thirty-year-old man, one meter seventy-five tall, **slender** build of sixty kilos, **brown** medium-length messy hair, **thin** angular face, **light blue** eyes faintly glowing (constant active mana).
**Clothing**: simple **purple** tunic without excessive decoration (functional, not ceremonial), wide **belt** at the waist full of small pockets (magical components?), **light** knee-high leather boots, dark wooden **staff** in right hand (one and a half meters long, purple crystal at the top glowing).
**Expression**: constant disturbing **cunning** smile curving his lips, eyes **occasionally scanning** the prisoners as if evaluating valuable merchandise, tongue **licking** his lips periodically (nervous or perverse gesture?).
**Name**: still unknown.
**Second** — swordsman:
**Appearance**: twenty-five-year-old man, one meter eighty tall, athletic and slender build of eighty kilos, short spiky black hair, handsome face almost feminine (delicate features), dark-brown eyes with an empty, emotionless expression.
**Clothing**: light black leather armor reinforced with strategic metal plates (chest, shoulders, forearms), tight pants allowing agile movement, high black leather boots up to the thighs, short blood-red cape hanging from his shoulders (length to the waist).
**Weapon**: long sword held in his right hand (one meter twenty blade, six centimeters wide, non-reflective black metal), empty sheath hanging from the left side of his waist.
**Expression**: a simple short smile but deceptive — not genuine joy but controlled sadistic amusement, eyes occasionally focusing on specific prisoners as if choosing the next one to toy with.
**Name**: still unknown.
**Third** — leader:
**Appearance**: forty-five-year-old man, two meters twenty centimeters tall (giant compared to normal humans), massively muscular build of one hundred fifty kilos (pure muscle, not fat), dark-red hair shoulder-length, thick beard braided into three long braids hanging down his chest, face marked by multiple scars (vertical cut crossing the blind right eye, now milky-white, burn on the left side of the neck, old puncture on the left cheek).
**Clothing**: heavy dark-gray metal plate armor covering his entire torso, shoulders, arms, and legs, multiple visible battle marks on the surface (dents, deep scratches, old dried bloodstains that were never cleaned), no helmet (carried hanging from his belt, leaving his head exposed).
**Weapon**: giant two-handed axe casually resting on his right shoulder — two-meter wooden handle reinforced with metal, double blade fifty centimeters wide on each side, estimated weight eighty kilos (a weapon impossible for a normal person to lift).
**Expression**: wide genuine smile showing perfect white teeth, green eyes shining with pure amusement, occasionally laughing loudly with a deep guttural sound that echoed through the valley, clearly the absolute leader of the group commanding the march.
**Name**: Dregor — General (mentioned by the werewolf before dying).
**Orzun** — hidden behind a rock beside Steve/Dagon/Keara, eyes fixed on the three humans at the front of the caravans, body visibly trembling not from cold but from pure absolute rage.
**Memory** — invading his mind uninvited:
**[THREE DAYS AGO — ORZUN'S VILLAGE]**
Orc village — burning: fifteen circular houses set ablaze simultaneously, orange flames consuming the thatched roofs, clay walls cracking from extreme heat, children screaming while running, elders fallen on the ground wounded.
Three humans — in the center of the village laughing:
The mage in the purple tunic — conjuring fireballs and hurling them at houses, his cunning smile widening with every explosion.
The swordsman with the black sword — slicing the throat of an elderly orc trying to defend his grandchildren, calmly wiping the blood from his blade.
The giant with the axe — crushing the skull of an orc warrior who tried to resist, laughing loudly as the sound echoed.
**Orzun** — hidden in the bushes watching everything, unable to help (too weak), tears sliding down his face, fists pounding the earth in helplessness.
**[PRESENT — CLIFF]**
**Orzun** — voice coming out hoarse and trembling with absolute rage:
"They are **THEM**…" Pure venomous tone. "They are the ones who massacred my village for no reason… killed my family… burned my home… laughed while doing it…"
Fists clenching and trembling, nails digging into his palms until they bled.
**Dagon** — looked at Orzun, seeing the rage consuming him, hand firmly resting on his shoulder:
"Breathe deeply, kid." Calm, controlled voice. "We will deliver justice now. I promise."
He turned his head — looking at the entire group:
"Very well." Tactical commander voice. "Pay maximum attention to the attack plan I'm about to—"
He stopped — realizing Steve wasn't listening at all.
**Steve** — eyes extremely wide open, expression frozen in shocked disbelief, mouth slightly agape, body rigid and motionless, breath held.
His gaze was fixed not on the three humans but on a specific wagon — the fifth in the line.
**Fifth wagon** — different from the others:
Special cage: reinforced construction not of wood but complete metal (black iron), thick three-centimeter-diameter bars, spacing between bars only ten centimeters (impossible to pass an arm through), multiple locks (five different padlocks), additional chains wrapped around the entire cage externally.
**Prisoner** — single occupant (special treatment?):
**Appearance** — absolutely unique and distinct:
**Age**: apparent sixteen to eighteen years old (young physical development).
**Height**: one meter sixty-five (sitting but estimable).
**Skin**: pure snow-white as freshly fallen snow, almost translucent pale tone (pale blue veins visible beneath the surface), texture apparently smooth and perfect without imperfections.
**Hair**: pure white, not gray but snow-white identical to her skin, long length down to her waist, silky texture flowing despite accumulated prison dirt, some strands fallen across her face framing delicate features.
**Eyes**: vibrant emerald-green (the only point of color in absolute contrast with the white of her body and hair), large expressive almond shape, currently showing a tired and resigned expression but not broken (spirit still strong).
**Clothing**: simple white dress (matching her skin and hair, creating an almost ghostly monochrome), fabric torn in multiple places (from previous struggle?), dirty with stains of earth and dried blood (hers? others?), length to the ankles.
**Chains**: wrists and ankles bound with heavy iron chains connected to the cage bars, severely limiting movement — only sitting or lying down was possible.
**Posture**: sitting in the corner of the cage hugging her knees to her chest, head reclined against the metal bars, eyes closed in exhaustion.
**Steve** — mind processing recognition:
**Memory** — exploding into consciousness:
**[SOME TIME AGO — DEATH CULT TEMPLE]**
Chaotic combat — Steve/Dagon/Keara/Jelim/Fog/Finn/Finn's sisters desperately fleeing through the collapsing temple corridors.
Corrupted entity — monstrous three-meter-tall form, female humanoid body but completely corrupted: black-putrid skin cracked and leaking dark energy, dirty white hair floating chaotically, face without eyes (empty deep-black sockets), mouth torn from ear to ear full of fangs, roaring an inhuman *AAARRRGGH*.
**White being** — suddenly appeared materializing in light:
Same appearance — snow-white skin, pure white hair, simple white dress, BUT with present vibrant green eyes (uncorrupted), determined and serious expression.
Confrontation — white being vs corrupted entity:
Explosion of white light clashing with black energy, the temple shaking violently, ceiling collapsing, Steve's group barely escaping alive.
Last glimpse — the white being fighting desperately, shouting something inaudible amid the noise of destruction.
Afterward — the temple completely collapsed, burying both, presumably.
**[PRESENT — CLIFF]**
**Steve** — voice whispering in shock:
"It's… it's her…" Incredulous tone. "The Nessira…"
Body rose unconsciously, forgetting to hide, foot stepping forward and leaving the rock cover.