Chapter Ten

All in twenty-four hours my life story changed. Every passing hour brought its own trouble. I had to go through a series of trouble that I had never done since I was little. First I accepted to reclaim my mother's crown, next I run into bandits who put me up for auction, following that a lady saves me and that would have possibly been the end of today's trouble but I have a course which I must follow and so I left her Manor and got myself trapped in the forest and I've barely just got out of that trouble before a Cyclops appears. Lights, how did my life change so much just in a blink of an eye?

"Mooow." The Cyclops mowed as it stared at us.

Dolores quickly drew her sword from its sheath and asked me to stand back. I quickly picked up the dagger on the floor which we had used earlier to cut the rope in an attempt to defend myself.

"People. How did they get here?" The female dwarf said.

"I think they led the Cyclops to us. Quickly let's run away." The male dwarf responded.

"Don't be such a coward. Can't you see she's trying to fight? I'm not running, I'll help her." The female dwarf responded and pulled her sword out as well.

"Hey, those knives won't do anything. Stand back." The dwarf said as she shielded me with her body.

Dolores and the female dwarf started to fight with the Cyclops. Their swords seemed not to have any impact on the Cyclops and it kept knocking them off. I looked around for the male dwarf and saw him hiding behind the shrubs, cowering as he watched the fight.

"Tsk tsk tsk." I clicked my tongue as I shook my head in disapproval and quickly rushed to him.

"Sir, can I have your sword?" I said to him but when I pulled it out, it was just a dummy sword.

"What? You don't have a real sword?" I asked in absolute shock.

"No. I hate to shed blood so I never carry a weapon around." He responded still quivering in fear with a shaky voice.

"But you don't need just a dummy to defend yourself." I said and turned around to watch the fight, thinking of a way to help.

The Cyclops already sent Dolores flying in the air and crashing into a tree nearby while he had the dwarf lady in its hand, staring at her like it was going to eat her. I needed to distract him so he could drop her.

"No...! No...! Don't hurt her." Her husband said still crouching behind the shrubs.

I quickly thought of what to do and the only thought that came to my mind was to attack him with my dagger. I aimed and sent my dagger flying its way. The dagger quickly pierced his shoulder.

"Yes, bastard. Take that if you can." I said putting my hands on my akimbo.

"Mooooow!" He mowed angrily and dropped the dwarf lady to face me.

"Oh no!" I said. I started to throw rocks and sticks his way but it didn't stop him. I started to take some steps backward slowly but just as he was about to approach me, an arrow came flying into his eye.

"Mooow! Mooow! Mooow!" It screamed in pain trying to take out the arrow. I looked in the direction the arrow came from to see Dolores putting down her bow and then she quickly rushed and using some trees as aid, jumped onto the back of the Cyclops.

The Cyclops started to struggle with her, knocking off her sword. She tried to reach for another dagger in her boot but the fight between them was intense. I quickly picked up the dagger and cut through the knee of the Cyclops. This sent it on its knee in pain.

"Mooooow!" It cried.

"Dolores! Here!" I said and threw her sword at her. Dolores quickly caught the sword and cut through the monster's neck and then it finally dropped dead on the floor, making Dolores hit the ground.

I quickly rushed to help her up.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I lifted her head.

"Yes. I'm fine. Thank you." She responded weakly barely opening her eyes.

"You are such a coward." The lady dwarf yelled at her husband.

"But we've never fought a Cyclops before." He responded.

"There is always a first time."

"Go easy on him, will you?" I said to her.

Her husband finally helped her up on her heels.

"Who are you?" She asked us.

"We're just travelers." I responded. "We were only trying to camp here the night and leave in the morning."

"Aye. What happened to my traps?" She asked narrowing her gaze to me in suspicion.

"I'm sorry." I responded.

"My traps are not for humans but I still do not appreciate them hindering my big catch." She said.

"We weren't aware of the traps. Though it was entirely my fault." I apologized.

"Well, we've fought side by side and so I know you mean no harm. Or do you?"

"No. We're just travelers."

"Well, you better leave this forest as soon as you can. I heard killing one Cyclops attracts a truckload of them. We barely survived this one." She said turning around to leave.

"I have nowhere to go." I said making her halt.

"It's not my business."

"Yes, it is. If not why did you not leave when the Cyclops came. You came to help us."

"I only did because I didn't want it following us back to our little village."

"You live in a house?"

"Of course. What do you think because I'm a dwarf I live in the forest?"

"No no. Sorry, it came out the wrong way. I was only wondering if you could let us stay over? It's just a few hours to dawn and we'll be gone."

"I don't entertain... Strangers in my home." She said.

Dolores slowly pulled my cloth from where she was lying down.

"Do... Don't worry. We can manage." She managed to sniffle those words.

The lady dwarf observed us for some time before she spoke. "What is your name?"

"Karen. And she's Dolores." I quickly responded.

"Well, Karen and Dolores sorry I can't help you. Trust could bring doom." She said then turned to her husband. "Gilbert let's go." She said and they both left us.

I thought they would change their mind but they didn't. They disappeared far into the darkness.

"Help me up. I'm sure we'll find somewhere better before the... Before the Cyclops arrive." Dolores said.

I helped her up and put my arms around her neck while she tottered.

"We'll make it to the village in time. Just keep up." I said to her. "How long does it take for a load of Cyclops to arrive after one is killed?"

"Two hours at most." Dolores said.

"Then sit." I sat her down on a tree branch. "I'll see what herbs I can get to boost your energy." I said to her then bent over to take her knife "I'll be needing this." I said but as I got up to leave I heard massive footsteps that sounded like the footsteps of a thousand armies on a war front.

"What is that?"

"Mooow... Mooow... Mooow...!"

"They are here." Dolores muttered.

"The Cyclops." I added in fear.