Flash?

A blinding sky-blue flash. Cold as the many mountain blizzards during last winter yet also … refreshing? Like a crisp cold drink on a hot day. But even now, the crisp cold of the flash was being nibbled away from the usual sweltering heat of Dirlop Mountain.

Cracks and scratches rang out, echoing sharply throughout what sounded like narrow tunnels clogged with more and more vines.

And then echoed into a wide cavern? With that familiar drip drip drip in small walled craters …

Ah!

Jakon let go of Azura. No dwarves nearby, yet, but the colorful craters were still naturally barricaded off. They even blocked most of the cavern from their vantage point.

But not the vines already expanding around some of the further craters.

Vines that moved … funny? Like something, no, things invisible smacked them for a brief moment.

As if coming toward them.

“You know where to go?” Jakon said.

Azura nodded, ears sunk, but licked his lips? Sigh. So he handed Azura Frostine’s card.

She vanished again. With another flash.

Ivy sighed, folding her arms over her ample chest with another big pout.

“We should of gone with her,” Ivy said.

But Jakon drew his magical short sword.

“Enemies incoming,” he said, and motioned behind Ivy.

Ivy gasped and turned.

Just in time. Deflected a strike. That spark?

From a dagger?

Clang!

Clang!

Double dagger strikes. From someone slim. Wrapped entirely in dark red.

Ivy deflected them all. With her katars.

While Jakon struck back. Slashing the chest. The enemy dodging.

But not by enough.

Yet the enemy only gasped—until Ivy diced them up. With her katars.

A cry behind Jakon?

Sky saved him. Her scimitars were already in a bow form. She fired another a bolt. Hit another enemy trying to backstab Jakon.

Another death cry.

Another enemy down.

Jakon cried out, “Back-to-back!”

All three did so. Facing the new threat. Cutting down red-wrapped enemy after enemy.

Till none remained.

When they all got back. Together. And hissed. All together.

Sky cried out, “No! They’re blood elves!”

“Blood elves?” Ivy said.

Jakon gasped. “Vampires! Aim for their hearts!”

The fight began anew. Fierce and bloody. With more than just their weapons hissing now.

A fight Jakon and his companions were losing.

Badly.

Until a blue bolt of lightning shot through all the blood elves. Through their chests. Freezing them into blocks of ice.

And shattering. All into a misty crisp nothing.

With an awfully familiar laugh cackling out in front of Jakon.

And a pair of snow vixen witches back for some action: Azura and Frostine. Together side-by-side. Mere paces ahead of him.

“Zhees blood elves are quite tricky, no?” Frostine said.

Jakon growled, but nodded. A dwarf didn’t begrudge some help, no matter the source, especially life-saving help.

Azura perked up. “But we can scent them, right sis?”

“Right,” Frostine said, “and just so you know, I do not know anytheeng about these vines. Drakoth told me nothing about them. Or of any attack beyond my own and Pearl’s.”

Jakon tsked, crouching, listening for more enemies coming, but …

Azura pouted?

“I can scent she’s telling us the truth,” Azura said “And she just saved you! You should just accept her. You won that fight. Don’t be a spoiled winner.”

Azura was … sigh. Gunter would chuckle at this too. Proud his gift was so important to saving Dirlop Mountain and Jakon.

So he nodded. “You’re right. As a reward, I’ll see about uniting you two into the same card.”

That perked both snow vixens up happy.

And they both licked a kiss on each of his cheeks. So gross … yet so cute, and nice, actually.

Enough that his cheeks heated away the cool after nip of moisture quickly.

And quickly realized their other problem.

One not so easy to solve—what to do next.