Chapter 222: Arrows in the back
Irwin stumbled out of the portal onto a muddy square. A warm breeze carrying the stink of sulfur rippled around him as he looked around.
They were on a square littered with rotting wood and square gray stone, beside a crude tower with a base of stone and a top of rotten wood. The door was partially open, and there was a dozing four-horn lying beside it. All around the square was a decrepit old town not unlike the one on the other side of the portal, with poorly crafted wooden buildings. There was one difference, though. Many of the wooden buildings were partially built around and on top of stone ruins. Those he could see clearly were covered in a familiar script.
Terullian script!
An enormous dark volcano loomed behind the ruins, glowing red fissures spread out across its base, widening as they reached its tip. Irwin searched for any dangers, but seeing no traps or five-horns, he felt a tiny bit of relief. It seemed Doomblade had been telling the truth, at least so far.
Dozens of three-horned and four-horned Galubs were moving around the buildings, and most hadn't noticed them yet. For one moment, he hoped they could move without being spotted. Then, there was a surprised shout.
"Let's go," Greldo hissed, and the world turned shadowy.
Irwin saw Greldo's face pulled in a grimace as he pulled both him and Senira through the narrow stretch of shadows that was cast by the wooden guard tower beside the portal. A couple of four-horns were sprinting out of the door, glaring around angrily.
"Shadow walkers!"
" Warn the others!"
Irwin was pulled through the shadows, around the building, and the world reasserted itself with screams and shouts of anger as he reappeared behind the building amidst a clutter of debris of what might have been an adjacent building to the tower.
He quickly ducked behind cover, Senira and Greldo doing the same as the Galubs on the other side continued shouting. A quick look around the rubble saw Galubs stormed towards them, weapons raised.
Greldo was sitting against one of the blocks, drawing in deep breaths.