Consciousness returned slowly, like surfacing from a deep well. The first sensation was a dull, throbbing pain in the back of his head, as if someone had tightly clamped his skull in a vise. Dex groaned and tried to roll onto his side, but his body responded with unpleasant stiffness. His eyelids felt glued shut by an invisible adhesive.

  Finally, with effort, he forced his eyes open. The first thing he saw was the blurry gray sky overhead. Then, in his unfocused vision, the outlines of his companions' bodies began to appear, lying motionless nearby. The ground around them was littered with fragments of wooden structures and scattered bones of fallen skeletons. The sight, despite their victory, brought no joy.

  "Ugh…" Gimli croaked, trying to sit up. His thick red beard was matted with sweat, and a disgruntled expression was etched on his face. "What… what happened?"

  Ellariel groaned, shielding her eyes with a hand. Her usually serene face showed fatigue and a slight disorientation. "Sleep haze… that vile necromancer…"

  Zara moved last. She sat up sharply, looking around with the wariness of a predator. Her green eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, searching for any signs of danger. "Where is he? That bastard?"

  Dex tried to rise, propping himself up on his elbow. His head spun, and he had to wait out the unpleasant wave. "He… he's defeated. I saw… I think…" Uncertainty laced his voice, a lingering effect of the magic.

  And then they noticed Kyle. He lay a little apart, completely still.

  "Kyle!" Ellariel called out, alarmed.

  Zara approached him and gently nudged him with her foot. "Hey, sleepyhead. Rise and shine."

  Kyle slowly opened his eyes, blinking as if awakened from a deep slumber. Confusion flickered across his face. "What… what happened? Where… the goblins?"

  "The goblins ran off," Gimli grumbled, rubbing his bruised side. "And the necromancer… he went to the underworld too. Only…" The dwarf frowned, trying to piece together fragments of his memory. "I hardly remember anything after that haze."

  At that moment, the residents of Old Mill began to approach them. Their faces, recently contorted with terror, now glowed with relief and gratitude. The village elder, leaning on a carved staff, approached first.

  "Adventurers… heroes!" His voice trembled with emotion. "Thank you! You saved us from those… those monsters!"

  He was followed by other residents—men, women, and children. They surrounded the adventurers, expressing their gratitude with words, timid touches on their armor and clothing, and quiet sobs of relief.

  "We saw… we heard…" a tearful woman said, reaching out a trembling hand to Dex. "Those terrible skeletons… we thought it was the end."

  The elder stepped forward again. "Your bravery will not be forgotten. But… we need help now. The goblins… they destroyed so much, many houses were damaged. Could you… help us rebuild our village?" Hope shone in his eyes.

  Dex surveyed the destruction. Leaning fences, holed roofs of houses, debris scattered everywhere. The sight was grim. He turned his gaze to the exhausted faces of the villagers.

  "We will certainly help as much as we can," Dex said, trying to inject a note of nobility into his voice, although in his heart he was already calculating what benefit they could derive from this situation. "But you understand… we are adventurers. This is our trade, and we live by it."

  Gimli grumbled, scratching his beard, "What good is our help if our stomachs are empty?"

  Ellariel, with a softer expression, added, "We are not asking for gold, which you probably don't have right now. But we need supplies, food, maybe shelter for a few days while we help."

  The elder sighed, his shoulders slumping even further. "We understand… The goblins took almost all our food supplies. The barns are looted, the livestock stolen…"

  An awkward silence fell. It seemed they wanted to help but had almost nothing to offer in return.

  Suddenly, a young woman with a determined look stepped forward. "We have something!"

  All eyes turned to her.

  "The goblins didn't manage to reach the old sawmill on the edge of the forest," she continued. "There are still supplies of planks and logs there. If you help us deliver them, you can take some for yourselves. Wood has always been valued."

  Another old man added, "And… we have a well with clean water that wasn't damaged. And a few surviving vegetable gardens. We can share these with you while you are here."

  Zara snorted skeptically. "Wood and a few vegetables? Not much."

  However, Ellariel gently countered, "We shouldn't be so mercenary, Zara. They are in trouble, and any help will be valuable. Shelter and food are already a lot."

  Dex pondered. Wood could indeed be useful to them in the future, and refusing food and water would be foolish. Moreover, helping the village could create a certain reputation for them in the region.

  "Alright," Dex finally said, nodding to the elder. "We agree to help with the rebuilding. Tell us what needs to be done first."

  The elder and the other residents sighed with relief. Weak smiles reappeared on their faces.

  "First of all, we need to clear the rubble and remove the bodies," the elder said. "And then… then we will need to repair the roofs and strengthen the walls."

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Gimli grunted, "Work for a true dwarf! Show me where to smash and break things."

  Zara shrugged. "Fine, a little extra training won't hurt."

  Ellariel looked at the suffering residents with compassion. "We will do everything in our power."

  Kyle silently observed what was happening. Conflicting feelings warred within him. On one hand, he felt sympathy for these people who had lost their homes and property. He wanted to somehow alleviate their plight. But on the other hand, his hidden power was completely unsuitable for rebuilding. He could only turn the surviving structures into dust with a snap of his fingers, which, of course, was completely unacceptable. He could only pretend to be the ordinary, clumsy Kyle and act as if he was making an effort, lifting debris and helping as much as his "modest" abilities allowed, trying not to get in the way of the more useful members of the group.

  Work began to boil. Gimli enthusiastically wielded his axe, dismantling leaning walls and dragging away large debris. His powerful, tattooed arms deftly moved logs as if they were splinters. Zara, thanks to her agility, made her way into the most inaccessible places, helping to clear rubble and collect the surviving belongings of the residents. Ellariel, using her elven grace, inspected the damaged roofs and pointed out which parts needed immediate repair.

  Dex, despite all his vanity, did not shy away from work either. He diligently dragged away stones and debris, occasionally commanding the others and giving advice, though not always the most helpful. Kyle, as before, tried to be inconspicuous, lifting small pieces of debris and helping where he was asked, trying not to draw attention to his seeming clumsiness.

  Suddenly, a cry rang out.

  "Dex, watch out!" Zara shouted.

  A large wooden beam, barely holding on, broke loose and crashed down with a roar. Dex didn't have time to react. The heavy timber struck him on the shoulder and pinned him to the ground with force, knocking the air out of his lungs.

  "Argh!" Dex howled in pain.

  Gimli and Zara immediately rushed to him. "Dex! Are you alright?" the dwarf asked anxiously, trying to move the beam.

  Ellariel quickly ran over and examined the injured man. "It looks like a dislocated shoulder, and there are definitely bruises. We need to do something."

  Dex, gritting his teeth in pain, croaked, "Potions… Kyle bought… healing…"

  All eyes turned to Kyle, who stood nearby, watching the scene with a worried expression. He immediately understood that they expected him to act.

  "Ah yes, potions!" Kyle exclaimed, rummaging in his worn bag and pulling out two small vials filled with a greenish liquid. He handed one vial to Ellariel. "This is a minor healing potion. It should help relieve the pain and slightly accelerate healing."

  Ellariel carefully helped Dex sit up and poured the contents of the vial into his mouth. Dex grimaced at the bitter taste, but after a few moments, his face relaxed slightly.

  "Feels… a little better," he mumbled.

  Kyle held out the second vial. "And this is a potion of enhancement. Dex asked for it… said it might come in handy."

  Dex gratefully took the potion. "Thanks, Kyle." He drank the contents, and a slight tremor ran through his body. He felt a small surge of strength, although the pain in his shoulder still made itself known.

  Despite the incident, the work continued. By evening, most of the debris had been cleared, and the residents began to patch roofs and strengthen walls. The adventurers, having received meager payment in wood, vegetables, and water supplies, decided it was time to return to the city.

  "Thank you again," the elder said, seeing them off at the edge of the village. "Your help was invaluable. If you ever pass by again, know that you will always be welcome here."

  The adventurers bid farewell to the residents of Old Mill and set off on their way back. Dex, despite the throbbing pain in his shoulder, walked more briskly thanks to the effects of the potions. For the first time in a long time, there was a sense of unity in the group, born of shared labor and the experienced incident.

  Dusk had already enveloped the forest as the adventurers walked along the path leading to the city. The fatigue after a hard day was taking its toll, but the satisfaction of helping the residents of Old Mill warmed their souls. Dex, although he felt a nagging pain in his shoulder, tried to keep his spirits up.

  Suddenly, a piercing screech echoed from the trees. It was not an ordinary forest creature.

  "Goblins!" Gimli roared, grabbing his axe.

  About a dozen small, green-skinned creatures sprang out of the darkness, armed with crooked daggers and clubs. Ahead of them, snarling viciously, rode the very goblin leader they had seen during the attack on the mill. Revenge, mixed with desperation, burned in his eyes.

  "You will pay for the death of my kin!" the leader shrieked, leaping from the scrawny wolf they had apparently used for travel. He lunged straight at Dex, swinging a crude axe.

  The goblins followed their leader with wild cries. The adventurers instantly went on the defensive. Dex raised his sword, blocking the leader's blow, Ellariel drew her bowstring, aiming at the nearest goblin, and Gimli took a step forward with a growl, ready to bring his axe down on the enemies. Zara, like a shadow, darted to the side, intending to flank the attackers.

  In this furious skirmish, one of the smallest and most agile goblins broke away from the main group. Stealthily, it crept up to Kyle, who stood slightly behind, looking frightened and unarmed. The goblin grinned and tried to stab Kyle in the back with its dagger.

  The blade struck Kyle's back with force, but immediately snagged, causing no harm. The goblin frantically struck again but couldn't even damage Kyle's clothes.

  Kyle turned around, his gray eyes looking at the twitching goblin with surprise. "What… is it?" he murmured quietly.

  The goblin let out a terrified shriek and tried to jump back, but Zara, who was nearby, swiftly slit its throat with one of her daggers.

  Meanwhile, the battle continued. The goblin leader, despite his fury, could not overcome Dex, who, though wounded, fought with renewed strength under the influence of the potion. Ellariel's accurate shots felled goblins trying to attack from the flanks, and Gimli's mighty blows sent the green-skinned creatures flying.

  Feeling that the advantage was not on their side, and seeing his kin fall one after another, the goblin leader let out a desperate roar. He tried to make a dash to escape, but Zara, like lightning, blocked his path. The thrill of the hunt burned in her eyes.

  "Where do you think you're going?" she hissed, crossing her daggers.

  The leader tried to fight back, but his movements were desperate and inaccurate. Zara easily dodged his blows, delivering her own swift and deadly thrusts. Soon, the goblin leader collapsed to the ground, felled by her blades.

  The remaining goblins, seeing the death of their leader, panicked and tried to scatter in different directions. Gimli and Dex quickly finished off those who didn't manage to disappear into the forest.

  The adventurers caught their breath, surveying the battlefield. The bodies of the defeated goblins lay on the ground, including their vicious leader.

  "Well, that's that," Dex said wearily, leaning on his sword. "Hopefully, those were the last of the troubles for today."

  Zara approached Kyle, who still looked a little bewildered. "Are you alright, Kyle? That little runt tried to get you."

  Kyle nodded, trying to hide the tremor in his voice. "Yes… I'm fine. Just… unexpected."

  Ellariel looked at Kyle thoughtfully but remained silent. It still seemed strange to her that the goblin hadn't been able to harm him.

  Gimli grunted, "That little squirt probably just missed. Not all goblins are such skilled fighters."

  The adventurers, making sure the danger had passed, continued their journey to the city, carrying with them the weariness of a hard day and a strange feeling after the sudden attack. The silence of the forest was broken only by their footsteps, and in everyone's thoughts, especially Kyle's, the question lingered: what really happened at the moment the goblin's dagger met his back?