The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 49: Hidden Secrets

The dwarf guard sniffled, rubbing at his nose pathetically as his friend tried to cheer him up.

"It'll be okay," the taller dwarf said softly. "There's plenty of fish in the sea..."

"D-did she have to make fun of me...?"

When Vao had left the city, the dwarf had tried to flirt with him. It ended with Vao making a comparison about choosing a sweaty skunk or the guard. Vao chose the skunk, and then laughed at the dwarf for having a short beard. Beards were important to dwarves. The guard's friend scoffed.

"C'mon, you don't need to listen to her. Bros before h-"

He stopped, the two staring at the ground. The rocks were bouncing, the ground beginning to shake in a slow, steady rhythm. The guards at the top of the wall peered down. "Jim! Michael! What's going on down there!? An earthquake!?"

The two dwarves at the foot of the gate didn't answer, slowly looking up. And then straight up. A massive, hulking frame built out of impenetrable steel stomped forward, hundreds of nonhumans following behind.

"W-what the FUCK IS THAT!?"

The dwarves on top of the gate screamed in horror, loading their ballistas and cannons, the captain standing behind the fleet. On his command, arrows and cannonballs soared through the air - and bounced off Penny's body. They didn't even leave a dent or a scratch. The captain bolted for the stairs, fleeing the scene and leaving his men behind. Within seconds, Penny towered over the wall, panic rising through Ragna when they saw the mountainous figure, alarm bells ringing wildly. Yin pointed his katana forward, his blue eyes beginning to blaze.

"Kick it down, Penny!"

"UNDERSTOOD."

The dwarves scrambled to get away from the gate when Penny's foot moved back, but many were too late. The moment she struck the metal gate, the barricade blasted to pieces, launching armored dwarves through the air. The Battle for Ragna had finally begun. Yin patted Vao on the back, the two sprinting ahead with Sasha running behind them, Verde following on her broomstick.

The nonhumans charged, arrows bouncing off the tower shields with Hazel behind them, leading his spearmen in the backs of bow-weilding centaurs. Raising a silver sword high into the air, he gave his command.

"Fire every last arrow! Don't let anyone touch the heroes until we reach the palace!"

The shield soldiers broke apart the moment they reached the main city, locking into combat in an instant. Yin, Vao, and Sasha stood back to back with their weapons drawn, fighting off the hordes of dwarves as they charged with axes and maces of steel. Verde flew high above, Hekue riding behind her with her flute to her lips. Without hesitation, the dryad began to play.

Hekue's magic worked based on nature. It did nothing more than bolster morale, strength, and endurance. And for a veritable tank like Sasha, that was nothing short of a true miracle. The elf sheathed her greatsword, her veins beginning to bulge and her armor cracking under her mass as she flexed. Yin and Vao took a step back, the dullahan making a mental reminder to treat her with the utmost respect when her armor split to pieces, revealing her massive, log-sized arms. The dwarves took a step back, Sasha cracking her knuckles with a thundering POP.

They were tossed to the side when Sasha charged, fists swinging and legs shattering armor, clearing a path for Yin and Vao, Verde supporting her with magic and Hekue playing her flute wildly.

Ozpin and Salem were further away, battling the Knights at the palace doors with Pyrrha and Chuck, holding them back until Team FRSB arrived. The Knights, to no surprise, were nothing short of violent, pushing them back down the steps. They couldn't even get close to the door, the golden armor of the murderous racists shining in the sun that was nearly blocked out by the fumes of smoking rising from burning buildings as catapults launched fiery projectiles into their own city in an attempt to ward off the invading nonhumans.