A dragon devouring faeries (TOME 15 of the TIAMAT'S WARS SERIE)

Dwarves

I had to give Kate some time to recover and she moved into the "ruined" castle but it was quite cozy with painted shutters, canopies and lots of cushions and a dining room reproducing our pre-cataclysm home.

All of her familiar items could be saved or reproduced, some adapted to her size and new physique.

It was better than nothing and she could go and calm down

Star and Waspy stayed nearby to comfort her. Cabal was filming me and she could follow me through the network of cameras in the base.

She could see my hard work and follow plans.

Kate: "Star, what is Hans doing now?"

"My dear mistress, your husband is preparing a meeting with representatives of the dwarf people, our future allies. He is going to offer them energy in exchange for metallurgy..."

Kate: "But why is he doing all this?"

Star: "We are at war!... The Elf and Fairy people are bent on destroying everything that touches our ancient world.

Kate: "At war???? Are they going to attack us?"

Star: "I'm afraid so..."

Kate: "But why?"

Star: "The very last representatives of the human species are coming back from a mining colony. They have been drifting for centuries and when a communication antenna was re-established, their ship was able to hang up the beacon and head for earth. If they arrive at the wrong place, we fear for their lives and all hope will be over for humanity."

Kate then began to understand her husband's desperation and relentlessness.

In the end, he wasn't that crazy...

"Star, do you think we can survive?"

"Statistically, the armed force is on our side, but the enemy is powerful and has mystical forces. So far we have nothing to worry about, your husband is reclaiming the northwest."

Kate: "But why not the coast? the cities?"

"The resources are in the mountains and for the moment we need minerals for the Repressor"

Kate: "What is it?

Star: "I think it's better for your husband to explain it to you, but it's an interstellar ship, a super-cruiser, also aircraft carrier"

Kate: "But this is insanity!"

She shook her head, not accepting the situation.

Kate: "Cabal, show me the outside world.."

And she could see the desolation of the advanced ruined cities, being only a pile of rubble and rock walls.

One could see other places, greener with some fantastic animals strolling along the rivers and villages with mushroom-shaped houses, inhabited by gnomes under surveillance.

One could also see the dwarf fortress to the east.

Kate could feel the energy returning to her and was beginning to get used to the way her body moved.

Meanwhile, I left, escorted by a dozen flying robots and landed in front of the dwarf fortress.

On either side, massive dwarf statues watched the sunset and the access to the top was by stairs carefully carved in the dwarf lord's chain mail.

But in front of the main entrance, there were two huge doors carved in gothic arches and on the sides, lots of small openings revealing loopholes where crossbowmen were waiting for a violent gesture from me to attack.