World Of War (Arula: Three)

Chapter 3

Karma followed the servant girl through the palace halls. The servant girl had insisted on guiding Karma there, because she could tell that the Creator was too tired to concentrate on where she was going. Karma, at first refused, but nevertheless allowed the girl to do so. The long-tail fox, Angel followed closely behind, tail wagging and tongue hanging out. It was barely sunrise when the servant woke Karma from her nightmare. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon and the palace halls were yet to be lit up the sun's light. The servant girl, as she guided Karma, carried a candle to help her see through the dark halls. There were lights somewhat in the halls, but it was barely enough to light the halls clearly. It was enough to know where you were at in the palace.

The throne room doors stood just ahead of them. Two guards stood by either side and opened the heavy wooden doors when Karma and the servant arrived. "I leave you here, miss." The servant girl said with a bow and left. Karma entered the dimly light room. The throne room remained the same since Termis' rule, but the only difference was that no one sat at the throne. A small table was set up in the center of the room with chairs surrounding it. Head-Council Marcus sat the head, of course, Omar was there, as well as Dagner, and four other dwarves sat at the table. One dwarf wore brightly colored clothing with an iron crown upon his head. Another dwarf wore a dark colored robe and he had a tall cloth hat sitting upon his head. The hat was grey with red outlining it with a red hammer designed in the center of it. The other two dwarves appeared to their guards because they wore armor and one had an axe at his side while the other had a mace at his.

"Ah, Creator!" Head-Council Marcus said. "It is so wonderful that you finally decide to join us. I'm sorry for the early inconvenience, but this very important. Come, have a seat." The Head gestured to one of the many chairs.

"All is good, Head-Council," Karma said, irritably. "I was already a wake when you sent the young servant to fetch me." Head-Council Marcus smiled pleasantly, but it was a fake smile. He watched as Karma took a seat beside Omar and he gave a hard look that meant, behave yourself or you'll regret it dearly. Karma returned a look that said in mockery, oh don't worry, I will. Clearing his throat, the Head spoke,

"Very well, Creator, now back to business. As you know this is Prince Valor, son of King Harloff, king of the dwarves," Marcus motioned to the dwarf with the iron crown on his head. "And this is Stark, the King's head advisor." Marcus motioned to the dwarf with the tall hat on his head. The Prince bowed his head to Karma.

"It is an honor to meet the Creator of our world," he said in pleasantly soft voice.

"The honor is all mine." Returned Karma polity. "And what brings you here to the human side of Arula?"

"Yes, well, Creator we have a problem back at the Dwarven Clan. Recently as you know, we've been having some... issues with the Goblin Clan." Karma nodded and asked for the Prince to continue. "As it turns out, the goblins had taken it too far this time. Our people are disappearing, Creator, and we believe that the goblins are behind it."

"How do you figure? If you don't me asking?" Omar asked, leaning forward on his arms.

"None at all," the advisor, Stark said. "The only dwarves that seem to be disappearing are the ones near the border of our two Clans. And when our people go out of their villages to hunt, to scout, or whatever they do, they disappear, mysteriously without a trace." The advisor looked at Karma. "We ask for your assistances, Creator. We do not wish to go into war, but if these disappearances keep occurring and if the goblins do not give back our people we will go into war."

----

Karma had a lot to think about. After a few more spoken words, Karma asked to give her time to think. "Of course," the Prince had said. "We understand that is a lot to think about." So, Karma, Omar, and Dagner stood outside the throne room. They stood there in silence for a long moment.

"What do you guys think?" Karma asked. She was standing in one of the many windowless, windows watching the sunrise. Omar stood on the other side of her, transfixed with his retractable dagger.

"I think something strange is going on here, Karma, that's what I think." Omar said, his hazel eyes lifting to meet Karma's, but she wasn't looking at him.

"You want to know what I think?" Dagner said from the other side of the hall, his stubby fingers ringing together. "I think we should join them and help fight the goblins. They had gone too far this time!"

"We don't want another war, Dagner." Karma said. "If we do decide to help them, we do it peacefully. Go the goblin's capital city and speak to their lord." There are no kings or queens in the Goblin Clan. They intend to vote on a lord or a lady. "And see if what the Prince and the Advisor say is true. And if it happens not to be true, that they didn't kidnap the dwarves, then I don't know what to do."

"And what if they did?" Asked the dwarf.

"Then we try to make a peace treaty and ask them to give back the dwarves they had taken." Dagner snorted at that, as if it were impossible thing to do. "Well it's all I got!" Karma snipped at her dwarven friend.

"I still say we go into war with those freaks craiceann uaine!"*1 Dagner was furious, and both Karma and Omar could see that. They knew that Dagner was one to get upset easily, especially if meant any harm to his Clan or his friends.

"Karma's right, Dagner," Omar said softly. "We don't know what we're dealing with here. We must be cautious."

"BAH!" Dagner spat at them. "Have it your way, but don't blame me when all the dwarves are wipe out of existences." And with that the dwarf stalked away.

"Dagner! Wait!" Karma called after him, but Omar stopped her short.

"Let him be, Karma. We both know how he can be. He'll drink himself drunk dead and he'll be better in the morning, you'll see." Karma felt unsure about that, but she didn't argue with him.

----

Karma and Omar walked back into the throne room and sat down. They had made their decision. "Sorry," Karma said to them. "But there is no way we can help. We're just not sure if the goblins are truly kidnapping your people. This isn't our fight." Prince Valor bowed his head.

"We understand, Creator. It was silly of us to ask you of this. You are forgiven, nonetheless. I will tell my father such and he will also understand, for we are reasonable people. We thank you for time." Karma shook the Prince's stubby hands.

"You are most welcomed; I just wish there were something we could do. I will make sure that your supplies are refilled for the journey back home." Karma said walking beside the Prince as they made their way out of the throne room.

"Danke,"*2 Creator that would be most appreciated." The Prince said and he, the Advisor, and their guards, were led back down to the stables to prepare for their departure.

*1 "freaks craiceann uaine" ~ "green skinned freaks"

*2 "Danke" ~ "Thank you"