Esveldza: 'The Lonely Child of Fire'

Chapter XXVII- Pride of the Dwarves

Chapter XXVII

Pride of the Dwarves

We followed the dwarf on a long path around the side of the mountain, the dwarf refused to answer our questions and for a good hour we were left to the mass amount of unanswered questions and feelings of apprehension that swarmed our heads.

Finally we reached the opening to Heartstone; it too was heavily guarded but the guards who saw us approaching ran up to Verick, watching us with awe and suspicion, intensified by the dragons.

The great block architecture of Heartstone was evident from the steps leading into the city but as we entered and we were taken down the elevator, it suddenly hit me just how incredible the dwarves were with their skills. The elevator itself looked extravagant and could hold triple the weight and size of all of us, including dragons and the glass surroundings allowed us to view the massive hallowed mountain with great buildings providing the many dwarves for homes. We reached the ground floor of Heartstone but we could not enjoy the scenery much as we were greeted by more guards who grabbed us and led us straight to the main building.

I clung to Noomkiara both for protection and protectively as the dwarves stared up at us; they whispered amongst each other and pointed their fingers at us. It gave me the urge to stick my finger out at them too, for someone who spent many hours a week studying etiquette, the dwarves seemed barbaric and inconsiderate.

We reached the main building and we climbed a flight of stairs to be brought to a massive stone table where eight dwarves sat under the banners of their house. The leader of each house and their spouse came to attention when they saw us.

The leader of house Greystone greeted Verick, slapping his arm in a grateful gesture. The leader for house Greenstone was not only the only female primary leader of the house but also the leader of Heartstone. She stood to greet us and bowed a messy attempt at our bows but I felt admiration for trying. Her hair was a vibrant orange and her eyes a bright green. She was stocky like all dwarven women but it seemed even more so than others, I assumed it was muscle.

“I am Kaylend, of House Greenstone and acting ruler of Heartstone, we are aware that Soulstone had requested your help but in a dramatic change of events in the last few weeks, to go there would mean death, so instead, we both wish to provide security while you are here and plead on behalf of our safety as dwarves,” Kaylend paused, taking a breath and closing her eyes for a moment, “To help us solve this dispute.” Kaylend spoke nicely, she still had a faint gruffness to her voice but she was clear and refined nonetheless. She then attempted another bow.

My eyebrows raised, more questions forming into my head. What was the ‘dramatic changes’? What can a group of children, their young dragons and Master do for a whole dwarven civilisation? I looked to Daarken again, his eyes met mine but we both said or did nothing, the look enough to give each other reassurance.

Salvator stepped forward and he bowed even more elegantly than before, “I am Salvator of Tivess. High Master of Battle and I thank you for your politeness, however I ask for more clearance of what it is you wish for us to help with, and what has befallen of our comrades?”

The leader of Bluestone gestured to some of his guards and out walked two dwarves with the head of a fallen warrior. His body was trying to return to Esveldza, so the head was burnt in numerous places, clearly the god’s attempt at retrieving it but the mutilation of the deceased’s body parts mean that it cannot be reincarnated for hundreds of years. Such a long period of time of emptiness was a terrible torture, such a cruel act was used as punishment thousands of years ago but we were meant to have evolved since then.

Seeing the head so went straight to my heart, these people had gone out of their way to ensure the suffering of another being that had come only to help. Kirrahh thrived on my anger; we can destroy them, together.