Naurus looked on in awe at the massif looming in front of them. Steam and smoke poured from holes that peppered the massive slabs of granite that made the mountain.
“Who are all those people?”
“Looks like trading caravans and merchants. This certainly has grown far more than I thought it would.”
At the base of the mount was a massive cavern, easily large enough to fit an entire bazaar and then some. Carts and wagons filtered in and out, and the sounds of loud and obnoxious commerce could be heard clearly as they drew closer. Nobody seemed to notice the two new strangers in their midst.
“Get yer arms and armor ‘ere! Finest steel in all the land! Lifetime guarantee!”
“How much?”
“If ya must ask, ye cannae afford it! We don’t got no stinkin’ credit either!”
“How about twenty a pound?”
“How ‘bout you go be poor somewhere else?! NEXT!”
Naurus couldn’t stifle a fit of laughter. Morra nudged him.
“Don’t stare and laugh!” She tried to whisper through the din. “That’s just how they do business. They don’t screw around. Come on, follow me.”
Morra grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowds of colorfully dressed merchants, smelly servants, all manner of pack animals, and frenzied bidding as they pushed deeper into the cavern bazaar. The crowd finally abated as they drew into a tunnel which wound deeper into the earth.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. Just act like you belong. Let me do the talking.”
He nodded and followed her into the expertly hewn tunnel. The floors were smooth and flat. Torches were placed every so often that there were no shadows to be found. After winding down a long, gentle curve they came to a massive steel door that had no obvious handle or knocker. Morra took out her revolver and rapped the butt of it against the center several times. Several moments passed until a faint noise could be heard on the other side. Suddenly a viewport snapped open at chest level and a pair of wary eyes peered through.
“Ey? Are ya lost, lassie?”
“Greetings to you. I’m not lost at all in fact. I come looking for Gundir of the Iron Hills. Pray tell if he is around for a quick chat?”
The dwarf grunted, scanning both of them carefully.
“An’ what business would ya need with ‘im?”
“It’s official and confidential business! Tell him the old marshal is here, he will know exactly who I am.”
“Yeah huh, we shall see!” The sentry grunted before snapping the viewport shut.
“Well then…” Naurus thought out loud.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s around. Now we just have to wait a bit. He ran the steelworks here last I checked, so I doubt he’s anywhere else.”
“And what if he’s not?”
“Ye of little faith, my fledgling. Had he died that sentry would have said so. Dwarves are blunt if nothing else.”
A few minutes passed in silence with little more than distant voices of spirited haggling echoing down the hall. The viewport snapped back open and a different pair of eyes glared through.
“Ya gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me! May the gods smite me if I don’t break you in half ya daft old bitch!”
Naurus looked over at Morra, who smiled broadly and stuck her arms akimbo. As the huge steel door clanked and groaned with its unlocking procedure, she started twisting her hips and rolling her neck in rhythmic fashion.
“What are you doing?” He asked in confusion.
“Just limbering up. Dwarves are very uh…hands on, you see.” She replied nonchalantly.
The steel slab of a door swung open and with it came a wave of warm, dry air. A blocky, thickly bearded dwarf who was built like a boulder came sauntering through. He made haste over to Morra, his heavy boots clattering along the smooth rock floor as his leather apron swung rapidly. In an instant Morra was locked in his arms and he picked her up effortlessly followed by the horrible sounds of bones popping and cracking in places that shouldn’t be possible. Naurus winced at the sound, but Morra was soon back on her feet and grimaced joyously through the new-found pain.
“Where ya been?! I’ve been out here thinkin’ ye died! You could at least write me a god damned letter or two!”
“I’m sorry, Gundir! I know that was mean of me, but I had no idea where you wound up! Here I thought you were smoked out of these damn caves by the elves during that insurrection back in—”
“And who be this lad? All clean shaved like a lil’ babe at that!” Gundir bellowed out under his thick, red moustache.
Naurus blushed then scowled at Morra who sniggered like a child.
“That’s my…” She caught her breath. “That’s my friend, Naurus. He’s here on some official business with me you see.”
Gundir took off his rawhide gloves and stuck out a calloused hand. They shook hands, and it felt more like his hand was being crushed in an iron vice than a normal handshake.
“Aye! Pleasure’s mine. You should think ‘bout growin’ out yer beard one o’ these days, lad! Make a man outta you yet! Come on, follow me ya mangy drifters.”
Morra cocked an eyebrow at her protégé then beckoned him to follow as she tagged behind Gundir. Upon following a bend after the vault-like door, a cavernous chamber opened up and revealed a foundry the likes of which Naurus had never conceived. On one side blast furnaces belched forth waves of heat and sparks as ores were smelted and ingots were poured and pressed from that. Opposite them a row of meticulously lined up anvils and bellows were eagerly staffed by bearded blacksmiths who hammered away at all manner of blades, barrels, armor, and horse shoes.
They were led through this perfectly carved out granite chamber with vaulted ceilings that was pierced by chimneys and smoke stacks every which way. Naurus was so transfixed by the sights and sounds he only realized that Morra and her dwarven friend were conversing when he stopped and bumped into her.
“Are you going blind on me?” Morra jested.
“No uh…just spaced out. What is all this?”
“This, lad…well this is the heart of our industry! All the finest arms and armor come from right ‘ere! But this be no place for chitter-chatter, let’s keep on.” Gundir bellowed out over the din.
The drifters followed their host deeper yet into a spiral staircase hewn from the rock and this went down into a hallway that terminated in a set of iron doors. Beyond these was a square room with a few wooden doors, and in they went to the room on the left. This appeared to be an office of some sort featuring shelves and bookcases full of messy papers, books, and ledgers. Naurus sat down in a stout wooden chair alongside Morra, and Gundir positioned himself at the opposite end of a large, polished stone table before them. A torch sconce burned intensely on the floor besides him.
“Well, now that we have some peace an’ quiet, what sort of business bring ye here?” Gundir said, pulling a pipe and a glass jar off a shelf behind him.
“Oh, it’s nothing all that fun. Boring, official state business. We’re merely agents of the Kingdom at this point. Unless we have gone to war in the past week or so?” Morra asked pointedly.
Gundir gingerly packed the thick, wooden bowl with a sizable chunk of a dark, brown leafy substance. He struck a match against the table and puffed until the greyish-blue smoke was billowing forth.
“Well…luck for ya that no we still are at a state of peace…on paper.” Gundir puffed several times. “Now if that wasn’t the case, you would be enemy combatants right here, right now.”
“How do you figure? Are the dwarven clans dedicated to fighting alongside humans who hardly care about them?” Morra asked with concern.
“Nay…well it’s a bit more complicated than that. Ya see, you’ve been gone fer so damn long that you’ve never heard of what happened a decade or so back.”
“What’s that?”
“Well after a series of territorial disputes, border skirmishes, and trade embargoes plagued all these lands we d
ecided to change. A negotiation was held between the Three Kingdoms. We had all recovered from the war and split up of the empire in different ways. We licked our wounds, rebuilt, and now we all were butting heads again as the need for change became unstoppable. At this negotiation, it was decided to form into an alliance called the Triple Confederacy. We all bound together under one standard: three stars over a black background.”
Morra shifted uncomfortably and rubbed her temples.
“Oh…well that would explain a few things...”
“Aye? What would that be, Mo-Mo?”
“So, the principality is no more?”
“On paper, aye. It’s still there underneath it all. Those damned humans wouldn’t have it any other way. Why the sour face?”
“Well, on the way in here we passed a column of soldiers bearing that same standard.”
“Har-har! They passed by ‘ere too, people were sayin’ that there had been an incursion by the mouth of the Kominzee. I’m gonna hazard a guess that you two are the intruders, eh?”
“I wouldn’t say you’re wrong.” Morra said tersely. “But I’m just amazed you decided to enter a formal alliance after all that’s happened.”
“Well, we decided to go with what’s best for business.” Gundir puffed some more. “Our foundries have never worked harder, and the money flows in like a river. We provide all the arms and armor for the military of the confederacy and those are some nice and juicy contracts lemme tell ya!”
“Oh I believe it. I was wondering about where all that armor cladding for your ships came from…”
“From us! We don’t really care who needs our wares or fer what, we just provide what the market wants! It’s just business…A very unfortunate business that has been used by the humans for their war mongerin’ and all.”
Morra seemed lost in thought.
“So…what now?” Naurus asked her, not sure what their goal here was.
“Now…I don’t know. Gundir, we need to stay here at least for tonight. We will have to adjust our plans and figure out the best way to get to the nearest human city. I forgot what it was called but—”
“Ye be thinking of Wedgewood, dear lassie. Betwixt here and there lies a fortified checkpoint that you would have to pass through. And given yer…well...not so human looks you would be asked for papers that ya don’t have. Instead, there is an old miners path that circumvents it, allowing you to sneak around with ease! But yes you two look a bit worse for wear. Let’s see where we can shack you up!”
With that Gundir got down from his chair and beckoned them back through the way they came, puffing his pipe and leaving a trail of sweet, earthy smoke behind him. He tossed his apron onto a rack, revealing the knobby bronze handles of the nunchaku tucked into his belt. They took another tunnelway that led from the foundry and followed it. Naurus had no idea how they didn’t lose themselves in the maze of tunnels and hallways they were led through, but eventually they came to another steel door. With a quick gesture, their dwarven host signaled the sentry to open it up and with that came a wave of fresh air and natural light flooded in. They were back outside now, on a massive stone shelf carved out like a terrace.
“Follow me! Watch your steps, we don’t have any magick barriers here either!” Gundir proclaimed, making his way down a zig zag of pathways that led down the face of a cliff.
It soon because apparent that these stairs led down to a town, but it was no ordinary town with thatched roofs and wooden huts. At the base of the stairs was a caldera filled with steel roofs that glimmered in the light and wisps of smoke that puffed out of stone chimneys. The entire town was carved from stone or built from great sheets of steel and bricks. They finally made it to the bottom of the perilously steep path and paused for a moment.
“This ‘ere is the pride and joy of my clan! An impregnable fortress where no outsiders tread without my permission!”
“I see.” Morra said dispassionately. “And what’s this little paradise called?”
“In our tongue, it’s Kairn-Du. Call it what you like for all I care! In fact, you are the first foreigners to ever set foot here. But screw all that formality, let’s get something to drink!” Gundir bellowed out and made haste towards a large rock wall.
Carved into the wall was clearly sets of windows and a doorway, as if it was a two-story building otherwise. They followed him in through the iron door and quickly realized they were in a tavern, but one that was built entirely into the rock. In here there was a surprising amount of natural lighting, with all manner of animal pelts decorating the walls alongside battle worn arms and armor. Suspicious eyes abound and locked onto the outsiders. The men scowled over their thick beards and the petite women only offered fleeting glances of their beady eyes from under thick bangs. Hushed whispers surrounded them, and Naurus felt like the complete stranger he was.
They mounted up to the bar, and Gundir slapped the top of the counter with the bottom of an empty tankard laying there. The barkeep turned around, throwing his thick ponytail over his shoulder and stroked his plaited beard while eyeing the newcomers.
“Who be this, Gundy?”
“These are just some friends, don’t worry. We sure are parched, I need a round of mead!”
“Aye, comin’ right up.”
The mead was spicy but refreshing, and Naurus finished his before he knew it.
“Bit thirsty, are ya lad?” Gundir asked him with a smirk.
“Yes, it’s been quite the trip. That’s delicious, whatever you have in there.”
“Family secret, it is! So, what’s it gonna be Mo-Mo? Shack up here fer the night, then what?”
Morra chuckled. “You stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, friend but at least you haven’t changed in that regard. I’m afraid I can’t tell you everything, but in Wedgewood I hope to find more answers. I do appreciate your help though.”
“Duly noted. Now, how’s your little friend here factoring in to this lil’ plan of yours?”
Morra looked at Naurus, who smiled sheepishly.
“Well, he’s just my little pack mule. Gotta have some company on these long treks, you know?” She answered back.
“Truly. We still have much catching up to do, and I’m still damned thirsty!”
Hearing this, the barkeep made his way back over and refilled the trio of tankards. Naurus was starting to feel a pleasant buzz.
“By the by, I can’t help but to have noticed those wheel guns of yours. They look to have the unmistakable makings of dwarven craftsmen indeed!”
“Oh I didn’t realize that. They were just a gift from old Dez who we just visited.”
Gundir almost spat up all over the bar top. “Dezlyn?! That old bastard is still around too? Gods alive, I never expected such news on two accounts in one day!”
“Well I’m happy to bear some good news then.” Morra laughed.
She plunked down a pouch of coin on the mirror polished granite top.
“Next rounds on me!”
“Aye? Well isn’t that sweet? Only problem is, this ‘ere isn’t good money anymore!”
“And just what do you mean by that?”
“I mean we don’t use it anymore!” Gundir dumped out the coins and sifted through them with surprised dexterity. “Under the Confederacy we use a different currency now. What I can do is exchange this for the current going rate in cash though.”
“In what now?” Morra sounded astonished.
“In cash! I’ll take these coins and smelt them down into something nice like some jewelry. This ‘ere is for you now.”
Gundir pulled out a wallet and plopped down a wad of what looked like rectangular pieces of parchment. Morra picked up the parchment and eyed it suspiciously. The bills were printed with an ornate pattern holding the flag of the Confederacy in the center of it. Different numerals were printed on the corners of different bills.
“So, what do I do with this scrap paper?” Morra asked defiantly.
“You use that for money now, you nitwit!
I know it’s strange, but tis’ how we do things now. Nobody runs around with coins now, that just makes you stand out like the outsiders you are!”
“But…how is it worth anything? It’s just paper!”
“Aye, you’re right. They call it fiat currency. Some fancy banker talk for those bills which are backed by the government at a guaranteed value, or so they say. I care little, business is booming, and the cash is flowing!”
Morra looked over at Naurus and tossed the wad over to him. He just shrugged his shoulders and inspected the bills with a disdainful curiosity.
“Well, you wanderers must be tired. You ought to shack up ‘ere for the night.”
“Good plan.” Morra said, chugging the last of her mead. “But all this drinking has made us hungry!”
“Such demanding visitors you are!” Gundir bellowed with fake indignation. “First drink, now food! We shall scrounge something up!”
The barkeep walked back over and eyed the pile of coins with a strange look and a slow shaking of his head. Gundir met his gaze.
“They ne’er kin, ken?”
“Aye!”
✽ ✽ ✽
“Well shit. We can’t follow ‘em in there!”
“Right you are, but now we just need to think. There really is only one logical way they can go now.”
Trevin pulled out his map and scrutinized it in the waning evening light. He then pulled his binoculars out and scanned the hills surrounding the Mithril Mountains. The wagons full of horses and the merchants and traders they carried made off back down the road, disappearing behind a thick copse in the distance.
“Why don’t we just follow them?” Gully asked.
“We could, but it looks like there are some military envoys down there too. I can see that same damn flag with them, same that the column we passed had. I’d rather not risk being recognized as that would be my luck. My map here says there’s a town called Wedgewood perhaps ten miles due east. Looks like that’s where we are heading. My old ass could really use a nice bed and a stiff drink yesterday!”
“Hah, yeah you sure do like to bitch an’ moan now.” Gully chewed on a maple leaf. “How do we get there without the main road though?”
Empire's Edge (Path of Light Book 2) Page 8
