Dimitri smiled and laughed, his eyes kind. “Yes, but I did not need to rest as often. As liaison to the Empress, I often run messages from one side of the mountain to the other, and back again. We do have ponies some of the errants use for longer treks. The furthest orenite mines are miles away from the main living areas. But, the ponies are few in number, and they do not seem to care much for me.”
“What are the mines like? How deep do they go?” Leo was fascinated with the sciences of something he once believed to be no more than myth and fairy tale. He questioned Dimitri every chance he could, and the young man answered him patiently.
“Oh, I do not know anything about that,” said Dimitri. He wiped his sleeve across his brow and stretched his long legs. “We are always digging deeper and creating new tunnels. It is a great feat of engineering that only the most skilled are trained to do. They must work with precise calculations to ensure the tunnels do not collapse. They must account for the ventilation shafts, and even the kind of stone they are working with. This is why there are runes and jewels covering the tunnel walls. They serve not only as adornment but as markers to tell you where you are, and how to get to certain places of importance. Some tunnels have sharp turns every twenty feet for miles! But they are truly gorgeous. Human or no, I would never want to live anywhere else.”
“If you work for the Empress,” said Jack as he banged and scraped mud from his shoes, “who’s the Emperor?”
Dimitri laughed a deep belly laugh unbefitting his age. It made Piper smile in a way the boys had not seen before.
“My apologies,” Dimitri replied. “I forget you are not of this world. There can be no doubt of that now, I am sure.” He wiped a tear from his eye and looked at the sky above him. It was growing darker by the minute. The shadows around them had lengthened significantly since they had stopped. “We should set up camp. I told the Empress I would be back by nightfall, but it is too dangerous to travel much farther in the dark.”
“That overhang is probably as safe as we are going to find without exploring.” Piper pointed at a location several yards away.
“That’s why I’m here, my gem.” Dimitri smiled at her again, and ran his fingers through his curly black hair, making Piper blush. “Just a little further is a small cave. It will be a bit crowded, but we will be safer there than out in the open.” He scanned the area, squinting through the deepening darkness. “There are worse things than bumbling mountain trolls out here. Come.”
They travelled only another quarter hour, yet it was so dark when they arrived, they could barely see the person in front of them.
“Night sure comes fast here,” said Leo.
“It is the angle of the mountain,” said Piper. “You will find morning comes too soon, and the dew seems to linger.”
They built a fire with what little kindling and wood they could find in the dark. The threat of creatures that feared the flame was greater than those attracted to it. They took turns keeping watch. Jack was too excited for sleep, and volunteered for the first watch.
“You never finished telling me about the Emperor,” he said quietly to Dimitri. They had all settled into their respective nooks and crevices in the tiny cave for the night.
“Ah, yes,” Dimitri whispered. Piper had already fallen asleep against Dimitri’s chest. He carefully adjusted his arm and continued quietly, “Well, there is no Emperor.”
“Did he die?” asked Jack.
“No, there simply isn’t one. The Dwarvik society is mostly run by our women. Ladies are very rare amongst the dwarves. Women are the head of their House, and they can take up to four husbands. The first Hasana, or husband, to give her a daughter becomes Harasan, or the Head Husband. He is in charge of the daily running of the household. Our men are our craftsmen who specialize in trade skills.”
“What do the wives do, then?” Jack asked as he poked the fire with a long stick.
“They manage the finances their hasanas earn. They negotiate raises and work place advancements for their hasanas. If they do not yet have a Harasan, they designate the daily tasks necessary to run the House and decide whether they will continue in their current profession or find other work. Our women find apprenticeships for their children and work to arrange good marriages for them. They are our religious leaders and political negotiators with other peoples. They make our laws and carry out justice. Women, unlike men, can rule with their heart, mind and soul. It is very difficult for men to find their souls.”
“That’s not, like, very fair,” chimed Jayson, who had apparently been listening.
Dimitri scowled. Even by firelight, his once twinkling eyes were hard as stone. “Our system has worked well enough since long before you or any great kings were here in Chartile. If I did not know better, I would say you sounded much like a Black Diamond.”
“A what?” asked Leo, pushing himself up to sit.
“Ssh!” said Jack as Piper stirred slightly. Dimitri repositioned his arm again and continued.
“The Black Diamonds are a society of men who have been cast out by their families, or have joined in secret for want of greater privilege. They have been trying for years to get a man on the Council. They want to manage their own finances. They want to choose their own marriages.” He frowned, allowing a scowl to wrinkle his brow. “All they do is want. They have spent too much time among the elves with their society of equality. They have no respect for tradition.”
“You sound like you’re a dwarf, Dimitri,” Leo interrupted in an attempt to break the argument. He could see Jayson had opened his mouth to speak again, but shut it quickly and folded his arms when Leo intervened.
“My mother was the head retainer and liaison for the Empress before me. She fell in love with a brother of the Empress, and died giving birth to me because the healers would not remove her orenite cuffs. The Empress was very fond of my mother, and since the Empress is not permitted marriage or children of her own, she raised me. I recently took my birth mother’s place as head retainer and liaison.”
“Wait, so you’re half human and half royal dwarf? How does that work?” asked Jack.
“And you’re awfully tall for a dwarf,” said Jayson raising an eyebrow.
Dimitri sighed. He rubbed his temples with his free hand, and the boys could see the circles forming under his eyes.
“The positions of Princess, Queen and Empress are appointed positions, no different than anyone on the Council. This is why we need Piper. There is a stalemate in— well, it’s very complicated.” He yawned and stroked Piper’s hair absentmindedly. “It is late. Let us rest. You will learn plenty when we arrive at the fortress tomorrow.”
The boys sat awake for some time, musing over the thoughts of everything they had just learned. When they had first arrived, Chartile seemed smaller, less complicated than home. Now, life was starting to become more complex in ways they could not understand. Magic existed, but was prohibited. Dwarves were a matriarchal society, and Piper was someone important that the dwarves needed to settle a political matter of state. Piper, who once seemed little more than a sisterly figure in this strange land, was becoming more and more interesting by the day.
Chapter Six
At Fortress Kelsii
Jayson woke with a start. He had drifted off, thinking of the “dangers worse than bumbling mountain trolls.” His experience of being carried off by a troll his first day in Chartile had set him on edge whenever darkness came. He wasn’t sure what had roused him, though he shouldn’t have been sleeping anyway. He had traded shifts with Jack only minutes ago. Or had it been hours? There was a rustling just outside the cave entrance. He must have been sleeping longer than he thought, for the fire had reduced to glowing embers. Something moved again, this time closer to the cave entrance. There wasn’t much time to rebuild the fire, but he could hardly see to shoot with his bow.
Jayson moved as slowly and quietly as he could, adding a log to the fire. He fanned the flames with one hand and reached for his bow with the other. The sound was more like
scuttling this time, and was closer and faster. He thought he saw the glint of glowing red eyes, but dismissed it as a trick of the darkness.
It all happened at once. A massive, leathery-winged creature flew into the cave, its wings fanning out what little fire had just sprung to life. Jayson cried out and shot the beast with the single arrow he had managed to grab before falling spread eagle across the floor and his friends. The arrow missed its main target, but caught in the animal’s wing. It screamed, and everyone was on their feet now, scrambling in the dark for their weapons.
The creature pulled the arrow from its wing with almost human hands and rounded on Jayson. He had lost most of his arrows when he had fallen. His hands shook as he fitted on to his bow string. Before he could notch it, the monster was upon him. Its wings beat around him, and its screeching and screaming was deafening now that it was inches from his face.
“Jayson!” someone shouted. There was a flurry of weapons. Jayson was oblivious to anything but the animal screaming at him. He held his arms around his head, and curled himself into a ball. From beneath his arm, he saw a dark gray face, both human and bat-like, with large, pointed teeth in a wide mouth as it screeched. The creature opened its mouth wider, ready to bear down on him. He closed his eyes, prepared for the pain. It never came. Piper cried out and lunged forward to cover Jayson. The creature sank its teeth deep into Piper’s arm. She screamed an agonizing cry as loud as the creature’s. It echoed off the small cave walls. What appeared to be lightning surrounded her and lashed out at the creature. It screeched its ear-piercing cry again, and turned tail, taking off into the night.
Jack and Leo followed it, but it vanished into the night as quickly as it had come. Piper fell to the floor beside Jayson whimpering and shaking. He knew this was his fault. If he hadn’t fallen asleep, the fire would have never died.
“Piper, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” was all he could say. He couldn’t move. He shook so violently he could barely hold his bow. He didn’t even notice the tears that streaked his cheeks. Piper was shaking more fiercely now, and her breathing was becoming more labored. The lightning coiling around her body had died away, leaving the shrunken form of a little girl curled in pain at their feet.
Jack and Leo hurried back into the cave to find Dimitri cradling Piper, and holding back her hands to keep her from clawing at the bite wounds on her arm. The flesh around the wound was red and raw as though it had been touched by acid.
“It burns! It burns!” She whimpered weakly, her head rolling from side to side. She screamed again and fell unconscious.
“Piper, stay with me! Stay awake!” Dimitri bellowed. He shook Piper and ran a hand over her face and hair, but she did not stir.
Panic followed. Leo and Jack dropped to Piper’s side. They too attempted to rouse her, but to no avail. Jayson curled back against the wall, his arms wrapped around his torso and tears continuing to stream down his face. Dimitri stood, cradling Piper in his arms. She suddenly appeared very small and frail.
“I must get her to the healers. They can help her,” he said and hurried from the cave. It was still dark, and the threat of getting lost or being attacked again loomed for another several hours. They could not hold out for morning. Piper could not hold out for morning.
“Dimitri! Wait!” Jack cried. “Let’s at least light some torches.” Dimitri nodded in agreement, but did not set Piper down. He swayed and paced at the mouth of the cave. He kissed Piper’s forehead and whispered quietly to her. Jack and Leo worked as quickly to make three torches from the scant supplies they had carried. Jayson attempted to help by fanning the barely warm embers, but he still shook so violently that Leo eventually took over.
“Please! Quickly,” pleaded Dimitri. It pained them all to hear such desperation in his voice. “We still have many hours journey. Why didn’t I bring a pony? Oh, by Rashiri!”
“We’re almost done,” said Jack, lighting the last torch. “There. Alright, I’ll lead. You just tell me where to go.” Dimitri nodded, and they hurried on.
Even by torchlight, their way was still slow and cumbersome. At first they attempted a slow jog. But after having tripped on rocks and roots, or nearly ending up with a face full of branch, they quickly slowed to a brisk walk. If Dimitri tired of carrying Piper it did not show save for the few times he adjusted her position in his arms. She never stirred the entire way.
Finally, the sky began to turn from black to gray. They found a small spring, and collapsed at its banks in an unspoken agreement of rest. Dimitri gently laid Piper in the moss and grass by the water. Carefully, he cleansed her wound, wiping the blood streaks from her arm with immense care. Jayson dropped to his knees and splashed the icy water on his face two handed. He looked at Piper who was ashen and sweaty.
“This is my fault,” he whispered. “I fell asleep. The fire died. Damn it! Why does this keep happening to me? First the trolls, now this? Oh, God!”
“Jayson, this could have happened to any of us. We were all exhausted,” said Jack.
“If she dies —”whimpered Jayson.
“She’s not going to die,” said Leo so assuring, they knew it was forced.
They fell silent, looking at Dimitri, waiting for some kind of reassurance. But it never came. Dimitri never took his eyes from Piper. He softly arranged her red hair against the dark green moss. “Let’s keep moving,” he said abruptly. He lifted Piper with ease and hurried onward.
The boys suspected they may have been slowing their progress, but they still managed to arrive at Fortress Kelsii just as the sun peeked over the top of the mountain. It illuminated the great entrance in a shimmering array of gems and color. Two carved stone doors stood open before them, at least twenty feet high and each twelve feet wide. They were inset with hundreds of gems, and were as strong as they were beautiful. Six armored guards stood at either side of the doors. The boys were surprised to see they were all very tall, and even more muscular and built than Dimitri. They had the same dark complexion, some even darker. These were not the dwarves the boys had expected.
“Dimitri,” said the guard on the right. “Thank the stone you are alright. What is going on? Who are they?”
“There is no time to explain, Imohad. Piper has been attacked, and I believe it was a vampire.” The faces of the guards turned suddenly grave. They fidgeted and whispered amongst themselves.
“A vampire? Snap, man, that’s what that thing was?” Leo asked, but was ignored.
“Come,” replied Imohad. Four guards escorted them inside, their bright, polished armor clanking off the stone walls.
Even in their concern for Piper, the boys could not help but hope they would get another opportunity to explore the grandeur that surrounded them. They hurried along so quickly they were unable to take in everything Fortress Kelsii offered their wandering eyes. Different kinds of rock had been layered and arranged in intricate patterns, pressed and swirled together. The runes were their own work of art. Some had been chiseled into the rock face, while others had been carved from large pieces of gem stone, and had been fixed to the wall above the tunnel entrances. There were Dwarvik runes, Draconian runes, Elven script, and several other kinds of writing. They adorned the walls of the great circular room they entered immediately beyond the front gates. At least thirty tunnels led off the main entrance, each with a different pattern and colored gem at the top of each entrance.
“Someone inform the Empress and Queen!” Dimitri called.
One of the guards nodded and took off at a run toward another tunnel. Jayson, Jack and Leo were panting to keep up. They knew that even if they were separated, Piper was all that mattered now.
Twisting and turning, never ending, on and on the tunnels went. The path they took was smooth and square, and illuminated by jewel-encrusted oil lamps along the way. Finally, they turned down a wide corridor and saw their first door in what felt like miles. The guards pushed it open, making room for Dimitri and the boys to pass through. Inside was a high ceilinged room with white marble flo
ors and walls. There were many small beds along the walls, and the shelves were lined with herb-filled glass pots. A small fountain bubbled forth from one wall, falling into a basin and draining through a pipe to a hole in the floor. It was clean and more advanced than Jayson, Jack and Leo expected.
A short woman looked up from her work at a small counter by the herb shelves. Her hair was pulled back into many tiny braids, each intricately laced through with jewels and stone beads. She wiped her hands on a towel and pointed to the bed to her right.
“Elf. Vampire,” panted Dimitri, setting Piper gently on the bed. The woman nodded and hurried back to the shelf of herbs.
From the doorway behind Leo, Jack and Jayson, four more guards joined the growing throng of people in the hall. They ushered in three more women, their hair also beautifully braided and decorated with jewels and beads, but far fewer than the healer. They were otherwise plainly clothed, which surprised the boys as they suspected this was the Empress and Queen Dimitri had called for.
“Hello, Dimitri,” sighed the eldest woman. She held out her arms and embraced him. Though her skin was smooth and glowing, her eyes looked old and worn. “How is she?” she asked. Dimitri shook his head.
The healer bustled back to Piper with a poultice, a blanket and a cold compress. Her fingers worked the greenish-gray mess into Piper’s wound. Quite unexpectedly, she gave a loud cry and jumped back. No one needed ask why. The lightning that had appeared during their battle with the vampire had returned. It snaked its way around Piper’s body again, wrapping her in a protective prism.
“Magic?” whispered one of the guards. The boys had nearly forgotten magic was forbidden and feared throughout Chartile. They had become so used to Piper’s magic, or at least the idea of it. They hadn’t seen her use it since their first night in Chartile. It had not occurred to them what might happen if others encountered it.
“Out,” said the older woman. Her voice turned strong and commanding. “Everyone out. Not you three,” she pointed to Jack, Leo and Jayson. Dimitri had not moved. He appeared determined not to leave Piper’s side and needed no encouragement to stay.
Chartile: Prophecy Page 6
