Dohman spoke briefly with the men. Two white-haired men talked the most, even as Dante noticed that Gilman was one of the men standing behind the older dwarves. He wondered at the actual rank of those arranged before him. Gilman was obviously important, but his standing behind led to the belief that he was still only moderately ranked.
Dante and Valenia had left the rest of their troops to those that Dohman had appointed as they entered camp. That left the two of them to stare at each other and the dwarves for several minutes while the men all talked together in their own language.
Dante leaned over whispering occasionally to note their hosts' actions. Valenia also began to noticeably chafe at the waiting. They were alike in that they were people of action. Having to wait unknowing before these dwarves, was a form of boredom that they could hardly tolerate even though it could spell disaster to act out of hand.
Finally, Dohman turned to the two of them and stated, "I have told them that you know of the Dark Emperor and have found an object of power that your people believe to be strong enough to challenge the Dark One."
"And?" Dante prodded.
"Before they willingly help you, they wish to see the weapon."
"I don't know..." he began worriedly and looked to Valenia.
"You told me that you meant my tribe no harm earlier," Dohman said quietly. "Have we given you any reasons not to believe the same? Let me remind you that we all wish to see the end of the Dark One, lieutenant.
“We have access to a portal that can take you to our world. If your weapon seems worthy enough, the council has assured me that you will be allowed to go through.
"You have told me that the Dark One's armies have proved capable of entering this world as well. Your people have already suffered to the point that you know that he needs to be stopped. Just show them what this weapon is, and they shall judge for themselves."
Dante reminded himself of the one thing that the dwarves could not know about himself and Valenia and considered that they should be able to escape should the need arise. With the knowledge that he could not die at their hands, he committed them by lifting his hand to reveal the Ring of Dimensia. "I am told that this will be the source of his defeat."
"A ring?" one old dwarf stood up from behind the table and laughed a full belly laugh. It rang with his belief that they were insane. "How absurd? How can one little ring defeat the Dark One? Human, you have been sent on a wild gorose chase, I think."
Those that understood the speech nodded or whispered to those who could not understand. Soon others laughed or nodded their belief in the words. Dohman translated and Dante glowered angrily at the old dwarf.
Gilman motioned to Dohman to come near. The dwarf was not laughing or nodding with the rest of the council. Dante watched the exchange even as most of the council spoke amongst themselves or told the humans what they thought of the ring. Valenia tried to tell the council that they were not certain how the ring worked, but that it assuredly would, which caused even more scorn.
Dante just eyed the two dwarves discussing something behind the others waiting. Dohman finally nodded and moved to face the officers again. The others seemed to notice his return and the noise died down.
Dohman cleared his throat and spoke, "Gilman asks why you would bring the ring if you did not know how to use it?"
Valenia fielded the question even as Dante listened and watched for the reactions of those around him. "A seer and a dragon told us that this would have a chance of defeating him. It is called the Ring of Dimensia."
Dohman and Gilman spoke again briefly before the interpreter asked, "If you do not know its use, can the seer explain it? If not, why should we grant permission for a fool's errand?"
A rustling at the entrance to the large tent drew their attention to the flaps serving as doors to keep the council's discussions private. Through the flaps stepped Gannon, "Did I hear my cue finally? You shouldn't have left me behind if you were just going to call me anyway."
Dohman looked confused and angry, "Seer, I left you in the custody of my men. Why are you here?"
"You need answers that these soldiers do not have, dwarf. I believe that I have at least part of the answers. You would have sent a messenger soon enough for me, so I simply snuck over here."
The dwarves looked uneasily at Gannon. "Fine, you are here, so answer the question of this ring."
"Ah," Gannon sighed wagging his finger. "It took days to pull what I know of the ring from Drakus, which is the dragon these people referred to earlier.
"Yes, yes, the ring will be a major part of the defeat of the Emperor as long as all things go well. You see, the ring served the dragon as an easy source of traveling. Though Drakus appears to have enough of his own magic making him capable of flying between worlds, the ring also has the power and thus the dragon uses it to conserve his strength."
"How would that power help us?" Dante asked for all those assembled there before the man even realized that he had opened his mouth.
Gannon turned to him and smiled, "Ever the curious one, lieutenant. I gather from speaking with Drakus that it can also be used as a form of trap given the proper use of its magic. It will take someone of great magic to use it this way, however, so we will have to find that person when we cross to the other side."
"You can't do it?" Valenia asked incredulously. "Who will there be that can use it on the other side? This doesn't make sense to me, Gannon."
"Nor to my people," Dohman added, "This will need to be answered before we grant permission to use our portal."
The seer waved his hand dismissively. "Your portal is not truly necessary, except to enter without the Dark One's notice. We actually came here only to determine what threats your presence represented. I could have used the ring to move to your world by myself, and can still always do so should you refuse passage.
"Remember, we did not come asking to use your precious portal. You only assumed that was why we were here, Dohman. Do not try to threaten me. I care not whether you allow us passage or not. We can go there without you, so your threats mean nothing.
"I have heard why your people are here, so I guess that you are harmless enough. Come, Dante, Valenia, we can leave these dwarves to their own devices." Gannon moved to leave.
"Wait," Gilman spoke for the first time answering in their language though he seemed to fight for the words. "We will help you. You seek to fight our enemy. Let us help."
The seer nodded. "Thank you. I hear that this mountain you work within can bring us to a city in your world. Perhaps we should prepare ourselves to use it. Meanwhile, I believe these other council members will be trying to talk you out of doing so. When you have convinced them, send Dohman to get us." Gannon turned and pulled Dante and Valenia after him. They went to find the others.
"Gannon?" Valenia asked, "How can you know that they will give us permission and how do you know how to work the ring?"
The seer turned with a small smile and said nothing more.
Chapter 40- Darius
Following Dorvin with Bagheer and a half dozen of the dwarf's personal guard following closely behind them, the wizard found himself on a trip to a local inn with the dwarven leader. The dwarf had eaten with Darius and the others in the restaurant waiting for the arrival of Tate and the other wizards. It had only been about an hour before they finally caught up at the inn.
Darius ignored their late arrival having learned many things from the dwarf in the meanwhile. One of the key questions had come out a little haphazardly and the wizard feared that it would be considered wrong to ask.
It was after the main course, and all of them were talking even as they listened to a small band playing off to one side of the room. They had just spoken of the resistance put up by the elders, when he said, "You know, Dorvin, you rule strangely for a king. The elders spoke to you as if addressing a regular townsman, or perhaps even one of lesser rank than themselves. It would almost seem as if your title had no power behind it."
The dwarf lo
oked at the wizard unblinkingly and replied, "We are not like your people, Darius. We are probably even different from the ways of our kin in the old world. When Alig led the families to this world, it was as a tired old king. He had seen the results of trying to rule directly and he felt the whole thing as lacking any true success. The elders had always been there, and he decided, for good or bad, to use them to help the city as it grew."
"I don't understand," Darius stated as he stroked his chin mulling the idea. "He gave away his power? Just like that? Then why are you considered a king?"
Dorvin shrugged, "Less a king as perhaps the overseer of the council of elders, I should say. You see, the Norn family is still considered the rightful ruling class. If there came a time where we would have need to go to war, a Norn was planned as the general and ruler during the crisis. All worries of protecting the dwarves would fall to the eldest or strongest surviving family member.
"The problem I face now is persuading them to believe that this is actually a time that old Alig set up this system to handle. Many of the elders cherish their rule such as it is and even though I am rightful king, they will fight my actual full empowerment."
"Those like Thien," Darius nodded. "Your system seems flawed, my friend."
The dwarf looked up at the sight of the doors to the tavern opening. "Most systems have flaws of one kind or another. The benefits I receive are nice as well though. I live well. I'm respected and I do chair the council. That is the highest position in the city. I receive gifts and don't need to pay for my lodgings in Darvus which are essentially a royal home. The people consider me a friend as well as their ruler. Not many of your leaders can say that their people consider them as one of their own.
"My life is good. Better probably than most, but I am still a member of the city I protect and serve. I work as a merchant though I don't have to, of course. I use my wealth to help maintain this city and prevent any hunger or homelessness. The city gives back should I have need of its help." Dorvin pointed to the door, "Your other wizard friends are here."
Darius turned and gave a wave to direct the men over to their table. "Do you think that there will be any trouble getting the elders to give over the shield and sword from their hiding places?"
Dorvin stood up scratching his thick beard. "Thien's family hold the secret to the sword and Graebin's hid the shield. Thien does seem to be holding back and Graebin may follow that old coot since he is nearly an acolyte of the other.
"Y' know," the dwarf's thinking was changing track as his pacing became more intense. "Perhaps I should bring up the armor and wear it before the elders." He looked at Darius and stated, "Come what may with the rest of them, I plan to go with you and with the Armor itself at least." The dwarf nodded to himself, "Yes, I think that it is time to gather the armor. I am the Norn and it is time to honor my ancestor by taking up his war against the Dark One. Come, Darius, you and I will go reclaim it together."
The dwarf strode around the table and stood waiting at the wizard's side.
"Now? You want to go now?" Darius asked confused by this sudden impulsive act by the dwarf. In fact, he was actually becoming quite concerned with what kind of man he was now joining with here. Standing slowly, the wizard looked at Dorvin head to toe. Was the descendant of the great Alig too impetuous and perhaps even foolish to where the armor?
"Come on, bub. Time's a wasting," the dwarf urged impatiently. "We'll get the armor and use its presence to influence Thien and Graebin into surrendering the other weapons. Then we'll see about raising enough of a force to drive ourselves into the heart of the Dark One's home and defeat him!"
That was how the wizard came to be in an unlit descending maze of stairways and tunnels driving ever deeper beneath the city. Dorvin was taking them to the secret place where one of his ancestors had hidden the dwarves' greatest weapon against evil.
As the weight of the stone surrounding them seemed to exert itself upon him once again, Darius was thankful that he had managed to keep Electra from following him this time. He was having trouble dealing with his own claustrophobia in this place, and doubted that the elf's stronger phobia would have left her alone down here.
The stairs seemed to go on forever into the depths of the earth. It was a different stairway than the one that they had followed the librarian down earlier. The entrance had been hidden in another building in the city and it was concealed exceptionally well. Darius had begun to wonder just how many passages these dwarves had hidden within and below their city.
Suddenly the atmosphere of the gray changed around them. After what seemed to Darius to have been miles of stairs, they came across a much finer looking section. It was crafted much more square and smooth. Soon columns of white stone appeared, though he doubted that they truly supported the stone around them. Moments later and another flight lower into the earth appeared. Golden bands were found to encircle the marble columns and wooden panels lined the walls to roughly three feet high. The wood had the rich smell of cedar despite its age and was finely engraved with scenes of battle and processions verging on the most royal of scenes.
Darius stared in wonder as they descended deeper past the columns and scenes and soon after even luxuriously intricate paintings were seen upon the ceiling and walls. Finally, Dorvin came to a halt before a pair of stout wooden doors braced with a gleaming metal that Darius had never seen before. The dwarf stood still and looked about him as if confused by the door.
Darius took the delay to ask about the metal binding the doors.
Distractedly, the dwarf stated, "It is steel of the dwarven kind."
"Steel? But this shines too brightly and seems tinted a different color from steel. The steel that I know of is a bluish silver. This metal seems to almost glow from within with a golden tint just beneath the silver."
"It is steel as the old ones of our ancestors made even after they arrived here. It is stronger than that of the usual kind that you have seen. We used to cut diamonds with that particular metal even back in the old world.
"Ah, here it is," the dwarf said suddenly and pulled at a piece of stone alongside of the doors. He had forgotten the talk of steel quickly concentrating on his work as an unseen door suddenly released itself on the other side of the corridor.
Darius figured that the dwarf would enter the new opening, but instead he turned and began searching the wall across from the other. One of the dwarves with them started to peer into the new opening. With a small cry of alarm, Dorvin pulled him back, "No, Gelen, don't enter any of these until I show you the correct path. You didn't think that Alig would create a place for the armor to be hidden and not enforce it with traps? Until I finish sorting the puzzle as only my father and I know it, I would suggest you stay where you are, bub. That goes for all of you, if you would all be so kind as to wait a moment."
The dwarf soldier mumbled his apologies, and stood back as Dorvin went back to work. The dwarf leader went back to his searching of the seemingly smooth wall and soon another catch was pulled. A new door opened in that wall and Dorvin motioned for the dwarf Gelen to come near. He bade the man hold still and climbed up using the dwarf as a stool.
A small cord, that until then had not been noticed, was given a tug and suddenly light of an unearthly nature lit the hallway and up a full flight of stairs behind them. A rasp as stone moving caught them by surprise and the floor descended behind them. Dorvin stepped to the edge of the falling stone and waited until it had completely stopped.
Darius leaned over and spied a stairway leading downward to the now lowered stone flooring. Dorvin began walking down the stairs and gestured for the others to follow. At the bottom they found a doorway. It was open to the passage and Dorvin stepped into it. The ceiling of the small tunnel was only inches above the dwarf's head.
"Sorry, wizard, but I believe that you will have to duck considerably to follow. I assure you the inconvenience will be well worth it. Go slowly, however,
and quietly. I still have one last piece of the puzzle to
finish. Any loud sounds from here, until I press the final catch, can bring the tunnel collapsing down on top of us."
Not at all happy with such a thought, Darius found himself holding his breath involuntarily. Realizing that he would probably suffocate before Dorvin finished with the puzzle, the wizard forced himself to breath steadily and quietly. The tunnel moved back towards the doors of wood though they were nearly ten feet below them now.
Darius followed the dwarf ruler cautiously and waited when Dorvin stopped before a new wall of stone soon after. A new catch was pressed this time and the wall fell away as two separate doors on hinges. The dwarf stepped onto a set of stairs that rose up into a chamber already alight with the strange light that had been witnessed in the hall.
When the wizard stepped off the final stair he was able to straighten and look at what lay ahead of them. A gasp escaped him unnoticed as the sights held within the chamber before him came into sharp, stunning focus. All around them were more of the intricate paintings and wood carvings but they were more like a gray background to the other sights. Here and there were statues of bronze, gold and silver of all shapes and sizes. Interspersed with these, dozens of pieces of armor were placed all in full standing position. With a distant part of his mind, Darius guessed that there were special supports set inside of the beautifully worked suits of armor for that purpose.
He also found that the ceiling vaulted well above them in a way that made his claustrophobia recede slightly until his beleaguered mind retaliated by remembering just how much stone was truly above them. Darius pushed the feelings back and turned to Dorvin who had taken a place on an old, throne-styled chair where he draped one leg over an arm casually.
"So, wizard, which one is the real armor? This is the final piece of the puzzle to be solved."
"What is the consequence of failure should I guess incorrectly?" Darius replied unwilling to test the ancient dwarves' temper should he pick the wrong one.
The Emperor's Shadow War (Tales of Alus Book 2) Page 34
