A falling rock narrowly missed Naveck’s head and clattered against the wall, nearly making him lose his grip. It whistled down and he could hear some of the other dwarves grumble. They had moved out of the way as much as possible, but couldn’t completely avoid the rain of debris Naveck created with his pickaxe.

“Agh! Who’s up there?” Naveck shouted, met with only silence. His skin started to prickle. It was either some kind of beast or an ambush. Nobody should know they were down there, but dwarves knew the surface was full of bandits and humans. All dwarves knew that humans couldn’t be trusted.

After the close call, Naveck began to make his way back down to relay his suspicions to his companions. He was overdue for a shift change anyway. The heights were terrifying for Naveck at first, but he held his focus directly on the rock in front of him, taking comfort in the familiar stone. Dwarves had a natural aversion to anything that didn’t involve having both of their feet planted on the ground.

Themo waited at the bottom with wide eyes, “Looks like you got a long ways up there.”

Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, Naveck nodded, “Aye, I’d rather not think about it too much,” he said, brushing rock particles off his clothes. “There’s something up at the top waiting for us. No clue what it is yet, though.”

The other dwarves’ ears perked at this.

“I heard you shouting, but I couldn’t make out what you said,” Themo said, scratching his beard, “If there’s something up there that might be able to help us, we should at least ask.”

The dwarves nodded their agreement. The group of Miners and Rune Crafters did an admirable job of not falling into panic at their plight, but the fear was still plain in their eyes. None present within the group were warriors. They just wanted to live and get back to their families.

Naveck didn’t have the heart to tell them that even if they were to return to Runeheart, the Grimfury family would likely make their lives hell for not dying alongside Garok or at least bringing his body back for a proper ceremony. It was, in truth, safer for their families to stay away until they could at least dig up Garok’s remains. Naveck’s heart ached at the thought of what this might mean for his son, Nero.

He had to push those thoughts away and focus on the task at hand. Naveck scanned his brethren, meeting each of them in their fear-filled eyes. He was no leader, but they needed hope, or at the very least, someone to lean on.

Naveck cleared his throat, “Ok lads, we’re all knee-deep in a pile’a Kobold shit right now,” this brought murmurs of agreement. “We can get outta here, but there’s somethin’ up there. We don’t know who or what it is —”

This drew groans from some of the dwarves and Naveck held a finger up, “Let me finish, lads. If it’s some surface dweller folk, I’ll tell them that we come in peace. Then, we turn on our dwarven charm,” Naveck said, raising his eyebrows up and down, bringing a chuckle from some of the dwarves, “Once they come to love us, we will ask for their aid against the insects down here and dig out Garok.”

“What if it’s another monster?” One of the Rune Crafters asked.

“Then I’ll bury my pickaxe in its skull and we’ll get outta here just fine,” Naveck bellowed, trying to sound confident. It must have worked because he saw some of the fear in their eyes replaced with an ember of determination.

Themo grabbed one of the miner’s shoulders, “Alright, it’s your shift. Come back after getting a few more meters up and either Naveck or myself will go up and start communications.”

The miner gave a short nod and took the pickaxe. Naveck watched as he began to climb more bravely than he had initially.

----------------------------------------

The sound of metal striking rock had stopped for some time now as Malik waited. Still unsure how to proceed, he ran over to the Altar, hoping that the Altar Point had refreshed by now so that he could summon Zahid and ask for his advice.

Thankfully, the Altar Point was present and Zahid materialized.

“Back so soon? What can I help you with?” Zahid asked

“When the ground started trembling, it created a crack in the earth. People are trying to climb out of it,” Malik explained, then went on to quickly relay what the noises and voice sounded like.

“Hmm. That sounds like dwarves. They rarely come to the surface unless they are at war.”

“So, I should kill them. Do you have any ideas on how I can close the crack before more want to come out?”

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“Relax. Don’t be too hasty, Malik. This could be a large boon for us. Dwarves are excellent craftsmen and warriors. Even if you tried to kill them, you may not succeed. They are sturdier than they look. A failed attempt would just create a deadly enemy. You must try to convince them to help you and perhaps join you, instead. This will be your first diplomatic test as a new race. Failure could mean extinction. However, be warned. Your appearance may scare them at first.”

Malik frowned at that last statement. Why would anyone be scared of him? His features were chiseled from the greatest artists the Branam Empire could find. They should be in awe of him. Not fear. However, that wasn’t the most important thing that Zahid had said.

“How can I convince them? I have nothing to offer.”

“Ah, but that isn’t true, Malik. You have an entire mountain to yourself. Dwarves love to mine for precious metals. It may be wise to set up a trade agreement. For example, they may provide you with labor or trade goods to you in exchange for the ore they find in your mountain. But make sure to set a limit. Dwarves are just as greedy as humans. If you show that you can improve their station in life, some may want to stay here permanently, becoming valuable citizens.”

Malik clacked his claws on the side of the Altar in thought, “What’s to stop them from just killing me and taking what they want?”

Zahid shrugged, “It is a possibility, but let’s hope they are reasonable. Also, from what you’ve told me, it sounds like they are in some kind of trouble. They were likely already mining down there and had an accident. They may need you.”

Malik heard the faint sound of the metal striking rock pick up again, “Thank you for the advice, Zahid. I will attempt a peaceful negotiation,” he said and started to walk toward the fissure.

“One last thing, Malik. Choose a name for your settlement. It may open some opportunities within your Founder class.”

A low growl escaped Malik’s throat as he stopped his departure. That would have been useful to know before now when time was short. He thought about his valley and his origins. Something simple, yet a hint for his people of how they came to be and a vision of the future, would suffice. Placing his hands on the Altar once more, he opened the Founder’s Log.

There wasn’t any obvious place to name his settlement like there was when he gave himself a name. He opened the Citizens page.

Citizens:

1

Hmm, ‘Citizens’ of what? Malik thought. Placing a hand on the book, he mentally projected, Citizens of Stone Wing Spire. The Founder’s Log made the change as quickly as his thoughts.

Citizens of Stone Wing Spire:

1

“A good choice, Malik. I look forward to the rise of the Stone Wings. Now, did your book provide anything new for you?” Zahid said with a slight bow, startling Malik. He had almost forgotten the mage was there.

Malik flipped back to the index.

Index

i. Citizens

ii. Buildings

iii. Resources

iv. Building Plans

v. Sustainability & Growth

vi. Trade

vii. War

viii. Map

There was a new section labeled “Map”. Malik flipped to it excitedly. There were multiple pages already populated with in-depth drawings. The first page was a broad view of the mountain and the places he’d seen all the way to the City of Branam from where he came. It only showed his direct path. It appeared that he had traveled much further than he had originally thought and he struggled to remember the speed at which his larger wings had propelled him.

The next page detailed his valley. The map even marked where he had spotted beetles, the Shape Shifter, and the dreaded squirrel. This will be a useful tool to track the movements of these creatures, Malik thought.

Zahid peered at the book curiously, “Ah a self-populating map. Priceless in times of war as well as keeping track of resources. I have heard that it is upgradeable and that the details can get quite thorough.”

“Thank you, Zahid. I look forward to providing it with more detail. However, I believe it’s time to attempt to speak with our guests.”

“Good luck, Malik,” Zahid said with a bow and returned inside the Altar.

Malik raced back to the crack in the ground, hands slightly shaking with anticipation.