The fissure led the elves into a small chamber where piles of books were strewn haphazardly across the floor and piled high on a large wooden desk. Volkith sat in a leather backed chair and beamed at them as they walked in. Rhania surmised that the dwarf’s power allowed him to read in pitch darkness given the lack of candles or torches in the room.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,” he laughed before gesturing at a pile of straw that served as his bed. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Rhania was reminded of her soiled trousers and smiled queasily. “Trust me, you don’t want me to do that.”

“I’d rather stand,” Ildin said. “It will make it easier for me to strike you down when you’re done explaining yourself.”

The dwarf waved his hand dismissively. “Suit yourself.”

“Well?” Ildin demanded. “Say your piece so that I can mete out justice.”

“My interest in the dark arts is purely academic,” Volkith began.

Rhania and Ildin snorted derisively in unison.

“I see you are as close minded as my people,” Volkith sighed with disappointment. Rhania thought it was strange. Unlike before, she could detect no sense of dark magic in him.

“When it comes to heresy, yes,” Ildin said. “Have you finished?”

“No,” Volkith said thinly and looked up at the elven swordsman with his steely eyes. “I am a scholar, not a heretic.”

“A heresy can be committed through action as well as intention,” Ildin stated flatly. “Twisting words is pointless with me.”

“The reason I’ve researched the dark arts is because my people have lost contact with our dragon,” Volktih said. The dwarf leaned back in his chair and watched the colour drain from Ildin’s face with amusement. The elf’s mouth moved, but no words would come out.

“Yes, the dwarves of Ukh Darnin have a dragon,” Volkith said serenely. “Dramina Estarias, the Earth Daughter. She is our people’s best kept secret. However, thanks to greenskin incursions in the Under Roads, we have lost contact with the temple in which she resides.”

“When did this happen?” Ildin asked sharply.

“Two years ago,” Volkith replied. “You understand now why our king refused to ask for aid. He feared that the secret of the dragon would become known to all.”

“But why keep it secret?” Rhania asked.

“A dragon, a child of the Gods themselves, all but vanished from Gelbrun since the Shattering of the Empire. If it were known that one resided here, wars would be fought to control it,” Volkith stated flatly as he looked Ildin in the eye. “Would your people have acted any different if they had been granted one?”

“No,” Ildin conceded at length.

“However, since losing contact with the temple, our shamans have lost their power, crippling us in our fight against the greenskins.” Volkith sighed.

“So you turned to the Dark Gods in an attempt to tip the balance back in your people’s favour?” Rhania asked incredulously. “The ends do not justify the means!”

“Don’t you find this fascinating, though?” Volkith asked as his eyes sparkled passionately. “The greenskins are the servants of the Dark Gods, and yet I am able to wield their power against them.”

“What is your point?” Rhania asked warily.

“That this power is but a tool!” Volkith said. “Whether this power is good or evil depends on the wielder!”

“You are being manipulated,” Ildin spat. “Poor fool, you don’t even see it.”

“Am I?” Volkith demanded. “Have no atrocities been committed in Ergon’s name, using His power? Or in Aertani’s using His?”

“Your arrogance astounds me!” Ildin cried. “There is no shortage of stories from all the races of Gelbrun of the Dark Gods twisting unwitting mortals to their whims with the promise of power, and you think you are above all that!”

“History books written by those with a keen interest in preserving the status quo!” Volkith shot back.

“Such blasphemy!” Ildin roared as he unsheathed his sword.

“Silencing inquisitive minds with violence and cries of blasphemy,” Volkith snorted. “It’s no wonder your people are in decline.”

The blood rushed to Ildin’s face and Rhania thought the swordsman was about to behead Volkith where he sat. However, with a supreme effort, the elf was able to sheath his sword and took a deep breath to calm himself. “Are you quite finished?”

Volkith’s eyebrows shot up. “I have just informed you that a dragon lives and is in need of our help.”

“So he has,” Rhania agreed.

“Venyirila will assist Ukh Darnin in rescuing this child of Goldrim,” Ildin declared. “However, we will not need this filth to do so.”

“Oh?” Volkith ventured. “And how do you intend to get back to your village alive?”

The dwarf set his eyes on Rhania, sending a shudder down her spine even though they hadn’t turned red. “You sensed them, didn’t you? The horde beyond the wall.”

Rhania nodded.

“There are hundreds of those creatures down here with us, and they will be swarming this length of the tunnel like so many bees,” the dwarf beamed. “You need my help if you wish to return to the surface alive.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“What is your endgame, warlock?” Ildin demanded. “Do you think I am going to take you back to my village and present you to my chieftain? I would be summarily executed alongside you as a collaborator with heretics!”

A sly smile twisted Volkith’s lips. “Then perhaps you could omit the fact that I’m a warlock.”

“I will do no such thing,” Ildin stated flatly.

“It was only a joke,” Volkith’s eyes twinkled. “Your response was predictable. I will help you get Amant and his boys to the surface. In exchange, you let me live. I will return here and continue my research.”

“I cannot promise we won’t return to bring you to justice,” Ildin stated.

“Ah, I find your straightforward nature refreshing.” Volkith smiled. “I would expect no less. But in the meantime, I suspect you will have bigger fish to fry.”

Ildin frowned.

“For what it’s worth, I think it is a fair trade,” Rhania offered.

At length, Ildin’s shoulders sagged. “I will ask the others about this dragon. If you are telling the truth, then its rescue is paramount.”

“Thank you for your understanding,” Volkith said without irony. “So we are agreed?”

“We are agreed,” Ildin sighed reluctantly.

The dwarf looked expectantly at Rhania who nodded. “I agree as well.”

“Good,” Volkith beamed.

“Our agreement is void if those dwarves outside say you’re lying,” Ildin warned.

“I’m not,” Volkith said. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to cast any spells until I’ve had a nap. I will see you in four hours.”

Ildin nodded and left through the fissure. As Rhania turned to follow after him, she felt the dwarf’s hand around her arm.

“What is it?” she asked as she tugged her arm away.

Volkith beamed toothily. “Don’t worry. I don’t bite. You’re a half elf, aren’t you? Half elf and half human if I’m not mistaken.”

A hurt look crossed Rhania’s face and the dwarf frowned. “I’m sorry if I was insensitive. I just have an insatiable curiosity, you know. An awful trait, and one that has turned me into an outcast.”

The dwarf looked at her expectantly and at length, Rhania nodded. “My mother was an elf, and my father was human.”

Volkith nodded thoughtfully. “Did you know that many elves consider lying with another race blasphemy?”

Though there was no ill intention in the dwarf’s words, they felt like daggers in Rhania’s heart. “I am well aware.”

Rhania raised her torch and looked around the small chamber. She didn’t want to be near the warlock, but she didn’t want to be near Ildin either. The dwarf’s words had struck a nerve. Ildin saw her the same way he saw the warlock, she thought bitterly.

“Ah, I know that loneliness well.” Rhania turned to see Volkith looking her in the eye. “Amant and his boys were the first people I’d seen in two years. Nearly talked their ears off after I’d saved them.”

“You’ve been living in here for two years?” Rhania gasped as she raised her torch to examine the chamber. “Alone?”

Volkith nodded and gestured at the books scattered throughout the chamber. “Our Keeper of Wisdom abhors destroying books, even if they are considered blasphemous. I was but a humble librarian who stumbled across these forbidden books. I read them, collected them, and when I was discovered, I was forced to flee. This was the most remote place I could think of that hadn’t yet been overrun by the greenskins.”

The dwarf blinked. “You have a question?”

Rhania nodded. “That desk, how did you get in here?”

Volkith grinned and tapped the side of his nose. “I will leave that to your imagination.”

Rhania made a face as Volkith studied her with interest. “Half elf, half human. How curious. Your life must have been a challenging one.”

“I get by,” she allowed.

“I know what it’s like, not being accepted by others,” the dwarf said. “We share a lot in common, you and I.”

“We are nothing alike,” Rhania said hotly.

“I didn’t mean to offend,” Volktih said benignly. “It’s just that… I’ve noticed your elf chaperone looks at you the same way he looks at me.”

Rhania shuddered as she felt her blood freeze in her veins. “It’s just your imagination.”

“Perhaps,” the dwarf shrugged. “I have been on my own for so long… Perhaps I’ve forgotten how to pick up on social cues.”

“So it seems,” Rhania said thinly as she stalked towards the fissure. Her mind was in turmoil. The dwarf was right. Ildin did look at her the same way he did the dwarf. Would the other elves see her the same way?

“Would I survive the trip to the elven village?” she asked herself bitterly. She had been looking forward to seeing an elven village for as long as she could remember. One that was untouched by the influence of the kingdoms of men.

“Ah, there you are,” Rhania jumped. Ildin had been waiting for her on the other side of the fissure. “Leave that here.”

Rhania placed the torch in a holder and Ildin took her firmly by the arm before guiding her into the shadows. Soon, they were well away from the dwarves. Rhania looked over her shoulder and could see them in the distance, hungrily devouring the contents of their packs by the light of the torches. They were starving, that much was clear, and hadn’t spared a thought to the elves. Idly, she wondered whether or not Volkith was hungry. He certainly wasn’t as thin as the others. Perhaps he was hiding his food from the miners. Then, she realized Ildin was talking to her.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat what you said?” she asked sheepishly.

“I said, do you have a way to destroy that tunnel leading to the surface?” Ildin snapped.

Rhania shook her head. “I don’t think so. It looked fairly sturdy.”

The swordsman cursed under his breath.

“Won’t the mists protect your lands?” Rhania ventured.

“They may not be enough,” Ildin said. “If there are as many of them down here as I think, this opening and that tunnel is a dire threat to my people. You saw those creatures. They don’t need to see down here. It is a matter of time before they find the village. In fact, my worry is that we may be leading them right to our doorstep.”

“What should we do?” Rhania asked.

Ildin ground his teeth before replying. “We will have the dwarves collapse the tunnel while we fend the greenskins off.”

“That will mean leaving people behind,” Rhania pointed out.

“If there wasn’t a child of the Gods that needs to be saved, I wouldn’t hesitate to volunteer to cover everyone’s escape,” Ildin said.

“So he was telling the truth?” Rhania asked.

Ildin nodded. “But as it stands, I need to bring word to the village, and I am the only one who knows the way.”

“And you are also too important for your people to lose,” Rhania pointed out. She paused for a moment. “I will cover your retreat.”

Ildin nodded and patted her on the shoulder. “I knew I could count on you.”

Rhania couldn’t help but smile despite knowing she faced certain death. Then, a thought occurred to her. “What if the warlock isn’t on board with this plan?”

“He need not know the details until the final moment,” Ildin replied grimly. “And if he protests, we may have no choice but to put him down.”

Rhania’s good cheer evaporated in a flash. “But we swore…”

“He is too dangerous to leave alive,” Ildin said. “You may have to break your oath...”

“Don’t you mean we?” Rhania asked.

“You will be the one to do the deed,” Ildin said. “At the pivotal moment, you will position yourself closest to him. He doesn’t trust me.”

Rhania frowned. “I am getting the distinct impression that you couldn’t care less if I break an oath.”

“This isn’t the time to quibble over such matters!” Ildin hissed. “Whether it be by your hand or by the greenskin’s, he cannot be allowed to leave this place alive.”

The swordsman took a deep breath to compose himself and softened his tone. “The heretic must die.”

Rhania hesitated before nodding reluctantly.

“Good,” Ildin said before breaking into a smile that caught Rhania off guard. “Now, do you have a message you would like me to pass on?”

Rhania blinked. “I had completely forgotten about it since we encountered the goblins, the Enemy attacked me twice since I arrived in these lands.”

Ildin frowned. “Are things so bad in the Shattered Empire that the Enemy’s agents are able to operate openly?”

Rhania shook her head. “No, which is what makes it strange.”

“Why do you think they attacked you?” Ildin ventured.

“If I were to hazard a guess, it was to prevent a second alliance between humans, elves, and dwarves.”

Ildin nodded. “Who should I report this to?”

“To my Order, if you are able,” Rhania replied. “And do not trust the humans of Venton.”

“We don’t,” Ildin said. He frowned thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. “Rest assured, if I make it back to my village, your message and word of your deeds will reach your Order.”

“Thank you.”