The ride up towards the mountains was proving to be a rather boring and tedious one that had Luc lean back in the saddle, his eyes closed and head lulling back as though he were about to fall asleep. It was far too peaceful thus far, and for the young officer, it felt incredibly weird to be away from the village that seemed to always have something for him to do. A rather strange notion given that Luc was not really sure given how he had initially felt about handling the responsibilities of a Regimental Colonel. Still, one had to take breaks when possible, and this was just such a moment… that was until Calondra’s voice came snapping him back to reality.

“We’re nearly there. Just down this road should lead to the main entrance to the dwarven mines.” The Elven Captain reported her voice as chipper as always.

Luc blinked a few times before cranking his head back up to look towards the mountains that loomed over the small squadron of Elven Cuirassiers. “I see… thank you, Captain!” He responded quickly as he adjusted his position on his saddle. “So, anything we should be aware of when meeting these ‘Dwarves’ Calondra? Or should we just keep to the usual civilities?”

The elven woman paused a moment to think, “Well… it’s been a decade if not more since any of our kind have dealt with them, so, I don’t know. I suppose just keep a friendly and diplomatic demeanour, Sir.” She said candidly.

Luc looked over to Alexander, whose face was twisted into a frown. “I really don’t like this Sir.” He admitted, eyes narrowing forward. “We’re in foreign lands with no real updated intel, and we’re meeting with another supposed fantasy race. I don’t like it… I don’t like any it.” His disapproval was clear to see in both his tone and statement.

Luc nodded in reply, “I know Alex… I know… God knows how I wish we had one of our Squadrons with us right now, but, Calondra and her people know these lands, and they seem pretty eager to prove their worth.” He replied low enough for the Sergeant to hear, yet silent enough that the Captain couldn’t.

“Aye… that they are. Still, think they could’ve used a few more months worth of training though. Most still look woefully unaccustomed to wearing a proper uniform, and they could barely form ranks fast enough when we were on our way out from the Village!” He replied.

“It’s fine Chief… we can’t expect them to fully adopt our ways and training methods as quickly. I mean… they are a different race entirely.” Luc said, a small slash of a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

Alexander shook his head, “Either way, I’ll be sure to assign a few of our more experienced NCO’s to Calondra’s squadron so they can at least get some proper discipline instilled in them.”

“I’ll leave it to you then Alex.” Luc breathed.

Just as he turned his attention away from the Sergeant, they came up to a massive gate carved into the mountainside. An enormous stone entryway with intricate carvings that looked to appear Norse in origin and appearance, with there even being what looked like dragonheads at either end of the Gate’s two edges, and looking down at them was the bearded face of a stone warrior; Luc guessed was a long dead ancestor or figure of legend. The doors themselves, however, weren’t entirely unique, appearing more like heavy thick wooden wall braced together by a series of iron braces that were bolted in place by decorative steel fittings and bolts.

“Wow…” Luc muttered despite himself.

Alexander too was in awe as he looked upon the gate with brown eyes open wide as the doors seemed to be well over 100 feet in height. Both men slowly looked down and towards each other, their mouths agape. “Y-you seeing this Moreau?”

“Aye Sir… I’m seeing it, and I’m really not sure what to say here Sir… other than wow. Just… wow.”

Both men could barely keep themselves moving behind the formation, their eyes continually drawn to the craftsmanship of the gate. Slowly, their formation lurched forward at the trot as even the Elves were seemingly lost in awe by the sight. Then, as if their minds weren’t already overwhelmed the barriers began to slowly crack and rumble as they were suddenly pulled inward; evidently someone had seen them. The earth underneath the thick wood began to get grinded and shot up into dust and debris that forced that Cuirassiers to cover their faces in a vain attempt to prevent breathing in the dust cloud that soon began to envelop their formation. Then, as if to further add to the sight and scene before them a voice came booming out from within the tunnel.

“STATE YAR BUSINESS TRESPASSERS!” The voice bellowed deep and low in a thick accent that made Luc swear he was dealing with the Scottish.

The horses began to grow timid and afraid, and some even began to give trouble to the elves who were still new to riding as they attempted to reign in their mounts. To the more experienced riders like Luc and Alexander, it was easy enough to calm their mounts, cooing calming words as they began to reassure their partners with a few pets and reassuring pats to their manes. Looking up from her saddle, Calondra was the first to ride forward, her eyes drawn toward the ink like darkness of the tunnel within.

“We come as friends looking for aid!” The Elven woman replied.

Luc raised a brow, somewhat impressed by the initiative shown by the new Captain. Knowing he couldn’t leave the whole thing to her though, he gently tugged the reigns and steered his horse towards the Captain. As he rode up beside her, he gave Calondra a small nod.

“We also come to request an audience!” Calondra quickly followed up, a little more reassured by the presence of Demoulin.

Silence followed. No response came, and soon seconds turned to minutes, and then, ten minutes had passed before the silence was broken and the darkness illuminated as torches on the walls suddenly sparked to life. Then, from the end of the hallway, walked out a small trio of short, stocky, bearded men donning some rather impressive armour.

“Come on then ya tall fucks! The King’ll see ya.” The lead man announced, his hands gripping the hilt of his runic battleaxe.

Luc started to ride forward, his eyes cast down towards the trio. “Good day to you gentlemen.” He said warmly tapping the brim of his helm in salute as he rode up and past them.

“Mhm, whatever, just follow tha path and ya should come to another set of gates. From there you’ll find a place to hitch your horses.” The Dwarf responded coldly. “You’ll then be guided to meet the King, but I doubt you’ll get anything but a hi.”

Luc ignored his tone, merely twisting around to give the order for the Column to advance. “Captain! Have your squadron advance. Best not keep our potential ally waiting.” He ordered.

Calondra obeyed, motioning for her Squadron to advance at the trot as they rode past the trio of Dwarves who eyed them warily. The ride through the sloped hallway that proved to be a slightly unnerving experience to the Elves who were so used to the open expanse of the plains and life filled forests. To Luc and Alexander, however, this seemed a slightly weird experience that had both men scanning every dark corner for possible ambushes as they didn’t like the way the Dwarves had let them ride ahead without a guard of some kind. So far, it seemed incredibly unnatural and terribly defended to the two veteran soldiers who had been fighting the experienced Prussian army. Now, it seemed as though they were in a world which seemed to be lacking in tactics. Sure enough, however, in the distance of the hallway there was a second gate, and this time it appeared as though it was a castle portcullis. The metal barrier had been raised, and finally, the two Frenchmen could see the Dwarven guards who were posted on the walls that had been carved into the very mountain.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Well… certainly didn’t see anything like this back home.” Luc muttered softly.

Alexander nodded, as did Calondra. Both men looked at Calondra with the look of surprise. “Really? You’ve never seen anything like this? I highly doubt that Ma’am.” Alexander replied a little doubtful.

Calondra shook her head, “It’s true though Sergeant Major. I’ve only ever been to the gate there, never within.”

“Well… either way, it’d be best if we keep on our Guard. Calondra, once we’re dismounted have your Cuirassiers spread out and keep a distance of ten paces from each other. It’ll be easier to have them rush to cover from which they can fire off a few arrows at any of the guards should things turn bad.” Luc said, his eyes now focused on the ancient defences.

“Yup! Don’t worry Sir, we’ll prove we’re worthy of using those carbines!” Calondra responded with her usual chipper tone, her face practically beaming with pride.

Alexander shifted uncomfortably in the saddle at the comment but refused to say anything. Instead, his moustache twitched slightly, indicating to Luc -who noticed off the corner of his eye- that he was somewhat uncomfortable with her usual pride and with the way she responded, but the young Colonel kept his attention to the front rather than addressing the concern. Luc may have felt the same, but there was nothing he could say or do given how she was still new to commanding in their world’s traditions and ways, so there was bound to be some learning experiences to be had. Either way, Demoulin gently spurred his horse on towards their objective.

Once behind the walls, the entire squadron dismounted and spread out to prepare for any sort of hostile action should it occur. As Luc, Alexander, and Calondra began to form up near the second gate that led to a bridge, they were greeted by a melodic voice. Turning his head to face the welcoming tone, Luc’s sea blue eyes came to rest on a pair of emerald green ones that belonged to a pale-faced woman whose beauty matched her voice.

“Welcome travellers, I hope your trip here was peaceful.”

The woman who greeted them smiled warmly at the trio of officers who paused in mild surprise. She stood in contrast to the short, stocky dwarves that manned the walls. Long chocolate brown hair cascaded down and over her shoulders ending in semi-curls that only seemed to highlight her height at 5’10”, making her a giant when compared to the Dwarves and even Alexander who stood a few inches shorter. Though, there was one item that quickly brought a frown to Luc’s face. A collar. This beautiful creature who was so elegantly dressed and styled was nothing more than a slave. Seeing the collar made the blonde haired man wondering just how many countries and kingdoms thrived off of the slave trade.

“Yes… we had a rather uneventful ride to the mountains, thank you, ma’am.” Luc replied warmly, trying his best to put on a diplomatic façade.

If the brown-haired woman noticed his discomfort, she made no show of it as she motioned for them to follow behind her. “I’m glad! Please, allow me to guide you to the Palace. The King waits for you all there.”

Luc stepped forward, a little unsure of what to say next, “Ah, forgive my terrible manners for not introducing ourselves earlier. My name is Colonel Luc de Demoulin, and the man to my left is Sergeant Major Alexander Moreau, and to my left Captain Calondra Gylind.”

The woman chuckled softly into her hand as she continued to walk at a respectful pace ahead of them. “It’s quite alright Master Demoulin, most wouldn’t bother giving me such an honour due to my status as a slave.”

Swallowing hard, Luc cast his gaze downward, a little ashamed, “Sorry… We’re not used to such practices where we come from… at least, not anymore.”

“Mmm, it’s fine, really! And it sounds like you come from quite the paradise.”

“Not really…” Luc whispered.

“What?”

“Ah, well, is there anything we need to be aware of when meeting the King?” Luc coughed, quickly changing the subject.

The woman shook her head, “No, not anything outside the realm of normalcy I suppose. You already look as though you’re dressed for court and talk as though you know how to handle yourself in front of royalty.” She noted with a small smile.

Luc scratched the back of his head, a little unsure how to respond before turning to look over at Alexander who gave him a shrug. Calondra did much the same when he turned to look at her, and when she gave him the same ‘answer’, he visibly frowned.

“Some help you two are.” He whispered under his breath.

The remainder of the walk across the vast stone bridge was done so in silence, as the Cuirassiers felt too awkward to ask any more questions given how they weren’t really sure how to step around the subject of their guides status as a slave. The concept that slavery still existed in this world and was a viable economic practice was an odd and deplorable one in the eyes to Luc and his Cuirassiers… but, he knew that he had to keep his mouth shut lest he and or they bring unwanted ire upon their small new home in the elven village. But, such thoughts were quickly shifted aside as they entered the large castle hidden deep within the mountain, surrounded by a seemingly bottomless pit with the opposite walls being surrounded in minecart tracks, leaving Alex and Luc to wonder if this race were on their way to developing at a faster rate than the other races like the elves.

“Here we are. Please, make yourself comfortable while I go alert the King.” The Slave woman replied warmly before she backed up and dismissed herself from the throne room, which the trio now found themselves in.

“Wow… I… I have to be honest Sir, I thought the Dwarves here were just a small mining tribe, and not a full clan or Kingdom.” Calondra admitted.

Turning to face her, the Colonel shook his head, “It’s okay Captain, as you said, you haven’t been here in almost half a human lifetime.” Luc noted in reply turning his head away before focusing his eyes on the throne, “Hell, I wasn’t even expecting this…”

Suddenly, from the corner of the room, a thick metal door swung open, snapping everyone’s attention to the source. “His Royal Highness, King Thadran Mountainhelm!” Announced a Dwarf who came rushing in a mere few seconds before the King himself strode into the room, making for his grey stone throne that was draped with a red velvet cloth with gold embroidery.

The trio bowed their heads in respect to his title before the white-bearded man waved them at ease. “Welcome to my hall!” He greeted, his voice seemingly carrying with natural ease in the large vaulted room.

King Thadran stood no higher than an average Dwarf and even appeared to be as muscle-bound as the ones seen guarding the second inner gate and wall; though his arms and head were bare of armour save an iron crown that rested around his head. He looked aged and weathered, with a series of scars that decorated his arms and forearms attesting to the man’s own experience in battle, which one could tell even without the injuries should they find themselves looking into his emerald green eyes that seemed to have a deep intelligence hidden behind them.

“Your Highness, thank you for accepting us into your home, and even taking the time out of your busy schedule to consider meeting us face to face.” Luc started, trying to sound like the Diplomats he had grown up seeing in his youth.

Thadran leaned forward, “Ooh~ I see you’ve done this before. And here I thought you were nothing but a military man by how you appear and carry yourself.”

His eyes scanned the young Colonel before he did the same to the Sergeant and Captain.

“Yes, well, you are correct in your observation your Highness, its as you say, I am a soldier, just as the two individuals behind me are. I am Colonel Luc de Demoulin of the 14e Régiment de Cuirassiers.” He replied.

“I see~ Well, that’s quite the fancy name for an army.” Thadran observed before pausing, “Almost as fancy as those pieces of death you have over your shoulder.” He added, pointing towards Luc’s carbine which had remained slung over his shoulder.

He had hoped it would’ve looked like it was a part of the uniform, but clearly, this man was smarter than the men who had let them in. Still, Luc grinned before shaking his head.

“I beg your Highnesses pardon, but, what do you mean by pieces of death?” Luc asked, trying to hide his grin.

“The Elves aren’t the only ones who know how to scout.” He replied with a cheeky grin. “Our scouts have seen a few of your kind with those weapons there. Also saw them rip through Orc patrols as if they were Saintri butter too! Sounding like the dragons were unleashing hell upon the skies too.”

Raising a brow, the Colonel found himself a little surprised, “I see… then I’m sure you must know why we’re here then?” He asked.

The King nodded. “Aye, that I do. You’re after an alliance.”

“Of sorts,” Luc replied.

The King’s eyes narrowed. “Of sorts? What type of sorts? Nothing crazy I hope.”

“Of course not! No, rather, we’d like to establish trade with you and your Kin here. We’re hoping to secure metals, and other rare items, while also hoping to make new friends in the process. As thus far, the elves have only been unlucky to have a rather rowdy bunch of neighbours.”

Thadran knew of whom the Colonel was talking of; Orcs. “Aye, I suppose they have had a rough go of it lately.” He replied before pursing his lips in thought. “Tell you what, you share the secrets of those weapons on your back, and we’ll give you all the resources you need to supply an army.”

Luc’s eyes went wide in shock, as that was far easier than he was expecting it to be. “I see… well, we’re willing to provide you with some concepts.”

The King’s face soon broke out into a broad smile, “HAHA! That works for me!” Pushing himself up to his feet, he strode over towards the Trio, before grabbing Luc’s hand and shaking it.

Luc felt himself getting pulled down a bit as the Dwarven king shook his hand, causing the blonde haired man to make an awkward smile and laugh in reply, before speaking. “I’m glad we have an agreement.”

“Aye, that we do… but, if you’re looking for a military alliance, you’ll need to help us with a pest…”

“Pest? What sort of pest?” Alexander asked, this time speaking up.

The King glanced over at the dark-skinned man before his smile faded. “Goblins.”