I woke in the dark, my surroundings strange. After a moment recollection flooded back that this was my new home. At least for now. I dressed and headed out to meet the new day. Leaving my bedroom I headed out to find Budor hanging out in the common area. As I headed toward the door he set a large mug of coffee down at the table and motioned to me that it was mine. I really didn’t expect any kind of service here, I mean it was nice enough that they let me stay here. I wasn’t going to say no to the smell coming off that cup though, so I pulled up a seat as Budor set his own mug down and sat. Budor sat quietly, enjoying his coffee. Seemed he was letting me get myself together, waiting for me to signal that I was open for business. Sipping the coffee I was amazed. Why can’t I make coffee that tastes like this? Spirits! The flavor was so thick I felt like I should be able to chew on it, but there was no bitterness. None. Not even a hint. I looked at Budor. “Wow. This is good stuff.” He smiled at me. “Yea, Aggie makes tha bes’ coffee.” he said a bit wistfully. I spent a few moments luxuriating in the coffee.
I looked over at Budor. “There’s something up in that mountain that stole May away from us.” Budor leaned forward. “I ‘erd ‘ere was some sor’ o ruckus las’ night.” He said. I went through what happened. As I mentioned the beasts escape he sat stroking his beard and shaking his head.
“Awe May!” Budor said sadly “Firs’ Rithle an now May.” “Wait, Rithle? May was asking about him this morning.” Budor nodded. “Yea, ‘is place still ‘as ‘is stuff in it. ‘e jus’ disappeared one day. Skandro dismissed it, sayin ‘e’d gone home, or run off, which were a possibili’y… I fear ‘e were grabbed afore poor May now.” He said taking a sip of coffee.
“I’m guessin’ ya want ole Budor to go check with the Mountain Lord to help save May.” I blinked startled that I hadn’t thought of that. “That sounds obvious now” I said “but honestly I didn’t think of it, Budor. If I had, I would’ve gotten you up when I got back. I guess I just don’t think of them as beings you can just talk with.” I got out of my chair excited at the possibility of meeting a greater spirit. “Can I come?” I said.
“Hold on. Truth be told, lad” he started “tha Mountain Lord drew his spirit away from us back after tha last necromancer.” He said setting his cup down and staring into it sadly. “Think ‘e blames us. ‘is dwarves were ‘ere. We should’na le’ ‘is adopted son die.” He shook his head, sending ripples down his beard. “Nuthin to be done now. We spent a long time thinking through all tha’ could’ave been done. I don’ think ‘e’ll talk to us. Bu’ perhaps if we get to tha trolls they’ll check for us.” He said. I thought about my run in with trolls. “Are you sure? The ones I met didn’t seem all that hospitable.” I pointed out.
Budor smiled and started packing for a trip. “When the Moun’ain Lord treated with the ‘uman’s ‘e thought about sending ‘em ‘is best miners.” I nodded, wondering about the direction this was heading. “The kobolds.” Budor said “Those buggers can smell ore ‘n gems through a coupla yer body lengths worth o dirt n rock and dig to it in moments with the claws they’ve got.” Budor said with a wistful expression, flexing a hand as though it had claws. There was no doubt about it. Budor seriously admired kobolds. “But he di’nt wanna part with any o the li’l bligh’ers. ‘e were also concerned ‘umans would ‘ave trouble workin wit sum’in with a face like a stretched rat, n razor sharp claws tha’ could easily kill ‘im and so ‘e thought maybe trolls. They kinda look like ‘em ‘e thought. Indiscriminate ea’ers, those buggers though. An’ tha introduction went vera poorly. So ‘e made a cri’er wit tha endurance an strength o tha troll and the minin sense o’ tha kobold. Then made it look like a man, but seein ‘ow men were easily scared, ‘e made em shorter, n smaller than men.” He said as we headed through the door. I stepped into the light and blinked. “Dwarves.” I stated, more to myself than anything. “A’s righ’.” Budor said. “So your people are his youngest children?” I asked feeling a kind of wonder at kind of seeing, even second hand, the birth of a race. Budor stopped, turned and looked at me, head cocked. After a moment he nodded. “Yea. I guess tha’s wha’ Aggie, me n Grundle are. Hm.” He concluded and turning left me stunned a moment before I chased after him. “Wait! You mean there are only three dwarves?” He shrugged. “Mayhaps? I dunno. Maybe ‘nother mountain’s lord made others like us. All I know, we wuz crea’ed and left wit the ‘umans.” I shook my head, confused “But… I’ve heard of dwarves before!” I said. “There have to be more of you.” “Nay lad. ‘umans call shor’ ‘umans dwarves. At’s likely wha’ you ‘eard, an if I don’ miss me guess, its no’ a name given ou’ o’ kindness.” I was staggered. I didn’t know whether to focus on that there were only three of them in existence or that their creator made them and left them and or if any of this actually meant anything really to Budor and his kin.
Then a thought hit me. What does this have to do with anything? “Why did you tell me this?” I asked as we trudged up the path outside of the town, the same way I followed the creature carrying May earlier. Budor squinted at me as though I were slow. “Cuz boy, I’m basically a troll-kobold an from the same paren’ ta boot. Tha trolls will talk ta me.” “Ah.” Was all I could think of to reply.
“Here’s where I saw them.” I said, pointing down to the bottom of the ravine. Budor nodded and headed down the slope, walking as though it were flat terrain. And I had thought I was impressive doing controlled slides down the slope. As he hit the bottom he glanced at the ground and headed up the ravine toward the mountain. “Trolls are fairly lazy.” Budor said as he stalked past me scanning the ground and sides of the ravine. “There should be an entrance fairly close.” He added as he homed in on a large rock in the side of the ravine. The boulder grated and slid in. “Not lazy, cousin. We do what’s needful to get a thing done. Not more.” A voice grated as the troll pulled the massive stone to one side while staring at me. Further in the cavern a craggy stone turned and unfolded into the larger troll from earlier. It turned emitting grating noises and shambled quickly our direction. “Let me greet my kin. Only step in if limbs start becoming separated.” He said. I blinked wondering if he seriously expected me to save him from a group of trolls but before I could say anything he took several steps forward. The troll that opened the door squatted to the side of the door apparently deciding to wait out this greeting as well.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
The larger troll towered over Budor nearly double his height. Both were making grating noises at one another and as it continued their movements became agitated. I guessed this wasn’t going well. The troll sitting near me made an odd chuffing noise and shook its head. About the same time the larger troll raised both arms, clasped hands and brought both arms down on Budor. Budor raised an arm to block as the trolls arm came whistling down but his body posture was calm rather than tensed for battle. The arms collided with the sound of a rockslide. At impact Budor’s knees bent and his raise hand struck like a snake, grabbing the troll at the elbow. He pulled the troll down, straightening his legs as he drove his other fist into the trolls face as he pulled it down to him. The impact knocked the troll on its butt.
Budor and the trolls made some more grating sounds, then Budor bowed to them and started backing toward me. I took the hint and backed out of the entrance. Budor and I cleared the entrance. The sound of the massive stone grating back into place faded behind us as we walked down the ravine a bit in silence. Turning Budor walked up the ravine side just as easily as he walked down it. I glanced around out of habit prior to pulling what my mom called “a stupid stunt” and willing my hands and feet to not loose grip I clambered up the ravine edge, grabbing the edge and pulling myself over once I got to the lip. Budor stood there looking at me curiously. “Kinda steep” I said.
“Anyway, it seems like that could’ve gone better.” I said dusting myself off. Budor’s beard rippled in what I knew to be a smile. “Nah. That was probably the best it could’ve gone.” His face went thoughtful. “Kinda” he added. “The trolls wanted to know why the Mountain Lord would hear my voice. Then agreed to take my message and even keep an eye out for May if he was unable to kick me out of his cave.” He glanced at me and chuckled. “He really wants to eat you. Says he told you he would eat you already and if he threw me out he would eat you.” I glanced a bit alarmed at Budor. I had no idea what was at stake in that encounter.
He turned and started walking toward town his hand up as he rolled something that glittered and clicked in his palm. “Glad you beat him easily enough, then.” I said with a nervous laugh. “Yah.” Budor said nodding “I’d’ve felt bad if ya ‘ad to kill a troll.” Budor said. “’Ere I got two.” He added plucking something from his hand and handing it to me. I took it looking over a good sized, sharp clear gemstone. “Troll teeth!” he said with a laugh, tossing his into the air and catching it. “These ‘ere are one of the reasons that trolls can eat almost anything. Chew through rocks, bite into ore, whatever. Then they digest the minerals and what they need and pass mostly purified ores and gemstones.” At my look which was clearly asking if he was pulling my leg he shrugged adding. “At’s the purpose the Mountain Lord gave em. Well that an figh’in fleshies.”
“Regardless, I’m glad you made it a short fight.” I said worried that had it gone longer the greater mass of the troll would’ve worked against the Dwarf. Budor shrugged. “Tha Mountain Lord were worried ‘is trolls might try to go after the ‘umans. While they are buil’ ta figh’ fleshy critters. We’re buil’ ta defend ‘umans from trolls. It really weren’ a competition. Tha troll were jus’ curious if it were true, is all.” “Ah” I answered my mind struggling with all of the things thrown at it recently and something Budor said came back to me.
“Wait, you said that the trolls were built to fight humans. Did he change his mind?” Budor cocked his head at me regarding me a moment, then he shook his head. “I never sai’ ‘e made trolls to figh’ ‘humans.” He replied shaking his head. “But you said he created them to fight fleshies, right?” Budor’s face lit up in understanding. “Ah! Yea.” He scratched his chin as we trundled on. “I see why you though’ tha’. Well, ya are a fleshie, at’s true. Hm. Well, let’s talk about spirits a momen’. Essentially they are aligned wit tha Libererator or the Enslaver. Tha Enslaver is a grea’er spirit tha’ decided to infuse things wit spiri’. Bendin’ em to their sick en’ertainmen’. The Libera’or found ou’ too late ta stop it. Ta protec’ tha spirits from all being sucked inta this ‘orrible experimen’ ‘e imposed a limi’. These things woul’ no’ live forever even’ually sucking all spiri’s ou’ o tha worl’. They woul’ eventually release their cap’ured spiri’.” He glanced at me to see if I was following.
I shrugged. “Ok. Though that sounds a lot like what my mother’s people believe” I said. Budor nodded enthusiastically. “Yer mum’s people ‘ave aligned wit tha Liberator. And no offence but fleshies are tha Enslavers creation. Tha Moun’ain Lor’ is a spiri’ o the Libera’ors lineage. Tha Forest lor’ is o’ the Enslaver’s lineage.” He glanced at me again.
“So the Mountain Lord and the Forest Lord fought?” Budor nodded. “We were ne’er par’ o’ it bu’ I know tha ‘istory. We dwarves ‘ave a room o’ weapons as par’ o the temporary peace. Crai ‘as a cache somewhere as well.” “Really?” I asked genuinely surprised and before he could answer I thought of something. “Hey! Would any of those weapons look like a thick shafted rough metal spear where the spear head has a double blade?” I asked wondering if I was probably grasping at straws.
Budor glanced at me “Well a spear is a good weapon against fleshies.” He said shrugging. “Why d’ya ask?” I looked at Budor and said “We found three spears at the farm. They each had a large lip a few hands widths above the head. One of them had a glass ring on it just above the head.” “I need ta see those spears! Where are they?” Budor demanded excitedly. “They’re at the mayors.” I said.
He started gesturing agitated and excitedly he added “Tha’ soun’s like troll fire spears. There’s a glass capsule tha res’s agains’ tha lip buil’ ta be tigh’ on tha shaf’. When tha spear strikes it’s targe’ tha capsule slides down tha shaft striking two striker pads afore tha glass stikes tha spear head an sha’ers. Tha strike pads ligh’ sparkler fuses which ligh’ the liquid tha’ is released when tha capsule sha’ers.” He shook his head, beard dancing and huffed.
“You think the Mountain Lord could be against us?” I asked. Budor shrugged. “Doesn’ make sense. ‘e woulda jus’ dropped an avalanche on tha village…” He trailed off his voice uncertain. His voice gained some certainty “An tha trolls’ they’da sai’ somethin. They defini’ly wouldna agreed to ask tha Mountain Lord a ques’ion on our behalf.” He said triumphantly which worried me because it sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
Well, this was worrying. Spirits, especially greater spirits could be capricious. Suddenly my mind called up how nearly all of the Mountain Lords alters in the village were overgrown and neglected. I sighed, worried. “So, would the Mountain Lord resort to necromancy to plague people he wanted to leave?” Budor shook his head vehemently. “No! Necromancy is a foul act of tying a spiri’ ta something tha used ta be a fleshie. It’s disgus’in an cruel to tha spirit. No spirit would do that to ‘nother”
As we got closer to the village Budor said “I’m gonna hea’ over to tha mayor’s place and ge’ a look a’ those spears.” I nodded “I should probably get some patrolling in, keep an eye out for that creature.” Budor nodded and waved over his shoulder as I turned off.