The Dwarves didn’t put down their weapons.

It almost felt like we were prisoners being marched through an army as we walked through the mine. I’d hoped that there would be laughter and drinking, but the longer we were in the mountain, the less likely that seemed.

The whole camp, if you could call it that, was a large central room with tunnel offshoots that had carts full of ore being brought to the gaping hole in the middle of the room. I realized that was a bad way to describe it when I saw the thick ropes and wooden platform. One of the Dwarves parked a cart full of ore onto the platform and started tugging on the rope, hauling the load down to one of the lower floors. It seemed like that was the way that the Dwarves were getting from one level to another. I had a feeling that the elevators went down to wherever the forge was that would smelt the ore into usable metals that the Dwarves would either craft or sell to other nations. I had a feeling that it also went all the way to the surface, which would provide the Dwarves with an easy way to access any floor that they created.

I saw a couple Dwarves that were using their Earth Elemental abilities to reinforce the walls with dirt and rocks that had been excavated by other miners. They were strong enough that they were able to fuse the rocks together, which meant they were likely in the master range of power. It explained how the tunnels were so neatly crafted, despite the mining that was tearing through the mountain.

Gaelun and our escorts stopped at the elevator and waited while one of the platforms rose up from a level below us.

The platforms themselves were quite simple. Each one was a ten foot square with sides that came about two feet up and a swinging door that let the four-foot tall bearded men on and off the elevator. Basically, it looked like a big square box.

“Couldn’t we have just come down here from the city?” I pointed up.

“We ain’t letten a calamity loose in da Forge!” One of our escorts glared at Vin. “Dat abomination shouldn’t even be here!”

I folded my arms. “Look, you were the ones who asked for our help, but all you’ve been is rude since we got here. If you don’t want our help, then we can go and you can deal with whatever this is on your own.”

The Dwarf exchanged a look with Gaelun, then grumbled under his breath as he got onto the elevator with another Dwarf and they descended down without us.

“Does that mean we’re going home?” I pointed at the gate that we’d walked through.

“D’air warnin’ da others yer comin’.” Gaelun sighed like I should have known that.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Then while we’re waiting…” I glanced around at the dozen or so Dwarves that hadn’t resumed mining. “Why don’t you tell me what we can expect and why you need us.”

Gaelun looked a little embarrassed and took too long to answer for an older Dwarf’s liking because it was a white haired, dark skinned dwarf that answered.

“Damned Squid is the problem!” Despite being old, his voice was still deep and strong. The elder’s beard was almost touching his knees and his hair was halfway down his back. If it hadn’t been braided, he would have looked like a walking hairball.

“A squid?” I turned to the pillar of white hair. “We’re almost a day from the ocean.”

“Not that kind!” The mound of hair shook from side to side. “It’s the ore forsaken demons and their spawn!”

During my time on the sea, I’d seen lots of stuff that sailors had called demons that were just big fish or creatures with magic and a taste for two-legged meals. We had Imps, which was what most people called demons, but those were beings that had been born here and they had integrated into our societies. Even if it was an actual demonic being, I doubted that it was something that had originated from the other side. Seeing something like that was something that few people ever experienced. Supposedly there had been a mage during the great war with a hellbeast Guardian, but that was the closest that I’d ever heard of something that was an actual demon in this area.

“Demons?” Vin perked up. “Is there a rift?”

Sometimes the barrier between our side and the plane where the demons lived tore a little, allowing smaller creatures from the darkness to spill out to our side. These rifts attracted the group called the Remnant of the Fae, who were the self appointed closers of the tears. After how the Camadt had treated the Fae during the Camadt War over a thousand years ago, the Remnant had a very negative view of any Camadt, so if there was a rift, the Remnant would be here soon.

“You think we’d be mining if there was?” The old Dwarf fumed as he stormed over to my brother. “Took a dozen of our best axes to bring him down. That’s why the gates’re closed. Can’t have that hokey club of fish worshippers trying to sneak in again!”

“You mean the Cult of Kinwell?” I was starting to put together the slang of what they were talking about. I’d thought growing up around Garm would have indoctrinated myself with the Dwarf way of speaking, but my father was a lot more homogenized than I had thought.

“Dem’s da one!” One of the other Dwarves piped up. “Dey bin try’un ta git in da rock!”

Gaelun cast the helpful guard a dirty look, silencing any further helpful information.

“So you’ve found something down there that you can’t get into that the Cult of Kinwell is trying to get?” I shook my head when the older Dwarf nodded.

That was just great. Now we had hostile Dwarves, hungry wyvern food, angry remnants, and fanatical cultists to worry about. I was smart enough to know not to wonder if things could get worse. Things could always get worse. I just hoped we’d be able to break open whatever seal everyone was so interested in and get out of the mountain. I was already thinking about where a good place for our next mission would be. Hopefully somewhere bright or open like a forest or the ocean.

The elevator came back up and I motioned for my companions to get on after Gaelun. It was time to check out the door.