“Hey, I see something! I think that’s it!” Talynn pointed, his hand bouncing up and down to the steps of his curstilio.
“I think you’re right, Talynn,” Mavence said after pulling out his spyglass and looking at the mountain range to their south.
One of the mountains closest to them looked like a small volcano, with clouds of gray smoke billowing from its top. Rolling hills flowed down from the front of the mountain into the valley, forming large natural terraces that housed the large dwarf village. Their scaled-down buildings had thatched roofs with thick wooden support beams and earth plaster walls, giving the village a cozy and inviting appeal.
“Greetin’s, human folk. Before we welcome ye to Monparvos, we request that ye state yer business,” one of the dwarves guarding the front gate to the village stepped forward and nodded to them as they approached. Two dwarves behind them crossed their weapons, blocking entrance to the front gate with polearms that were large for a dwarf but small for a human.
“Aye, no need for that, Belsh. See the crests on their armor? Royal knights of the empire, these ones. They be good tah pass,” the eldest of the guards gestured for the others to lower their weapons. “We have stables for yer beasts just inside the gates. Enjoy yer stay!”
Daecus nodded a thanks and led their party to the stables. Talynn and Mavence dismounted their curstilios and immediately groaned, struggling to remain upright.
“What the heck happened to my groin? How am I sore from sitting all day?” Mavence grimaced as he attempted to stretch his legs.
“Oh god. They don’t tell you about this in the books,” Talynn gave up and laid down on a nearby pile of hay.
“Man up, you two. We’re finally here! Hey Daecus, do every single one of these guys have to follow us the whole time?” Versutana gestured at the knights.
“No, that would be too conspicuous. I’m having three of them follow you at a short distance. Stay within their line of sight and don’t get into trouble, or I will make all of them escort you.”
“Fine. Okay, let’s go!” Versutana grabbed Talynn and Mavence’s hands and dragged them out of the stables and onto the main broadway running through the middle of the town.
It was a kindly town, dwarves nodding and giving polite greetings as they walked past. Many households and businesses left their front doors and windows open as they worked, some sewing, some tailoring, some crafting tools.
“Hey Talynn, looks like we finally found a place where you can be considered tall,” Mavence teased as they passed by dwarves waddling along the road, none even four feet tall.
“Oh, shut up,” Talynn punched Mavence on the arm.
“Hey, let’s stop by one of these street vendors! I see a blacksmith just further up the hill, maybe you can find your weapon!” Versutana said.
The boys nodded and approached the blacksmith further up the street. Under the outdoor portion of his smithy, the dwarf had several large workbenches, an anvil, and a large forge in the back. He placed a piece of metal into the forge with large metal tongs before turning to address them.
“G’day, lads and lassie! They call me Dimru. I’m the blacksmith of this here village. Please ta meetcha,” the dwarf greeted them. They took turns shaking his thick and leathery hands, the calluses nearly rock-like from his profession. “So, what brings ye to Monparvos?”
“Just visiting. Summer break. Hoping to tour the mines,” replied Versutana.
“Vacation? You lot must be off yer heads ta come to Monparvos for a vacation!” Dimru gave a hearty laugh. “Granted, we dwarves do know how to have ourselves a merry time, but I doubt that’s why ye came. Humans dinnae come here for Parvosan culture. Tha jus want our craftsmanship and our weapons.”
“How dare you insinuate selfish motives upon us,” Talynn slammed his hand on the workbench in front of him. “I am not here to ask a single thing of you!”
Everyone became silent, startled by the sudden ferocity of his gaze and the rage in his voice. The crackling flames of the forge and the bustle of the streets seemed miles away.
“But this guy sure is,” Talynn pointed at Mavence, changing his voice and demeanor from that of a weathered soldier to one of a giddy ten year-old girl in all of a second. “He wants a dwarven weapon real bad, and I’m here to support him. Yay friendship!”
Dimru squinted at Talynn for a moment before bursting out in a loud and boisterous laugh.
“Hah! Ye cheeky lad, you. Ya got me good! Dinnae expect that one,” the dwarf said as he used the long metal tongs to remove the red-hot bar of metal from the forge and place it on an anvil.
“Impressive. You almost sounded intimidating for once,” said Mavence.
“My apologies to ye, must be workin’ while we chat. In the middle of craftin’ a hatchet for the carpenter down the way, ya see,” Dimru said as he began to hammer away, using the tongs to stabilize the bar as he drew out the shape of the hatchet.
“Speaking of which, do you craft things other than hatchets? Swords perhaps?” Mavence inquired.
“Nae, I just make tools ‘n’ such for the village. That sort o’ thing is done by the cavern dwarves, though ya probably would have a hard time tryna obtain one from ‘em. Most of the arms we craft here be sent to the emper’r under contract. Ya might find a Parvosan that’ll custom craft ya one, but it’ll cost ye a pretty penny.”
“I did bring some gold just for that,” Mavence replied. “How much does a shortsword go for?”
“Depends on what sorta metal yer lookin’ for. Bronze ‘n’ iron are cheaper ‘n’ dirt, but they’ll
nae last ye very long. Mild steel ‘n’ a high-carbon edge is a wee bit pricey, but ye’ll get yer money’s worth. Sword like that’ll last ye many battles.”
“I have sixty gold coins, do you think that could that afford me a decent shortsword?”
“A dwarf would sell it to ye for fifty, but ye could likely talk em down ta forty. Say, why ye lookin' for a short blade rather ‘n’ a long? Ya don’t look like you’d have trouble liftin’ a full blade.”
“Shorter blade lets me maneuver my weapon faster than my opponents.”
“Ah, ye like the speed. Makes sense. Well go ‘n’ get ye a shortsword then, lad. If ye get a good deal and yer friend there has some coin too, ye could almost afford him a luxium wand.”
“Luxium? That’s the stuff that makes lux chalk right?” Talynn asked.
“Indeed, laddie. It’s just chalk mixed with luxium ground into a fine powder. But when ye cast luxium into a mold, ye can make a wand. Ain’t a mage maself, but I hear em wands help beginners ta focus their magic ‘n’ cast spells easier,” Dimru said as he reheated the steel in the forge once more.
“Yep, it’s a learning tool, just like lux chalk. They only let you use them your first year in the academy since they don’t want you to become reliant on them.”
“Kinda like you are with lux chalk?” Mavence teased. “But hey, you could still get a wand.”
“Ye could, but I must warn ya, luxium’s a soft metal, almost softer ‘n’ gold. Ye whack somethin’ just a wee bit too hard and she’ll break ‘n’ half. That’s why folks prefer praesia wood wands. Hate ta sell Dryadalu products over me own people, but ‘em elven wands be lighter ‘n’ sturdier. Only downside of ‘em is they don’t quite conduct lumi as well as luxium.”
“Well, I don’t want to spend that much coin on a wand that’ll break easily. That’s a shame, I didn’t know luxium was so weak,” said Talynn.
“Dinnae worry lad, just wait a wee bit,” Dimru took a break from hammering to massage his sore shoulder. “Our mine dwarves be workin’ on somethin’ that’ll revolutionize luxium. Best be buyin’ luxium products after then.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“Hah! As if I’d tell ya, laddie. If we Parvosans give out trade secrets, then we’d lose our value and security. Our mining ‘n’ crafting is all that keeps us from bein’ conquered ‘n’ enslaved. Just bide yer time. If ye live in Albustone, ye’ll be one of tha first to see it.”
“Okay, I guess I can wait.”
“Blast, forge be runnin’ outta coal,” Dimru frowned. “Need to get the metal hot enough ta quench. ‘Scuse me while I fetch some coal.”
Dimru waddled away from the forge. Finding a large woven sack in the corner, he leaned over to pick it up. Talynn winced as both of the dwarf’s knees cracked loudly.
“Hold on, let me give you a hand,” Talynn pulled out his spell book and flipped through the pages. “All right, can you remove that thing on the side of the forge and stick that metal thing back in?”
“Aye,” Dimru nodded and removed the bellows on the side of the forge before picking up the hatchet with the tongs and placing it back in the forge.
Talynn struck his bracelets together and formed a small orb of fire. A small inscription circle formed around the orb. He unleashed the spell, a jet of flames pouring into the air intake of the furnace.
“Ah, yer a mage! Excellent lad, now hold that for a wee bit!”
Talynn poured as much lumi as he could into it, trying to get the metal hot enough, but he was quickly beginning to tire. Dimru watched the metal heat up until it was just the right shade of glowing orange.
“All right lad, it be done!” Dimru pulled the hatchet from the forge and plunged it into a barrel of oil. The metal sizzled in the oil, creating a small puff of smoke.
“That’s a grand trick ye have. I should hire ya, I’d save a load on coal!”
Talynn attempted to smile, but a wave of lightheadedness washed over him. Mavence caught him as he staggered backwards. Versutana rushed out to obtain some water for him.
“Ye alright there lad? Yer lookin’ a bit shoogly,” Dimru said with a concerned look.
“Yeah, just expended too much lumi. Forgot I had already used most of it earlier today,” Talynn said between heavy breaths.
“He tends to push himself too hard,” Mavence said as he helped Talynn sit up. Versutana returned with a waterskin, which Talynn gladly sipped on.
“Ya didn’t have to push yourself like that for my sake. Yer a good lad. Ya know what, why dontcha stay at the inn on the hilltop? My wife runs the place. We can get each of ya yer own rooms, on us. Whaddya say?”
“I think we’ll take you up on that offer. We have a group of imperial knights traveling with us, but they can pay for their stay since there’s a lot of them,” said Talynn.
“Imperial knights with ye, ya say? Hmm,” Dimru stroked his chin. “At least one of ye must be of noble or royal birth then.”
“That would be me,” Versutana raised her hand.
“To what house do ye belong?”
“I’m the emperor’s daughter,” Versutana said proudly.
“Oh really? I thought I heard the emperor’s daughter had white hair, nae?”
“I’m the younger daughter.”
“Ah, dinnae know there were two daughters.”
“Nobody seems to,” Versutana said with waning enthusiasm.
“Maybe ye shouldn’t be lettin’ folk know yer royalty, lass. Might be a time of peace now, but ye never know what an enemy of the empire might do if they knew who ye was.”
“Doesn’t seem like many people care either way,” she muttered.
“Dang, the sun’s getting low,” Talynn frowned. “Do you think it’s too late to visit the mine?”
“Dwarves work in the mines all day ‘n’ night. There’s no sunlight inside, so it dinnae matter what time o’ day it is ta them,” Dimru said as he began putting away his tools. “Night crews likely ain’t used to visitors on their shifts though, so ye might want to head there sooner rather than later. Just make sure ye don’t disturb the gnomes if ye see ‘em, they dinnae take too kindly to humans.”
“Got it. Thanks mister, we’ll stop by that inn later tonight. Let’s go!” Talynn attempted to race up the hill, but quickly was winded.
“Take it easy, bud. You’re still exhausted,” Mavence kneeled down so that Talynn could ride on his back.
Parvosans began to fill the streets after finishing up their work for the day. While their home city of Albustone had streets filled with the delicious aromas of street food, the dominant smell of Monparvos was the locally brewed beer wafting out of the pubs on nearly every block of the broadway.
“It’s getting late, maybe we should explore around town and wait until tomorrow to tour the mine,” Mavence said, eyeing the sun as it drew ever closer to the horizon.
“Oh come on, you know I’m not patient enough to wait another day to see the mine after we’ve traveled this far. Besides, you should be more excited to see this place than I am,” said Talynn.
“We could always see part of the mine tonight and see the rest tomorrow,” Versutana suggested.
“Yeah! I only need a glimpse of it. Otherwise I won’t be able to sleep. Come on Mav, please?”
“Fine. You have a plan for getting away from the guards Daecus assigned to us? They’re quite persistent.”
“That’s easy, just make a show of going to bed, then sneak out. I do it all the time,” said Versutana.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” nodded Talynn.
The group approached the inn near the top of the village. Dwarves entered and exited the building, enjoying the restaurant and pub on the bottom floor. They were ready to leave the brisk, thin air and enter the warm building when they spotted three of the royal guard that had been traveling with them exit the building through another door and hastily march further up the hill.
“That’s odd. I think something’s happening. Come on, let’s check it out,” Mavence tilted his head.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The royal guards trailing them called out as they caught up to them.
“Those knights we were traveling with are marching in formation, which means there might be a situation,” Mavence replied.
“Maybe so, but we were commanded to escort you while you were out and about until you found a place of lodging for the night. We cannot allow you to leave and enter a potentially dangerous situation,” one of them said.
“If something bad is happening, the safest place for us to be is around as many knights as possible. If you escort us to the rest of the group, we can be safe and see what Daecus wants to do,” said Mavence.
“Fine. We will meet up with the rest of our party. But you three are to stay close, you hear?”
The trio nodded in unison. The knights marched around them in formation up the hill. After a quarter mile, the main road veered sharply to the right. At the end of the road lay an eight-story tall stone door that served as the massive entrance to the top of the mine that lay within the mountain. A few dozen feet away from the door stood Daecus with her knights amidst a group of hysterical dwarves.
“What’s going on here?” One of the royal guards asked as they approached.
“There was a breach in the mine- wait, Enis, what are you doing here? And why did you bring the children?! They’re supposed to be at an inn by now!” Daecus exclaimed.
“My apologies, commander. We were unaware if the situation required an update to our parameters, so we decided to reconvene with the rest of our group.”
“Your duty is to follow your orders unless I explicitly update the parameters. I need to know that you will be in the place that I expect you to be, understand?”
“Yes, commander. My mistake,” the knight named Enis bowed his head.
“I swear, you whelps know nothing of actual war or combat, and it shows,” Daecus muttered.
“What happened here?” Mavence asked as he observed a small crowd of dwarves a few yards away. White blankets had just been placed over three dwarf bodies, with several mine workers giving reports to security officials as well as the mayor of the village. A human clad in black conversed with a dwarven coroner.
“It was reported a short time ago that an unauthorized individual infiltrated the Parvosan mine. So far, the unidentified assailant has taken the lives of three Parvosans and is still at large. The mine is under lockdown and all entrances and exits are sealed,” said Daecus.
“What are you orders then, commander?”
“Investigating this matter isn’t a duty of the Royal Guard, and the Parvosans strongly dislike outsiders interfering with their business. We’ll let them handle it.”
“Ah, yes, about that. If I may have a word, miss. Name’s Bolum, I’m the mayor of this village,” the dwarf beckoned for Daecus to lean down to his level so he could whisper into her ear.
“In this case, we might be open to outside help. Ye see, on the lowest levels of the mine, down by the gnomes, there be certain… items we be craftin’ by request of tha king. Er, emper’r, or whatever ye call ‘em. I’d like not to face his wrath,” the mayor said in a low voice.
“Ah yes, those. Well,” Daecus stood up to address the small crowd. “We have official permission by Mayor Bolum to enter the mine and assist our allies. Until the imperial knights assigned to this district arrive, we will be overseeing this matter.”
“We await your orders, commander.”
“The mine of Monparvos is a massive underground structure comprised of many caverns, tunnels, and caves. We don’t have the manpower to blitz search the entire mine, so we need to figure out where to start. The three murdered dwarves are our only leads. Let’s go speak to the coroner.”
“Uh, do you want us to stay here or leave?” Talynn asked.
“Well, you children are already here, I suppose,” said Daecus. “You two are training to be in the Emperor’s Guard, so view this as your first taste of what being a soldier is like. Hope you don’t have weak stomachs.”
The group followed Daecus over to the coroner and the human dressed in black. Talynn shifted uncomfortably as they approached, knowing that just under the white sheets were three corpses.
“Greetings, humans. Name’s Mortemic. I be the coroner of this village. I’d say it’s a pleasure, but these circumstances make it not so,” said the dwarf, his accent less prominent than the other dwarves they had met.
“Salutations,” Daecus extended her hand.
“Best not, miss. I’ve been handling these bodies, and I doubt ye want yer hands to smell like dead dwarf. We don’t smell good even when we’re alive.”
“Thank you for your consideration. And who’s this?” Daecus tilted her head at the human beside him. He looked to be in his late teens, his long black jacket and fingerless gloves matching his black hair and eyes. His skin was darker than the residents of Albustone, and his eyes carried dark bags underneath them.
“Vex. Vex Masuna. The insignia on your armor. Royal guard, I take it. And you must be their commander. Pleasure to meet you,” he said, his voice completely devoid of warmth or enthusiasm.
“And what is your business here? You have no visible imperial affiliation, and dwarves do not typically request outside help,” said Daecus.
“I’m just a wandering healer. Thought I could help when I overheard the commotion, but these dwarves were already dead when I arrived.”
“Really? You’re a healer? You look more like a black mage to me,” said Talynn.
“Shh, the adults are talking,” Vex waved his hand dismissively.
“I don’t like this guy. Something about him feels… off,” Talynn backed away and whispered to Mavence.
“What do you mean?”
“His lumi feels really… dark somehow,” Talynn replied.
“Mortemic, can you tell us anything about these victims?” Enis asked after receiving the go-ahead nod from Daecus.
“Well, I can tell ya they died from bleeding out. Multiple stab wounds. Other than that, not much. The lot worked near the lower levels of the mines,” said the dwarf.
“I see. Are there any races other than Parvosans in the mines?”
“Depends on the part of the mine. The main forging cavern is limited to dwarves and gnomes. There’s some transport tunnels and shipping and receiving caves used by our various clients. Humans, Elves, Imps, Gnomes, other Dwarves, so on and so forth. Those caves are closed now, but that doesn’t mean someone couldn’t have gotten in from ‘em.”
“Hm. Doesn’t seem like much to go off of, other than a general location. We have no idea who we’re looking for or if they’re hiding amongst the people currently held within the caves,” the knight stroked his chin. He glanced at Daecus for direction, but she gave only a slight shrug in return.
Vex caught the look between the two and waited for a moment before letting out a sigh. “I really hope you guys aren’t the best the empire has to offer. Are you even going to look at the corpses?”
The knight gingerly used his metal boot to fling the white cloth away from the bodies, but was having some trouble. Vex rolled his eyes and removed the cloth from each of them himself. Versutana quickly turned away to avoid hurling while Talynn and Mavence winced at the grim sight.
“Notice anything?”
“From the blood and the stab wounds, I’d definitely say they were murdered..?” said Enis.
“God, you are hopeless. Anybody else have any bright observations?” Vex asked.
“Spit it out, boy. I’d advise you to watch your tone when speaking to a knight,” Daecus gave a stern glare.
“I take it the empire doesn’t teach anything about basic biology to their knights. Wonderful. Anyways, let me spell it out for you. These corpses tell us plenty, especially this one here. Just looking at this one alone, I can tell you what race the killer was, where he’s been, what he does, and how long he’s been doing it.”
“How can you tell all that?” Talynn asked.
“The angle of the puncture wound on his neck indicates that the assailant likely went in for a silent takedown, approaching from behind to cover the dwarf’s mouth with his left arm and plunge his dagger into the neck with his right. Not something that happens much in a brawl or a fight. That means the killer was an assassin that went in with specific intent, “ said Vex.
“Next we have the killer’s race, which is pretty easy to deduce. Dwarves and gnomes don’t have the biology to be effective assassins, and elves don’t have the culture for it. The culprit must either be human or an imp. Now this, this tells me that the assassin hasn’t been doing this for very long,” Vex pointed again to the puncture wound on the victim’s neck.
“The assassin stabbed the dwarf right where the jugular vein on a human, elf, or imp would be; but not a dwarf. Parvosans have thicker necks, and their jugular vein is set deeper and further back within the neck. The killer wasn’t aware of this, and thus he missed. These extra wounds on the body are from when he had to go back and re-stab the dwarf to finish the job.”
“Okay,” Talynn slowly nodded. “But what does that mean?”
“The proper way to kill a dwarf is to lacerate the windpipe. It’s clean, it works, and they can’t scream.”
“I don’t want to know how he knows that,” Talynn whispered as shivers ran down his spine.
“The fact that the killer didn’t know this means he probably has never been to Monparvos before,” Vex continued. “So, if he is either an imp or human and hasn’t been this far west before, he must be from the eastern side of the empire, either the Aedonian or Furvusian kingdom.”
“Probably means the killer is relatively young too,” added Talynn.
“That’d be a likely assumption. Looks like the orphan boy catches on faster than you knights do,” said Vex.
“How did you know I’m an orphan?” Talynn raised an eyebrow.
“Cause you dress like one,” Vex answered.
“Oh...”
“Looks like we have our suspect. Mayor Bolum, inform the overseers in the mine to detain every human and imp,” said Daecus.
“Does that mean we can take the mine out o’ lockdown ‘n’ begin releasing our clients ‘n’ personnel? I’m sure they ain’t too happy ‘bout bein’ confined like this.”
“No. Either the killer is still searching for something, or he’s found it and is trying to escape. This lockdown is the only method of containing him.”
The mayor looked as if her were about to protest, but Daecus leaned closer and whispered, “I don’t think you’ll want to tell the emperor that someone broke in and stole… those items.”
“I guess we’ll do this for now,” Bolum grumbled. “I’ll go inform the overseers.”
“All right, men. Split into groups of two and prepare to enter the mine,” Daecus commanded.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4aOWy6a0v
“How can we help?” Talynn asked.
“You three are going to stay in the village with my remaining knights. You are not to enter the mine, do you understand?”
“What? Why can’t we help? You said this was training Mavence and I to be knights!”
“I’m not going to bring children into an enclosed space with a killer on the loose. Are you a fool?”
“We can be useful! You didn’t bring any other mages with you. If that guy knows how to magic, you have nobody who can counter him. A simple ice spell could easily incapacitate a knight. Just let us help,” Talynn pleaded.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm, Talynn, but you are neither mages nor knights yet. You’re just children. You’ll only get in the way,” Daecus shook her head.
“Can we go in tomorrow once you’ve found him?” Mavence asked.
“Only if the killer has been apprehended and the mine has resumed normal operation.”
“What are we supposed to do here the whole time? Just sit around?” Versutana protested.
“Yes, that is exactly what you’ll do, because that’s what I told you to do,” Daecus hissed.
“Well, my work here is done,” Vex said in the background as Versutana and Daecus began bickering.
“But that’s not fair!”
“Settle down young lady. I am not about to let the emperor’s daughter roam around a dwarven mine while a killer is on the loose.”
“Emperor’s daughter?” Vex muttered as his ears perked up. “Hmm. Well whaddya know.”
“I’m done having this conversation,” Daecus continued. “You and you, escort these three to their rooms. Make sure they don’t leave.
The trio was escorted to the inn, each of them walking in silence. The hostess greeted them warmly and showed them to their rooms on the second floor. As soon as they were inside, Versutana climbed out the window and leapt from her balcony to the boy’s room, being careful not to attract the attention of the knights stationed outside their rooms.
“What’s on your mind? Are you bummed we can’t get into the mine?” Mavence asked as they sat in a circle on the floor.
“No, I don’t care about that right now. It’s just… do you think Daecus was right? Are we really still just kids who’d get in the way?”
“Well, she’s right about us not being mages or knights yet. We’re still trainees. She wants to protect us. This sort of thing is beyond our level right now.”
“No, you’re wrong,” Versutana sharply objected. “And Daecus is wrong too! Just think about it. Talynn, when you two were barely ten years of age, you guys stopped an assassin from slaughtering my family in front of the entire kingdom. That imp even took out the archmage like he was nothing, but you guys stopped him together.”
“That we did,” Talynn said with a proud smile. “What do you say, Mav? Shall we stop a bad guy again?”
“Talynn, we can’t. Daecus gave us orders.”
“You didn’t save me by following orders last time. Back then, you knew what needed to be done and you did it, even when those imperial guards ignored you. Daecus and the knights need you right now, even if she won’t admit it. If they encounter a mage, they’re done for,” said Versutana.
“I guess you’re right,” Mavence said after a few seconds. “I assume you have a plan to get into the mine? Since you always seem to have plans that get us into trouble.”
“Hop out the window, head to the mine, and have a chat with the mayor,” said Versutana.
“The mayor?”
“Yep. I heard Daecus and him whispering about some special items they’re crafting for my father. With the right poking and prodding, I think I can get him to let us into the mine.”
“Really? You think that will work?” Talynn said.
“The mayor is corrupt. Corrupt people keep secrets, and they will pay high prices to keep those things secret.”
“How do you know he’s corrupt?” Asked Mavence.
“I live in the royal palace. I can tell. I see corrupt people every day talking to my father and amongst the nobles. After a while, it becomes pretty easy to spot.”
“So the plan is to sneak out of the inn and blackmail a government official to enter a mine against the orders of the commander of the Royal Guard. This is why you’re always in trouble,” said Mavence.
“You gotta admit, her plans usually work though. Minus getting in trouble at the end. But no time to think about that now,” Talynn stood up and straightened his mage’s hat. “We have a killer to catch.”
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