System Break

Chapter 58: The Mountain Stronghold

The Dokkalfar stared at Redmond and me. It took them some time to process what we just told them.

"Mead?" Barrin offered.

"I'll try it," I said and tentatively took a sip. I didn't immediately feel like vomiting, but it went straight to my head. "Whoa, strong."

The Dokkalfar laughed.

"You know," Barrin began. "The city folk have been purchasing a lot of iron, coal and precious metals. They say it is for a commission for new adventurers the gate keepers bring."

Berger chuckled. "They bought so much - even when we charged them top prices."

He received glares from the others and quickly shut his mouth. I was surprised that the Warband leader's core was small in comparison to the crafters and the seer. But his armour was exceptional. The details on the engravings and the precision of the chain links impressed all of us.

Ailen said, "Dawnharbour received 250 adventurers like us recently. Well not like us, they are men and we're Svartalfar."

Barrin's already large eyes widened. "You're adventurers? Which of you?"

Ailen pointed to himself and Sakaala. "Gisael is the only true Svartalfar here."

I nodded.

"I thank you for your honesty," Brudin said and the others shook their heads in disbelief.

Barrin grimaced and looked at Brudin. "This business with the gate keepers is dangerous. Could it bring the Fomori after us?"

Brudin stared at me. "I do not foresee that."

Barrin asked Gisael, "Are you not afraid of the Fomori sister?"

Gisael showed her teeth, it would have been a smile on another. "We do as the forest and Mother ask." She glanced at me. "I do not fear."

Barrin stared at Gisael, me and then Redmond. "This is a lot you ask. To welcome a stranger, to give them something we hold precious, not once but twice. You ask for our secrets and what makes us," he tapped his chest, "Us."

He looked at the skins. "Even if we were to agree, the skins you bring are only enough to trade for minor things. A weapon or precious stones. But for what you ask it does not come close."

Berger tapped the table with his mug. "Barrin," he said and nodded towards the packs.

"What? What else do you have to trade?"

I looked at Sakaala and she shrugged.

I picked up a pack, "We only have these skins. There's nothing else."

"Do you take us for fools?" Berger growled. "You have a fortune in qi cores."

I looked at the surprise in Ailen and Sakaala's faces and I felt the same. "You trade these?" I asked. "We were collecting them to bring home."

"You collected it where?" Berger asked.

Sakaala held out a hand and I kept quiet. "We are warriors and worked hard for this. Very hard. We could have died many times, but," she flicked her hand in my direction, "He is powerful and kills monsters that would make you piss your bed if you dreamed of them."

Berger was about to feel offended when everyone laughed, including his fellows.

"Well said." Kindeag, the stone master, put a hand on the warband leader's shoulder. "It is part of trade negotiations, do not take offence."

Barrin stood, "May I?" He gestured to the packs and Sakaala nodded.

We could tell his was impressed because he was unable to control his surprise at the first pack. Sakaala said, "There are two more."

We asked a lot from them, it was clear. But their eyes betrayed their interest in the qi cores.

"Sakaala, how many of our qi cores do you think is fair?" I asked.

"Half, we need them for our land core. We're surrounded by more dangerous monsters - more than they have down here, and we hadn't planned on trading any."

I stared at Barrin, "What do you said to half and you take on Redmond."

He looked at Brudin, "Can we do what they want?"

She stared at me, "I will know when we try. He will have to take an oath to us."

"One that you can set him free from," I said.

"You would have to trust us, once he has pledged his life, we do not have to do anything."

"But we'd have a deal. You'd honour it."

Barrin nodded. "He is right. A deal is a deal." He looked at the packs. "I do not think half is enough."

Sakaala grinned at him. "You expect us to give you it all for this small favour of training him and turning him into one of your own? It costs you so little."

Barrin nodded. "All."

She held out her hand. "Agreed."

Barrin pursed his lips and shook her hand almost reluctantly.

"We keep the packs," she said gleefully.

Kindeag looked at Barrin. "I think she got the better of you."

Barrin scowled. "This is a king's ransom of qi cores, why do I feel cheated?"

Redmond wiggled in his seat. "How do we do this?"

Brudin looked at me. "Tell me about your journey."

I put an arm around Gisael and pulled her along the bench seat almost into my lap. She acceded and put a leg over mine and her hand rested on my leg. With my free hand I took a sip of mead.

"Well," I began, "There is the land core and a Svartalfar called Mother. She disappears into the land core whenever she wants, but she was once like Gisael. I pledged to the Svartalfar and she did something to me. That I cannot help you with, perhaps Gisael can say more."

Gisael titled her head and met my eyes. Then she turned to look at Brudin. "He was a lump of clay waiting to be moulded. Mother took him in her hands and worked him into shape."

The child let out a gleeful giggle but quieted quickly after Brudin put a hand on her shoulder. Her big eyes drunk me in, and she couldn't stop grinning at me. It was a bit disconcerting because I was supposed to be scary.

Barrin stood, "I'm finished." He looked at me and asked, "Do you want to see our humble abode?"

"Sure." We stood and followed him.

Brudin pointed to Redmond, "Follow me."

Ailen opted to go with his friend while Sakaala, Reyas and Gisael accompanied me. It ended up being a larger party when Kindeag and Berger joined.

Barrin led us through the corridors showing us his pride and joy first the smithy. I couldn't see the end. Pillars, benches filled with tools, furnaces, anvils, and pipes running up the wall, combining and then through it.

He walked through pointing, "Rings over there, rods, that's an assembly area. Springs, cogs and other parts here. Sheet metal rolling, beating other there. Engraving bench, smelting over there. We make all sorts of alloys, different metals for different jobs. Then we have weapons and armours sections that's where the best smiths work. Tools over there. Tinkering and repair section in the corner. And here is my pride and joy."

The smithy opened up and there was a huge drop-off down into the mountain. We could see a river of lava which stopped in a pool made with black stone. The pool was circular and there was a small block which made a dammed it up. There were three kilns made of the same black rock, they looked like huge wine bottles.

"This is where we melt the precious ores, the ones where a regular fire won't do the trick." The lava was red hot and I had no idea how they kept it from cooling. When I got closer to the edge, I felt like I was out in the sun, my skin warmed and the black stone was warm to walk on.

"Far enough," he said. "Any closer and you'll burn your feet."

He turned and led us out. "Next we have the brewery." And the Dokkalfar laughed. 

"They won't let us in," Kindeag said.

"But we have guests," Barrin argued.

The Dokkalfar argued and argued with the master brewer but he wouldn't let us in for a tour. He didn't want anyone stealing the secret to mead.

"I cannot show them the mines," Kindeag said. "It's just a maze of tunnels there's nothing to see. Take them to the growing rooms."

"Oh, that's boring," Barrin said. "We'll go back to the main hall."

"Where does everyone sleep?" Sakaala asked.

"On the other side. This is the work side," Barrin said.

In my mind the Dokkalfar had cut through half the mountain. It was impressive especially since they had no machines. It was all done by hand.

"What holds the ceiling up?" I asked and the Dokkalfar laughed.

"Smarts," Kindeag said with a grin. The whites of his eyes flashed, and it dawned on me. The tunnels were dimly lit, and their large eyes helped them see.

"Can you see in the dark?" I asked.

"Some of us can," Kindeag said. "Does your helmet grow?"

"No. At least I think it doesn't."

"Why is there no metal on your spears and arrows?" Berger asked.

"With the right wood that can work," Barrin said. "But I would like to see a fine steel head on them."

"When you have thousands of arrows that might be a tall order," I said.

The dwarves laughed. "You're rich you can afford it."

"Maybe, but I'm not carrying them all home from here."

Barrin rubbed his chin. "Maybe a couple of fine axe heads for your skins. What do you think?"

I nodded. "Good choice. That works for us."

Reyas slipped her hand in mine and beamed a smile at me. I shrugged; it was the least we could do.