Age of Heroes

The horses finally stopped moving as they both look at the scenery in front of them

'Hah, we finally arrived.' Velamina exclaimed, smiling widely. Behind her is the caravan and two dwarves.

Many have happened since they got down from the mountain.

Too many events have happened. Velamina look at one of the dwarves and she look at it with a disgusting expression.

'His fault that we are so late in arriving' she muttered under her breath. Arial only smiles. He looked around and nodded to himself

Taigns' he muttered underneath his breath

Arial enter around the stairwell that leads to tunnels, wide tunnels until they arrived here. Taigns is what dwarves called their underground settlement.

No one knows why but it seems dwarves like living underground. From what Vigrun tell Arial, every Taigns is connected with each other by the Ara'l Shar roads.

There is a whole story about who created Ara'l Shar roads but at the time Arial did not listen to it that intently.

What he knows is that it is a deep road under the earth, underground. Arial could not help but connect dwarves to a mole or a badger and he shakes his head, trying to remove that mental image

Each Taigns is named after prominent houses of dwarves. Most of these Houses no longer exist, a remnant of the past.

They have lived under here for ages even boasting during the Age of Gods, that if the First Generation unleashes their spear, the dwarves will still survive.

Well, since the First Generation never did unleash it on Anvali, no one will ever know whether their boasting is actually true.

No one seems to know why the dwarves chose underground as their settlement. Arial see the Taigns as fortresses.

Surely if one decides to invade the dwarven lands they will find themselves sieging an impenetrable, connected and well supplied fortress he thought to himself.

'Orgehren' Arial ask as they arrived at Sar Ve'rol. Even Arial is slightly annoyed at this one dwarven

'Yes, my lord?' he then looks at Arial with its wide beady eyed.

'The dwarves have how many Taigns?' Arial ask

'They have seven, Arial' Velamina answered

'The lord is asking me, you lewd evil eyed Elven!'

'Which means the lord is obviously drunk like you Orgehren.'

'Drunk? Me?'

'Yes, like you. Because I'm sure the lord will not ask such question to someone so drunk that he would mistake a bedroom as bathroom.'

'You are still angry about that, large Elven?'

'Of course I am.' She yelled.

'Enough!' Arial shouted. And that shut them up. Arial only shakes his head and then muttered to himself

'Seven Taigns huh?'

Then Orgehren eager to please quickly speaks up.

'Milord there is the Sar Ve'rol Taigns, Varazamar Taigns, Ara'l Shar Taigns, Car Gor'lit Taigns, Ragarak Taigns, Sa Da'an Taigns, and Sal' Run Taigns. Sar Ve'rol is the center of smithing knowledge which is why I guide you here milord to try smithing the scale and combine it with mithril.' He said enthusiastically, no doubt wanting Arial recognition.

Arial still remember their journey here.

Orgheren seems like a nice mercenary and capable soldier but when they move in a small group Arial could see why so many complain about him.

He likes to drink.

Really, really like to drink. And when he drinks he got drunk. And when he got drunk, they will always get in trouble afterwards.

How many times they have to delay their journey because of him, Arial has lost count and his patience is wearing thin.

The dwarven keep explaining enthusiastically.

'Varazamar is Our Capital deep in the hearts of the Tunneling roads. Ara'l Shar is the hidden city of ancient knowledge only a few can enter. Usually scholars of Sal' Run can enter but other than that entrance is invitation only.'

'How about the rest of them?' Arial asked. He may be annoyed but he will not waste opportunity not to learn about the dwarves.

Arial doesn't want to spend so much time here. He just wants to craft the dragon scale and then they will go to the Orc land.

Though he must stop at Arakath first to send his loot.

And he could not wait to get rid of Orgheren. His chattering and drunkenness even drove the Orcs and the Elves to rescind his offer.

For all in Arial life, he has never met another person as annoying as Orgheren. Though, he supposes this is also the charm of adventuring.

Such an interesting personality that he would rarely see in the Human Continent.

'Well, Car Gor'lit Taigns is the fortress for the Dwarven Elite Guard. Ragarak is the glittering city as the silver veins and gold veins around the Taigns ran so deep it made the entire Taigns sparkle. It located deep in the Roads. Sa Da'an is a trade post near the surface to trade with the Kobolds and the other races and Sal' Run is the City of Ancestors.' Orgehren quickly explained

'Humph' Velamina snorted.

'That is good.' Arial said nodding, slowly memorizing the information into his mind. At least he now knows the Taigns and its function.

When he returns back to the Human Continent, Arial will send his traders to each of the Taigns to open a trade post.

'No' he thought to himself.

Better to put some traders as intermediaries as administrators rather than asking them to work under here.

It all seems gloomy underneath. Arial don't think human could live under here for long and not suffer from lack of sunlight.

'Velamina' he turned toward velamina

'Yes, Arial'

'Want to go exploring?' he said with a smile. And Velamina smiles

'I thought you would never ask' That day Arial and Velamina explore the Taigns of Sar Ve'rol.

'Wait us in the taverns' Arial ordered after he saw some tavern. Orgehren nodded. So is Vighrun who was silent in the background since the beginning

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'Did we lose him?' Arial asked Velamina when they were far enough from those two dwarves

She looks behind and then nodded with a relaxed smile.

'Yes, I guess.'

'Good. That dwarven always brought us trouble' She nodded in agreement

Arial then went to one of the smithy on the other side of the district and he could see dwarves working actively hammering blades and armors.

Arial have learnt that Orgheren really want the dragon scale but he did not give it to him. truthfully Arial could not trust Orgheren.

The Orcs, he can trust, so is the Kobolds but Dwarves and Dark elves? He would think twice. Not to mention that Orgehren is a drunkard.

Arial regretted hiring him now.

Most of the other mercenaries that followed him has resigned because of him. Then before entering the smithy outside the Dwarven Smith he asks a question to Velamina.

'I have a proposition for you Velamina. Would you like to travel with me to each lands of the Arakath?' Her eyes widen on his offer.

Velamina hold Arial hand and Arial felt a little bit uncomfortable.

'With you? Braving dangers? Fighting monster? An adventure which is no doubt dangerous? Of course. Why would I refuse?' she said delighted, her smile looks like the blooming of a flower.

But then she asks

'But how will you settle the caravan? Even now we only have Vighrun and Orgheren. Fera and the rest all have resigned. Fera because of his clan troubles, the others because they can't stand Orgheren attitude.'

Velamina addressing Arial concern and summarizing his problem in a neat way. Arial nodded.

'I guess we have to forget visiting the Elves Forest as I need to go straight to the Capital. My traders must be there and we can dump the caravan on them and ask them to send it to my castle in Arrandy.'

Velamina then ask

'I have no problem with skipping my place but I do have a share right? On the caravan I mean? After all you did not fell that beast by yourself' Velamina said.

'Of course you will have your share' Arial smile and shakes his head. She is cunning, this one.

'Good.' Then after concluding their plan Arial enter the smithy. The Dwarven that holds the hammer and smithing around the forges is a stocky muscly dwarven. There is traces of scars on his exposed chest as he was half naked in the forge

Arial had seen so many Smithmaster like this along the way so he was not surprised. He quickly directly asks the smith

'Can you make an armor out of this?' Arial said. First they looked at him with wonder. The staff of the store and the smith look at him with curiosity but they quickly regain their calm

'Human? This far on Anvali?' he said looking at Arial with an amused expression.

'Yes' Arial reply. He knows that Dwarves likes when one is being direct with them.

They hated people who spoke in flowery words or complicating tings that should be easy. In their myths, they hated Trickster Gods the most

'Odd' the Dwarven said. Then he asks

'You said an armor? Armor from what?' The smith asks. Then from the bag Arial took the items and shows it to the dwarves

'WHAT THE! In the name of the Ancestors! This is dragon scales!'

'Yes. Make armor out of it. Braces, shoulder pads, boots, anything that can help in battle. Gold is not a problem.'

Then Velamina laid her bag.

'Use this to join it.' And once again the dwarf is shocked. Mithril metal.

'This is unbelievable' the dwarven could not hide his astonishments.

'Can you do it?' Arial asked

The smith seemed to be contemplating. And then he gives his answer

'I can. Give me a week.' Then he told Arial how it would cost and Arial agree with the price and they shake their hands and the deal is made

'Fine. I will come later to take it'

Then returning to their appointed meeting place he informed Orgehren that he will go explore the remaining regions with Velamina and give Vigrun and Orgehren their pay as promised.

He grumbled but after he give them the gold they quickly agree.

They waited for another week as they traveled around the Taigns and see many beautiful sights and Arial learns a bit more about dwarven culture.

After waiting for a week, he picked up his armor and then they climb back out of the Taigns and reached the surface.

This time, there is only him and Velamina. Looking at each other, they smile and they march toward the next land, the Orchish plains.