The UmU Chronicles

Side Story- Quest for the High Mountain Hold I

This is a story, long ago before the mountains were chiseled to make homes for the dwarves, the times where the city of Nagrom was only just built & the mountains unnamed. At that time indeed were the dwarves, not mountain dwellers but dwelled in a city in the plains like the men, the city of Nagrom. This happened during the times when sparks of war were being ignited, just before chaos befell once again on this realm. When the Orcs of Karthilek raided their neighbors, the Dwarves & Elves.

The times when Dwuklin the First, the Smith God as they called him, the One who wielded a hammer, lay on his Deathbed after fighting the Orcish Invaders, injured gravely he was. Before Dying he had a wish, to avoid all the strife & war, to keep his kin safe & sound, he wished to occupy the mountains around. But alas! His wish wasn't fulfilled. The dwarves tried hard to fulfill their king's wish but were always pushed back. What was the reason, you may ask? Well, it isn't an easy task when a dragon lies asleep in the untouched mountains deep.

There were 5 Dwarves, cousins they were. In dreams of fame & gold, they reveled. They took upon the task of fulfilling the quest, to slay the dragon. One was steady in the crossbow developed recently at the time, the other strong with a hammer, another with alchemy. One who defended with his shield & sword & the other who had inherited the will of the Smith God, creating the weapons of the party & fairly versed in many of weapons.

They journeyed through the mountain pass, braving all that had come at them, from birds as huge as few of their houses with wide wingspans to golems of stone, who they mistakenly stumbled upon. Finally, they rested at the side, in a cave nearby, lighting a fire, thinking about their journey's troubles & their warm homes, oh how much they yearned for a good drink in a cold time like this. Soon they heard a rustle, it seems they weren't alone.

"I... am not an enemy! Just a warrior in training in the mountains! Although I don't know about that shady mage with an elf child."
Said a young man with braided blonde hair, wielding a spear, emerging from the rustle. Indeed, he looked like a warrior, with the armor  & the brace guards worn, but the dwarves sensed not bloodlust, so they relaxed a little. They were though, on guard against the mysterious mage in a white robe with a staff, black & crooked. The small Elf child meanwhile, looked listless & wore a black hooded robe.

The mage meanwhile said, "Ahem! I know I am suspicious & Child, don't look at me as if I finally spoke the truth after a long time. But hear me out, brave dwarves! I am just going back to my tower in the Dryfus Forest!"
"Why walk? & aren't you walking in the wrong direction?" asked the dwarf pointing his crossbow loaded.
"Ah! I can't just carelessly use transportation spells with another one, especially a child, who knows what might happen! But it does seem we are lost & Child, don't give me the look of 'I knew it!' Hmph!"

In a hostile time as that, the dwarves were suspicious. Orcs attacking them, the noldukis also hostile & elves ignoring their dwarven neighbors & simply dealing with their own troubles. However, they allowed the guests to sit near them, as a snowstorm was about to come & dwarves certainly believed in hospitality in times like these.

The sun even though not visible much in a snowstorm like this was about to set & the dwarves just started cooking a stew, to pipe down their hunger & the cold. Perhaps the smell attracted the guests thought the alchemist dwarf as he continued stirring the pot. It seems he was correct as soon growling of the stomach was heard as their guests smiled sheepishly.

The dinner was quite a nice affair with every single one of them smiling & eating the hot stew, getting heat to their bodies in the cold near the bonfire. "Haaaaaaa... Now that was some good stew if only, we had a nice drink to go along with." Said the warrior dwarf clutching his shield close by as though a pillow.
"Now Gentlemen, I suppose I can indulge you with a few bottles of apple cider I presume?" said the mage slyly looking at the dwarves as they dazedly looked at the bottle held in the mage's hand.
"Don't mind if we do!!!" chimed the dwarves as they snatched the bottle & started pouring it in cups as the blonde warrior, sighed as he also took his cup with a smile.

Soon the bonfire was about to go off & the party decided to rest in the cave, with a few leaves acting as a mattress & sleeping bags brought by dwarves.
"Thank you for giving her your sleeping bag, Sir Dwarf." Said the mage as he sat near the diminishing bonfire along with the man & the blacksmith dwarf. The dwarf smiled & said,
"Aye that doesn't matter much, she is a child, isn't she? They need to rest properly or they won't grow." As he continued pouring the remaining firewood they gathered in the bonfire.

With the silence encompassing the trio & the storm raging outside, the man decided to break the ice.
"Ahem, since we are here, I would like to know what actually are your destinations & motives." As he stared at the other two.
"Of course, I will share first. I just came from a village from the north & wanted to join the mercenary company of my teacher. She just wouldn't accept me even after training me like hell. So, she told me to go to these mountains for training. So far I haven't had much interactions with anybody so I was kind of surprised seeing some dwarves & a mage"

Sighed the man clutching his spear as he gazed at the bonfire. "Ah, a training journey, eh? Good luck lad." Said the dwarf, while the mage made a pitying look.

Soon the dwarf stared at the mage, with suspicion. The Mage realizing this, cleared his throat, "AHEM! I know I am acting suspicious & all, but believe me, I came from the Elven Kingdom, Xirlanthir nearby & just want to return to my tower to train this girl. This little girl, well she was an outcast." Said the mage looking at the girl sleeping soundly,
"Well she has an abnormal amount of maia, some can say she is a talent born once in a millennium, but the elves... They just treated her as an outcast due to being a 'no-name'. She is an orphan supposedly, dropped on the streets. She lived on the streets & was ridiculed quite a lot, by the citizens & even by other beggars for being abnormal. I just couldn't ignore such a talent rotting in a wretched place that refuses to acknowledge her! So, I decided to make her my disciple!" said the mage smilingly & looked with a gaze, befitting an actual father, towards the small elf. "Ah the fire, wait a minute!" he pointed his finger & soon fire engulfed the remaining bonfire, burning brighter.

"CHANTLESS MAGIC!" said the dwarf & man in unison.
"You sure seem like a big shot! Being able to use chant less magic even by elvish standards is quite rare!" said the man, in surprise.
"You flatter me." Said the mage simply smiling once again. He quietly patted the head of his sleeping disciple as he looked at the other two.
"You sure, she ain't your daughter? With the gaze you gave it sure seems like that." asked the Dwarf with concern. "I wish she was..." said the mage sadly as the blonde warrior simply sighed & looked at the bonfire.

This time the dwarf began as he folded his hands, "We Dwarves, meanwhile are on a quest, a mission, for our brethren to be safe from the orcish invaders & live-in peace. We wish to take the mountains here as our home." With a gaze full of determination, he stared at his listeners, stunned, looking at him, in disbelief.

"Isn't there a Dragon dwelling near the peak?" asked the man, while the mage asked, "
Only 5 Dwarves against a powerful dragon?!! Are you out of your dwarven minds!?"
The dwarf stomped his feet as he got up & said,
"Yes! We must away! To claim these mountains as our own, we simply can't live like you men, in the plains in peace or like the elves, in forests deep!! Thus, we have no choice, ye listeners of mine, we must slay the dragon asleep!! Our brethren suffer the most against the attacks against those orcs, how long will the city bear the brunt of all harassment by the orcs & the men while our elvish neighbors simply ignore us! While the dragon dwelling harasses us from skies above! We must do what we can! It is the dream of our king! The dream of... my father. For the promised lands, in the misty mountains cold... where every dwarf in peace, lives, whether young or old."

He calmly took a breath & looked at his listeners, who stunned yet again, continued staring at the dwarf. "I... do not know what to say. You, you are royalty, aren't you?" said the young man.
"I do not feel any need for you to speak with me respectfully... I who can't even fulfill a dream of my father isn't worth for the title of a 'Prince' you see." Said the dwarf closing his eyes in deep thought.
"Meanwhile I! would certainly prefer not taking my disciple out unto a dangerous journey as such." The mage bowed his head.
"Your grace, I certainly don't mean any disrespect but I don't think I shall accompany you further in a time such as this. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your hospitality, we shall not trouble you more & take our leave."
The dwarf got up & said,
"I do not know what I was thinking. It was my fault to disclose to you the troubles of my brethren, it concerns you noldukis not. Perhaps a slip of tongue, maybe something made me tell you about this. Still, I thank you for hearing me out." Smiling sadly, he went to sleep while waking the crossbow-wielding dwarf.

The crackling of firewood along with the heat from the bonfire was all one could hear apart from the snoring of others & the snowstorm outside. The mage got up himself & stood near the cave looking through the storm.