Reincarnated as a Phoenix

Chapter 56 - Gnome

We've ended up spending twelve hours on this godforsaken death-trap, I exaggerate a little but it definitely is slightly jankier than the trains on Earth, I can understand why Petra suggested we drink before going on it, just for nerves alone more than anything else.

The train is difficult to describe, mostly because you can actually only see the inside of it, the entrance in and out is basically only a doorway that opens up when the metro like train pulls into the station.

It's just like entering a metro or underground train, the interior even looks similar but there are quite the few bunkbeds around the place. Clearly, this must get used quite a bit, it does seem slightly empty right now though, there's only two dwarfs on this with us inside this carriage.

"We will be arriving ever so shortly, please remain seated and leave the carriage in an orderly fashion"

They even have an announcement system that a female dwarf is speaking out from, she's probably the driver for this metro train then.

Petra explained how that thing worked, vibrations. Yes, that's literally all she could say on it, I swear that's basically the same thing as how speakers and stuff work on Earth but I skipped learning all that boring crap, still don't regret bunking off school to do absolutely nothing.

"That's our stop Ikarus"

I may have fallen asleep on Petra's shoulder as well halfway through the journey, could've taken a bed but drifted off before having the chance, she was fine with it though. Her shoulder was surprisingly comfortable seeing that it's a freaking shoulder, then again, was it just because it's Petra? Who knows?

"Okay okay"

The train then slowly pulls up to the next station and once it has stopped, me and Petra get up of the metro chairs and head off the train.

Once we step outside the train doors, we're greeted to a massive cavern, so big in fact, it dwarfs my parents cave, pun intended. This cavern has multiple levels and with different carved buildings all scattered about as well as it seeming to be densely populated as the area we just came from.

"If we were to go outside now Ikarus, doubt we'd last an hour"

"Hang on, just how close are we to the volcano itself?"

"Hard to say, it definitely isn't liveable outside here, volcanic gasses and all that"

I've just gained some more appreciation for these dwarfs; they clearly know what they're doing if they're happy enough to live this close to a volcano. We should be alright, I think? The last time it erupted was down to Gods, it should be fine.

I know the lava and gasses can't affect us right now but still, a volcanic eruption I'm sure would rattle and shake everything around it especially caves that basically live next door to it, it can't be that safe I'm thinking.

Anyway, Petra starts walking ahead and I follow her.

__________

'Wow, that was a lot of stairs'

We've both just arrived at a blacksmith's shop carved into a subsection of this gigantic cavern having to travel up seven flights of stairs to get up here, yes, seven. My legs are aching now, the dwarfs really like things like stairs it seems.

This guy's shop is clearly a blacksmith's just clearly from the anvil painted on the sign, the door is closed for it though. Like most places down here, it's also carved into another section of the cave.

"Heh, just giving you a slight warning Ikarus, Garry is a little odd"

She's giving me another warning like she did with Zeki; she has a slight laugh so he probably isn't half as bad, hopefully.