130 - Echoes of war.

FIARIN, CITY OF AJOTPE - THE DWARVEN CAPITAL OF THODORIN

Beneath the stone mountains north of the Desolation of Anges. Dwelling behind the iron gates that locked out all non-dwarves from the city was a huge expanse of architectural wonder.

A city vast and eye-catching. Roads paved, bridges constructed, and houses hidden within the stone hill.

Deep within the secure confines of the city right at the heart was an ongoing meeting. One that if people like Moira or the five, Aegefon or Erizos were aware of would give them a shake.

A large and round stone table cut from a glistening white marble sat at the center of the room. For its size, it was also short not much of a surprise due to its creators being dwarves themselves.

Yet that was not the important fact. What was important instead were the factions or races seated around this table in a loud racket of discussion.

An Elven king sat to the left of the Dwarven ruler his eyes a dim silver, long silver hair rolling down to his back. Elven beauty was normal in whatever planet or universe. His bored expression though was the complete opposite of the borderline furious one displayed by the Dwarven ruler. His long beard as much a trope of the elven beauty was white as a wizard's. His huge yet tiny fists quite the confusion, clenched as he simmered with rage through the proceedings.

To his left sat the Orc High King a fiercesome 8ft, green-skinned warrior with more scars than the whole company combined. He was the loudest his voice sending vibrations through the war room. Next to him was the basilisk queen, half human half serpent, scales running along her skin part of her face while her forked tongue slithered in and out of her fanged mouth. The Troll lord was slamming his palms consistently onto the stone table, the poor thing only surviving due to its resilient material.

Finally was the giant. Lesser giant by Kendor's standards A tall muscular female with milthril plating weaved into an illustrious armor. Golden gauntlets wrapped around her arms.

Each of these figures still locked in a heated argument finally calmed when the Elven king coughed.

His silver eyes sent a glare through them all making all but the Dwarven king shiver. Finally, he spoke.

"The times have changed. former glories and past crimes should be behind us ." He halted his hands rising to settle atop the stone table.

"Nomandor will have nothing to do with a war anymore". His last words like a bomb struck deep into all seated. Only the giantess and the Dwarven king seemed unbothered.

All watched as the ELF rose his long white and green robes trailing after him. Silence remained for just a moment before the dwarf broke it with an angry snort.

"What we needing em long-eared twigs for. I say we dwarves be enough to crush em. "

The Orc nodded sharply his eyes brimming once more with anger. "I'll spare no human this time. All will pay" his eyes flashed as the memory of a burnt corpse being buried seared into his head.

"I'll support your raid. Regduv. The last thing we need is those pink skinned rising into power suddenly. They'll surely come for us" the basilisk uttered. Her motivation for being here obvious.

The three turned to the Troll who grunted without care waving a fist.

Nodding finally all eyes set upon the giantess. Her eyes which had been closed in a half-sleep all this while popped open sensing the gazes on her.

"The Gazan Clan will stay out of this fight." the giantess yawned tiredly. " I smell danger. The earth, mother terra shouts her warning to me. Gazan will remain on the watch as it has always done. But my brothers will not join this war".

Her opinion given the lesser giant rose and with mini quakes strode out of the council room.

" Cowards all of 'em. Then we do it ourselves. The gods be with us" the dwarf raised a fist. The Troll seemed bored now as he wasn't slamming his fists anymore, yet his arm stretched out and his fist met with the other three in the center.

Soon the four races had dispersed each getting on the move to prepare.

*********

Moira, Phoenix Queen of the Desolation of Anges, Hyperion's Wielder stared down from the balcony of the large wooden tower. From this height, she could view everything that moved about on the lands she ruled over.

From the forest edge to the now bustling town walls. The mountains were far off to the south where no one knew what transpired. To the sea of to the distance.

She could see it all.

The new town named Anges was growing not just in size but in population and strength. Things had been moving at speeds that she knew were unavoidable to be hidden from the other races.

With the blessings from Baroes their resources had doubled, and their lives got better. Aegefon had made several trips to several cities buying off the human slaves that were held there under the guise of a slave merchant.

At times he had changed from a merchant to an elf noble. While it left him with great distaste to have one of the men with a disguising skill make his ears long and his scar invisible he knew it had to be done.

It'd been several months since she and the camp had walked out of the Hell and Paradise path. Acclimating hadn't been hard. Being humans helping in settling down.

There had been various issues like when Aegefon had brought up the matter of making her queen. Most citizens instantly disliked the option.

While everything had been calmed down and her role accepted due to showcasing a bit and also a good use of the god's name she still felt like she had done nothing to earn her crown.

So while she stood up there watching as below the paladins in training and those already selected fought the High paladin Raina she decided to do what she could before it was too late.

"Moira. Moira ". Carla came walking in hurriedly her lower lip caught in between her teeth. "It's here, Moira. It's finally happening".

"What is here Carla? What happened?".

" I just received a raven from Aegefon. He said the dwarves refused to sell their humans. Even worse they're all being executed in a week." Carla told her while handing over a rolled-up scroll. Her agitation made Moira pause as she rolled up the scroll.

" What else is there Carla. While those innocents are being executed you'd normally be sadder, not worried and agitated. What's wrong?". Moira knowing her sister more than anyone else asked with a frown as she felt something was off.

"It's in there Moira, Aegefon noticed royal parties of different races all leaving the dwarven state right before his request to buy the humans was turned down. Moira, he said ..."

" As I write this. The dwarves are loading up supplies, arming, and gearing themselves. While I doubt that they would go all out for a little us. There is no kind of known aggression between the other races to illicit such a movement of war supplies. I fear My Queen, that our time is up, that the war we feared has finally graced the walls of our little town Anges. Prepare!".

Moira exhaled after reading out the end of Aegefon" s letter. This was it. The moment they had known would be here all along.

"We expected this. While we hoped to be more prepared, we knew that would not happen.". She looked at Carla.

"We can do this little one. Great one chose us. Maybe because he pitied us, or our plight, but he chose us and gave us such an ability. The things we can do sister. We humans have been oppressed for far too long."Moira took hold of Carla's hands gripping them with comfort as a sinister yet strangely warm smile lit up her face.

" Let them come. I. No. We sister. We will burn them to nothing. We will make them feel the pain of a millennium. And by Erizos if it isn't enough then I'll summon the god himself just like Aegefon said the dwarves did."

"Don't you think it's unfair of us to have our god fight against all their gods?" Carla asked worriedly.

" Yes. But remember Carla. He chose us. We didn't choose him. He's a god. One who could have walked away without batting an eye at our predicament. Yet he healed you and even offered such powers to us. And all we do is pray to him.".

" Okay?" Carla was not following.

" He wants us to trust him, Carla. While I feel like having him battling against all those gods is stupid. He'll have us helping. Isn't that why we are here?"

"That's naive. " Both girls jumped to find Humda perched right on the balcony. "Courageous, but naive". He finished looking at the two females.

"They're gods, not men. Even with all our abilities, there's not much we can do if they decide to descend and wreck us. "

"You doubt the Great one would assist us?" Carla asked a hint of anger rising in her voice.

" No I trust he will. Which is where I'm fearful. It's like you said Carla. He's just one god. Against a group of them what could he possibly do.".

" Then what do you suggest? And kneeling had better not be amongst your brilliant ideas." Moira glared with a burning gaze as she said the last part.

" You'd be surprised to realize the other races aren't open to surrendering anymore. They want our kind gone. Before they hesitated because of most races' opinions. But now all races are in support. It's gonna be a massacre".

" You're not helping issues here" Moira warned as she cast an eye at a startled Carla.

" I say we take the fight to them." He blurted out with a stone-cold gaze.