Dwarf Village

Grel: "Should we go down now?"

Arhi: "Eeeh? Now?"

Grel: "Hmmm..."

We decided to stay here for a night at the top of the cliff where the horse keeper dropped us. And we set up a campfire in the middle to warm us. Kiwi was already sleeping with Dai beside her. Dai hugged her so she felt warm and safe. While I was still awake and sat at the corner of the cliff watching the stars. Fasmel and Arhi were also already sleeping near the campfire.

Grel: "Hmmm... I don't know where to go. But the feeling of my heart keeps pushing me here."

I look up at the sky.

Grel: "I hope... I can go back with all I need out here."

There's a star falling in the sky.

Fasmel: "You have not slept yet Grel?"

Fasmel walked toward me.

Grel: "Fasmel... I will sleep after this."

Fasmel sat beside me at the corner of the cliff.

Fasmel: "Hey Grel... About what happened at the mansion."

She paused for a moment.

Fasmel: "Thanks..." She smiled.

Grel: "Ah... But I did not manage to get the sword for you though."

Fasmel shaking her head. Then She looks up at the sky.

Fasmel: "It's not like that..."

Fasmel: "My mother died when I was born here. And you already know that."

Fasmel: "It turns my father into a distrustful and overprotective parent in my eyes. And you also see it too."

Fasmel: "But..."

She paused for a moment.

Fasmel: "*Sigh. I don't know what my father is hiding from behind me. But, seeing you really beg for my father makes me feel better." She smiled at me.

Grel: "I'm just trying to help by talking. That's all I can do."

Grel: "*Sigh." I look up at the sky. "Imagine if you get your sword. It will help you for you."

It was just a moment of silence after that.

Fasmel: "I'll have a rest now... You should quickly rest too."

She stood up and walked out toward the campfire behind.

Grel: "Yea..."

I just landed on my back while my foot was on the cliff. The cliff road is going down so my leg does not hang out. It is still touching the grass while I look up at the sky. Then I didn't realize I was falling asleep in this position.

Then... In the dark view. I see something glowing. It glows with blue on the edge but the core is dark. It's like a ball of the universe with a blue ring surrounding it.

Grel: "What is that?"

I come closer to it. But then I heard a heartbeat. It was a slow heartbeat. Like it was already at the edge of death. I see the dark globe in front of me spinning to the right. The dark is shining in the middle of the dark. while the blue ring spins the opposite. Then after a moment, I saw some cracks in the dark globe. It's a tiny piece of hole, but inside, it shows me the light. It shines from that little hole. The globe is dark but the inside is shining, and also has a heartbeat. Then I tried to touch it. But the globe position is moving to the back and I can't reach it. Then I walk closer. The distance is still the same. I tried to reach it with my hand.

Then I woke up with a surprised expression thinking I caught the globe. My hand is raising toward the sky. It was already morning, the birds already singing and the campfire had already gone out. I lowered my hand, thinking I was in a weird dream again. I think I haven't slept enough lately.

Then I stand up and see the girls. They were all still sleeping. The sun is still not rising yet but it's bright already here. I can probably catch some wild animals back here in the forest behind us.

Then I decided to hunt some wild animals while they were all still sleeping.

After a moment. Fasmel is opening her eyes slowly. The sun is already rising a little bit. Fasmel woke up and looked around her while her eyes were still barely open.

Fasmel: "Where is Grel?"

Grel: "You finally awake?"

Fasmel looks behind her and sees me carrying some dead wild deer I killed with me.

Fasmel: "What is that?" Her eyes were still barely open.

Grel: "It's our breakfast. Can you light up the campfire again? So, we can cook this fast."

Then the campfire is lit up again using her little power. Then we deboned the deer and cooked it on a campfire using strong small branches. The smoke comes out with the smell of the deer being cooked.

Kiwi's nose reacted to the smell of the smoke. Then she immediately woke up while her eyes were still closing. Her sudden moves make Dai wake up since she hugged her while sleeping.

Kiwi: "I smell meat..." Her eyes were still closed but her body wanted to move.

Then Dai woke up Arhi and we all ate together. Kiwi just eating like she is been hungry the whole day.

Dai: "Eat slowly Kiwi, it's not good."

Kiwi: "But I'm hungry." While she looks at Dai.

Dai: "Just take time. Eat slowly okay."

Kiwi just nodded.

Then I stand up after eating.

Grel: "Alright. I'm ready to walk right now."

Arhi: "How are you going to carry your shield now?" She talks while still eating. Kiwi also chomps the meat.

Grel: "Well... There's no other way than using my power."

Then I begin casting the word and the blue aura flows into my body again. Then I touch my shield that leaned to some of the trees. My aura flows to the shield and the aura glows the line art. Then I pick it up pretty easily using my left hand and lift it.

We started to go down from the cliff and walk toward the mountain. Kiwi leading the way like she knew where we needed to go.

Time skipped ahead and we were entering the first road to the mountain. The road is split up into two ways. Probably the other way connected to where the dwarf is living. At the side of the road, there's a small river flowing, and there are some seats made of stone in the corner of the junction. The road is getting smaller and we can't walk side by side here. Kiwi ran toward the stone seat and tried to sit there.

I stopped after reaching the junction near the seat.

Grel: "Should we visit the village first?"

Fasmel: "Hm? I don't mind though."

Then I look at the road to the mountain. The road is going up. Then I can see clearly someone is sitting down inside some box. It's like a security center with a small space only fit for one person and its shape is a rectangle. There's a door and two glass walls. And the last side is a normal wall made of wood.

Grel: "Is there someone inside there?"

Dai looked in the direction I pointed to with her glasses.

Dai: "I believe it was the dwarf people from here."

Arhi: "They look like sleeping."

Then I go up and check it. It was a male dwarf sleeping inside on the chair. The chair size is like a normal human size. Probably it was made so the dwarf can reach the glass wall and see the outside of the glass wall. He looks small but not skinny. It is just small like Mr. Doon's size. And his hair is white. His face is still like an adult man, it is just his hair getting older.

I knock on the glass wall multiple times and try to wake him up. Then his eyes flinched.

The Dwarf: "Hoooaammm... This is still morning bae... What you-"

He looks outside and sees us and freezes. He was probably shocked because his eyes locked on my body with an aura flowing on me and the shield I carried. Kiwi just jumping beside me tries to see what is inside.

He fakes coughing as they see us pretending, he's not surprised and acting cool. Then he jumped from the chair and opened the door.

Dwarf: "So, is there something I can help sir?"

Grel: "Um... Sorry, we brother your sleep."

Dwarf: "That's fine. It's been a long time since someone tried to climb in here."

Dwarf: "My name is Stefan Damgaard. Nice to meet you."

Grel: "I'm Grel Vukag. Nice to meet you, sir."

Mr. Stefan the dwarf was shocked to hear my name.

Stefan: "Wait... Mr. Grel? Young prince from the Bulwark Kingdom?"

Grel: "Ummm... Yes?"

Fasmel: "I'm Fasmel Grandcrusher."

Arhi: "Arhi Doomscribe."

Dai: "I'm Dai Ca. Nice to meet you."

Kiwi raises her hand.

Kiwi: "I'm Kiwi!"

Stefan: "Aaahh... I see now... Please visit our village first before climbing here."

Grel: "Ummm... I can't be a burden for you sire, please."

Stefan: "Nonono... It's been a long time since people went there, you should visit the village. And people there will also be surprised too."

I look at the girl and we look at each other. We couldn't say no to him so we followed him and walked toward the village below.

After a moment of walking. As the horse keeper said, the dwarf village is right behind the mountain. We can see the village from above and the road goes down to the village. The village is pretty packed with houses and below the village, it was another cliff. The cliff is pretty high enough and below the cliff, It was an ocean. There's also a river going down to the ocean. And we can see the dwarf people working from above.

Stefan: "Welcome to the dwarf village..."

Kiwi: "Amazing!!!"

Arhi: "There's an ocean too. What a good view."

Dai: "The village structure is also interesting too."

Kiwi: "Can we catch a fish there?"

Stefan: "You can sweet girl." He smiled at Kiwi.

Stefan: "Hm? A tail?"

Grel: "Ah... It was a long story. I will tell you everything when we arrive."

Stefan: "I see... I bet she is the reason the young prince decided to go there, isn't it?"

Grel: "Ah yea, pretty much."

Then we entered the village. The sound of people hammering, and people talking started to get loud.

Civilian: "Look... Is that shield, from the Bulwark Kingdom?" It was a female voice.

Civilian: "It is!" It was another female voice.

Civilian: "How long since we got visited?" It was the first female voice.

Civilian: "OOI Stefan!" A voice from afar. it was a male voice. He is cutting some wood from afar. It seems like he is working with other people around him.

Mr. Stefan looked in the direction where the voice comes from.

Stefan: "OOOI! COME HERE WHEN YOU DONE!" He waves to him.

Civilian: "OKAY!"

Stefan: "Sorry if we are a too loud young prince. It was our daily routine here."

Grel: "It's fine Mr. Stefan. The sound is not a problem since it sounds like a normal day for me."

Stefan: "I see... Then glad to hear it."

We entered some houses. It seems where Mr. Stefan lives. The house looks like a Japanese house design. I put down my shield and depleted my power. And we entered it.

Stefan: "Please take a seat here. I will prepare some tea."

There was no chair, so we sat down on the floor in front of the table. And there is a vase in the middle of the table.

Grel: "Thank you very much, Mr. Stefan."

Stefan: "It's nothing. Bae! We have a special guest here."

He seems old with that white hair but seems like he still has young energy.

Then after a moment. Mr. Stefan's wife comes and serves us tea. She is still looking young. The hair is still black, not like Mr. Stefan's.

Stefan's wife: "Ahh... Please drink it will still warm."

We all say together except Kiwi already pick one of the teas and drink it: "Thank you very much."