Charter: Dwarf Settlement

We exchanged a few words, and he left as quickly as he came, I'm not a stalker, but I was curious what kind of person he was and at one of the breaks I found him in one of the corridors and followed him all the way to the school cafeteria, he was sitting alone reading a book about fantasy board games there were so many people around and he didn't even look at them his focus of attention was only on this book, then I went to his table and sat across from him:

-Hi, what are you reading?

-It's you! -I'm just getting to the chapter with the tough questions.

-What kind of questions?

-Question thirty nine says, "What would you do if your teammate contracted an incurable virus?"

-And what are the answer choices there?

I was really curious, he talked easily about board games like he was an expert, you know, even when we talked about personal things he told me about his fear, so I wasn't surprised that Nightmareclaw had turned into a white bear, over the many months I was with him I became much more open and at one point we became best friends.

During another board game, I got to thinking and asked him:

-Would you like to be my best friend?

-...Wasn't I your best friend?

-Of course you were! But now I'd like you to call me Frank as my best friend.

-All right!

NOW

-Now you know Dolan much better! -Francie said, wiping away her tears.

-Well, I think you're right, but now you'd better lift your head and look ahead, someone's coming. -Stan frowned as he saw three shadows in the distance.

-Are they friends or enemies? -Francie immediately gripped her blades tightly in her hands.

- And we're about to find out…

A full view of the approaching figures showed them to be three large gray ibexes riding strange dwarves clad in iron armor, tinted in places with the red she had seen in the Morsal Mines.

Francie put aside her weapons, for there were two of them, carrying a sick friend, but the dwarves were three, and though they were only a meter tall, they had the advantage of large mountain goats.

They stopped a meter apart, and the one in the middle introduced himself:

-My name is Olustin! Our leader sent for you, I see you've been injured. -He looked at the bruise on Francie's cheek and at Dolan lying on Stan's shoulder.

-Can you help us with him? -Francie asked Olustin with trembling lips.

-We will do our best, but has anyone else been hurt besides you?

-Yes! Our friend who was traveling with us was stolen by Valafar, and he killed your relative Versavia!

After Francie's words, the dwarves suddenly became more serious, removing their helmets from their heads and placing them on their chests, a sad silence hanging between the two sides: -Do you know where his body is? - he asked with visible anger in his voice.

We buried him far away, near the exit of the Morsalian Mines, in a pavilion... -She pointed her finger in the direction they had come from.

-I know where that is, but it would be better if we buried him here, so you go on and we'll get his body. -Said one of the nameless dwarves.

-Okay. -Said the weary boys.

-But before you go, he gave you the key to the Stone Gate, didn't he? - Olustin asked the boys about Versavia.

-Yes! -Stan showed him the stone key hanging around his neck.

-Good. You can go now, just go round that bend and you'll be there. -The dwarves led the way and rode their horses back to where the boys had come from.

They went as the Guardians had told them, and around the corner they saw a striking sight. There were two huge giants, who looked like two dwarves, standing at the great stone gate.

-How long does it take to carve such statues? -Suddenly came out of Stan's mouth. Francie put her right hand on the stone and felt how smooth it was, like marble.

-Stan, get the stone key that Versavius gave you. -Francie went to the great doors that reached up to the stone giants' heads and saw the keyhole.

When Stan gave her the key, she carefully inserted it into the keyhole and turned it. Then the key was sucked into the door itself and the red glowing emblem of the royal family of Morsalia appeared, the horned nine-tailed fox spread its nine tails and there was a passage leading into a dark great tunnel.

As the boys entered, everything went dark as the red glowing fox disappeared and with it the exit leading back.

-Will there be light or will we have to walk in the dark? -Francie asked awkwardly, and suddenly the gold chandelier on the wall lit up red:

-Sorry…

Francie and Stan were worried about how the dwarves would perceive them and didn't know how to start the conversation, whether to say everything or keep it to themselves and only say the most important things, but in fact Francie was hoping that they would take the sick boy to the healers of this place and he would be cured quickly and returned to normal, she hoped very much as they walked down the deep corridor.