Chapter 491 – A Tight Squeeze

“You said this is one of the safe spots near our destination, right?” Asterios asked, aiming to defuse the growing tension between the two ladies.

“Correct.” Truvi stopped snickering and glanced up at him. “We should arrive in Wintercrown before ya get a chance to experience any shrinkage, Mah Lord.”

As she winked at him, Noir sneered to the side, her gaze briefly skipping to Ast’s waist before lifting. “I told you cold doesn’t bother us so speak for yourself. Got enough of those ridiculous layers to keep your lips from freezing shut, dwarf?”

“Alright. Then, we should probably head off as soon as we can before someone decides to make a stop here.” Asterios inserted himself between them again. “I assume the two of us should remain unseen.”

“That would be fer da best, yes.” The short girl nodded. “If yer ready, we can move out right away. Will yer camouflage work well with a lot of white around?”

“The chances of it failing are lower than those of you slipping and falling to your death.” The Dragon lady snorted.

“That sounds like a yes.” Truvi rolled her eyes. “Try to stick close to us. The path isn’t that narrow, but da ground can be treacherous. We’ll communicate mentally if needed.”

She turned to discuss something with her father, giving Asterios and Noir time to hide away inside their light-bending cocoons. Glancing back and finding them gone, the short-legged pair exited the cave. The winds were immense at its mouth, but thankfully, they lessened a few steps away from the entrance.

They all emerged onto a snowy ledge on the side of a mountain that extended left and right for as far as they could see, twisting, turning, rising, and falling irregularly. About two carriages could fit side by side over its surface, more or less. Past the edge was a massive descent into a dark chasm the bottom of which remained elusive to a normal person’s sight. Such a drop would end up lethal for sure.

“Is this even a remotely safe way to travel?” Noir doubted the rocky path.

“As long as ya don’t get caught in a random gust of wind, yer fine,” Truvi replied. “And da ledge is supported from beneath so it doesn’t crumble under da weight of carriages.”

Without further ado, they began their journey, fighting against the light snow pelting their faces with sharp snowflakes. The father and daughter duo had to protect themselves with thick shawls while the draconic pair was able to emanate enough heat to create a barrier of intense heat that melted anything before it reached them.

Soon enough, they ran into their first fellow travelers. A convoy of four wagons drove the opposite way, manned by about ten or more dwarves, all bundled up from head to toe. Seeing two of their kin heading for the city, they stopped and chatted about the road ahead, however Truvi and her dad didn’t have much to share. No one noticed an additional pair of invisible bystanders the whole time, proving Noir’s tactic to be rather effective.

Just twenty minutes later after meeting the caravan, Ast’s group came out from behind a tight bend and finally witnessed the place they were aiming for. In the distance, Wintercrown sat proudly, carved into the side of the mountain. Half of it seemed to poke out as the ledge’s width increased greatly compared to the road. At first sight, the city seemed to cover a similar amount of space as two Glimmervales merged together. It was difficult to estimate precisely however as they had no idea how much of it was hidden inside the steep hill.

The stone settlement had no defensive walls because it didn’t need any on the outside, protected by the lack of terrain that would allow any kind of approach save for an unbelievably risky climb from beneath. A heavy gate still stood in front of the incoming path, its sisterly copy most likely located on the other edge of the town.

Gray square and rectangular shapes of all sizes filled the stone province, their heights starting low near the ledge of the shelf and growing taller and taller the closer they got to the mountain’s side. It created an illusion of the city being part of the whole and offered protection from the wind and snow to a certain percentage of the community. Those living in the outer section must have had it pretty hard. Though, the homes out there were most likely the cheapest.

“It’s a thing of beauty, isn’t it?” Truvi commented with a noticeable smile in her tone, all four of them staring at the numerous lights riddling the dark gray landscape.

They spent a moment admiring the equally breathtaking and chilling picture. Asterios couldn’t help but think about the size of a disaster that would strike this nation if the ledge somehow broke off. About half of the city gone, just like that, in a matter of seconds. He wasn’t sure if he could see himself living in such a place. Mountain dwarves were a different breed of people though.

Not wanting Truvi and her father to suffer from any level of frostbite, they hurried along the path, passing by two more parties heading out of the town. The third one was finishing its checkup at the gate and they had to wait for a bit. According to their guide, it was customary to speak with the sentries before going in and out. There was no doubt that some of it was just the current ruling party extending their control over the traffic, always keeping their hand on the pulse.

When their turn came, the guards signaled them to approach. Asterios and Noir hung slightly at the back just in case while Truvi spoke for the group. Or herself and the father since that was all the enforcers were able to see. The two wardens wore thick dark furs with deep crimson metal armor donned over the warm clothing. Even their helmets were fluffy on the inside.

“Objective behind the visit?” one of the sentries droned mechanically.

“Returnin’ home to family and to watch the upcomin’ Clash of Forges,” Truvi answered. “We planned to get here much earlier but da weather delayed us greatly, causing us to almost miss da start.”

“You are in luck. The festivities have been delayed so you have enough time to rest before the challenges begin,” the other guy added.

“Delayed? What?” She played oblivious perfectly, blinking at them in shock. “That… has never happened before, hasn’t it?”

“It was bound to happen. Those damn terrorists have been growing wilder and wilder with each year.” The first man grunted unhappily. “If my clan was in power, we would have weeded them out long ago. There are even rumors that they are collaborating with foreign nations and other races, can you believe that?”

“Bastards. Everyone getting chummy with those uncultured barbarians needs to be skinned alive and turned into scabbards.” His friend growled.

“Uhhh… Yeah…” Truvi chuckled nervously, sharing a look with her father.

“Nevertheless, be careful these days. Avoid the warehouse district as much as you can. Especially the south-eastern section. The engineers keep saying that everything is stable but so it was before a decent chunk of it broke off.” The guard shook his head and stepped aside. “May the heart of the forge keep your flames ablaze.”

She repeated the phrase with her dad and passed through the checkpoint. No one noticed an additional pair of unseen visitors and no enchanted alarms flared to life. All four of them walked into Wintercrown’s streets without a problem. And from what it looked like, they wouldn’t have much trouble going around. There were barely any people wandering around. The probability of accidentally bumping into anyone was near zero.

Truvi’s father led their expedition, intending to guide them to their family. But, his daughter had a different idea. She wanted to see the area of the incident with her own eyes. And as much as he tried to dissuade her from that foolish idea, she stubbornly stood her ground. Asterios felt the man’s gaze on him even though he wasn’t visible as if her dad blamed him for making Truvi even more assertive than she had been before meeting him.

In the end, he relented and let her take charge for now. Their party glided through the smooth streets that were skillfully carved from the mountain’s rock alongside all the buildings surrounding them. The entire city was one grand sculpture. The amount of detail the people who had made it put into their work was inspiring too. Even though all houses and other locales shared the same construction method and general style, they were all adorned with different finishings. It was almost impossible to find two places with the same arch at the entrance or a similarly shaped balcony above it.

A charming thing was the roofs. Those were exactly the same. They were shaped as if someone had taken a gigantic knife and sliced through the city diagonally. This stylistic choice greatly helped with the accumulating snow, controlling the direction and way it was falling. Plenty of leather sheets and corded nets linked the tops of the buildings, making it seem like whole districts were actually underground, illuminated only by the bright orange lamps.

As they arrived in the storage district near the border of the ledge, they noticed a clear difference in the ambiance. People walking the streets were gloomier and often looked around or behind their backs, perhaps worried about more dangerous stunts pulled by the resistance. But, that wasn’t the most striking change. While Ast’s group had seen public safety enforcers once or twice during their trek, the sentinels were much more prevalent here.

And they weren’t alone.

~What is that?~ Noir asked mentally, tilting her head as they all stopped to take a better look.

A pair of fully geared guards patrolled the region with some kind of a construct between them. It rivaled their height and was much longer. After a short while, it became obvious that it resembled some kind of a big predatory cat with how its head, legs, body, and tail were shaped. Made of extremely dark red metal plates, it seemed to be filled with a bright scarlet flame that licked the air outside of its build, escaping through finger-wide gaps between the armored sheets which weren’t even connected together.

~Oh. Those. I’ve heard about them but didn’t get to witness their introduction as they were brought into the field sometime after our departure.~ Truvi hummed. ~I believe these are called Fe-Lines. They are enchanted battle constructs made of special iron designed by da Rubytongs which are meant to protect da city and its inhabitants from threats foreign and domestic.~

~A clever name.~ Asterios rubbed his chin, noting the way the thick plating created a flowing pattern. ~Miria would be all over them in an instant.~

~There’s not much known about them as most believe they are da current leadership’s secret weapon. From what I heard, it’s practically impossible to damage their armor with magical or physical attacks up to a certain tier. And da immense fire burnin’ inside da shell protects da mechanisms hidden in there from sneaky attempts to slip a blade through da gaps, meltin’ any metal in a blink,~ his dwarf friend explained. ~Let’s keep our distance from these. Who knows if they have enhanced sensory capabilities too. We wouldn’t want them to sniff da two of ya out.~

~There’s a trace of draconic essence in their cores,~ Noir noted with a frown. ~It’s weak and diluted but it’s there. And it’s somewhat familiar, but I’m not exactly sure as to what.~

Asterios had a good idea of what it might be.

With the patrol heading their way, he took the Dragon girl aside, heeding Truvi’s warning. They waited for the sentries to pass, which took a moment as the pair decided to warn the father and daughter duo about the collapse ahead. The Fe-Line watched them intently and took a sniff of both before returning to its idle stance. It definitely was capable of sensing something. Something that the guards were looking for and might be related to the resistance.

With the threat gone, they hastily scurried towards the place of the accident, doing their best to avoid any further contact with the sentries while not appearing suspicious. Arriving close to the edge, they found safety railings raised around the breaking point, preventing people from mindlessly strolling to their deaths. Where previously three sizable warehouses had stood, now only half of one remained, the other two having plunged into the abyss.

The border of the shelf was badly damaged and shattered in many places. From the looks of it, this wasn’t a result of a single big explosion. The signs in the crumbled foundations of the ledge suggested a chain of detonations, be it intended or not. Whatever the plan had been, it clearly went out of control.

~I’m surprised the two of you are taking this in without much of a reaction.~ Asterios watched Truvi and her dad calmly examine the extent of the destruction. ~I thought you would be at least somewhat anxious.~

~I know what yer thinkin’.~ She sighed heavily. ~This might look bad, but Wintercrown is intensively reinforced in all da ways possible. Things like these never happen. It’s a special case, and even then, our engineers are goin’ to crack right into it anyway, most likely already making control checks everywhere they can. Something happened here that we aren’t aware of. I swear it’s not this easy to cause harm to da supporting shelf. Even ya would have issues, Mah Lord.~

He sensed Noir’s focused mood and knew she was scrutinizing the area of the accident with her draconic sight.

~There are traces of that same aura here. However… It’s different… Not like in those four-legged puppets…~ The Dragon lady then pointed at a certain spot. ~See that there? This might seem inconspicuous at first look, but this segment has been patched up as if to cover something, making it appear like part of the damaged foundation. I can discern three more mismatched pieces like that.~

~This was supposedly a warehouse belonging to the Rubytong clan so I wouldn’t find it too surprising if they protected their property with those Fe-Lines.~ Asterios followed her finger, pondering about the whole situation. ~Maybe the resistance got wind of some new weapon or construct being developed or stored here and that’s why they struck it. That could explain the similar but different energy. But, we’ll keep an open mind about the matter. Thanks for pointing it out, Noir.~

~I’m surprised you’ve gotten this far with how rarely you use the talents of your lineage.~ His fierce partner harrumphed and walked away from the edge.

He regretted not being able to see her clearly right now to check her tail. There was a chance he might catch it wagging slightly regardless of her provocative words. At least the very tip, maybe.

~I think we’ve seen enough for now.~ He turned to Truvi. ~Let’s check up on your family.~

They threw one more look at the accident site and went on their way. Dodging the patrols for a few intersections, they returned to the more central section of the city and headed for their next stop. It turned out that they didn’t have to walk far. Truvi’s home wasn’t located in the further districts, which matched with her mentioning that her family wasn’t a big player in the forging scene.

Still, they arrived in what could be described as a cozy stone mansion. It wasn’t big, closer to the size of a considerable house, but it certainly looked the part. Columns decorated the front and gorgeous arches adorned the windows. A crest with some kind of a motto in an old language was hung above the entrance. This household might not belong to the most prospering ones, but it definitely wasn’t completely out of the game.

There was just one issue Asterios had noticed fairly early after their arrival.

Almost everything was dwarf-sized.

And that included things like doors and most likely the interiors.

That assumption was proven right as soon as they were past the doorstep. Asterios and Noir had to hunch just to enter and unfortunately weren’t able to straighten up afterward with the ceiling being low enough to start somewhere at the level of their noses or mouths. It was a tad difficult to appreciate the fine curtains, rugs, paintings, sculptures, and other ornaments when they were constantly at risk of poking themselves in the eyes with the fancy chandeliers.

They were almost caught when Noir bumped into one and cursed silently while Truvi was speaking to one of her kin.

It was a tight squeeze to maneuver through the hallways, but the real challenge was getting to the meeting hall in which the heads of the family were currently gathered according to the intel they received from the members. For some reason, someone decided it would be proper to have a narrow spiraling stone staircase lead to the most important chamber in the house. Even the pair of dwarves scraped against the walls during their descent if they took too wide of a step.

Walking in as the last person in line, Asterios not only sensed something weird from Noir but also caught her moving in a slightly unsteady, jittery manner. He focused more on their connection without peering deeper into her mind as he knew she didn’t like it when someone prodded it without her explicit consent even if it was just the surface thoughts. That was still enough to understand that she suffered great discomfort for some reason. It made her stiff and hesitant to continue.

Not taking his strong companion as someone who would fear any dwarves in this universe, it didn’t take him long to connect the dots. Moving a little closer, he placed his hand on her waist.

She flinched and snapped her head at him. ~What the hell do you think you are doing?!~

Asterios could feel her enraged glare on his face, yet she didn’t immediately move away or smack his palm off her hip. He kept quiet, knowing that putting his intentions into words right now would only make it worse. She took in his unwavering and confident silence for a while, then growled quietly and continued on. At the same time, even as she expressed her dissatisfaction, she pushed herself more into him, leaning her back against his chest in reluctant support.

The journey down took them shorter than it felt, that was for sure. The second they entered a spacious hall with a slightly raised ceiling, which meant that Asterios and Noir could stand up properly, she slapped his hand away and spun around. Seeing his smile through the coat of darkness, she scowled, readying herself for the upcoming ridicule, well aware that he had caught on.

~Are you feeling better now?~ Asterios asked softly.

Noir held back the snarl she held at the edge of her teeth, taken slightly off-guard, recognizing that it wasn’t a mocking grin.

~Feel free to get back to the surface to catch a breath of fresh air if the atmosphere here gets too suffocating. I don’t think they thought of other races when designing their city,~ he continued, showing no signs of intending to address the problem or even acknowledge it.

She looked him in the eyes for a few long seconds, then grimaced and turned away. ~Tight spaces are… stuffy.~

He approached her and rested his hand on her shoulder this time. She didn’t have to admit it directly, yet she still decided to share this vulnerability with him, in as roundabout way as she had.

~You are damn brave to get in here without a sliver of protest, then.~ Asterios chuckled warmly. ~There’s no need to force yourself to push through, though. This isn’t anything that important. You can always wait outside or hide in my shadow.~

~It’s nothing.~ Noir tried to puff her chest out at his compliment, but they both knew it was just an act. ~I was briefly reminded of one of Mother’s traps, that’s all. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.~

It definitely was a big deal, but they were going to touch upon that subject at a later date when she was ready to open up more. As of now, just being honest about her feelings was a big step forward for a proud True Dragon who was supposed to never show any weakness. Discussing potential trauma required much more trust and rapport between people. Not to mention such fierce and vicious beings like Dragons.

Thankfully, the small council sitting behind a half-moon table—no pun intended—provided a great distraction from their psychological troubles. The group of aged, burly men and women dressed in fine clan uniforms frowned at the duo who had interrupted their gathering. One of them, the central figure, stood up from his ornate seat, probably the family’s head. And how he was the only one looking at Truvi with not just confusion but also fondness, most likely also her grandfather.

As the stout male approached his receptionist friend, Asterios shelved the matter of Noir’s discomfort away.

But, he wasn’t going to forget.

And one day, a certain long-lived female True Dragon was going to hear some words from him about her parenting methods.