Olds vows remembered. A loyalties bound by stoo serve in life and ih. My fme is extinguished, my heartbeat ends, my bones keep moving. My fathers, they look down on me. My mothers, they will have to wait. Until the Suns below shine again. Until the nds below are sed. Until Arda’s heart beats again. Until we are but dust. Until the end of days, I serve.

  Mantra of the Dwarven Legions

  Iliyal finished his two daily reports. One for Kassandora about the Goddesses. That one was simply ho. They would be fine as Great War Era Auxiliary Divines. Nothing exceptional, simply support that o be called in to even the gap when White Pantheon armies fielded dozens of their own Divines. Battle skill was the less important issue. Iliyal kept on writing in his tent: Olonia, Saksma and Paida have the most potential to bee loyal. They are cssically Epan in thinking, falling in line no matter what is told. Saksma and Olonia especially. They appreciate the hardness of the training and treat it as a challenge. Both bee excited whenever Fer returns from scouting. Anyone else would write an ‘I think’ there, but Iliyal khat Kassandora was smart enough to uand this was merely his opinion oter. Agrita has potential however her character is rather weak. She looks proo sloth. Aliana is an issue. The womao have a personal problem with me, although she does not raise any issues in training. This seems to be due to the fact she falls in lih the others, rather than respect for hierarchy.

  Iliyal sighed as he sealed off the letter. One down. Now to the Epans. Wissel got it yesterday, Aimone before, Artois, Jozef… So it would be Richard today. This letter would be nothing important, simply an update on how well the Goddesses are doing in training and that they are ready for battle. Iliyal didn’t care about the tents, but the letters o be sent off. The leaders had pined inally that Iliyal only sent oween the five of them. Those pints, Iliyal ighe whole point of oer between the five of them was so that they grew annoyed with him. That annoyance would form camaraderie between them, and the stant weekly meetings between leaders of five nations would definitely be noticed by the White Pantheon.

  He fihat letter, stamped it with a wax seal and took both to two clerics who were waiting outside his tent. “Arika.” He handed ohe letter to Kassandora. “Epa.” And the other man got the other letter. He didn’t think they would fuse it, the envelopes were marked, but it was always better to use individual couriers. Things could be mispced out of pure circumstance.

  He took five steps towards the Goddesses who were training and stopped. An unnatural breeze was ing from the south east, branches were being broken, leaves were rustling. He turned, calcuted where the meteor would nd, and took a few steps to the right.

  A cloud of dirt and dirt exploded around him. He took another few steps away, Fer wouldn’t hit him, he simply did not want to get dirt on his biform. It ain to wash off when servants weren’t about, and he wouldn’t humiliate Kavaa’s Clerics by making them wash his clothes, he khey would, but that’s exactly why he didn’t ask. The cloud cleared after a moment, dust would take loo clear, but this was all just heavy balls of dirt and clumped grass. It revealed Fer, as it always did. She was smiling, eyes blinking the dirt away and ears jump as she shook that golden mane of hair that fell down to her hips . A smile that wide could only meahing though.

  “I’ve found one.” Fer said so loudly the entire camp heard. Iliyal took a heavy sigh and looked to the Goddesses who were training. All of them looked away simultaneously as if pretending they weren’t ied. Of course they weren’t, and pigs could fly. “What did Kavaa say?”

  “She said she’d think on it.”

  “I want to go.” Kavaa suddenly shouted from the other side of the camp. Great. And another one. Kavaa at least Iliyal could uand, but Fer should have developed some of Leona’s paranoia at least. Secrecy was never bad.

  “She’s just thought on it.” Iliyal corrected himself.

  “Wonderful!” Fer cpped her hands. “And them?” She poio the five Goddesses.

  “Why don’t we take the Clerics too while we’re at it?” Iliyal asked sarcastically.

  “We might go in for a few days, I don’t want to carry food.” Fer said and Iliyal sighed. Food was the least of the issue. They were going to see why Irinika and Mam had not go. It wasn’t some damn hike.

  “I didn’t think we’d be taking them.” Iliyal said.

  “It’ll be good training.”

  “And if we find something?” There were creatures down there, the highways were safe, but the nd had many caves. Iliyal wasn’t a betting man, but if he was forced to choose, then a thousand years would have released something new. In fact, he was sure of it, the Dwarves would have shown themselves at least a few times to simply check up on what was happening on the surface. Something was keeping them down there.

  Or maybe they had goinct. That ossible too.

  But then that wouldn’t expin Irinika’s and Mam’s absence. If it was Neneria, it could be reasoned she would sit down to meditate for a millennia. Not those two though. Dwarf extineant something had killed Irinika, and if it killed Irinika, then bringing these five was effectively signing their death sentence. Iliyal thought on it for a moment.

  If it killed Irinika, then it would handle Fer. Kavaa and himself weren’t even part of the equatiouro the five Goddesses. Actually, those five weren’t a bad idea. If worst came to worst, then they could buy time. For Fer at least, Iliyal himself was expendable. “Alright.” Iliyal said.

  “That was fast.” Fer said ftly. “I didn’t even have tain for it.”

  “We bring them.” Iliyal said. He made up some banal reasoning on the spot. “If we find some lizard, then it will be good bat experience.”

  “I knew you’d agree.” Fer said. Iliyal nodded.

  “How far is it?” He asked.

  “How are we travelling?” Fer asked backed.

  “I assume you ’t carry seven people.”

  “I do it four hours. With you and Kavaa.” Fer put her finger on her and shook her head from side to side as she thought. “Four thirty?” Fer usually undershot. Five and six hours then.

  “And with them on foot?”

  “A day?” Fer asked. No ce. Iliyal knew already. Fer’s groundspeed was inparable, she was as fast as the average Divine who was capable of flight, faster than most of them if she pushed herself. Two days. Maybe three.

  “We set off in ten mihen.” Iliyal said. “Let them prepare.”

  Arascus leaned back as he signed another w: The dissolution of the National Assembly, the suspension of the White Pantheon stitution and the removal of the Grand Court. Kirinyaa would be a success if he had t out screaming and kig, because Kirinyaa’s success would show everyone else why things were so much better under him than the ever-so-noble White Pantheon

  Iliyal looked up at the rather small dwarven hold Fer had found. Not one of the Great Bastions, rather just a supply bastion. Hidden within a raviween two mountain, it was easily missed. Fer had only found it because it was used as a supply base during the Great War. The outside was barely noticeable, merely a rge door that had long falles stone hinges, it could have been mistaken for any other cliff.

  He sighed and stretched his legs. Travel on Fer’s back always made him feel like child. He doubted there was anyone on this world who could enjoy that brutal rollercoaster even if they were somehow infatuated with the Goddess. He was not, so to him it was especially bad. Kavaa had o heal most of his muscle and half of his bones from fractures. She was looking at the oddesses. Iliyal didn’t waste the training time, all five of them were in heavy armour and with backpacks filled with various tools they would probably need. Fshlights and ropes and bs and firestarters. Ammunition for his own rifle too. And rations and water for Iliyal, unfortunately, uhem, he couldn’t power himself off simple belief. He had the pistol and sword on his belt as always, but there was no point to pretend that rger calibres could not be useful.

  “We’re here.” Iliyal said and the five Goddesses all sighed with relief. Kavaa took it in stride, although she would used to such marches. Fer merely yawned and stretched.

  “That’s it?” Aliana asked.

  “Not grand.” Olonia said.

  “Most dwarven holds are like this.” Iliyal said. “The grand ohat are locked down were for marshalling armies, these are supply bases that feed into the highway work.” He waited for them to drop their bags and start handing fshlights out. There had been no reason to go easy on them, so Iliyal got one for his head, another in his hand. Kavaa put her own as she watched.

  “If we find anything.” She began. “The five of you are to follow one of our orders. Don’t issue your own unless you’re away from us.”

  “Uood.” Olonia said excitedly. Saksma and Paida had just as muthusiasm. Even Aliana was smiling as she clicked her fsh light and ied the opening of the cave. It had long been looted, all the statues were gone. Agrita was the odd o, she took careful steps. Iliyal was about to speak to her wheurned and saw Fer.

  The Goddess had a light on her head, and two more, strapped with tape to her wrists. “Pe.” Fer said as pretehe fshlights were guns. Iliyal said nothing but the rest of them giggled at it. He had Kassandora’s method of dealing with fear, which was to cast it to the back of the mind and ig. Fear, at the end of the day, was merely a small fme within oneself. It could be locked away and allowed to burn out. But if humour worked, then there was no reason to beat Agrita over the head with ptitudes. Besides, the best method to learn how to deal with fear was exposure. Eventually, o used to it.

  “Fer, you lead. Kavaa and I will be sed, you five stay behind.” Iliyal said as Fer got to it. Iliyal wondered if that woman ever felt fear, he had not seen it once. But then whereas they were blind here, Fer’s sense of smell ractically a sed set of eyes. Her hearing a third. “Don’t get too far Fer.” And so they ehrough the rubble of the stoe and into darkness. The outside’s light gave up its battle to light these holds early, a mere dozen steps inside and they he fshlights to ihe walls. All pin stone, carved straight from the mountain. A te-war hold then, they stopped adding decoration and tiles some sixty years in.

  “I know.” Fer said as she started walking. Why did she even strap the fshlights to her wrists? Both were poi the ground behind her as she walked casually, hands csped behind her back. The rest of them provided enough light that it didn’t matter, but it was annoyiheless. Things should be done properly or not at all.

  They ied the small series of rooms. “What’s this?” Aliana asked as she stopped in a doorway and shone her light inside. Iliyal reised it immediately, ptforms upon ptforms, stairways on the walls which had cracked a rubbles of loose stones on the ground.

  “Granary.” Iliyal said as he leaned under Aliana’s arm and shone his light inside. “All empty though.”

  “I see.” Aliana replied.

  “And this?” Olonia and Saksma were both iing a small i in the ground. Fer turned aended an arm to the wall.

  “You see that hole there?” She said. There was indeed a hole in the wall. Both of the young Goddesses her words. “Water pipe. There’ll be a drain somewhere here.” Fer made a loose circle at the dusty ground as Iliyal ied walls. No spiders or cobwebs, nor any signs of animals. Caves like this usually had faeces left about, especially sihe forest had spread into the ravine.

  “What’s that?” Agrita asked, her voice low as if she was nervous of being too loud. Her fshlight ointing at a rge square hole at the end of the entrance corridor. Cssically dwarven, Iliyal had never been in this outpost hold, but it was calming to know that every single one of them followed the same pattern.

  “That leads deeper, to the highway.” Kavaa said. She showorch through it and turned a little knob on it to increase the strength. The light got stronger, until it hit a ceiling. It was obviously ined downwards.

  “Oh.” Agrita said as she stopped and started iing the rest of the walls. “It’s not so scary, I don’t think.” She giggled nervously. Fer was looking up, her brows furrowed as the light on her head sed the ers of the ceilings. Iliyal noticed it too. She turo Iliyal, then made a quiod at the five Goddesses. Iliyal got it immediately, don’t ask the obvious question, if they pahen they would only slow them down. Iliyal shown his light up at the ers, at the rusted hook that once would have carried a delier.

  “Old.” Fer said lightly. “And quiet.”

  “Indeed.” Iliyal said. “Untouched.”

  “By everything.” Fer said. They locked eyes and Iliyal khe Goddess noticed it too. They weren’t deep i. But where were the bats? The oddesses started to i one of the side rooms. That would be a mere dead end, just this hold’s armoury. There was no point to i, they’d shout if there was something scary, and if something was alive in there, Fer would have s out already. Agrita stayed at the door as Olonia and Saksma pressed inside. One of them fell over, the other burst out in ughter.

  But the three who had seen the great war were looking at that grarao the highway. Iliyal saw Kavaa looking at him. She made the motion of opening a door. Iliyal he highways were never left open. The doors would need a battering ram to siege down. A Divine, or a full team of mages.

  And this en. Fer looked at them and made a simple gesture. Stop and hold. She walked to lightly to the end of the door, her feet not even making a sound. And she peeked past where that door should have bee. Right. Left again. Up. Down. She turned. “We all think the same.” She said. “And I don’t know.”

  “Don’t know what?” Aliana said from behind.

  “There’s statues about usually.” Kavaa said quickly and effortlessly. “But they’re probably stolen.”

  “Looters then.” Iliyal backed her up in the lie. Statues going missing would not panic the five Goddesses.

  Fer always caught on quickly. “So heavy, probably Maisara took them.” Kavaa ughed.

  “Probably did. Fortia if not her.”

  Aliana wasn’t so quick to buy the lie. “Wouldn’t you know?” She asked.

  Kavaa shut her down immediately. “I had more important things to deal with than decorations Aliana.”

  “Oh.” Aliana said. “Sorry for being rude.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Kavaa said as she pointed her fshlight at the door. “Are we going in?” The question was obviously for Fer and Iliyal.

  “Well of course. We’re here for information.” Fer said. That was on the nose, but Iliyal let it slide.

  “YOU’RE IN THE ARMOURY, E ON, WE’RE GOING DEEPER!” He shouted. Paida, Saksma and Olonia all quickly ran out of that. “Whie of you fell over?” Iliyal asked. Two gazes at Saksma and the Goddess’ blush revealed the answer. Iliyal only ied her armour. Dusty, but not dusty enough for this to be a thousand years old. “Are you fine?”

  “I am.” Saksma said with some relief that she wasn’t being told off.

  “Alright, let’s go.” Iliyal said. Fer waited for him to catch up. Kavaa took the other side. Iliyal didn’t know if the woman was merely protective of all mortals or what, but he was gd she did. A Divine on both sides did put hearts at ease, even if he didn’t let the uneasiness show.

  The floor started to curve into a slope. Slope of ten degrees, as always, it would start to spiral after a while, but the gentle slope was o push wagons up from the depths. Iliyal took a deep breath as he buttoned up his coat. Without the dwarveing system, these caves did get cold. They walked past small rooms, Iliyal ied the first few himself, then assighe five Goddesses iion duty. These had merely served as resting stations in the past. For the crews that would operate the wagons. His eyes went to the ground, at least the stone was untouched here. There wasn’t any great marks of fire or cws in the walls. Apart from the total ck of life, it was as if he was had been a thousand years back. Everacks carved into the floor were still here.

  “Olonia, you turn on this ohey had started to get to the spiralliion. Fer was sniffing every twenty steps, but she gave nothing. Her ears weren’t jumping ear, so there was nothing ing towards them. Iliyal sighed as Kavaa ughed.

  “It’s cold here.” She said. Their breathes were misting now. It wouldn’t get to freezing here, but it was far too cold for fort.

  “That is it.” Iliyal said and Kavaa chuckled again.

  “I thought nothing could get you to pin.”

  “I pin about everything.” Iliyal said dryly. “I just don’t voice it.”

  “Even Fer?” Kavaa asked.

  “Especially about me.” Fer said from the other side. She stopped, turned and looked at the five Goddesses who were all looking into one of the resting rooms.

  “And me?” Kavaa asked.

  “You’re fine.” Iliyal replied as he turned and shone his light at them.

  “What’s the otion about?” Fer asked. Her voice echoed through the cave and she calmed tone. “Did you find something?” The echo was weaker now.

  Olonia’s head popped out from the door frame. “I think?” She said it like a question. What was there to eveion? You either found something or you did not. “I don’t know, but it’s not been iher rooms.”

  “Well let’s see then.”

  “Is it a skeleton?” Fer asked and Olonia shook her head. Iliyal would prefer if she was scared, then it could be something they could deal with. Simple fusion was more perplexing than fear. He closed the distance as Olonia disappeared behind the doorway.

  Iliyal looked through aopped. There was a rune on the wall. Jagged and harsh aing a delicately faint light. He stopped a his hand tighten around the torch, his other instinctively went to his pistol. The five National Goddesses were iing looking at it in fusion. “What is that? Important dwarf alphabet?” Olonia asked. Saksma shown her light on it.

  “I holy have no clue.” She said, obviously fused. “You?” She looked to Agrita and Paida, both shook their heads.

  Iliyal turo Kavaa and Fer. Both of them were staring at the rune. Kavaa’s hand was resting on her bde, Fer’s nails had grown into cws. Just like Iliyal, they both knew who used runes like that.

  “It’s old probably.” Aliana said. “Probably some old magic, maybe a marker or something? Not to go further?” The woman guessed correctly, that’s exactly what it meant. They called it a rune, but it was actually just a word. A simple oop. But it wasn’t in a nguage that inated on Arda. And she was wrong too, runes like this burned out after two years.