ã€ŠThe Layered Lands 1: On Dwarves and Depthsã€‹


 On Dwarves I. Time of Life and Hunger

    Long ago, a poet from the days when the Sun was still strong wrote this in prose to begin his Book of Granite. In a few words he summarized the pain of a generation, which is still valid today.

    I invite you to read it, my friend, here it is. I hope it makes you think of another time, maybe a better one, where things were going well or maybe a worse one and think of all that you have overcome.

    Just a few words for context. It was written for a world that had been vast, north, south, east and west, but also up and down.

    And, our author, knowing the world he had lost, decided to capture his feelings. Don''t you think that knowing that there is a lot of world to explore and not being able to do it, will always be the crucible of nostalgic literature?

    I won''t take up any more of your time, here are his words for posterity:

    "A fortress has survived. Its roof carved basalt, its floor bedrock. Its doors sealed; its people locked. High above it are openings, mouths of dim light for a few hours a day, indistinguishable from the stone at night. A path connects it to the outside world; on the surface obsidian statues linger unmaintained and unworshipped."

    "Inside, the halls are still lit by torches, the houses still lit by hearths. The workshops still work, the forges still burn. There are those who carve stone and those who weave cloth, those who buy it and those who steal it. There are still saloons, taverns and councils, they still meet there. There are still people, who live."

    "They marry, but only when the time comes. They wait even longer to have their children. And still more they wait, when an important decision has to be made; more than one died waiting. If you wanted to make them hurry then they will only hurry to shut you up."

    "Their thick legs hurry through the streets, there are no longer crowds to slow them down. Their halls are very wide, not because they used to be full, but because of the satisfaction of the agora without horizon, the impression of generational work; the ultimate sacrifice was not prompt death, it was to work a lifetime."

    "But when a sacrifice includes the words life and death, it is made for those who endure, for those we beget to replace us. Before, yes, but now... now one did not live in the same world, now it was the sacrifice, the expense, the waste, that is made for the dying, when one knows, for certain, that there will not be a worthy tomorrow, and then, there will not be."

    "Because the Sun was always hidden by clouds, because our allies had committed suicide, starting wars when there was not even time to arrange the next harvest. Because our enemies had hidden themselves under the sierras and mountain ranges. Because we did too, when we accepted that it was the only alternative that would preserve us."

    "Every colony was abandoned, every road too. Every brother on the surface was selected to stay where he was, off the mountain."

    "The councils initiated debate and consensus won. All the brothers inside the gates would stay, all the cousins would leave. The councils wielded their arguments, the cousins were tall and fast, the surface their place of origin and the food under the mountain was limited and not suitable for them. It helped that the cousins had no representation."

    "All patrols would come back, garrisons would return, delegations would be called. All pacts would be broken, promises would be abandoned, enterprises would be sold. All friends would be forgotten, hatreds would be forgiven, values would be given up. Everything would be given up, except life."

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    "Such betrayal and such abandonment could not be forgiven, and so it was waited, time the healer cured. There was no longer anyone to reproach us, no one was left to claim revenge, the criminals and their responsibilities had died in bed, their children after them and then their children''s children. Get lost adding generations and then with ours you will find yourself, still no one has knocked on the door to ask for explanations since then nor is it expected."

    "Indeed, there was no time for the next harvest, at first cousins came asking, then demanding, the former received no answer, the latter did, coming from cannons and crossbows. Then whole armies coming, the former armed and armored, the latter starving and in rags. None could enter, not a single one penetrated, the foundations too solid, the gates too thick, the arms too weak. They went to seek another place to raze, on the spot multiplying, as the hosts of the starving increased."

    "Our enemy also came, afflicted now by the same problem as the cousins. Among them only violence reigned, with a dash of the worst kind of intelligence. But now it was not so, there was no one to plunder, no one to rob, no looting, no boarding, no time for warriors, but for vagabonds, vagrants, beggars. They too had no answer, but they found another entrance, and their eyes see in the dark, they can eat anyone else and each other. They survived."

    "Thus, the door to the deep was also closed, the pits sealed and the wells collapsed. Still the most pathetic war was fought, the most desperate, one so miserable that no ancestor would be satisfied. The enemy was weak, weak as never before, brainless, shameless, desperate. They dug holes with their hands, but were collapsed."

    "They charged together and held hands, but died and failed. Morale could not hold, armed with stones and sticks. In the end they fled, into the deep, even knowing that others awaited them there."

    "Never, since the last years of our grandfathers'' grandfathers'' grandfathers'' grandfathers, has anyone come to the gates, never has anyone sent any more messages, never have they attacked, from above or below. This circumstance has changed a lot, nobody goes to the battlements anymore, nobody studies to be a diplomat."

    "The knowledge about cousins and enemies, about distant brothers, about lost plants and animals on the surface, are a thing of legend and astonishment, like any fascination impossible to verify, before the silence of the ages."

    "Such is our time, silent, absent and monotonous. No change in circumstances, no change in laws, no future, only the present. Now there is no different thing in sight, it is clearly not a time for heroes. Perhaps only curiosity, because a lost world is a great catalyst of this side of nature. Add to this, youth, then add the loyalty of small groups of friends or perhaps just acquaintances."

    "Finally, let''s mix with the second part of the apocalypse that preceded us, also ready to succeed us."

    "They say that through the great west crack you can see the moon for a few minutes, let''s go tonight, now that the guards leave the gap where the river, let''s say that only to drink wine we went. For a moment the light of the luminary illuminates a fissure that to the black depth leads. Shall we hear above the wails of the abandoned cousins or below those of the expelled enemies?"

    "I do not know if we will dare hear it."

    ---

    I hope those words inspired you. They certainly did to some three dwarves this very night, especially the last paragraphs. Even more, everything related to the great crack looking at the exterior and the one looking at the deeps.

    And the wine, definitely the wine too.

    Let me tell you their story and how unexpected events, and their even more unexpected development, intertwine with a very special world:

    The Layered Lands.

 On Dwarves 2. Her and Them.

    Three shadows meet, they conspire innocently. Perhaps society was born to satisfy their needs, but they gladly abandon it, today they feel it as a bondage, too many responsibilities, too little leisure is bad for the soul, and I don''t even have any.

    She is not perfect, she is not, but for them, not to say it, just to think about it, is impossible, because she is, she is perfect. Her thighs are thick, her hips are hidden for good from their gazes and the empty conversations of long friendships.

    Her belly is scanty, her back curves like a mathematical function. Her nose is straight, her lips thick. Her skin quartz, her eyes sapphire, her hair amber. Not a freckle is missing, each one strategically positioned. Her breasts... The consequence is obvious, she was coveted.

    They always flank her, one on each side, for which of them would want to have the other between her and him. In all things be fair, in all things moderate, so I''ll flip a coin, if the obsidian Pillar comes up I''ll start with the bricklayer, if the face of the Father of All comes up, I''ll talk about the waiter. I advance you, none is better, but equally of her prisoners.

    Face. A typical face, a common face, a face in which everyone sees a possible friend, perfect for the beer and wine business. We talk about the thinner in features, the more pointed nose, the more pronounced cheekbones. Maybe less tall, but it depends on the boot.

    At least he can say he is less fat, although the beer hormones are already starting to make a difference. The hair black, the voice clear. Because he rejoices in singing and only sings better because he enjoys it the most. In fact, now it''s the only thing he enjoys, aware that the trio''s relationship has soured, but he''s not going to give in, even more aware of her.

    Pillar. Because he has erected many pillars, not in new homes but in old houses, older than the land registry that counts them. Every day he slips, every day his back hurts a little more. He is already tired and has just finished his first age. Three more hours on shift? Please, let it be over already.

    At least he''s gained muscle, but only in his arms and legs, and because of the little use outside, they don''t even pay off. His hair is ruby, but soon it will matter little, for he fights a battle hard to win, every day his red soldiers give ground and soon only a field of loneliness will remain, a wilted hill. But first, and only first, he must win a war, although he does not know whether of hearts or of attrition.

    Finna was her, the blonde, the smooth, the warrior.

    Beleg was him, the friend, the acquaintance, the evergreen waiter.

    Mim was him, the strong one, the red-haired one, the one who fixed our roof.

    If they were to talk about the day they met they would lie, none of them remember, it''s one of those cases where the relationship precedes the talking and the walking. Come to think of it, it would be a good excuse to say: I was friends with her first.

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    Now they gather, like a congregation of hooded heretics, to break the laws of the established order, in the name of a cause as worthy as spending a sleepless night doing something new. Tomorrow there is no work, but the day after that there is.

    ¡°Follow me as soon as I get up and don''t look back, I can''t say for sure that no one is watching us. Loki the lame sometimes sleeps in the hut of some tower, I tried to detect his pattern, but I think he is rather ruled by beer and where it catches him when the Sun falls.¡± When she speaks wittily, as on this occasion, they laugh heartily. Every interaction counts, every skirmish pays off.

    ¡°Let''s go¡± and they shoot off after her. ¡°Just a minute¡± and they all crowd in. ¡°Okay, it''s all right, there''s no one there¡± and at last they come out through the gap. It''s pitch dark behind the wall, but to light a torch in that desolation would be the height of stupidity.

    Today was the day, today a little of that forgotten moon enters, the last anchor with those nights of camping of the travelers, because there are no more trips. In less than a rooster''s crow at the chosen point they have arrived. A last cliff, a single high step.

    To the right the fortress. Black stone merges with black wall; there are towers with battlements, but few make use of them. It is more beautiful here than inside, though they think of something beautiful that is closer; she does not, she sees it clearly, the centuries that have passed, the buildings that have been abandoned. Literature made her dream of places where to plant the flag, where to extend the kingdom, where to put iron to use. But deep down she knows that her father, veteran of no battle, is right in this matter.

    There is no kingdom but this one, she will bequeath these stone walls to her children, and they to theirs.

    While she looked at the garrisoned city, they took advantage of the direct entry of moonlight to see not above but below. The crack deep into the bedrock was, under normal circumstances, a glimpse into the blackest and most unfathomable abyss one could imagine by closing one''s eyes and placing one''s hands over them.

    Today it was a mystery to be solved that was difficult to approach, for the presence of magical moments can never replace material reality: any false step would surely mean certain death.

    A certain death. A death. How easy it would be, wouldn''t it? She looks away, the stone is slippery as if it had been made to cause terrible accidents, one in which a friend or a rival could die. After all they no longer speak to each other, they no longer love each other, they are just a hindrance, a problem for each other. If only it would happen by itself, without the need to give the push, then everything would be so simple.

    They were both very close, looking into the depths, pretending to be fascinated, pretending to be interested. Each time they craned their necks closer, as if trying to reveal more of the depths. Each time the bricklayer''s hand came closer to the other''s back. Each time the waiter''s foot slid closer to that of his partner.

    Only a sharp, cruel blow restrained them from sin. Not to them it was delivered, for they were petrified now, with incredible tension in their necks and heads. The blow was bone on rock, announced only by an exhalation. In a very brief moment they raised their heads, yielding to each other the opportunity to consummate the crime.

    They saw only the blond mane, tied to an already unconscious body, sliding down the cruel rock into the blackness of the crevice. There went their dreams, there went the prize of their joust, there went the life of a girl, of a soldier. There went the reason for their hatred, here came a reason to shake hands, for nothing made sense if they did not find success in this mission.

    Without saying anything, with a face of serious panic, they decided to go down.

 On Dwarves 3. Over the deep chasm

    They ran, they really ran. One might have thought that they had developed goat legs like satyrs, because if not, I can''t explain how they didn''t kill themselves trotting down the rocks. They had nothing, NOTHING, to go down, no rope, no nail, not even a light, and not much experience.

    They returned through the gap in the wall this time with the stealth of a stampede and most of the time holding on all fours so as not to slip on the climbs. No one saw them enter, but they wouldn''t have cared by now. Beleg stopped for a moment, making a point.

    They looked at each other and, again without words, knew what the problem was.

    ¡°What shall we do?¡± said the one who stopped, ¡®let''s not say it, I¡¯ll go quickly for tools of my work. Do you have ropes in the tavern?¡¯ said the other. ¡°Yes! We''ll wait for each other in the gap, don''t go without me.¡±

    That''s how they appointed each other, it didn''t even cross their minds to go after her alone, they were out of their minds. Mim was the first to arrive at the masons'' workshop, on the way crossing paths with few others. Luckily his race was given to manners and order, though that would not prevent stares and comments tomorrow morning.

    Running, they saw his mane to the little wind of the cavern, with an indescribable face. He didn''t have the key so he forcefully pulled to open the warehouse; four well-delivered blows with his shoulder and a kick when no one peeked out. He loaded up with nails, loaded up with candles and helmets, one for himself and one for the aborted murder victim. He came back even faster.

    For the other dwarf access was easier, but the marathon less discreet. He had been thinking about it as he ran to his goal, the tavern would be crowded at this hour and sneaking in without being discovered was a task worthy of a master thief. In the end he opted for the quickest way, he would enter as if it was nothing, pass the bar straight to the pantry and if the boss stopped him he could only say he had forgotten something, the wineskin perhaps?

    Everything went as planned, except for the moment when he heard the deep voice he now feared the most.

    ¡°What are you doing? I''ve never seen you in these parts at this hour if you aren¡¯t paid for it.¡± Time to improvise.

    Meanwhile, many houses down, the red-haired man running was arriving, but slowed down as he realized he had arrived first. ¡°Where is he? I can¡¯t believe it...¡± But over there came the other one.

    ¡°Sorry, I got held up with the innkeeper.¡± He had probably lost his job, it was obvious that the owner was waiting for the first excuse to fire him according to the rules. Now it mattered little to him. Over his shoulder he carried the long, thick rope, for which he had no excuse in subtracting it from the larder.

    ¡°Come on, quick, we have no time to lose¡± marched the two again, and again mustering all their balance, now with the spelunker''s burden. You may wonder why they did not cry for help from the beginning, why the secrecy.

    Because of her. They were not to be there, and any infraction in the squire lady''s profession meant severe expulsion. Who of the two would court her if sleep and sustenance were snatched from her by calling for help from the same guard she belonged to?

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    By the time they arrived the mad star was already shying away from the upper opening, the sinister hole growing blacker and blacker. Beleg prepared the knot, then Mim nailed the spike with the rope. The descent depended on the strength of their arms, but they did not fear for their lives, right now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first friend, not to boast, but I have more experience with heights and dangers,¡± said the mason, appearing modest. The other one held his retort because there was no flaw in the first one''s argument, any answer would be born of stubbornness.

    Mim was already coming down, swelling the muscles of his forearms. He was staring intently at the rock two or three feet in front of his face, why look down if almost nothing could be seen. In no time Beleg, of more modest limbs, followed close behind him, buttocks a foot and a half away.

    They descended with exasperating but necessary slowness, halting to a stop only when their feet struggled to blindly find the wall. Only for a moment, when they reached the real blind area where only the candles on their helmets allowed them to see somewhat, did they stop.

    ¡°Wait!¡± said the one further in.

    ¡°She''s dead, you know that, don''t you?¡± he asked somberly.

    ¡°Yes, and you know that, don''t you?¡± replied the waiter, with certainty, but clearly trying to mark the irrelevance of the statement.

    ¡°Right... let''s move on¡± Making it clear, with his tone, that he understood that quitting now was irrational and cruel. Now, more than ever ignoring the fear and the stiffening of the arms, they climbed down with tenacity and a determined look.

    How black was the cruel pit that had taken her, and now them. The Moon was not going to allow herself to stop for a moment, for no one she had never been in a hurry, nor for anyone had she ever put on the brakes. Minimal reflections from the opaque rock and the starlight already allowed vision.

    Only now the candles kept them sane, tied to this world and not to the one that exists where things are not seen, the world without form or color.

    How incredible was existence without light, how contrary to the preservation of our lives, but how full of freedom in its amorphousness. Here no one would be a blacksmith, here no one a counselor or a knight. Here there were no parents or children, no house or shelter. Without form no one is taller, no one uglier, no one richer or poorer, no one more -ego-.

    But our duo didn''t think of that, did they?

    You see, no one has been down here in a long, long time, but it wasn''t sealed off in the old days either. Obviously, it is one of those dangerous places about which children and the less responsible adults of this society of ours are forewarned, but the ship of caution sailed a long time ago.

    As has become clear, falls on bedrock are more than dangerous, they can be deadly, but there is another side of the coin to the horror of this sleep depriving crevasse that I want to tell you about.

    The world is an onion, it has many layers, and not just as a metaphor for life, but literally. Logically, the first layer was where the cousins lived, the first floor of the world, the surface. Here, the cavern, where stands the fortress of the little ones who do not see the sky, is the subsoil, the layer immediately below. There were, or perhaps still are, upper strata, a world above the sky and beyond.

    But there were also those below, as I''m sure you were already thinking.

    And as I''m sure you can also imagine, it''s no place for innocents. Or at least that''s what everyone learns at some point in their lives, either by old advice or by institutionalized teaching, DON''T GO TOO LOW.

    But in love anything goes, even suicide I have been told by some poet. And so, Beleg, the former waiter, and Mim, the former bricklayer, went on.

 On Dwarves 4. Holes in holes in holes

    Ten times they thought they had reached the ground, ten times they missed, their senses betrayed them. Definitely, if there was no deep water at the end of the vertical path, there would be no chance for her. And perhaps not even in that case there would be, perhaps from this height the water was little different from reinforced concrete.

    They would have thrown something before starting down, try to hear a noise at the end of the fall, but they feared that if she was at the bottom whatever they threw would fall onto her, besides, they intended to go down no matter what.

    Mim was still first in the descent, now with more distance between one and the other, as Beleg''s arms required more rest. With his gaze still fixed on the rock ahead he felt his feet failing to find rock, something that had happened before in the jagged fissure.

    He continued down, supported now only by the herculean strength of his hands, until the candle over his eyes revealed the gap that prevented him from resting his feet. It was a wide crevice, the crevice in the great crack, capable of holding a dwarf, if he was willing to crawl.

    ¡°Wait!¡± he ordered, though not too loudly, he wasn''t going to tempt the possibility of a collapse with the vibration in his voice.

    ¡°What is it?¡± replied Beleg, at last closing the distance.

    ¡°It''s just that there''s a gap here... lean now on the rock with your feet and rest your arms for a minute, if you go down any lower you''ll have to support yourself with your hands only¡± stated the red-haired man.

    ¡°... Okay, I''ll stand for a minute¡± replied the other, trying not to make his relief at the rest too obvious.

    ¡°There''s no point in her... well, she shouldn''t be here, but I''m going to try to lie down inside, if only to rest¡± as he said this and swayed a bit to step into the opening in the rock.

    ¡°Ok¡± said the other, ¡°as you say¡± Beleg replied, not wanting to argue.

    Now with his legs steady he gave a final swing with his arms, to transfer the weight of his torso inside. With great skill he released the rope, and held tightly to the ceiling of the crevice. Now, by bending down a little, he could support his hips and rest at last.

    A small ripple formed in the rope by his oscillation and continued to descend until it was lost in the depth; how much was left to reach the bottom, they did not know. Now Mim took advantage of the scarce space to lay her back, only then did he realize that this horizontal opening reached much further. In fact, he had no idea where it ended.

    Meanwhile, Beleg wondered if the rope would be enough or if this risk was rather for nothing. ¡°Tell me something, I don''t see you from here friend¡± he commented, coughing a little, "can you hear me, friend?".

    ¡°Yeah, sorry... it''s just that... you haven''t heard anything since we arrived, have you?¡± the construction craftsman replied at last.

    ¡°No, nothing but you and the air currents, which make little noise anymore¡± returned Beleg. ¡°Yes... I think the air current in this hole carries sounds, maybe a voice¡± reiterated the red-haired man.

    After a few seconds of tense silence Beleg spoke again ¡°I think I''m going to keep going down, let me rest in that hole of yours for a while¡± he waited a moment for the other''s response, but there was none.

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    ¡°Are you there?¡± he started again, "Shhhhhhhhhh" he heard instantly. Making the psychological effort to look down, Beleg could see Mim''s feet resting in the void, the rest of him being inside the opening.

    ¡°There are two blue gems in here, I see them glittering at the bottom of this hole¡± explained the mason at last, ¡®And?¡¯ wondered the other, ¡°I don''t know, we could pick them up... they don''t look like ordinary stones to me, very pure opals perhaps, WAIT, I''ve seen them get bigger! Oh no, no, closer rather. Dang it, help, pull my legs, for heaven''s sake!¡±

    Saying ¡°I''m coming, I''m coming, I''m coming!¡± was all Beleg had time for before he watched his companion''s feet disappear into the narrow cavern. When he saw it and heard the quickly stifled scream of the trapped Mim, he could not but begin to doubt whether climbing down the rope and coming face to face with the horrible hole would be a wise move.

    Fear had left him paralyzed, so much so that now he was glad no one could see him, no one could judge him for flinching. But what explanations would he give if he went back now, alone. Would it be acceptable to say -we went for a walk, the three of us, but the others are dead, good night-, I think not.

    He gathered his strength and began to tackle the two-meter descent to the wolf''s mouth, now with his paws well away from the rock, circling the rope and narrowing his ankles.

    ¡°Holy gods don''t let my father or grandfather see me like this,¡± he thought, but didn''t say, not wanting to tempt whatever had kidnapped his sidekick now. When he finally got a good look inside, he felt a guilty relief. There was nothing and no one. There were only a few drag marks on the gravel where Mim had been lying a moment ago.

    Nothing could be seen, nothing could be heard.

    He now faced a major dilemma. He had gone down to save someone accompanied and now he had to risk his life in one direction or another, alone. Below, he could only see the abyss continue, with a rope that, descending, merged with the blackness of the hole, representing little hope. Above, there was barely a glimmer of light left, because, at several points, the crevice where they had plunged narrowed, leaving even less to be seen where it was now.

    Then there was the abyssal horizon in front of his face, where the man he had considered murdering not too long ago had disappeared. The decision was clear, unlike the black hole where Beleg lay.

    He took the slightest impulse and supported himself with his legs as Mim had done previously. In no time he also had his arms firmly inside the narrow crevice, soon after he leaned his body, head in, on the floor of the crevice, but in his case head down, to crawl well inside.

    ¡°She''s dead¡± he affirmed inwardly ¡°she must have cracked her head open at the bottom of the chasm, I know it."

    There was never any hope, only the panic of the moment, "I''ve accepted it, now the only worthy thing to do is to try to redeem my sin.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, why didn''t they seal this monstrous hole and why were we so stupid¡± he continued his internal monologue, buying time while deciding whether he had the courage for real or not.

    Finally, Beleg was able to quiet his thinking mind and his rational one, which was telling him to get the hell out before it was too late. There was no room there to extend his arms, as after a good yawn, only to crawl inside with slight shoulder movements. Something had pulled Mim by the head, surely, leading him into some deep burrow in this subterranean hell.

    Before, when the world had not lost its head and hope, the crust of the earth, the level just below the surface, had been the realm of his race, shared of course with a considerable number of cousins, invited by bona fide dwarves, and enemies, who plagued the caverns and built their own citadels beneath the mountain. Below was the realm of other creatures, overwhelmingly unknown to even the most learned of the giblets, or any other known people.

    There was talk of devils, there was talk of other dwarves, brethren who lived far deeper, there was talk of enemies, driven out once upon a time by wrathful ancestors.

    ¡°Perhaps I will even return having solved part of the mystery¡± thought Beleg, now with calmer nerves despite the situation, "they will surely make a statue of me".

 On Dwarves 5. Antediluvian Horror

    Many feet above their home fortress would already be dawn. Activity would start a little before the faint sun would make itself seen, with the impotence of the last centuries. Now the bakers would be working with their meager raw materials and the patrols would be eager for relief. If he found even a tiny hole that connected with the ground he once called his world, he would try to warn the others, no matter the work and the shame; but he was not so lucky.

    The path went on and on, only the candle on his forehead gave him hope, only it allowed him to follow Mim''s trail. Clearly, he had been dragged on, to an unknown and nameless depth.

    As courage faded, as hope failed, but the inertia of his decisions impelled Beleg not to stop, at least until he knew the whereabouts of Mim the bricklayer. He did not know exactly in which direction that dismal passageway would move, but perhaps, he thought, he would already be under the city, not too far below its stony foundations. In all that solitary journey, only one element caught his attention, something that didn''t quite fit.

    Sometimes, over the marks left by Mim''s dragged body, there was a shiny dust, as if scattered or scraped from some surface, perhaps spilled by a bag, but very irregularly, found only sporadically.

    Then thought the, likely former, waiter, ¡°a trace left by my friend perhaps, though I don''t recall him carrying a bag with him, much less one carrying such a precious and tiny treasure. It looks like diamond dust, perhaps the remains of another singular stone.¡±

    Beyond Mim having decided to strike it rich, buy the most expensive glittering powder he could find and take it to those depths in the time he took the materials for the ill-fated descent, he couldn''t think of many possibilities. ¡°He said something about some opals, precious gems in the dark.¡±

    For the good of Beleg''s back the path began to rise and widen, and at last he was able to walk upright, as if he had undergone an express evolution, from snake to dwarf. However, Mim''s trail was still as before, so it was deducible that the poor fellow would not have gotten up even in this stretch, dragged surely by the kidnapping beast.

    There Beleg remained, following the glittering dust and churned gravel, now feeling nostalgic for the safety of the narrow path overcome, for he could no longer see the walls to his sides well, and was still somewhat crouched so that his candle would illuminate the only clue to his companion''s whereabouts.

    In the meantime, I think we''d better change the scene, let''s see what his adventurous brother was doing, after two claws, hard as rock and black as the abyss they had tried to descend, grabbed him by the armpits and pulled him mercilessly.

    That abyssal monster was pulling him, but the blue opals he had seen, symmetrical twins, were always at the same distance from him. If they were it¡¯s eyes it did not take them off his person and thus he was galloping at full speed without looking where, perhaps he knew the way by heart¡­ or it had more eyes. By the time they had reached the widening, Mim had his eyes closed tightly, almost as tightly as his teeth, resigned to whatever fate awaited him.

    After all he had lost her just as he was about to lose his soul in an indecent crime a few hours ago. Surely whatever happened was a just end, perhaps even ordered by the Father of All for his moral transgressions. Definitely that demon from the depths, whose body he could not decipher in the gloom, would have nothing good in store for him.

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    For a while, which Mim could not determine, he had been incapacitated, losing all perspective of time and space, perhaps after becoming unconscious while debating his few alternatives. The blackness of the underworld had no difficulty in merging with the blackness of nightmares and soon the worker awoke to an unexpected scene.

    The first thing he saw were all the colors of the rainbow, blurred in an infinite number of dots and randomly scattered throughout his field of view. Then he ducked his head, which was suffering from its own weight, and he saw his body, of which he was beginning to regain control, sitting on a chair, with his arms on his legs, which did not reach the glowing floor.

    When his eyes adjusted to the colors he was receiving, he could better understand where he was: nothing more and nothing less than a huge geode, the size of a home or a den, depending on its occupant. Its seat was no less particular, for it was like a black stone, obsidian for sure, but carved very finely and without leaving it too sharp. He looked left and right and there was nothing but gems on the walls emitting mesmerizing lights.

    He could see some furniture, also dark and of refined finish. Even a tower clock, with its pendulum wobbling and emitting its particular and monotonous sound, except that in the round end gleamed a titanic ruby.

    Such observations confirmed the worst assumptions, he was sitting in the home of a demon. The cousins, on the surface, spoke on many occasions of demons, but they referred to those of their stratum, beings with pointed tails, eyes and claws. The demons of the lower stratum had no wings, no red skin. They were pure black rock, as any dwarf with a decent education would know.

    They did overlap in some respects, they lived for corruption, obsession and vice. But perhaps most importantly they were ancient beings, perhaps immortal.

    Although Mim was never very fond of reading, in the main library of the fortress there were some documents that spoke of these beings. You will be interested to know the hypothesis of Nimoth the Younger: ¡°...the antediluvian horror of the mountain, a sullen and cruel creature, could well be the progeny of the mountain itself, created in a bloody attempt, but fortunately so far useless, to wipe out our race¡±.

    If so, it is up to each one to decide whether they are black aberrations or the guardian angels of the stone itself. One last piece of information from the same author, which will undoubtedly be of value to you: ¡°...they spend their lives without time, in the caverns beneath the caverns, where the wealth of the earth is most abundant, planning the individual corruption of each dwarf on the face of existence¡±.

    The bricklayer''s only relief was this, he could neither see nor hear anyone else keeping him company. But he could not help think that his kidnapper was behind him, in the blind spot of his vision, and that he was not making the slightest noise because he was not breathing, for he had no lungs but stone inside.

    ¡°Good morning, it''s dawning already!¡± he heard behind, confirming again the worst possibility. The voice was melodious and of good intonation, it could belong to any good-looking dwarf, all rather grave and gentle.

    ¡°Friend, you don''t know how long I''ve been waiting for a visit in this barren neighborhood, I was about to start talking to the rocks, me!¡±, Mim was paying close attention to the words of the well-mannered beast, though he couldn''t see it yet and was beginning to think it would be worthwhile to start praying for his immortal soul.

    ¡°Now, why don''t we introduce ourselves while your friend arrives.¡±

 On Lore I. The Layers of the World

    Friends, I have been thinking that, in order to be sure to attend to your interest and, certainly, to better understand the situation Finna, Mim and Beleg have gotten themselves into, it would be convenient that, from time to time, we visit the library.

    And although I, unlike Mim, have no knowledge of how to build a strong and sturdy home, I do know that the layers do not start with the roof, but with the foundations. Therefore, we will begin by visiting the works of a relevant author, who will enlighten us about a world that, like many others, turns out to be counter-intuitive in its real nature.

    Here I leave you the excerpt that attends us, written by Shalmanasar II, king of kings among the cousins of a forgotten age, who liked to abandon the affairs of court and country in favor of scholarship on the truth of existence:

    ¡°I ''ll gather here knowledge about the physical foundation of our world, thanks in part to the donations and teachings of my friend, the elf of the peaks S¨ªlbirin, who knows more than anyone else about the strata above our heads.

    In truth our world neither begins nor ends where reason and the senses seem to tell us, and we lead our lives, from cradle to grave, experiencing just one or two of the many strands of existence. For in truth our existence goes much lower than the fortresses of the dwarves and much higher than the peaks of the elves, we men being right in the middle.

    It was inscribed in some celestial law that reigns over us all, that each people would lead its life in one of the layers of the world, but would have another, secondary layer, which it could also call home partially, for a time, always longing to return to its own.

    Thus, men live in the first, the surface, 0, which contains us all in its soil, which sustains us and is where we live most at ease. But also, with the dwarves many coexisted and coexist, because, although their darkness is not suitable for us and their food even less, among them we can lead a tolerable life.

    With them, the dwarves calling each other brothers, the matter is reversed, because their home is underground, the subsoil, the -1, where their masses accumulate under the mountain. And, at the same time, their presence is common and tolerated in our cities, where the sun dazzles them, but money calls them all the same.

    Finally, the elves, who as it is known make their life on the peaks, above the clouds, layer 1, where large craters welcome them; they are therefore far fewer in number than dwarves and men, because they have little soil to tread and cultivate. Many tame birds and other beings to cross the skies and for them the distance between their cities, hidden in the peaks, is not so much, because the riders reach them in a short time. They have their second home on the surface as well, where they do a great teaching work for the less fortunate people by the stars.

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    Thus, these three strata contain the part of the world that is familiar to these three great and laborious races, as close as cousins, to use the dwarf jargon. But existence, as we were saying, does not end here. The men are the most ignorant of this reality, being centered in the middle stratum, but the elves are very studious of the layers that surpass them in height and the dwarves of the layers that are under their soil.

    Even so, I have been informed by both peoples that neither of them knows much of the true nature of the strata that precede and succeed -1, 0 and 1. I have also been told that for us, the peoples at the center of this scenario, life would not be tolerable away from our layers either above or below, just as it is when humans try to coexist in the elven stratum, or worse, when dwarves try, for it is said that they barely make it alive from lack of air.

    Even with this fact over our heads, our curiosity for the lives of others does not cease, nor do the ailments of the body restrain us.

    Before going into more detail about the known layers, it is worth mentioning the presence of immense barriers that make the passage between some of them very difficult, perhaps impossible. Although, both dwarves and elves have written about natural or artificial openings of which rather little is known, since I have never found neither authors nor witnesses who have written or spoken of having crossed these barriers.

    Surely these were arranged by God to divide nature in the corresponding lines and not to allow unnatural crossings that would be detrimental to the established order.

    The only testimony that has come to my hands is one legend that represents an alternative history of the Father of All, deity of the dwarf brothers, in which the ancestor god descended to the underworld on a crucial mission for his race and the world. The details of the same are collected in several works, the most complete being the one published by Nimoth the Elder, in another past era.

    Now I will only say that the legendary dwarf must have used all his strength, will and cunning to break through the barrier that lay before him, nothing more nor less than the Quartz Wall, which according to the same story embraces the whole world underneath.

    At last, I leave here compiled everything I know about those layers that surpass us in both directions, starting with those that descend, the first being below the subsoil and known as Avernus, or stratum -2, place of lost civilizations, demons and hopes of wealth...¡±.

    For now, friends, I think it will be better to rest from so much lost knowledge, which sometimes is better lost. It is best to return to the plot of two naive individuals as much in love as lost under the rock and, thus, discover the truth first hand.

 On Dwarves 6. About Gog of Magog or â€œGimnoâ€

    Fed up with the road, Beleg had picked up his pace. He trotted straight ahead and without stopping, more accustomed now to the darkness of the terrible track he followed. From time to time he ducked his head, illuminating the trail he was chasing. And for a long time now he was chasing it.

    The tunnel had been slowly but steadily turning downwards and if after this he had to drag Mim along with him¡­ well he did not feel strong enough. His courage had been failing him for a long time now, every step would have to be taken again on the way back, and he had already got the kind of side stitch that could defeat you even if you were the greatest hero of legend.

    ¡°I''m not even armed,¡± he began.

    ¡°It wouldn''t even do any good to be armed, for I don''t know how to use any tool but the mug¡± he developed.

    ¡°How I would like a mug now, well filled with the cold yellow¡± he concluded.

    As he finished blaming himself for this last thought he bent down to sit, defeated by the aching pain in his side, the mark of one who never exercises and now wants to strain his body. How well I know it.

    ¡°Damn it Mim, if you are not close I''m afraid the only thing I''ll end up doing is an exercise in cowardice, already the spirit fails me more than the body¡±, this he said in a low voice, keeping himself company in the darkness.

    Finally, he propped himself up on one elbow and then laid down completely, face up, still debating what to do. He wondered if abandoning his companion would not be an even greater crime than the one he considered perpetrating a few hours ago, when they were still looking down into the crevice, the crevice he never thought he would descend into.

    He turned sideways, frolicking in the dusty tunnel, where tiny rocks poked all over his body and dust ruined the color of his chestnut robes. He moved like someone turning from one side to the other on the bed, trying to find the nirvana of comfort, knowing that it was a fleeting sensation.

    But, in a twist of his body, his left eye caught a reflection, a bright spot in the darkness that still awaited him on the unexplored path.

    No more than a meter forward, still crouching and with the side stitch inching in, she allowed his candle to illuminate the double doors of what was surely a cavernous mansion, her target and the home of the beast that had snatched Mim from him. Now it was a matter of opening them, or giving a few polite knocks.

    In the meantime, let us return to the conversation between dwarf and horror.

    There in the chair sat Mim, awaiting his fate without much hope, which he now also did not harbor for Beleg, his brother, friend and rival, for the beast, surely through its striking perception, was already awaiting him. Now it was a question of which dwarf had a worse fate pending.

    ¡°I hope you like the hall and enjoy its opulence, it doesn''t seem, friend, that your labor brings you a handsome profit, surely you''ve never seen such a collection of gems before?¡± said the thing behind his back. ¡°Now, swain, I will reveal myself to your eyes and increase your amazement; be here the glory of Avernus.¡±

    Barely making a sound, something slipped behind him. The tension and hardness in Mim''s neck would now have served to cut diamonds, and he could not turn his head as -it- proceeded to parade into the center of his vision.

    It was black, all cut onyx and angular, not polished and beautiful like the black gems of his home. Indeed, as Mim was understood by the holes and tears his clothes suffered in the shoulder area, its claws ended in spikes so sharp they could effortlessly pierce his throat. Its legs were hideous, for, although it seemed to walk upright like the dwarves, its knees were inverted and its legs did not end in a foot, like that of all good races, but ended in a single thick spike each, on which it stood with great balance.

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    Indeed, its eyes were two large blue opals and the only thing that emitted light in its thin, opaque body, on which the light reflected by the geode it called home was consumed. When Mim dared to study the beast''s head properly he was surprised to see no replication of the angles of the rest of its body, but rather a round face.

    The head seemed to lack elements, for, although he could make out lips and eyebrows of onyx, of the nose only the foundation remained, as if the rest had been carved away. The same was true of the ears, both of which, though present, seemed to end in a long tip that had been severed, in both cases by a surely brutal blow.

    At the top of what could be called its forehead he carried a symbol, carved as a slit, so it was difficult to distinguish it from the rest of the body, only some reflections within the geode betrayed its presence and led to think that it continued up his forehead to the top of the head. When the demon seemed to realize that Mim was paying attention to its mark, he decided to start talking.

    ¡°Friend, I hope you like what you see, though I don''t expect it. I have told you that I am looking forward to getting to know each other better. You, I, and the little black-haired fellow who approaches us every moment, have much to talk about. Perhaps now you are wondering about your future, as anyone who calls himself wise should, but I assure you that you have nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Friend, take me for an ambassador, for all I wish is to parley with you and yours. Please, we must get to know each other well and establish relations to our mutual benefit, it is all for the sake of economic progress and stability, no doubt.¡±

    ¡°Now, my friend, let me have the privilege of establishing dialogue, beginning by sharing my name. My name is Gimno, no more, no less, and I am sure...¡±

    ¡°That''s a dwarf name, DEMON!¡± shouted Mim, of course startling the creature, whose few-faceted face was unhinged.

    ¡°Certainly, and I''m sure...¡± said the demon trying to save the rhythm of the monologue.

    ¡°We have nothing to talk about and you know it well, you won''t fool me with your opals again, thank the Father I have never encountered such a beast before, but I know enough not to trust any deal or ruse!¡± Mim replied, more confident than ever and regaining his morale as he saw that things were not going the way the beast thought. As he spoke in such defiant terms, he began to rise from the chair, mustering what little strength the recently awakened man has.

    ¡°Be thankful that I am not armed, for then I would rid the underground of your horrible presence here and now.¡±

    Then the light inside the geode began to fade: the blues, yellows and reds began to fade, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish the creature''s black body from the dark background that enveloped it.

    ¡°LISTEN TO ME STUNTED DWARF, your kind is a race of short-lived greedy people, living a pathetic cycle of accumulation. You squander the wealth of the soil, which always ends up in the hands of those who do not know its true value! Your life will be but a sigh in mine, a sigh that you will waste working for those who have more money than you, because they have more money than you!¡± Mim shrank back into the obsidian chair, his mouth small and thinking more and more surely that the demon was going to rip his head off with a single sweep of its hand.

    ¡°Forgive me, forgive me...¡± it said as the light regained its power.

    ¡°Friend, I know that you are in a strange place and that the situation that attends you does not allow you to see the benefit that my person will bring you. Besides, you are in search of the young lady who fell a while ago... the blonde maiden who seems to have decided to rush down the moat without wings or climbing tools.¡± At the mention of this information, Mim''s face obviously lit up, and, seeing the betrayal of his emotions plastered on the dwarf''s face, the demon''s face brightened pleasantly too.

    ¡°Friend, it seems I have hit the key I was looking for, perhaps we should then dialogue, fair enough, with all involved present as is only fair¡± at once a fine stone door, surely the entrance to the geode, was heard to begin to open inwards.

    ¡°I see that the last guest already arrives, I had left the door open and I see that it has been the right choice. Excuse me!¡±

 On Dwarves 7. Corrupting Crusade

    ¡°Come in, gentleman¡± were the first words Beleg heard as soon as he finished opening the double doors wide enough to leave the perfect gap for a dwarf of his girth.

    They came from a demon, whose appearance far surpassed the horror he had already been imagining in his head on the way to the rescue of Mim, the bricklayer. However, the manners, shocking and bombastic as they come, were such a surprise that they did not allow the ex-waiter to react in the natural way his body was clamoring for: to run on all fours without looking back.

    ¡°Excuse me, your strong-armed friend is waiting for you in the parlor, just behind this beautiful wall of pyrite and gems. You two and I must be having a discussion, as I''ve been telling him. If you''ll do me the favor of coming in...¡± he said, as he stuck the black spikes he had for legs a little to his left, leaving room for Beleg.

    A Beleg, stunned by the blue opals of the impossible face of a being of black stone, entered without grumbling and without ceasing to look at the demon. When Mim heard some footsteps, clearly not given by the terrible spikes of the demon ¡°Gimno¡±, he imagined that Beleg was already present in the dazzling geode and decided to act, though resigning himself to the obsidian chair still.

    ¡°For all that is dear, Beleg, run for your life!¡± he shouted sitting down, hoping the demon would be content with one prisoner.

    Beleg turned his head in the direction of the sound, imagining that behind the wall was his companion.

    ¡°Don''t worry, your friend is upset about the journey and the tragedy that befell your female friend. Please come with me, you go ahead!¡± the creature expounded. In a fleeting moment, in a cerebral instant, Beleg accepted that the black demon knew something important about Finna, perhaps he was even involved in the fatal accident. Still impassive, he walked slowly to the opening in the wall, which divided the rooms of the geode.

    ¡°Brother, why don''t you run, did the demonic beast get you? Don''t listen to him or you will end up falling under his spell¡± said Mim agitated when he saw Beleg appear in the room.

    ¡°There is no need to insist any more my friend, it is time for the parley, now that we are all present. Please, gentleman, sit down¡± said the onyx beast pulling out an obsidian stool from under the main table of the room. And, as before, so did Beleg, without pause but without sudden movements.

    ¡°Don''t obey him, damn you, what''s wrong with you?¡± the red-haired dwarf demanded to know.

    ¡°Have you seen his claws or the stakes he has for legs? Where do I run to, Mim, in this hole, from which I don''t even have the strength to get out?¡± reasoned the dark-haired man.

    They were both silent under the patient gaze of the demon, who waited politely for them to be quiet.

    ¡°Mim! You have a name at last, and how nice to know it, may I ask yours, good sir?¡± he commented looking at Beleg, paws clasped together. ¡°Beleg is my name, will you let us go?¡± replied, now calm, the ex-waiter.

    ¡°Before disposing of that matter I would like to address other issues, allow me to do so as I am the host of this meeting¡± said the demon as he began to prowl the room, certain that his guests would not flee.

    ¡°Indeed, master dwarf, my name is not Gimno, though I have used it for many years. My name is Gog, which in my native tongue would be something like -of the earth- and this not for nothing as you clearly see. To begin with, and to get to know each other better, let me relate to you my situation and what I require of you, good guests.¡± As he spoke, he began to make circles by digging its singular paws into the ground, which was filled with black gravel.

    ¡°And then we can also talk about your blonde friend¡± said the walking onyx before beginning his tale, to decisively grab attention.

    ¡°Mim, Beleg, this has been my gome for a long time. And in this precious geode I reside for a very simple reason, I fear to return empty-handed. I came with a mission, of notable importance, and, you see, this is a little hard to tell, but... I came to corrupt your city.¡± Both dwarves gaped, wondering if now, just like that, they had stumbled upon an existential threat to the fortress.

    ¡°But don''t worry!¡± continued the demon, trying to appease the spirits. ¡°I''m not going to do it anymore, indeed, I swear I''m not going to do it, for a simple and very humble reason: I can''t!"

    Then Mim interrupted: ¡°The iron will of our people made the task impossible for you, surely!¡±

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    But even Beleg added ¡°I rather think that you came to your senses, surely you took pity when you saw that we didn''t deserve such a fate¡±.

    ¡°Such original hypothesis my friends, surely you are respected for your wisdom wherever you come from. Yet you stray from the truth here; but I will enlighten you, gladly.¡±

    ¡°When I was still able, many, many years ago, I used to go out and do my work. I will spare you the details, but let it be known that I never took a life, nor stole, though I could.¡±

    ¡°But, one day, as the Sun dawned on your citadel and glimmers of light entered through the openings, which was the time when I was hiding right here in my geode, well... let''s just say things were never the same again.¡±

    ¡°I was rejoicing in my greatest treasure, Sebastian, the huge diamond bestowed upon me as advanced payment for this very work of corruption of which I speak to you, when through all the tunnels came hundreds of your kin. I could not defend myself, for they were all soldiers, and with them went their king, Golmen.¡±

    Both dwarves looked at each other, they knew the name, as they all did, but they were surprised to hear it from the onyx mouth that was lecturing them today.

    ¡°The king knew of my purpose in this stratum and, so that I could not continue my arduous work, he left me ruined as you see me.¡± Then interceded Beleg, now asking, ¡°Is this not your usual appearance?¡± The stony demon lowered his head, defeated.

    ¡°Friend, you would be ashamed of that question now if you had seen me in my true glory and splendor. My body was of smooth onyx, rather carved as you now see my rounded head. My hands and feet, though always nimble and deadly were slender and delicate looking. My nose and ears were commented upon in the court from whence I came, but they were taken from me by three cruel blows upon my face. And with the true form of my body and my face, my true power was gone."

    "I could no longer convince anyone of my truths, and, thus, the nefarious dwarf monarch fulfilled his purpose.¡±

    ¡°But why didn''t he kill me there, when I was at his mercy? You may wonder¡±, both guests nodded, now more interested in the continuation of what was really a piece of their unknown history, than in their lives. ¡°Because I was still useful to him, so a pact was signed, the old-fashioned way¡± Gog assured them.

    ¡°Not much farther down, through tunnels you have never yet visited, you begin to see beautiful quartz crystals coming out of the rock, lots of them. Soon after, on the descent, you will find that the entire floor is of this same white quartz. And then, you will not be able to descend, for the immensity of this layer of shining crystal surrounds the world completely, and it is very thick and it is very hard. Even your kind would take decades, perhaps centuries to drill a tiny hole to descend.¡±

    ¡°And you know an easy way through, don''t you?¡± asked Beleg, unafraid, but thinking what a nefarious bargain the king of his ancestors would have made with a demon of this ilk.

    ¡°Indeed, or, rather, I have the only key to the only door in... probably countless miles¡± replied the Gog creature.

    ¡°And I have it right here, by the way¡± he continued pointing to the mark on his head, which he bent down for all to get a good look at.

    The indentation on its forehead continued upward, now revealing itself to be the representation of a sword. Said weapon was superimposed on another indentation that made a perfect circle on the round head of the onyx being.

    ¡°In case you''re wondering, I''ll tell you: it represents my conquest of the world, or that of my prince, rather. Though rest assured, there is nothing left of that dream now, which brings us to the crux of the matter.¡±

    ¡°How long would you say it has been since, among your kind, this Golmen reigned, who left me so battered?¡± When the demon asked, Mim looked at Beleg, for he had no idea and knew that his companion was somewhat more knowledgeable about the history of the fortress.

    ¡°It was somewhat before the Sun reduced its heat over the world, hence it will have been something more than three centuries, perhaps four,¡± Beleg answered, a little proud to get this trivia question right.

    ¡°Well that''s it, there we have it, in all that time I have done absolutely nothing, and it has clearly flown by¡± continued Gog. ¡°I''ve been waiting for people like you. You want to come down, it''s clear, and so do I, because I no longer wish to continue with this mission. But I have a problem that you can solve for me: I must return with the certainty that I have left your elegant and sturdy fortress, totally and utterly corrupt, prey to greed, avarice, obsession for accumulation, or else my prince will not be happy, it is very important to him."

    "So... why don''t you come with me and... play corrupt, as proof.¡± Gog checked the impassive gaze of the dwarves, who had been starting to disconnect from reality for a while now.

    ¡°But then I''ll help you, you can go wherever you want in Avernus or even go lower, which I imagine is what you''ll want.¡±

    ¡°WAIT, wait... you say too many things demon¡± interrupted Mim, fed up with the stony beast telling him about its problems.

    ¡°You said that to continue descending you have to go through a great layer of quartz, so what is at the bottom of the pit we descended, the one Finna fell through? And why would we want to continue descending beyond the black realm you come out of?¡±, hard but accurate questions on the part of the mason.

    ¡°Of course, dear Mim, what fine questions I''ll be happy to enlighten you about...¡±

 From Dwarves 8. Give me a sword and a sandwich!

    It had ended there. Gog had laid out his proposal, which talked a lot about things that two ordinary dwarves were not supposed to meddle in, things they didn''t really know anything about.

    After Mim''s final question, about the true end of the rift that had brought them to this dismal situation, things had darkened.

    ¡°Look, I''d better describe what I know and we''ll get it over with, and I don''t even feel strong enough to deceive you¡± said the demon Gog.

    ¡°A long, long time ago, ah... in fact I don''t remember what year it was for those of you who live above, but well, whatever... The fact is that a long time ago I dug with my own claws the hole that connects with the crack through which you descended, the one through which I helped Mim enter my house.¡±

    The dwarf preferred not to intervene with his own version of the matter, giving only a glance at Beleg as if to say -I''ll tell you later-.

    ¡°The thing is, I was looking for a way out so I could climb up to your citadel and fulfill my duty, and I knew the crevice was in that direction because a little emerald told me about it.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you talk to the stones!¡± asked Beleg, thinking of the consequences of that possibility.

    ¡°They have no choice left. Unmoving things make good listeners, and observers, but that we can talk about later on the way.¡± For the dwarves it was incredible to hear that carved onyx talking, the expressions on the face were practically dwarven, perhaps like those of the cousins, if we add the height.

    ¡°As I was saying, I found the crevice and proceeded upward. Of course, I reached the mouth of it and you know the story on that side. The enigmatic thing happened on the way down. When I went down, I expected to find the Quartz Wall soon, for I was going at a fast pace, digging my paws into the rock.¡±

    -That explains some holes in the wall, when descending down the rope- thought Mim as the demon continued his long exposition.

    ¡°After an endless walk, something strange happened to me, which I will always remember. I met along the way a gold vein, who spoke to me of something gloomy, something that made me think twice whether to continue going down.¡±

    ¡°She told me what I was already thinking: that at that point we should be, she and I, in Avernus, my home. She told me that I had already passed the Quartz Wall, that I had left it behind. She told me that it must lead somewhere else. She told me to run away and not to come back, for my own safety.¡±

    ¡°Never in my life, from the time I was pulled out of the magma to this day, have I listened to a mineral so disturbed, so frightened by the place in the world where it had the fortune to be formed in.¡±

    Despite the ridiculous talk about talking to rocks and veins of ore, the two dwarves agreed on one thing: Finna had not been stamped against a cruel and sinister bottom, though neither could they guarantee that her fate would have been any better.

    However, nothing eliminates the material reality: they were alone, unarmed, beginning to feel the hunger increase after spending the whole night in such a bizarre situation, and, really, they had no clear objective. They did not know where she was.

    Besides, of course, they were still in the house of a demon of the deep who clearly had plans for them.

    While they pondered their meager alternatives, Gog continued his narration, enamored with his own voice.

    ¡°...and thus never descended much again, and only used the crevice to ascend. The minerals have never failed me and their advice has saved me from a bad time on more than one occasion. Here, my dear brilliant Sebastian alerted me when your ancestors stormed my gates. But it was too late, as you can see.¡±

    ¡°Well, so ends the story of the rift, I hope you are satisfied with my words. I have no idea where your friend in freefall will be now, but I assure you that rope of yours is not going to be enough.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, in which the two dwarves looked at each other again and seemed to agree on something in the eyes of the demon.

    ¡°Gog, gracious host, would you leave us alone for a few minutes, we swear to you that we won''t try to leave, though it''s not as if we could¡± Beleg assured, with a diplomatic tone.

    ¡°No problem my dears, I am glad that you have come to your senses; with the word and not with the sword you can get anywhere, but we may be talking about swords soon enough. Anyway, I will leave you and come in a few minutes, anyway, I was already missing for the stagnant air of the cavern.¡±

    When the demon had left them there, alone, surrounded by the luminous geode and the stony furniture, silence fell again in the room.

    Mim was the first to break the silence: ¡°Well, I hope you have a good plan to get out of here. I can''t think of anything else but to try to knock him down between the two of us and run away to wherever fate has in store for us. Because you don''t plan to make a deal with him, do you?¡±

    Beleg''s reply was not long in coming, ¡°One, I don''t have any decent escape plan nor do I think there is one. Two, he''d gut us in about two seconds. Three, we might throw away our only chance to save her.¡±

    When Mim closed his eyes and put on an indignant expression, Beleg continued, knowing that his friend was struggling to accept the reality of the situation.

    ¡°Look, if he wanted us to do something where -it- didn''t require our will we''d already be doing it, and he wouldn''t have made so many things clear to us about Finna. He needs us, as he said himself. It will have to be cleared up, but I don''t intend to go back now with my tail between my legs.¡±

    ¡°Nor do I!¡± spat Mim, fed up with lessons.

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    ¡°Okay, I accept it. Anyway, by now I will have lost my job and with it part of my honor, even if I had enough of building walls¡± continued the red-haired man, more and more confident.

    They spent a minute in silence, wondering if it was worth saying anything else. After all they were now getting closer again, the situation had forced it, and think about how differently this had started.

    They then looked around to take a closer look inside the geode.

    It was indeed replete with color, there resided the wealth of a king under the mountain, wealth that his people had not enjoyed for centuries. It was full of brilliant amethysts, rubies, sapphires, unparalleled opals that covered the hemisphere that enveloped them.

    ¡°Who could see us here now¡­ no one would ever believe this in the tavern, not in a thousand years¡± Beleg affirmed, without exaggeration, and his friend Mim did not discredit him.

    Again they let time pass enjoying the reflections in the gems, which were beginning to haunt them. Seeing the purple, green and red lights now made them lose themselves inside their minds.

    They allowed their eyes to wander into the density of the jewels embedded in the wall. It would not surprise them if hundreds, or even thousands, had fallen to the temptation of this demon and his glittering tinsel, for now they too were losing their minds observing their surroundings.

    ¡°Stop, damn it, let''s stop looking at the temptations of this corruptor!¡± cried Mim, forcing herself to duck his head to the floor, which was black and lightless.

    ¡°Yes, you''re right!¡± said Beleg giving a sigh. ¡±It¡¯s already beginning to blur my vision and I¡¯m forgetting the face of... of her, looking at these jewel encrusted walls.¡±

    Mim, agreeing with Beleg with a nod of his head proceeded to say, ¡°I''m going to call the demon, for we have much to talk about. If we''re going down we''ll need food first, I don''t think they harvest mushrooms or ferment beer in their homeland.¡±

    ¡°I doubt they''ll eat, at best they''ll be content with pebbles from the ground, can you imagine?¡± proposed Beleg by way of mockery.

    Mim laughed a little, the first time since the tragedy, and added: ¡°Surely they''ll add charcoal to season the pebbles, perhaps here it¡¯ll serve us its dear diamond as a dish, with mercury sauce!¡±

    ¡°How good! If so, I''ll season it with a little gold, for I see it gets very sentimental when it talks about that vein that made it tremble in fear¡± added Beleg to the joke.

    ¡°Ha! And what do you say about the way it talks, and its mannerisms when it -speaks-, I''d say its a female of its species, a female of stone¡± continued Mim''s mockery.

    ¡°Maybe, though I''d never say it with that indescribable voice, I don''t think it''s very popular with minerals and rocks,¡± the other continued.

    They both held back their laughter, not wanting to attract the attention of the demon, who must not be far behind the geode''s door. At once, Beleg decided to put an end to it:

    ¡°I''m going to the door, to call the demon, I''m sure he''s been waiting for us, bored for a while now, I hope -she- had some piece of iron to give her conversation...¡±

    ¡°No NEED, I''m already here!¡± came in quickly Gog, carrying a multitude of things in its claws. They were speechless with fright.

    ¡°I see you take me for a joke and find it very funny how I talk¡± said the demon immediately, with a clear accusatory tone.

    ¡°Well, first of all, I am not -female- or anything like that, it is clear that you do not know anything about your neighbors below. I am as I was pulled out of the magma, period.¡±

    ¡°Second, minerals are much more polite than you people, and make much better conversation. Besides, I would never eat any of them, much less Sebastian!¡±

    ¡°And finally, I''ve brought you everything you need, now gather your food and pick a weapon you like, the descent into Avernus is not as easy as a walk to the tavern and we''re going to need skilled hands.¡±

    The dwarves watched dumbfounded as Gog dropped a bag full of weapons enough to arm a garrison. There were axes, spears, hammers, swords, bows, crossbows and the occasional dagger.

    ¡°But... how did you know everything? WAIT, I forgot about the minerals, they''re your eyes and ears, aren''t they?¡± asked Beleg, regretting now the folly of talking behind a demon''s back.

    ¡°Think faster next time. Obviously, it''s not wise to talk about someone like me inside a geode. But well, I hope at least your spirits have been lifted, we''re going to need that too,¡± replied Gog, the onyx demon.

    ¡°I have made something of my time, in the meantime, knowing that you would not run away. I''m afraid I''ve had to borrow all this from your home upstairs, but it''s not stolen, it''s borrowed indefinitely.¡±

    ¡°Now, take a weapon that pleases you.¡±

    Mim was the first to approach the pile of war tools, almost eager to put them to the test already, as he pondered if it wasn''t stupid of the demon to bring its so-called weapons here to them. Or, maybe it was so sure of its superiority that it feared nothing from them.

    ¡°I''ll take the hammer, no doubt from my trade I have enough experience and skill, even if mine nails nails and this one opens heads¡± said Mim without qualms. It was definitely a weapon that fit him well and he was at ease in it in his hands.

    ¡°I on the other hand will keep the crossbow and its bolts too, although I will also keep a dagger, in case of extreme necessity. I have no interest in making use of any of these soldier''s tools, but I understand the need¡± explained Beleg, as he equipped himself.

    ¡°You''d better safekeep the food between the two of you, lest one of you get lost on the way and the other is left to starve. I have brought bread, water, wine, mushrooms, black pudding, pancetta and other things that will stand up well to the journey.¡±

    ¡°However, I thought that, after such a stressful day for you, it might do you good to sleep for the day today, taking advantage of the fact that the sun cannot wake you up here.¡±

    Mim was the first to respond to the proposal this time: ¡°With this you are right demon, but I don''t think I can sleep a wink in this room, and with the stress we have now¡­¡±

    ¡°That, my friend, I''ll take care of later. Please, sit down in a chair where you can rest your back. I still have something to tell you¡±, he explained as they proceeded to sit down.

    ¡°I still haven''t introduced you to Sebastian properly. You see, he is a diamond of great size, as is clear. Cut not by great craftsmen, like your fellow citizens, but by Mother Earth herself, who begot him in this shape, almost round.¡±

    Both dwarves set their sights on the huge jewel, but without ceasing to rest their heads on the chair more and more.

    ¡°But it is not only for its beauty and wisdom that I price it so much. If you look at its cuts you will see yourselves reflected, each time finding a deeper and deeper reflection into the diamond.¡±

    ¡°Deeper and deeper into the diamond. Inside it is as if there is no world but the bluish glow of its perfection. Deeper under the crystallized layers. Deeper...¡±

    But Sebastian had already finished its job: both dwarves were peacefully asleep, resting their heads on the chair still.

    ¡°Good night, even though it''s daytime.¡±

 On Lore II. The Highest Peak

    We had better breathe in and out for a moment and return to the library a second time, lest the air underground saturate our lungs.

    This time, I think, it would be wise to leave the insides of the earth and travel many leagues. We will pass through the meadows, the deserts and the seas of the humans, and even the minor cities where the three wise races gather. We will go straight to the capital, the highest peak.

    To summarize its greatness, the best thing to do is to read a witness to it. The troubadour and elven geographer Vilvias, who traveled through every corner of the Peak and captured his memories in an unparalleled work. Here I leave you the summary he wrote as a preview of the more extensive description of the metropolis:

    ¡°I have climbed the highest Peak and shared news with my own. I have descended and lived with men, of great number, vigor and courage. I have descended still further, to where my eyes perceive not the light of the Father Star, where the dwarves forged for me a flute with such skill that I casted mine away at once.¡±

    ¡°Because the three great peoples live together on the same mountain, they know the site as Tripoli, for each founded a city there adding up to three, although they often intermingle. It is known as the capital of the world, but it is not the capital of any kingdom.¡±

    ¡°There are stories about how it was founded after a long war between all the venerable peoples. Others tell that the three peoples knew that that place was the center of the world, and where they should live together more than anywhere else. They christened the Highest Peak - ¨®mphalos - and erected their houses.¡±

    ¡°On the top of this Omphalos is the home of the Omphalos Elves, whose particular name requires no further explanation. These are some of the most urbane of the elves, but they would never disdain their most fundamental traditions.¡±

    ¡°Still their riders ply the skies, mounted both on cranes and winged serpents, beings that descended from higher strata long, long ago.¡±

    ¡°They still promenade the agora and philosophers establish their schools. In fact, the school of Fingoras, found here, has proved most popular. It has even already grown considerably among human burghers, very much interested in mathematics for the practical and in numerology for the religious.¡±

    ¡°Even here, despite the closeness to the human and dwarven monarchies, the traditional republican system of my people is maintained. And, it should be mentioned, the institutions of the Elven Omphalos command the utmost respect and trust of their people.

    ¡°With regard to this, it again happens that a large portion of the lower humans, those who have had the privilege of ascending to the elven city, return to their city in the hope of changing their political situation and establishing a system more like ours.¡±

    ¡°For now without much success.¡±

    ¡°As far as these Omphalos humans are concerned there is much to comment on. They occupy much of the Omphalos piedmont, representing the middle or center of Tripoli. It is remarkable also that their settlement was, originally, established in two sites, perhaps by ancient tribes today nameless.¡±

    ¡°That is to say, they were originally two cities, which eventually merged, although today they still maintain particular differences that will arouse your interest.¡±

    ¡°On the east side the buildings are taller and whiter, more inspired by the architecture of my relatives and certainly brighter. For the East city is illuminated by the sun for several hours more than its neighbor, the West city, which is more immersed in the mountain.¡±

    ¡°The west side on the other hand was much more influenced by dealings with the dwarves, there being many connections between the houses of the men and the depths of the mountain interior, inhabited by the smaller kin.¡±

    ¡°As is predictable due to the influences stretching from each side of the human zone of Tripoli, each half is devoted to different industries. The west side is the most industrious and is filled with artisans, manufacturers, industrial buildings, and dwarven masters instructing their friends or employees.¡±

    ¡°The other side accumulates mostly guilds of other crafts such as trade or scripture, in addition to vine farming. It is also home to most academies of higher learning and human schools of thought.¡±

    ¡°The king of men is currently a maiden, Queen Simeria, who rules since the early passing of her father three years ago. The reigning lady still awaits the arrival of a consort king to ensure continuity, but the matter has been delayed by the fragility of alliances of late.¡±

    ¡°I was only able to share a short time of her day. The queen was gracious enough to grant me a guest seat in the council chamber, where I witnessed her skill in managing those who run the various aspects of her realm.¡±

    ¡°I will only say in this council there are now almost as many dwarves as humans, though my close kin are still in the majority and their words held with more weight, because of their long experience.¡±

    ¡°At present living in the city of men is more than tolerable for my people and I invite others to visit its streets and dens, especially those in the East, who will remind you of home easily.¡±

    ¡°However, I must say that there is some political tension in the air, even with the deft handling of the monarch, stemming from the influence of the races living above and below the city, both seemingly fighting for cultural dominance over the humans.¡±

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    ¡°The dwarves are said to have economics on their side and the elves have art and philosophy, but I couldn''t say who holds sway over the human side of Tripoli, if either does.¡±

    ¡°Most noteworthy at present, about this, is the already widely spread rumor that the queen would rather marry an elven man than a prince from another human city, though only time will reveal the truth of this.¡±

    ¡°I would not now wish to ramble on about rumors that are detrimental to the coexistence that has been maintained thus far. I will therefore go on to discuss what I witnessed when I descended into the underground, where the dwarves carry out great inventions.¡±

    ¡°These Omphalos dwarves are master stonemasons and cabinetmakers, but they excel even more in the field of invention.¡±

    ¡°And their inventions have reached far and wide, so that perhaps it is they among all the Omphalos peoples who are best known outside the mountain. Their technological discoveries have reached homes and courts all over the world.¡±

    ¡°There the first metal airship was created. They have not yet gone too far outside their borders, having entrusted them only to some of their -brother- kingdoms, as they call them. But here, in Tripoli, they are seen day and night ascending to the elven terrain and competing in height with the jockeys of my people.¡±

    ¡°I admit that I was invited, but I did not have the courage to go up in one of those celestial ships, I only saw its insides once it landed. I decided to leave the description of the apparatus to the engineers of other generations, for I did not understand anything of what I saw.¡±

    ¡°When I was already clearly in the depths my eyes could not adapt and I had to be carried by a guide, for they know well there that elves can hardly move in the underworld.¡±

    ¡°Said guide, a human who lived with the dwarves in the highest chambers, took me from dwarf master to dwarf master so that they could tell me the details of their particular art.¡±

    ¡°As I was saying, I had the joy of meeting a maker of musical instruments, who skillfully forged a flute that has always accompanied me since. He could not reveal to me how his production was made, for it is a well-kept secret, as is the case with all the other crafts down here.¡±

    ¡°I decided to proceed and told my guide that I wished to descend to the lower levels, those farthest from the surface.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately I could hardly continue, for the stagnant air full of fumes I breathed proved more powerful than my curiosity: when I was looking into the middle halls I fainted and was brought to the floor.¡±

    ¡°I soon awoke on the surface, where I had been taken to a healing center.¡±

    ¡°Despite the anguish and the pains in my head, I was very sorry to have returned to the surface and not being able to see the lower chambers, where it has been revealed to me that the dwarves maintain their religious centers, replete with the most unique and inspiring jewels.¡±

    ¡°I did not, however, scold my guide, for he did the reasonable thing by taking me back upstairs.¡±

    ¡°Shortly thereafter, as I was already preparing my return trip, visiting the last points of interest and making final interviews, I received a visit that was unexpected and could best be described as disturbing.¡±

    ¡°I was then residing in the Elvish quarter of the eastern city, in an apartment graciously lent to me by Altis, one of the archons of the Omphalos elves.¡±

    ¡°That visit, as I explained, I received in the evening, shortly before going to bed and calling it a day. The visitor was a human, not too young and neat looking. He said that he was a regular in both the Elvish quarter and the Elven Republic of the Onphalic Elves.¡±

    ¡°He also explained to me that he had a great interest in astronomy, astrology and the upper strata, especially in anything regarding Firmament, one of the legendary layers that divide existence, much higher than the Sky of my people.¡±

    ¡°He said that he had studied in depth what was known of this barrier, which as far as I know is rather little, and that he observed it almost every night with a telescope lent to him by a very wealthy elven friend.¡±

    ¡°He said that he ascribed to the theories which explain the Sun as the largest opening of this celestial wall, which revolves around the whole world, causing day and night. Hence, in that case, the stars would be smaller openings.¡±

    ¡°But this is not what is of most interest, since it is a hypothesis already put forward in many places, although, of course, it does not have much scientific foundation.¡±

    ¡°He told me that the aperture known as the Sun had been seen to reduce in brightness without clouds in the Sky. He commented that this had increased slightly in frequency over the years and that one of his teachers, an elf, was the one who had begun to notice it in Tripoli and to investigate it.¡±

    ¡°However, this elf had ended up abandoning his research, giving the matter up as a quirk of nature from which he could not extract much more. But this human man had continued his work, perhaps taking it to the degree of obsession.¡±

    ¡°He was clearly frightened by the phenomenon, but he made only one request of me, the real reason for his visit. He asked of me, being a constant traveler and gifted in the letters and arts, to make use of my influence and make the importance of this celestial occurrence known throughout the world and well known professionals.¡±

    ¡°I, interested and the request not being out of place, gladly agreed. I told him that I might even come back someday and tell him what others thought.¡±

    ¡°He seemed pleased by my answer. A while later he left the way he came, perhaps he went to observe Firmament that night.¡±

    ¡°I left the city only a few hours later and have yet to see him again, although I do keep my promise by talking about what he explained to me in this book and with other scholars of the upper strata.¡±

    ¡°As a conclusion I will advance that in future chapters I develop an extensive description of the hinterlands of Tripoli and its cultural, economic and demographic development over the centuries.¡±

    So much for the excerpt I promised you, not lacking in mysteries. Surely the upper strata and the barriers that divide them will be of great interest in the near future.

    Now, back to our little adventurers and their stony host.

 On Dwarves 9. Dont tell me the truth.

    ¡°Darlings, I know yesterday was a busy day. but more than nine hours sleeping is too much. Time to wake up!¡±

    Both dwarves half-opened their eyes with as much laziness as one can feel. Mim thought, for a millisecond, that all of yesterday had been a dream, but the reality was undeniable watching the demon''s inverted knees go to and fro.

    Beleg did not doubt for a moment that his bad luck was going to continue this day, he debated in the time of a sigh if the worst would be the trauma of seeing Finna fall down the abyss or the adventure that lay ahead of them was going to overcome that suffering by far.

    ¡°While you were sleeping I went back upstairs for a while, it''s night now by the way. It will interest you to know that I have brought a guard''s fried eggs. And some bowls of milk. You have it all on the table.¡±

    Mim was already thinking that his relationship with the demon was reaching unsuspected and disturbing limits. Would its food be reliable? How would it really be stealing all this stuff?

    But Beleg was already getting up, already setting himself at the table and already stuffing the breakfast of one of his brethren from the fortress down his gullet.

    ¡°I see you have no qualms,¡± said Mim, in a tone that was certainly scorned, but not too indignant, for his own belly was roaring with fury.

    ¡°Come on, stop with the arguments and arguments. We''ve already agreed to go down, there''s no point in starting to distrust at every turn. And I know you''re not going to resist, we don''t even have the strength to climb the rope home.¡±

    Before the black-haired dwarf finished his sentence, the other was already sitting down in front of his plate of eggs and milk. The demon looked at them in delight, it had been years since he had felt that feeling when you start to gain the trust of someone who used to hate you. Now he could hardly use his magic, but psychology was still his forte.

    ¡°And I brought you something else, a gift for agreeing to my proposal willingly¡± he was saying as he walked out to the entrance of the geode. ¡°Look, a portable keg of beer! This will make your descent down the Quartz Wall much more bearable¡± he continued, sliding a small keg over his shoulder.

    ¡°You''ve really convinced me with this, Gog¡± assured Beleg.

    ¡°But wait... hey, hey, hey, you''re going overboard stealing things from our brothers¡± Beleg snapped, though without taking his eyes off the barrel.

    ¡°Well, I''ve already told you that this is all borrowed, folks, besides it''s for the sake of saving an innocent girl. They''d understand if we explained it to them, sure. Anyway, I see you don''t want to take advantage of other people''s goods, so I''ll just let Beleg drink.¡±

    Mim, did a little bounce, ¡°Okay! No need to get like that, you''re right, I''m sure they''ll understand. Go on put me a little mug, without a mug I''m not a person.¡±

    ¡°That''s more like it. By the way, we leave in half an hour, as I imagine you won''t want to waste much more time before the search for your friend. I''ll be your guide, but don''t forget our deal or you won''t survive the journey, I assure you¡± Gog explained firmly.

    They did not doubt it.

    ----

    ¡°By the Father of All, how can there be a labyrinth of such size under the fortress? The king must know this, if he doesn''t already¡± spoke Mim, rather to himself, as he followed the other two, the last in line.

    It had not taken them long to leave the geode after Gog''s words, going through a door at the back of the geode that led to a network of tunnels and which had been hidden until then by one of the demon''s obsidian furniture.

    Gog had explained a few things to them before they left, by way of introduction to the depths beneath the dwarven fortress.

    He told them that many of the caverns were natural, but many others less so, including those that the demon himself had dug with his onyx talons. Gog had many entrances to the citadel and claimed that most of them were known only to him.

    He told them to be on their guard, for he was not the only inhabitant of those depths. He also commented, in a somber tone, that he had rarely seen other apparently intelligent beings. He did not know how to describe them, as he only saw their silhouettes in the distance of some tunnels.

    This last information left the two dwarves, who had been brought up on stories of the enemy, the savage races that before the darkening of the Sun had been the archenemy of the dwarf brothers, very uneasy.

    ¡°It was written, in the poem that brought us to this indescribable situation, that the enemies of our fortress penetrated the mountain in the last days before total isolation.¡± Said Beleg as they walked in the darkness.

    ¡°And that, when they were repulsed, they were trapped in the deep caverns¡± he closed his somber reflection.

    ¡°I don''t think there is anything to worry about, but keep your weapons close¡± said Gog. ¡°In fact, we will soon pass a place that will surely interest you and raise your spirits.¡±

    Indeed, after many steps over dislodged rocks and countless forks, which made them think they would have starved to death there, lost, were it not for the demon''s guidance, they found a room larger than expected.

    It was still a distinctly natural cavern, and no light entered it except that of the dwarves'' torches and the blue light of Gog''s valuable eyes.

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    But, as the dwarf duo approached the center, following Gog, they saw through the opacity that there was indeed something there. A few more steps and putting the torches up revealed the mystery to them.

    There, was the base of the legendary Obsidian Pillar, the magnum opus of their fortress, which marked the center of the settlement rising above the central square.

    They had passed by it countless times, being not far from both the local Council and the tavern where Beleg worked. For them it was almost like teleporting back home.

    But now they were many meters below the rock they once called soil, not even the most desperate scream could pierce so much stone to the warden''s ears.

    ¡°It is the base of the Obsidian Pillar, I am sure,¡± said Beleg astonished. ¡±No doubt its foundations were here, hidden from all.¡±

    ¡°Very fancy words, dear Beleg the dwarf, but perhaps you err in saying they were - hidden - from all. Come closer to the base of the obelisk and you will see something that will catch your eye.¡±

    Beleg did as the demon asked, now dreading the revelation that awaited him. Mim, not wanting to be left behind, also approached with his torch.

    As soon as they approached, something very interesting became apparent: there was a text written in runic and made with prefect markings over the smooth obsidian relief.

    The one closest to the pillar, Beleg, raised his eyes to the point where the writing began and set out to read it aloud, taking advantage of the beautiful tune emitted by his vocal cords.

    ¡°Here is engraved the oldest testimony of our people, where we record forever who we are and have been.¡±

    ¡°This testimony will remain forever, for it was commanded to be made by our first king under the mountain, Gol, and his soul will always haunt it, protecting it.¡±

    ¡°Long was our journey. We fled the surface hunted by the cousins like animals. We were few and fewer still we were. Then we found the caves and descended, went to the place from where our ancestors emerged, seeking refuge.¡±

    ¡°Here the Father decided that we would be saved for we found the enemies, but these became brothers. They had green skin, big ears and sharp teeth. They hunted them, as they did us. They hid, as we did, They suffered, as we did.¡±

    ¡°Gol, first king under the obsidian mountain, was chosen to lead both peoples. Gol commanded to build the city under the mountain around this pillar and to leave in its center the testimony of our people.¡±

    ¡°Enemies will no longer be called that, but brothers. The new brothers will live with us. The new brothers will marry with us. The new brothers shall breed with us.

    ¡°Such is the decree of Gol and the Father.¡±

    The end spoke Beleg in his own words, as he slowly moved away from the pillar, ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Friend, come here and tell me that you see the same as I do, for one need not read runic to give meaning to this¡± spoke Mim, who now and for some time had taken to studying the face of the obelisk immediately to the right of that which the other dwarf read.

    ¡°By the Father of All...¡± said Beleg dumbfounded as what was on that side was revealed before his eyes.

    Before him were a series of drawings, also carved on the obsidian of the obelisk, in which were very obvious depictions of acts that would nowadays be considered ungodly.

    There were clear depictions of families formed between dwarves and greenskins, the enemies of his people. There were some depicted inside dwarven looking homes and others in which adult figures were joined with those of children with features mixed between dwarves and....

    ¡°No, it can''t be, this is impossible. The enemy is the enemy, period, it''s impossible, I''m not saying there can''t be peace, I''m not saying they can''t even coexist in the same space, but this...¡±

    Gog appeared behind them both and wrapped his claws around their shoulders. ¡°Accept it, it is the truth, it is your history and you are not the only ones who know it. There are connections between this cavern and the council whose orders you follow to the letter. They know the truth, but they would never tell it.¡±

    ¡°And the council members know even something juicier, something they would never reveal to their beloved people: within the veins of many of your fellow citizens runs a little blood of those greenskins of old. Yes, accept it, lest you be consumed by the truth.¡±

    Beleg still scrutinized the drawings, searching for some deeper truth that would help him put the puzzle together, that would help him understand it. Mim just knelt down and sat on the ground around the obelisk. Gog, he couldn''t see his face, but he knew he was defeated.

    These were the moments when, when it could still do his corrupting work, it would sink the teeth of perversion into his victim. Then they would become the slaves of greed and theirs. But that was in the past.

    He let the dwarf pull himself together.

    ¡°So, if we ever mentioned any of this in the fortress... we''d end up in the pillory.¡± Spoke Beleg, who seemed to be handling it better, perhaps now with more interest than distress.

    ¡°On the gallows I think¡± corrected Gog, the demon.

    ¡°Forgive me if this has left you disturbed, I just wanted to show you a part of your history that I know has been censored from you for a long, long time, since before I lost my sweet ears and perfect nose¡± continued Gog, asserting his immortality.

    ¡°Demon...¡± spoke Mim, rising again. ¡°Are there more testimonies hidden beneath these caverns? Are there more secrets we have forgotten?¡±

    ¡°Nothing like this beautiful obelisk. But there is an even greater secret, hidden deep within. Perhaps we will stumble upon it on our way. I''m sure you find it as interesting as this one. Please, let us proceed.¡±

    Beleg wanted to memorize the words his king had once had engraved, to remember those primitive drawings on the hardest obsidian. Mim just wanted to forget what had happened, while cursing in his thoughts the demon, for showing them such a forbidden secret. If he could, he would break those horrible drawings with a hammer.

    But he knew that obsidian is hard.

    ---

    Again they started off and continued down through rock passages. Many times they stopped, when their guide apparently struck up a conversation with a quartz growth or a coal seam. They could not hear them, but Gog assured them that by now all the minerals here were known to him.

    They went around many turns, down many feet, but marched on without trouble.

    Until, at a fork like any other, they saw a hooded figure at the end of a dark tunnel.

 On Dwarves 10. Not so distant cousins.

    Gog went ahead, looking for the right path at every turn, but it didn''t seem to have any problems as it seemed to know that natural labyrinth like the back of its stony paw.

    Behind them were our regular dwarves, still shaken by the recent revelations about their origin. They had been walking in silence for a while, after the scene at the Obsidian Pillar, but now the atmosphere was warming up again. After all, that information was relevant to the whole fortress.

    ¡°When we return we will say it, and we will explain that there is a path in the Council down where they can see the evidence, we cannot leave them in the shadows¡± exposed Beleg.

    ¡°No way Beleg, this will stay here for ever and ever. At best you and I will return to destroy those drawings and those runes. The Council did well to make the fortress forget that aberrant past¡± made Mim clear, and it seemed like no one could change his mind.

    As the two discussed, Gog approached a fork in the road; dark and sinister but no different from the many others they had passed on their descent.

    At this one, however, something unprecedented happened: Gog stopped short before proceeding down one of the two paths and seemed unsure of something.

    ¡°Demon, I can¡¯t believe that your kind forgets the old roads, why don''t you go and ask one of your dear stones? If not, why have we stopped?¡± spoke Mim, taunting the demon.

    ¡°Very easy, dear Mim, because the road to the right didn''t exist the last time I passed this way.¡±

    Mim decided give up on the next joke, knowing they could be in trouble. If his brothers had not descended to these depths for many decades and the onyx demon had not opened this hole, who else lurked in the depths?

    ¡°Indeed, I feel the voice of a large, ancient quartz crystal, I remember we are near the Wall. But this crystal seems restless, as if the rock near it had been stirred not long ago.¡±

    Mim did not doubt the demon this time, for, taking a better look with the light of the torches it was obvious that one of the paths was natural, while the other had been dug, probably with brute force and not too much technology.

    To the left the old road, where a trickle of water ran down. To the right the newer road where... wait.

    As the three travelers stood quietly and watched both subway tracks in detail, they heard a distinct peeling of gravel. There was someone lurking in the hole on the right. Nothing could be seen but a darker spot than its surroundings deep in the right hole, perhaps the shape of a being.

    ¡°Let me, I''m going for that thing, I can''t resist trying out the hammer¡± Mim was saying as he took the lead and set out to take the first step into the right path.

    As he got closer the shadow took on a more concrete form. Soon its small stature and large ear like protrusions to the right and left were revealed. Although it was still a totally dark form, it was clear from the shape of the head that he was hooded and perhaps a cloak surrounded his entire body.

    ¡°Wait genius, is it that you want us to be set up and killed here, in the dark!¡± shouted Mim to his dwarf companion, already unconcerned if he was heard by the figure, who had clearly noticed them already.

    Gog simply looked pleased with the development of the situation, it was as if he already knew what was going to happen.

    ¡°Come here, long ears, come let me remind you of the might of my ancestors!¡± It was clear that Mim had not changed his mind.

    However, as he approached, he slowed down. He carried the hammer with two hands, ready to share his justice, but now Mim''s mind was preoccupied with another matter.

    He, like every brother in the fortress, had studied something of the history of the relationship between his own and the enemies. Moreover, he imagined from the descriptions what one of the dreaded greenskins of the caverns must have looked like.

    But the creature revealed strange features at every turn. He could not yet see the color of the skin, for darkness still enveloped the figure, but, where Mim expected to see a long hooked nose, he saw a shapely one. Where he expected a bare green chin, he saw emerging a long beard that reached to where its hip surely was.

    Each step Mim took slowed him down, making an increasing effort with his eyes to decipher the being and regretting having left the torch behind to wield the hammer. Seeing his hesitation, the figure took advantage. It took not two steps back, but ahead.

    ¡°Brother, why do you hate me, why do you raise your hammer to me?¡±

    There was absolute silence in the cavern, for it had the voice of any dwarf.

    ¡°Is that still the way of our brothers, above, do you still want to finish off your kin, finish off the job?¡±

    After silence fell for a minute, Beleg began to cast forward until he was level with Mim, who now stood motionless with hammer held high.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Beleg did carry his torch, revealing the figure in front of both dwarves: he indeed had a long white beard and a nose worthy of any dwarven male. Almost his entire body was surrounded by a brown coat clearly made of patches of fur.

    Although he wore a hood, it had holes in both sides to let the creature''s ears come out and better hear the cavernous reverberations. The pigmentation of the creature was now also clear: a very light green, which was distributed unevenly across its face, and a very pale whitish tone, which filled in the areas where the green did not dominate.

    The face in general was that of an ordinary brother, but the eyebrows and cheekbones were more prominent than usual. Perhaps most striking was the blackness of his eyes, for he appeared to have neither iris nor sclera, only a huge black pupil.

    ¡°What and who are you?¡± asked Beleg bluntly, seeing that Mim was now refusing to share the justice of his hammer.

    ¡°Clearly I am your brother,¡± replied the creature simply. ¡°No more, no less.¡±

    ¡°Prove it,¡± Mim said dryly, letting it slip that he didn''t believe it for a second.

    ¡°Do you have to prove it to each other? Do you have to prove it every day? I am your brother, and down here there are many others like me. I have seen some like you. Brothers from above, those who do not love us.¡±

    ¡°They come down here and read and reread the black obelisk. I think they still don''t believe it or maybe they don''t want to think they need to hide it. Tell me, brother, did you know you had kin down here?¡±

    ¡°I am the son of the dwarf and the son of his enemies. You, put down your hammer, and you, put out your torch, and I will tell you our story, if only to relieve me of the burden of my ancestors, those already dead.¡±

    Both dwarves were rather petrified. Beleg seemed more willing to accept the request, but for Mim it was already a matter of pride. And needless to say, such matters do not sit well with a dwarf.

    At the dead stare of the -false- dwarf and the doubts of the -true- dwarves, Gog intervened by silently approaching Mim''s back. Gog grabbed his hammer, which he still held aloft with both hands, but did not move.

    ¡°Beloveds, this traveler is one of those thinking beings of whom I spoke, those whom I have sometimes encountered and who populate these deep caverns. I doubt that such brute manners need be used on him, please relax, for I watch over your safety down here.¡±

    Gog slowly guided Mim to lower his hammer. Beleg did not need to be told to put out the torch. There they were left with only the blue light of the opals Gog had for eyes and the faint glow of Mim''s torch, abandoned several feet behind them.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said the strange dwarf without emotion.

    ¡°I am the son of two cursed races and thus doubly cursed. I see well in the dark, for one of the two lineages that bequeathed me. The other made me crafty with stones and tools. I am the son of dwarves and greenskins, their enemies.¡±

    ¡°I am not the son of those greenskins who came in few centuries ago, I am not the son of dwarves who came down in that time, for it is long since almost no one descended the shafts and crevices.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am the son of ages past, of the days when yet few houses surrounded the black obelisk. Yes, I am the son of the era of survival and miscegenation. I have been walking the stone corridors for a long time.¡±

    ¡°I am the impure son. I am not the second-born or the crippled. I am the unwanted one.¡±

    ¡°The first ones who were born as I was born lived good times, shared their lives with others and for others. But that era is long gone and for a long, long time.¡±

    ¡°Then the pure families, those who had preserved their lineages with great care moved their pieces on the board. When they were done the dwarves like you two were left with the great cavern and the black obelisk. The green-skinned ones who remained pure left and went to the surface, the one my eyes will never see.¡±

    ¡°We stayed, but we could not live with the brothers who did not want us. They invited us to go down into the deep and never return. Here we remain.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± cried Mim, but the creature did not even flinch, though it ceased speaking. ¡°You say that interbreeding between us and the enemy is the right thing to do, that we should unite so that you could live above?¡±

    When a brief silence had passed the creature sensed that Mim would let him answer and said, ¡°No. I say nothing. I tell the story. I tell what happened. I narrate why I live where the Sun is never seen. Nothing more, nothing less.¡±

    ¡°Now, please go where you must go. But one thing I can ask of you is this: do not forget me, do not forget us. We live very close brothers, very close, every day I feel the fainter and fainter bustle of your city, I wonder if we will ever live together again?¡±

    Seeing that silence reigned again, Gog gave both dwarves a light touch on their backs and proceeded to the fork start to take the right path, waiting for Mim and Beleg to follow.

    In the end Beleg grabbed his companion by the shoulder, for Mim never failed to keep his eyes fixed on the black eyes of his -brother- from the depths.

    They both marched on, now with their backs to the creature. When they reached the beginning of the fork, and saw that Gog was already beginning to walk on the other side, Mim suddenly turned his head to look over his right shoulder.

    He could no longer see anything clearly; he did not know if in the darkness his strange brother was still waiting for him.

    Beleg picked up Mim''s torch and used it to light his own, but never made any sign of wanting to return to the creature. He indicated to Mim one last time that they should continue on their way hand in hand with Gog if they wanted to see her again.

    When they had spent half an hour walking in silence behind the stony stakes that Gog had for legs, Beleg dared to address a few words to his increasingly faint-hearted companion:

    ¡°Friend, if only we had known... There are too many things down here that we should never have observed. I wanted to tell you that I wouldn''t have the courage to go on if you weren''t by my side now and that I''m glad I didn''t...¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±