by Han Yang
Each of these stout warriors remained young, their fierce glares hating the fact we even were in their presence. The guards didn’t move or even flinch, letting us pass with Gronbri leading the way.
This has to be someone important.
Extravagant doors slowly peeled open, revealing a vast balcony that overlooked the inner courtyard and the outer market. Another fifty guards lined the exterior and a single, large griffin raised its heads from where they rested.
The message was clear; we were dead if we irritated whoever earned this much protection. A guard removed our weapons, but I got to keep the puppy. I guess that made sense.
The sun crashed against shining floors, and I followed Gronbri to a seating section that overlooked the trading. The stage was already selling our hides with a growing crowd of dwarves bidding.
We sat on the balcony, not having to wait long. A minute later, Gronbri stood, waving us to follow suit. A regal dwarf strode directly for me. The lady radiated a heavenly, golden glow.
That’s odd, first time I’ve ever seen someone glow on Nordan. Maybe a high priestess. Hmm…
She had puffy cheeks, plush lips, and wore a curve hugging dress. She clearly dressed for comfort against the warm day with her black hair flowing and free. This woman projected modesty and beauty, and she eyed me with a mischievous grin.
“Welcome to Zozo’s Hold. I’m Ginli,” the dwarven woman said.
“I’m Damien, this is Bell, and this my friend, Asha,” I said.
Gronbri scoffed, not liking my lack of proper protocol.
Ginli shook her head at his grumpiness and said, “Give us champions a moment, ambassador.”
She headed to the balconies edge.
“Ginli, you’re confusing me,” I admitted.
“We don’t have much time but set the pup down. I’ll not be responsible if you drop it. Worth more than the damn stallion,” she said.
I set the little guy down, its three heads growing curious enough to sniff around while we talked.
She nodded in approval, watching the small animal as she talked. “I come from Gearnix. One of the six planets tied together. Do you know of it?”
“I’m afraid I do not. You said champions, as in there’s more than one here?” I asked.
“Indeed. I represent a god called Zozo. The god of zeros and ones. He happens to be a tinkerer, and that was my hidden magic which I think is tied to the god who delivers us here. Not sure, because... You’re a champion too. I see the glow all over you. I must admit you’re the first I’ve met in over fifty years. My other magic is scrying. Do you know what that is?” she asked.
I stepped to the edge, leaning against the ledge to do one of my favorite things, people watch, but in this case, dwarves. “I actually know what scrying is. It’s making sense. You sure know a lot about me.”
Ginli smiled and knelt to pet the runt. “That’s good. You have some knowledge of how this world works. Was your planet similar?”
“I come from a planet where most of Nordan has been written about, but the worlds are drastically different. Magic, mythical creatures, and fighting with point systems? None of that is new as a concept, but it’s mind blowing as a reality. I have to wonder how those directors and authors knew so much. Almost as if previous champions have returned and written such tales to the masses,” I said.
“Interesting, you must be from the pure human world, Girth,” Ginli said.
I shook my head with a snicker and said, “Earth. So, you’re a champion? What was your transition like?”
I was generally curious, and to this point in my adventures on Nordan, I hadn’t been able to ask many questions to those with answers.
“I was a human woman past her prime. I craved children to the point I was willing to become a second wife to a man who didn’t desire me. I went to sleep one night and arrived in a dream realm. A warehouse of gizmos, gadgets, and steambots. A god extended an offer that I doubted was real and figured was a dream. Be his champion for the dwarves, and I’d be able to have a hundred children.
“I eagerly accepted and even picked out my dwarven body. I awoke in a temple of my god about a month after the cataclysm. Over the next few years, we waged war to consolidate our power, pulling the other holds into one. All the banners flocked to the dwarven champion Ginli. Yeah, pretty epic times. How about you?”
“Uh… I was offered sex with a promise of bringing back my parents from the dead, died during my transition, and ended up in the body of a dead man,” I said with a shrug, and she burst into a laughter that stirred the attention of the others.
“No wonder you’re a necromancer,” she said.
I did not share her enjoyment of my misfortune.
The griffin left the nest to sniff the cerberus puppy. My eyes widened in shock when the orange beak gently clasped the pup. The griffin retired to its nest, setting the runt down to rest with it.
“Dammit, Bradley,” Ginli scoffed. “He’s my oldest friend on Nordan and is named after the last man I pined for. You know, I don’t want to buy that pup.”
“There’s a bunch of those in the valley,” I said, pointing to the cerberus who snuggled into the griffin’s feathers.
“We get our hounds, of which there are many, from the humans. This will be a special one of a kind. Unless you have more to sell. They really are a cute pair,” Ginli said with a happy sigh.
“Umm… as cute as a griffin and a three headed dog bonding is, I’m wondering why I’m here. As in on this balcony,” I said.
“Clearly, it’s because you’re special and because you walked here, to me, of all the places to go. Just be happy that Zozo is not a god of war,” she said, stomping over to retrieve the puppy. The griffin stood, stiff arming her from nearing the runt. “Blasted griffin. By law it has to go to auction. I’m not a rich champion.” The griffin didn’t budge. “Fine, but you owe me.” The griffin nodded. “Gronbri, come auction this… this… newest pet and ensure I win.”
The ambassador didn’t hesitate, walking into the griffin’s nest without any issues. The griffin named Bradley huffed in disappointment, returning to rest in his nest.
“Sorry, where was I? Oh, yes. Your reason to be here. I pay tribute to Zozo and this will get to the point, bear with me. Our arrangement was that I try really hard to gift him a hundred Zorta a year, and if I do that, he will be happy. Really is a simple god. I don’t think he even cares if I gift zero,” Ginli said with a sigh. “He said to watch out for other champions. I’d know them as good if they glow golden, bad if they glow purple. And you’re golden from my scrying.”
“But I’m super high in Ostriva points,” I said.
“Ah, the human metric. The points don’t make one side good or bad, just shows which direction your actions influence. It is important to note that dwarves care not for what a human king judges his people,” she said, tapping her chest where her heart was. “This is what matters. Your glow has some fade to it. You certainly aren’t a virgin with no sins, but you are still respectably golden. Hell, my Ostriva points are over a million from trading with strivians.”
“Ah,” I said, catching on. “Were you told to help me?”
“Afraid I can’t, not how you’d like. But I can in another manner. I can proclaim you a friend of Zozo which means you’re free to trade within our walls. None of this fancy stuff.” She gestured to the courtyard. “Just come to the door and don’t bring an army. We’ll let you in and more importantly, out,” Ginli said.
“Wow, I… I appreciate that,” I said honestly, still a bit blown away I was standing with another champion.
“It comes at a cost, though. Send your minion to grab the blessbaa. It is the key to everything,” Ginli said.
“Not for sale,” I said, folding my arms across my chest.
Bell interjected herself at this point. “What’s it worth?”
“Everything, and I can give you nothing,” she said stoically. “It comes back to why I pay tribute, and I have way overpaid.”<
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“I’m confused. You want to buy my pup but strong arm the fertility goat deer thing?” I asked. “We want it to increase our goblin and troll numbers.”
Ginli sputtered her lips in frustration. “And we need it because since we’ve consolidated. There’s been a decrease in births. It has been a long fifty years, Damien. Zozo promised a boon, and your blessbaa is that boon. You’ll be hailed a hero for helping the dwarves,” Ginli said.
She walked to the edge of the balcony and added, “These people have been through a lot. I’ll offer you open, unjudged trade year-round and even sign a nonaggression treaty with you. Well, King Dimus will. Fine, I’ll sweeten the deal. I’ll add information from my scrying so you can establish a new home.”
“Twist my arm. I need trade partners and neighbors not wanting to kill me. Any chance we can get a mutual defense pact?” I asked with a winning smile.
My charisma check failed, and she shook her head but grinned at my attempt.
“That is something even I cannot give. The King has said once we defeat the spider queen invasion, the golems of the hallowed halls, and the crypts of the sand people, we can turn our attention outward,” Ginli said.
I sighed, nodding in defeat. “Go Asha, take Charlie,” I ordered.
“Ah, about that. One of the guards will give you a ram. The damn humans refuse to sell their stallions. Yours will go for a dozen stout rams. Take the trade, trust me. The rams are fine cavalry mounts, and we need to diversify our stock. The king will thank you if you catch my hint. This… Charlie will become a stud for a new generation of our mares. He’ll be ecstatic,” Ginli said.
A dozen rams would change our entire dynamic of travel. They were on my to-purchase list also. Asha didn’t wait for an answer, heading toward a returning Gronbri. We stood in silence, watching the auction unfold.
The Ramstars returned to their mounts, leading Asha out of the immense courtyard.
“You made the right decision,” Ginli said.
“I feel like I didn’t have a choice,” I grumbled, and I swear the griffin laughed.
“Let me pass the time with a tale. A journey of my beginning. Back then, King Dimus was Prince Dimus, the hold leader of Targo Halls. My arrival was heralded and widely accepted as the champion the dwarves needed. Mind you, all I did was create a blunderbuss with magic that didn’t work with magic. Odd, and it barely fired a pebble, but it was a sign from the gods to the leaders.
“The message I was sent with from Zozo was clear. Consolidate and prepare for an endless war. What most humans don’t know is that not all of the strivian races arrived in the valleys. Many of the greatest threats arrived on Nordan via underground means. Immediately, the holds were besieged from below.
“We knew the other holds begged for help, their ability to sustain lacking. Here, we had enough dwarves to fight the demons below to a standstill. Risking everything, we marched out with an army so grand I figured Zozo had set me up with an unstoppably ally.
“A half dozen nearby holds flocked to our banners, abandoning their homes when we sadly told them we were there to relocate them, not reinforce. The stubborn dwarves refused, calling us traitors. To the last, they died in their homes with grudges being erased with their demise.
“When you see the humans, they’ll say they went raiding old dwarven holds, not into the valley like you. Which matters because near the surface the challenges aren’t too bad since the sunlight is near. In the depths, horrors lurk. After we consolidated this area, we had to march south. If you ever get to dine in the royal hall or visit the library of battles, you will find the bone trophies from the great cyclops and minotaur war.
“Imagine a battlefield with a hundred thousand against ten. But the ten thousand have towering goliaths with single eyes. I scryed their formations, I built my multi launching catapults, and it was not even close to being enough. Only our sheer dwarven determination won the day.
“The fighting grew so thick and intense even the minotaurs wanted a break. And, so, we pushed on, barely winning. The saddest part was all the Zorta we left on the field. We collected what we could, but a horde of trolls pushed us south.
“And so the process was renewed. We lost so many brave souls, and I have to give it to the strivians, they fought like demons. The southern holds were pressed up to their entry doors, desperate for salvation. They joined our cause, increasing our might. When we crossed from south to north, we did so on a similar path, crushing a troll army with our new combined might.
“That was how the great war after the cataclysm ended, with a massive victory and a lot of our dwarves upgrading their gains. However, the problems below ground were only just beginning. The King locked the gate, created a council of the fourteen holds, and built a hundred defensive layers into our home,” Ginli said with a sad smile.
A mix of pride and shame was evident from her expressions.
“So, you seal yourself in not because you fear the outside but because you already war on other fronts?” I asked.
“Precisely. We could fight out here, but the stalemates in the depths may break. The biggest issue was that we lost so many during those first few years. Even taking the steps we did, the dwarves still haven’t recovered. Believe it or not, I’ve been scrying for a blessbaa. Our numbers are simply too low. We have the infrastructure, we have the food, and we have the willing mothers for the war effort. We merely lack the means to break through the one child every thirty years stagnation,” Ginli said sadly.
“I guess the goblins won’t have that problem,” I said.
Bell cleared her throat and said, “You’re going to unseat the balance. I’m not saying you shouldn’t, but if this blessbaa helps the dwarves to have a baby every year, in a few decades they will march with more power than I can fathom.”
“The herds and minotaurs use it. We simply needed our lucky day,” Ginli said. “There’s always been an imbalance for the dwarves. Ages before the cataclysm, the elva picked our kind off in the forests. Humans pushed us out of mountain ranges to mine for their empires. It’s never been fair for our kind.”
A dwarf wearing a red robe arrived, carrying the cerberus pup. The griffin stood, guiding the frightened dwarf to the nest to deliver his friend.
“Remarkable,” I said, watching the odd duo snuggle together.
“And they’ll breed quicker, too,” Bell noted about the griffin.
“Yes, we will need to manage our production in accordance with the increased demand. I expect to open a new front to raid from and maybe even expand. Exterior farm fields would be delightful. We would certainly pay for you to harvest the fields you left filled with vegetables,” Ginli said, and I frowned.
“You’ve been watching me for a while,” I said.
“Yes, about that… I have a few things to tell you since we’re friends now. The first is that there was a human warband following you out of Tarb. They decimated the centaur home you visited. The males went to muster for war, and their village now ceases to exist. They’ll blame you.
“As that human war party continued north, they walked right into a minotaur ambush, forfeiting their gains and becoming slaves. Happened in seconds, really. The other issue is that you pissed off the cyclops,” Ginli said.
I nodded with a guilty smirk and boasted, “Yeah, we stole armor from them.”
“Ha, that I missed. I figured it was loot from the trolls. No, you missed something, and I can understand. The cyclops controlled goblins, goblins that used to set traps and pay homage to them. Which explains why they joined you. You stole from the cyclops twice now. Their looted armor and their tithing goblins. The latter they will take time to notice. Rather lazy lot, the cyclops,” Ginli said with a joyful snicker.
“Great, another foe to add to the list of those who want to kill me,” I said.
“They always wanted to kill you, though, and they’ll raid trolls, eat the trolls that produce like rabbits, and steal the goblins to trap actual rabbits,” Ginli said with a shrug.
>
A commotion revealed a hundred humans arriving at the market. They all wore fine gear with large stallions and genuine smiles. This was a proper adventuring company if I had to guess.
“Time for you to go. We can’t be seen together. While you shop, someone will deliver your trade treaty. Sign both and keep your copy,” Ginli said, heading to a side room. She returned with three rolls of parchment. “These are the reports I promised; easy, moderate, and hard. Whichever you pick as your home, we will be available for trade.”
I stepped into the waiting room off the balcony. “Sorry, but go over these out of view, at least.”
She frowned but nodded. “I can do that. Northeast of here, between this hold and Nara is an old, abandoned town, called Kato. It used to hold five thousand or so. An orc tribe occupies the city with minimal defenses. Ownership changes hands often. Think of it as a harvesting spot for the Nara army. They crush the resident, collect the Zorta, and return when the city is occupied again. You could defeat that in a few days easily with your growing army. The question becomes whether or not you will be another speed bump to the Nara army.
“East of here will put you out of human touch for the most part. No humans tend to venture around our hold for Seqa Valley. The area is devoid of humans, and even dwarves rarely went that far east. There’s an old dwarven mining colony resting in the hills, and there are many other options, but that one is the easiest. The problems are many. You're only able to trade with us or the minotaurs. Unless you want to risk the dragon pass or the yeti caverns to get to Nara. Both are certain doom, though. The area of Seqa Valley is infested with ogres, trolls, orcs, goblins, wyverns, dark elves, spider queens, and more. One wrong fight, and you’re doomed.
“The final option is Ikara Valley. If you set up a home there, the minotaurs might allow it. The centaurs that are coming will raze your settlement with the help of the other strivians. If the centaurs get delayed, the thousand cyclops of the valley will unite to crush you. Your gains will be felt by the strivian lords, and your city warranted as a threat. If they don't, the troll village you sacked was exactly what you thought it was; a fat slob ruling a pittance of a village. The major troll cities hold hundreds of thousands, and they fight under banners, not with that dueling nonsense.”