The Regressed NoBody

Stone grinded against stone, the sound resonated in the ravine and entered my ears, as soon as Huŕum touched the triggers on the wall, as the two paths were connected as a long and wide bridge of earth conjured between the hollow abyss, as a pathway to the other side where a gate was opened in the wall through which light was spilling out, brightening the darkness in the depth of the ravine.

Huŕum turned his head in our direction and spoke in his heavy, hoarse voice. “Follow us, this path will take us to the sanctuary.” His words were yet again, only comprehensible to me thanks to Mordian.

We nodded our acknowledgement as we began to follow the orcs from behind. I couldn’t tell if this was their naivety or confidence in us, that they had covered the whole way here with their backs exposed to us. Aurora walked beside me and Mordian behind us, as we crossed the conjured earthen bridge—created through the mechanism by some engineer.

Aurora bobbed her head slightly to the right and tried to peek down from above, but a cold blast of air crashed into her face and almost made her lose her balance, as she squealed in a low voice and almost fell to her knees, but I took a step toward her and quickly held her hand and pulled her close as she mouthed incomprehensive sounds.

Her body touched mine, I could perfectly feel the warmth of her skin through the fabric she had draped over herself, as I saw a veil of gunmetal hair enveloping her face, making her look like a drunk, her face looked slightly red from embarrassment, up to her ears, as she tried to balance herself.

A smirk played at my lips as I helped her straighten, as Aurora didn’t say a word for a while and fixed her hair and tucked it behind her ears, as she continued walking behind the orcs, leaving us behind a few steps as I still saw that her face was slightly reddish from earlier.

Mordian stepped forward and walked beside me now, his face wearing his casual stoic expression and eyes just as observant as always.

‘From witnessing the orcs martial prowess earlier, plus the condition they are in and hiding in a secluded location far from prying eyes, I can take a guess that their forces are all time weak and they are most probably held at a disadvantage, where they can’t recklessly start another battle; which would, for sure, end with their demise.’ I sent over to Mordian as he kept walking without batting an eye at me, looking observant, but there was a sudden crease on his brows.

‘And I can already guess that they are running low on supplies and different resources, from our conversation from earlier.’ I added right after.

He took a breath as we had crossed half of the distance on the bridge as Mordian took a brief moment to answer.

‘You’re right. And because of that, their overall morale should be crumbling with each passing day. With no way of forming communication with their allies or having a way to request for reinforcements any longer due to the distortion devices the demons have placed to distort the mana to hinder the use of the compass from both sides.’ Mordian shared his thoughts on the matter as we both continued to form new strategies and how to deal with this situation to help the orcs.

Because, we just can’t recklessly charge at the demons without a proper contingency in mind. Because, the orcs had already lost the war and this place would most probably be their last line of defence, holding the last of the majority of the orcs or the reinforcements sent pre-war.

But suddenly, Mordian made a knowing look from the corner of his eyes as he projected his thoughts to me and I smirked.

‘And that’s the reason why you put up such a performance in front of the orcs. It was unlike you. If you had wanted to, you could have taken care of the General much easily and quickly, same with the other demons, without having to push yourself and deliberately showcase your abilities. You made quite the spectacle and ruthless display for the orcs to witness. But because of that, the message you wanted to convey to the orcs has been perfectly delivered.’

‘You kind of make me sound like an evil villain, who has contingencies for every situation. I’m not like the vigilante of Gotham.’ I sent with a exaggerated expression which was soon replaced by a knowing smirk. Mordian wasn’t able to understand the reference so I provided some clarification in the mean time, as we finally entered behind the orcs into the passage created in the wall on the other side.

We crossed the gap in the wall as bright light spilled in our surroundings.

I observed the wide and long tunnel in which we had appeared. Just as we all entered, the wall behind us closed itself on its own as the earth particles worked and the mud and stone filled the gap in the wall.

That’s convenient. I thought with astound. Whoever had created this mechanism had thought well about the release and workability of the mana’s earth particles.

I walked forward slowly, and realised that there were sparkling green moss patches growing on each side of the wall which illuminated the tunnel dimly with a greenish teal shade which looked peaceful and comforting. The air was cool and carried a subtle earthy scent, a reminder that we were deep within the ground.

‘And I wanted to let you know something.’ Mordian suddenly said in my mind.

I turned to him with curious eyes. ‘What?’

‘The dimensional artifact which Vetustima gave me alongside you, it’s irremovable since worn. It’s stuck to my thumb and not coming off.’

‘Huh?’ I blankly looked at Mordian for sharing this sudden piece of information. Then did it mean that he isn’t able to take off the artifact containing some unknown item—which Vetustima said would reveal itself in due time.

‘If it’s not coming off, it might mean that it’s bonded to you.’ I made a suggestion and Mordian simply nodded back. I turned my attention back at the group and asked something. ‘Has there been any change in the artifact? Do you think you can access the item inside, somehow?’

But my bond simply shook his head slightly, sending his wheat locks to sway, but enchantingly.

The other orcs made a path for me as I walked forward, the sound of my footsteps echoing softly, Aurora and Mordian behind me as all of them looked slightly astound by the beauty of this place—indicating that it hadn’t been long since they had seen this place themselves.

I stopped beside Huŕum, his companion, Surter who had walked beside him the entire way, looked at me cautiously and stood behind his leader’s back, his eyes fixed over me.

I inquired about this tunnel and Aurora spoke for me as Huŕum nodded and told us without obscuring any information.

“Like this tunnel, there is an entire network of such tunnels made to reach the sanctuary which was created by our ancestors with the help of the dwarfs. They created this sanctuary unground because of their style and that it would be safer from prying eyes to notice.” Huŕum continued explaining as we walked forward. He carefully maneuvered through the tunnels and made way deeper carefully.

“Similarly, this sanctuary is our last line of defence where a majority of our people and several of the reinforcements sent by our allies are taking refuge for the last few weeks. There are also several other sanctuaries, spread through our continent, which can be reached through this network of tunnels which stretch on for miles underground, but there is a problem through the navigation of these tunnels.”

Huŕum said, his voice heavy and sombre. The orc took a breath, his ears twitched with every sound he made and nose snorted as he exhaled. I saw two tunnels in front of me as we slowed down in our pace, but without any further deliberation, Huŕum took the tunnel to his right and we continued on our journey.

He was confident in each step, showcasing that he knew this path.

“There is no map left behind to navigate through these tunnels perfectly—the records were supposedly lost centuries ago—, without getting lost and not being able to get out. So far, we have only been able to make our own maps to navigate through a very small portion of these tunnels. They are quite deep into the earth, and there are also traps spread out through the wrong tunnels made to deceive, if any enemy finds their way inside, so it’s a very dangerous task. We are not sure what the exact number of the existing tunnels are even to this day. The dwarfs made it in an intricate pattern which only they fully understood, that even we had a hard time to find our way inside the sanctuary when we first came here.”

He looked behind and saw his companions, their breathing heavy and faces full of exhaust and fatigue from the long journey to the sanctuary, plus the horrific battle they had fought. Their wounds may have healed to the bare minimum, but they still needed healing from an emitter in order to start recovery. The potions I provided were only a short term solution.

Huŕum explained further, his eyes looking forward as he guided all of us inside and soon I saw light emit from the end of the long tunnel which was only several hundred meters away as we approached with steady steps.

“Our ancestors requested for the creation of these tunnels and sanctuaries a very long time ago, and had it made in case of emergencies, if we needed to retreat to a safe place in case of wars to protect our youngs, elderly and women, which is currently happening. This is one of the many paths which lead to the sanctuary built within earth by the dwarfs elder technicians and artificers.

Huŕum took a step forward and reached the end of the tunnel before us all, as I walked out of the opening and soon came face to face with the sanctuary the orcen leader had spoken about.

“I welcome you to the sanctuary.” Huŕum said with a tone of welcoming.

As I stepped into the sanctuary, the vastness of the underground space took my breath away, it was several times bigger than I'd thought it was. The air was cool and carried a subtle earthy scent, with the freshness of flowers of different kinds mixed within. I could feel the light breeze blow from the sanctuary and carry with it the sweet and soothing scent, which filled me with wonder over the place’s ventilation system created by the dwarfs a long time ago.

The walls, carved with pathways, twisted and winded around the cavern, each leading to various tunnels that disappear into the darkness. Torches lined these paths, their warm, flickering light casting long shadows that dance across the stone, creating a mesmerizing scene even in a place like this.

But my attention was diverted to the citizens of this sanctuary who had taken refuge here.

I saw several orcs lined up with several elves and also dwarfs in the sanctuary below in the traffic which encompassed the three races—it was the first time that I'd seen a dwarf, he looked sturdy, despite standing just under five feet with a solid, muscular build. He had a beard, thick and meticulously groomed, reaching to his sternum which was combed together into a braid.

From the looks of it, dwarfs are known for their exceptional craftsmanship and artificers from the design and development of the sanctuary.

But the one I saw below looked more like a augmenter, with two short axes resting and strapped to his back. His mana hinted on his profession, as it was spilling inward and trying to reinforce his body.

I walked along one of the paths leading down, the sound of my footsteps echoing softly. Suddenly, all the attention from below was drawn in our direction, as several orcs murmured in their native language, their heavy voices filled the cavern as the elves and dwarfs looked up as well. The attention of the entire city was over us.

“Come, let’s go,” Huŕum said, he took the lead suddenly and walked in front of us.

As I made my way toward the heart of the sanctuary, Mordian and Aurora right behind me, we came upon a large, open square. In the centre stood a beautiful fountain, water cascading gracefully from a central sculpture. The sound of the water soothing, a gentle, rhythmic murmur that filled the space. Around the fountain, patches of grass grew, their vibrant green a striking contrast to the surrounding stone. It was a small touch of nature in this underground world, adding a sense of life and tranquillity, despite the confinement which the heart might feel.

And I could see several faces, which looked despaired, desperately trying to survive even in conditions like this.

My vision went around the square and I saw numerous houses and huts encircling the square, some clearly built in haste. They varied in size and shape, made from whatever materials were at hand and I could also feel the residual mana linger on the outer layers of the mud huts and houses. Despite their rough appearances, the people bustled about, weariness and determination still lingered on their faces.

To one side of the sanctuary, I saw a formidable fortress far from the square. It's stone walls rose tall and imposing, a symbol of strength and protection. Through its outer appearance its felt like a safe haven within a haven, a place where those who defend the sanctuary might gather. Not far from the fortress, a market area hummed with activity. Stalls and tents were set up with food, clothing, tools for the refugees here. The atmosphere, despite cool and fresh, had a sombre and bleak hue to it which set a stone in my stomach, reminding me of the helpless past.

As I took it all in, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of awkwardness. I could perfectly understand the dread and helplessness they must feel. But having no power to do anything, having no way of changing their fates.

The crowd started to gather around us—I saw small orcen children hiding behind their bigger kin, sneaking peeks in our direction, their expressions exhausted, yet looked innocent and pure—, as several orcs went to Huŕum—their leader—immediately and started asking several questions at once, even with Mordian’s help, I still wasn’t able to understand everyone.

I looked above and saw the ceiling of the cavern, where several stalactites were shining brightly which worked as the artificial sun of this place, drowning them in their bright rays, and releasing warmth.

Huŕum raised his voice slightly and all of a sudden the entire crowd turned silent. He took a calm breath, and turned to his people, a sympathetic expression which looked pained and on the verge of breaking down was over his face, but he immediately forced himself to take a more serious and solemn expression. His features as hard as stone.

Huŕum took a moment and then spoke with his voice filled with authority. “We have returned from our expedition, but as you can see, we are not unharmed. And I apologise for being unable to answer your questions right now, but what I can tell you is that, we have found strong and reliable allies that we must first accompany to see the elders and strategists. Please, I ask for your cooperation.”

After hearing Huŕum’s words, the crowd began to disperse a little, but the people looked dissatisfied, but some had expressions of understanding. They made a path which opened up to the boulevard and led to the huge fortress.

Before we were about to make way, Huŕum turned and looked at Surter and said to take their companions and get them treated first from the emitters here, and then Surter to join us later.

He persisted Huŕum to come along to get treated, but he refused and with a commanding tone he told him to take their companions at once.

A tall orc suddenly approached our entrouge, his skin was a light reddish shade with stripes of darker red running along his chest and forearms in loops. His air was fixed into a single braid as he dashed in our direction.

He approached Huŕum and held on to his forearms with his quivering grip. He asked Huŕum something, his voice sounded on the verge of tears, body shaking uncontrollably, and Huŕum replied, his face still, no emotion written over it which looked as hard as stone.

The tall orc which looked strong, burst into tears like a child, his sobs filled the cavern as he crumbled to the ground and struck his fist into the ground several times as fresh blood began to drip from his bare knuckles, Huŕum just stood their watching him with a twisted frown, his teeth gritted.

I didn’t turn away from this. I didn’t need Mordian’s help to understand what they both had talked about. Because actions spoke louder than any words.

Just how much death and suffering should they—we—go through before this cycle ends? I thought with a thick sombreness lacing my thoughts.

Huŕum bent down and retrieved the sack hung from his back and took a thick bone bracelet from inside it and handed it to the tall orc with light reddish skin. The tall orc cradled the object in his hands, as he grasped it tightly in his palms and brought it close to his face. His sobs softened and tears streamed down his cheeks faster as Huŕum began to personally give away the final belongings of the deceased to their families and loved ones which were gathered here to receive them.

Their faces twisted with scowls and eyes tearing as they walked forward. They looked broken, defeated and tired.

After an hour of mourning and consoling the families of the deceased, I merely watched from the side-lines with my companions, each orc which showed up—sometimes, either elves or dwarfs would accompany them, mourning the death of their friend, son or acquaintance—with a dreadful expression, their sobs filled the air like a final ballad of farewell. After a few more minutes, Huŕum finally moved away from them, the cloth in his hand empty of the belongings once inside, as he wiped the tears welling in his eyes as he finally guided us to the fortress.

“I apologise, that you all had to wait because of me.” He said, his voice sincerely apologetic, as he wiped away the expression over his face.

“No, it’s fine. I think it was the right thing to do.” I returned with understanding on my face as Huŕum seem to under my words despite the language barrier, nodded in gratitude, his face had a determined expression, yet his eyes sombre, displaying tremendous guilt and sadness

‘Time is the only remedy for them right now, which can help them fully come to term with their situation. It isn’t easy to accept a close one’s death, even when you know that death is looming above your head like a guillotine, much less in a situation like war where its obvious.’ I said inwardly, my words laced with raw emotions, as I seemed to understand the loss and grieving of the orcs to some extent.

Huŕum stayed silent as we approached the fortress in the distance, the cobblestone path, mixed with different kind of minerals created a smooth road to the mighty fortress which gleamed under the light of the stalactites. The structure was built from sturdy, weathered stone, each block meticulously placed to form walls that rise high and imposing.

The walls were thick and solid, designed to withstand both time and any potential threats. Along the top, crenulations—square indentations—ran the length of the wall, providing cover for guards who patrol the perimeter. From this vantage point, they could survey the entire sanctuary and the surrounding tunnels, ensuring the safety of those within.

The entrance to the fortress was equally formidable, marked by a massive gate made of thick, reinforced wood and bound with iron and some other mineral as reinforcement. The gate was flanked by two smaller, reinforced doors, likely used for quick access without fully opening the main gate. Above the gate, a portcullis—a heavy, iron lattice—hung, ready to be lowered in case of an emergency, adding an extra layer of defence.

Huŕum left us behind and quickly approached the fortress with fast steps, where several orc guards stood with weapons drawn in their hands and faces looking intimidating.

But I saw several mana signatures radiating from within the fortress, and there was quite an amount inside. There were also refugees inside there, from the weak mana signatures which were inside, mixed with the strong ones.

A guard stepped forward, and greeted Huŕum with concern on his face. "Huŕum, fa'sha en kor fa'ra. Bal, fa'sha var an dor fa'kor?" (“Huŕum, its great to see you again. But, who are the people behind you?”)

He was glad to see the orc leader, but immediately turned to us and asked who we were. His eyes warily looked at us and then turned to the orc leader.

Huŕum answered right away in his native tongue. "Fa tar fa en vor kor'demon fa'thra fa en fa'kor fa'kor thra. Na'kor fa, fa'kor en fa. Na'fa fa'en kor na'kor fa." ("They helped us defeat the demons who ambushed us when we were on our expedition to find resources. If not for them, we would have been wiped out, and the few who have returned safely wouldn't have made it back.")

They conversed about a few more things and soon the smaller gates were opened up and they allowed us to enter the fortress.

Without any interpretations, we followed along the wide and long halls, adorned with red carpets and runic symbols carved into the walls with several artifacts and different things placed into the halls with bright light spilling from the ceiling above which had mineral like stones embedded in its surface which illuminated with different colours, adding more to the ostentatious display and structure.

After a short jog and taking a few turns through the hallways, we approached the end of the hallway where bronze doors lined with intriguing and intricate patterns which looked incomprehensible, yet mysterious stood. There were two torches placed outside and a guard on each side with a warhammer and mace in their hands, looking imposing.

The guards seemed surprised on Huŕum’s appearance and made a few remarks, before their attention went to us. There were loud and muffled voices coming from the inside. I took this moment of distraction and withdrew a ring shaped object from the inventory—the dimensional artifact given to me by Vetustima—and wore it on my thumb.

Huŕum explained shortly after and soon the doors were pushed open and a big chamber appeared to my eyes.

It was smaller than a throne room, but was still considerably spacious, with a long and wide octagonal shaped wooden table placed in the middle, spilled with an innumerable amount of documents, parchments and artifacts with several seats placed on each side.

Each seat had a four to five metre distance from the next pair.

Several artifacts brightened the inside as I felt a sensation of cold which soon turned warm as I approached the inside.

But my attention went to the individuals occupying the chairs. I saw two elves, two dwarfs and two orcs sitting and discussing some subject in the chamber, their talk was mostly pushed to disagreement with how loud their voices rose. But I had simply picked up some words thanks to Mordian, I wasn’t able to get a general grasp of the situation.

“Can you not see that we are in a meeting?” An elf said, standing up, his hands were over the table and body leaning forward, as his head was snapped toward the entrance of the chamber. A frown playing on his sharp features as he looked slightly annoyed and distraught.

His built was average and mana indicating that we wasn’t very strong, probably around the intervening stage of the mastery stage.

His features were sharp and hair a cascade of dim sliver mixed with a greenish shade—unlike Aurora’s silver gunmetal—his eyes gleamed green and with frustration with each passing second.

Beside him was another elven man, his build was similar to his with the difference of his hair being longer and more lighter in colour, and eyes brown. They wore silk robes and ornaments in their hairs, as I saw their distinctive pointy ears.

The two dwarfs inside the chamber had a similar physique and stood below five feet with long beards, one having brown hair and one black, with wrinkles adorning their aged faces, they wore sturdy leather armour and had peculiar expressions on their faces.

And finally my eyes swept to the orcs, one had a muscular and sturdy physique, looking intimidating with its greenish moss shade skin and small dark scarlet eyes, garments covering his lower half, wearing a jacket like cloth which exposed his chest and the scars on it. But the other orc was unlike any I'd seen so far. His physique was hunched and just as tall as mine, skin reddish and with several strips over his body, he lacked the strong muscular build of his kin and had a gentle and shrewd expression over his features, his aged face made him look intelligent and different , with tusks growing out of his mouth.

But his eyes looked intrigued and wry as he looked at us, his lips pulled into an amused smile.

“They must have a good reason for coming here. Correct?” The hunched orc said. “It seems Huŕum has brought with him some peculiar guests. Please, come in.”

Huŕum nodded to the hunched orc’s words as he guided us inside and we stood at the edge of the table, everyone in the chamber had their attention on us.

Huŕum bowed respectfully, addressing the orcs as elders, and after a short greeting to the other members of the tri-union, he explained our situation and what had conspired during their expedition in great detail. He shared our names as he introduced us to the members of the tri-union.

Their expressions revealed surprise and evident shock as they learned that Mordian was a dragon, the elven man from earlier exchanged a glance with me—now knowing that I was a human—, his eyes seemed to subtlety look down at me, but I ignored his pitiful advances and turned to the hunched orc.

Theie mouths agape as they find it hard to believe that Mordian was a living dragon

He then turned to Mordian, his expression shrewd and crafty as he took a bow and respectfully greeted my bond, all of them did the same as Mordian stood with nonchalance in his eyes, his demeanour unchanged as his golden eyes with vertical eyelids gave a passing glance at them.

“It’s never a pleasant thing to know that one of yours has left you. May their deaths not be in vain.” The hunched orc said, his voice laced with bitterness and pity. He suddenly turned and spoke with a tone full of gratitude and encouragement. “I thank you on behalf of being an elder of the orcen race, thank you for helping our kind and our children. In the face of despair, even your presence might bring our people a shred of hope. And if, what Huŕum has told us truthfully, then we would more than appreciate your help, Jiwoo, Lord Astrionyx, lady Aurora; right now, we need strong allies willing to fight with us.”

The elven man from earlier scoffed with a sneer. “Heh! Do you truly think with their help we can turn the face of this war in our favour now—even if Lord Astrionyx, a dragon is here? Our situation remains the same.” His expression turned ugly, as I saw clear dark circles under his eyes. “Don’t be a fool Zalar. We all know that out of all the races, human are the weakest, having just barely awakened their ability to wield mana—no less than a century ago. You think someone like him can help us?”

Zalar gave a side glance to the eleven man, and replied to his bold, yet debatable statement, with calm and rational eyes. “Then what do you suggest, Serven? That we keep on procrastinating and giving the demons more time to conquer more of the orcen cities and take control of whatever opportunities we might be left with?” There was a subtle wry edge to the orcen elder’s words as he held Serven’s gaze for a moment.

Serven, the elven man, heaved a curse under his breath, as he pointed at me, a frown shrouded his sharp features.

“But what can one man do, what hundreds or thousands of our forces couldn’t?” He muttered, flustered, but this time he didn’t speak in the common tongue which he had so far, I understand his words perfectly as he spoke in a language similar to the humans.

I directed my gaze at Serven now, as he looked at me with a helpless expression, as he seemed to shrink under my gaze. I sighed as I spoke.

“What you said is true, Serven.” I said in response, not backing down, my face was cool and nonchalant. “We humans did lack the ability to wield mana the longest out of all the other races, and only just acquired it recently, but even when we our cornered by the demons during the first cataclysm, when we were unaware and ignorant of such things, even then we somehow pulled through. That shows just how much potential the human race has for survival and adaptability.”

Zalar and the two dwarfs seem to under my words as they had expressions of acknowledgement on their faces, as if they couldn’t rebut my statement.

But my next words caught them all of guard, I spoke with my tone bold and presumptuous.

“And even when we were on the losing side, and didn’t have any help from the races of the tri-union, because even if you knew about us before the cataclysm, you didn’t approach us out of either fear or wariness. But even in that situation, we still somehow triumphed with only our efforts alone. It’s not us who are currently losing the war, rather your people. So, its best if you point the fingers at yourself and ask: how can you turn this situation in your favour even in this dire time? And the things that I've observed myself since saving the orcs and coming to the sanctuary, it’s honestly, even worse than I could’ve thought.”

The muscular orc beside Zalar had an ugly expression over his face, but didn’t rebut my words, knowing full well just how bad the situation had become and each word I spewed held nothing but the truth—everyone here in this room spoke a language which could be used to communicate with the humans, so getting through to them shouldn’t be a problem for now. The dwarfs nodded in agreement, their aged faces perfectly displaying their wisdom in such matters as they continued to observe from side-lines, not saying anything so far.

But Serven shrank, unable to say a word back, as he fell into his seat, and the elf beside him looked ashamed of his companion’s words.

“I’m not trying to be rude or disrespectful, but it’s best if we start the main reason for our sudden arrrival. Our sudden arrival might arouse doubt in your trust, but all I can say to you is that, you have to trust us one way or another. I’m not helping the orcs because of the kindness of my heart, but because, we all want to protect our people and stop the demons from bringing the threat of war to our lands, threating to jeopardise our peace and unity.” My eyes moved from each person in the chamber and stopped when they met Zalar. “And, we know it can’t be done alone. Just as I’m willing to help the orcs, despite knowing that I’ll be treated as an outsider and shunned from being a man, from a weak race, I still want to have hope and build a trust—a foundation which will nurture into something more—, because, we humans still lack numbers. We need strong allies who can hold our hand and side with us when we reach out our hand.”

I took a breath as my tone turned determined and agreeable as my face turned full of empathy. “We have no other choice but to cooperate with each other in this dire time, because we all will get mutual benefits from this alliance.”

Silence descended over the chamber, like a sharp blade cutting through the air, as the seconds ticked by painstakingly slow as I waited for their reply. Their pondering faces entered my vision as only Zalar, the hunched orc looked at me with a favourable expression from the start.

The others took their time, and soon the dwarf with the black hair and beard spoke first. His old, rough and hoarse voice entered my ears as both of them patted and brushed their hands along their long beards which were half the size of their bodies.

“We agree with what the human said. One must have to a flexible and sharp mind, if they wish to win a war. Strength can only get you so far.” The black bearded dwarf said. He laughed suddenly, as he pounded his palm over the table amusingly. “I always thought just what kind of intriguing beings would the humans be like, and now I've find out. You’re good, human. You are strong and also have a sharp mind on your shoulders, making you both powerful and perceptive. I like that, kid.” He pounded the table again with a loud laugh echoing through the chamber as a wide smirk played on his face. “Come have a seat. We have much to discuss.”

Zalar welcomed us to the table as we occupied the three seat lying vacant near the table, on both side the orcs and elves sat, and the dwarfs opposite us.

“But, I think a brief introduction should be made in order for us to grow a little intimate as we are going to be allies from now on.” Zalar said with a friendly smile, his wrinkled face stretched with a subtle softness as his eyes turned gentle.