Chapter 44 - Into The Caves

Zell and Kaitlyn walk through the doorway and find themselves back in the place it all began. Zell looked around. "Ah, I recognize those mountains." Zell said happily. "This is where that demon general tricked us. It was so foolish of me to trust him. I should have known better. I let my power go to my head, I felt like he wouldn't dare to back stab me."

"Don't feel bad Zell." Kaitlyn said. "I thought he could be trusted too. I honestly thought he would help us bring peace."

"I mean it was possible." Zell replied. "They say only fools have hope, and that day I was a fool." Zell looked around and took in the mountains around him. "You know I was so focused last time I didn't really notice how pretty the mountains were. This is all new to me, this area. Do you know anything about it?"

"Well as you know my tribe lives in the forbidden forest, which separates the human and nonhuman kingdoms. I cannot speak to the human side, but on our side, we are encased in mountains. The range goes from one end of the forest to the other but curves outward in a massive loop, giving us the land we live on."

"So, there are mountains on three sides of the nonhuman's borders?" Zell asked. "Then a forest on the fourth?"

"Yes." Kaitlyn answered. "It has kept us safe and let us live in peace for the most part. The dwarves inhabit the mountains and guard them from intruders and my tribe does the same for the forest. Basically, there are four main powers of the nonhuman world. My tribe, the demon lord's capital, the dwarven empire, and the dragons. My tribe is sadly the weakest of the four and the dragons used to hold the most power, but since the coming of the demon lord, his faction has taken over, well at least attempted to. I know my tribe refused him; I don't know if the dwarves did."

"The dragons joined him." Zell said. "I learned that years ago when I had to kill one."

"It is still so amazing how powerful you are." Kaitlyn smiled.

"Well let's stop wasting time and get going." Zell said. He started to search his pockets for his stone. He did not find it and slapped his forehead with his palm. "I forgot the stone in my other pants!"

"Guess we will just have to walk." Kaitlyn said.

"You there!" An unfriendly voice shouted out. "What do ye think ye are doing?!"

Zell and Kaitlyn turn around to find a group of dwarves with their weapons drawn.

"A beast girl and a human?" They asked, looking confused. "Tell us beast girl are you this human's slave? Is that how he was able to get through the forest?"

"He is a friend." Kaitlyn said. "This is all a misunderstanding."

"Look, it has been a long and tiring few days." Zell sighed. "I am not the same patient man I once was. Please do not try me, in fact why don't you help me? Tell me how to get to the demon lord's castle."

The dwarves looked at each other and laughed at Zell. "Boy, do you not realize the situation you be in? Each of us warriors are all over level one hundred, far surpassing whatever a human is capable of."

Zell just sighed and walked over to a nearby tree. He took his index finger and thumb and flicked the tree truck. The truck exploded into a thousand pieces at the impact. The dwarves just looked on with a shocked and horrified expression.

"Can we try this again?" Zell asked, dusting his suit off from the tree debris. "Where can I find the demon lord?"

"What are ye?!" One of the dwarves yelled. "No human is that strong! Are you the wretched queen's vanguard?! Oh god have you come to kill us all?!"

"Wretched queen?" Zell asked. "You must mean Rose. No, though she is my sister I do not support, nor do I condone her actions."

"Like we would trust a bloody human!" Another dwarf shouted out.

"He is telling the truth!" Kaitlyn yelled.

"You know I am getting really tired of being accused of terrible actions because of my race." Zell sighed.

"Well, ye are a human." A dwarf said. "They have proven time and time again over the ages that they cannot be trusted."

"What if I told you I was from another world." Zell said, cutting to the chance. "Sent by the goddess of creation to save the word from chaos and bring world peace."

The dwarves rallied together and huddled in a circle. They talked among themselves for a time, until one dwarf left the circle. "It would explain your mad strength." He said. "A human as a divine messenger, that's a new one on us. Regardless, we need to take you to our king. Please follow us." He turned around and rejoined the other dwarves. As he did, the group of them turned and went to the mountain face.

"We who live under the mountain seek entry!" One of the dwarves yelled. "Mu'Ju'Kar'Zan" An area of the mountain began to move apart revealing a hidden cave. The Dwarves went inside.

"I guess we should follow them?" Zell said.

"I guess." Kaitlyn replied, shrugging her shoulders.

The two followed into the cave and as they entered the door shut behind them. The path was well lit with multiple torches lining the walls. The floor was a carved stairway that descended deep into the ground.

"So, you think this is another trap?" Zell asked.

"I think they believed you." Kaitlyn said. "Although I am not certain as to why they believed you so easily."

"My seven hundred thousand charisma points?" Zell laughed.

"Maybe." Kaitlyn laughed in agreement. "I have never visited the dwarves before, but grandpa told me they live in a vast cave system that stretches the entire mountain range."

"That is a massive kingdom." Zell said. "There must be quite a lot of dwarves."

They kept walking following the guards. Deeper and deeper they went into the ground. Finally, the path changed from stairs to floor, and they were met with a massive iron door. One of the dwarves walked over to the wall and pressed in a series of runes, which were carved into the wall. After he did the door opened to reveal a massive underground chamber. An entire city had been carved from the rock, massive columns stretched from cave floor to ceiling, and in the distance on a hill was a massive structure.

"Come the king is waiting.." A dwarf said.