The People of the Mountain.

The snow capped mountain range sat in solitude and undisturbed. There was not sight of life on the surface. A wind would blow by the side of the mountain from time to time, it could be as mild as a breeze hardly detectable or as wild as a blizzard kicking up a storm. The stillness of the mountain remained unperturbed as if a reminder that it was the one thing that would never change.

Hidden on the tallest peak there was a tower with three people. Two guards were playing a game of chess. They seemed engrossed and unconcerned with anything that might happen away from their game. The third guard didn't even try to hide that he was asleep. This was their routine during their shift. Hardly anyone would try to infiltrate the mountain mostly because no one knew what was under it. The snowy mountain was located on the continent of Canozania. The native inhabitants were dwarves and some sporadic human settlements and cities far and between. There were also decoy dwarven cities where a small number of dwarves lived. Very few humans were aware that the cities were millitary garrisons and that the real dwarven cities were located underground.

The game of chess was reaching its climax as one king had been baited and a checkmate was imminent when a sudden gust of wind started blowing. The guards wanted to ignore it since blizzards happens more often than one would imagine at such high altitude. The sleeping guy stood up suddenly and looked above where winds were blowing and if one looked hard enough a small black dot was growing visibly bigger.

The third guard was a short middle aged man about the height of a normal ten year old boy. He had a scruffy beard a pale complexion and lazy eye. He was dressed in the guards uniform that was snow white trousers, black leather boots and a thick fur cloak that had a hood. His entire look was highlighted his nonchalant nature There was a pickaxe with two stars on the left side of his chest. He was of higher rank than the chess player. The two looked at him before following his eyes and glanced at where he was looking. They noticed the disparity almost immediately.

They did not know what to do exactly and continued to stare at the black hole. The wind was blowing towards it sucking up all the snow in the area. When it begun it was the size of a fist but soon it was large enough to fit a man. The bellowing wind suddenly stopped and two humanoid figures fell out before the black hole completely disappeared. This was even more shocking. It did not take much to become a guard at the high peaks of the mountains since all the experts were sent to the garrison cities. This scenario was not in their training. One of the guards who was playing chess walked to a large lever on the wall and pulled it down.

The bearded guard walked to the door made a hand seal before pushing it open. A small breeze blew past him into the room. If a normal person was outside this opening door would look like the mountain had been opened up. He grabbed his sword from the weapons rack and dragged it behind him. It was long curved moon blade which looked exaggerated in the dwarf's hands. He muddled through the snow cursing incoherently at the intruders disrupting his sleep.

In front of him were two clearly underdressed humans gasping for air. One had two swords and a rucksack on his back while the other was just a normal young woman. They both looked liked they were gasping for air and before long they both collapsed. They were clearly not master villains and must have landed there by accident but all would be revealed when they woke up.

Deep below the mountain the moment the guard pulled the lever many bells started ringing through out the mountain for many children this was the first time they had heard the bell which was a very exciting event for most adults however this was very startling. The bells were clearly from the guards up above. In recorded history the last time the bells tolled many dwarves ended up dead or enslaved by humans. A deep tense atmosphere covered the entire mountain.

Children saw their parents brandishing weapons ready for a fight to erupt anytime. Hours passed however besides the bells no signs of a fight broke out. Everyone was still on high alert.

First Garrison: Jail cells.

A few hours had passed since the bells had tolled. A doctor was sitting outside of a jail cell. She was nodding of in sleep. She would occasionally wake up to look Into the cells at the two prisoners. Both were now asleep and probably would be for a while longer after all their brains were short on air. Humans were so fragile she constantly thought to herself as she was treating them.

Minerva opened her eyes before John. She looked around trying to get a bearing on where she was. The room was dark with the source of light coming from her front. She tried to sit up but her hands were chained to a bar next to the bunk she was lying on. She winced as she tried to switch the position she was lying in but the chain kept her from moving as much. The bed was half a foot shorter than she was.

She tilted her head and noticed the bars towards the front of the cell. They were in jail. This was a first for her. There was someone sitting in front of the cell nodding off. She tried to summon her vines but that wasn't working as well. it seemed like there was some sort of restriction.

"Can you undo these chains, Its very uncomfortable lying on this small bed all chained up."

The doctor woke up with a start looking surprised and tired at the same time. She looked into the cell to see Minerva looking at her. Discomfort was written all over her face.

"I didn't expect you to wake up so soon." She said. "Unfortunately I can't do that, I am only here to observe your health, I don't have the keys to that."

"How long have we been asleep?"

"Roughly half a day. I have to ask why would you go up the mountain like that, its almost always winter there."

"There? What do you mean? Where are we? Who are you."

"Thats need to know, I don't think you'll be going anywhere anytime soon. You humans always thinking that you need and deserve to own everything, well not this time. Very soon we will find out where you're from, who sent you and what you want here."

"I can tell you right here that whatever prejudices you have against humans has nothing to do with the both of us. We are from the west continent, not the east like those humans you know. We were told by our master that we can find help here."

"As if I would believe you, humans have this habit of weaselling their way into anything, What West Continent, the one inhabited by giants and monsters as if you would survive there, even the giants hate humans more than dwarves do."

"Well, i guess there is not point in trying to convince you anyways, let him wake up and we we have our proof.