Chapter 4: Gronaan

"Four long days on this forsaken contraption, I am used to small spaces and even the thrum of all that is the Dwarven mines, but the constant movement aboard this beast is making my head spin. There are a few other dwarves I have come across all of them from separate mountains and mines, well except the two I came with, all of them have seemed to scamper off or stay in their rooms. This boy I am roomed with is the, how do you say it, well the eccentric type. Rambling on about the different elements, and the power each hold. He keeps saying things like fire is my element of choice and water would be grand as well, but he has no training, nor does he have any hope of the army picking him. He has worked a farm his entire life and hasn't a copper to his name. I am not much better off my family being wealthy, and all doesn't help when they are cheap bastards. So, if it all fails to the army it is for my kind. But it is not so bad now is it."

Petals 8

I shove my journal aside into my traveling bag, "Well we should be arriving soon, and I am ready to be off this death machine." I let a grumbly dwarven chuckle leave my throat and look around the room, "Empty as always, that fool hearty kid is probably running around pissing off the noble elves and humans again, he just doesn't learn." I grab my pack and leave the room, as the door comes open, I draw into the hallway the scene is completely different from normal. With it being midday the royal blues and crimson reds that normally give me headaches are completely gone, it is only lit by the lights that were still set for daytime, giving my eyes a much-needed rest. I shouldn't have to say this, but my dwarven eyes are used to the dimmer homes of the dwarves.

The train is also quite quiet, like eerily so," Where is all the noise? Where is everyone?" I ask aloud as I move toward the front of the machine, "This hallway is too long indeed, nothing is close." I huff and stroke what would be my beard if it were growing in yet, tracing all the fine artwork about the halls. I don't know how long I walked for but, I soon get lost in the intricate lines of the metal intertwining around the smooth wood banisters leading up to the front of the Transitor. A small rumble of idle chatter comes from a large room further ahead, where people board and disembark from. "Seems like everyone is already up or packing. That's why the hall was so quiet," I note to myself, "We should be arriving soon, you can smell the fear in the air." The next few steps I take carries me into a large room which has a small walkway sealed by a doorway to the exterior of the Transitor. Several groups of people had already piled up, so many so I could not see past the first few groups of them.

As I push through several groups, I take notice they are all probably nobles or higher by the way they are dressed, "Pardon me, I have somewhere to be," I say sarcastically as I can, brushing aside their looks with a grin. I am also a noble, but noble dwarves are different from human and other tall folk nobles. They don't adorn themselves with prideful attire unless at a formal event of sorts, and this ride was far from a formal event. Dwarves set themselves apart by the qualities of their beards, and the tools they carried with them. His were all of dragoon steel I mined myself. Dragoon steel being the strongest metal known, it made the hardest hammers and the sharpest axes, and they had to mine and forge it all together themselves as a matter of pride.

I see them in the far edge of the room, several dwarves in the distance. So, I begin to draw nearer to the group of dwarves and smile then exclaim, "How are you kin?" The other dwarves shift about for a moment, and all greet me with a bow. "There is no need for formalities, and who wants them," I shout with a deep belly laugh. I shift to the side and lean on the wall nearest to the group. "But if our families gained knowledge of us disrespecting you, we would be forever shamed," One of the female dwarves said brushing her hair from her face. Her beauty, her skin looked as if it hadn't been touched by daylight once before, her eyes a gentle sort, and in true fashion I look dumb founded and blurted out "And what would your name be my lady?"

"My name is of little importance to a noble of my mountain, but its Sheila Grompf," She walks toward me, and I am pretty sure she took my breath with her too. She continues saying, "I am sure everyone is just a bit nervous is all." I scratched my head, it is about all my brain would allow, and look around to all the other groups, "I am sure they can smell everyone's fear and it's upsetting their stomachs like mine, most of the people here are a head or two taller than us, but they are pampered children in comparison." As my sentence finished, I notice a group of humans near to me, obviously making themselves stand apart from the dwarves, and they were turning their noses up towards us in a look of disgust. "What you be looking for a fight string beans?" I press towards the group holding up my arm in front of me his hand balled into a fist. The humans quickly turn away from me, and shuffle further from the group. Dwarven kindness always works best with softies like them.

"Oh, be nice to them. We are mostly all the same age. There are a few of them a year or two older but not by much," Sheila says patting my shoulder, and her gentle touch pulling me back from the retreating group. "Eh, they aren't really worth my time, and it would be a shame to get in trouble so close," I look around at the larger groups of people forming in the room, hundreds of people begin pouring into the room and I say, "I suppose it is good there are multiple levels. There is no way everyone could fit into here. I heard that it was actually a smaller group of people than it normally would be, with Fillideshi soldiers in the north requesting to cross our borders to Mangora."

"I guess people don't want to risk being a soldier when everything is so tense," she says looking to the front of room where the lighting of the room begins to slowly become brighter. "What's with this lighting? It was comfortable up until now," I say beginning to squint as the lighting grows increasingly more vibrant and brighter. "You must have been asleep when we entered the tunnel. We have been in it most of the morning," Shelia says closing her eyes to let them adjust to the brightening lights.

A damned light blinds me momentarily, the sun breaks through the transparent walls of the Transitor revealing an overlook of the fortress city that houses the Council of the Fallen Moon. "The city is in the center of a very large valley in used to be a mountain," I explain moving closer to the groups to look down at the city, 'My grandfather told me stories of how it used to house a large dwarven city, and that the explosions were the thing that wiped all of them out, but you know it isn't like it happened yesterday, he said it was over 5000 years ago."

"All of those are just stories. The moon fell onto an empty mountain that my family said glowed with the light of a thousand suns on hot days, say a dragon lived in it too," Sheila says eyes wide looking at the massive city.

The massive city housed a large circular building made of marble at is center, that dwarfs all surrounding buildings. Most all of the buildings are stained with years of rain, and weather, but the stone they are made from slowly turned a deep shade of cerulean. The large oak's, throughout the city, contrast to the grayish blues and the center building towering over the rest of the city, to life as more than just another city. The ancient trees brim with life and broadcast the health of the land scarred by the destruction of the mountain.

I have to step back from the edge of the groups and push my way through the mass of people piling up. I start listening to the grip and feeling the nervous energy of the previously dark room shift into an explosion of excitement. There are two girls in the far corner disinterested from the scenery and talking as if they had known each other their entire lives, one dressed far more cleanly in a black dress and a long coat, and the other wearing a peasant's outfit which looked like she had spent several months in the mines as of how stained by the earth it was. "Strange," I began to think about how strange the appearance of the two girls were together until, I took note of an impeccably dressed elf stamping his hand on the back of a large dark-skinned boy about twice his height, who's jaw hanging low in awe of the city.

"Most of these people might not get a calling, the spirits just might not see the spark, or flame or whatever it is that will make them gain the spirits energy," I say, thinking out loud, then lean back on the wall overlooking the city. I want to look but still, most of the applicants are a touch taller than me so, I could make out the weathered rooftops of ceramic grey and red tiles and the council building, the big white one, next to the big blue cylinder one. I knew. Sheila walks over and begins with, "Well, you can always look forward to having the blessing of the earth, I mean it's like a one in five crap shoot for dwarves, you either get the earths blessing or to the army we go."

"That's just because we are tougher as a whole than these other races. They have the liberty of the rest of the elements, but it is the earth or blood and we dwarves are raised as such," I say a smile forcing a way onto my nervous face, and mole filled stomach "But that is just the hand we are dealt."

The Transitor makes an abrupt shift, and the city disappears from view as the turn shifts the machine toward the city. The bead of sweat forming on my palms and the room around him, the energy shifts from excitement back to the precipice of disaster. I need to stop thinking with such fancy words. After a few deep breaths, I check around at the people all doing the same as I was doing, the panic in the room slowly begins to dissipate with every breath. I did notice the two girls in the corner that never even thought about the stress. A pure look of joy remained on their faces, which is quizzical and maddening. I stood from the wall and started toward the pair, "I wonder what has them so content with the moment those two soft ones should be falling apart," I couldn't help but thinking as I drew closer.

The is little things to notice about the pair, the elvish girl she was a lot more than she appeared with calloused hands and muscles that could make a dwarf blush, but still remained feminine, but her eyes were the true showstopper. Her hair was a dark black placed up into a messy bun with just enough hair falling to her face to contrast the eyes of a dwarven mine, gold, and a deep gold at that. She looked to the other girl. She had hair cut short, a light brown color, by her clothes I could see she was a royal type, but her eyes betrayed her true nature. Those silver and grey eyes showed that she was a killer to the core, heartless and void of all emotions. Both of them, stunning in their own ways and what would lead to one hell of a story if my family saw me hanging around them. I got lost in thought and before I realize it I all but bump into the pair. Wholesome thoughts, I promise.

"Aren't you nervous or worried, you know about what might come of tomorrow," I say to get the attention of the two girls. The girl with the golden eyes turned to me and began talking, without a care in the world might I add, "Well what is there to worry about? No matter what we will be taken care of. The army may be dangerous, but it will provide you with every need you could have. The camps provide ample amenities because healthy workers are the most productive, and it isn't like they would think of not paying us no matter the jobs we are assigned." Her voice was soft as silk, was soft on the ears, and held no pain or struggle in it. In reply I say, "Aye, but . . ." The other girl interjected, "And to top it off we have talked about this quite a bit. Why worry about things you cannot control?" Her voice on the other hand, was sharp and educated and bordered cold towards me, I'd like to think I realized this quickly.

I felt a smile play onto my face, "The names Gronaan Versric, people normally call me Gro, and you two have the right idea." The girls smirked at me eyeing me up and down, probably weighing my capability toward them as a threat to them. I chuckled as a familiar voice approached. "So, you are just the flirt now 'ay," Sheila says walking over towards three of in the corner. I let my eyes trace the two girl's faces watching for a quick shift in their stature but found nothing other than the hint of intrigue the played onto the face of the silver eyed girl. "Now Sheila, I was just talking to them, they seem dangerous and weren't scared like the rest of these babes," I jest over my shoulder while Sheila took the final steps toward the group of us.

"Are either of you from the black peeks?" The golden eyed girl said to them. I look over at Sheila, "Well I am, but that is kind of personal information, don't be telling everyone about it." Sheila nodded to the question, and I stood their struck at this absolute vision of a beauty, because I had never seen her in the mountains. Neither was she in my group of people waiting for the Transitor. The Golden eyed girl crossed her fingers over her heart, "It isn't like we have everyone on this machine talking to us, and I doubt we will be talking to many more," She says smirking towards me laying on the sarcasm as she spoke, "It is just somewhere my mom spoke highly of; I would like to see it."

"Well don't let this man here take you to see the sights, you just might get your heart broken, or so my friends have said," Sheila said poking me in the arm smiling wildly at my dismay. I did all I could, I started laughing and say, "I think you might have the wrong person their Sheila, I am nothing but the most upstanding gentleman, as they say." The two girls look back at each other and smirk, the silver eyed girl looked over, "I go by Rowan, and this is Liz, it is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of such a fine gentleman." I do believe you could have forged a hammer with the furnace that was my face burning at the sound of their teasing but could do nothing about it. "Oh, so you are playing at the bashful one now, ay' Gronaan?" Sheila says prodding me even harder failing to contain her laughter.

Just as I begin my reply, the constant vibrations of the Transitor stop beneath my feet. The constant vibration, vanishing leaves my legs tingling and a little wobbly. Just then the sound of bells fills the air along with a voice I hadn't heard before. It was a deep voice of a man not seen in the room, "All passengers our journey has ended. Yours is just beginning. Please prepare to disembark."

Just then the atmosphere created by the four of them vanish in an instant. I begin to remember the words I thought about earlier, precipice of disaster. I look to the faces of Liz, Rowan, and Sheila and they all hold the same thing, the smallest amount of worry and curiosity. "Well, I guess I will be seeing the two of you tomorrow night once you are chosen, best of luck and may the earth bless you," I say bowing respectfully, carefully turning from the group and grabbing Sheila by the collar of her blouse pulling her away. Before I could get too far away from the curious pair.

I stole a glance over the corner of my shoulder of the two girls, they were terrifyingly beautiful, and began to think that Sheila wasn't wrong in her assessment of what my intentions would have been in a different situation. "Will you explain why you pulled me away things were just getting good? I never took you for the shy type," Sheila says looking me up and down, the smile never leaving her face. "I am not the shy type, you had me caught off guard is all, how have I never seen you around the mines or mountains," I give as a question in reply. "There is a lot nobles never notice, but mostly because I was wearing the temple garb, it conceals way too much for you to be able to recognize me," She puts her hands over her face leaving slits in her fingers around her eyes, "In fact I have been in your family's estate before, you walked out of your room in nothing more than a sheet wrapped around your waste. You seemed to get a giggle from all of our reactions, and it seemed almost as if your father would have murdered you."

"I actually did not know you guys were there, no one had informed me that you were there, and the only clothing I had was the outfit I had worn home from the mines, the rest were being washed," I come back with, 'smooth', scratching my head the damned furnace on my face taking light again on my cheeks. I started to recall that day it was only a few months before and I was scolded for hours after the incident. I ran my hands down my face, and my boyish smile found its way back onto my face, "Well I am sorry for the embarrassment, I would have holed up in my bedroom."

"I never said I was complaining," Sheila said, a mischievous smile dancing its way onto her face, stepping passed me. I stood, frozen, in awe of this girl, that is until the slap from her hand met the top of my right thigh just below the buttocks. "Well, that isn't very nice," I exclaimed turning to catch a view of her playful smile, but to his avail she was nowhere to be seen, gone into the crowd of people preparing to depart. As the Transitor came to a screeching halt, tossing me a bit off balance. I have to adjust myself to the movement of the Transitor's halting and begin taking in the sights.

The chamber we had arrived in, the behemoth of a machine had been stopped inside of. White marble walls and columns stretched to the top of the window exiting the Transitor and I can tell, they go much, much higher. I could see several robed figures standing a marked distance from the machine, and the floors which they stood on appeared to be just like a mirror stretching into the distance that all but robbed my perception as I took in their reflections. The skyward pillars of stone and the black abyss above them, I start correcting myself and stand tall once again. The scene laid out, from what I could make out, in front of me was breath-taking, terrifying, and beautiful. "So, this is the start of my journey, we shall see how it goes," I whisper to myself. The blast of fresh air from outside the Transitor hit me like a wall. My hair was swept back and the lump that had started forming in my throat, not like it was from me being nervous just parched, vanished with hopes of escaping the machine.

I could hear the cheers of the people ready to disembark from the behemoth machine from all levels and could see the robed men ushering people to separate groups. I did not pay much attention to the directions I had been given by them, I just walked with the flow of people around me. My sole attention was centered on the ceiling of the vast structure. The artistry of the painted scenes was like nothing I could have ever imagined, on one edge of the ceiling a painting of a dragon with several birds about it rode through the clouds. Another portion revealed a leviathan, crashing through the waves chasing large fish he had never heard of, but its rainbow hued scales washed my eyes with a light that I had never experienced. The far corners of the ceiling were mostly obscured by the Transitor, but I could make out two scenes one of a beast bathed in flames, it looked quite like a lizard, but couldn't tell what kind, and the final scene could never be mistaken as a large, serpent with portions of his body traveling through the earth.

The screams and tugs of several people brought me back into the present situation. The robed men were corralling me toward the groups, as the last outlier near the separate crowds of people. I so astutely notice one group was all males, and the other female. Without delay, I move briskly towards the throng of men, feeling my face brighten. "There is always at least one who gets lost in the art," A distant voice heralds from a hallway raised above the Transitor. I chuckle and take in the rest of the room before the man could continue. It was large, a small mountains hoard couldn't fill the spaces, the pillars were in organized rows, the mirrored floors let off the illusion that the pillars stretched for eternity under my feet. Only one passage seemed to lead from the chamber, it is large and sealed by two intricately decorated doors laid into the stone wall directed outwards from the Transitor.

"Now that everyone is here, we shall begin," A man calls down from atop the Transitor, causing the massive groups of people to turn around almost pushing me over. "Tomorrow at dawn you shall all reach for the spirits calling. Enjoy the night, feast and bathe, revel with the friends you have made on the ride over. Through those doorways you see before you the rest of your lives await you. Don't let that discourage you, don't let it frighten you. Let your souls be light and be blessed by the times we have had," He continued. I felt the panic from the crowd drift into the wind as if they weren't in a foreign place, like they were all lifelong friends who had waited years to lay eyes on each other again. I felt a small breeze as the doors made of stone on the far wall of the room opened revealing themselves and a long hallway.

The group of men started to shift from around us and walk to towards the hallway. The shift of the crowd guides me behind to walk with them, but I cannot take my eyes off the man on the behemoth. The man pressing his arms out toward the Transitor looks like he shoved down, a small animal rests on his shoulder glowing intensely, a vibrant greyish green hue, the Transitor shifts down as if it was placed on a lift of some kind and the second level doors open letting the next crowd of people begin to move out the machine.

A robed figure walks up to me and puts his hand on my shoulder I can see the lines of a smile under the hood they were all wearing, "Follow me please to your quarters and enjoy your night tomorrow will be a big day," The man says to him turning his body and pointing his arm toward the hallway. Another group of men dressed in robes walking out of it to begin the cycle of the crowds again. Or at the very least, I think.