Thin beer, paper and pen

In the evening, the tournament was postponed again, as the adults continued to enjoy themselves. Edna's parents arrived in Rome together with High King Hargwin. On the outskirts of the city, huge constructs could be seen guarding the city with sword and shield. The High King, his wives and warriors were amazed by what they saw. Although the constructs were huge, one could immediately tell that they were dwarves. This almost aroused envy in them, and quickly the High King sought to speak with Mortis to learn more.

Mortis told him about a dungeon that hid a tragic story, in which heaps of dead dwarves could be seen. They told of a good king who did everything he could to destroy the creature of darkness. Sadness, coupled with respect, was reflected in Hargwin's gaze. He made the decision to personally visit this dungeon together with some of his soldiers.

No sooner had everyone reached the throne room than Mortis and Shiva were met by counselors who looked horrified and distraught. Before they could ask what had occurred, one of the advisors hastily handed Shiva a black parchment. "It begins, mistress!" he cried in panic. "The Dark Army has announced a battle and an invasion. In 14 days, the first territories will be called to the battlefield. The demons are attacking!"

Mortis snatched the parchment from him and said in a firm voice, "Have some tea or something. That this would happen soon was to be expected. So stay calm and contact all the nobles and the soldiers to get ready. And please, lower your dramatics a bit." The advisor, still nervous, bowed and hurried away.

"I hope the others take it better than he did," Shiva said, trying to keep her composure even though she was visibly tense.

Mortis stroked her back reassuringly. "Don't worry," he said, "we'll get through this. I've already faced many demons and undead. For now, let's have something to eat and drink. After all, we still wanted to give our guests a tour of Rome."

Thrain and his wife were skeptical. Instead of seeing a cocky showman in Mortis, they recognized a young man who seemed pugnacious and serious, but stood like a rock, especially when it came to his women. This impressed them both, but they were not so easily swayed and intended not to be wrapped around his finger so easily.

Mortis was unaware of their thoughts and evaluations, and even if he had been, he wouldn't have cared. His focus was on other things now. He wanted to take care of the guests, because with so many people in the house, he felt the responsibility to take care of everything.

The Dwarf High King sat next to Mortis, surrounded by their wives. The soldiers and other guests had to take their seats further away. Edna left her parents without a word and sat with the concubines. This showed her parents how she saw herself. They silently accepted her choice and enjoyed the delicious food that was served to them. Even though they found the beer too thin and tasteless, they were delighted with the feast.

The High King also criticized the quality of the beer and immediately proposed a trade. He saw the impending war situation as an opportunity to score points with the humans. After all, the steel of the dwarves was the best on all continents, next to that of the night dwarves.

Mortis was aware that he did not have the strongest position in the negotiations. What could he offer the dwarves except manpower? To his surprise, the dwarves and the king himself seemed interested in cloth and clothing, which was to Mortis' advantage. He planned to suggest to the High King anyway that he take over the renegade dwarves. Mining in high mountain regions was often slow, since not every miner is also an adventurer. And the few adventurers among them often went about their work only half-heartedly. Dwarves, on the other hand, could always get by, even without special training, and they would have a secure place.

The High King was undecided what to make of this, but finally agreed. Instead of banishing or otherwise punishing dwarves for sins of tradition or minor offenses, they could give them a different life. This could perhaps also motivate some humans to choose the dwarven people and thus gain new members for their people.

The negotiations went smoothly and the meal was a delight. But Mortis noticed the king's curious gaze, which kept wandering to one of the constructs outside. As soon as the meal was finished, Mortis rose and invited the High King to take a tour of Rome, especially the constructs that so fascinated him. The High King was delighted and rejoiced like a child. During the walk he enjoyed the view, but kept asking himself why people didn't live in mountains when they would be much safer.

Arriving at the construct, the High King and other dwarves eagerly pulled out paper and pen. They made drawings, touched the construct with gentle care, and noted every little detail. Edna, her chest swelling with pride, stepped in front of her parents. "You're amazed, aren't you? Look at all my husband owns," she boasted, teasing her parents a bit. Her father grinned broadly, visibly impressed by what he saw. Her mother, a little annoyed at first, couldn't deny that she too found what she saw impressive. Eventually, she agreed with her daughter, and both parents were pleased with their newfound communication with their daughter.

Mortis had not originally intended to linger long, as communication crystals were waiting for him to speak with Merlin and the other counts from the north. However, the High King turned to him, "You can go ahead. In your situation, I appreciate that you have taken time for us. But we will spend the whole night here and have a close look at everything. Rest assured, our steel will stand by you in battle. Now be on your way, your people are waiting."

Mortis thanked the Dwarven High King with a slight bow and headed back to the castle, accompanied by his women, to make preparations for the upcoming invasion and battles.