Chronicles of Aurderia: The Balance (24 page)

Vraduun’s expression lit up and a slight rumble and shake of the foundations brought an expression of relief to the dwarf King’s face. “Why has no one tried that before? I feel wonderfully better already?”

“What brings you here this morning, I thought we were to meet to break fast in the royal dining room?” Shuran asked.
 

“I thought it best to keep private matters that way. My staff is loyal but their lips move before their brains form thoughts,” Vraduun said. “I wanted to talk more about your father’s visit.”

Vraduun spoke of the secret visit Dalgon paid Duranekur several harvests past. He came to speak to the King about receiving his yet unborn son. This child, grown quickly to young man, would need the assistance of the seven to heal Ersetu, was his message. “Dalgon spoke of his quest to announce your arrival at the seven realms of races, seeking knowledge of the ways of their weaving, so you might somehow fix whatever is happening to Ersetu,” Vraduun said.
 

“What has happened, is the ruddy zealots of Chaos have broken the balance? How do you fix that?” Mallick muttered.
 

“It is more than that, I think Mally. The balance has never been the answer,” Shuran responded.
 

“What do you mean?” Avrank asked.
 

“The balance has fallen at least three times now from the history we know, and I think even more than that,” Shuran started. “I do not know yet what needs to be done but I feel it somehow, that I must figure that out as I go about this quest.” Shuran turned to his adopted dwarf father before continuing. “What was he like?”

“All business, your father was. He came to say his words and left after only resting a night with us.” Vraduun stroked his beard a moment before returning to his story. “He looks very much like you in the face but with bright blue eyes. He is tall for a human. Being mixed blood I would guess he is of Drakkian, Human, and Giant decent in the least.”
 

“Your father is part dragon?” Mallick asked.
 

“Not dragon, Drakkian; recall Codge’s stories about who the Drakkians really are, fire wielders and their steed of choice is some hybrid lizard beast that flies,” Shuran said and Mallick nodded, recalling the story.
 

“Just so Shuran,” Vraduun chimed in, “so if you are bound to go on this quest you will need at least two things from the dwarves my adopted son. I will personally teach you all we know of Earth Essence,” The King said.
 

“And the other?” Shuran asked.
 

“Why dwarf warriors to join your Zidu’Si and guard you,” The King answered with a prideful smile.

Shuran, Mallick, Avrank, and King Vraduun met the Queen in the royal dining room for a hearty meal to break their fast. After finishing, the four men went to Vraduun’s personal library to begin Shuran’s lessons on Earth lore and Essence.
 

“This library contains all the collective knowledge of Earth weaving we dwarves have. It has been compiled since the histories were first written of my people.” Again the King wore his prideful smile and straightened up as though he were ten spans tall.
 

“What does your history know of this?” Shuran asked as he produced a gug stone he collected during the troll attack.
 

“That would be one of the stones the trolls were slinging at you then?” The King took the stone from Shuran’s hand. “Nasty creatures them trolls. The Gods saw fit to give them more warts than brains. They could not have made this stone,” Vraduun said.
 

“You have seen its like before?” Shuran asked.
 

“Oh yes and you will likely see it again, but at the tip of an elven arrow!”
 

“It is gug, but a twisted kind of lodestone.” The king went on to describe how gug is a charged stone that can attract metal and lines up to the pulses of energy deep in the world. This malformed sample is found in areas where the world has been damaged by the unbalance in the Essence. It is rare and not found in samples larger than a goose egg.
 

“The elves use it to fashion arrow tips. We will send a contingent of dwarves to collect what was left behind during your encounter. Even more rare, are samples found large enough to make weapons such as the Menasutur.”
 

The King smiled at Shuran’s surprise. “Had you held it any longer you would have noticed. Which brings up another fact, your dwarven blood is that of my clan or you would not have been able to hold it at all.” Shuran just sat silently for a moment, he was not sure that was why he was able to hold it. He would not contradict the King.
 

Shuran retold how he was unable to block the stones using Essence or weaving a shield.
 

“Have you ever hear the saying, ‘it takes a mountain to move one’?” Vraduun could tell from their expressions they had not. “You can put out a small enough fire with water or smothering it with earth, but some times you must use the same force against itself. This stone has chaotic energy, two powers joined but not harmoniously. So in order to fend it off you must learn to focus your Earth Essence with a bit of a spark that opposes the gug.”
 

Shuran looked even more confused.
 

“We dwarves may not be able to wield the Essence of Electricity or lightening but we can sense it in the ground.”
 

Shuran suddenly started to understand.

The remainder of the day Shuran practiced locating the pulses of energy in the Earth that were formed by electric lines of power. After several hours he was able to track the lines, similar to veins of life’s blood in his own body.
 

“They are everywhere but in varying sizes and strengths, interrupted in some places by odd imbalances he could not identify,” Shuran discovered and told Mallick.
 

“I will take your word for truth sheesh, but I fail to see how this is helpful. Are you not here to learn Earth lore?” Mallick asked.
 

“This is part of it, I know there is something more that I must need, but it is a start.” Shuran handed the stone to Mallick who took it with a confused look.
 

“I want you to throw it at me.”
 

“Say again?” Mallick asked.
 

“Throw the gug stone at me. I have a thought.”
 

Before waiting a beat, Mallick threw the stone, fast and hard.
 

“OUICH! I was not yet ready!” Shuran said grabbing the stone and handing it back. “This time wait until I say.”
 

Mallick just grinned. Shuran walked several paces away and let his shi reach for the Earth. He separated the heartbeat of Ersetu from the buzzing of the electric flows of lines through the packed ground and rock. With a nod to Mallick he was ready.
 

Mallick threw the stone and when it reached nearly two hands from his face, Shuran stopped the stone dead in the air before him. Then he sent the stone flying back in the direction it came from.
 

“HEY!” Mallick barely ducked in time as he felt the breeze of the stone passing his ear to hit the wall behind him.

“Weapons from gug were a rare and coveted addition to the armories of all the races during the wars of ancient times. The fact that the trolls had these stones in abundance is worrying.” Avrank said.

“What is it your are thinking my son?” Vraduun asked.
 

“You said it yourself. They are not the sharpest arrows in the quiver. Someone has armed them for the purpose of fighting Essence wielders.”
 

Shuran saw the same wisdom in this that the King did.
 

“This means that the Order has employed the lower races to hunt you Shin’Ar.” Vraduun said.
 

“Perhaps, but they do not yet know that I am anything more than a wielder and perhaps of my true origins. Who else knows of your prophecy of the Shin’Ar?”
 

“That is a guarded secret of the Dwarves. It is not likely that my people would have passed that legend off to outsiders. There is only one outcast among my people and though he feeds his greed, I do not see him betraying his people so deeply. Only a few actually know of the existence of Durangug,” Vraduun said with a downcast expression.
 

“Aknard, is he the outcast?” Mallick asked.
 

“How do you know of him?” The King asked in surprise.
 

“We had to ‘barter’ with him to escape from inquisitors many harvests back. He was a ruthless negotiator but likable.” Mallick answered.
 

“My brother does have his good side when not chasing profit.”

Shuran spent several days pouring through books on the history of dwarven Earth lore and weaving. It was not until just before giving up that something dawned on him.
 

“Vraduun, what does it mean to you?” Shuran asked.
 

“What are you asking Kimmatu’du, my adopted clan son?”
 

Shuran smiled at the endearing term. “What does it mean to be a dwarf and an Earth Wielder?”
 

“This is not a simple question to answer. For a dwarf living in a world where everything is made for bigger men, we are often overlooked and even looked down upon. What do you see when you look down but the Earth at your feet?”

“It supports us and it provides nourishment. The Earth can provide shelter. She can also move mountains and hold back the fires beneath. She is gentle and she is fierce. She is a mighty dwarf. For a dwarf, wielding Earth Essence is something bigger than all else yet small enough to be thought unimposing.” Vraduun was glowing with more pride than Shuran though possible.
 

“I have found what I needed. It was never in these books my King. It is in every dwarven heart,” Shuran said.
 

“You are truly one of us Shuran Shin’Ar to have known where to find your answer.”

That afternoon the castle was all buzzing with excitement over the celebration set for the same evening. The castle grounds were opened and setup with uncountable tents and tables. Wild boars and goats were set to roast in pits. Kegs of ale and wine were plentiful. Decorations were strung from poles, and banners lifted to mark the occasion.
 

Shuran was bring pronounced Kimmatu’Du and Shin’Ar reborn, returner of the Menasutur. Shuran spent the afternoon talking with Moona and Codger using his communication stone. He brought them up to date on all he had learned and been through.
 

“I could have taught you what it means to wield Earth magic if you had fixed me sooner!” Moona shouted.
 

“It is not the same, you are only part dwarf. Besides I think this is something I must do. Also you do not need to shout,” Shuran answered.
 

“I ain’ shoutin’ sprat.”
 

“Ignore her Shuran. Where are you headed next?” Codger interrupted.
 

“I think it will be to find the elves if I am to follow my visions.”
 

“Makes sense. Just watch yourself around them wily bastards. They like to mess with your brain. Had one make me walk around breein’ like a dur once,” Codger said.
 

“Ha! I always said you was a jackass Codger!” Moona said.
 

Shuran said his good-byes and promised to keep in touch more. He missed the two of them already.

The celebration was already underway when Shuran and Mallick met the royal family in the private greeting room before heading to the ceremony.
 

“Your majesty Queen Levdrianda, you are a beauty to rival the Goddess of Light.” Mallick said with a flourishing bow.
 

“I see someone has hit the cups early,” She replied with a blush.
 

“You do yourself dishonor my Queen,” Shuran said.
 

“Careful you do not rile my husbands jealousy Shin’Ar!” she answered, still blushing.
 

“I love you my lady wife but this boy shoots fire and bolts of lightening from his fingers,” the King jested.
 

“You would not fight for me?” She asked indignantly and playfully at once.
 

“Always my Love!” then the King jumped as Shuran sent a tiny spark at the King’s backside.
 

After a hearty laugh by all, they made ready to exit the castle and into the awaiting crowd.
 

“Shall we then?” Avrnak said with excitement.
 

Brakvar was more sullen than usual.

Cheers and shouts greeted them as the palace doors opened onto the gathered dwarfs. Thousands of dwarfs from all the clans had been arriving for the last few days to join in the festivities. The group moved to a platform setup with table and high back chairs for them.
 

Mallick and Shuran sat at the end with human sized chairs as not to tower over the royal family who sat in boosted seats at the tall table. This was the signal for all in attendance to begin the feast. Dwarven custom dictated that the feasting be done and over before the ceremony began. Entertainment would round out the evening as far as the royals were involved and the rest of the guests would drink on through the night. Shuran knew Mallick would like being among the all night revelers, but he understood they would be leaving early the next morn.

After eating their fill, the King signaled the beginning of the ceremony by having an attendant blow into a long horn that appeared likely the remains of an enormous tusk from some unknown animal. The crowd immediately quieted down.
 

“Honored guests and fellow dwarves. We have gathered this evening to celebrate the most wondrous of events. This event comes to us three fold,” The King started.
 

“Vraduun stop dragging your tongue,” Levdrianda whispered. “He has such a flare for the dramatic, you would think he was a court player in the acting troops,” she said to Shuran.