Read Online The Dragons of Ash and Smoke (Tales from the New Earth Book 5) by J.J. Thompson - Free Book Online
Authors: J.J. Thompson
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back to the bed and picked up
his staff.
“ I'm ready,”
he said to Opheilla. “Or at least as ready as I'll ever be.”
“ Very well,
sir wizard,” she replied with a warm smile as she stood up.
“Let us go and meet the council.”
Chapter
5
The council chambers were
a half-hour's walk from Simon's quarters at a normal pace, but
Opheilla moved slowly, letting him conserve his strength. The pair
passed dozens of dwarves going about their daily routines. The cleric
was greeted respectfully by many of them.
Apparently it wasn't a
school day and children ran in and out of the tunnels and around the
adults just like children did everywhere. Simon had only glimpsed a
few of the youngsters since he'd arrived and had almost expected them
to be as grave and serious as most of their elders seemed to be.
But the little ones
laughed and played, shouted and squealed, and behaved pretty much the
same as human kids would. The wizard couldn't helped grinning at
their antics and his anxiety about the upcoming appearance before the
council members dissipated as he was distracted by the children and
their playfulness.
“ Are
they bothering you?” Opheilla asked at one point as she saw him
watching two youngsters chasing each other.
He chuckled and shook his
head.
“ Quite
the opposite,” he replied as he saw one boy tag the other and
race away, the second boy hot on his heels.
“ It's
pleasant to see kids being kids. No offense, but your people are
usually quite a serious bunch.”
The cleric nodded with a
smile as she continued walking, the crowds moving out of their way
politely.
“ Yes,
we are, aren't we? It can be a hard life, living in the depths of the
world. We are constantly on our guard against many things, including
the very earth around us. And now, with the old gods returning, we
have to contend with monsters and other magical threats again. It is
a sobering situation to be in. I suppose we aren't as loud and
boisterous as others, like the elves, might be.”
Simon was using his staff
as a support as he walked and the length of metal rang musically each
time he set the end against the ground. Several of the passing
dwarves seemed to stare overlong at the weapon as he passed and he
wondered why.
Opheilla became thoughtful
when he mentioned it to her.
“ Well,
you know how many of my people feel toward those who use magic.
Staves are almost unknown to us, as they are a symbol of
spell-casters; wizards specifically. And now here you are, using one
in public. It just reemphasizes a possible change in attitude toward
both magic and humans. I suppose some of my folk are uncomfortable
with the idea of such changes.”
“ And
do the council members share those feelings?” Simon asked,
beginning get nervous again.
“ Some
do, I suppose,” the cleric answered, apparently unconcerned.
“But others do not. These things tend to balance each other out
when it comes to the council. Try not to worry about it.”
Easier said than done,
Simon thought as he walked along.
They had reached a main
thoroughfare and the tunnel was now twenty yards wide, with doors set
deeply into the walls on either side. Lanterns hung down from the
ceiling high overhead and lit the area brightly, throwing off a warm
yellow glow, almost like sunlight.
“ The
lights are interesting,” Simon commented as they walked. “It
sort of feels like we're above ground.”
“ Ah,
you have a keen eye, my friend,” Opheilla replied with an
approving smile. “Yes, that is the point. You see, my people
weren't always stone dwellers. In the distant past, we too lived
above ground; planted our crops, practiced our crafts. A cataclysm
drove us into the deeps, but we still remember.” She sighed
wistfully. “Yes, we remember.”
“ I
had no idea,” Simon said, surprised. “I've never heard of
that before.”
The cleric looked up as
they passed beneath one of the yellow lamps.
“ We
do not speak of it often. But the lights are actually
his staff.
“ I'm ready,”
he said to Opheilla. “Or at least as ready as I'll ever be.”
“ Very well,
sir wizard,” she replied with a warm smile as she stood up.
“Let us go and meet the council.”
Chapter
5
The council chambers were
a half-hour's walk from Simon's quarters at a normal pace, but
Opheilla moved slowly, letting him conserve his strength. The pair
passed dozens of dwarves going about their daily routines. The cleric
was greeted respectfully by many of them.
Apparently it wasn't a
school day and children ran in and out of the tunnels and around the
adults just like children did everywhere. Simon had only glimpsed a
few of the youngsters since he'd arrived and had almost expected them
to be as grave and serious as most of their elders seemed to be.
But the little ones
laughed and played, shouted and squealed, and behaved pretty much the
same as human kids would. The wizard couldn't helped grinning at
their antics and his anxiety about the upcoming appearance before the
council members dissipated as he was distracted by the children and
their playfulness.
“ Are
they bothering you?” Opheilla asked at one point as she saw him
watching two youngsters chasing each other.
He chuckled and shook his
head.
“ Quite
the opposite,” he replied as he saw one boy tag the other and
race away, the second boy hot on his heels.
“ It's
pleasant to see kids being kids. No offense, but your people are
usually quite a serious bunch.”
The cleric nodded with a
smile as she continued walking, the crowds moving out of their way
politely.
“ Yes,
we are, aren't we? It can be a hard life, living in the depths of the
world. We are constantly on our guard against many things, including
the very earth around us. And now, with the old gods returning, we
have to contend with monsters and other magical threats again. It is
a sobering situation to be in. I suppose we aren't as loud and
boisterous as others, like the elves, might be.”
Simon was using his staff
as a support as he walked and the length of metal rang musically each
time he set the end against the ground. Several of the passing
dwarves seemed to stare overlong at the weapon as he passed and he
wondered why.
Opheilla became thoughtful
when he mentioned it to her.
“ Well,
you know how many of my people feel toward those who use magic.
Staves are almost unknown to us, as they are a symbol of
spell-casters; wizards specifically. And now here you are, using one
in public. It just reemphasizes a possible change in attitude toward
both magic and humans. I suppose some of my folk are uncomfortable
with the idea of such changes.”
“ And
do the council members share those feelings?” Simon asked,
beginning get nervous again.
“ Some
do, I suppose,” the cleric answered, apparently unconcerned.
“But others do not. These things tend to balance each other out
when it comes to the council. Try not to worry about it.”
Easier said than done,
Simon thought as he walked along.
They had reached a main
thoroughfare and the tunnel was now twenty yards wide, with doors set
deeply into the walls on either side. Lanterns hung down from the
ceiling high overhead and lit the area brightly, throwing off a warm
yellow glow, almost like sunlight.
“ The
lights are interesting,” Simon commented as they walked. “It
sort of feels like we're above ground.”
“ Ah,
you have a keen eye, my friend,” Opheilla replied with an
approving smile. “Yes, that is the point. You see, my people
weren't always stone dwellers. In the distant past, we too lived
above ground; planted our crops, practiced our crafts. A cataclysm
drove us into the deeps, but we still remember.” She sighed
wistfully. “Yes, we remember.”
“ I
had no idea,” Simon said, surprised. “I've never heard of
that before.”
The cleric looked up as
they passed beneath one of the yellow lamps.
“ We
do not speak of it often. But the lights are actually
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