Read Online The Dragons of Ash and Smoke (Tales from the New Earth Book 5) by J.J. Thompson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: J.J. Thompson
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unnecessary for
us. My people can see in almost complete darkness, needing only the
heat of our surroundings to guide us. The yellow lanterns are more of
a symbol of what we've lost, rather than something that is useful.”
She gave Simon a teasing
smile.
“ Just
as well for you though, isn't it? Otherwise you'd be stumbling around
in the dark rather than walking in the light.”
He grinned and gave the
lamps a thankful glance.
“ No
kidding. So your people can see into the infrared spectrum? That's
interesting.”
“ I
have not heard that term before, but if it means that we can see
heat, then yes, we can.”
“ Fascinating.”
The hallway suddenly
opened up into an enormous space and Simon stopped and stared around
him.
“ Whoa,”
he whispered.
“ This
is the city center,” Opheilla told him and smiled at his awed
expression. “All dwarven cities are constructed around a
central core area, and Kingstone is the oldest of all of them.”
For a moment, Simon
thought he'd stepped on to the surface of the world. The ceiling rose
away from the tunnel and disappeared into the distance. Above them,
an enormous light source, blazing like the midday sun, shone down on
the city below. He put a hand up to block the light and saw wisps of
what looked like clouds floating overhead.
“ What
is that?” he asked in amazement.
The cleric stood next to
him and looked up at the light. Her expression was a mixture of
affection and reverence.
“ That
is the symbol of our people, Simon,” she told him quietly as
many dwarves moved by them, parting like the waters of a river as
they stood together.
“ We
call it Daemor's Heart. Legend says that it was a gift from the
patron god of the dwarves, Daemor the Old, first of the lords of
Light. He created my people and, when we were driven below ground
ages ago, guided us to this place and set the Heart above us as a
symbol of his love for us. It gives us light and life and we will do
anything to protect it.”
This last statement was
delivered fiercely and Simon, looking at the cleric's face, saw an
expression of almost savage resolve.
“ Daemor's
Heart,” he repeated quietly. “It's magnificent.”
Opheilla looked at him and
smiled with pleasure.
“ Thank
you. Now, let's get a move on. It wouldn't do to keep the council
waiting.”
Simon followed the cleric
as she set off again, and tried to stare everywhere at once as they
walked.
There were doors set all
along the walls of the city center and above them were rows of
windows. The windows rose up in tier after tier until they were lost
from sight and Simon counted at least ten stories of what he assumed
were homes. Some of them were lit and he saw shutters and curtains in
many. It reminded him of apartment buildings back on old Earth.
The walls themselves were
all ornately carved and inset with brightly-colored semi-precious
stones and minerals. The carvings were a mixture of abstract pictures
and martial scenes of battle. Simon saw great landscapes laid out
with armies of dwarves fighting against beasts and monsters out of
legend.
Dragons, wyverns, giants,
the creatures seemed endless. He even saw what he guessed were armies
of trolls and ogres, crude weapons raised over their heads, attacking
a mixed cohort of dwarves, humans and, surprisingly, elves. The
wizard stopped Opheilla for a moment and pointed at the incredibly
life-like mosaic.
“ I
thought that dwarves and elves didn't get along,” he said to
her. “And look, there are some of my people in that battle
too.”
The cleric looked
wistfully at the scene.
“ We
don't get along now ,
my friend,” she said as she approached the wall, looking
upward. “But before our falling out, dwarves, humans and elves
were great allies. We fought many battles together back in ancient
times, when the world was young. Your race is older than you know.”
“ So
what happened? I mean, I know that there was a rift between the
races, and I've heard some vague
us. My people can see in almost complete darkness, needing only the
heat of our surroundings to guide us. The yellow lanterns are more of
a symbol of what we've lost, rather than something that is useful.”
She gave Simon a teasing
smile.
“ Just
as well for you though, isn't it? Otherwise you'd be stumbling around
in the dark rather than walking in the light.”
He grinned and gave the
lamps a thankful glance.
“ No
kidding. So your people can see into the infrared spectrum? That's
interesting.”
“ I
have not heard that term before, but if it means that we can see
heat, then yes, we can.”
“ Fascinating.”
The hallway suddenly
opened up into an enormous space and Simon stopped and stared around
him.
“ Whoa,”
he whispered.
“ This
is the city center,” Opheilla told him and smiled at his awed
expression. “All dwarven cities are constructed around a
central core area, and Kingstone is the oldest of all of them.”
For a moment, Simon
thought he'd stepped on to the surface of the world. The ceiling rose
away from the tunnel and disappeared into the distance. Above them,
an enormous light source, blazing like the midday sun, shone down on
the city below. He put a hand up to block the light and saw wisps of
what looked like clouds floating overhead.
“ What
is that?” he asked in amazement.
The cleric stood next to
him and looked up at the light. Her expression was a mixture of
affection and reverence.
“ That
is the symbol of our people, Simon,” she told him quietly as
many dwarves moved by them, parting like the waters of a river as
they stood together.
“ We
call it Daemor's Heart. Legend says that it was a gift from the
patron god of the dwarves, Daemor the Old, first of the lords of
Light. He created my people and, when we were driven below ground
ages ago, guided us to this place and set the Heart above us as a
symbol of his love for us. It gives us light and life and we will do
anything to protect it.”
This last statement was
delivered fiercely and Simon, looking at the cleric's face, saw an
expression of almost savage resolve.
“ Daemor's
Heart,” he repeated quietly. “It's magnificent.”
Opheilla looked at him and
smiled with pleasure.
“ Thank
you. Now, let's get a move on. It wouldn't do to keep the council
waiting.”
Simon followed the cleric
as she set off again, and tried to stare everywhere at once as they
walked.
There were doors set all
along the walls of the city center and above them were rows of
windows. The windows rose up in tier after tier until they were lost
from sight and Simon counted at least ten stories of what he assumed
were homes. Some of them were lit and he saw shutters and curtains in
many. It reminded him of apartment buildings back on old Earth.
The walls themselves were
all ornately carved and inset with brightly-colored semi-precious
stones and minerals. The carvings were a mixture of abstract pictures
and martial scenes of battle. Simon saw great landscapes laid out
with armies of dwarves fighting against beasts and monsters out of
legend.
Dragons, wyverns, giants,
the creatures seemed endless. He even saw what he guessed were armies
of trolls and ogres, crude weapons raised over their heads, attacking
a mixed cohort of dwarves, humans and, surprisingly, elves. The
wizard stopped Opheilla for a moment and pointed at the incredibly
life-like mosaic.
“ I
thought that dwarves and elves didn't get along,” he said to
her. “And look, there are some of my people in that battle
too.”
The cleric looked
wistfully at the scene.
“ We
don't get along now ,
my friend,” she said as she approached the wall, looking
upward. “But before our falling out, dwarves, humans and elves
were great allies. We fought many battles together back in ancient
times, when the world was young. Your race is older than you know.”
“ So
what happened? I mean, I know that there was a rift between the
races, and I've heard some vague
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