telling you this so that you understand the decision my king is now faced with. I have put myself in great peril by bringing you here. But not as much as I bring to my people.”
“Then why do it?” asked Markus.
“I have my reasons,” he replied. “But enough of that. Come. Soon you will see why our industry and skill was famed throughout Lumnia.”
After another twenty minutes, the passage ended with a solid double door made of iron. Birger was forced to lean his shoulder hard into it twice before it screeched open. He then stretched out an arm as an invitation for them to step through.
Beyond was a broad avenue made from polished blue octagonal stones dotted with tiny flakes of silver and white; it was wide enough to easily accommodate six wagons side by side. Lining both sides at regular intervals were twenty-foot tall steel posts, each one capped by a shimmering white rajni stone. The ceiling was now so high that it could no longer be seen, though Ethan caught the sparkle of light here and there – almost like the twinkle of distant stars peeking through a cloudy night sky.
As they walked along they saw, positioned between the light posts, life-sized statues of animals, dwarves…and humans. These were set in various poses depicting acts of heroism, charity, and kindness.
“I thought dwarves didn’t like humans,” Ethan remarked.
“Those were created a very long time ago,” Birger explained. “Things between human and dwarf have not always been as they are now.”
They continued for another few miles. At last, rising up in the distance, two gargantuan gold monoliths towering more than one hundred feet high came into view. As they drew near, Ethan could see that they were set on either side of two massive gates made of the purest silver. These had been polished until they shone with an almost heavenly radiance.
“Magnificent,” gasped Jonas.
“This is nothing,” said Birger, his head held high. “What lies beyond is the true wonder.”
When they were only a short distance away, the doors slowly swung outward. Ethan and the others looked for whoever was opening them, but there was no one to be seen.
“Do they open on their own?” asked Ethan.
Birger nodded. “The gate recognizes that I am a dwarf. Were I not here, you could not get in.”
“How does it know?” asked Ethan.
“I’m just a simple miner,” he replied, shrugging. “If you prove yourself to be a Dragonvein, then perhaps you could ask one of the builders. Though I doubt you’d understand the details, even if they told you.”
He paused, and then gave a grand sweep of his arm. “Behold. The great city of Elyfoss.”
While moving along, Ethan was dumbfounded by what he saw. The city stretched on for mile after mile in every direction. Towers and spires as tall as the Empire State building reached up, some nearly touching the twinkling lights that danced high above on the colossal ceiling. The buildings were of such elaborate design that they could rival – even surpass – anything he had seen on Earth. He stopped in his tracks, trying to fathom what it would take to construct something of this magnitude.
Birger ushered them on. The streets were constructed of the same material as the road outside the gates, but now featured broad sidewalks of polished white marble veined with deep blue and crimson. The smaller buildings were equally impressive as the skyscrapers. Their stonework was like an artist’s canvas; stars and comets in stunning relief, together with mosaics of brave dwarf warriors were so numerous and beautiful, Ethan felt dizzy looking at them.
They walked for nearly five blocks before seeing anyone about. Most of the city’s inhabitants were dressed similarly to Birger, though a few wore more elaborate attire with high collared shirts and pants made from a slick cloth that caught the light and gave it a metallic quality. As the group passed by, everyone who saw them immediately stopped what they were doing and stared with a mixture of loathing and curiosity.
Ethan glanced over his shoulder. A crowd had gathered and was keeping pace a few yards behind them.
“It looks like we may not make it to the king,” remarked Jonas.
“No one will harm you so long as I am here,” Birger assured him. “But I warn you. When you meet the king, speak only when spoken to. And do not lie. If you are found to be false, you will be executed without delay. Do you understand?”