Gray Dwarves

Two days later.

Ferrum received new authorization: as long as he followed the rules and orders, he could bring companions into the vein to watch over one another and prevent accidents.

So after breakfast at the gathering place, he headed toward the mine with Moqi and In Tas.

After crossing the warning fence meant for Dragon Hatchlings, they spotted a Gray Dwarf sitting there before they even reached the entrance, as if he had been waiting a long time.

The Nurturers forbade Dragon Hatchlings from interacting with followers, so this was Ferrum's first time observing a Gray Dwarf up close since hatching.

Though called a dwarf, the fellow stood around one and a half meters tall, with a stocky build and iron-gray skin.

Perhaps from working for so long, red iron dust from the mine had mixed with sweat, leaving crimson grooves across the dwarf's body like the surface of a whale.

He held a crude iron oil lamp. Seeing Ferrum approach, he hurriedly slid down from the stone, looked up, and gave a respectful bow.

"Good day, young lord Dragon Hatchling."

The Gray Dwarf's voice was hoarse, like two rocks grinding together. "You may call me Taota. The lord ordered someone to guide the Dragon Hatchlings, so I volunteered."

Ferrum nodded. Moqi looked around, while In Tas stood behind them. Neither spoke.

Taota apparently did not expect the Dragon Hatchlings to chat with him. As he spoke, he skillfully took out some resin and lit the lamp.

The orange flame leaped fiercely, giving off a puff of black smoke.

"This way, young lord Dragon Hatchlings. The mine tunnels are complicated, so please stay close to my light."

Taota said this somewhat naggingly.

"There is no need to worry about us."

Ferrum said, "Dragons can see clearly even in darkness."

"Alright, alright."

Taota nodded repeatedly. Seeing that this largest Chrome Dragon was the leader, he did not dare waste time and immediately led them inside.

Ferrum's scales glimmered faintly under the oil lamp. He stepped into the mine entrance, but after walking only a short distance, he stopped. His orange-gold vertical pupils blinked as he stared at the base of the rock wall.

Woven vine baskets lay scattered on the ground. Behind them were casually piled mounds of Red Earth, tiny against the huge, ferocious mine like rabbit holes.

Ferrum tilted his head and asked, "What are these?"

The Gray Dwarf noticed Ferrum's gaze, fell silent for a moment, and scratched his beard.

"A graveyard, my lord."

Taota answered, "Every patch of land in Ochre Valley belongs to the lord, and we are not allowed to use it. When people die while mining, they are buried in abandoned tunnels. Some who worked in the mines all their lives and wanted to stay outside after death are moved here and buried."

His tone remained fairly light. "There are plenty of graveyards in the abandoned tunnels. I heard you are going deeper, so there is no need to look at these unpleasant things."

"There are that many graveyards?"

In Tas was puzzled. "Do you die at the drop of a hat?"

"Um... no one wants to die."

Taota considered this for a while. "But mines are full of dangers. We don't have great abilities. When we mine, we rely on Fireblast Mining—we pile dry firewood against the rock wall and burn it until the vein glows red, then throw cold water over it to blast the rock apart."

"When it blows, your ears fill with roaring, and you can scrape bloody grime from your nostrils. Some slow-witted fools don't run fast enough and die on the spot. And you can't touch the steam that comes out. If it traps you even briefly, tch, you'd be better off dying right away."

He did not slow his pace as he spoke, leading the little dragons down through the tunnels.

The air became thick with the stench of burning, rust, and rancid animal fat.

"Then there are those who inhale poison gas, get dragged away by Aberrant Monsters, get lost, or never return from surveying. And if there is a cave-in, the deaths become countless. Those whose bodies can be carried out are buried in abandoned tunnels. Those who cannot be carried out can only stay inside."

The farther they went, the thinner the daylight from outside became. Eventually, it vanished altogether, leaving only the bean-sized orange-yellow flame in Taota's lamp swaying ahead and lighting the muddy ground two steps before them.

"Are there really Aberrant Monsters?"

Moqi craned his neck around. He seemed to have come for an adventure and was only interested in this. "What kinds are there?"

"There really are Aberrant Monsters, my lord."

Taota answered seriously. "These mountains connect to other mountains, and the tunnels connect to other tunnels, leading straight underground, so anything might show up. Crystalized Beasts, Rockworms, a few skeletons crawling out of graves—those are fairly common, and the Gray Dwarves can handle them ourselves. But if we encounter a major disaster, we must hurry and notify the lord."

"No wonder Ladon and Ember Scar wanted to come too." Ferrum nodded slightly.

"The lord inspected the place this month, and came again yesterday. He confirmed there were no major disasters, so everyone should be at ease. But..."

Taota suddenly became mysterious and looked as though he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"But what?"

Moqi hurriedly pressed him. He found Taota quite interesting, with some talent for storytelling. No wonder he had been chosen as a guide. It would have been a waste for him to remain a miner.

"Recently, things have not been very peaceful. At the deepest excavation area, we keep hearing strange noises coming from farther below."

Taota lowered his voice and raised the crude iron oil lamp in his arms, driving away the darkness overhead.

The slanted wooden support beams still bore unstripped bark. Under the tug of light and shadow, they looked like rows of enormous ribs slowly swallowing them into the belly of the mountain.

"To describe the sound... it is like many things striking the rock layers. Every so often, there is a loud clattering, as though some monster is about to break out of the tunnels. It has scared everyone badly."

Taota warily glanced behind them, then edged closer to Ferrum. Ferrum was the biggest and had a calm air about him that made one feel safe.

"Whenever we encountered strange things like this before, we reported them to the lord. Once a Giant Dragon arrived, it was generally resolved within moments. But this time, the lord insisted it was safe and that there was no major disaster. Isn't that strange?"

"But since the lord has spoken, we followers can only grit our teeth and work. Though those sounds make us uneasy, nothing has happened after a month of work."

Taota muttered for a while, then changed his tone. "Speaking of which, our current lord is truly worlds apart from the previous one. He is incredibly good. Everyone respects him and works their hardest."

"Huh?"

Even Ferrum became curious, slowing his steps slightly. "Wasn't the lord of Ochre Valley previously a Nurturer?"

"Our current lord did not arrive much earlier than you young lords. Two years ago, the one we served was another Giant Dragon. Cough... that lord's name was Vिक्स Karajiege."

At the mention of that name, Taota's expression changed slightly, and he instinctively shrank his neck.

Karajiege.

Ferrum knew that surname. Besides the brothers Ladon and Ember Scar, the other two Iron Dragons in the valley were also Karajieges.

"Oh, young lords, please do not blame me for speaking out of turn. Not just followers like us—I think even the little dragons in the valley would have suffered if they had been around when that lord ruled."

Taota gathered his courage and spoke, trying to get the Dragon Hatchlings onto his side first.

"What do you mean?" Moqi moved closer curiously.

Taota was silent for a long while, seemingly considering where to begin. At last, he gestured toward the outside and said, "Young lords, did you see the Gray Dwarves working outside?"

"They were everywhere," Ferrum said.

"Those today were lucky to have lived in better times."

Taota's voice changed slightly. "When Lord Karajiege ruled, we Gray Dwarves did not live as we do now. Back then, we were... mine slaves."

"Lord Karajiege's tasks could never be finished. This month, you did one share of work. Next month, you had to do two. It increased every month and grew every year, with no end in sight. And if you could not finish?"

He asked and answered himself, his tone numb.

"If you could not finish, you were punished. First, your rations were deducted, and the whole family, young and old, went hungry. If hunger still did not make you obedient, you were hung up and beaten. If you were beaten to death, you were thrown into an abandoned mine tunnel. Lord Karajiege had a saying that we still dare not forget."

Taota paused, then recited the words that seemed carved into his bones in a dry voice.

"What is the difference between mine slaves and mules? Those who do not work are simply wasting food. It is good if some die. Ochre Valley cannot support that many people."

Taota's chest rose and fell as he drew a deep breath.

"Strange."

In Tas thought for a while. "If that was really the case, couldn't you have just run away? Who would know?"

"Run?"

Taota bared his teeth, his smile uglier than crying. "Where could we run, my lord? We are the property of dragons. Who knows whether another lord would be good or bad? If we fell into the hands of Gnolls or the Scalebound, living would be more painful than dying."

"There was once when Lord Karajiege caught two people trying to escape the valley."

He said quietly, "Both families, from the oldest to the nursing infants, were dragged outside and made to face the entire clan..."

Taota did not continue. He only shook his head, his face showing fear that had yet to fade.

The mine tunnel fell silent for a while. The oil lamp crackled.

"Uh... that's it?"

Moqi was somewhat confused. "That doesn't seem like much of a problem. Why do you all seem so sad and depressed?"

Taota suddenly shuddered.

"To followers, that is already terrifying."

Ferrum glanced at Moqi, then looked at Taota. "What happened afterward? Why did Ochre Valley change lords?"

"That is not something followers like us could know. We only saw two larger Giant Dragons arrive. Lord Karajiege summoned his mate as well, and the four Giant Dragons gathered together as if they were arguing. All the Gray Dwarves were so frightened that none dared move."

Taota muttered, "In the end, Lord Karajiege seemed somewhat angry. He crushed the rocks on the mountain and flew away, never to return. After some time passed, Lord Burning Heart descended overhead and announced that he was taking control of Ochre Valley."