Mike Harring grew up as the son of a Butcher, and while the local center’s schools did their best with him, he’d never applied himself to things like history and science. So, when he heard about the dwarves arriving in Dorchester, he’d tried to pretend that he understood what everyone was talking about. Now though, seeing as his new lord was currently drinking and laughing with them, he could no longer contain the questions that had been plaguing him.

  Sitting at the table with his arms crossed in annoyance, he asked out loud to no one in particular, “What are the dwarves even doing here? Aren’t dwarves supposed to all be on the border? Their kingdoms have nothing to do with us. It’s not like we’re close enough to trade with them?”

  The table he was sitting at was filled with House Walker’s current leadership. On the side closest to what they were all looking at was Cathleen Averett, their house manager. On her left sat Vera Salvatore-Verena, whose role had been explained to him multiple times despite him not understanding it. To him, she was just one of the nobility, although one closely aligned with the lord he’d chosen to follow. To her right was Natalie Keening, a woman he admittedly had a small crush on, who was in charge of public relations… whatever that was. Then, standing off to the side like a pillar of muscle was Knight Angleton, who Mike both respected and feared. Other than them, there were a few others who he’d come to know as secondary leaders, each following the lead of those four.

  But, it was Vera’s husband and his lord’s friend who was kind enough to answer his question. Nick Salvatore-Verena, the newly raised Lord Verena, a man Mike knew to be some kind of scholar or researcher. “The dwarves are here due to a deal the capital made with the dwarven kingdoms to further our own kingdom’s reach and expand on the efforts of the royal family.”

  Mike watched in shame as everyone around him nodded in agreement with Nick’s statement. Even after having the situation explained to him so succinctly, he still didn’t understand what the man was talking about.

  Luckily, Nick was at heart a teacher and champion of knowledge. He had an almost supernatural ability to know when someone around him yearned for answers.

  Leaning forward in his seat, Nick stared at Mike with an intense smile, seemingly eager to impart his wisdom to the man. “For generations, the royal family has been trying to develop ties with the surrounding kingdoms, easing tensions and increasing rapport with our neighbors. Although we shall always remain primarily a human kingdom, the royal family hopes to one day incorporate these other kingdoms into a larger federation or alliance, possibly even allowing them to join us as citizens of Oglivarch. At least that’s the official story that we’ve been told. There are many nuances to the efforts that remain up for debate.”

  Unable to stop himself, Mike replied with curiosity, “What does that have to do with them coming here?”

  Not put off at all by Mike’s disinterest in the details, Nick replied, “According to the deal made with the dwarven kings, to further ties with our kingdom, a city of dwarves will be developed within our lands. Much like our own cities, the city will be ruled locally, only owing fealty to the capital and our king. Dwarves have their own kings, who in actuality are more like city lords. That dwarf over there, Mavros Mithrilstrike, will be the new city’s leader… our kingdom’s first dwarven ‘king’.”

  Somewhat understanding but still not having gotten an answer to his question, Mike repeated, “OK. But why are they here?”

  Rolling his eyes, Nick answered in a tone that sounded somewhat condescending, “Because this is the place where the dwarves have chosen for their city.”

  Mike, getting more than a little annoyed with the man was about to angrily reply when Natalie Keening interrupted excitedly, “It’s kind of amazing right? After years of negotiations, countless surveys, and debates, they’ve chosen to settle next to our city… right when we’re in the middle of a density shift and a war. I bet it’s because they love fighting. Everyone knows that dwarves are constantly at war.”

  Immediately refuting her, Nick replied, “That’s an over-exaggeration. Dwarves aren’t all that bloodthirsty, not like orcs or goblins, they just tend to stir up trouble with their exploratory nature.”

  Mike, with his brow furrowed in confusion, asked, “What’s that? They like going places they shouldn’t or something?”

  Nick’s chuckle sounded somewhat like a teacher finding amusement in their student’s naivety. “No, not exactly. Dwarves are deeply connected to the world below. They call it ‘the earth’, and it’s in their nature to dig into its secrets.”

  The term ‘earth’ resonated in the ether, imparting its meaning to everyone who heard it. While the word itself wasn’t unfamiliar to them, the meaning when looked at from the perspective of the dwarves was quite different than what they’d previously understood. To every human at the table, the word ‘earth’ was synonymous with ‘dirt’ or the ground, it didn’t have any profound meaning beyond that. But to dwarves, ‘earth’ meant the world below. The word had a weight to it, and there was a sense of depth conveyed to all of them when they heard it.

  Nick added, “It’s a core part of what makes a dwarf a dwarf. They long to dig deep into the world, finding and exploring its secrets. As a species, they are incredible crafters and researchers. Even their type of magic is closely related to the ground underneath our feet. They dig for ore, resources, and fun. Choosing a former mining town for their proposed city shouldn’t be all that surprising to us.”

  Vera’s calm tone carried somewhat of an edge when she joined the conversation, saying, “Yes. A mining town that is technically owned by House Walker. I find it difficult to believe that the capital was unaware of that fact. I believe someone or someones intended to put House Walker at odds with our new neighbors.”

  Struggling to mentally keep up with the conversation, Mike asked, “Wait a second. Does this mean the dwarven kingdoms are joining our kingdom? Or is it just this city that they’re building? And if so, how is that supposed to work? Cities aren’t supposed to be that close together? Are they going to be under Dorchester’s jurisdiction?”

  Nick, always eager for the opportunity to lecture, replied, “It’s quite exciting isn’t it? Nothing like this has ever been proposed! The dwarven city will be right next to Dorchester but has no claim to the land around it. However, the ground below us will be theirs to do with what they will. I believe in the years to come, if this experiment works out well, each city of our kingdom may have a dwarven city as its partner. Humans will work the land, while the dwarves will work the earth. If the two species can work in harmony, then our available resources will practically double!”

  Still confused, Mike replied, “But we already have a mountain city run by humans… well, after we clear out the kobalds that is. What do we need the dwarves for?”

  Nick, looking at Mike with an expression filled with humor replied with a tone of mild superiority, “I don’t think you fully comprehend what dwarves are capable of. To them, our mountain city is at best a village.”

  Shocked, Mike replied, “But it takes up the entire mountain!”

  Nick snorted in condensation, replying, “Yes, one mountain. It barely manages to go underground. For us, it might seem impressive, but to dwarves, it’s barely a start. When they build their city, they will hollow out their mountain, creating massive halls and forges. Then, they will delve into the earth below, finding caverns and tunnels connecting them to the surrounding mountain range. Within a hundred years, they will spread out through the area like a worm hollowing out an apple. Within a thousand, the earth below our city will belong to them. If it weren’t for all the dangers underground, they’d probably have hollowed out the ground below our entire kingdom by now.”

  Even the people who were somewhat familiar with dwarves were shaken by what Nick was saying. The very idea that there was so much more to the world below the ground was almost more than their minds could handle. It was like discovering that everything they knew was just scratching the surface of the material plane they’d been living in.

  Vera’s voice broke the moment's tension quite well when she scolded her husband, “Don’t be so overdramatic. Dwarves don’t have the numbers to do all that, and their population growth is at best a quarter of humanities. We’re in no danger of being overrun. Both species are considering the alliance for a reason after all. Our kingdom will be able to expand into the areas controlled by the dwarves, and they’ll be able to do the same in ours. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. Likely, the king is just being practical. If the dwarves are willing to join Oglivarch, then why wouldn’t we take advantage of the opportunity? It’s not like they’re any threat to us above ground.”

  Turning to look back at her new lord who was currently laughing his ass off as two dwarves grappled angrily with each other's shoulders over an argument concerning the game he’d introduced them to, she added, “That is if humanity and dwarves can learn to live with each other, that is.”

  —--

  Nero had to admit that he’d missed this kind of atmosphere. The simple pleasure of drinking with new friends, not caring for a moment about all the responsibilities that had been weighing him down was like a breath of fresh air for his soul. These dwarves, while definitely not human, were quite fun to hang around with.

  And wasn’t that a revelation! Nothing in his experience had prepared him for what it was like to interact with a different species that could talk and interact with him. To him, there were no words for it. Even in all the fantasy novels and movies he’d enjoyed, he’d never thought about dwarves and other fantasy species being all that different than humans. But now that he was here, interacting with them, he was finally able to understand what being a different species really meant.

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  Perhaps it was only due to the benefit of his essence field, but he could just ‘feel’ that they weren’t like him. Despite on the surface having so much in common, he just couldn’t connect with them. He could understand them, even comprehend how they saw the world, but he couldn’t truly be one of them.

  It really was a feeling he couldn’t put into words. If his personality weren’t so politically correct, he’d liken it to how Jane Goodall lived among the gorillas… with them, but not one of them. Even having the thought he felt somewhat uncomfortable with the comparison. Dwarves were not gorillas, and he was not an anthropologist.

  But, he couldn’t ignore the fact that everything about them was subtly different than what he was familiar with. They obviously liked drinking, just like him. They were on the whole just as brash as he was. Even their sense of humor was somewhat similar.

  However, it was like two cars going to the same place. One was a 4 door sedan with seatbelts and airbags, economical and well-rounded. The other was a flatbed truck with a performance lift kit. It was built for a purpose, and everything about it was geared toward that fact. Regardless of how much they had in common, the not-so-subtle differences were just too much for him to ignore.

  Rather than finding the sense of social disconnect disheartening, Nero found the phenomenon amazing. He’d never experienced anything like it. Not just that, he’d never even conceptualized such a feeling. It was exhilarating, and something he’d been missing since he’d arrived in this fantasy world.

  Patting Mavros on the shoulder in congratulations for the man’s win against some of the other dwarves who’d stepped up to compete with his team, Nero said, “Well done! Now you’re getting the hang of it!”

  With a toothy smile splitting his beard, Mavros looked up at the lively lad and replied, “Alright, I’ll admit that your watered-down beer isn’t completely pointless. If we’d been drinking dwarven ale like this, we’d all be under the tables by now. But, don’t think I won’t forget the reason I came over here.”

  Sensing the mood change, the dwarves around the table calmed down, all of them shaking off their buzz and paying attention to their king.

  Nero nodded in agreement, understanding that the king wasn’t going to be put off for too much longer.

  “Yeah, that wasn’t my intention. I just didn’t like you giving me shit about the quality of the free beer I was offering you,” he replied with a smirk.

  Several dwarves, despite trying to look intimidating, guffawed in laughter before suffering elbows from the dwarves around them. Even Mavros Mithrilstrike couldn’t help but grin at Nero’s clever rebuke.

  “Fair enough, lad. You’ve made your point, now let’s get to the matter of my mountain!” he said firmly.

  Nero crossed his arms with a smirk and replied, “You mean my mountain! It’ll be yours after I give it to you.”

  Frowning in thought, Mavros looked like he was deciding whether or not he should be feeling insulted by Nero’s tone. He’d had a good opinion of the lad up until now, and while what he’d just said could be interpreted as hostility, it also wasn’t untrue. It was the lad’s mountain, and if this were a dwarven matter, even a king couldn’t arbitrarily give away his subject’s property.

  But, the lad wasn’t a dwarf, he was a human, and the human king had made the deal. So, if the human king wanted to screw over his subject, then why should he even care? Human problems were for humans to deal with.

  Noticing the situation turning tense, Nero didn’t let the awkward moment linger. “Of course, I’m perfectly willing to hand the mountain over to you. After all, from what I understand that’s what you were promised. But, it seems to me that you and I are in the same boat. We’ve both been screwed over by the people who handled the deal. I mean seriously, someone in the capital sold you something they didn’t own, and you guys bought something that wasn’t theirs to sell. It’s up to us to work it out ourselves. You should complain to whoever made your deal for you, and I’ll do the same on my end. Honestly, both sides are to blame.”

  Seeing the furious scowl developing on the dwarf king’s brow, Nero added with a chuckle, “Come on, don’t look at me like that. Did whoever made the deal for you hand you over any ownership papers? Or did they just send you off with a promise that it was all handled?”

  Suddenly pausing, Mavros’ burgeoning tirade died on his lips. Muttering angrily, he said, “That’s exactly what they did.”

  Reaching out, Nero patted the dwarf consolingly on his shoulder. “I don’t know anything about dwarven politics, but I think you might have been set up. I know for a fact that I sure as hell probably was. Bastards probably wanted us at each other's throats for some reason. I’ve half a mind to just send the capital an outrageously priced bill for the mountain and wait to see what happens. However, I know that will screw you and probably ruin this whole budding friendship we’ve got going on.”

  Mavros, uncomfortable with the lad's familiarity folded his arms and said, “Alright then, so what do you propose we do about it then?”

  Nero, feeling a bit buzzed by all the beer he’d been drinking replied, “Well, if I’m understanding this whole deal correctly, you’re supposed to be starting a city at the mountain in question, right? Well, I have no problem with that. It’s not like I’m currently using it at the moment. Also, you’re probably going to be needing a trading partner going forward. Starting a city isn’t something you’re able to do without resources. And it just so happens that I… well, my house… an associate… Fuck it, my Vera has a shipping company. Why don’t I sell you the mountain for an exclusive shipping contract?”

  Turning to look over his shoulder, Nero shouted, “Hey, Vera! Come over here for a second.”

  Mavros, looking somewhat interested in the idea, dropped his hands to his hips and watched as the tall and impeccably dressed human sauntered over. She was obviously female and looked like the typical human ‘talkers’ that he’d gotten used to seeing in the capital.

  Gesturing with his chin toward her, he asked Nero, “This lass is part of your clan?”

  Nero, guessing at the implications, replied easily, “Yup. This here is Vera Salvatore-Verena. She’s the head of a shipping conglomerate that handles most of the shipping for Dorchester and the surrounding areas. I’m not exactly sure of all the politics, but at one point I owned half the company. After my… clans… founding, I’m not sure exactly how that has changed.”

  Seeing as Vera was about to explain, Nero held up a hand to stop her. “And I don’t want to. I’m sure at some point, I’ll learn all about it, but now is not the time. The point is, she’s got a bunch of wagons and whatever else they use to ship stuff here. How about I give you the mountain, and you agree to use her for your shipping needs? Hell, I think I’ve… or she’s… someone’s got some manufacturing companies that can get you whatever it is you need. After you move in, you can trade ore, gems, or whatever else you find for whatever you want. This way, everyone is happy, everyone gets rich, and we don’t have to involve those politicians back in the capital. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

  The dwarf standing next to Mavros stepped forward, Nero recognizing him as the one called Crusher. “How do we know you’re not going to fleece us with your pricing? Being unable to scout the competition for better offers is unacceptable.”

  Mavros clearly agreed, as his expression dimmed while he crossed his arms again.

  Nero, slipping easily into his sales mode replied, “Vera’s as honest as they come. Hell, she’s probably got loads of records proving her competitive pricing. Besides, you’d probably have ended up dealing with her anyway… her company is the premiere shipping company for all of Dorchester. At best, this deal is just so it doesn’t look to the other nobles like I handed over my mountain to you for free. I do have a reputation to protect after all. Do we really have to start off our relationship thinking the worst of each other?”

  Mavros’ expression softened a little. As far as he was concerned, the lad was right on several points he wasn’t willing to admit out loud. And this would be a good deal if the lass was as honest as the lad said. He’d get his mountain, and he wouldn’t have to set up supply chains with unfamiliar humans who he’d be reluctant to trust. But, exclusive contracts meant that he’d have to give his word… and a dwarf never broke his word.

  Keeping his tone calm, Mavros said, “Alright. I’ll agree to use your shipping company, providing that you can produce evidence of everything you’ve claimed. If she’s really as fair as you say she is, then I have no problem with my clan working with her.”

  Feeling Vera’s annoyance with the dwarf’s questioning of her professionalism, Nero patted her on the back and spoke up before she could say anything to ruin the deal he was making. “Great. You guys feel free to empty that keg we recently tapped, and I’ll head over to my clan and get the paperwork in order.”

  Before Mavros and the other dwarves could even say goodbye, Nero was already leading the still-silent Vera away.

  Reaching out with his link to her, he waited for her to accept the connection. The moment she did, he hastily said, “Don’t say anything! Just listen for a second! I’ve agreed to hand over the mountain to the dwarves, and in exchange, we’re getting exclusive rights as their sole trading partner. As long as we provide a reasonable price, we’re good. You just need to show him some proof that we’re not going to screw them, and we’re good to go!”

  Turning to look at Nero in shock as they made their way back to the table with the rest of House Walker’s leadership, Vera replied, “That’s… that’s not possible. The contracts with Dorchester have already been signed by the dwarven kings. No singular house has the right to ignore them.”

  Chuckling out loud, Nero replied with a smirk, “Yeah, but I never agreed to sell my mountain to the dwarven council, so all those contracts are invalid. Or at least, we can argue that they are, can’t we? By the time the dwarves move in, and we’ve already set up a supply chain, who’s going to argue with us? If we handle it right, our new friends will be just as annoyed with the other nobles sticking their noses into their business as we are. The key is to handle everything quickly and get our paperwork in order.”

  Having arrived at the table, and seeing everyone staring at them in curiosity, Vera replied out loud, “If your gambit succeeds, this may turn into your most profitable idea yet.”

  Nero patted his beer-filled belly happily and said, “I’ve always been my best work when I’ve been a little buzzed. It’s been both a personality flaw and virtue in equal measure. Now you all can work out the details… I need to take a… I mean, I need to find a restroom.”

  Waving goodbye over his shoulder, Nero walked off toward the doors humming the tune ‘Off to see the wizard’.