Need to catch up? Read Chapter 1 here!
Read Chapter 2 pt 1 here!
Read Chapter 2 part 2 here!
Read Chapter 3 part 1 here!
Read Chapter 3 part 2 here!
Chapter 4.
Opening a secret Door
The five traveled for a few days, all the while Samuel kept asking Castus if they should really be trusting their new mysterious companions. Castus reassured his friend that everything would be alright and that they had no choice but to trust them. Samuel would grown and point out new oddities about Chase that bothered him, such as his white hair and how even his eyelashes were as white as the snow but his skin was a black as coal. Or how Lilith was far too cheery for a sell-sword.
On the third night, Lilith caught Samuel staring at her.
“Why are you staring at me, boy?” she asked while stirring the stew over the campfire. Castus chuckled a moment at the how forcefully the small woman spoke, seeing as how she couldn’t possibly be much older than the young human boy. Samuel quickly looked away shyly “I was only wondering-”
“What I am?” Lilith interrupted “I am a dwarf. What else?” she mocked
“Come now, Lilith. Don’t be like that.” Chase said with a slight assertive tone.
“You see, Sam. There was once this big rock that the dwarves worshiped and-” Chase was quickly hushed by Liliths scoffs “It wasn’t just some big rock, you ninny!” Lilith continued “It was a Vitae stone, the stone of life. The dwarves were a small race of no females. They were created by the Vitae. You placed an item upon the stone and it was transform into an able bodied freefolk. The first of our kind was created when a human man died upon the stone and was reborn. However; one day there was an accident.” Lilith paused to place another piece of wood upon the fire “What accident?” Castus said, Lilith glanced over at him and smiled, she did not realize everyone was listening. Samuel was on the edge of his seat with the face of intrigue.
“Well, the dwarves discovered a heavy explosive known as black powder. It was very helpful when digging into the mines. But one day a worker lit his damned pipe too close to one of the crates full of the stuff. Boom. Many lives were lost and the Vitae stone was destroyed. The dwarves began to go extinct. Until Mayweather came along of course.” Lilith looked around at the camp, all eyes were on her. Even Fay, who was distracted from her navigating by the storyteller.
“Mayweather was a Sun elf of unnatural beauty. Sun elves are known for their shimmering golden skin, but hers was a pure and bright as the most precious gold medallion. Her hair was like the sun and her eyes were like the fires of lava. She fell in love with a Dwarf builder by the name Faber, and he for her. They got married in secret and Mayweather gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Thus the dwarven race lived on. However, we females are known as The Imíaimos.
It seemed that while dwarf men are broad, hairy and rough looking the dwarven women look just like a normal human only small and fair. Some are even mistaken for sprites, forest spirits only living up in the mountains.”
Samuel could not keep his eyes off of the dwarven beauty as she continued to speak of her race until Fay snuck up from behind him “She is quite beautiful.” she teased. Samuel leaped from his seat for a moment “Goodness! Where did you even?-” he finished the thought to himself that she scared him just as bad as Castus.
“What she didn’t mention is she is one of the last of her kind.” Fay said with a knowing smile but slightly concerned expression. “What do you mean?” Samuel questioned.
“The name Imíaimos means ‘half-blood’ in dwarven tongue. The elder dwarves named them this claiming they were unnatural. The only thing that kept them from being completely wiped out was the old king. But since he has been gone, if the Imiaimos weren’t made slaves they were executed. So, many of them now live in my country where they are kept safe. Though, they are still outcasts.”
Samuel was now less afraid and more intrigued by these new allies and hung on to Fay’s every word but not once breaking eye contact with the fair haired creature. While Samuel seemed rather smitten, Castus found himself glancing at Fay.
She was unlike any creature he had ever seen. Dominicus introduced his pet to many different creeds of being. He had even seen an Imiaimos before.
The Silver elves were supposed to be lyth and elegant beings, their skin was normally shimmering blue or purple. Castus didn’t know very much about the culture but he thought he heard a rumor that the Silver elves believed that the color black was evil, It was a forbidden hue. Yet this woman did not fit any of that description. She was still very fair and beautiful, but her elegance was more of a feeling than a behavior. All the silver elves Castus had met looked fair but felt fowl. Light elves were much worse, though the prejudice was the same.
He listened to every word the mysterious woman had to say and watched her very carefully. She was slender and yet carried such large weapons. They were half her size and yet she waved them around like they were nothing. So much about this woman intrigued him, especially her eye. Meanwhile, Chase sat in a close by tree, observing the possessed boys and let out a small chuckle and found himself curious as well. ‘What are they going to do about this?’ he thought.
The next day they traveled until the sun was just about set. The sky was a portrait of pinks, reds and golds, even the forest seemed to hold it’s shades. Fay removed her hood, turned to her companions with a smile “Welcome to Silverbrook, gentlemen.”