The fall of Ironrock brought the expeditionary army a final, generous reward. Hundreds of tons of obsidian were hurriedly sent back to Sea Gate. This rare and precious mineral, once refined, was exceptionally strong and could be enchanted. Obsidian was invaluable for making war machines, weapons, armor, and even fortifications. Its versatility gave it immense value.
In the Old World, only Ironrock produced obsidian. It had been lost to the Greenskins during the Great Cataclysm ages ago, forcing the engineers of Sea Gate to seek obsidian in the New World.
Now, all the obsidian mined by the Greenskins at Ironrock was in Ryan's hands, along with the spoils of the Ironclaw tribe's centuries of hoarding. Ryan even found the legendary Electoral Crown of Eldred, the last elector count of Solland, and decided to return it to the Empire.
After conquering Ironrock, Ryan followed his usual strategy: looting and then destroying. The ancient Greenskin fortress was razed to the ground, and the army began marching south.
But the expedition began to face serious challenges.
Skarsnik, the cunning Goblin Warlord, sent waves of wolf riders to harass the expedition's supply lines. His wolf riders, skilled in the rugged terrain of the Badlands, conducted hit-and-run attacks, laying ambushes, and setting traps. They eliminated scouts and vanguard units, gradually wearing down the army's morale and strength.
As the army marched further south, the conditions worsened. The environment became harsher, with scarce water and forage. The expedition's supply lines were dependent on Sea Gate and Stronghold Castle, but constant attacks forced Ryan and Belgar to allocate 5,000 troops to defend the supply routes.
After losing 1,500 vanguard troops, Ryan had no choice but to order the expedition to slow down and proceed cautiously to avoid further ambushes.
The oppressive heat sickened many soldiers. Illness from the harsh climate became a serious issue, and non-combat casualties increased. Greenskin fortresses grew rarer along the way, offering little to loot, and the army's morale waned. Ryan wanted to score a decisive victory to boost morale, but Skarsnik cunningly avoided direct confrontation. The Greenskins continued to pour in from all directions, forcing the expeditionary army into several skirmishes, but Skarsnik's main force remained elusive.
It took the expedition three months to travel from Ironrock to Valaya's Heart.
Skarsnik set multiple ambushes, but Belgar managed to foil them each time. The scouts and reconnaissance units from both sides clashed repeatedly, with mixed results. Still, the expedition, surrounded by the vast sea of Greenskins, found each step forward increasingly difficult. The scorching heat, dry air, treacherous terrain, and unpredictable weather wore down the troops. Every mile came at a great cost.
By August, as the summer heat finally began to wane, the expedition arrived at Valaya's Heart with less than 30,000 troops remaining.
Fortunately, François's Unicorn Guard, along with 5,000 reinforcements and vital supplies, arrived at the front. The wounded were sent back, and merchants carried off the spoils. With a lightened load, the army continued marching. By late August, as they neared Valaya's Heart, Belgar scouted the area and quickly detected another ambush set by Skarsnik. The King of Eight Peaks, alongside Ryan, personally led the charge and annihilated a thousand goblin wolf riders hiding in the mountain passes.
Familiar with the World's Edge Mountains, Belgar led the expeditionary army through a secret passage, bypassing Skarsnik's ambush. The expedition stormed into Valaya's Heart. Belgar commanded his magical crystal cannon to fire at the most vulnerable point of the Greenskin fortress, collapsing the wall. As Skarsnik awaited the army to fall into his trap, Ryan and Belgar had already taken Valaya's Heart, annihilating the 3,000 Greenskin defenders and setting their own ambush to counter the predicted Greenskin rear attack.
However, to everyone's surprise, when Skarsnik realized his ambush had failed, he chose to retreat, vanishing into the Badlands. For three months, the two forces had only engaged in minor skirmishes, never leading to a decisive battle.
Exhausted, the expeditionary army was in no condition to pursue the Greenskins further. The troops pulled back into Valaya's Heart, setting up camp within the ancient dwarven ancestral halls to rest and regroup.
Once camp was set, Ryan and Belgar knew time was of the essence. Ryan led a vanguard of 5,000 troops while Belgar took 2,000, leaving Calard in command of the main force camped in the ancestral halls, awaiting their signal.
Now, deep within the vast underground dwarven tunnels, Ryan was accompanied by Veronica and Olica, while Belgar had the chief engineer of Clan Angrund, Halharf Goldfinder, and the chief runesmith, Srudd the Honest, by his side. The army advanced cautiously through the dark, torchlit tunnels.
The light was dim, and for now, there were no signs of enemies. The gryphon, Imperius, followed closely behind Ryan. Belgar walked beside Ryan, while Srudd led the way, deciphering the ancient dwarf runes and stone markers that guided the army forward.
"By Grungni's beard, I can sense it—something has desecrated our ancestors' tunnels," Belgar said, his tone grim. "It's a foul, corrupting force. Someone has been here before us. Odd… these runesmiths sealed this tunnel shut long ago."
In the faint torchlight, the human troops nervously scanned their surroundings. Veronica occasionally cast small flame spells to light the ceiling of the tunnel, while the army moved slowly. They had been marching for hours. Ryan, holding Thor's Hammer, with Nemesis hanging at his side, showed signs of weathering from months of campaigning, though his spirit remained strong. "It seems we'll be facing a new enemy. Brother Belgar, can you identify the source of the corruption?"
"It's unclear. If Zorek Ironbrow were here, he could feel it, but I am no master runesmith," Belgar admitted, slightly frustrated. "Zorek warned me not to take this path unless absolutely necessary, as it holds the secrets of Valaya, the ancestor goddess."
"Uh, are we not risking the wrath of that runesmith by doing this?" Ryan asked awkwardly, aware of the importance of Ironpeak's reinforcements in this battle for Eight Peaks.
"No. The spirit of my ancestor, King Lunn, has granted me permission," Belgar sighed. "I once thought I'd never touch the sacred relics of my ancestors, but after all I've endured, I now realize that locking away our ancestral relics might not have been their intention. If we don't use them, they'll fall into the hands of Greenskins or Skaven and be desecrated in vile rituals. That would be the true disgrace."
Ryan nodded in understanding.
The three dwarven gods—Grungni, Valaya, and Grimnir—had ruled over the dwarves for millennia. Valaya, the wife of both Grungni and Grimnir (a reflection of dwarven tradition), was the protector of hearth and home. After the Chaos invasion was halted by Aenarion, Grimnir had set out with a small force to close the Old Ones' portals in the Chaos Wastes, ignoring the protests of his fellow dwarves. He vanished into the Chaos Wastes, leaving Grungni and Valaya to lead the dwarves. Grungni eventually handed the crown to their eldest son, Snorri Whitebeard, and, 302 years later, he and Valaya led a dwarven army to close the portals once more. With their departure, Snorri became the first High King of the dwarves.
During this time, the elven empire (still united at the time) and the dwarves formed a close alliance. Snorri Whitebeard, while fighting Chaos, met Malekith, the son of the first Phoenix King, and the two developed a deep friendship. This led to increased trade between elves and dwarves and the construction of many new dwarven fortresses.
At that time, Malekith and Snorri were so close that they were practically inseparable—though their differing physiques prevented them from literally sharing a pair of pants. Malekith even served as the elven ambassador to Karaz-a-Karak. When Snorri eventually passed away at over a thousand years old, he clasped Malekith's hand and urged him to honor their alliance. Malekith solemnly promised.
Of course, elves could never be trusted.
"The ancient underground paths are in poor condition. The best-maintained sections are barely passable. Many have collapsed due to earthquakes or were lost to enemy invasions over the millennia," Belgar explained as he examined the tunnel. "Oh, I recognize these ancient marks. They were crafted by Grungni himself. Srudd, it's up to you now."
"Leave it to me." Srudd the Honest, the runesmith, began carefully deciphering the runes. Only those with Grungni's blood could become runesmiths, and Srudd had to navigate the countless forks and tunnels to find the right path.
After several hours, Srudd finally found the way. "This is it. This path leads to Valaya's Gate."
"Move out!" Ryan signaled the army to follow Srudd. The human and dwarven forces cautiously advanced deeper into the underground network.
"Damn it, I hate being underground
. It makes me feel like I'm turning into a dwarven woman," Veronica muttered as she followed behind Ryan. The Garland Witch wielded her staff, the tip glowing with flame to light their way. Despite being a bright mage of Sanctuary strength, the damp, dark environment clearly bothered her.
"Oh, Veronica, if you were a dwarven woman, you'd have a lot of dwarven suitors," Belgar joked, understanding how humans struggled with the subterranean conditions. "Too bad you're not pretty enough or charming enough... I mean, if you were a dwarven woman, you'd be quite a failure."
"Hehe," Ryan couldn't help but laugh.
In dwarven society, female dwarves made up only 10-20% of the population, making them highly valued for the survival and continuity of the dwarven race. Female dwarves were cherished and given the best resources and protection, while men handled all the work, crafting, and warfare. Strong, muscular female dwarves with sturdy, hourglass figures were considered the most desirable. To marry a dwarven woman, a dwarf's beard had to wrap around her waist, and he had to present her weight in gold. Women like Veronica, with slender, beautiful human figures, were seen as ugly by dwarven standards.
The Angrund clan often joked that Ryan had excellent qualities but poor taste in women.
It's worth noting that dwarven women were forbidden from leaving their homes after marriage and were not allowed to take on the same work as men. Their roles were to manage household finances and raise children. A dwarven woman's fertility was long-lasting, with many giving birth to numerous children. Ryan had heard of a woman in the Angrund clan who had birthed thirty-five children, five of whom were girls.
"When I heard that, I nearly fainted," Ryan said with a smirk. "My head was swimming, my hands and feet went numb, and the world felt empty. I thought, 'What does this world want from me?'"
"You're an idiot. I don't want to talk to you right now," Veronica glared at him.
As time passed, the army entered a massive underground cavern, clearly once another ancestral dwarven hall. But it had long been abandoned.
Inside the ancestral hall, Srudd carefully examined the ancient runestones. After about thirty minutes, he breathed a sigh of relief. "This is it. Among all the underground paths leading to Eight Peaks, this one remains intact. However…"
"However?" Ryan approached the massive stone gate that sealed the high-speed route to Eight Peaks. The gate, over 20 meters tall and 50 meters wide, was carved with ancient runes and a mural. The stone wall was enough to allow three dwarf armies to march through side by side.
"However, we need to know the password." Under the runesmith's power, the gate began to glow.
Hundreds of brilliant stars encircled a world, with a golden phoenix-shaped crown standing between two towering trees. Below that lay an anvil and a hammer. The branches of the trees wound across the door like living things, forming words in both Elvish and Dwarvish.
"By Grungni, these are his symbols!" Belgar exclaimed in surprise. "This gate is at least 5,000 years old! Ryan, come take a look—what nonsense did those pointy-ears write on the door?"
"Friend, speak, and you may pass," Ryan translated the Elvish, then looked at the Dwarvish. "It says the same here."
"Friend?" Belgar scowled, remembering the less-than-glorious history between the two races. He angrily waved his hammer. "Who's a friend with those pointy-eared scoundrels?!"
"Friend?" Ryan pondered for a moment, then rushed to the gate and shouted in Elvish, "Friend!"
The gate didn't budge.
"Let me try." Belgar stepped forward and recited a lengthy passage in Dwarvish, invoking the names of the dwarven gods, his family orders, ancestral oaths, and various grudges, including the names of all Eight Peaks' fortresses.
The gate remained unresponsive.
"Curse it!" Belgar grumbled in frustration. "By Grungni's hammer, what password did our ancestors seal on this door?"
They studied the gate for nearly thirty minutes, but it yielded no answers.
Ryan was still deep in thought when Olica approached from behind, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek. Smiling, she gestured for him to step aside. "Master, you've all got it wrong."
Olica walked to the gate and, switching to the ancient tongue of the Elven Empire, whispered softly, "Our friend~"
The master runes of Grungni and Valaya glowed in response, causing the dwarves to retreat in reverence, many kneeling in awe.
Rumble! The ancestral gate trembled, gears and mechanisms that hadn't moved in millennia roared to life. As the great stone gate slowly opened, cheers erupted from the united human and dwarven armies.
But at that moment, a foul wind rushed in from the entrance behind them, accompanied by the roars and shouts of Greenskins.
Tens of thousands of Greenskin warriors flooded the ancestral hall.
Skarsnik and his Moon Clan had arrived.
"Prepare for battle!"
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]