Master Of None

”It seems way too quiet. I know Onyx could feel vibrations up on the surface but for the ground to be vibrating it seems...too quiet.” Walker finally broke and said it out loud. He felt that there was something more to the silence. 

”So what, it is getting way too hot.” Remey wanted to agree with the silence being the issue but she was having too much trouble with the growing heat. 

”Oh, is it hot? I can’t really tell much since I gained the fire resistance passive skill.” Walker laughed nervously since he realized he had not explained that to the party. 

”Leader, you must teach me that skill. It is imperative to my ability to defend the party!” Su was suddenly right next to Walker wanting the knowledge as soon as possible. She was sure that she would be able to block all manner of fire elemental attacks with little to no damage to herself or the party. 

”Sure sure, after we get our bearings on the underground portion of the city.” Walker had not expected such a storing reaction from Su. He knew she had been thinking about how to best use the educationist titles and this must have hit what she believed she needed most. 

”Walker, you do not understand. If I can gain all the resistances from your teaching then I will be the best guardian any party will have ever had.” Su broke her formality showing just how much she wanted this skill. 

”Alright, I promise I will use the educationist knowledge swap skill when we find a place to rest later. I swear it to you.” After Walker made a solemn swear to her Su appeared to relax and become much more joyful. 

”That is great and all, but we are literally going to melt down here, aren’t we.” Gil was visibly sweating and had removed some of his more minor armor to try and keep cooler. 

”Look at those pipes coming from the walls. I bet they are the source of the heat.” Su pointed out the many small and large pipes that had begun to show in the walls. Some had writings and numbers next to them showing that they were some form of power source. 

”I wonder if my all around appraisal skill will work on that?” Walker was curious and gave it a try on the largest pipe. 

’Exhaust steam pipe.

The largest pipe for the exhaust smoke and steam used to power the majority of the underground dwarven city. Crafted from extremely dense and heat resistant metal alloys to withstand rusting and heat.’

”They are for steam!” Walker knew that some small golems and machines made by dwarves had been said to run on steam but this was more than he expected. He had no knowledge of how it could power an entire city let alone the small things he had heard about from travelers. 

”Wait...is this for real? I thought that was all gossip from merchants.” Remey was falling in to thought wondering if this was truth or some fantasy they were walking in to. 

”If this is true, then it means the steam powered forges whispered about by merchants are real. That will be a sight to see.” Su was feeling more excitement than usual, however, the silence was still nagging at them. 

”If there is so much steam that explains the heat. But it should be louder, right?” Gil was becoming worried. He was imagining the loudness of a teapot on a stove screaming that it was done. 

The party increased their pace down the stairs following the dwarven golems. They wanted to see the things that they had only ever heard about in rumors and gossip. It was not a hidden secret like the elves but it was a harder to explore place. The caves and forging methods of the dwarves were rarely seen by travelers and easily explained. They were things that other kingdoms did not have and could not easily relate to, therefore, the tales were hard to understand. 

As they reached closer and closer to a brighter light there were some sounds. However, they were mostly of golems and some hammering. Other than that there was a rhythmic clicking coming from lower. The silence they had heard was still there. It wasn’t actual silence, but the lack of voices and rolling carts. It made them feel as if there was silence. 

Their rushing brought them to a large round room that held multiple paths and gates. ”Welcome to the inner city. What business are you here for today?” There was a series of golems at each entrance and in the very center of the room stood a pillar that had just created the voice they heard. 

”We are ambassadors here to see the king. Please allow us guidance and passage.” Walker tried to speak properly to the pillar but felt awkward doing so since it was not a real person. 

”Your message has been received. Please wait while I contact those above me.” The voice was definitely a female dwarf. Walker was amazed that the weird pillar was able to transmit messages across distances unknown to him. This was much better than the communication orbs that Scylla had relied on. 

The party waited eagerly while looking around the room. There were many pipes leading through different passages in the ceilings. There was also a large clock in the center. Walker was able to make out the words on the gates explaining the directions. ”So that gate is outgoing merchants. There is an incoming merchant’s gate. That says mines, and the other says forges. The last is...administrative buildings?” Walker had not seen the term used before in a city. Normally it would say something like the castle or the queens’ hall. But here it was administrative building. 

”The safest route is through the merchant streets then through the secondary tunnels to the administrative buildings. Please follow the guide golem that will be provided. Weapons are allowed to be drawn under the current city alert. If danger approaches call for reinforcements.” The voice gave them its warning and a small golem on wheels rolled to the front of the party while the larger ones returned to the stairs. 

”I guess we follow this golem now.” Walker stepped behind the small round golem on wheels and watched it begin a slow travel toward the gate labeled incoming merchants. 

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