Battle's Aftermath

Well, it's over now.... Tarin thinks numbly as he looked down.

Best to start from the beginning of this battle, otherwise this will make less sense.....

**************************************

The conversation had been fascinating, and EERIE!

Oh, before that one night....just a short while ago (well, for a being like myself it was like yesterday) I would have scoffed at any attempt by a human (or human appearing....as Probe turns out to be) person trying to engage me in a serious discussion on metallurgy!

See, like many of my fellow dwarves, we laugh at the efforts of the other races in their pursuits to mimic the Art that we've perfected (or what we THOUGHT we had perfected). Sure, some of the more alarmist dwarves kept on going on and on about how, now that other races had begun to work with metals, that we should strike now, before we are overwhelmed! Exterminate every last one of the non-dwarven races so we'd be safe.

Besides the fact that that is obviously the worst thing an intelligent being could propose-the extermination of entire species just because they are trying to imitate the true Masters of the Art of metal onTerra. Heck, it's even flattering in a fashion. It isn't like they'd ever equal or SURPASS us?

In retrospect, the answer to that silly question is obvious now.

See, at least ONE other race had already surpassed us in ONE area in metallurgy. Only, we never really acknowledged it, for it's origins trace itself back to an alchemist! Since dwarves don't think highly of magic, they didn't think highly of the new metal. That area was in the art of making the metal known as Dragonbane (a metal that, in large enough quantities, can sicken, even kill the biggest of dragons). The now defunct land of Allaria had excelled in the making of that deadly (to dragons) metal, and wouldn't share the knowledge with ANYONE. They even had a system of misdirection that made the dwarven measures of securing OUR knowledge of our metal working art look open.

Even though the metal has other uses (medical, magical, and other), it's ironic that it wasn't used more for it's intended purpose: destroying dragons. But.....when the dragons make it clear after a few retaliatory strikes on several towns that the widespread use of this metal would.....bring about more burning deaths.....it's not hard to see WHY more dragon slayers use it with a vengeance.

Also, then there's the fact that the steel I've seen turned out by Lady Alicia's Pack and Ethiopia is.....about half the quality of what an average dwarf can turn out. If the trend continued, I think that by the time the twentieth century (funny how pervasive the Christian calendar has become even to have replaced most of the "pagan" human and non-human calendar system) had rolled around, humanity would have been on even footing with the BEST of dwarven metal smiths!

And then there's the Alliance, who are.....from just this casual discussion I'd had with them......boggled my mind with some of the offhand remarks about the Art.

After examining the battered remains of the false Prophet and the dented weapons that the Manimals had used against it (Good gods! Those bestmen have to be INCREDIBLY strong to have damaged their weapons like that). Not even the Relics, the fabled pinnacle of Dwarven society....the icon that all other metal smithing dwarves try to live up to.....would have been able to NOT be scratched like this things bones had NOT been scratched.....

The writings on the wall, as some of the oldsters would say.

We dwarves need to learn, or else we'll be left BEHIND in the metal working art....

All this was running through my mind, as well as other thoughts (and a sour stomach from some of it all) when the young town guardman down the corridor screams a gurgling scream as a dagger sprouted from his throat.

1. With a sinking heart I know my time is up, or is it?

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