Dronin’s Travels, Chapter 1—Return Home

Written by Dronin Gammerson

Ping! Ping! Ping! Pickaxes ringed on the stone. I could smell the sulfur from the explosives they used and taste the dirt that had not yet settled. My eyes took time to adjust to the darkness underground and once they did I felt a deep sense of belonging. I had not been underground since we talked to the gnomes. As that thought crossed my mind I thought about Pale and Donindor and then my fellow journeymen.
“I wonder where they left to” I muttered under my breath, probably back to their kingdoms like me I thought
It had been ninety five hours or one less than four days since that battle on the hilltop. I had rented a horse at middlemarch to get back to Draldon. It had been a long and uneventful four days. The pinging got louder.
I must be getting closer, I thought. A dull red light shone ahead.
“Ah there it is” I said smiling, “I wonder why they're mining in this tunnel” it was already fifteen feet wide and twelve feet tall. Left and right I passed miners digging in both directions gradually I noticed that the walls were widening.
“Well obviously” I said quietly but not quiet enough.
“What's obvious” said a gruff and heavily accented voice to my left. The voice came from a Kadock (as our race is called, although very few know it. They just assume we are Human) of average height of 6'. He had a stocky build and very large arms from mining all day. Brown hair and yellowish brown eyes. Recognizing the voice as an old friend I turned to him and said “Oh nothing I was just thinking out loud”
“It's good to see you back Dronin!” He said and charged me with a bear hug.
“Ummphh! Good to see you too Bandork” I said through crushed lunges. 
Once he released me I asked “Why are you widening the tunnel? Isn't it wide enough?”
Bandork sighed “ the King says were going a larger tunnel to move our army out”
“Army! Why would we be moving our army out!”
“We're going to war.”
“What! With whom?”
“The magistrate of Vachelous has requested our aid to fight against rebels who are rising up against the leaders.”
“I need to speak the the King about this” I said and hurried off. Zooming past houses and allies, carts and vendors to get to the inner wall.
“Your name” the guard asked as I came to a halt by the gate.
“Dronin Gammerson” I said out of breath, “Battle commander number nine senior surface strategist”
“You may pass.”
As soon as the gate opened I continued to speed towards the King's command room.
Flinging open the door I said “This is outrageous!” I had apparently interrupted a counsel of war.
“Ah Dronin I'm glad you're here, but uh What is outrageous?” The King asked although he had already guessed what it was.
“Why are we going to war!”
“Well we made a treaty with Vachelous and I intend to keep it.”
“But your fighting the wrong side! The magistrate is the bad guy.”
“And how pray tell is that?”
“The magistrate attacked the rest of Vachelous and is intending to rule it alone.” I paused “During my adventures my fellow adventurers and I were attacked by the Magistrate's men who intended on killing one of my friends who was with the order of the martyrs in cold blood. They also tried to take a powerful object that is able to put anyone or anything into another dimension.”
“That is quite interesting.”
“They also have created a devastating weapon that they destroyed half a kingdom with just to get at us.”
“This is serious indeed. I will need time to think about this. In the meantime this meeting has been canceled.”
“You can't actually believe this stupidity King.” One of the counselors named Vordic said “This is all...”
The king held up a hand to stop him “We will speak of this no farther.” 
Then the King left the room.
Vordic turned to me “What is this all about Dronin.” He said spitting the words out “Are you just trying to delay this so that the rebels win before we can even engage?”
“No I'm trying to get the King to fight with the rebels against the magistrate.” I said and smiled (When someone is trying to make you mad you can easily just make them mad by smiling at them. It works every time)
Vordic's face grew red “You can't just... It won't work... You...” Vordic stumbled to find the words to express what he was feeling.
“As the King said 'we will speak of this no farther'” I said and walked out. I set out to walk to my home. Vordic could be a huge thorn in your side and he was never good at picking which battles to fight and which ones not to, but when it came to strategics during the battle he was one of the best.
I decided that it had been too long since I had eaten a good mushroom and stone worm skewer. So I turned to my favorite producer for them Halmac. Turning a few corners and backtracking a few time, things had changed since I had last been here, I finally came to Halmac's shop called “Roasted Stones.”
“Dronin! It's good to see you!” said Halmac as soon as I walked in.
“It's good to see you to Halmac!” I said, “You got any of those Mushroom and Stone Worm skewers I always loved?”
“Well of course they're my specialty” Halmac turned around opened an iron sliding door and brought out a skewer from the hot coals inside. 
“Careful it's hot.”
“I always did say that you kept them a little too toasty Halmac” I said as I tossed a few coins on the counter. Just as I turned to leave Halmac said 
“And Dronin, Watch where you go. Things aren't as safe as they used to be.”
I patted my sword hilt “I'm always prepared Halmac but I'll keep that in mind.” Then I left and went home and slept in a soft bed underground for the first time since I left to go adventuring.