That is the best way to imagine the mountain city only that the outer face of the mountains was made from pure black marble and of thousands rooms were present in each layer like a beehive

The lower and middle layers contain additional fortifications including thick walls and strategically placed battlements with tens of thousands of soldiers guarding it

The higher layers are used for star-gazing and cloud-reading by mages and bored nobles

The topmost parts are rarely used except by few special guards placed there

The passageways are intentionally complex, There were several false entrance which led to a death trap .This maze-like structure is designed to confuse and disorient enemy soldiers, trapping them within the mountain’s defenses and making it easier to neutralize them.

The soldiers were hard, tough people. All clad in steel plate armour worn over tough leather had various weapons like axes, swords,halberds,spears and also daggers or knives at their waists

There were diminutive men no taller than 4 feet with long braided beard wearing chain-mail jacket cut off at the shoulders to reveal muscular arms

I later learnt that these were Dwarves a race of short, proud, bearded, mountain-dwelling people masters of crafts and creators of grandly decorated cities,usually good-natured but you would not want to get on the wrong side of one

I have seen and fought enough battles to know that their short size is just an illusion of weakness....I can tell they are dangerous...honestly I have no idea that this race even existed until now...I mean seriously when Jotun used to terrorise the world humans fled wandered from place to place some more creative ones hid in caves or dug deep underground cities ,many of which I had visited I definitely should have encountered dwarves somewhere...or another disturbing theory came in my head but I dismissed it

Despite their grim intimidating appearance they allowed our entire group into the heart of the mountain.

The tunnel was huge I marvelled at the sheer size of the tunnel, which had been mined with incredible skill—the walls, floor, and ceiling were crafted with flawless precision...if outside was like a black box inside was the treasure The walls were polished stone set with veins of gems and crystals and of ore like small rivers on the stone walls

It was so beautiful that I kept looking at them tracing rivers of rich green emeralds and milky white quartz and deep violet amethysts while paying little attention to the complex paths that our guide (a dwarf) took us through

The tunnel soon grew wider and diverged opening new ways one minute it was a tunnel the next minute it was a vast area with many passages, stairs, halls, and chambers. The floors were sandy and the ceilings were high, domed vaults there were the most peculiar houses with round doors

Holes they called them where lived the soldiers of the outer guard and the Dwarves of the Caves who had carefully tended the stone walls and opened new ways and chambers and hung lamps that filled the caverns with light we reached the first of the mountain villages

The guards outside lived in this villages and rarely went deeper this was a good tactic because if even if a guard turned into a traitor he won’t be able to guide them beyond his village this ensures no army could raid through the city, even if it managed to find the hidden doors...

There did exist a map of the whole mountain but is was a closely guarded secret fully known only to the lord of the city and his most trusted subordinates or family members even our guide had limited knowledge about the various pathways and had sworn several oaths on the price of death to not reveal even that amount of information

Despite being inside the mountain every hung lamps that filled the caverns with light and in an nearby inn? we retired our guards and roaptor the guards assured my parents that the luggage will be sent and arranged in our rooms and another human guide led us three with four guards to meet the lord of the city 

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After a long journey we were bought before central chamber, before two massive marble doors that are set within a grand archway the doors were adorned with carvings and inlays of gems in delicate vines and flowers fluid and interlacing lines, cover large sections of the doors, intertwine with complex geometric shapes. Small, precious stones such as rubies, emeralds, and sapphires are meticulously inlaid within the carvings, adding color and sparkle. These gems are set into the wood with such precision that they seem to float within the intricate patterns

Most importantly flowing script (calligraphy)adorns the upper panels, with verses of power and blessings inscribed in flowing, artistic script. The calligraphy is inlaid with gold and silver, making the words stand out against the smooth black marble

Alfven script I realised with a glance

These doors were not ordinary ones which was proved as with a low creak the doors opened on it’s own

A large hall lay before us with an large empty seat carved out our marble and three door on arranged in the four directions (east,west, north south)

I heard huge voice and angry footsteps from the side of the rooms.

“Is he here?”

A robust looking man roughly enters the room for the north door..flanked by two guards

His age seems to be around mid 50 years old, and his brown hair is mixed with a white hair, but he seems to be in a good shape...for his age

The Guardian lord of Geojeim, Thalor Leyline

So that guy’s a lord.

Father stiffly bent his waist in a bow which was surprising as father hated the stiff rules, and had an easy going attitude

Mother also a bowed but lowered her head slightly[1]

I safely his behind mother

“I have returned father.”

The man snorts in dissatisfaction.

“Hmph, about time you did!”

This old Master should be my grandfather

He looks like he’s really angry. As if we had done something wrong

“The journey was rather long and-“

“An excuse right away! You never change at all.”he yelled “Excuses! Excuses! Whenever you opens that mouth, it’s an excuse. If you wets the bed, you finds an excuse. If you get into a fight, you finds an excuse. If you lazes in studies, you finds an excuse.”

Seeing how my father was squirming I find out that’s true.

The old master stomps on the floor with his feet as I lower my head.

“But it seems that you atleast tried your best to present a formal pose! I’ll allow you to stay !”

I don’t really get what’s going on, but it seems that father has been forgiven.

“now where is my granddaughter “ he turned towards me

“...” I held my breath as he looked at me

And the next minute he carried me in the air

“Isn’t is precious...a worthy child of the Leyline “ he fussed over me in the same tone that father uses

I can see that he is definitely related my father

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[1]the motions involved in the curtsy and the bow were similar until the 17th century, and the sex differentiation between the actions developed afterwards...in this era curtsy is still not developed..yet

A/N to avoid confusion Coloten the mountain country is ruled by dwarves 

Geojeim is just one of the cities in it... however many human tend to confuse the names and call it Coloten the mountain city 

 Gordic Leyline confused Rave with this but in all due fairness he is not the best person to remember things 

Also I have exams coming up so I won't be able to update for a while sorry for the inconvenience 😞 😞