Moments later they found themselves ushered down the hallway and into a whole other section that seemed separated from the pyramid.  The section seemed more like an underground city carved into a deep mountain.  They were taken to the main building and seated in a room while many dwarves moved around to give them drinks and food.

Zion was by the fireplace playing with the dwarves children, chasing them with a wooden sword while they laughed and ran.  Zariah was eating and chatting eagerly with a few of the dwarves about smithing while Gia and Kai were speaking to the leader of their tribe.

Ryu sat at the end of the table where the original dwarves who came across them, Gorin and his brother Dorin were keeping him company.  They looked curiously at him, in particular Dorin who was staring at his eyes and hair and whispering to Gorin.  Gorin would then speak for him and converse with Ryu.

“Dorin was wondering what it’s like to be the chosen one?”  Dorin politely asked, passing some bread to his brother, who chewed on it and looked at Ryu, patiently waiting for an answer to his question.

Ryu managed a friendly smile.  “To be honest, I’m not too sure I’m even the chosen one.  This,” gesturing to his hair and eyes.  “It came with the powers I was given.” He nodded towards Dorin’s dark hair.  “I originally had dark hair like you.  And I had green eyes.”

“Fascinating.”  Gorin exclaimed, taking a sip of his drink.  “And you say a Star granted you the powers?  Which one?”

Ryu felt his chest tighten and he put his fork down, trying to find the right words.

Gorin noticed the change in his expression and he waved his hands.  “I’m so sorry.  We are just so very curious. You don’t have to answer that.”

Dorin whispered into his brother’s ear.  “My brother says your new hair suits you.”

Dorin nodded supportively, glancing at Ryu with hopeful eyes.

Ryu found himself smiling.  “Thank you.  My sister used to tell me that the dark hair matched my gloomy attitude so at least with this hair, you’re less likely to know.”  

Gorin gasped in delight. “Wonderful, wonderful!  You have a sister?”

“Yes, she was actually granted similar powers from the same star.”  He put down his fork and drank some water.  “That’s why I’m here, actually.  I’ve been trying to get back into the tower where she’s still trapped in.”

Gorin made a clucking sound in sympathy while Dorin bravely reached over and patted Ryu on the hand.

“I believe you will reunite again.  There is an indescribable tie between siblings.”  He reassured Ryu and glancing at his brother affectionately.

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

One of the dwarves stood up on a nearby chair and called out to everyone to settle down.

“Today, we have been blessed with visitors from the outside world.”  

The dwarves raised their mugs and cheered to Ryu and the team.

The dwarf continued, raising his own mug.  “And they bring news that they have been in contact with our precious comrade Brock Thorin!”

They cheered even more, raising their mug.

The dwarf then grinned.  “Moreover, one of the adventurers is the chosen one who will dispel the darkness and fight the false God!”

The cheering was deafening as they stamped their feet and drank the whole mug in one go.  Ryu could see Zion cheer just as loud, dunking three mugs in his hand at one time.  Ryu wasn’t so sure about being expected to fight this darkness and dealing with a false God but he appreciated the sentiment and didn’t want to burst their bubble.  He just raised his own mug and cheered.

The dwarf on top of the chair quieted them down again.  “And to wish them luck on their journey, we will bless their weapons that have been bestowed by Anubis himself.”

They cheered again and the crowd separated to reveal three dwarves who walked towards Ryu and the team.  Ryu brushed at his pants and stood up alongside of his team, unsure of what was happening.  Kai caught his eye and smiled while Zion was still chugging more drinks at the other end.

The three dwarves stood before them and the middle one stepped forward and revealed a treasure box in his hands.  He opened it and Ryu could see another figure of Andromeda in that same iridescent blue stone that Brock had.  The other dwarves reached in and took out the figure.  On closer inspection, Ryu could see that although it was Andromeda, the pose was a bit different.  While Brock’s was a pose of Andromeda standing with her head raised to the sky, this figure was also standing but her head was lowered and her hands were spread out before her.  Her hands were open, facing the sky as if waiting to accept something.

The dwarf closest to Ryu walked over to stand before him.  Ryu wondered if he should kneel or say or do something but he could feel someone tugging at his shirt.

“Lower your head, Ryu.”  Dorin softly advised.

He did just that and he felt a warm glow over his head.  He also noticed it seemed to absorb into his armor, letting it ripple throughout before calming again.

There was a murmur of awe from the group while the dwarf did the same thing to Kai and the rest.  After that was done, they all looked back at the crowd and they cheered again.

“To the ones who fight against the Darkness!”

—

A few hours later, after more partying, Ryu wandered around the small city, admiring the steady structures, the small but cozy homes and even the plots of vegetation spread out across pockets of the city.  Before long, he found himself before what looked like a small archive.  Curious if there were more statues of Andromeda or literature abut her, he stepped inside, careful to duck his head while he entered.

The temple was empty, since most of the folks were back at the main house still partying.  He passed by several shelves of scrolls and leather bound books and made his way to the centre of the room where there was a statue of Andromeda.  He glanced up, admiring the way they captured her serene expression. He noticed one hand was placed over her heart while the other was holding onto a book.  He tilted his head to see if he could read the title of the book.

History of the Worlds

“It is the first record penned by the Star herself.”  

Ryu turned to find Dorin shyly looking at him from a few feet away, holding a book in his arms.  Ryu pointed to the book.  “Is that book kept anywhere here?”

Dorin shook his head.  “They say it was destroyed during the God wars.”  He sadly responded, placing the book back on the shelf and shuffling forward a bit.  “Bits and pieces were passed down between the tribes but most was lost.”

Ryu nodded.  “Is there any books in here about the Star herself?”

Dorin perked up and quickly nodded, his beard swinging.  Before Ryu could ask, he disappeared.  With a small smile, Ryu sat down on a stool nearby and waited patiently for Dorin to return.  He glanced at the open books on the table while he waited, noting drawings of various weaponry, smithing and even how to grow a garden under a mountain.  He was amazed to see they were thriving and doing well underneath the mountain and inside a tower despite everything. 

Ryu wondered if the God Ptah had deliberately been sheltering the dwarves all this time since they had no world to come back to.  He had great respect for a God who was willing to take in so many people when they seemed to have worries of their own.

A few minutes later, he could hear Dorin shuffling back and he was about to greet him when it wasn’t the dwarf he was looking for.  Instead a familiar grey and red tail swished by and Po glanced up at him.

“How did you get in here?”  Ryu asked him, leaning down to scoop him up but Po took a step back and made a small whining sound.  He glanced around, still not hearing Dorin come back.  “Where’s Mu?”

Po continued to whine, now tugging on his sleeve.

“Okay, okay I’ll come with you.  Just let me alert the team first.”

Po had other plans as a portal suddenly opened beside the statue of Andromeda.  A wind started to fill the place, the papers on the table nearby fluttering.  Ryu glanced at Po who was now whimpering and staring at the portal.  

Making a decision, he went back to the table, picked up a quill and quickly made a note on one of the blank parchment.  Putting the ink block on top of it to keep it secure, he scooped up Po and walked through the portal.