After carefully stowing the half fragment of the Eye of Gruumsh, Titus lowered his head and said somberly to the dwarven prince, "Zayn, the details... His Majesty Ed should have explained everything to you, yes?"
Zayn nodded gravely. "Yes, Lord Titus. From now on, we dwarves will follow you and obey your commands."
Titus shook his head. "We are merely mutually beneficial allies; there is no hierarchy between us, nor are you dwarves my servants."
The ancient gold dragon gazed at the dwarven prince, whose features bore a resemblance to Ed's, and sighed softly. "His Majesty Ed... he is a brave and selfless dwarf, and my friend. I will do everything in my power to fulfill what he entrusted to me and shelter your people."
Zayn bowed his head hurriedly, his tone full of respect. "Lord Titus, on behalf of the shield dwarves, I offer you our heartfelt gratitude."
The ancient gold dragon turned and walked toward the cave mouth. "Follow me. It is time to relocate your kin."
"Yes."
With that, the ancient gold dragon and the dwarf stepped out of the Lonely Mountain vault into the open air.
Titus said, "The armies of the Cinder Empire could strike at any moment. We must complete the evacuation as quickly as possible and move your people to safety."
To waste no time, Titus lifted Zayn with his massive talons, flapped his draconic wings, soared into the sky, and glided down toward the foot of the Lonely Mountain.
At this moment, the base of the mountain was teeming with dwarves. They jostled and chattered in a noisy commotion, visibly anxious and uneasy.
"Where is Prince Zayn taking us?"
"I heard them say... we won't be coming back? Are we really leaving Evindeldan behind?"
"What on earth happened? Where is His Majesty Ed? Could it be... the orcs are invading again?"
Suddenly, a dwarf cried out in alarm and pointed toward the sky.
"Look!"
"It's Lord Titus!"
"And Prince Zayn! They've come to fetch us!"
The dwarves all raised their heads to the sky and erupted into enthusiastic cheers.
The ancient gold dragon spread his broad wings, gliding down from the peak with their prince. He cast a colossal shadow over the earth, enveloping the crowd beneath.
Titus, the "Wings of Dawn"—he was the great dragon who had saved Evindeldan, and the staunchest ally of the dwarven race!
As the shadow grew ever larger, someone shouted, "Wait, they're coming down!"
"Clear some space! Make room for Lord Titus and Prince Zayn to land!"
The dwarves shoved and squeezed together, finally clearing an open space at the foot of the mountain so the ancient gold dragon could touch down smoothly.
Dust swirled as powerful gusts blew past. Under the reverent, fervent gazes of the dwarves, the ancient gold dragon landed gracefully on the ground with Zayn.
Titus instructed, "Zayn, speak to them."
He then set Zayn down on a tall boulder, using it as a podium for the prince.
Standing on the rock, Zayn swept his gaze across the varied dwarven faces. Most of them were weaker folk—the elderly, children, and women.
—Even though female dwarves also had full beards, sturdy bodies, and voices gruffer than those of burly human men, in Zayn's eyes, they were still quite "delicate."
Under the focused gaze of tens of thousands of dwarves, Zayn couldn't help tightening his grip on the Hammer of Bedrock. The mountain-heavy weight of responsibility pressed down on his shoulders, making it difficult to breathe.
Ever since childhood, Zayn had idolized his father, Ed, making it his lifelong ambition to become a great king.
Yet now that this moment had truly arrived, Zayn still felt a sense of unreality.
After a moment of silence, the dwarven prince upon whom so many hopes rested finally spoke, his tone somber and measured: "Everyone, I have gathered you here today to evacuate Evindeldan and travel to a safe haven under Lord Titus's protection."
"King Zayn, must we truly leave this place?"
"Then... then what about our kin remaining in Evindeldan?"
"My family has lived in the Blackstone Mountains for generations! How can we just leave everything behind...?"
"Where are we supposed to go, anyway?"
Zayn's voice was heavy yet resolute and ringing: "The Highland Dwarf Kingdom is about to face an overwhelmingly powerful foe. Even my father... cannot be certain of holding Evindeldan. The duty my father entrusted to me is to lead you in a temporary evacuation from this land, so that even if Evindeldan falls, the Mountain Kingdom will endure!"
"Prince Zayn..."
Looking down upon his dwarven kin, Zayn's eyes were resolute—these people would be his subjects.
From this day forth, the lives, livelihoods, and futures of these tens of thousands of clansfolk would depend on him. Whether the glorious history of the Mountain Kingdom and the great civilization of the shield dwarves would carry on rested entirely on his choices.
Beside Zayn, Titus wore an equally solemn expression, yet inwardly he was gloating.
Not only had he secured the entire inheritance of the Mountain Kingdom, but he had also roped tens of thousands of dwarves into unpaid labor for him. Truly, a win-win arrangement.
—Naturally, "win-win" meant Cassius won twice.
"Roaaar—"
Clear, resonant draconic roars drifted from above. Several gold dragons circled in the sky before landing one after another before the ancient gold dragon, bowing their heads respectfully.
"Senior Titus, we have arrived at the command of the Gold Dragon Council."
These gold dragons were mostly adults nearly twenty meters long, yet their builds were slightly more slender than typical gold dragons.
Their scales were densely inscribed with runes. Their talons wore bracelets forged of adamantine and mithral, their scales were studded with glittering gemstones, and some even wore robes.
Their identity was unmistakable—spellhoarders among the gold dragons.
To make amends for the Gold Dragon Council's "inaction" in the last war, the Gilded Sage Crassus had thrown his full support behind the dwarven relocation, dispatching several spellhoarding gold dragons.
Relocating tens of thousands of dwarves all at once was far beyond the capability of ordinary wizards. However, the spellhoarding gold dragons sent by the council each possessed the spellcasting caliber of archmages, augmented by the innate magical capabilities of gold dragons.
"So many gold dragons?"
"By Moradin... I've never seen so many gold dragons gathered in one place!"
"As expected of Lord Titus! Truly worthy of the Wings of Dawn!"
The dwarves looked up in astonishment at the dragons descending from the sky, murmuring in sincere awe. Even Zayn was visibly stunned.
Titus nodded slightly and instructed in a calm voice, "Very good. Thank you for your assistance. Begin constructing the portal."
"Understood."
The spellhoarding gold dragons answered in unison and gathered together. The runes etched across their scales shone brilliantly, radiating the auras of spatial magic.
To low Draconic incantations, the Weave resonated. Space gradually warped and folded until a translucent portal dozens of meters high materialized before the spellhoarding gold dragons.
*Gate* (Draconic)
The destination of this portal was the sanctuary Cassius had carefully prepared for the dwarves—Demiplane 054, also known to the empire's colonists as the "Volcanic Secret Realm."
This demiplane lay at the convergence of the Elemental Plane of Fire and the Elemental Plane of Earth. It had formed just over a decade ago following a violent elemental explosion, and was discovered only months ago by an expeditionary force led by the imperial colonial governor, Serkan.
The demiplane was rich in precious ores and magical gemstones—an unexploited virgin territory of immense value.
Yet the empire had been in no rush to develop it, and very few knew its planar coordinates. After all, their manpower in the Elemental Plane of Fire was already stretched thin; rushing in risked leaking news and inviting rivals to contest it.
Now, the dwarves' evacuation offered a prime opportunity. These dwarves from the Mountain Kingdom had no contact with the outside world and sought only refuge.
Moreover, they excelled at mining ore and forging weapons, would obey Titus's directives, and would provide free labor for the empire. They were absolutely the perfect choice to dispatch there.
*Whoosh—*
The spellhoarding gold dragons' chanting drew to an end, leaving a colossal golden portal before the dwarves, opening into an unknown, mysterious realm.
The dwarves stood before the massive portal, hesitating to enter. Generation after generation had lived in the Blackstone Mountains, relentlessly mining, smelting, forging... They had never imagined leaving this place.
Departing their familiar homeland, what sort of future awaited them? The dwarves could not fathom it.
The dwarven prince—or rather, the future Lord of the Mountain—stood before the portal with a churning heart. He turned back to look upon his clansfolk, their expressions varied and troubled.
Could he truly lead them to preserve the Mountain Kingdom?
Could he... truly become a great king like his father, Ed?
Zayn did not know.
*Wooo—*
A distant horn call echoed from Evindeldan. Zayn recognized it as the rallying horn.
Only during total war, when every dwarven warrior in the kingdom had to be summoned, would that immense horn be sounded, its blare ringing across the entire Blackstone Mountains.
Hearing that echoing call and the chaotic clatter of the ram cavalry's hooves, the face of his father, Ed, resurfaced in Zayn's mind, along with the parting charge given to him.
With that thought, Zayn gripped the Hammer of Bedrock tightly and whispered in a voice only he could hear, "Rest easy, Father... I will ensure the Mountain Kingdom endures."
The dwarven prince turned around, fixed his resolute gaze upon the portal, and strode inside under the watchful eyes of countless dwarves.
"Everyone, let us move."
Led by Zayn, the dwarves behind him stepped into the portal one by one with trembling, uneasy hearts.
Traversing the spatial passage, Zayn emerged before a sweeping range of majestic volcanoes that loomed like molten colossi. Exposed ores covered the landscape everywhere, beneath a sky suffused in vibrant orange.
—It was an entirely new demiplane.
"By Moradin, that such a place exists..."
Zayn could not help murmuring in wonder. Having spent his entire life in the Blackstone Mountains, he had never seen a landscape so rugged, majestic, and awe-inspiring.
The ancient gold dragon stepped through the portal into the demiplane after them and said, "Zayn, this will be your new home. This is a demiplane I discovered several years ago. It is brimming with precious ores and well-suited for dwarves to inhabit. I call it... the Volcanic Secret Realm."
Zayn said, "Lord Titus, I can never adequately repay your kindness. What... what do you need our shield dwarf clan to do for you?"
Feeling the hot wind against his scales, Titus replied, "Just follow your father's wishes. Settle here in peace, thrive and grow strong, and gather your strength until the day you take back Evindeldan."
Zayn shook his head and said firmly, "Lord Titus, you have done far too much for us. Not only did you help us repel the orcs, but you have also relocated our people and provided us a home. We truly cannot thank you enough. As you know, dwarves are never an ungrateful race. Toward our benefactors, we must offer repayment."
Titus pondered for a moment, then said, "Well, if you insist... I will not be shy. I plan to organize a military alliance to resist the evil dragon, but we are currently short on weapons, equipment, and sufficient funds. How about this? Of the precious metals and gemstones you unearth from these volcanoes, keep sixty percent to develop your own strength, and turn over forty percent to the future Anti-Dragon Alliance. What do you think?"
Zayn nodded and answered solemnly, "Lord Titus, resisting the evil dragon's tyranny is something we dwarves ought to do in the first place. How about this: once the new Mountain Kingdom stabilizes, we will keep only thirty percent for ourselves and surrender the remaining seventy percent to you and your military alliance. Furthermore, we shall forge the finest weapons for you..."
"Such terms are far too harsh on you." Titus frowned on the surface and shook his head, looking as though he were reluctant to take undue advantage.
Yet Zayn replied resolutely, "Lord Titus, this is not merely to repay you, but also for my father and for the Highland Dwarf Kingdom. Resisting the evil dragon's tyranny and reclaiming Evindeldan will become the duty and obligation of every shield dwarf. Even if we must give our all, it will be worth it! We will comb through these volcanoes to unearth the most precious materials and rarest metals..."
Hearing this, Titus sighed, yet nodded anyway. "Then let it be as you say, Zayn. I believe your father will be proud of you..."
Yet in his heart, he was quietly overjoyed. In this day and age, who would have thought people would rush to become beasts of burden?
He wondered what kind of mood these dwarves would be in when they finally realized that, after toiling day and night to fight the evil dragon, every fruit of their labor had gone straight into the evil dragon's maw.
"Father..."
Thinking of his father and of Evindeldan facing impending war, Zayn felt his heart ache with longing and reluctance.
Looking around at the surrounding landscape, the dwarven prince silently resolved that he would make the Mountain Kingdom flourish anew here. He would lead his people to build a new city and transform these rolling volcanoes into a dwarven homeland.
One day, he would return to the Material Plane with his head held high, leading the finest dwarven army clad in peerless gear to reclaim their ancestral home.
Ahead of the dwarves lay a brand-new future, the first light of dawn—just like the title of their gold dragon ally.
And Titus the gold dragon was likewise filled with anticipation.
The free miners had finally arrived.
Chapter 639