Even after seeing the dwarven technology and the picture as well as hearing the half-elf saying that Don is the successor of Dragon King he still couldn't trust the human to see his people's location.
In his mind, he was still thinking and imagining about the Dragon King as If the half-elf and Don were saying the truth, this could be the very first step towards reclaiming their former honor and glory but for now, he was unable to think about anything else because he and his people had a bigger concern than the human before him.
After a moment Stodemer decided to break the silence among them.
He still had his doubts in his mind and it showed in his voice while he spoke.
"We are living far away in the mountains " but before Stodmer continued the lion interrupted him.
Despite the fact, Don showed some shreds of evidence to prove himself that he's not a threat the dwarves seemed like they still didn't trust Don and Knight could see it in the eyes of the dwarves and Stodmer's voice.
"I know you still haven't trusted us but if we truly wanted to harm you and your people we would have done it by now also you heard the man right? If we didn't kill them you think you can face a great master and ten masters by yourself"
The dwarves looked at each other while Knight spoke, they knew they would have died by now if they faced them head-on, even though they were hotblooded they are not stupid.
After Knight spoke to the dwarves he turned to look at Uncle Dior, Uncle Dior already understood why Knight was looking at him at this point. Normally Uncle Dior would have shown some kind of disagreement with Knight and DOn to bring dwarves to the castle but after seeing the pitiful look of dwarves and the massacre Knight did a moment ago changed his mind.
Uncle Dior let out a long breath of sigh and said,
"Look I know how you feel now trust me I know, I and my people didn't trust Don first either but he proved that we could trust him and he's the reason I and my people are alive today instead of being dead or slaves "
Uncle Dior said as Stodmer and his group looked at Uncle Dior and Don without batting an eyelid.
"There's a force out there hunting other races like ourselves so if we didn't unite not we will be doomed and I saw the Dragon King himself chose Don to unite all of us if you care about your people you'll lead us to your people"
The moment Uncle Dior mentioned the other forces Stodmer's eyes betrayed him and he had a sudden realization.
"What forces?" Stodmer asked as his voice had a tinge of anger within it.
"You already met someone didn't you?" Don answered his question with his own question when he saw the faces of the dwarves when Uncle Dior mentioned other forces, their faces betrayed their inner thoughts.
"Someone in a black robe with an eagle symbol on his chest" At the moment Don described the mysterious black-robed mage dwarves clutched their fists so tightly in anger as Stodemer gritted his teeth and the veins on his forehead protruded.
"How did ye know boy?"
"Because he's the one ordered Minister Bryan to kill and capture the elves"
Don said and Stodmer looked at Uncle Dior to see him nodding his head.
"If you have already met him you don't have much time " Don said and looked at dwarves for their answers. If they still couldn't trust him he decided to leave them alone and let the mysterious mage do whatever he wants with these stubborn people.
However, the dwarves sighed and looked at Don,
"Yes we know at this point we don't have much choice other than hoping for a miracle, come with us"
Stodmer sighed and picked up his rusty axe on the ground and started to walk towards his village as Don, Knight and Uncle Dior closely followed them behind.
Eventually, after a long walk in the scorching sun Stodmer and his group reached their village, the dragon-shaped shadow was the only shade Uncle Dior got after this long walk. The gigantic dragon-shaped mountain stood tall before them as Don could see some small house-like structures.
The closer he got to the village the more he could see the other dwarves in the village, the village was not very well built but there were some weird machinery which Don had no idea what was it supposed to do, some dwarven children had a wooden board in their hands and a four-wheel carriage that ran without anything pulling it.
On the other side of the children stood a group of dwarven women with water pots as a machine pulled water from the ground and poured it into the pots without any force or magic.
However, the thing that attracted Don's attention the most was everyone seemed so weak and thin, they had no trace of happiness on their faces and all of them were walking towards something carrying some meat legs and water pots.
When the children playing saw the Stodemer and his group coming, their mouths curved to form a bright smile as they ran towards them shouting his name.
"Uncle Stodmer is back, mother Uncle Stodmer has returned" the children shouted towards the woman with the water pots as they jumped at Stodemer and hugged him while the woman walked to greet Stodmer and his group.
"Stop!!" some thick voice reached their ears as well as an arrow a couple of inches away from Don's feet.
Don didn't do anything as he just stood there, Stodmer looked at the direction of the voice while other dwarves started to round up his and Don's group with hand made weapons in their hands.
"Grandfather," Stodmer said while Don saw an old man with a white beard with a crossbow walking towards Stodmer and him, the old man seemed very tired and weak but he kept his crossbow aimed at Don steadily without any shake.
"Stodmer why tha hell did ye bring a human an' a half-elf ta our village?"
The old man asked Stodmer with gritted teeth.
"Grandfather 'afore I explain everything do ye recognize these" Stodmer heard most of the Dragon King's stories from his grandfather since he was a child so he knew his grandfather could make sure that the items had given to him by Don were fake or not but far as he knew they were the real deal.
The old man was stepped closer to Stodmer with his crossbow aimed at Don however the moment he laid eyes on the items in Stodmer's hands he dropped the crossbow.
"How where did ye get these?" the Oldman was trembling as he took the Khal from Stodmer's hands and looked at it closely as his eyes went wide and before he said anything Stodemer showed the picture of Dragon King to the old man.
"My king" the Oldman dropped to his knees with the picture in his hands, Stodmer never saw his grandfather like this before this is the first time he's seen his grandfather crying.
Stodmer put his hands on the Oldman's shoulder to reassure him, the Oldman slowly wiped away his tears and looked at Stodmer while still shivering.
"He gave o' of this grandfather" Stodmer pointed towards Don to the Oldman as the Oldman turned to see Don but before the Oldman asks Don anything, Stodmer started to tell him everything including the fact that he's claiming to be the successor of the Dragon King.
Don just stood there while the Oldman looked at him with wide eyes occasionally as Stodmer telling him everything, the dwarven woman seemed afraid and the children however looked at him and Knight with curiosity on their faces, some of them even slowly stepped forward towards Knight but pulled back by their mothers.
Finally, after a few minutes of telling the Oldman everything he saw and heard, Stodmer looked at his grandfather for his response. The Oldman didn't say anything as he stepped forward near Don and looked directly into his eyes and asked
"Be it true that ye be tha successor o' me king?"
"Yes" at the moment he said the dwarves around him started to murmur and looked at him with shock and surprise.
The Oldman breathed a sigh
"'en ye have nae problem proving it by meeting our guardian right?"
"Grandfather!"
"Grandpa!"
"What!?"
Not only Stodmer everyone heard the Oldman shouted in shock but the Oldman raised his hands and stopped them from saying anything else and looked at Don for his answer.
"No, I will meet your guardian" Don had no fear or doubts in his mind and also he had already heard something about a guardian from Catalie but she didn't know many things about the guardian.
"Follow this path into the cave and you'll meet our guardian," the Oldman said and pointed towards the cave where some elves carried meat and food before.
Don just nodded and started to walk but before Knight and Uncle Dior could step forward to follow Don they were stopped by the Oldman
"Only he shou' go" the Oldman said to Knight, Knight wanted to disagree but seeing Don, Knight knew he chose to meet the guardian alone.
Knight and Uncle Dior stood there without moving and saw Don walking into the caravan and disappearing into the darkness of the cave, the Oldman sighed and slowly walked towards Stodmer leaving Knight and Uncle Dior.
"Grandfather, be this a good idea?" Stodmer whispered to the Oldman.
"Don't worry even with her condition she can burn one great master easily if he's nae tha successor that be" the Oldman said and looked at the cave without batting an eyelid.
Don was walking into the cave for some time but he couldn't see where the guardian is the Oldman spoke about but he could feel the heat in the cave steadily rising as he moved forward as well as a sound of a growl.
Finally, after a few minutes of walk Don was able to see some light before him and fasten his pace towards the light, the closer he got to the light the more heat he felt and the growling sound got closer.
At the moment Don reached the other side of the cave his heart skipped a beat and his body stiffened in shock.
"Dragon"