Page 57 of Shadow Throne King
“I am Tallu, patriarch of House Atobe, Dragon Chosen Emperor of the Southern Imperium. I am here to speak with the head of the Badger Guild, King of the Shadow Throne.” Tallu didn’t quite glare, but his expression was tight when he said, “Is there no welcome from Krustau?”
The dwarf smiled, the expression pulling wrinkles across his face, turning the badger painted on his skin into a snarl.
“The Shadow King has given me leave to offer you hospitality, as long as you obey our rules of it.” The dwarf raised his axe, bringing it down again. The stone bears shifted in position, kneeling, and holding out both of their claws as though cupping invisible bowls.
Tallu swung his leg off his saddle and walked over to the nearest bear. He removed a thin sword from his side, placing it in the bear’s sharp claws.
Asahi and Sagam did the same, removing their swords and daggers, even a small knife that I knew Asahi used mostly to slice open fruit.
I followed suit, taking off my wolf’s claw and the more obvious daggers. I glanced at the dwarf, hesitating. “I’m from the Northern Kingdom and unfamiliar with the customs of Krustau. Am I required to removeallof my weapons?”
“The laws of hospitality dictate that neither of us hold weapons in our hands. To have one on your person is to tempt fate, and there have been many heads removed because of a careless brush of a hand across a hilt.” The dwarf smiled again, and this time I caught a hint of curiosity in his eyes. He was wondering if he was going to get to remove my head before we even set foot in the Mountain Thrown Palace.
I removed two more blades, putting them inside the claws of the bear.
I had been trained to make weapons out of anything. If necessary, I could kill the king with my bare hands.
The dwarf raised his own axe, and Asahi and Sagam both tensed, but he merely placed it in one of the bear’s claws. Then he stamped his foot, and the bears closed their paws, effectively trapping our weapons in rock.
Turning, the dwarf waved his hand, gesturing for us to follow him. Tallu turned, grabbing the reins of his horse, but the dwarf waved him off.
“Leave them,” the dwarf said. “Horses don’t like the caves.”
He raised his foot again, stamping it down hard. The mountain split open in front of us. A massive bear head rose out of the ground, its jaws opening wide, revealing a cave.
“The Shadow King welcomes you to Krustau,” the dwarf said.
“We cannot leave our horses,” Tallu said. “They might die in our absence.”
The dwarf nodded, his eyes narrowed, as though he respected Tallu’s choice. He whistled, and two smaller men leapt down from trees further up the mountain, shouldering bows that were nearly as tall as them. It took me a moment to realize they were children, because their girth and features very closely resembled our guide’s.
It was only the height and the quickness of their movement that indicated how much younger they were than him.
“Care for the horses,” the dwarf ordered.
The boys approached, and my horse stepped back again, nervous at the sudden movement. I grabbed hold of the reins, keeping them tight, and the boy grinned at me.
He didn’t bow, and the lack of it was so strange after so long in the Imperium. Everything there resulted in a bow, the depthand position of the fingers so important that I found myself using it to judge a person more than I’d thought possible.
The boy accepted the reins from me and Asahi, his companion taking Tallu’s and Sagam’s mounts. They started up the path that we had been on beyond the bear arch.
“Come,” the dwarf said. “There is still much walking ahead if you wish to see Inor, the head of the Badger Guild, King of the Shadow Throne.”
He turned, walking into the mouth of the bear, and I followed behind. Sagam took several quick steps, managing to position himself between the dwarf and Tallu.
Inside the mouth of the bear, the walls were still made of the dark black stone, and we had to position our feet carefully not to slip on the path, which narrowed and widened unexpectedly. Our dwarven guide stopped and stamped his foot.
With a massive groan, the cave entrance collapsed down, effectively trapping us. We were left in darkness. I reached out, desperately searching for the wall of the cave, but my hand found nothing.
“Tallu?” I asked, reaching forward and grabbing hold of the fine fabric of his robe. He was continuing to move forward, taking each foot carefully, but when he felt the tug of my hand, he stilled.
“We cannot see,” Tallu said sharply.
Up ahead, there was a rough chuckle. “You cannot?”
Something dark moved against a brighter background, and I could begin to see the outline of Tallu as he shook his head.
Slowly, he seemed to brighten as my eyes adjusted to the dark. We were in a massive cavern large enough to hold a pair of elephants. The ceiling above was dripping with gemstones, and they were lit from within, casting a dim glow.