Chapter 175: A Divine Touch? [5] (1/2)
Chang Chang stepped out into the open space and breathed the cool cavern air. Immediately she felt better. The open space was a buzz of activity, as a couple dozen dwarves moved about, setting up tables and benches and rolling in casks of ale and cider. Shouts, jests, and laughter greeted her ears—a sharp contrast to the attitudes she'd glimpsed when she'd first come to the city, and a welcome relief after the oppressive silence and strange whisperings of King Laggarma's library.
”Careful with that! Aw, gods—here, let me help with it, I'm beggin' you.”
A wide smile spread across Chang Chang's face at hearing Dawoll's voice. The dwarven cook they first met inside the tunnel. He had been making delicious food for them. He followed a pair of dwarves carrying a large metal cauldron between them into the plaza. Thick, bubbling liquid sloshed in the pot, threatening to spill over onto the ground.
”Ignore him. He gets grumpy when his food's in peril.”
Chang Chang called to the other dwarves. Laughing, she hurried across the plaza, dodging ale casks and bumping into a woman carrying a handful of torches. Smiling an apology, she ran up to Dawoll..
”Hey!”
Dawoll spared her a wide grin, but it quickly turned sour when the dwarves plunked the cauldron down in the middle of the plaza. He bellowed.
”How's it going to feed three dozen mouths if you spill it all over the stones?”
In unison, the dwarves made a rude gesture and walked away. Chang Chang covered her mouth to keep from bursting into laughter. Gods it felt good to hold in laughter instead of worry and fear.
”What's all this? Are you cooking for the whole of Myria?”
She said, bending over to sniff at the brew in the cauldron. Burrowers meat juices, mushrooms, and broth—her mouth watered at the scents.
”Almost.”
Dawoll said. He affected weariness, but the pride was clearly discernible in his voice.
”Druya had me helping out with the wounded. We're set up in the Flamingaxe's old temple, and I was bringin' food over two, sometimes three times a day. I didn't really have anyone to cook for since Abron and Orban left, and Ongara spends all her time at the forge.”
Dawoll looked affronted.
”Well then, what do you think happens? Ongara shows up and wants me to help with the cookin' for her wedding feast. She said they weren't plannin' to have any food at all because of supply shortages. They were just goin' to drink. Then Ongara said since I loved to cook so much and had a bit of talent makin' a little bit of food go a long way, could I cook for her wedding?”
Dawoll's chest puffed up with pride.
”How could I say no to that? Not have a feast on a weddin' day—rubbish, that's what that is. I don't care if there's a battle comin'.”
”Of course. But what's this? Surely you're not cooking already.”
”Ah, this is just a test batch. Goin' to feed it to the wounded.”
He glanced anxiously in the direction the other dwarves had gone.
”Think they'll be comin' back soon?”
”Don't count on it. It's good to see you, Dawoll. I've missed your grousing and cooking.”
”Anything's better than that yaomo you're shut up with.”
The cook looked down at his hands. Something in his tone, the slump of his shoulders, caught Chang Chang's attention. Fear stirred in her belly.
”Is something wrong?” she asked.
”Nothin' to be worried about yet,”
Dawoll said hastily, but his guilty expression made Chang Chang's heart speed up.
”What is it? What have you heard, Dawoll?”
”Well …”
Dawoll hesitated, and then he uttered a weary sigh before continuing.
”You knew Abron and Orban had gone out with Ju Feng and a bunch of other soldiers to secure the Cavern of The Lost Souls.”
”Yes, I knew they were going on a scouting mission, but I thought they'd be back by now. What happened?”
Chang Chang waved a hand impatiently.
”Some scouts brought word a little while ago that they fought with the yaomo in the Cavern, and it was a big one. There was some kind of explosion, and it sealed off the tunnels between there and Myria.”
Dawoll replied.
”Explosion? What happened to Myria's forces? Were they caught in the blast?”
Chang Chang asked in succession as she felt lightheaded.
”Nobody knows. They're tunnelin' through to send reinforcements. We won't know anythin' until they clear the debris and make sure the tunnels are safe.”
”Ju Feng is with them. Why didn't you tell me about this sooner, as soon as you found out? We have to do something, go after them.”
Chang Chang didn't know why she said it. Of course, Dawoll knew that. She knew Ju Feng was a strong cultivated who could hold his own, but still, there were deadly forces everywhere that could threaten his life easily. Wujin was as deadly as they could be. Even the ascedants could fall in Wujin. The underground was also of no exception.