Chapter 180: A Divine Touch [10] (1/2)

”The others are regrouping.”

Orban said as more lights kindled around the cavern, revealing dwarves moving around the battlefield, tending to the wounded and collecting the dead.

”We need to be on the move, see how bad the tunnels are.”

”We'll have a lot of digging ahead of us.”

Abron said, opening his eyes abruptly. His voice was clear and free of pain.

”Moradin knows we'll need every hand we can spare to get us back to the city.”

”This attack was just a decoy, a distraction. Their target is the sphere, not the city itself. By now they must know Gallazza's failed to get it, so they'll attack the city directly.”

Ju Feng said, checking his body.

”Then we dig fast. My hands are healed, and heavens tears, I know how to move the earth. Moradin gave me a second chance to do what I do best.”

Abron said. He glanced at Orban.

”And you—you have my thanks. When you touched me, I saw—”

”So did I.”

Orban interrupted before continuing.

”Things we didn't mean for the other to see. I won't speak of them, I promise you.”

Abron looked puzzled.

”Or maybe we were meant to speak of them. Whatever's inside you, it touched me, and it wasn't death. You shouldn't be afraid of your power.”

Abron started to reply, to dismiss the dwarf's point, but he hesitated under the scrutiny of Abron's gaze. The dwarf had seen inside of him, his memories and fears. Lies and dismissals couldn't hide the truth from him. He looked at Orban who raised his hand to halt to him.

”Everyone I've ever let close has turned from me. You saw it for yourself, in my memories. The spellscar made my bones brittle and brought me so close to death that it became a part of me. I can measure your life force just by touching you, I believe.”

”Bah, that doesn't mean you cause death, Orban”

Abron said.

”You touched me, and I felt warmth, not ice. You brought me back from the brink, cleared my head, and let me reach out to our ancestral source. That's worth something, Orban.”

”What if you were in my place? What if you'd known before it happened that your wife was going to die?”

Orban challenged him.

”I did know.”

Abron said flatly. Beside him, Urmen, who'd been quietly watching the two, put his hand on his father's arm.

”You didn't see all the memories. I didn't know it on the day she got sick, but soon after, I saw it. I read it in her eyes. You don't always have to have magic to know when you're looking death in the face.”

Ju Feng looked at Orban, staring into his son's eyes. He realized then that Orban had his mother's eyes.

”Knowing what I knew didn't taint the time we had left,” Abron went on. ”I wouldn't let it.”

”This isn't the same.”

Orban said softly, and then turned to Ju Feng.

”I know you don't want me to speak of what I saw in your mind. I won't talk about the girl, but you can't run from yourself. You know what your future holds. The darkness that follows you. The death that comes. Now, the girl.”

”Her choice. I trust her.”

Ju Feng said, and this time it was his own body that felt like ice. Ju Feng stared at Orban. The gruff, taciturn dwarf actually smiled at him. It was a faint, tremulous expression, and completely out of place on the warrior's face, but then again, nothing made sense on this battlefield. Ju Feng had never dreamed he'd be sitting with these two dwarves in the middle of a war, talking about his hopes, fears, and loves.