“If she can do that, coming for the dwarves is more likely than ever. Do I have solid proof she will? No. But if you can’t see the writing on the wall, and you stay out of this fight, and I lose… you will have no one to blame but yourselves when she comes for you.”
More grumbling.
Time to appeal to that same dwarven pride.
“You have been shunned and pushed aside for generations, when in truth, elves should be your brothers!” Thatgot a few angry-sounding shouts against the elves. Good. “You have made a life for yourself down here, but if you help me now, if you win this fight, you can return to the forests of Seial, a true sky above you, equal with the elves and all races. Is that not what you have always wished for?”
Several cheers rose up… but not as many as I’d hoped for.
“Are you not sick of being treated as less than those who are your equals?”
A few more cheers, but also still far too many stoic faces out there.
“Now is the time to fight, to rejoin your brethren and all races on the surface and reclaim that which you lost so long ago!”
That was my big finish… but it got only scant applause and a few cheers.
Yikes.
Tough crowd.
“What if we fight with you and lose?” someone called out. “Valneaismad, and if we join you, shewilldefinitely come for us, but if we stay out of this?—”
“Then you’re only delaying the inevitable!” I shouted back.
“More time to prepare, and perhaps the elves will be worn down by then!” another yelled.
As I tried to find a comeback for that, someone else bellowed, “And are you not working with titans? Foul scum!”
And… there it was. Thousands of years of prejudice rearing its ugly head.
I wanted to shout back that titans were their brethren too, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me.
“Quit while you’re ahead,” Svokol whispered. “You’veconvinced some and given the rest something to think about. That is… the best we could have hoped for.”
I clenched my jaw to keep myself from screaming that I could do more, the dwarves could do more. I nodded at him and we left through a back entrance, leaving the dwarves to their debates.
We were quickly joined by a representative from the undines, dressed in flowing silks, her blue-pale skin shimmering with tiny scales. She bowed to me.
“Your words were moving,” she said, but as soon as she did, I sensed her hesitation, her careful compliment before she shot me down. “But the dwarves are a staunch people. They are safe for now and convincing them otherwise proves… difficult.”
“And the undines?” I asked directly.
She gave a sad smile and shook her head. “I will convey your words, but we, even more so than the dwarves are safe beneath our waves. The elves have no desire to conquer us. I fear we have little to gain from this fight.”
And I couldn’t even argue with that. She was probably right.
I sighed and tried not to look like someone had kicked my puppy.
“Thank you for your honesty,” I said.
The representative bowed and made her exit.
“Well, this was a bust.” I crumpled into a seat, head in hands.
“It was… the best we could have hoped for,” Koar rephrased it.
Svokol nodded his agreement.
