"They're friends," the prince uttered, smiling as if that was the most natural thing to do.
However, the dwarven guard, even with his helmet, was certainly eyeing the duo with suspicion. That made Naell nervous; he was not prepared to walk back, after all.
'Or maybe we could still catch our ride,' he thought.
Yet as Naell was about to elbow the prince, the guard nodded and said, "Welcome then, prince and friends."
"..."
As confusing as that was, Naell followed along, not minding the anti-climactic ending. He soon forgot about it, for upon entering the gates of Nonau, his gaze was taken by the tall expanse of the dream-like interior before him.
Some might argue that no matter how great the Nonauan empire seemed to be, unlike other kingdoms, their territory was limited to only one mountain.
Yet now Naell and Owly knew how wrong anyone would be to undermine the mighty race of dwarves. Rather, their territory was within the entirety of that colossal mountain and more, from its summit all the way down to its harshly stoned foot.
In that moment Naell and Owly felt as if they were inside a hidden fortress. Its walls still held the form of a cavern with its pitch black corners, yet all other inches of air had a bright glow of magic illuminating the place. Anyone who'd step foot within those gates would see they were in a kingdom-sized stone fortress rather than just a palace of riches.
Yet still, it certainly could be called a castle with its grandiose patterned hallway. Naell saw it sloping down and vanishing deep into the mountain as he gazed far in front of him.
Above them was an even greater marvel, a diamond filled roof where the sun seemed to bounce off of, subtly tinting the air with the warmth of the sun.
'I feel like I'm in Erebor...'
Even the walls that were made of natural carbonated and sulfate rocks seemed to have left Naell and Owly gawking. The interior truly felt as if it demanded respect for its history, strength, and stability.
Yet as impressive as that place was, other than the dwarven guards stationed at the entrance, no folks could be seen regardless of how vast it was.
Wondering why that might be, Owly inquired of Enitma, to which the prince replied, "Dwarves rarely dwell above."
"..."
They then walked some more before arriving at the end of the hall where a large staircase, ranging miles below, could be seen.
Like the walls, it was made of sturdy rock, while the handle was made of precious metal. Not far from each other, light stones were also in place, illuminating the hour-long walk they would have to make.
Naell immediately noticed the teleportation inscriptions approximately a mile apart. As tempted as he was to use it out of curiosity, he refrained from doing so as that would surely not end well.
Besides, he was actually enjoying the long descent. Likewise, so did Owly, as the view managed to mesmerize them both.
The castle of the royal dwarven family could clearly be seen. If the entrance exuded an impregnable wall, the royal abode was a city of gold and diamond that would surely put any palace to shame.
Not to mention, it was only part of a much wider castle. Yet the most impressive thing about it, not only was it extravagant and wide, but it was also so tall that it reached the highest elevation, clearly having its own entrance atop the mountain.
After some time, they finally arrived at the end of the stairs. What greeted them was a couple of dwarven knights and a mage for their arrival.
"Greetings, Prince Enitma and his friends. We will assist you to your abode."
The prince nodded while signaling Naell and Owly to follow. They were then escorted to a vehicle that made Owly more in awe.
"How can that be, HOOT?" he muttered.
It was the young owl's first time seeing a vehicle not moved by animals. Hearing his question, the dwarven mage then proudly explained the mechanics behind it.
"You must be Owly; we heard about you. You see, this way of transport is made of precious metal that can handle magic stones."
As far as the young owl knew, magic stones are basically conductors of power, used in inventions such as lights and modern cooking ware, most of which were made by Esquel Co.
While Owly discussed it with the dwarven mage, Enitma, amused, whispered to Naell, "You seem less surprised."
Naell only smiled. He actually felt nostalgic towards the vehicle they were in.
"So you're telling me it isn't fire magic that is powering the vehicle, HOOT?"
The dwarven mage felt more pride. He knew who Owly was, after all. He then replied, "Yes, do you want to guess more?"
As he said that, he not only looked towards Owly, but also towards Enitma and Naell.
The prince was clearly irked, yet he only said with a smile, "You have been my escort many times, sire mage, and many times I have failed to answer this question."
Of course, Enitma was not mad but just annoyed. Even the scholars in the Republic of Summer who have gone to Nonau could not know the reason or what is primarily powering the vehicle.
Naell also refrained from answering, only gesturing that he didn't know. Yet Owly clearly knew he was lying. Therefore, the young owl nagged at him until he had no choice but to answer.
"You don't need elemental magic, just mana."
Owly and Enitma were confused by his answer. Yet it seemed that it was correct as the dwarves were surprised. They then urged him to continue.
"You could perhaps use wind magic, but it's not efficient if you just need it for traveling here and there."
They were even more surprised as they never thought Naell could know about that. Adding wind magic to the vehicle was still a top-secret research that the empire was still researching, after all.
Of course, Naell didn't know that, so he continued, "What you just need is mana, or even aura, to generate motion."
"..."