Chapter 9: Dread Wars
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      "I always loved hearing stories.  Perhaps that's why I write them
from my own life.  It seems that now I have so many to tell.  But the
stories of the past were always the best.  Yet they were never quite
complete.  You could see what happened, but not always why. 
      "Many answers are difficult to find.  Sometimes, however, they
lie just beneath the surface.  To my surprise, that is just as literal
as it is figurative."

      *      *      *      *      *      *      *      *      *

      "Welcome, Kindar, to Tomra!  It has been generations since a human
has visited our people.  Many will be pleased to see they have returned."
      "I'm not sure that humans have returned to the underworld for good.
As I said, I found myself trapped here.  As far as I know, I am the only
one to have such a thing happen," said Kindar.
      The dwarf thought a moment.  "Well, it is no matter.  Still you
are among us, friend Kindar!  The people will be overjoyed to hear 
news of the overworld!"
      "Well..."
      "Gimet."
      "Well, Gimet, I'm afraid that I really don't know what has
happened on the surface too recently," said the man quietly.
      Gimet stopped and looked at the man.  "Do you know of the tremors?"
      "Well, yes.  They shook the lands above and decimated the world
all over.  The water has risen to land, and land has fallen to water.
Trees stood barren and fighting for life in soil that is rock and clay.
Many creatures perished.  Perhaps entire groups of them.  But I do not 
know the reason for all of this."
      Gimet said, "Well, Kindar.  Then you can tell us of what you know.
Over 500 years have passed since the parting of humans and dwarves.
500 years since the Dread Wars."
      "Dread Wars?"
      Gimet turned to a door and pushed it open for the man.  Kindar 
looked at the building.  It was stone as was most of the dwarven world.
A wooden sign hung over the doorposts announcing the inn.  "Come inside,
man.  We can relax and talk of this inside.  I would offer you my home,
but I have no room.  I am sure, however, the innkeeper will gladly give
you rest for the night and likely for as long as you wish."
      Kindar nodded and entered.  A dwarf sat behind a stone desk, 
writing on slips of paper.  His beard was quite gray and, though full,
very fine.  He wore thick glasses, and they nearly flew off when the man
approached.  "Hi-Ho!  Gimet!  A human!  Well, I don't believe!  Where'd
you come from, young'n?"
      "Name's Kindar.  I was taken underground, and searching for a way
to return, I found myself here.  Gimet says you can put me up for a 
time."
      More nimble than Kindar thought someone that old could be, the
older dwarf leapt from his chair and grabbed his hand and led him off.
"Sure!  Sure!  Come with me!  Best room in the place!  Don't get many 
travelers.  I can put you up!  Haven't had humans in here for nigh
550 years!  Hmmm..."  He stopped a moment.  "Don't even remember the
last one."
      Kindar started.  "You've been around that long?"
      "Well, sure!"
      Gimet put a hand on the man's shoulder.  "This is an incredible
dwarf, Kindar.  He's lived longer than anyone could've ever dreamed.  
His father owned this inn 600 years ago.  When we closed the rift,
Tamar, here, swore he wouldn't rest until the humans returned.  He's
lived by sheer will, I guess."
      "It's right eating, I tell you!  If all you little snips would
just stay away from the rock candy, I tell you, you'd be older than I
am!" said the elder waving a fist in the air.
      Gimet said, "I understand, Tamar."  He smiled and opened the
door for Kindar.  "I believe this is the room, isn't it, Tamar?"
      "Yes, yes...  I'll be up later this evening, Kindar, to see
if there's anything I can get you."  With that, he stepped back and
nearly flew down the stairs.
      Kindar nodded.  "Lively."
      Gimet laughed.  "Oh, quite.  You never are sure just what Tamar
will do next."  The mood became a little more serious as the two sat
down.  "Truly, though, Kindar.  Do you not know of the Dread Wars?"
      The man shook his head.  "I don't believe so.  Tell me about
them.  What brought them about and what happened?"
      "That, man, was something that we hoped you could tell us.
More than 500 years ago, Kindar, men began to thirst for more.  More
power.  More magic.  More of everything."
      Kindar nodded again.  "The War of the Magi, then."
      "If that is what the humans choose to call it.  The dwarves
fought to stop these madmen.  We used our might to smash them to the
ground, but it was not enough.  We didn't have the magic, Kindar.  
We couldn't stand against them.  We would win the battles against their
forces always, but we could not defeat the men themselves.
      "Then came the machines.  Infused with the power of the espers,
we had no hope against them.  We couldn't fend them off.  We tried to
combat them, but there was no hope for us.  Yet we warred anyway.  We
were determined to prevent these men from taking over all.
      "But not all of us.  Not every dwarf supported the King.  There
was one especially.  Minas.  He was a dynamic speaker and had much 
influence among the people.  He used this to sway the people to his
view.  He didn't want to fight any longer.  'This is not our war!' he
would say.  'Leave the battle to the humans!  They began this!  Let
them fight their own wars!'
      "The king couldn't have it.  He spoke back against Minas, but
the people were tired of battle, Kindar.  They supported Minas.  They
believed him.  They rallied around him.  The king was a fair dwarf.  He
would not do anything against his rival, but his word was still law.
He supported those who would put away these madmen from the surface.
      "But his health failed him.  The constant pressure from the
war and from Minas and his following was too much.  He fell sick to 
disease and could no longer run the land.  Within a few weeks, he 
perished.  Without an heir, there was no clear successor to his
throne.  The people, however, made their choice.  They pushed Minas 
above all others to rule over them.  Under his command, all dwarves
returned from the surface, and the rift was sealed.  The dwarves 
would no longer associate with humans.  They felt that they should
finish their own.  That we would be safe away from the battles above.
      "Many still do not agree with the choices that were made so
long ago, but they were made.  And we live with them to this day.
But we wish to know, human.  There has been no way to know.  What
was the result of the Dread Wars?  Mankind has obviously survived,
but what happened then?  What has happened until now?"
      Kindar leaned back and began to speak...