Omega's Rebirth

~Inner Citadel Of the Hidden City, The Dwarven Empire~

The inner citadel of the hidden city, a strong and impenetrable fortress with it’s exact location unknown to the world above the surface.

It was the heart of the Dwarven civilization and up until this moment there was no known successful conquest on the hidden city and this was because just as it’s name implied, the hidden city was truly situated at an unknown location.

Not even the maps could accurately tell where the hidden city lay, all that was known was a general location based off of the mine outposts of the Dwarven civilization.

Some rumors had it that the inner citadel had a mystical ability to shift it’s own location and crumble it’s own entrances, so it was impossible to track.

Other rumors told that the citadel was situated on a magical dimension plane and was not truly underground as was believed, hence why it seemed impossible to locate.

However such rumors were most likely fallacies, spread by those hoping to deter enemies from daring an attack on the strongest fortress of the hidden city.

Azkar would know, it had taken him great efforts back in the day but he had tracked down the inner citadel of the hidden city and now he knew it like the back of his hand.

Halls and halls with low hanging ceilings that appeared to hover right above,

Made from rough hewn stones and dirt, each hall was identical in shape and appearance, like an exact replica of the other and it was the same for as far as one could walk and as often as one would turn.

These were the halls that formed the Dwarven King’s abode, bordered on the surface by one of the most treacherous mountains known in the parts.

Yet below was a glorious city, a city submerged in the depths of the earth, home to the greatest craftsmen and miners yet the crudest specie to walk the realms, the Dwarven race.

And it was precisely within these halls that Azkar found himself, walking at a leisure place, his arms crossed behind his back.

Azkar had traded his ever present black cloak for a sleeveless vest, the temperature within these tunnel like halls and the large smithing fires at the inner caverns would not allow for his usual apparel.

But of course, his black mask was intact over his face. Azkar did not think there were more than a handful who could claim to have seen his true features and if he had anything to do with it, Azkar would want it to remain that way.

He was one who existed and yet did not, one who was of the living yet should have been long dead... the world did not have a place for one like him.

But it did not matter much, it never had. Azkar had always known he would build his own world and with every day that passed, he felt even closer to his goal.

Azkar had even come down to the depths of the earth, communing with a race he greatly detested all for his purpose, failure was not even an option.

Azkar paused in his step and glanced about his immediate surrounding, for a moment he had to wonder if he had gone down the wrong path.

But looking around was not so great of a help since every hallway was perfectly identical and it was almost impossible to tell one from the other.

As always, Azkar relied solely on muscle memory to lead him down the right path to the only place he could catch even a breath of air in this sweltering hot desolation.

Azkar’s thoughts were interrupted when his attention was drawn by a group of patrolling dwarven guards.

"My Lord Azkar." One of the dwarves greeted warily, the entire group maintaining a safe distance from Azkar.

A small smirk tilted Azkar’s lips as he recalled the last time a dwarf had made the great mistake of getting too close to him.

Or the other time when he was addressed wrongly by another... which had been a rather tragic choice of last words.

Azkar said nothing in response to the greeting, he was not one who would ever waste his words with those he considered unworthy.

"My King requests your presence." The guard continued when he realized Azkar would say nothing in response.

"Does he now?" Azkar murmured, more to himself than to the dwarf as he strode past, having no plans to change his destination.

The dwarven king was an ally, this was true and Azkar would indeed honor his request, but it would be at his own time and not a moment before.

As Azkar walked, he suddenly came to a halt again, tilting his head to the side slightly.

There was a nagging feeling that had begun a long while ago in the back of Azkar’s mind and it only grew stronger as time passed, even when Azkar pointedly ignored it or at least attempted to.

This nagging feeling was his mind recognizing a familiar presence, it was only that it was impossible for that presence to truly be here.

This was not the first time Azkar’s mind played tricks on him, it had become a frequent occurrence since that chanced meeting,

And so Azkar could not help but wonder how far his mind planned to go with this...how much it would demand of him if he explored it.

But Azkar was never one to shirk from the unknown, all that was uncertain only held with it a deadly beauty... Just the way Azkar had always liked it.

"Perhaps after this is over, I would pay her a visit...offer her the head of a dragon lord as a gift to make acquaintance... she would not turn me down, would she?" Azkar murmured to himself before he shook his head slightly.

"Should I chance upon her again... then I would take it to be fate. And what does one say to fate?...Do your will." Azkar murmured, a sinister grin resting on his lips.