I had to give Kate some time to recover and she moved into the "ruined" castle but it was quite cozy with painted shutters, canopies and lots of cushions and a dining room reproducing our pre-cataclysm home.

All of her familiar items could be saved or reproduced, some adapted to her size and new physique.

It was better than nothing and she could go and calm down

Star and Waspy stayed nearby to comfort her. Cabal was filming me and she could follow me through the network of cameras in the base.

She could see my hard work and follow plans.

Kate: "Star, what is Hans doing now?"

"My dear mistress, your husband is preparing a meeting with representatives of the dwarf people, our future allies. He is going to offer them energy in exchange for metallurgy..."

Kate: "But why is he doing all this?"

Star: "We are at war!... The Elf and Fairy people are bent on destroying everything that touches our ancient world.

Kate: "At war???? Are they going to attack us?"

Star: "I'm afraid so..."

Kate: "But why?"

Star: "The very last representatives of the human species are coming back from a mining colony. They have been drifting for centuries and when a communication antenna was re-established, their ship was able to hang up the beacon and head for earth. If they arrive at the wrong place, we fear for their lives and all hope will be over for humanity."

Kate then began to understand her husband's desperation and relentlessness.

In the end, he wasn't that crazy...

"Star, do you think we can survive?"

"Statistically, the armed force is on our side, but the enemy is powerful and has mystical forces. So far we have nothing to worry about, your husband is reclaiming the northwest."

Kate: "But why not the coast? the cities?"

"The resources are in the mountains and for the moment we need minerals for the Repressor"

Kate: "What is it?

Star: "I think it's better for your husband to explain it to you, but it's an interstellar ship, a super-cruiser, also aircraft carrier"

Kate: "But this is insanity!"

She shook her head, not accepting the situation.

Kate: "Cabal, show me the outside world.."

And she could see the desolation of the advanced ruined cities, being only a pile of rubble and rock walls.

One could see other places, greener with some fantastic animals strolling along the rivers and villages with mushroom-shaped houses, inhabited by gnomes under surveillance.

One could also see the dwarf fortress to the east.

Kate could feel the energy returning to her and was beginning to get used to the way her body moved.

Meanwhile, I left, escorted by a dozen flying robots and landed in front of the dwarf fortress.

On either side, massive dwarf statues watched the sunset and the access to the top was by stairs carefully carved in the dwarf lord's chain mail.

But in front of the main entrance, there were two huge doors carved in gothic arches and on the sides, lots of small openings revealing loopholes where crossbowmen were waiting for a violent gesture from me to attack.

Of course, I wasn't risking anything but you never know.

My robots were scattered and aimed at the openings, having spotted their heat signature beyond the rock.

Then Raldur came out, followed by an escort and waved.

The doors shook for a moment, the accumulated dust and stones made it complain with a dull creak.

And the doors, weighing several dozen tons, began to move. Certainly by a set of pulleys and counterweights.

I was also interested in all these mechanisms and when I entered, I could not but admire the fineness of the details and the well greased gears.

I was invited into a large hall where above was a throne at the same level as my head.

Another Dwarf, older, with a bigger beard, but white this time, and wearing a punk-like crest, was sitting there.

I surveyed the great hall and the place made my breath catch.

Then I cleared my throat.

"Lord Cranedur, I presume!"

And I nodded my head, downward, not taking my eyes off the dwarf.

To me, it was a mouse for a snake... but I had to negotiate.

The dwarf jumped from his throne and approached me via a mezzanine and my muzzle was only a few feet from his head.

"Lord Carnage..."

And the dwarf king bent a knee.

"I thank you for rescuing Raldur. He is my son, prince of the cave dwarf people."

Then he stood up, hands behind his back, then one in the back of his neck and he didn't know where to start. Everything was intense, difficult and different.

"Lord Cranedur, as I announced, I propose an alliance between us, the rest of the human and dragon people and the dwarf people, well your mountain people"

Cranedur was at a loss and all his lands had been taken over by the elves and this was the last stronghold he held.

"We have lost the war...." he spat.. There are too many of them. There are thousands of them and a handful of us..."

"Don't lose hope... They distrust me now but not you.

So, you're going to get as many enemies together as possible, like for a final extermination battle.

I want tens of thousands of elves storming the mountain."

"Their mages will lift the mountain over us..." the dwarf replied.

"I want you to survive, I need your skills.

I bring you victory and you bring me forged and cast pieces. "

But our forges are out...

"I can blow them back on..."

The dwarf straightened, pale.

"And the veins of lava are under your feet now..."

No. 2, my technical golem will assist you in equipping and revolutionizing your forge into a modern steel mill, machine shop and boiler room.

My robot stepped forward and followed Raldur. He was terrified of the power of firearms and knew that I was not kidding.

We then went down to the bottom of the mines and we could see a whole transport mechanism by chain, buckets and carts. All this was soaked with rust and dust.

Then, we arrived in front of the furnaces and crucibles.

They were of good size and would not require extreme modifications, just mechanization to make up for the lack of manpower.

When we arrived at the crucible, one of the dwarfs released a harrow and coal was poured in underneath.

Once filled, the dwarves looked at me and the next moment my breath lit the furnace.

No. 2 then explained how to convert heat into electricity, lightning through a generator and from the generator to a distribution network and then resistors under the crucibles, the electrodes generating plasma that would heat the metal even higher.

But the king, satisfied to be able to see his forge working one last time, asked me how I could observe the movement of the enemy troops.

So we invited him to watch a show in the west, scheduled for tomorrow night.

After exchanging a treaty on parchment in our two languages, I left, the dwarves relieved because they were terrified. I was a mountain of my own and a monster capable of defying the Gods.

So, I left for home, still under good escort.