After their challenge was approved by the elder dragon the siblings rested for a few days then began looking for a settlement under the backside of the mountain .
crack! crack!
Sound of boulders cracking could be heard from the backside of the mountain.. Dust clouds billowed around their sweat-drenched bodies, tiny particles dancing in the bright light ball of magic. Each strike sent sharp, echoing tinks and cracks bouncing off the surrounding stone walls, creating a rhythmic percussion of human determination. They were making a cave under the giant mountain. Although they had been taught godlike magic of making anything they desired from sheer imagination they had decided to build their own base with their own hands instead of using magic as it would be too easy. This was to remind themselves the pain humans feel and how weak man can be without power. They wanted to keep in touch with their human side.
As they were digging The rock suddenly gave way with a thunderous crack, sending Leon and Kyle stumbling forward into unexpected darkness. Their light magic flickered, casting erratic shadows against a perfectly carved stone corridor that couldn't have been natural. Before they could speak, movement flickered at the edge of their vision.
Short, muscular figures emerged from shadowy alcoves - dwarfs, no taller than Kyles's shoulder, dressed in intricate leather armor etched with silvery metallic patterns. Their beards were braided with metal rings, and their eyes gleamed with an ancient, calculating intelligence.
The lead dwarf stepped forward, his battle-axe resting casually against his shoulder. His skin was the color of weathered granite, hands scarred from generations of underground crafting. When he spoke, his voice was deep and resonant, like stone grinding against stone.
"Humans," he said - not a question, but a statement of mild contempt and curiosity.
"You dig where you do not understand."
Calmly analyzing the situation Leon looked at the leading dwarf and said
"What do you mean by that?"
"These tunnels," the lead dwarf rumbled, his voice a low growl that seemed to vibrate the very stone around them,
"have been our domain for three thousand generations. You surface dwellers know nothing of what lies beneath."
Kyle noticed strange runes carved into the tunnel walls - glowing with a faint blue phosphorescence that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat. The air grew thick with tension, charged with an ancient magic that made the hair on his neck stand up.
Kyle, her voice steady despite the situation, spoke.
"We mean no harm. We're merely mapping our underground territories granted by the elder dragon."
The dwarf leader's eyes widened in surprise. A series of clicks and subtle hand movements passed between him and his warriors - a language older than spoken words.
"HOOOH," he repeated, the word sounding like both a judgment and a challenge.
A younger dwarf to his right whispered something, and the leader's expression shifted - from pure suspicion to something more complex. Curiosity? Recognition?
"What do you truly seek in these depths?" he demanded.