Hey guys, MT here!

Wow this chapter was difficult for me to end. I ended getting the idea for this chapter from a dream I had and it materialized pretty well (at least from my point of view)

Anyways, ENJOY!

Chapter 64

After the group had restocked on supplies, they set off once again and were now nearing the gates of the capital city Niflheim. They had decided to ride through the night in order to arrive around midday as Gramma had instructed. They were riding up to the gate and were stopped by some guards when they arrived. Saito listened from inside the cart and could hear the armor on the guards rattle around.

"Ello, fellow Dwarves. What brings you to the capital today?" asked one of the guards.

"Just coming into town to sell some of the stone we got. There's plenty for sculpture and we're looking forward to some profit. We've been in the mountains so long and we can't wait to see a proper city again," said Don, a relieved expression on his face.

"Ahahaha! Must be tough out there, huh? And you two look like you've collected quite a bit here. Well, we just gotta take a quick look around and then you'll be free to go. The superiors have been harassing us about being 'thorough' since it's supposed to be war-time but those magic-users don't have the guts to try and break into the capital," said another guard. Saito could hear the guards go around the side of the cart and move some of the rocks up top. After several minutes, the guards stopped and moved back to the gate. "Everything seems good. Good luck with the sales!"

"Thanks! Keep up the good work, yourselves," said Gan before the cart began to move again. The carts entered the city just as easily as Gramma had said and they made their way to a less populated part of the city. Once there, everyone was released from their wooden prisons and they all stretched and collected their things.

"You all ready?" asked Don, seriously.

"Yeah. You guys remember the signal right? A dragon's roar for come get us, two for leave," said Saito, calmly. The two nodded and he turned to Asuna. "That's your important job, Asuna, so make sure you're ready for it when we need it."

Asuna nodded and the group threw on the dark robes they were given back in the small town.

"Alright, Team B, consisting of Tiffa, Gwen, and Asuna will go and check out the markets and try to get intel from anyone who sounds like they know where any military bases or storage facilities are. We'll meet back here at sunset to get our information together. Team A consisting of Louise, Tenshi, and I will go and investigate the palace. Worst case scenario, we World Door out of there and meet up with you guys back here. If anyone feels like the townspeople or soldiers are onto us, sneak back here and, if any sirens are raised about us, we're leaving. This is a very important mission so try hard to keep calm and keep hidden," explained Saito. Everyone nodded and the groups split before moving in their respective directions.

Sometime later, Saito and co. managed to find the palace. It was a tremendous building carved right into the stone of the mountain and had magnificent carvings of all sorts of creatures on it. Dragons, Dwarves, giants, beasts, etc. By the entrance were two enormous statues of Dwarves clad in armor with a battleaxe in front of them. Saito looked towards the entrance and found six guards out front and he groaned. They would have to look for another way in as they wouldn't be able to get past those guards without making a fuss. He inspected the palace some more and found a balcony a distance from the ground with doors that led inside. He beckoned the girls to follow him and they climbed up the side of the mountain before pulling out a rope and hook from his bag. Saito hooked the hook into the ground and climbed down it before landing on the balcony. He hid himself behind its railing and waited for Louise and Tenshi to come down as silently as they could. Once confirming everyone was down, he snapped at the rope a couple times, releasing it from where it had been hooked. Afterward he yanked it down towards him and caught it before stuffing it back into his bag.

The trio slowly made their way into the large wooden doors and slipped into a long, stone hallway. They made their way down the halls, quietly, stopping when they heard or saw someone before continuing on their way. At one point they came into a narrower hallway and Saito waved them to stop before slowly making his way down the hall. He froze because he heard someone and panicked, unable to find a place to hide from them. He leapt up and pressed himself to the roof, his hands and feet pressed against either side of the wall. Saito prayed no one would look up, though he knew that there was no chance they wouldn't. He saw a dwarf with amber colored hair walking down the hall and looking down at some papers he had in hand. Saito held his breath as the man passed but his eyes widened when said man stopped under him. The man looked up from his papers to the far end of the hall and then back down to his papers. Saito thought the dwarf was going to leave after that but wasn't so lucky.

"I know you're there. Please come down," said the dwarf. Saito tensed, unsure of what to do, but then conceded, jumping down. "You're not very good at concealing your presence."

"What are you planning to do?" asked Saito, seriously, his hand on Derf's handle. The dwarf looked at him with a smug expression and then beckoned Saito to attack him. The dwarf was completely unarmed, it was blatantly obvious considering there wasn't one even slightly visible. He yanked Derf out of his sheathe and attacked the dwarf, slashing down on them, and, when he was about to hit him, he heard a loud clang. "H-Huh?"

The dwarf was blocking Derf's blade with his forearm and Saito leapt back as soon as he was out of shock. The dwarf put the papers under one of his arms and used his other hand to pull the sleeve of his shirt back to reveal a metal plate attached to his arm.

"I'm glad I was finally able to test this out. I created it as a way to deal with assaults but I've never had the chance to try it out," said the dwarf, a bit excited. Saito glared at him, annoyed that the dwarf was messing around, and the dwarf sighed. "Come now, don't look at me like that. I was just having a bit of fun. The name is Otr, one of the princes here. I don't plan to do anything to you. You're…the Hero, right? Is it safe to assume a couple of your friends are further down the hall?"

"If you're one of the princes then you're trying to kill us. Why should I believe you?" said Saito, menacingly.

"Kill you? Please, I wouldn't do something so tedious and unpleasant. Haven't you heard my title? I'm Otr the Lax. I don't like doing unproductive things like killing. I'm the only one of the royal family who openly wants nothing to do with the war. On top of that, I have more important things to do. Like inventing things," said Otr, calmly. Saito continued to glare at him and he sighed. "Come now. What must I do to have you believe me? There must be something."

Saito remained in his position for a moment before relaxing it a bit and then whistling down the hall. Louise and Tenshi cautiously made their way over to him, both keeping their eyes on the Dwarven prince.

"Good. Now, please follow me. I was on my way back to my study when I bumped into you. You won't be able to get around the castle well during the day so you might as well hide there until nightfall. I'll answer what questions I can and you can be on your way," said Otr before walking in the direction he was previously. Louise tugged at Saito's sleeve and looked at him with confused eyes. He nodded and she changed to a worried expression before conceding to him. Tenshi and Louise closely followed Saito as he followed Otr.

The group arrived at Otr's study a few minutes later, not encountering a single guard on the way, and he shut and locked the door after they had entered.

The study was enormous and much brighter than the dreary colors of the inside of the castle. There were bookshelves made of what looked to be marble lining the walls and up to the roof which was a whole two stories high. The ground was covered in a large, dull red rug and there was all sorts of furniture aside from the large mahogany desk in the middle of the room. There was even a small spiral staircase that went up to the walkway above them that circled the room to make it easier to get the books.

"Now then, why don't you all have a seat," said Otr as he sat at his desk. Louise and Tenshi sat on the sofa while Saito stood off to the side, still wary of the prince.

"Ah, dear, have you returned?" sung a voice from behind the staircase. A dwarfish woman came out and she was beautiful despite her small stature. She had a curved body and clear, white skin that almost gleamed under the light of the gas lanterns in the room. She had straight blond hair that was pulled into a ponytail and she was wearing a very simple dress of green and a dull white.

After seeing Saito and co. she seemed to freeze in surprise and Otr was at her side in a moment.

"Love, these are my guests. Please pardon them," said Otr, soothingly. She woman calmed down and looked into his eyes before pecking him on the lips.

"Of course, dear," she said, calmly. She then turned to the group and curtsied. "Hello, guests. My name is Eir and I am Otr's fiancée. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Same here," said Saito before nodding to her.

"Do you all trust me a bit more now? I have my beloved here so there isn't any way I would try and pose a threat to you while she is here," said Otr as he retook his place at his desk.

"Well, I trust you a lot more, though I still don't know why you're so willing to help us. You could have just ignored us and let us be caught," said Saito, suspiciously.

"Well, I guess it would have to do with the fact that I wanted to study you all a bit. Father forbade us from going into your lands unless we were taking an army with us and I couldn't hope to study your people while bringing such a thing. As you can see from this room, I am quite the lover of knowledge," said Otr, looking at his collection of books with pride.

"So, information exchange?" asked Louise. Otr smiled and nodded at her, causing her to grin. "Then we're going to have a nice time, aren't we?"

So? What did you guys think?

I have further developed Otr's character and to be honest I think it came out pretty cool. I also introduced Eir, his fiancee, and so much is going to come after these chapters.

Also, I'm sorry if the end seems abrupt or awkward. I just needed to end this chapter before I got any farther.

Anyways, Review to let me know your thoughts and feeling and until next time...byeee :D