~ Chapter 98: The troubles of a blacksmith ~

[Elleyzabelle’s point of view]

 During the Nundaba Ritual, time passed so slow it felt as though it was a skinny little human who was dragging behind him an entire mountain. The dwarfs who came to the Temple Courtyard looked at me as though I was an object on display. There were many who expressed their belief that I would not last longer than a day and even some who deliberately threw sexual remarks my way to disturb my concentration.

As a dragoness and daughter of the Queen Elliessara Seyendraugher, I stood my ground in front of such pathetic attempts. No one had the right to step on the Soul Platform, so at best they could do was stay near the edge and toss meaningless words at me. I ignored them just as a sheep ignores the ants on the ground and focuses solely on the tasty wolf ahead.

For me, the wolf was the Trade Agreement between the Albeyater and Trindania, while the true tasty treat that made me drool was the Celestium-Zaradin alloy dust infused with ancient dwarf magic, the item necessary to create the cure for the [God’s Demise Poison], the Lumenos, Lumenya, and Nocturnia’s tears Potion.

Thus, I persevered and endured the lustful stares of some dwarfs, the sexual innuendos of others. I kept on reading the silly verses of their religious books and poured all of my focus in remaining in a state of trance. But on the evening of the third day, when the hourglass was about to pour its final drops of sand, the ground began to shake.

“W-What’s going on?” asked one of the dwarfs who was passing by.

“L-Look! The Temple of the God of Fire! The walls are cracking!” shouted a dwarf woman.

The panic began to stir even more when one of the acolytes ran out of the temple with his clothes on fire. He tossed himself in a big pile of snow nearby and managed to put them out. Several other dwarfs ran out together with a priest of the God of Fire. All of them were coughing from the smoke that washed over them suddenly, while a few of them had suffered burns from the fires.

“T-There’s lava... There’s lava on the first floor!” shouted one of the priests.

Lava? I thought as I looked at the temple.

The ground was trembling, but that was because something was happening to the mountain. On one side, near the Temple of the God of Earth, a thick layer of ice began to spread out towards the edgy cliffs, while on the other side, the stones were turning red and shattering from the heat. A thick cloud of steam was rising to the sky thanks to the sudden increase in temperature.

What’s going on? Is the volcano erupting? I thought in worry as I looked at the priests who were trying to get everyone as far away from the two temples as possible.

After another tremor, the ice stopped from spreading, but the fury of the mountain did not.

I got up and shouted after one of the acolytes who was coming this way “You there! What’s going on?”

“Huh? The Albeyater Princess, erm... we do not know, but the Temple of the God of Fire was suddenly flooded by lava and ice started spreading out from the Temple of the God of Earth! If we don’t do something about it, the city of Exaver will be in danger!” he replied in panic.

“Lava and ice?” I murmured as I furrowed my brow.

Looking up at the mountain, all I could see was the steam from the melted snow rising up furiously while cracks on the side of the mountain spread everywhere in an attempt to release the built up pressured inside.

“What have those two done?” I said as turned my gaze towards the poor dwarfs who were running away in panic.

I thought about getting off the Soul Platform, but just then I saw Kataryna coming out of the Temple of the God of Earth, she had a very serene and charming smile on her face.

“Who is that?” was the first thing that I asked as the sudden change surprised me more than it should have.

Ah, it was my blunder as a Princess for showing such a disrespectful courtesy.

“ROAR!!!”

The loud roar shook the ground and the earthquake this time was so powerful it made me lose my balance, and I fell on my bottom. Looking up, I then saw a big full-beast red-scale dragoness as she flew out of the volcano’s mouth.

That was certainly my knight, Seryanna Draketerus, but what was she thinking to have changed into that form?

She was surrounded by hot steam that would have made a dwarf’s skin blister, and she looked as though she had just taken a lava bath. Molten rock could still be seen flowing off her big body, and with each flap of her wings, she drizzled it all over the mountain.

If up until now the dwarfs were just frightened, now they were absolutely terrified, frozen in place at the sight of such a powerful being. To be fair, even I was surprised because normally, no dragon should be able to survive in such harsh conditions. True, Breakthrough-ers were capable of wonders sometimes, but that was only because they had the skill and strength to back it up. Such precise control over a single element didn’t exist, yet Sir Seryanna appeared to be someone who nonchalantly wielded it.

She remained up there, flying in the sky for a few moments. The dragoness kept looking back at the mouth of the volcano as if she were sad to leave it behind. It was the same gaze I had a long time ago when my brother Elovius made me choose between continuing to eat my birthday cake or go and greet General Brekkar for the first time. As a young Princess, I wanted to meet the famous general very much, but I also did not want to leave my cake behind, I was certain father was going to gulp it down before mother had a chance to stop him. That was what happened last time, after all, and in the end, it happened again this time as well. The sacrifice for my long-awaited meeting with General Brekkar had been my own birthday cake.

With a sad roar, the dragoness shook the remaining lava off of her body and began to circle the volcano a few times before finally deciding to descend. She was flying down towards the Temple Courtyard.

Isn’t she flying a bit too fast? And... why does she look so sleepy? I thought and then felt a chill run down my spine.

My instincts were warning me of an impending danger. I had to flee from there.

I got up, but my legs felt numb form the long period of sitting down, and my whole body was tired because of my lack of sleep. After I took my first step, I found myself on my knees and with hands trembling from weakness. I barely had the energy to get back up on my feet let alone to flee from this place.

This is bad! I thought and looked up.

The dragoness spread her wings to slow down her descent, but it was already too late for me to get out of her way. Her sharp claws stabbed into the Soul Platform, causing cracks that spread out like the roots of a tree. The floor under my feet trembled, and I soon found myself rolling towards the edge. In tried to protect myself from injury by covering myself with my wings.

I thought that maybe Kataryna would rush in to help me, but her aid never came. Perhaps she was still recovering from the ritual she undertook. If I was feeling so numb and drained of energy, I couldn’t imagine the states my two knights must have been in after enduring those special rooms inside the temples.

I came to a stop at just a few steps away from the edge. I folded back my wings and pushed myself off the floor. In front of me, I could see the dwarfs running away, and I could hear them calling for the guards and the Enlightened Ones from the army.

When I turned my head back, I saw a Soul Platform filled with deep and numerous cracks that threatened to turn it any second now into a big pile of broken rocks. On top of it was my red-scaled Royal Knight, who was glancing around with heavy eyes that showed how tired and sleepy she was. Maybe she wasn’t even fully conscious of what was happening around her right now.

Like a wild animal, Seryanna sniffed the air around her and then turn around on the spot. Pieces of the Soul Platform crumbled off as she did so, and I was barely keeping my balance. But that was when the dragoness laid eyes on me.

With her lips turning into a pleased smile, she snatched me from where I was standing and pulled me closer to her.

“NO! Seryanna! Stop this at once! I order you!” I called out to her, but she didn’t budge.

With her large scaly fingers wrapped around me, out of which only a powerful warrior could free themselves by brute force alone, Seryanna then coiled her huge body around me like a feline wanting to protect her young.

Just like some wild beast, once she settled down, she licked me with her huge tongue, covering me, the Princess whom she had sworn to protect and obey, in her drool.

“YUCK!” I grimaced as I wiped off the slimy saliva off my face.

That embarrassing toga was now drenched and turned see-through. I could not go out now even if I wanted to. It would have been outrageous, unthinkable, disgraceful for someone like me!

Thus, I resigned myself to my unsightly fate and waited in the hope that this sleepy dragoness would return to her senses soon.

“Seryanna, you idiot Royal Knight! I’m not your hugging pillow!” I complained one last time.

In the end, I too found myself falling into the tempting claws of sweet sleep. My heavy eyelids betrayed me, and I slept there in Seryanna’s embrace, who guarded me from both the cold and unsightly stares.

As for Kataryna, I would come to find out later why she did not jump in to help me. Although she claimed to be a powerful Breakthrough-er who could continue to fight for days at an end, she fell asleep while standing up on her feet as soon as she left the Temple of the God of the Earth. Not even Sir Seryanna’s rampage managed to wake her up, and her own tail slapped away any dwarf that got too close to her as though it had a mind of its own.

[Andu’Yang’Ores’ point of view]

 In the wake of the disaster those three dragonesses caused, many dwarfs in the capital found themselves troubled by the aftermath. On one side of the mountain, we had to worry about Urugudu’s blood, the flowing lava streams caused by the red-scaled one, while on the other side, we had numerous Hanba herders complaining about their frozen meadows and impassable ice walls.

If not for the severity of these events, I would have laughed myself silly when I heard about the guard who had his beard turned to solid ice because of the flash freeze, or the unlucky chap who went to the toilet only to discover that a lava river formed right underneath it and got swept away by the currents.

I, for one, definitely wouldn’t want a cataclysm to catch me with my pants down while taking a dump only to find out the next moment that I became the captain of Ol’ Crap Bottom, the smelly scourge of the endless lava seas!

Despite these unfortunate circumstances us dwarfs found ourselves in, it appeared as though the three dragonesses managed to complete the ritual, and no priest dared to comment against this decision. After all, one temple ended up as a cold storage and the other as a research experiment on lava flow. As for the Soul Platform, they had to replace it with another one, sturdier this time, maybe made from enchanted Celestium.

For the dwarfs, this matter definitely had a bright side as well. You see, the lady with the nasty fire-breath managed to restart the Ancient Great Forge Urugudu. The lava she created overflowed into the ancient relic and allowed its flames to burn anew, and with it, I had great hope of recovering the ancient Hammer of Umidaba.

That relic was something every single blacksmith in Trindania knew of and wished to get their hands on. Unfortunately, it was not that easy. The hammer was enchanted so that only those worthy could lift it off the ground and wield its tremendous blacksmithing power.

In order to do so, one had to step into the bowls of Urugudu while its flames were ravaging inside. For any normal dwarf, this was madness, but to me, it could soon become reality.

I for one didn’t wish to grab hold of the hammer as much as I wish to confirm its existence with my own eyes, but to do this, I would need a bit of help.

Thus, I waited patiently until the dragonesses recovered and went to negotiate with his Majesty, Emperor Mush’Nomv’Azer.

First of all, the three dragonesses presented themselves in front of his Majesty on the second day after they completed the ritual. There was no way to move either of them until they woke up, and the one with golden scales wasn’t at all happy with how the red dragoness kept drooling over her in her sleep. I for one would not even have had the courage to get close to such a fearsome beast that with one snarl could bare a huge row of sharp fangs at me.

The award ceremony began with the three of them presenting themselves in front of his Majesty, who then announced before all tribe leaders that they were now part of Trindania. As such, they could now be proposed to by a dwarf, buy a house on this continent or even start a business. At the same time, our laws protected them just as much as they made them responsible for their own actions on our lands.

To us dwarfs, this declaration of his Majesty accompanied by the Nundaba Ritual’s success was akin to having the great spirits themselves vouch for them. There was no greater honor than this an outsider like them could receive, but it was a well-deserved reward, in my opinion.

The ceremony than continued with each of them receiving a symbol of their success, a hand-carved totem made by his Majesty. It was beautiful and enchanted to last for a very long time. Using it, they could now enter and leave Trindania as they pleased. It was their free pass into our Empire.

Upon leaving the Audience Room, they were escorted by his Majesty to the ball room, where a lavishing buffet awaited them. It even had those tasty crispy snails and fried spiderlings among its delicacies. While I did enjoy their crunchy taste, the dragonesses steered away from them. On the other hand, they ate a lot of Hanba meat and various fruits. Each one of them ate as much as an entire dwarf family, and they could hold their liquor too! Even his Majesty was surprised by their insatiable appetite.

So, while they were enjoying the party, I grabbed a plate of fried spiderlings and approached his Majesty, Emperor Mush’Nomv’Azer.

“Old friend, I almost didn’t see you there! Where have you been hiding?” he asked me as soon as he laid eyes on me.

“Here and there, your Majesty. The smell of fried spiderlings and crispy snails lured me in from my humble abode in the forge.” I showed him a cheerful smile and then munched on a spiderling.

The taste of the fried critters was absolutely divine but meeting one of them after they reached adulthood was terrifying. These little things could grow to be as big as one meter in length from fangs to spinnerets.

“There must something more, Andu’Yang’Ores, after all, you aren’t the type of dwarf who enjoys sneaking around parties like this?” the dwarf showed me a smirk and grabbed a spiderling from my plate.

“I can’t fool yer eyes, my friend. Yes, I came all the way here to meet’em and ask if they would be kind enough to assist me in a small endeavor.” I told him as I let my accent slip, but it mattered not.

“What sort of endeavor?” he asked as he popped the spiderling in his mouth.

“Remember the Great Forge Urugudu?” I asked.

“Yes, I heard its bellowing flames have sprung back to life.” he nodded.

“Indeed, they have.” I nodded “And with the forge’s resurrection, the Hammer of Umidaba can be reclaimed, if the legend is to be trusted that is.” I told him and offered him another spiderling.

“The Hammer of Umidaba? That is the legendary item us dwarfs have been dreaming of reclaiming for centuries now. Do you really think you can get it?” he asked me with a serious look in his eyes.

“No, but I wish to catch a glimpse of it. If I can confirm its existence, then maybe... well, just maybe a youngster in the future can claim it as his own.” I replied with a wry smile.

“Hm, you should have more confidence in yourself, you old fool. I believe you are quite suited to claim the hammer as your own.” he smiled and patted me on the left shoulder.

“No, your Majesty, I believe I am unsuited for it. There are many others with plenty of experience besides me, for example... the young man who made those dragonesses their armors and weapons.” I said and then pointed at the silver-scaled one who was talking with the red-scaled one.

“Hm, are they that impressive?” his Majesty asked.

“Absolutely!” I nodded.

“Still, he is not a dwarf. As far as I am concern, Andu’Yang’Ores, you are the best dwarf blacksmith in Trindania! Your skill is unmatched! Therefore, it is only right for you to wield that hammer not a foreigner! You should have more confidence in yourself! Ah, why don’t I ask Princess Elleyzabelle if she can lend us her two knights for this task? I might need to cough up something else. Hm, that Celestium-Zaradin alloy dust she mentioned earlier could do the trick.” he said as he rubbed his beard.

“What would she want with that useless thing? The alloy itself is only good if it has been forged as an item. Having only some dust of it doesn’t help with anything. Even if she were to request it in large quantities, reforging it is always painstakingly difficult as well.” I said.

“I don’t know what she needs it for, but she appeared to be quite interested in it. I will let her know and see what she replies.” he said with a smile and then walked towards the group of dragonesses.

Hm, I wonder what you call a group of dragons or dragonesses? A flock maybe? I thought to myself as I went back to eating my fried spiderlings.

While the Emperor was talking to them about this silly request of mine, I looked around the ball room at the other tribe leaders who assisted at the whole ceremony. The human women were also here, but they stayed in the back, away from the center of the party. They were all smiles and giggles while talking with some of the guests here. The bonds created between them during the time of the revolution were sturdy and tested through the muck of battle. It was a big difference when compared to the dragonesses who had just finished the Nundaba Ritual.

The dwarfs in general were not the most social bunch as hard years of tyranny made it harder for them to open up even to those around them, let alone outsiders. That was why a sight such as this one was a rare thing to behold no matter where you searched in the entire Trindania Empire, but with the recent changes and a bit of goodwill from the spirits, it would hopefully become a common one in the future.

To be fair, back then it was a bit difficult to trust your own neighbor when most parents were afraid of being brought before the soldiers by their own children. The main reason why most of us chose to fight in this rebellion was to have the freedom to talk and smile when we pleased without fear of being tossed in jail or killed on the spot. The dwarfs fought because they wanted to be free and the Human Heroes who popped out of the blue came just at the right time to grant us this dream.

Then again, who was I to speak my mind on such matters? As a blacksmith, I often found myself neck deep in sooth with a hammer in my hand and loud banging in my ears, not arguing about politics in the plaza.

But being a blacksmith was no excuse to turn a blind eye to the suffering of my kin. That was why I joined Mush’Nomv’Azer in his rebellion to take down the former King, Amezer’Davos’Eldra. To my surprise, the deeper I got into this business, the more I saw how much the dwarfs hated this royal bastard. So much, in fact, that the majority of them requested the former King’s name to be erased from all of our history.

This was why it was so easy for the dwarfs to follow on the declaration of the old King’s erasure. They were the ones who wanted this in the first place, not the current Emperor as we told these dragons.

About half an hour later, when I was starting to feel the liquor numbing my nerves, I saw Mush’Nomv’Azer approach me. He was showing me a smile from ear to ear.

I know that look. I thought.

That was his ‘I got a better deal than I had expected’ look, but which for me was also the ‘You owe me’ look. Last time he approached me like this, I ended up wasting all of my metal on average swords and armors for his army. Well, average for my skill, but he did not have to request for me to use only Zaradin alloys for them. I literally shed tears when I saw the precious metal being used to make something like that! My honor as a blacksmith had been soiled!

“Well?” I asked as I placed my tankard on the nearby table.

It was empty anyway.

“Good news, my friend! They agreed to help you retrieve your hammer if you can spare some Celestium-Zaradin alloy dust infused with ancient dwarf magic!” he said in a cheerful tone of voice.

“You idiot.” I slapped my forehead with my own palm and let out a groan of pain.

“Huh?” the idiot Emperor was looking at me as if he didn’t know what he had just promised them.

“How could ye make a promise on something we DON’T have?!” I asked him with a twitching cheek.

“We don’t?” he furrowed his brow.

“No. The only thin’ that can make a Celestium-Zaradin alloy is a Grand Legendary Blacksmith Hammer, a tool I would give me own arm to have!” I rebuked.

Ah, me accent is slipping. I thought but chose to ignore it.

“Like the Hammer of Umidaba?”

“Yes, like the Hammer of Umidaba, but that’s just a legend.”

“So, if you had it?” he pressed.

“I would make’em a whole ingot of the darn thing.”

“Wonderful! Then I will let them know to prepare. Tomorrow is good, right? Yes, it’s good. Wait for them tomorrow morning at the Ancient Great Forge Urugudu!” and so he said as he patted me on the shoulder right before he turned around to let the dragonesses know.

I felt like I just got hit in the face with a hammer after an apprentice blacksmith lost his grip on it. It took me a good couple of minutes before my ol’ noggin’ started working again.

“Tomorrow me what do what where?” I asked.

Well, I didn’t say it was working properly...