Chapter 17 - The Eternal Forge

The next morning, Ryan opened his eyes. As he sat up, the room began to spin. He clutched his skull. "Ahhhhh, some things don't carry over, I see."

As the room stilled, he noticed someone. In the corner of the room, sitting in a chair with his arms and legs crossed, sat Samuel.

"Well, shit." Ryan hung his head.

"Well, shit is right, Kade."

Just then, Samuel's aunt walked out of the bathroom, drying off her hands. "Prince, you shouldn't use the language of beasts."

"Auntie, why do you insist on treating me like a child? I am grown." Samuel turned back to Ryan. "Now, back to you."

Ryan covered his face with his hands. "No, you and your aunt there should have a long discussion about your language. I hear there's a great tavern where you can have that conversation. The ambiance is great there, or so I hear."

"No need. The prince is right. I shouldn't treat him like a child. But you? You should be treated like a child."

"Yup. I agree. Now, can we please do this later? I'm extremely hungover."

"Do you remember anything, Kade?" Samuel leaned forward.

"I remember drinking and passing out. That's about it."

"Well, the way Thirty-Seven put it, you passed out. Then immediately woke up and challenged the little bearded men to an arm-wrestling competition. After losing multiple times, you summoned what the dwarves described as giant demon dicks and began picking up dwarves and slamming them onto tables."

Ryan covered his mouth as he tried to stop the laughter from escaping. He cleared his throat. "Sounds like an exaggeration, Your Highness. Or a good time."

Samuel shook his head. "Luckily for you, it was neither an exaggeration, and the tavern owner did say it was a good time."

Just then, Thirty-Seven walked in.

"Now, eat the food she brought you and get a bath. You reek. We have places to be today and someone I would like you to meet."

Samuel stood as Ryan bowed his head. Samuel and his aunt walked out of the room. Thirty-Seven stood there, deadpan, staring at him.

"Stop judging me and give me the food."

Ryan snatched the plate from Thirty-Seven, and she turned and walked out as well.

After Ryan ate and washed himself up, he headed downstairs. Samuel and his aunt were waiting for him. Ryan looked around the room, then back at Samuel. "Where is Thirty-Seven?"

"Not sure. We looked for her in her room, but she wasn't there. No worries. I'm sure she's enjoying her free time. Come."

Ryan shrugged and followed Samuel as they walked toward the king's palace. Ryan tapped Samuel on the shoulder, leaned in, and whispered, "Does your aunt have a name? I haven't heard it yet."

Samuel whispered back, "She does, but saying it is like summoning a demon."

Samuel chuckled. Then his aunt's face appeared between theirs. Ryan jumped back. "Damn... you're right. Even thinking about it summons it."

Samuel laughed harder. His aunt looked at Ryan with a hardened expression. "It isn't wise to get too close to barbarians, Prince. You are a noble. Act like it."

Ryan brought a hand to his chest. "Oh, now I'm not just a beast, but a barbarian. I'm touched."

Auntie smacked her teeth. "Tch."

She backed off. Samuel laughed again. "I've never seen her be so passive-aggressive with someone." Samuel looked up. "Here we are."

Samuel led Ryan down to the basement of the palace. At the bottom of the stairs sat a massive bronze door. Ryan could feel the heat coming from the other side. A dim orange light seeped through the cracks.

Samuel pulled a lever beside the door.

Ryan heard the sounds of gears turning and locks coming apart as the massive bronze doors swung open.

On the other side stood Prince Haldrek.

"Samuel. You're late."

"I know. My apologies. Our companion here had sort of a rough night."

"Oh, the masked man." Haldrek looked at Ryan. "You are quite the celebrity around town right now. Apparently, your demon dicks are the talk of the town."

Auntie stared at Ryan. He could feel her gaze piercing his soul as he hung his head.

"They aren't demon dicks. They're tendrils, dammit," he muttered low enough that no one could hear him.

"Come," Haldrek said. "Let me show you around the Eternal Forge."

Ryan followed, staring in awe at what he was witnessing. Hundreds of dwarves hammered away at anvils. Dozens of small kilns burned throughout the massive chamber. In the back of the room sat the Eternal Forge. As they approached it, the hairs on Ryan's arms singed. He began to sweat beneath his clothes. His mask became almost too hot to keep on.

Haldrek turned around. "This is the Eternal Forge. The fire here is hot enough to melt any metal or mana stone. It is created from the heart of a Primordial Red Dragon. This is where legendary swords and armor are crafted. Usually, it takes around a year for a single piece of gear to be crafted using it."

Haldrek turned toward the smaller kilns. "That is why we have the secondary kilns going. We need a steady supply of gear for the army and for trade." He leaned closer to Ryan's ear. "We don't sell the good stuff to other countries, though."

Ryan smiled beneath his mask. "Smart. Give them the trash. Charge them the premium."

Haldrek put an arm around Ryan and leaned forward, looking at Samuel. "I can see why the others like him so much."

Samuel smiled as Auntie rolled her eyes.

"So, what piece of gear would you like?" Haldrek asked. "You can pick one, or we can custom-tailor something for you."

Ryan pointed at himself. "What... me? You're talking to me?"

"Why, yes. I can't send my best friend's guard to the international summit without gear. That's why I brought you here, dummy."

Ryan looked at Samuel, who smiled and nodded. Ryan took Haldrek's hand and shook it ferociously. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is a dream come fucking true. I can pick anything? Anything at all?"

Haldrek chuckled. "Of course."

Ryan turned and began skipping around, stopping at every rack that held weapons or armor. He would look, then start whistling as he skipped to the next one. Ryan stopped at another rack and picked up a warhammer.

"No."

Then a greatsword. He swung it around.

"Too cliché."

A battleaxe next.

"Too D&D."

Then a staff caught his attention. Ryan picked it up and moved to the center of the forge. He stopped, raised thr staff in the air then slammed it against the ground, and yelled, "YOU... SHALL NOT... PAAAASS!"

Ryan chuckled to himself. Every dwarf in the vicinity stopped working. They all turned and stared at him. Ryan gave an awkward laugh and slowly placed the staff back.

Haldrek walked up to him. "Is that a passage from your sacred texts?"

Ryan sighed. "No. It was nothing. Don't worry about it, Your Highness."

"What was trying to pass, then?" Haldrek tilted his head.

"Just forget you heard it, for fu-"

Samuel's hand came over Ryan's mouth, shutting him up. He awkwardly chuckled at Haldrek, who stood there confused. Behind Haldrek, Auntie stared at Ryan again, shaking her head. As Ryan turned his eyes toward Samuel, something black glistened on the table behind him. Ryan removed Samuel's hand and moved toward the table. A pair of black gauntlets shone in the light of the kilns. Ryan lifted them into the air.

"Oh, fine choice." Haldrek called over an old dwarf who was running the nearby kiln. "Master Gilmer."

The old dwarf nodded. "Prince."

Ryan looked between Haldrek and the old, gray-bearded dwarf. "Master?"

"Yes. He is the former master of the forge. Now he comes here when he gets bored and forges equipment"

Gilmer snatched the gauntlets from Ryan's hands. "These aren't for sale. They're a masterpiece. Gauntlets made from thousand-year-old black steel. Enchanted to enhance magic spells."

Gilmer placed them on an anvil, picked up a greatsword, and swung it down hard. The blade rang against the gauntlets.

CRACK!

The greatsword broke in half. "Took me five years to forge these bad boys. That black steel is a bitch to fold a hundred times and to mole. I got it wrong so many times. I finally managed to do it, though."

Haldrek looked at Ryan. "You want them?"

Through the mask, Haldrek could see the twinkle in Ryan's eyes and practically make out the size of his grin as Ryan nodded his head rapidly.

"By order of the crown, I order you to place those gauntlets into service of the kingdom."

Gilmer slowly looked at Haldrek. "You're shitting me?"

"I am not, former master."

Gilmer looked at Ryan. Ryan slowly nodded as he held out his hands. Gilmer stared at him for several seconds before reluctantly handing over the gauntlets. "You better fucking make something of yourself with these. If I hear you got your ass beat by a goblin while wearing them, I'll take them back with your hands still stuck inside."

Gilmer grabbed his hammer and walked past Haldrek, who simply smiled at him.

Haldrek clapped his hands. "Well, now we're done. Shall we go eat?"

Ryan followed the group out of the forge, staring down at his new prize the entire way.