First Optional Test plete+20XP

  With the test plete, and the deal made, Adam felt a wave of rexation flow over him. ‘What a roller coaster of emotion. I meet Jurot, think he’s died before me again, and then I get a pce to live a so I don’t have to worry about my living…’ He almost shook his head, but was afraid he’d be caught by someone and they’d think he was weird.

  Paul led Adam baa at the reception. He her, handihe piece of paper he had been writing on. She sed it quickly, writing something on her own piece of paper, before burning Paul’s notes.

  “You take him to speak with Master Thundersmith,” Paul said.

  Emma gave Paul a look, which passed along a message. She uood the dynamics between elves and dwarves, and wasn’t sure if Adam would be alright.

  Paul took the message and nodded his head. “I’ll che our Iyrman, see if he’s alright.”

  “I see that you did well on your tests,” Emma said, smiling politely at Adam.

  “I think I did fine. I embarrassed myself quite a bit, but I think I earned something back at the end.” Adam sighed. Even now, he was still a himself for failing to pick up those rocks, and for tossing away his sword. ‘AAAAAH!’ He tried to drown out the embarrassment with internal screaming.

  “Are you alright?” Emma asked, seeing the way his face had sched up, as though he had bitten into a raw lemon.

  “I’m fine.” Adam cleared his throat. “So, to Master Thundersmith then?”

  “You’ve worked quite hard today, are you sure you don’t need a rest?” Emma asked. Though she was suspicious of Adam, she still was worried about his health, sidering he had been accepted into the guild.

  “I’ll be alright. I’m tougher than I look.” Adam flexed slightly, but his mail covered his entire body, so it appeared to Emma that he o deliver a load.

  Emma escorted him out of the Adventurer’s Guild, leading him through the loud road towards a building not far away from the guild. It was mostly by itself, whereas other buildings were either bunched up right beside each other, or had a couple of metres of space, this building had enough space that another building could be propped up right beside it, and someone would have enough space to lounge arouween them.

  It was made of stone, as one would expect, but it was far smoother than any other building he had seen iown so far. If someone had told Adam that the building had been transported from Earth, he wouldn’t have questio. He could hear the sound of someoriking steel, which reverberated through Adam. It was warm, soothing.

  “Master Thundersmith?” Emma called out. “I have someone I’d like to introduce to you.” Emma and Adam remained outside, the woman not daring to step into a dwarf’s fe without being weled to.

  Ting.

  Ting.

  Ting.

  Silence followed. The heavy patter of foot falls approached the thick red oak door, before it opened up to reveal a short, stout fellow. He was as wider than the average man, but far shorter. His beard fell down to his gut, braided at the sides. He had tan skin, and bck hair, which was curled down towards his back, beiame by a metal ring at the back of his skull. His grey eyes gred at Adam for a moment. He wore dark overalls, and carried in his hand his hammer. It was silver, with bits of greeal woven through it.

  “An elf? Ya bring to me fe, a leaf ear?” The dwarf’s voice was full of venom, ready to kill. His hand gripped his hammer tighter, ready to bash bone instead of steel.

  Adam raised his brows in surprise. Thundersmith hadn’t been so obviously hostile to him in his st life. “Only half of me was fed by the seed of elves,” he said in dwarven.

  Thundersmith stared at Adam, hand still gripping his hammer tightly. Emma also turo look at Adam, her receptionist face slipping into utter fusion.

  “?”

  ‘?’

  her of them had ever been in such a situation before. It was as though an alien had e down and had started to speak about how spears were great ons to arm the masses with due to how simple and easy they were to use quickly, whereas learning the art of a sword was a little more difficult, and far more expensive for the an.

  Yes, it was teically correct, but he was missing the general point that it was a shock that there was an alien which had e down to speak casually with people.

  Thundersmith blinked once. He blinked again. He shook his head, his beard swaying slightly, before he stared up at Adam. “What in tha salt mother’s tits did ah just hear?” He looked to Emma.

  She had never heard any sort of obsities ever escape from the dwarf’s mouth, so she was even more shocked. ‘Master Thuh cursed, and I just heard a half elf speak dwarven.’ Emma looked to Adam. “You… know dwarven?”

  “Well, yeah.” Adam shrugged his shoulders casually, staring at the two of them.

  They tio stare at him, mouths agape. If they had bet their fortunes oher Adam could speak dwarven, they would have been oreet begging for copper s.

  “What?” Emma asked, not yet recovered from the mental blow. “You speak dwarven?” She had to ask again in order to firm.

  “Yeah. Why?” Adam looked between the pair of them. “Is something wrong?”

  “Ah heard him right, did ah?” Thundersmith looked to Emma, w if his young ears had failed him. He was only two hundred years young, not yet able to ehe aombs of his people.

  “I think you did, Master Thundersmith,” Emma replied back, barely able to keep her manners.

  “An elf?”

  “Yes.”

  “Speaking dwarven?”

  “That appears to be the case.”

  Thundersmith dropped his hammer into the belt loop where it usually went, and waddled back towards his smithy. Emma followed after him, not yet invited, but she o sit down too.

  Adam remained outside for a moment, watg their disappearing forms. ‘Am I meant to follow them? They didn’t invite me, but…’ Adam took a cautious step forward, followed by another, before he finally ehe dark, but warm smithy of the dwarven smith.

  It was hot from the fire of the fe, and was ly ahere were the typical tools you’d have expected of a smithy, but also a small table in the er, and a few boxes near it where Thundersmith was currently rummaging around. Adam noted all the ons which surrouhem, seeing how finely crafted they were. Each had something different about them, with their bde holding a pattern, or a part had an intricate design, and some even had the faint trag of a rune, only visible by the flickering fire.

  Thundersmith opened up a small gss bottle of alcohol he had corked. He poured only a spsh for himself, and did the same for Emma. He tapped the cup onto the table in front of him and dowhe alcohol, feeling it burn his throat.

  Emma, not daring to refuse the alcohol of a dwarf, did the same. However, almost immediately, she began to gasp for air. It felt as though her throat was on fire, though Thundersmith quickly brought her a wineskin for her to sooth her throat. Tears were falling down her face, but she wasn’t bothered about appeara the moment.

  “Two hundred years ah’ve lived,” Thundersmith said. “Ah’ve never heard of an elf, half or otherwise, speak tha good tongue of tha salt mother ah father. Never, in all ma life.”

  ‘Uh oh. What did I do?’ Adam remaianding there, unsure of whether he should run away. In his st life, he had a positive retionship with Thundersmith, but he had been seds away from smashing his skull, and after a few words of dwarven, the man seemed like he was seds away from being arrested, not by the police, but by cardiac.

  “Who taught ya tha tongue of tha salt mother ah father?” Thundersmith stared at Adam with a suspicious look.

  “I, uh, I was taught by a dwarf?” Adam replied, trying to figure out how he could expin it. ‘The simplest solution is probably the best. Right?’

  “Ah’ve never heard of any dwarf who woulda done such a thing.” Thundersmith narrowed his eyes suspiciously towards Adam.

  “You’ve never heard any elf speak the good tongue of the salt mother or earth father either.”

  Emma was still takial damage from the fact that an elf blooded man eaking dwarven. There were few things she knew about elves, tales which had been taught to her by the kingdom. However, there was something before all all those events, something she knew about elves from turies ago. Elves and dwarves despised one another, a deep grudge. It was worse than the grudge between elves and orcs, who had their own reasons to hate one another. It had gotten so bad that there was a line drawhe elves and dwarves could go in the kingdom. Red Oak ce where no elf dared to tread.

  “Aye, that’s right.” Thundersmith nodded. He chewed on this thoughts for a moment. How could he have learnt dwarven? Was there something evil afoot?

  “What’s the big deal?” Adam asked, seeing how tense everything had bee again.

  “Tha big deal? Ah’r people have had an a bloe siime ago, back when yer people came for mine.”

  “My people?”

  “Aye, ya leaf ears.”

  “Well, as I’ve said, I’m only a half a leaf ear. Even if you hate one half of me, the other half of me you should be okay with.” Adam hadn’t expected to experience such a hatred for his race so quickly. ‘Damn, what the hell happened back then?’

  Thundersmith ground his teeth and tio chew on his thoughts. “This bloe doesn’t just go away just because ya said so.”

  “Well, I assure you that my family had nothing with whatever happened back then.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “I ’t tell you how I know that, but it’s the truth.”

  Thundersmith had never heard of any elf who would deny the bad blood between them. ‘By the salt mother’s tits, what am I hearing?’ He could feel his rage boil ain. “Do ya have no pride, boy?”

  “Pride?” Adam raised his brow. “Pride for what?”

  “Yer blood! Yer family! Yer people!”

  Adam squinted his eyes, unsure of how he should respond. “I’m proud of being me, sure? I’m proud about being a det enough guy. In terms of my family, what family? It’s just me. My people? Which people? The elves I’ve never met? Right now, no one in this world shares the same blood as me. I’m all alone.” Adam stared into Thundersmith’s eyes.

  Thundersmith stared up at Adam, shock setting into him again. Seeing the boy’s eyes, he could see that what Adam was saying was true. Those eyes were filled with ay loneliness, a sadness he hadn’t expected. “Yer people are all dead?”

  Adam looked down, w how he should respond. “They were torn away from me due to the maations of higher forces. It’s only me here in this world.” He smiled. “I’m sure I’ll have my own family one day, if I live long enough, but I seem to attract death.” He looked up. “I should probably have a word with Sozain.”

  The dwarf’s ears twitched. “You mean Lord Sozain?”

  Even Emma was staring at Adam, having mostly calmed down from the strong dwarven alcohol. “Lord Sozain,” she repeated.

  Adam raised his brow. “What?”

  “Ya should show respect to tha gods,” Thundersmith said, nodding his head.

  “If you don’t, you’ll earn their ire,” Emma added, emphasising Thundersmith’s words. ‘First you speak elven, and then you disrespect the gods. Just what the hell are you doing?’

  Adam stared at them for a long moment. His lips quivered, his ears began to tear up. Theossed his head back, uo tain his ughter. “Bwahaha!” He tio roar with ughter, shaking his head. “I’ll earn their ire?” He tio ugh.

  ‘This kid is crazy!’ Emma stared at him, uo think about anything else. ‘Does he want to die?’

  “Well, I suppose they don’t know about the debts they owe me. Pying with my fate as they pleased.” Adam shook his head. “I’ll meet them one day to speak face to face, and we’ll see if they wao call them Lord and such.” Adam tio chuckle.

  Thundersmith stared at the half elf. Whatever he knew about elves and their kin were quickly tossed away. This half elf before him was pletely different. He spoke dwarven. He didn’t care about their grudge. He didn’t pce respeto the gods. ‘He’s fug crazy! A damn psychopath!’

  “So,” Adam said, finally able to speak once he was done chug, “aren’t I meant to be smithing?”

  “…”

  “…”

  ‘Did he really just segue from bsphemy to smithing so casually?’ The pair thought.

  Emma bli him, w what she had doo deal with a troublesome one like him. ‘Is this divine punishment?’

  Thundersmith threw a gowards Emma, looking at her face to judge it. She caught his look and slowly nodded her head. “It seems ah’ll have to.”

  “I hope Master Thundersmith takes into sideration that Adam, though he may be a half elf, is a member of uild.”

  “Business is business, as long as ya pay tha gold, ya don’t have ta worry about a thing.” Thundersmith stood up, pg his hands against his back to help stretch it. “Ya speak dwarven and know how ta smith? That dwarf, he teach ya how to smith as well?”

  “Yeah.”

  Thundersmith almost fell onto his back, and Emma almost choked on air upon hearing his answer. Did Adam truly exist in their world? Was this all a fever dream?

  Adam bli them, w what had happened betweewo groups. He tried to form a e betweered of elves and dwarves to parallels with Earth. It didn’t take long for him to make a list of three obvious examples.

  “So…” Adam waited for instrus.

  “Just… just pick a rod and smith a dagger.” Thundersmith waves his hand to dismiss Adam. “Don’t go telling ahat my good smithy allowed a half elf inside, especially that ah allowed him to use ma fe.” He threw a look to Emma.

  “fidentiality is our speciality, Master Thundersmith. You of all people should know that.” Emma nodded her head. “I will be leaving Adam in your care.” Though she wao stay, just in case something happened, she had to trust Master Thundersmith, who had been in Red Oak for lohan she had been alive, and she assumed he wouldn’t go and it murder right he guild, especially not to one of its members.

  Smithing Check (Intelligence)D20 + 4 = 10 (6)

  Adam stripped out of his armour first, si would be difficult to smith in it, and grabbed a rod from a pile, feeling its weight first. He tossed it up, ahe way it nded into his hand.

  ‘What the hell is he doing?’ Thundersmith wasn’t sure he had ever seen aoss a rod to check what it was like. Lift it up? Sure. Check its weight? Obviously. Throw it up and feel how it nded on your palm? Never.

  Adam then started the grindstone, and o to speed he checked the sparks which flew out once he pced the rod’s edge against it. He was cheg to see what kind of alloy he was w with, and figured it was good enough to make a dagger which wouldn’t bend, though it would be slightly brittle.

  Thundersmith uood his iions once he saw Adam check the sparks. ‘So, you actually know how to check the position of ah’r rods?’ Even if he didn’t want to admit it, it was true that Adam had some skill. Not a lot of skill, just some skill.

  Smithing Check (Strength)D20 + 5 = 14 (9)

  Smithing Check (stitution)D20 + 4 = 21 (17)

  Smithing Check (Dexterity)D20 + 2 = 12 (10)

  Adam brought the rod to the fire, heating it up until it was the appropriate colour, before pounding it into shape with a hammer. He could already feel the burn of the effort within his forearm, the slightly numbness of his hand, but he tried his best to trol his strength. Hitting it too lightly would make this take too long, and hitting it too hard could apply irreversible damage.

  Thundersmith watched as Adam struck the dagger, f it’s shape over a long while. He didn’t need anything too spectacur, just something with could be used to show that he had some smithing ability.

  Adam’s arms were ag by the time he was doh shaping the dagger. He tio pound the dagger until it was ft, though the bde itself was quite thick towards the base.

  Adam had formed a handle by twisting the other end of the rod, and he looked at Thundersmith. “A bit of leather would do a lot of good,” he said, not enjoying the feeling of the dagger handle. He eventually sharpehe bde against the grindstone, and offered it to the smith, who took it.

  Thundersmith eyed the dagger up for a moment, before stabbing a wooden bloearby. It was a fairly simple design, and it was of average quality, though the finishing was quite nibsp;

  “It’s nah dwarven make, but it’ll do.”

  “That’s still too much praise for the likes of me. I’m afraid I won’t be able to bear such great words.” Adam chuckled, bowing his head slightly.

  Thundersmith was still shocked, uo tain his surprise. A half elf, showing him respect? ‘My heart isn’t strong enough to hahis.’ He held out the dagger. “Take it, d.”

  Adam accepted it, before the dwarf grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something on it quickly. He ha to Adam and dismissed him with a wave of his hand. He o drink himself to sleep, uo bear with what had happened i couple of hours.

  Thundersmith smmed the door shut behind Adam, who had his armour within his arms.

  “…”

  ‘I wonder what he was w on.’ He realised he didn’t see whatever the dwarf had been w on, and there was no evidence he had been w on anything, except for the fact he had heard the smith pounding something with his hammer. ‘Ah well, guess I’ll ask ime.’

  Sed Optional Test plete+20XP

  What's wrong with being an elf?