288. A Master’s Touch

288. A Master’s Touch

Sitting around the fire was the party of White’s Grace. Each of them looked so different than before, and Adam had almost not recognised them.

“You guys look like crap,” Adam said, his brows raised in surprise.

“We were trying to return back to the Iyr before the Twilight Month, but it seems we were unfortunate,” Lady Elowen said, a cloth tied over the left side of her face, bandages peeking through from underneath. She, and Ylra, were in their Half Elf forms.

“Damn,” Adam said, shaking his head.

Rojer’s body was heavily wounded, though he had been patched up by the Iyr, and the magical potions had worked wonders. Ylra’s leg had been wounded heavily too, and as she sat, it was out at an awkward angle.

Adam tried not to look at Redboulder, whose beard was half missing, seeing the Dwarf’s bare skin.

“Who would have thought that there would have been a small Beast Wave on the way?” Ylra said, crossing her arms. “You Iyrmen, I bet you designed it that way!” She laughed with joy, however.

“Are you guys okay?” Adam asked.

“We are fine, though we have been better,” Elowen said. “Once we return home, we will be safe. Our task will have been completed, and no one will refuse our retirement.”

“I’m sorry to see you all injured,” Adam said, frowning. “What about you know who?”

“The Princess is safe,” Elowen said, motioning a hand to the corner of the courtyard, where Princess Mina was currently sitting up, holding a block in hand.

Princess Mina was the colour of the ocean, as she was the last time he saw her. Her webbed hands were clutching the block tight. A toothy smile was plastered across her face, her teeth near jagged, as she tossed the blocks about and crawled after them.

“What the hell?” Adam said. “When did she get so big?” Adam was sure she had been less than half the size when they had first met.

“She is growing well, thanks to you,” Lady Elowen said, nodding her head to him.

Adam picked her up, causing her to stare up at him in shock first, but then recognition filled her eyes. She squealed up at him, before reaching up to try and grab his face, her hands, which felt like leather, pressed against his scruffy beard.

“Why did you grow up so quick?” Adam asked, brushing her hair gently, which came out curly. She babbled, though the babbling sounded like popping bubbles and the waves. “Do you want to meet my little sister?”

Lanarot was currently sitting by herself, playing with her own blocks, but she jolted upright when another baby appeared. Lanarot stared at the blue baby, and then up to Adam, confusion in her face.

“Lanarot, it’s Princess Mina. You have to be a good girl and play with her, okay?”

Lanarot babbled, holding up her block, before throwing it and crawling away. Mina looked up at Adam, before smiling with her jagged teeth, before she continued to play with her own blocks. The pair of babies played by themselves, though remained near one another.

Adam sat down, crossing his arms and watching them. His heart was filled with a sweetness, consuming a delicious dessert with his eyes.

“Adam?” Elowen called.

“Leave him, Lady Elowen,” Naqokan said. “He is currently recharging.”

‘What does that mean?’ Elowen wondered, but she left the Half Elf be.

“Yep,” Adam said. “I need a shield, sword, and spear.”

“I’ll assist ye, lad,” Redboulder said.

Adam showed the Dwarf his current work, which the Dwarf nodded towards. “Not bad, ah say.” Adam’s designs were fairly basic, and would be fine enough to smith.

For a Human.

“Yeah, but I feel like there’s something missing, and I don’t dare to say I want something with Dwarven quality, but I do want something that would make Dwarves not sick at the sight of such terrible weapons and shields.”

Redboulder chuckled, before nodding his head. He assisted Adam in reshaping some of the weapons, working on every aspect of the weapons and the shield.

Smithing Check (Intelligence)

D20 + 5 = 6 (1)

D20 + 5 = 23 (18)

Smithing Check (Intelligence)

D20 + 5 = 16 (11)

D20 + 5 = 21 (16)

Smithing Check (Intelligence)

D20 + 5 = 7 (2)

D20 + 5 = 9 (4)

“Master Dwarf, I hope you don’t mind me saying, but...” Adam looked down at the design of the shield. “Don’t you think the shield seems a little awkward?”

Redboulder stared at the shield design he had made, before looking up at Adam. “Ah seem ta have made a Dwarven shield,” he said, rubbing his chin, wincing. “Apologies, young lad.”

Smithing Check (Intelligence)

D20 + 5 = 16 (11)

D20 + 5 = 22 (17)

Once they had fixed the shield, Adam stared at the three designs. Each were fairly basic, and they had made notes on materials which would be required. Redboulder, who was more familiar with the materials, made a long list of materials which would be useful for the different weapons, as well as some ratios for different alloys.

“I can’t thank you enough, Master Redboulder,” Adam said. “Is there any way I can repay you?”

“Consider it a thank you, lad,” Redboulder said, patting Adam’s back. Thanks to the distraction Adam had provided him, he forgot that his beard had been ruined for a short while.

“If you say so, Master Redboulder. If you ever need anything from my end, please do call. I’m an Enchanter too, so if you ever need magical weapons, I’ll always be willing to assist you, if you’re not looking for Dwarven make, that is.”

“Yer an Enchanter?” Redboulder asked, his eyes flashing up towards the Half Elf.

“A better Enchanter than I am a Smith,” Adam said, nodding his head. “I’ve made quite a few. If you’d like to see my best, I can ask my Aunt to show you, though I can’t use it any more.”

“Why not?”

“I’m too dangerous with it,” Adam said.

Redboulder chuckled, expecting it to be a joke, but the look in Adam’s eyes revealed it was no joke. He recognised the look, the look of a crafter who had lost his greatest piece. He pat Adam on his back, sharing in his loss.

Click banner for Patreon and come join my too!

Thank you, Redboulder senpai.