The Swift Foot Inn was always a busy place, offering shelter and warm beds to weary travelers, and a place for the commoners to wash away their daily troubles or celebrate their good fortunes. Despite its large size, boasting sixteen small and four large rooms on its first floor, and enough space downstairs to accommodate at least eighty guests, the inn was stuffed. The king’s call for aid was answered by many thrill seekers, bounty hunters and adventurers from all across Paradise. All of the rooms were taken and there even had been guests who paid to sleep on the floor or in the attic. The noise from all those people talking, ranting and bragging was overwhelming, as was the smell of sweat, ale and tobacco that filled the overcrowded space. Servants were rushing in and out of the kitchen with platters, and extra staff had been hired to serve drinks to all the guests. In the back a group of musicians desperately tried to make themselves heard, and the innkeeper was standing on a bar stool shouting orders at his staff.

The doors of the inn opened and two of the king’s guards entered. A shady figure, who had arrived late last night, observed the guards from a secluded corner from under its hood, while sipping from a lukewarm foamless ale. One of the guards shouted, “First group of the day, report please!” A tough looking man wearing a worn chainmail stepped forward to the guard. “That will be me”, he said. “Where is the rest of your party?” the guard inquired looking around the inn. “I am my own party”, the man answered. “Sorry sir, parties only, excuse me.” The guard shouted again, “Listen people, only parties of three or greater will be invited to the palace.” A group of five from the table next to the shady figure shouted back, “Oi, over here, there is five of us!” The guard gestured them to come forward, “Follow me please.”

Several people left the inn after hearing the guard ask for groups only. The shady figure kept a close eye out looking for folk that were alone and looked capable. She spotted a young man sitting at the bar. He wore a good looking studded leather armor and a rapier dangled from his side. He was one of the few men not drinking alcohol, and was looking around somewhat confused. The shady figure pulled back her hood as she crossed eyes with the young man, gesturing him to sit at her table. The young men hesitated for a second, then picked up his drink and walked over to the table, skillfully avoiding several collisions with staff and other guests.

The woman stood up offering her hand, “Good afternoon, I am Stella, please sit.” Atreius smiled, “I am Atreius, nice to meet you Stella.” Stella observed Atreius and figured he was either a fighter or a rogue. “Are you here for the king?”, Stella asked. “Aye, but I’m alone, what about you?” Stella put her longbow in front of her on the table, “Me too, and alone too.

”They talked for a while about what made them decide to come here, getting acquainted a little bit. Stella was impressed by the story of Atreius and the highway robbers. “We should work together Atreius, and maybe if we can find someone else, we could form a party.” Atreius nodded and looked around the inn with Stella. “How about that woman over there?” Atreius suggested. “She seems to be on her own, and I saw her subdue a man bothering her earlier with one hand.” Stella looked at the exotic looking woman and noticed a controlled calmness emanating from her. “Why not. What about that man over there?” Stella pointed at a young man sitting at the bar. “Why him?” Atreius asked. “He doesn’t look very strong, and he doesn’t even carry a weapon isn’t he just one of the locals?” Stella smiled, “He may not look powerful, but do you see what is sticking out of his backpack?” Atreius took a closer look. “Yes, a book. Is that so special?” “That is not just a book, it is a spell book, he is a wizard.” Atreius eyes lit up, “A wizard, wow. Let’s invite them both over.” Stella agreed.

Atreius walked over to the exotic looking woman. “Excuse me lady, are you here to answer the call for help too?” She looked at Atreius sensing his kind spirit, “As a matter of fact I am, why do you ask?” Atreius pointed at Stella, “I just met her, Stella. And I am Atreius. We decided to work together and noticed you were alone. Are you interested in joining?” Stella smiled and nodded at the exotic looking woman. “I will consider it, let’s get acquainted first. My name is Maeko the Truthful, Monk of the Manyfists.” Maeko formally greeted Atreius who watched her with open mouth. Maeko remembered Jarod doing the same. “Let’s go then, or are you trying to imitate a cave entrance”, Maeko said pointing at her mouth just like Brother Sugnar did with Jarod. Atreius shook his head and laughed at himself. “Aye aye captain”, he replied gesturing Maeko to lead on. Atreius introduced Maeko to Stella. “Stella, this is Maeko the Truthful, Monk of what was it again?” Atreius looked down apologetically. “Just Maeko will do fine”, Maeko said while shaking Stella’s hand.

Atreius wasted no time and moved towards the wizard sitting at the bar. “I always imagined wizards to look a bit more fancy”, he thought to himself. He tapped the wizard on his shoulder, no response. He tried again. The wizard mumbled something and started snoring. Atreius couldn’t believe someone could actually fall asleep in this loud chaos. He looked back at Stella and Maeko, gesturing them that the man was asleep by resting his head on his folded hands. Stella and Maeko giggled. “Let’s test his resolve”, Stella suggested. Maeko nodded. Stella gestured Atreius to keep trying and Maeko nodded to confirm. Atreius pulled the wizard’s hat slightly back to reveal his eyes, than firmly shook his shoulder. “Wake up sir!” This time he was successful. “Huh what do… I’m a… Oh hello.” Atreius barely managed to keep from laughing. “Hello sir, I am Atreius, and I was wondering if you are her to answer the king’s call.” The wizard scratched his chin, “I suppose I am, why do you ask?” Atreius wasn’t expecting a wizard to be someone only a few years older than himself. “We are looking for a wizard to join our group. We wish to serve the king in his hour of need. You are a wizard right?” The young mage turned around and looked at the two women, “I am a wizard, yes. Though recent events have severely diminished my normally extensive library of spells. I am Krazar.” Atreius gave Stella and Maeko a thumbs up. “Well, we can use all the magic we can get”, Atreius implored. He really wanted to see magic with his own eyes, and was willing to do anything to make Krazar join. “Well I don’t see why not. As long as the arcane scrolls we find go to me.” Atreius nodded and walked back to their table with Krazar. “Ladies, this is Krazar, he is a wizard and wishes to join us.” Stella and Maeko looked at the poorly dressed young man, doubting he could cast a single spell. But they both had learned in their own way not to judge people by their looks. “Welcome Krazar, please take a seat.” Stella said. They sat and talked for a while, mostly explaining their skills to each other, and debating what the king would ask of them. Maeko extensively explained what being a monk means, it was something the other three had never heard of.

“What’s the deal with them?”, Krazar asked, pointing inconspicuously at a group of five men sitting at a table by the window. “They are keeping a close eye on us.” The other three glanced in the direction Krazar was pointing. Two of the men were wearing chainmail and had their shield and longsword resting against the back of their chair. One wore a plate armor and was resting his arm on the hilt of an impressive looking broadsword. The two others were dressed in black leather armor and wore black cloaks.

“What do you mean”, Atreius asked. “Well, they are keeping a close eye on us. And the other guests seem to keep a healthy distance from them”, Krazar replied. Stella took a better look, “They don’t look very trustworthy, especially the one constantly flipping a dagger in his hand. Do you think they are here for the king too?” Krazar shrugged. Atreius pushed back his chair wanting to stand up, “I will go and ask them.” Maeko and Stella simultaneously put their hand on Atreius arm. “Better not, no need to provoke them”, Maeko said. “Agreed”, Stella added, “But when the guards come for the next group, let’s make sure it’s us.” They all agreed, and kept an eye out for the guards return.

About an hour after the first group was taken to the palace, the guards finally returned. They all wondered why it took so long, but were ready to present themselves as the next group. At the instance the guards opened the door Atreius jumped up and raced toward the door. Before the guard could even say anything Atreius addressed him. “Good day sir, me and my friends would like to apply as the next group.” He pointed at the others. “We will make it worth your while.” Atreius noticed the dagger flipper had stood up, and heard his friends calling him Danny. He also walked towards the guard. The others noticed and quickly stood up and joined Atreius. Krazar bowed, “Krazar, my magic is at the king’s service.” Stella curtsied, “Stella, the king has my bow.” Maeko officially greeted the guard, “Maeko the Truthful, Monk of the Manyfists.”

The guard was caught off guard by the groups enthusiasm, distracting his attention from the five men that looked a lot more experienced. “Very well, follow me”, the guard said and turned around. Atreius looked at the dagger-flipper, whose face looked seriously annoyed. He pointed his dagger at Atreius, then walked back to his group. “What a creep”, Atreius said as they walked down the main street of the Jewel of the North’s commons. “His name is Danny I heard his friends say.” Krazar looked at Atreius, “Danny Daggerflip.” They all chuckled.

As they approached the gate leading into the noble’s district, Stella put her hood over her head, covering her face in shadow. “What’s wrong?” Maeko inquired. “Long story, my parents live in this district and I can’t be seen by them right now”, Stella replied, checking her surroundings as they passed the gate. Krazar lifted an eyebrow, but didn’t press the matter. Maeko found it hard to believe someone would avoid their parents, seeing how she never met her own, and decided to ask Stella about it once they got to know each other a bit better. Atreius could hardly believe his eyes as they walked past the large mansions. “So one of these castles is your house?”, he asked Stella. “The one over there.” Stella pointed to the left, then turned her head to the right seeing Reginald opening the door for Gwenda. The mansion had an entrance even more impressive then the entrance to the village hall at Azaya. Atreius marveled at the azure walls and glass stained windows set in white window frames. They combined perfectly with the four huge decorated white columns supporting the entrance. “I bet her bedroom is bigger than my parent’s entire house”, Atreius mumbled.

They passed the gate leading to the Palace district. The sight of the palace was nothing new to Stella, but the others stopped in awe. The four gracious sandy towers, with their golden spires seemed to radiate in the afternoon sun. The many teardrop-shaped windows, all equipped with white linen sunscreens, made the palace look like it had eyes with white lashes. Exotic and colorful creepers grew up against the outer and palace walls, some reaching over twenty foot high. Their magenta and bloodred flowers making the palace look like something from a fairy tale. They followed the road left of the palace, passing the clothier where Stella had Anna’s wedding dress made. “This is simply amazing”, Atreius said, “Martin wasn’t exaggerating when he said everyone should see this at least once in their lifetime.” Stella looked at Atreius, and noticed he really was overwhelmed. “So cute to see someone so in awe over something I have known all my life”, she thought, as the road bend leading to the palace’s main gate. “Who is Martin?” Maeko asked. Atreius briefly thought about home. “Oh, just the innkeeper back home”, he replied, suppressing a slight homesickness.

They walked through a gate into a large square space, each side of the space being another gate. “Make way, make way”, the guard said gesturing the group to step aside. Four horsemen behind them entered the gate and exited left out of the city, and into the Great Desert. “Here we are”, the guard said. Two men dressed in regal blue silk clothes holding halberds stood next to a large earth-brown gate. They opened the gate to the courtyard, deeply bowing as the group walked in. A short tanned man was waiting for them, stepping forward to meet them. He was also dressed in the regal blue color, but was wearing a golden sash and polished iron sheath holding a scimitar. “Allow me to introduce Shin, head of King Khalid el Abdhul’s household.” Shin bowed holding the hilt of his scimitar and making a flourish with his other hand. The guard formally introduced the four aspiring adventurers. He remembered all their names, even Maeko’s full title, making Atreius feel a little awkward again. “Follow me please, welcome to the palace of King Khalid el Abdhul.” They walked across the courtyard, that was bristling with activity. Servants carrying large silver plates filled with colorful exotic fruits, guards sparring or sharpening their weapons and maintenance workers sitting on swings painting window frames high above the ground. Singing and music resounded across the courtyard springing from a group of musicians playing in an arbor overgrown with flowers. Nothing indicated that something was troubling the king or his subjugates.

The high shrine-like entrance to the palace was guarded by two more guards, dressed exactly the same as the ones outside. They opened the huge wooden doors at a simple gesture of Shin. They entered the reception area while the doors were quickly closed behind them to keep the heat out. “Please be seated, I will inform the king of your arrival, while the servants will prepare you for your audience.” The party sat down on ornate mahogany chairs with velvet red pillows. The floor was made of black and white marble triangles set in an intricate repeating pattern, and was cool to the touch. The double staircase was lined with a red stair carpet, and the walls hung with paintings of the succession of kings and queens spanning several generations. The staircase’s railing topped it all. A hand carved dragonhead on each side, winding all the way up to the center of a large balcony, where their tails entwined and curved back down holding the banner of the kingdom.

Shin clapped his hands then entered the throne room through double doors under the banner. The door closed and immediately four male and four female servants entered the room from the side entrance. The men carried large silver bowls engraved with rearing horses, and the women held rush baskets with several pieces of cloth and jars with flower petals. The four men each placed one of the ornate bowls next to one of the guests. They were filled with spring-clean water. They then each took a piece of silk fabric that hung from their belt, folding it open and holding it in front of the guests while bowing. “Your weapons please.” Atreius placed his sword, and Stella her longbow. The servants wrapped them in the fabric as if they were handling a newborn, then left the room.

The women dressed in sky-blue wrap-skirts and tops, their bellies naked but henna-painted with intricate patterns, gracefully rained fragrant petals into the bowls of water. They started washing the guests hands. Krazar shamelessly enjoyed looking at his young exotic servant, reminding him of the ladies he observed at Mister McLovin’s brothel, while Atreius blushed and desperately tried not to look at the woman’s cleavage as she bend towards him. Maeko and Stella simply enjoyed the attention and relaxed. The women cared for their nails, then continued gently washing their faces, and finally brushed their hair. Stella preferred a ponytail, while Maeko had her hair braided. The women finished their ritualistic ablutions with a relaxing and enlightening facial massage. Just before they left another servant treated the guests to an exquisite cup of jasmine tea, served in crystal glasses and sweetened with rock-sugar. They waited in silence sipping tea, not wanting to break their mutual feeling of exultation.

The throne room doors opened and Shin gestured the group to step in. Six polished granite columns lined the white marble path cut through the dark granite floor, leading to the throne. A guard was posted at each of the columns, keeping a close eye on the visitors. Windows more than fifteen feet above the ground, bathed the gold and oak throne in an almost divine light. Shin stopped at the bottom of the steps leading up to the throne, and bowed to the king, who was petting one of the two black panthers sitting beside him. “My liege, please welcome to your halls the next group of promising young adventurers.” Shin stepped to the side and flourished at the group. Stella was the first to step forward, bowing gracefully as she had learned from her parents, introducing herself as Stella the Ranger. Krazar kneeled on one knee while stating his name and profession. Maeko bowed than greeted the king with the official greeting of her order. The king raised an eyebrow at this strange way of showing respect, peaking his interest. Atreius was so nervous he almost tumbled forward trying to bow deeper then was physically possible.

“Welcome brave adventurers, to these halls. I trust my servants lived up to your expectations”, king Khalid asked rhetorically while rising from his throne. He was in his thirties, yet already gleamed with authority. His well-defined jaw and tanned skin, along with his muscular body but gentle movement, impressed the four guests. He had a friendly and warm smile, and dark eyes that spoke both wisdom and joy. He was wearing remarkably simple clothes, just sky blue pants and a sky blue open vest with yellow hemlines, revealing his muscular abdomen and tight pectorals. The quality of the fabric, and the gold thread used to sow it, made it obvious his attire was probably worth more than the average commoner would make in a year.

King Khalid looked each of them in the eye, assessing their value and trustworthiness. “Thank you for answering my call for aid. A great ill has befallen my kingdom, though at this time I can’t share with you the details of my troubles. I am looking for a group of well willing adventurers who I shall send on a quest of grave importance, though I first have to reassure myself of their absolute trustworthiness and loyalty to my throne and my people”. A moment of silence followed, the king looking at the group with expectation. Stella stepped forward bowing again, “Your Highness, I speak for all of us when I tell you we will do anything we can to aid you in your time of need. Tell us what we need to do to earn your trust, so that you may share your burden upon our return”. Atreius almost started clapping, impressed by the way Stella addressed the king. Krazar looked a bit annoyed, by the extensive use of unnecessary words.

“Very well”, the king said while Shin took a scroll from a chest standing to the side of the steps leading up to the throne. “The task I ask of you is as follows. In my kingdom there are five guilds, who have all served me and my predecessors greatly. I would ask you to contact the leader of each of these guilds, and show them this writ.” Shin stepped forward and offered the scroll, carrying the royal seal of Paradise, to Stella. “Each of the guild’s leaders will ask you to perform a task, and provide you with proof of success upon completing the task. As speed is of the essence, I will reward the first group to return with a recommendation from each of the guilds with the honor of becoming official emissaries of Paradise. They will then be briefed by me on the task I require of them in order to undo the great ill that has befallen me and my people.” The king sat down on his throne, “I wish you the best of luck and hope to see you again soon”.

Shin led the party back outside, “Is there anything I can do to help you?” Atreius addressed the group, “Do we know where all the guilds are?” Stella smiled, “I know them, so no worries there. I think it’s best if we start at the Master Weapon Crafters , they are in this city. Then there is the Guild of Tinkerers in Desert Wind, the Council of the Arcane in Amalen, the Tactician’s Guild in Ezecha and the Cult of the Divine in Solas.” Krazar and Maeko looked a bit worried. “It sounds like we have to travel quite a bit, if we had horses we would surely be a lot faster”, Maeko said. Krazar nodded in agreement, “I can’t afford one though”. Shin smiled, “focus on getting the recommendation from the Master Weapon Crafters for now, then come back to me. I will try to convince the king to let you use his own.” The prospect of riding the gorgeous noble horses from the king’s stables encouraged the group to make haste and visit the smiths guild as soon as possible.

“Take us to the guild please Stella”, Maeko politely asked assuming the rest of the group agreed. Stella seemed a bit hesitant. “Is something wrong Stella?”, Maeko asked, while Atreius and Krazar waited for them impatiently. “Well, the leader of the guild of smiths is Balog, his daughter Ireg is my best friend”, Stella sighed. “How is that a problem?” Maeko inquired. Stella looked at her with a silly face, “I think it’s best if we sit down for a drink so I can explain”, she reluctantly suggested. They walked towards the Glimmering Jewel inn, when two guards passed them with the next group of adventurers to be brought before the king. It was Danny Daggerflip and his crew. They looked at the group in a threatening way, the big man with the broadsword slicing his thumb across his throat while staring at Atreius. Stella changed her mind about sitting down for a drink feeling the same urge as her new friends to get going as fast as possible, while they were still ahead.

They hurried through the noble’s district and went straight to Balog and Ireg, Stella still making sure she wouldn’t be recognized. The sound of hammer and anvil rang from the forge. “Give me a minute please?” Stella asked as she walked in. Balog was hammering away at what was to be the blade of a scythe, as he noticed Stella. “Oi, I didn’t expect to see you here again so soon.” He stopped his hammering and smiled at Stella, who was anxiously waiting for a reaction to the wedding the evening before. Balog noticed, and shook her hand. “Thank you for providing me with one of the most fantastic evenings of my life. Don’t worry, I won’t judge you, I know why you did it.” Stella sighed in relief. “Anyways, Ireg isn’t home at the moment.” He pulled the rope operating the bellows and shoved the scythe-blade into the searing embers of his forge. “Actually I’m here to see you, and I brought company. Can I invite them in? They are good folks”, Stella asked. Balog laughed his belly shaking up and down. “Well of course, a friend of yours is a friend of mine. Go get them!” Stella opened the front door and invited the others to come in. Balog was a little surprised at the sight of this band of people, but hid it very well.

“Welcome lads and lass, how can I help you”. Stella showed the king’s writ to Balog. “We need a recommendation from each of the guild’s leaders, so we can become emissaries of the king.” Balog quickly read the scroll. “So I am to give you a task, hmm, let me think.” He rubbed his beard. “Actually there is something I would ask of you. I lost my special hammer, a family heirloom. If you could find it and bring it back to me, I would gladly write a recommendation.” Maeko stepped forward, “I am Maeko sir, nice to meet you.” Balog smiled, “just call me Balog.” Maeko nodded than asked, “Where did you lose your hammer, do you remember?” Balog thought for a second, “Last I remember is taking it with me to the Master Weapon Crafters in the palace district. It isn’t there any more, even though they claimed to have seen me there with it. It might be stolen.” Maeko continued, “And what does it look like, this hammer?” Stella stepped in, “I know what it looks like.” Atreius and Krazar nodded to each other, “Let’s go then ladies, best place to start looking seems to be the Master Weapon Crafters”, Krazar concluded. “We will back with your hammer shortly”, Atreius said smiling confidently at Balog.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

As they walked back to the palace district, Krazar started contemplating what could have happened. “If the hammer is truly stolen, someone might be trying to sell it, I know I would”, Krazar said. Maeko looked at Krazar, “Only if it is valuable, do you think it is Stella? You have seen it before.” “Well, it is very old, made by the Goldenhammers, so I guess it is valuable. Magical too I think”, Stella replied. “Goldenhammers”, Atreius mumbled, “What are the Goldenhammers?” Stella summarized the story about the Goldenhammers Balog had told here many times. Krazar’s interest was aoused by the part about dwarven rune-forging. Maeko didn’t really care for magic, but enjoyed the story nonetheless. “Let’s see what we find out at the Master Weapon Crafters, and hope the hammer is just lying around somewhere inside”, Maeko suggested. They all agreed and decided not to mention they were sent by Balog or the king as that might scare a potential thief into hiding.

They turned right after passing the place district gate and walked straight to the Master Weapon Crafters. You couldn’t miss the place, seeing how four chimneys bellowed out smoke from the four forges inside. They made all the weapons for the king’s men, except for high rank officers and the king himself. Their weapons were always made by Balog himself, in which he took great pride. The front doors of the large brick building were open, and several workers were outside curing leather or hauling coal. A cacophony of metal hitting metal welcomed our group inside. In the center of the large open space a large oak countertop was situated, on the wall behind it a large variety of weapons were on display. To the left and right, at the far walls of the large space, the four forges were radiating so much heat it could even be felt from where the party stood. Behind the counter stood Jolriz, nicknamed the Sinless for his impeccable reputation, overseer to the forges and workers of the Master Weapon Crafters.

“Welcome travelers, how may I help you. Need a weapon made or a blade sharpened? You have come to the right place”, he gestured at the extensive collection of fine weapons behind him. Atreius nudged Krazar forward. “You talk, we will keep an eye out.” Krazar understood exactly what Atreius was hinting at, and stepped up to the counter, . “Good afternoon sir. As you can see I lack a good weapon. What have you got for someone like me?” Jolriz looked Krazar up and down, “For someone like you, I recommend a short sword, or maybe a mace. Nothing too heavy.” Krazar laughed overly loud to attract the attention of the men working the forges. “Do I look like a sword person to you, or a mace person?” Jolriz looked confused. “I am a real fan of hammers”, Krazar said emphasizing the word hammers. Maeko, Atreius and Stella kept a close eye on the workers trying to spot if someone reacted to Krazar’s taunt. A couple of men seemed interested in hearing more from this hammer loving, poorly dressed man. Maeko elbowed Krazar urging him to continue. “So, what hammers do you have to offer, good man?” Jolriz quickly placed several hammers on the counter, varying in size from a carpenters hammer to something with a hammerhead the size of a small child. Krazar inspected them carefully. “A fine collection indeed, but I was looking for a less ordinary hammer, something Dwarven made”, he said loudly. At that moment Maeko noticed one of the younger workers looking intently at Krazar, then stopping what he was doing and leaving the workspace. Maeko tapped Krazar’s back again and gently pulled his shirt indicating to him someone had probably took the bait. “I’m sorry sir”, Jolriz said, “you should try Balog in the commons, he is a Dwarf himself. Maybe he can help you.” Krazar nodded, “I hope so, thank you for your help anyway good sir.”

The group left the building and walked back towards the Glimmering Jewel inn. Maeko casually explained what had happened. They stopped briefly to deliberate. “I have an idea”, Atreius said. “Krazar, move to the meadows by yourself, observe the king’s horses. We will pretend to go to the little marketplace in front of the inn, but keep an eye out. Let’s see what happens.” Maeko and Stella nodded. “Sure thing”, Krazar replied. He walked on as the others turned left onto the market square. As soon as they were out of sight, they spotted the worker from the forges following Krazar. Krazar leaned on the fence and actually enjoyed Atreius’ plan, the king’s horses were an absolutely beautiful sight. The worker stopped by the fence, just ten feet away from Krazar and was looking around nervously, clearly checking his surroundings. When there was no one near for a moment, he stepped towards Krazar. He leaned on the fence too, observing the noble steeds graciously trotting around in a game of chase. “Heard you were looking for a hammer, the special kind”, the worker said without looking at Krazar. Krazar glanced to the left then stared in the distance. “I am”, he simply said. The worker lowered his voice, “I happen to have one for sale, acquired it recently and need to sell it. I’m short on cash so I will give you a good bargain.” Krazar turned around leaning back against the fence and replied to the air in front of him, “I’m interested, can I see the merchandise?” The worker softly chuckled, “haven’t got it here, and before we talk any further, have you got coin?” Krazar looked to the left to prevent the worker from seeing his lips move, and quickly mumbled an incantation. He threw back his cloak and tapped his coin pouch. It rankled with the sound of gold, even though it was completely empty. The worker grinned, “Excellent, meet me tonight at midnight. There is a narrow alley behind The Traders inn, in the commons. I will be there with the merchandise, make sure you bring that coin purse.” The worker moved off towards the stables not looking back or saying goodbye. Krazar walked across the marketplace and into the Shimmering Jewel inn. The others followed several minutes later.

They sat down in a quiet corner of the inn. “How did it go?”, Stella asked visually excited. Atreius looked at Krazar with great expectation. “We may have found our man”, Krazar announced. He explained what had happened and what he and the worker had agreed upon. Stella and Atreius clapped their hands in excitement. “I smell adventure”, Stella said, giving Atreius a high five. Maeko interrupted the early celebrations. “You do realize the man might simply be setting you up, planning to rob you”. Krazar remembered his ordeal with Mister McLovin. “Hmm, you might be right, still I think it is a risk worth taking”. Maeko thought about it for a moment, “I think you are right, but I also think we should provide security for ourselves. You will be going in alone.” Atreius and Stella felt a little stupid being so enthusiastic, and not thinking things through. “Why don’t we ask the guards to join us”, Stella suggested. Maeko and Krazar agreed that would be safest, but worried that would also draw too much attention. “I know”, Atreius added, “Let’s find Shin, and see if we can have guards with us disguised as commoners.” Maeko smiled at Atreius and Stella, “I suggest you think first next time, an excellent suggestion from the both of you.” Krazar stood up. “Let’s go then, no time to waste.”They left the Inn, and noticed Danny’s group heading walking their way. “Damnit”, Stella said. “They are probably heading to Balog too. You go find Shin while I talk to Balog. No time to explain.” Before anyone could respond Stella dashed.

She ran as fast as she could to the forge in the commons, forgetting to put up her hood, ignoring several noblemen and women greeting her. She burst through the door into the forge. Balog jumped in the air. “Bloody hell, there’s the fire-demon again, should I get my shield?” Stella panted heavily, leaning with one arm against the wall “Listen Balog, five men might visit you in a few minutes. They will ask you for a task like we did earlier.” Balog smiled, “I won’t give them the same task, don’t worry.” Stella stepped towards Balog and put her hands on his shoulders. “They seem like a nasty bunch and threatened me and my friends. We don’t want them to get the recommendations before we do. One of them is named Danny and constantly plays with his dagger.” Balog looked deviously at Stella, “So I should make their task one that takes some time to complete, is that what you are saying?” Stella nodded, “Yes, that would be great.” Balog scratched his head, “I know just the thing, don’t you worry.” “Thanks Balog”, Stella said kneeling down and giving him a big kiss on the mouth, then hurrying back to the palace district while wiping the soot from her lips.

In the meantime the others had found Shin who was tending to the palace gardens, and quickly explained what they were doing and had found out. “Of course I will help, I will be right back.” Shin came back a few minutes later with two of the king’s guards. “Ashwan and Sizar will help you.” The two guards bowed. “Excellent”, Krazar said, “but they are dressed in their guards attire, that would give us away immediately.” Shin thought about this for a second then deliberated with Ashwan and Sizar. The two guards seemed startled when Shin asked them to wear commoners clothes. “But sir, that is not honorable, it goes against what we are supposed to represent.” Shin nodded, “I know it seems not very honorable, but given the circumstances. It is for a noble purpose.” Both the guards agreed that sometimes doing what isn’t right, still isn’t wrong, and agreed to Krazar’s proposal. The guards would go to the Traders inn separately from Stella, Atreius and Maeko. And Krazar would stay at the Swift Foot inn before going to his appointment with the worker. In case of imminent danger, or the hammer being revealed, Krazar would raise his arms signaling the guards and others to come to his aid. Stella joined the others and was quickly brought up to speed. She then informed the others about why she hurries to Balog, which they all agreed on, was excellent thinking.

That night the Traders inn was almost empty. Ashwin and Sizar sat at a table where they had a clear line of sight to Stella, Maeko and Atreius, who themselves took a seat next to a window overlooking the alley. Three other guests, who were all sitting at the bar, were preoccupied with a drinking game, apparently being nothing more then an excuse to drink a lot. The inn was dimly lit, mostly by the candles on the tables, and two torches behind the bar. It didn’t matter to any of the customers, the inn was furnished with the basics, and had hardly any decorations, except for a large banner from the Paradisian Sea Trading Company. Ashwin and Sizar were discussing whether pork was better with ale or wine, and mingled perfectly in their simple linen trousers and shirt. They even carried weapons that looked old and dull, and left their shields at home.

Atreius was staring outside his thoughts wandering off to Elanor who he dearly missed. Stella was cleaning her fingernails with an arrowhead. “Stella, why do you avoid your parents?” Maeko asked out of the blue. Atreius turned his attention to his companions. “We don’t get along very well. They only care for their noble heritage, not for me as a daughter, so I tricked them”, Stella replied. “Tricked them how?” Maeko asked with a worried look on her face. Stella continued, “Well, they tried to force me into a marriage with a man I don’t love. In fact my very best friend and maid Anna was already in love with him, and he with her. I pretended to agree to the marriage, but had Anna secretly take my place at the altar. She is now a maid wed to a nobleman.” Stella chuckled. “I see”, Maeko replied, “I am not familiar with the rules and customs of nobility. How bad would you say your actions were?” Stella took a good gobble of wine, then looked ferociously at Maeko and Atreius, “Not nearly bad enough”, she stated. Atreius smiled sensing the sarcasm in Stella’s response, but Maeko looked concerned. “I never met my parents, I am a foundling. The first time I saw my parents they were taken to their grave.” Stella and Atreius looked shocked, but noticed Maeko did not seem to express any grief. “I’m sorry to hear that”, Atreius replied. “Me too Maeko, that is harsh”, Stella added. Maeko smiled in thanks for their compassion. “Sure, I wish I had gotten a chance to get to know them, but in a strange and mysterious way I do. They helped make me what I am, and I have accepted that as my truth.” Stella felt exactly what Maeko was aiming at, and she liked how she and Maeko seemed to connect on the same level as she did with Ireg. “You are right Maeko, and in time I will visit my parents again, just not now.” Maeko nodded then turned her attention back to the alley. It was near midnight and Krazar could make his entry any minute.

“Look, over there in the shadow next to that barrel”, Atreius whispered. Maeko and Stella pierced into the darkness of the moonless night, but couldn’t make out what Atreius saw. The light from the inn reflected in the window. They focused and indeed saw a man standing outside, though it was impossible to see who it was. Maeko signaled the guards to be on alert, while Stella snuffed the candle on her table, making herself and her friends harder to spot from outside. The guards followed Stella’s example. They silently waited for Krazar to arrive, ready to jump at a second’s notice. The innkeeper noticed something was going on, but had learned not to meddle with his guests affairs. He poured a free round of drinks to the three men sitting at the bar, just to make sure they wouldn’t interfere either. Minutes past, but felt like hours. Atreius and Stella felt their adrenalin levels increasing, while Maeko was very softly humming a meditative note, preparing her body and mind for a possible fight. Stella and Atreius noticed a feint blue glow surrounding Maeko, but didn’t say anything. The tension in the air was almost tangible. Stella glanced at Atreius, noticing he had his hand tightly wrapped around the hilt of his rapier, ready to draw steel if needed.

“There he is”, Atreius whispered. Krazar walked down the narrow alley at his leisure, or at least so it seemed from inside the inn. The man stepped from the shadows onto the street, surprising Krazar as he dodged backwards. Atreius was sitting on the edge of his chair and almost jumped up when he saw what happened, but Maeko commanded him to stay put. The two men seemed to be having a discussion about something, and Krazar seemed impatient, tapping the ground with his left foot. The man gestured Krazar to follow. Krazar raised his arms to alert the party, then followed the man into a nearby house. The soldiers and Atreius jumped up ready to rush outside, but Stella and Maeko stopped them. “Wait”, Stella said. “We have nothing if we give ourselves away now. Let’s go silently and see what is going on inside the house.” Maeko, still faintly glowing, took the lead. They moved single file staying as close the buildings as they could, until they reached the house Krazar had entered.“Do you see anything”, Stella asked Maeko. “I don’t, the curtains are closed, but there is an open window upstairs.” Stella gestured Atreius to give her a boost onto the balcony. They needed to be sure the hammer was actually there before moving in. “I will try to sneak in and see what they are doing. I will be back fast and inform you”, Stella whispered.

Maeko, Atreius and the guards crept closer to the front door, where they quietly sat waiting. Suddenly a loud noise and a shout startled them. “Bloody hell”, Atreius whispered. “Drunk bastard.” One of the three men from the inn had left, and apparently tripped over the inn’s doorstep, sending him flat on his face in the dirt. Maeko suddenly became aware of footsteps inside the house and shushed Atreius. “Quick, hide!” she sneered. They all four hastily but silently turned the corner of the house holding their breath while waiting for something to happen. The front door of the house opened and a voice shouted across the street, “Oi, go home, drunk rat. Me and my friends are trying to relax.” Maeko and Atreius shuddered, realizing there were more people inside the house.

Stella seized the opportunity and sneaked into bedroom through the opened window. It was empty and dark, and she could hear voices from downstairs. She slowly moved closer to the open bedroom door. The squeaking floor sounded like babies screaming, and Stella feared she might be discovered any second, but wasn’t. She made it to the top of the staircase and peeked into the living room. Krazar was sitting on a chair next to the fireplace, the worker form the Master Weapon Forgers was sitting on an armchair, and another man and woman sat on a couch. Stella sat silent for a minute listening to what they were talking about. There was no sign of the hammer anywhere.

“So, let’s get down to business, bring the hammer”, Krazar said. Stella was impressed by his faith in his companions to back him up. He kept up the act perfectly. “Yes”, the worker said, “Let me get it.” The worker stood up and walked towards the staircase. Stella’s heart skipped a beat and she scrambled back into the bedroom. “What now damnit, hide”, she thought. The only place she could think of was under the bed. She crawled under and tried to breathe as softly as possible. Shadows moved as she heard the worker entering the bedroom. She looked towards the door and saw his legs and feet move towards her. At that moment she realized her legs were resting against a heavy object under the bed. She followed the feet moving to the end of the bed and saw a hand reaching under it. Stella’s heart raced and she nearly started to panic as the hand was searching for something. The worker took hold of her shoe. Stella covered her mouth and struggled not to scream, as images from her kidnapper and would be rapist passed before her mind’s eye. She used her other leg to push the heavy object slightly further back, placing it within reach of the horrible grasping hand. The worker let go and Stella quickly retracted her feet, tears of fear rolling down her cheeks. The hand kept searching finally finding what it was looking for. “There you are, I bet I can fetch a good price for you”, the worker mumbled pulling the heavy linen wrapped object from under the bed. Stella was frozen with fear, and trembled all over as the worker moved away from here and left the bedroom. Stella suddenly felt a warm moistness on her hand, and realized she had bitten so hard on it, it was bleeding badly. She crawled out from under the bed. Her undergarments were soaked with sweat, yet she shivered as if stricken by a fever. “I have seen enough”, she thought, not willing to go back to the top of the staircase alone. She stepped back on the balcony through the window, her wobbly knees barely holding her upright. The others had taken up position by the door again. “Psst, Maeko”, Stella whispered. Maeko whispered back, “What did you see?” “Three people, they have the hammer, go.”

The two guards together kicked the door open and burst in, closely followed by Maeko and Atreius. The worker had just put the hammer on the table and was showing it to Krazar. It was indeed Balog’s hammer. The man and woman jumped up from their chair trying to grab their weapons. Atreius lunged forward and in a flash had his rapier under the woman’s chin. “Try, please”, he said. The woman put her hands in the air. At the same time Maeko had jumped towards the man using the table as stepping stone, and circle-kicked him so hard, his jaw dislocated. The worker tried to run up the stairs in an attempt to escape through the balcony. The two guards wanted to give chase, but it was no longer needed. He stopped at the top of the stairs and turned around walking back down. Stella followed closely, the arrow on her bow pointed at the worker’s head. The guards were genuinely impressed by the skills of this group. “That was excellent work”, Sizar complimented the group while tying the worker by his hands and feet. Ashwan looked respectfully at Maeko, “That kick, it is unlike anything I have ever seen.” He had already tied up the woman and was busy restraining the man. Atreius wrapped the linen around the hammer, “Will you manage?”, he asked the guards. They nodded. “And you Krazar, are you alright?” Krazar looked at Atreius, “I’m fine. This wine is pretty good. Thanks guys.” They all started to laugh at Krazar’s completely out of place comment. Atreius put his arms around Maeko’s and Stella’s shoulder, “What a day, I’m glad I met all of you friends. Now let’s bring this hammer to Balog.” They all agreed and stepped back into the night, that seemed a lot less dark to Atreius with friends by his side.

They went directly back to Balog’s forge, confident Balog wouldn’t mind being woken at this late hour to see his hammer returned. Stella used the door knocker, shaped like an anvil. They waited, heard footsteps inside, then the door opened. It was Ireg. Ireg rubbed her sleepy eyes, her curly hair in complete disarray. “Hi Stella, what…” Ireg became aware of the three people standing behind Stella, and slammed the door shut. “Bloody hell, she brings a bunch of visitors in the night when I’m in my nightgown”, they heard Ireg complain. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Maeko asked Stella. Stella smiled, “Don’t worry, she will be back soon.” They waited for a few minutes when indeed the door opened again. “Come on in”, now dressed Ireg said, while giving Stella a hug. “What brings you here at this late hour?” Ireg asked. “Your father has tasked us with finding his family heirloom, you know, that hammer he is always so stoked about”, Stella replied. “And we found it”, Atreius added. Ireg looked at Atreius, Maeko and Krazar. “Who are they?”, she asked Stella. Stella explained how they had met and the others introduced themselves. Stella noticed the overly friendly smile on Ireg’s face when Krazar introduced himself. “Just her type”, Stella thought.

“Could you please get your father?” Maeko asked. It was no longer necessary. Balog came walking down the stairs wearing just a loincloth. “Stella, are you going to haunt my nights too now?” He asked with a big smile on his face. Stella whispered to Ireg, “I did not want to see this, make it stop.” They both laughed. Atreius stepped forward, “Sir, we have found your hammer.” Atreius unfolded the cloth and took the hammer in his hands. It started to glow in a purple hue, and Atreius face turned from happy to a face of agony. Purple sparks sprung from the weapon and Atreius hands and underarms turned dark and translucent as the weapon’s energy started to poor into him. Atreius screamed in pain, but couldn’t let go of the weapon. Balog ran towards Atreius and forcefully removed the weapon from his hands, covering it up quickly with the cloth. The glow faded from Atreius’ arms and hands, tiny swirls of smoke sprouting from his fingertips. His skin was now red as if lightly burned. “Ireg, get some wet towels, wrap them around his arms”, Balog ordered his daughter. The party looked at Atreius, who was still standing with his arms outstretched, totally confused. They then looked at Balog. “What just happened?” Krazar asked. “That is a good question lad, a very good question. Have a seat in the living room. I will be right back.” Stella showed the others the way and they sat down by the smoldering embers that were slowly dying in the hearth. Stella added some wood while Ireg tended to Atreius. Balog came back a few minutes later, wearing proper clothes and holding a tome in his hands. He sat down on the hearthstone, and browsed the tome, which Krazar recognized as written in dwarven.

They all waited curiously for what Balog was trying to find. “Aha, here it is”. Balog looked at Atreius, who was visibly pleased with the damp towels around his arms. “Atreius, this may sound strange, but was your father or mother a dwarf?” Balog asked. Atreius laughed, “Definitely not, why do you ask?” Balog held up the tome and pointed at a specific passage. “Well, it says here that Dwarven runic items can only be activated by those of dwarven blood, and are often deadly to others.” Atreius looked at Balog, “Well, apparently the book is wrong.” he stated. Balog chuckled, “Unfortunately the book is not wrong young one. It hasn’t been wrong for ages, and I have seen humans and elves die trying to wield Runic weapons, as dwarves call them.” Krazar rubbed his chin, “Can it be that the hammer’s potency has diminished over the years?” Balog thought about that for a moment, “Not a bad thought I admit, but it hasn’t. The runes are permanent and unchangeable. I can only come to one conclusion. Atreius has dwarven blood coursing through his veins, whether he likes it or not.” Atreius removed a towel and looked at the veins in his arms as if dwarven blood were something he could see flowing there. “What does that mean?”, he asked. “It means you should talk to your parents.” Balog simply stated. Ireg had placed some drinks on the table, dwarven stout. They sat in silence for a few minutes contemplating what this could all mean. Balog remembered the recommendation he was supposed to write. He took a piece of parchment from the chest next to his favorite chair, and handed it to Stella. “I had this prepared already. Was going to give it to you anyways, even if it was just for your efforts.”

Stella thanked Balog, as did the rest of the group. “Oh and the other men you talked about, they visited me indeed,” Balog said to Stella. Stella and the rest of the group, in their excitement, had already forgotten about this Danny Daggerflip and his group. “What did you tell them to do?” Stella asked. Balog chuckled, “Well, have you ever heard of a plant called Forge-root?” Balog asked. Stella shook her head, “I haven’t, where does it grow?” Balog and Ireg both broke into laughter. The party looked confused, not entirely understanding why this was so funny. Stella tapped her feet impatiently. “Come on, tell me where it grows.” Balog dried his tears of joy. “I send them out to look for a specimen, but Forge-root is very rare in Paradise.” “Very rare indeed”, Ireg added while still chuckling. “Tell me now!” Stella shouted. Balog looked Stella in the eye, “It grows right here, inside my head”. Forge-root isn’t a plant, it is what dwarven smith’s call the everlasting sound of hammer and anvil, that take root in their head after years of working the forge.” Now everybody started laughing and Stella complimented Balog on his brilliant plan. They were convinced it would take Danny and his gang at least a few days to figure this one out.

They all drank and talked for a while longer, Balog and Ireg enjoying every bit of the story about how they found the hammer. Balog invited the group to stay for the night, which they all appreciated very much. Krazar and Atreius shared a room, as did Maeko and Stella. All of them rested very well, except for Atreius, who couldn’t stop wondering about what Balog had told him. Eventually he too fell asleep, his last thoughts going out to Elanor, who he wished was there with him, to soothe his troubled mind.