"Curse these blasted traditions!" I muttered quietly under my breath, or so I thought until my friend responded "What are you complaining about? You get to set out on an expedition. The honor!". My friend Hollow Eye was obviously excited for me, I'll be taking my people to take an expedition to the surface. "You know how well our kind fared up in the surface." I was bitter about that event. "We just weren't used to being in the surface, and those damn 'Dwarfs' used us as coal" Hollow Eye spat at the furnace, the saliva burnt quick in the blazing fire of the forge. We were bitter about that 'Event' not just us, the entire Hold was holding a grudge against the 'Dwarfs'.

One kind we were supposed to be, what a load of tavorshit. Those damn surface dwellers used our ancients as a fodder against the damn horde to retreat back into their Hold. My own granduncle never returned and neither did Hollow Eye's grandpa, everyone lost someone someone precious to them. May their souls rest with the dirt and let the ancients welcome them with open arms in the Eternal Hold. It's not that we aren't used to death, living deep in the inner chasm we faced countless battles and wars. This was different though, this was supposed to be the unification of our species after centuries we drifted apart. "Pah" I spat into the fire myself being reminded of that event was not a pleasant feeling.

I can't get distracted right now though, I'm making a new armor for my brother Steel Will. That damn brute wore down the last piece after sparring with his battle brothers. The old armor was damaged so bad we had to dismantle it to take it off of him, and here I am making a new piece because "I don't trust the other smiths, you're the best one there is Copper Axe." Steel Will had his way with words, that made people want to listen in to. To try and earn for his praise, to follow him.

"You still not done with that breast piece yet?" Hollow Eye asked snobby like. "Hollow Eye, the moment you start giving me advice on how to make armor will be the day I will impart my own wisdom to how to make a crossbow." That earned me a grumble about how stupid all smiths are, which in turn made me smirk. "Atleast us smiths aren't as stubborn as you bowyers." "Tavorshit! We are all stubborn, don't try and pin that charactersitic on our trade." I know he's right, but what fun would it be if I couldn't rustle his wits. "Oh yeah? Then why did you bowyers take a crowssbow, make it bigger and think it would work?" "It's not a crowssbow! For Ancients sake how many damn times do I have to tell you Copper Axe it's called a ballista.... And it works!" Hollow Eye's beard was starting to tremble, a que on how agitated he was becoming. Just a little push and he'll be red faced. "Hmmmm.... If it works, why does it snap after three shots?" "It's the damn materials! There's nothing we can use that is durable and flexible, we have to use this surface material called 'wood' it's a miracle we even designed this ballista." "I would blame the material as well if I was in a trade like yours."

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

I peeked over at Hollow Eye. His dark beard trembling from his stuttering the word you several times. He was wearing our traditional wardrobe, tavor hides sewn together. It was a dark brown to dark blue color scheme, coupled with his dark violet hair made it pleasant to the eye. His face was anything but pleasant at this moment, his brows furrowed with that gray milky eyes staring at me in anger with a tinge or red. Shit, I pushed slightly to hard. Last thing I needed was to fight him in the smithy, not to mention the breastplate was at right shade of red to start working on it.

"I'm sorry Hollow Eye, don't get too worked up about it. I was just busting your balls." Hollow Eye looked at me, I could still see that he was still angry at me, but the the red from his eyes was receding back. "You are fucked up you know that? Why do you always like to piss people off?" "It's not like I always anger people on purpose." I quickly tried to defend myself. "Then why are you making this breastplate for your brother?" "Of course it's because he asked me, and he doesn't trust anyone else." Hollow Eye looked at me suspiciously "Is it not because right after that, you got on his nerves so much that he got in a Blood Trance. Then you said you'd work on his breastplate immediately so that he wouldn't beat you senseless?" Just listening to the way Hollow Eye said everything was urking me, it was that tone that drilled in the dislike. "Nonsense, I am a good little brother and that is why I'm doing this. End of story." I tried to say it in the same manner Steel Will does with a certain gravitas, however, coming from me it didn't have any charismatic impact. "Uh huh, best finish up before your appointment with the council." Immediately after his reply I saw Hollow Eye walk out of the smithy.

Curses, blasted elders and my pitiful luck. I do not want to venture out to the surface, though truthfully I do have a certain curiosity about how life is up above away from the Inner Fering. Well best not think about it, I have a breastplate to work on.