Visiting Ralf

I looked around and saw darkness enveloping me. It felt so lonely here, not the sad loneliness but the one that comforts you and help ease your pain.

I looked around me and saw two floating white circles. They were so bright, that I thought they were two suns.

I looked at one of them intently and I could perceive a picture of a tree.

I instantly knew what it was. The gates I opened, each was facing one direction and one of them happened to have a tree in front of it.

I moved myself inside the dark space and I found it really easy.

The left gate was facing the fence while the right gate facing a tree.

And from my position, it was the same.

I knew why the rocks flew that way. If I threw it on the right side of the gate it would enter here and continue forward. It would then get in front of the gate on the right side from here and get out hitting the tree.

But, I didn't know about the rats. I figured they just chose were to go.

I figured maybe sometime I would throw one inside the gate and close it right before he gets out and see what would happen to him.

It might sound cruel and horrible to try these kinds of experiments but I was curious. It's all for the sake of science, well magic.

I stretched my hand towards the circle where the tree was projected.

The moment I touched it, the gate's surface moved like it was a lake that was disturbed from its rest. And suddenly I was thrown out of the gate's exit.

What I just experienced was so magical that it felt like it was out of a fairytale.

Life is a fairytale.

I spent the evening practicing with the gate more and more and by the time I had enough, mom called me for lunch.

While I was training, I noticed something; I couldn't open more than 3 exits for a single entry point with gate.

Making the fourth exit was very hard; I couldn't make it at all. But being able to open three exits was still outstanding. It increased my field of attack and escape greatly.

Speaking of combat, I was thinking of creating something to use when I attack using Heaven's cannons.

Throwing stones was very unpractical. My attack's power would be dependent on the rocks shape, size, and weight. And it would be not good choosing what rock to throw if I find myself in some kind of trouble.

I probably should ask dad about it. Maybe he would think of something good.

He's a general after all.

I didn't know why but lately every thought I had was about combat and increasing my skills. I think I started to become power hungry.

That is not the only reason though.

I had some kind of fear that someone was going to take away this kind of life from me. You won't know when someone decides to attack you out of the blue and just says he will kill you if you don't give him your stuff.

Back on earth, we did have those kinds of people: Thieves, kidnappers and all sorts of people. And as far as I know, those kinds still exists.

Not everyone is a bad guy, but it doesn't hurt if you take precautions.

I enter inside and sat at the table. After a while dad came and sat beside me. I turn towards him and say:

"Dad, I need your help with something" He looked at me and said "What is it Eddy" "Actually mister Chrestos taught me a new spell last time; it's the one where I add speed to something that passes through the gate. It's really good and all, but I find using rocks for attacking quite not practical" "What do you have in mind?" "I was thinking maybe something like a weapon or something that I can carry with large quantities and it should be able to do some damage." "hmm, I can think of a couple of things. How about when we finish launch, we go and visit Ralf" "Who is he?" "He's a blacksmith, he's really good and creative, I think he might have good ideas. He 's also a good friend of mine so we should get something good" "Ok, sure" We finished lunch and left right ahead. I rushed dad. The sooner I get my weapons the sooner I will be able to practice and familiarize myself with them.

We headed for the edge of the city. That was where the blacksmith's shop was located.

I asked father why is it so far from the center of the city. Logically speaking, anyone who wanted to open some kind of business would most likely want his shop to be located in the most populated and the places that were mostly visited by people.

He said:

"Well, the thing is the city council, who are mostly nobles, have issued an order of relocating shops and businesses that are not good for the city's public image. Those businesses include blacksmiths, carpenters, and many, are now located in a place at the edge of the city we call the industrial zone.

Many were against such policies and some are suffering from it. Competition between those with similar profession is high and in some cases that might be good, but most of the time, it results in conflicts and fights over customers." I was amazed how some power figures would abuse their status just to embellish their picture and how others view them even at the cost of the ones who put them in power.

Similar cases happened back on earth, the most recent one on my mind, was how Brazil spent enormous amounts of money for the football world tournament to make nice stadiums and give foreigners a good view of their country, while their own people are suffering extreme poverty just a few miles away, just for a memory that will be forgotten in 20 years.

Really, human minds can have such a twisted logic.

We made it to the industrial zone and the scenery changed greatly.

The houses were no more the good looking ones with nice painting and neat front yards but it was mostly shops now and some houses that looked grayish from the soot that was in the air.

The road was no longer the organized cobblestone one but it was made with gravel.

You could definitely see the change.

The place was bustling with people going around carrying various things;

from building material, to farming tools, to furniture.

We went ahead and continued marching forward, I noticed shops that were empty, some were full, and some were having a few customers viewing the goods.

(Well, you can say for sure, reputation and Precedence would determine how much customers you get. For the first one, you would need to make products with high quality, as for the second, you can't do anything about it.) We kept walking for almost half an hour and I could see the city wall ahead.

Just when I was going to ask dad about the location of the shop, he stopped turned to his left and said:

"We're here. Let's get in" I followed him inside. The place was a wooden shop that was slightly shorter than normal. I could hear the sounds of hammers fighting against metal.

We stopped just before the counter and a 20 year old guy came to greet us.

"Welcome sir, how may I help you?" "Is Ralf here?" The guy looked at us then said:

"Sorry he is not here at the moment" "Tell him that Roland is here to meet him" The young man looked at dad and nodded at someone who was peeking at us from a door on the other side of the counter who then went inside.

After some time I could hear loud steps coming from that door, I thought that an elephant was coming here. The very earth was trembling under his feet.

The door slowly opened and from it came a huge guy but unlike any huge guy he was barely 150 cm.

He had a bulky build, huge beard and his face felt rough like a stone.

He stood behind the counter and we barely could see his upper body. He was slightly taller than me. I was 145 cm and that was quite tall for a boy my age.

My dad was slightly taller than a 190 cm and he towered over the guy.

He turned to our side of the counter and fist bumped him. I think that they know each other for a long time.

Dad looked at me and said:

"Eddy, this is Ralf my friend, he is a Dwarf. Ralf meet my son, Edward he's 10" Ralf looked at me and sighed:

"Even your kid is very tall, you've shattered my pride for being very tall for a dwarf." "Huh, he's my son after all" "So what got you here? It's been a while since you last visited" "Well, I actually came here to make a request for some kind of weapon." Dad looked at me and nodded. He wanted me to explain what I wanted to Ralf.

"I am thinking of some kind of a little thing to throw which would have a piercing power or that could pack a punch without injuring the one who is hit seriously. Also, I have to be able to hold many on me" "Hmm…" Ralf was pondering while stroking his long beard. After some time, he raised his head and said:

"I might have a good idea, Get back here in a week." My father agreed to him and we left. I would be back here to get my weapon and I was excited to see what it would turn out to be.