Chapter 16: Introductions.

-at the forge-

Bjorn walked over to the forge and began inspecting the various components. To Rheila, Rheske and Tanora it looked like Bjorn transitioned between three movements: 1.) fondling a few levers 2.) crouching up and down, after pulling levers. 3.) placing his hand in the forge, where a fire should be.

After a few cycles, repeating movements 1-3 Bjorn exclaimed "AHA!" As he pulled a series of levers that looked completely random, and all the same to the girls.

A moment later, the forge coughed out a cloud of black smoke before it let out a fiery roar

-KpFffff...FRRRRRHM-

"It seems like he knows what he's doing." Rheske whispered to Rheila whom nodded in agreement.

"Now to let her warm up... then I'll perform the miracles, in ways only the dwarves can." Bjorn proudly boasted.

-about 20minutes later-

"She's ready!" Bjorn announced as he collected materials laying around. Bjorn began the process of forging some steel equipment.

-an hour later-

Bjorn began putting the finishing touches on the sword he began to craft.

"Now to let it cool before I take it to the grind stone." He announced as he placed the blade in a vat of oil.

"Alright... I'll admit, that was pretty cool." Rheila confessed, inspired by watching Bjorn work. Rheske nodded in agreement.

"Sorry to say this sweetheart, but knowing how to run a forge doesn't mean your a dwarf." Tanora sighed, still impressed by how quick and efficient Bjorn worked.

"Just wait! The quality will speak for itself..." bjorn huffed.

*bbbzzzzt*

A shiver rushed down Rheila,Rheske, Tanora, and Bjorn's spine As an overwhelming amount of mana was released.

"What In Odin's beard?!" Bjorn said aloud to himself.

"Uh-oh" Rheila and Rheske remarked simultaneously.

The overwhelming amount of mana slowly dissipated. Leaving an eerie silence in the forge.

"I best go check on Mystilynn and Graum." Tanora smiled as she took her leave.

Bjorn looked at Rheila once Tanora left the forge.

"What does that mean... what happened?" He asked as his imagination began to create unfavorable scenarios about Graum and his violent tendencies.

"I'm not exactly sure." Rheila shrugged

"A fight, maybe?" Rheske timidity added

In his mind Bjorn put stock in Rheske's comment.

'I wouldn't put that out of the realm of possibility... it is brother after all... but...still...' bjorn silently thought to himself

"Something wrong?" Rheske asked, noticing Bjorn's concerned expression.

Bjorn silently decided his next course of action. Whether to follow Tanora and check up on graum, or believe he was alright..

"I'm just wondering if Brother has gotten himself into trouble..." bjorn confessed with a sigh.

Rheske looked at Rheila with a confused expression.

"Brother?" She asked

"Graum." Rheila clarified.

"I see." Rheske replied with her blank expression.

Bjorn decided his next course of action as the twins briefly exchanged words.

"I would like to check on Brother... but I don't remember the way back to Mystilynn's office." Bjorn confessed with a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head.

The twins turned their attention to bjorn.

"Haha, no problem. Follow me." Rheila answered volunteering to lead him.

"I'll come too." Rheske softly added.

Rheila led the short walk to Mystilynn's office, followed by Rheske and then Bjorn. As they neared the office, they noticed Tanora standing in the door way.

"Oh I didn't know you loves we're gonna follow me, I would've waited." Tanora smiled

"I just wanted to make sure, brother wasn't causing any problems." Bjorn explained.

Tanora turned her head to see Graum holding a freshly bloodied handkerchief against the back of his head and Mystilynn trying to pull the handkerchief away to see the extent of his injury.

"Well if he did... Mystilynn put a stop to it." She informed.

"What!?" Bjorn exclaimed rushing into the office to see what Tanora saw "Brother! What happened?" Bjorn asked with a concerned tone.

Graum and Mystilynn, turned their attention to Bjorn.

"It was an accident..."Mystilynn began.

"I made a wager, and I got careless. I'm alright brother" Graum interrupted, briefly explaining the situation

Bjorn shifted his eyes from Mystilynn to Graum.

"That's a relief. For a moment, I thought you were causing trouble." Bjorn laughed with relieved expression.

Graum saw Rheila, and the Imalidae girl that he had saved from the goblins peaking their heads from behind the door frame.

"I'm going to go get supper ready, it shouldn't take to long" Tanora announced, sensing the twins timid curiosity. She walked away exposing the twins as they tried to discreetly eavesdrop.

"Eep" Rheila gasped as Graum made eye contact, catching her in her failed attempt of being sneaky.

"So Umm, what happened?" Rheila nonchalantly followed up

"I hit my head." Graum explained as he pointed to the cracked stone door frame.

Rheila peered into Mystilynn's office to see what he was pointing to.

"HOW ARE YOU STILL CONSCIOUS!?" She shrieked as she saw how bad the stone had been cracked.

Rheske unable to contain her curiosity, walked out from behind the doorway to see what Rheila saw.

"You must be hurting... from that." She nervously added.

For a moment Graum's injury didn't cause any pain, as the beauty of the Imalidae girl that he had saved; captivated him. Her purple hair, paired with the blue dress that she wore perfectly complimented her modest physique.

"It just looks worse than it feels." Graum managed to reply while still captivated.

"By the way… I-Im Rheske. Rheske Malhker, Nice to meet you" Rheske introduced herself in a tone that matched her aloof expression.

"I'm called Graum. It's a pleasure to meet you... well officially that is. It didn't really count when you were unconscious." Graum replied with a soft smile. His injury began to pulse and throb. "How are the stitches holding up?" He added, wincing from the discomfort.

"So you did this?.." Rheske softly spoke as she put her hand on her dress that cover her stitches.

"You bet he did! Brother is quite skilled when it comes to fixing people up." Bjorn proudly added.

Graum glared out the corner of his eye at bjorn. Graum was pretty secretive about his Harmacist ability, and didn't want Bjorn to over-share.

"I had to be... with how clumsy you are." Graum continued to glare.

"Im not that clumsy... " Bjorn scoffed. "Besides you usually just.."

"YOURE RIGHT!" Graum sternly bellowed out "usually I cauterize the wounds." Graum interrupted as he angrily glared at how close Bjorn was to revealing his Harmacist ability.

Tension filled the air.

"So you have an affinity for fire?" Mystilynn inquired, gently probing for information.

Graum felt humiliated, in his attempt of shutting Bjorn up, he himself gave away information about himself.

"I wouldn't exactly call it an affinity..." graum tried to laugh off her question.

"Sorry I didn't mean to pry... especially on empty stomachs" Mystilynn smiled, picking up on Graum's attempt of conversational evasion.

"Come Rheske, we best go wash up before supper." Rheila cooed as her stomach growled. Rheila grabbed Rheske by the arm and pulled her out of Mystilynn's office.

"You boys best wash up too, although..." Mystilynn paused. "You probably won't find it pleasant." She added.

"Oh?" Bjorn asked curiously.

"Since the washroom is located up stairs..." Mystilynn paused, her cheeks blushing red with embarrassment.

Graum had no clue as to what was going on. 'What would mystilynn be embarrassed about?' He thought.

"It's a women's only bath!" Bjorn informed graum.

"Exactly... we do however have an out door pond that we use to bath Niadra... the wyrm from the dungeon. But I'm afraid the water will be quite... Brisk." She explained.

"That won't be a problem, we are use to bathing in streams and other cold water sources." Graum remarked.

"But brother!!" Bjorn groaned.

"Which is why I asked if you had an affinity for fire... oh well... follow me I'll show you where it is." Mystilynn cheerfully replied as she led them out of her office, past a strange looking red room and out a set of double doors.

As they opened the double doors, the warm evening air brushed against them.

Mystilynn led them to a pond surrounded by tall unfamiliar foliage.

"I've never seen those before." Bjorn whispered aloud to himself.

"Me either." Graum added.

Mystilynn stopped right before the foliage.

"This is called bamboo, it's native in the elven nation." She explained gesturing towards the exotic plant "I'll send someone out with towels, is their anything else I can get you two gentlemen?" Mystilynn asked with a warm smile.

Bjorn looked at graum and shrugged.

"Some salt." Graum quickly replied.

"Salt?" Mystilynn asked confusedly.

"Yes ma'am... er..um.. I mean Mystilynn." Graum replied, fumbling her address.

Mystilynn shrugged off her curious nature.

"Alright, someone will be out with the salt and towels. Just a minute." She spoke as she walked back to the guild hall.

With Mystilynn gone, there was a soft silence between Graum and Bjorn as the chirping of crickets began.

"Want to tell me what actually happened?" Bjorn asked trying not to interrupt the serene peace.

Graum took in a deep breath followed by an extended exhale.

"Before I answer, are you sure you want to stay here?"

"If I understand our current situation brother, we don't have anywhere else to go... especially if The Grey Coin is after us." Bjorn remarked pointing out the facts as he understood them.

Graum took another deep breath as Mystilynn's furiously overwhelming mana haunted his mind.

"It is true, I made a wager and lost. I underestimated Mystilynn's strength. And this injury is the result of that mistake." Graum exhaled in a calm and honest tone.

Bjorn nodded believing what graum told him was the truth.

"That doesn't sound like you... underestimating an opponent." Bjorn chuckled nudging Graum's shoulder with his fist.

"Heh, you're right... it doesn't. Just a reminder I'm somewhat human.." Graum smiled warmly.

Moments later they heard the guild doors open. Both Bjorn and Graum turned to see who came out. They saw a young Human women with Auburn hair as she carried two towels stacked on top of each other topped with a bag of white powder. As the women approached them. Bjorn and graum analyzed her appearance.

Bjorn noticed she wore cloak-like robe of some kind that hid her physique along with a large hat, of the same make.

Graum noticed the women had a certain... energy about her that he couldn't quite make out from the distance they were at. As she got closer, the energy became apparent to him. The women had thin veil of malice around her.

As she approached Bjorn and graum, Graum's stomach turned as the malice became more visible to him.

"Mystilynn told me to bring these to you. So here." The women announced as she shoved the towels at bjorn.

"Oh thank you. Ms...?" Bjorn remarked catching the towels that were thrusted at him.

The women rolled her eyes then turned away.

"Sorry if I offended you... should I have said Mrs.?" Bjorn apologized unsure of what he could've done to upset the women.

"~sigh~ I'm Mink. Don't bother telling me your names, I'm sure you two won't be around long enough for me to remember." Mink reluctantly sighed as she walked back to the guild hall.

With a perplexed expression, Bjorn turned to graum for an explanation on what he might've done to upset the women known as Mink.

"From what I could see, she seems to naturally be like that." Graum shrugged, taking the salt from on top of the towels.

Graum then began to circle the pond, pouring the salt into the pond as he circled.

"That should do." Graum smirked finishing his task.

"Not quite, fire boy." Bjorn grinned as he shoved Graum... cloths and all...into the brisk pond.

-Kersplash-