Master Of None

"I really thought I would make it another sixty years before my mind went. But I guess that elder is still going to keep his sanity longer than I will. What a shame. I'm just another dwarf lost to madness." Grey could only manage to convince himself he was going crazy. There was no way that he had just heard Walker say that he had the portable forge skill. It was just too much. 

"Umm, Grey...you aren't crazy. I really did get the portable forge skill." Walker stood up and looked at Grey in silence. He and Grey just stared at each other while Grey blinked over and over. 

"Oh…" Grey picked up the dagger that he had dropped and finished shining it. "You will need to get all the required materials and tools. I can help with that. But maybe, you should prepare others before you say that. It's a lot for a dwarf to hear." 

Walker nodded until Grey handed the dagger over, "Actually, when you see that old dwarf back there, just let it fly. Tell him flat out and watch him lose it too. It's only fair." Grey had a slightly evil look on his face. Walker couldn't help but feel a little mischievous as well and decided he would humor Grey as they cleaned up the forge. 

Walker and Grey headed back to the golem and found that the apprentices had taken seats around the room and were half asleep. "Hey, Grey, how long were we in the forge?" Walker always would lose track of time but this may be a little much. 

"I would say we were there for about five hours. It was a pretty decent amount of time for a first creation. I would say most spend seven or eight hours." Walker understood why he was now looking at the first version of the golem and why the apprentices had worked themselves to sleep. 

"The golem looks spectacular, but I think I need to get my party to rest again. We have really lost sense of time down here and been missing meals and sleep." Grey understood because this was very common for those inexperienced with the dwarf city. 

"Well, let's go to the elders' forge. I will test this golem and shine it up for the real presentation. Just put it out of your mind since the appearance will change. I also want to see his face when you tell him about that skill, also, don't worry about getting the requirements. I will have them set up in an open space for you. Just remember to have the proper amount of gold to pay the crafters for the items. Should be a few thousand." Grey couldn't avoid the cost since the materials and tools would come from multiple crafters. They would expect payment and he wasn't going to put it on his tab. 

The sound of hammering was still coming from the elders' forge. When the two returned they were greeted by the sight of Remey, Midnight, and Onyx asleep in the corner. The fire spirits were aimlessly floating about the room. The alchemy fire spirit was still burning a dark red flame while the other fire spirit that had a dwelling core was even brighter than before since it constantly absorbed the fire elemental mana in the room. 

Walker took notice of the multiple spiked knuckles. They were detachable just like the elder said and had been modified from the pair Remey already had. It was amazing how they each had different materials and elemental affinities. The gloves that Lisa had made and that had been modified were not attached with metal and other parts. They had been strengthened significantly. 

"These are a lot more interesting than I thought. I wasn't sure how they would work but they look like they can hook on to a belt or light armor and slide on and off without issue." Walker was impressed by the knuckles since he didn't think he would ever have such an idea. 

"That's the idea. They should be able to be slid on and off of the modified gloves easily in battle. It should only take a second. If not less." The elder stopped his work, noticing that Grey had also joined him in the forge. "Done with that golem already? Seems like you've gotten faster."

"No, there are tests to run. I just wanted to be here when Walker tells you about his new skills since I taught him a little about forging." Grey looked at Walker knowingly. He was getting a lot of satisfaction already from this and Walker hadn't even dropped the big news. 

"Well, I learned the elemental purification strikes. Instead of just purifying strike, so that will be great to make my staff in the future since I will be able to control what mana is in the metals. There's the efficient sharpening skill that really speeds things up. And then there's the leather shaping skill which helped me get a quest completed. I was rewarded with the material fusion skill. It seems to be extremely useful." Walker watched as the elder appeared more and more impressed that Walker had gained so much in such a short time. 

"And? The last skill?" Grey pushed even more and caused the elder to show even more curiosity since Walker still wasn't done. 

"I kind of feel bad for saying it now." Walker saw the look on Grey's face and knew that he was all in now. "But, I also gained the high tier skill, portable forge. I just need the proper tools and materials so I can store them in my inventory and use the skill whenever I want." The elder stood frozen with a smile on his face. Grey waved a hand in front of his face to no reaction. 

After a moment the elder returned to reality and shouted, "What in the deep caves! How can you have the portable forge when I have been a forge master for more years than you have even breathed! What curse of the depths is this?!"

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