While I was watching Velverd hammering a metal bar against the grand anvil, a cold feeling rose up my heart and then suddenly disappeared without a trace.
However the light suddenly dimmed all around the blacksmith's chamber, but surprisingly the two elves paid it no attention as if nothing happened.
Suddenly Velverd turned his head to face me slowly, his expression still and hollow, a very doll-like smile on his face, his eyes didn't blink and then he spoke -
"You. Are. Very. Fearless!"
His tone was deep and forced, he continued with a more animated tone -
"Aren't you afraid? Coming back here..."
I blinked and suddenly, everything was back to normal, Velverd was concentrating on the small bar of glowing-red metal.
I sighed, then I spoke -
"Did... did the light dim down at all?"
Velverd didn't stop his swing, he spoke after the metal clap -
"What are you talking about?"
He thought for a few seconds then he continued -
"Did you notice something?"
He was surprisingly interested, probably for a good reason.
After a few seconds I spoke -
"I saw the light dim down considərably... I might just be seeing things."
The blacksmith turned back to his work and replied with -
"I have seen wrong things before.
It has to do with these caves, and you'll see more stranger things."
So he didn't see what I saw, but he believes me...
- "I see...
Have you ever seen a figure wearing black?"
Velverd suddenly stopped mid-sway and then replied evenly -
"... No."
Yeah I believe you, definitely...
As I stared at the metal clashing with metal, suddenly Rava walked in holding a wooden handle that was already made long ago.
She put it down on a table then she faced me, without saying anything for a few seconds but then she spoke -
"... What do you plan to use that knife for?"
Shadows fell on her eyes as she tilted her head down, making her expression vague and grim.
- "I... I'll use it to survive."
She then turned her head back to Velverd, and simply said -
"I see..."
The room grew darker but this time for a different reason.
I do not exactly know what their past is and I have many questions, but at the moment I couldn't ask but one question -
"Are you his daughter?"
- "Yes."
- "You look alike."
- "... Naturally."
Damn... she is just like him but without humor, Velverd at least can make a joke once a week, probably.
Well, at least the room is less dim now and I can take a breath without feeling an invisible weight on my back.
After a while I spoke -
"What was it like before coming to thə colony?"
Rava replied without looking at me -
"It wasn't much different... well, except for flying, since we couldn't fly back then."
She looked at me and then continued -
"I don't remember a lot, but our village was big, with many homes and houses.
We were somehow safe, we didn't face any real dangers, until..."
She lowered her gaze to the ground, and then she continued -
"Let's just say that we were living near the nest of a slumbering leviathan... but eventually, the creature woke up and ate us."
'Is that a synopsis?...'
- "Do you know what is that leviathan?"
- "Yes... the third disaster, known as the hydra, the false life."
'False what?!'
- "Did you say False life??"
She was a little confused, she looked at me with a raised eyebrow but eventually she spoke -
"It's not actually a living thing... well, we don't really know."
... 'damn'
I thought for a few seconds then I spoke-
"I know one of the disasters which is the locust's, and now I know the second, so what is the third?"
Velverd suddenly stopped and looked at me, he eventually spoke -
"The trees, the forest is the first disaster level threat."
'That... that makes sense but also very terrifying, to know that those trees are actually alive.
I suspected something similar, but that's terribly surprising.'
- "I see."
.
.
.
Eventually the knife was done, I took it from Velverd eagerly with a wide smile.
The knife really looked perfect from all angles, it was similar to a military knife in design, because of their usefulness in different situations.
I gripped the knife tightly in my hand and I immediately felt relief, and as I looked at my reflection in the lustrous metal i suddenly saw a black silhouette in the metal.
I felt my heart beat accelerating, the silhouette smiled widely and then simply disappeared.
Velverd spoke -
"What's wrong?"
As he noticed my tension.
I replied after a moment -
"Nothing."
I smiled and I stood up, then I spoke -
"The knife is impeccable, I'll make sure not to break it too soon"
Velverd frowned without an answer at first but then he said -
"Good."
Rava on the other hand smiled, she spoke -
"You can always ask us for a fix, or to make another one."
I smiled in return, and nodded, but suddenly her smile reached from ear to ear almost tearing through her flesh.
The smile was unnatural, and as I thought she spoke -
"Don't ask too many questions... I don't like to break my dolls."
My blood froze and sweat covered my face, I couldn't feel fear but I could feel it in my bones.
I shivered and as I flinched, her face was back to normal as if nothing happened.
They almost noticed my weird expression but they didn't even ask...
After that I sheathed the knife back, and strapped it to my belt, then I walked out.
The corridor seemed more dark this time and more narrow, and I couldn't but be paranoid and turning my head left and right...
Eventually, I reached the stairs, and now I'll go in.