"Brom, it is for you."
Footsteps could be heard coming closer, metal clinking. Brandy walked away after placing the paper in Ethan's hand. A broad-shouldered, red-headed dwarf with arms like tree trunks left the house. His voice was rough and grating.
"By my father's beard, how may I help you stranger."
"Alas, Thompson sent us here for gear and weapons."
The dwarf smiled and held out his hand for the paper. He walked towards the house.
"By my father's beard. Young Thompson, how is the little bugger doing."
Ethan was surprised that the man was friendly and waved them inside their home. He poured them tea as they sat down to biscuits he had taken from the oven.
"By my father's beard, I do not mind Brandy; she is a good woman. She wants our son to be a master smith like her. I am a retired S-class adventurer and spend my days baking, drinking tea, and screwing my wife. No man can ask for more than that. My life is filled with joy."
Brandy walked in, took the paper, and studied it. Then, she moved to the side of the kitchen and grabbed a measuring rope from the cupboard.
"By the forge, come, girls, let's measure you."
Wendy and Lucy stood by Brandy as she started asking them questions and measuring them. Brom looked at Ethan, who was deep in thought. Then, it was like a lightbulb was switched on in his mind.
"By my father's beard, it cannot be. Your clothing, your hair, and those deep blue eyes. The elf girl over there."
Brandy was half listening with one ear as Brom spoke. His eyes widened.
"By my father's beard, the elf girl and you have passed through the veil. There must be something vile in the land for you to come here."
Something dropped to the tiled floor, and Brandy trembled as she looked at Wendy and Ethan. Brom regained his composure as he looked at Ethan.
"By my father's beard, why would the gods come to this realm? You destroyed our mountain last time you came through with your flying ships."
Ethan sat forward, placing his cup on the table.
"By my father's beard. We have seen the footage, which is in our records from long ago. The veil had opened, and our mountain was overrun by nightmarish creatures that had passed through the veil. A portal had opened near our mountain, and massive flying airships passed through with her elf people piloting and working the ship."
Brom pointed at Wendy, his hand trembling.
"By my father's beard. A woman with golden hair and blue eyes flew off the ship into the air. She had a sword with a purple blade. She had slashed down with her sword, and our mountain disintegrated into a ball of fire. Only a crater remained. It is now filled with water and known for its abundant fish."
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. What should he do? What should he say? He thought of Shaw and Penny. They were honest people, and he would be too.
"Alas, I am sorry Heather had to destroy the infestation. We have debated it for days. The emperor ordered her to conquer the mountain. We filled the crater with pure water and many fish varieties found only in our realm."
Four eyes stared at Ethan. Their jaws were wide open. Brom's mouth worked like a fish out of water; no sound came out.
Ethan moved uncomfortably on his chair. Ethan felt awkward now that he knew they had destroyed their home.
"Alas, I had a feeling that I have been to this realm before. What a surprise, right girls."
The room was silent. No one moved, and the dwarfs trembled. Wendy scratched her head. Lucy had stopped breathing. She held Brandy's hand.
"Alas, how many times has the veil opened since that time? We have no concept of time back in our realm and only respond to threats as they happen."
"By my grandfather's beard, it opened fifty times since then."
"Alas, it only feels like yesterday; strange how time flies."
Wendy stood near the table. Wendy had found her unwavering strength again. Wendy held Ethan's shoulder and stood proudly by his side.
"Hail, please keep our mission here a secret. Ethan will do his best not to destroy mountains or cities by waving his Pinky finger."
Ethan wanted to smile but kept a straight face. He could not do that, but they believed he was a god. Ethan did not want to get into an argument about God. He might hear him, and then he would be in deep shit. Ethan would rather have the focus on something other than himself.
Brandy walked to the table with a piece of paper in hand.
"By my forge, I will make you magnificent gear, and it should be ready in a week. If I may ask, I would love to see your sword, my lord."
Brandy looked at Ethan, her eyes blazing.
"Alas, I will bring it next time. It is forged out of dragon horns and mithril silk, the same mithril silk my clothes are made of."
Brandy fainted, and Brom coughed loudly.
"By my father's beard. Dragons are real, not mythic creatures. Our patriarchs told the truth."
"Alas, they are a nuisance. They are useless. You can't eat the meat. The scales are too hard to work with, and it takes forever to melt down a horn for weapons. They roar, spew flames, and destroy things but die so quickly. They should stay in their mountains and keep to themselves if you ask me. I had to hunt down thirty older ones, a terrible waste of arrows. I even had to use my sword on two of them. They gave me a good fight and an excellent warmup."
Grom fainted and fell out of his chair on the floor. Wendy and Lucy looked at Ethan, their hands on their hips. Ethan thought they would scold him by the look in their eyes.
"Hail, see what you have done to these kind people."
"Squee, yes, look, they fainted from shock. Shame on you."
Ethan threw his hands in the air, surrendering.
"Alas, I did not mean to make them faint. I was only reminiscing about my home. Besides, dragons are big nuisances, pesky buggers."
Ethan felt that they were unfairly judging him; he was the weakest, and it felt like they were bullying him.