Arthur watched as Dodge's figure disappeared in the distance, moving with a grim finality. He couldn't imagine what kind of mission could injure the seemingly indomitable Dodge so severely.
On this Thanksgiving night, families everywhere were gathering, enjoying a peaceful holiday and expressing gratitude for loved ones. But it was enforcers like Dodge who safeguarded that peace. Arthur felt a wave of respect for the man who had brought him to Brighton City, given him a new place to live, and offered him the chance to learn.
The sky was dotted with stars, and Arthur stood at the doorway, gazing into the distance. Suddenly, a pained groan echoed from within the white building. The dwarf Hobick had woken up.
Arthur hurried back to the hall, where Hobick, his body swathed in bandages, was propped up on the sofa with Katerina's help. Hobick took deep, raspy breaths, coughing violently if he wasn't careful. He began speaking in a language no one understood.
"Calm down, sir!" Mrs. Lily offered him a warm cup of tea, gently patting his back, and motioned for George and Arthur to step back, signaling Hobick that they meant no harm.
Hobick downed the tea in one gulp, finally managing to breathe steadily. He looked around at everyone, a puzzled expression on his face as he asked in human language, "Humans? Where is this place? And where is Dodge?" He struggled to stand, only to collapse back onto the sofa as pain shot through him.
"This place is safe. Captain Dodge brought you here. He said his mission wasn't finished and that he had to leave," George explained to Hobick. George's large frame was intimidating to the less-than-a-meter-tall dwarf, who instinctively scooted to the side of the sofa and mumbled in his incomprehensible language.
Arthur, sitting down on the sofa, held Lizzy on his lap and, looking over at Hobick, asked tentatively, "Do you know what the mission was, Mr. Hobick Houston?"
Hobick? The dwarf named "Hobick" looked confused, showing no recognition of the name. He didn't even glance at Arthur, as if Arthur were talking about someone else entirely. It was just as Dodge had said—Hobick didn't know his own name. But why was it so important that they remember it? Arthur pondered this, but no explanation came to him, so he dropped the thought.
"Do you know what your job was, then? Uncle Dodge said your role was significant." This time it was Katerina speaking. She had cleaned up the remaining bloodied bandages on the floor, put away the medical kit, and sat beside Mrs. Lily with a cup of tea.
"Job... as in work? I remember that much," Hobick said, stroking his sparse beard thoughtfully. "But why should I trust you?"
That was a fair question! For dwarves, humans weren't allies; it was the goblins and elves who were. Why, then, was Hobick with Dodge? It must have been related to that mission. Arthur held the drowsy Lizzy in his arms and passed her to Katerina, who took her to the bedroom to sleep.
Looking at the bandages on his body, Hobick said, "Besides Dodge and Parish, I don't trust any humans. Even if you saved me, that doesn't mean I have to tell you my work."
Historically, there had been considerable tension between humans and dwarves, especially after the War of the Gods, in the struggle over divine relics. Just last week, Arthur had studied this. Dwarves and humans both sought the divine relics left by Egton, the humanistic god of East Continent, after the War of the Gods ended. In the eighth year of the new calendar, they clashed in what human records call the Portrait War, which ended with the dwarves heavily wounded and a complete breakdown of human-dwarf relations.
Many dwarves not only distrusted humans but outright hated them. Hobick, conversing peacefully with Arthur and the others, was already quite unusual.
Outside, a few public carriages were taking people home from Thanksgiving gatherings, their bells ringing brightly. Arthur refilled Hobick's tea as Mrs. Lily carried the empty teapot to the kitchen, planning to brew a fresh batch. Her tea, made from starlight grass picked by the Hiss River, was known for its calming effect and was popular in Brighton City.
"May I ask you one more question, out of curiosity? Why were both you and Captain Dodge so severely injured?"
George, interested in Arthur's question, moved closer, ignoring Hobick's fear of his size. Hobick instinctively scooted toward Arthur and began to recall everything before he lost consciousness.
"I might remember... but only barely. Parish and I had just received Dodge's letter. Something about the orcs... but I can't share that with you." Clearing his throat, Hobick continued, "In any case, my partner and I were attacked by a group of cloaked figures lurking around Layburg Village. After that, Dodge and I were separated from the main force, but Parish stayed with them, so they'll be fine."
Layburg Village? Cloaked figures? Arthur had heard of Layburg Village in his humanities class at school; it was the most crucial military settlement south of Brighton City. So Dodge must have gone there before returning to Brighton City. Cloaked figures... could they be orcs? George had mentioned that Hobick's most severe back injury came from a beast's bite, likely from the same attackers who struck Green Village. Arthur began piecing things together.
"Is this Parish you speak of a human too?" George asked.
"Yes, he's the wisest and strongest human I've ever met. If it weren't for his water-based magic…" Hobick trailed off, suddenly clamping his hands over his mouth.
"Magic? Parish is a wizard?" George shouted, eyes wide as if they were about to pop out. Arthur was equally stunned. The word "wizard" hadn't surfaced in daily conversation for ages; this was the first time either of them had heard a rumor of one, and it involved Dodge.
"I didn't say anything! If Parish finds out I mentioned him, he'll trap me in a water bubble for ten minutes!" Hobick groaned, burying his face in the sofa cushions.
So it was true—a wizard, a water element wizard! Arthur's excitement rose, his hands clenching and unclenching involuntarily. He and George were thrilled for different reasons: Arthur wanted to find Parish and learn how to communicate with nature, while George was thinking of alerting the city's authorities. Wizards were highly monitored by the official institutions, and no wizard wanted to be detained for study.
Seeing Arthur's and George's red faces and the way they were excitedly punching the air, Hobick lifted one wary eye from the sofa cushions, muttering in his strange language:
"Now I'm really done for."