The Way of the Forge - Short Story

He made another turn in the dark tunnels that had been his home all these years, trying to find again and again that elusive dwarf. He had received a note about a person that was whiling to teach him the ways of the forges, teach him his place in this world. He had been a lonely Dwarf since his father died and his brother went to war, trying to survive in a world that needed strong and valiant heroes instead of weak and slow crafters, but he knew that was a better way than blood and glory. He couldn’t lose that dwarf, that teacher, he won’t let it happen. After what seemed like hours of walking amongst an endless crowd of dwarves and gnomes, trying to find a needle in a haystack, he arrived to an old shop. The small and in ruins shack had seen better years and an old wooden sign with an anvil on it hanged from one old steel ring, threatening to fall at any time. The door was open, inviting Gardain to follow his destiny. The old door made a noisy creak, breaking the silence inside the sack, suddenly all the noise from outside appeared to be gone. The lost dwarf entered looking for the elusive teacher, passing an old receivers room into the workshop. There, an old, black haired and lonely dwarf was sitting in an old chair staring to an unlit fireplace. “I … I need you to teach me” said Gardain trying to look calm but failing in the process. “I have nothing else in my life”.

The room kept his silence, destroying Gardain with each moment that passed. “You sent me a note!” Gardain cried “Why torture me when you don’t want to do it?” said almost sobbing. The young dwarf fall into his knees, hopeless, trying to figure what to do next, how to survive the next winter without money or food. “That is your problem, Gardain, you always think in the future, never in the present” said the old dwarf without giving him a look. Gardain lift his head in surprise, his cheeks wet with tears. “Because those who follow the ways of the forges can’t think in the future, they had to live the present” said the old one slowly. The chair cracked as it was about to break when the old dwarf stood up. Slowly walked to Gardain and put a hand in his shoulder. “You are ready” said firmly. Then, as all his strength had come back, the old dwarf walk into the workshop, move a table like he was young again and removed a carpet, revealing a trapdoor in the floor. When he opened it, the heat of a thousand forges emerged from the underground passage. “Come, my child, and learn the way of the forge” Gardain encountered the greatest forges that he could ever imagine, the finest anvils and metals that he had ever seen lay there for his use. In there, we spent countless hours forging weapons and smelting ore, improving with each time his hammer hit a blade. He didn’t knew how much time had passed, but he only knew that he needed one more weapon, one more work done, and each time he finished he felt the same again. He was forging a Warhammer when his arms begin to betray him, the pain trying to stop him from finishing that job killed his soul more than it killed his body. Suddenly, he felt a hand in his shoulder, stopping his last blow. “It is done” said the old man. Gardain hadn’t realized that the weapon was perfect, more beautiful that he could ever imagine until the old teacher stopped him. He finish the hammer putting the handle and saw a weapon that he would remember forever. “You now know all that you can learn here, my child.” The old dwarf said, Gardain face was full with sadness. “But not all that is there to learn.” The old dwarf took a necklace and put it around Gardain’s neck, the sad dwarf didn’t even tried to look at it, too focus in his master to be disturbed. “Now go… master the forges until the last days of your life. Live… as every day is your last day. And help others find the meaning of life” said the old teacher like his previous energy was gone. “But how can I? I know nothing of this world” said Gardain with dread in his voice. “I know, if you didn’t I would never choose you for this task.” Said the old dwarf guiding Gardain again to the trapdoor. Shocked, the young dwarf walked outside the workshop again and into the noisy streets. Suddenly, he realized how many questions he had and turned back fast. But not fast enough. Before him, the workshop he walked out just a moment ago was gone, was never been there, a wall of solid stone would never let anything be there. Trying to find answers, the scared dwarf took the necklace in his hands. “Moradin…” said in disbelieve seeing the mitral symbol of the Soul Forger. He felt the warmth in the necklace and realized that the heat was overcoming his body, making him felt the heat as he was in the forges again. Then, the now confident dwarf took the Warhammer he created and walked into the crowd, thinking in the future that the Dwarf father had for him.