Adaceus, walked through the cobblestone roads, stopping just at the entrance of a strange building.
It was a moderately large structure, three stories high and seemed to be mostly made of stone and brick, with very little wooded parts save for the stores name at the face of it an the tiled roof. Multiple chimneys spewing smoke were built at the very top, dozens from what he could see at first glance, and multiple mechanical sounds were booming from within, and the ringing of steel hitting steel rang in constant rhythm.
It was poorly maintained, rugged is what Adaceus would best describe, its walls were unkept, cracking with weeds jutting out crevices. The few windows it had were shattered as if some people threw rocks into it and garbage bins were placed right at each sides of doors, empty but soot covered. Its walls were filled with colorful moss, different than the typical, a sort of green-purple hue with twisted, braided vines that bloomed peculiar flowers.
Is this it?
He wondered to himself, doubting what was in front of him was up to par with the description that women gave of it.
He recalled from yesterday.
"Actually, Miss Ingridt? I actually do have a favor to ask. Do you know where a good blacksmith is?"
"For what purpose?"
"I need some stuff made."
"What do you need made?"
Adaceus explained everything he wanted in preparation for his leaving, items and the such that he needed procured, simple things he thought he would need, particularly plate armor and equipment with an important priority on a special item at the end of his list he placed significance on. Ingridt listened, and nodded.
"Okay, I think I know someone who could do it, suppose I can order a commission."
"I'll have the money for it sent your way soon enoug-"
A hand interrupted him.
"That isn't necessary, I'll have it sorted out for you."
"But surely-"
"No, I already said I'll handle it, take it as a goodbye gift from me, would that be good?"
"Okay, then."
"Good, now for the things you need, I'll send you the location of the best smithy I know of and you can take your list there, but best you be warned, its a strange place once you get a look if it, and its owner is an even weirder person, so I'd advise caution if you meet them."
"Thank you."
"Oh, and when you finally go there, make sure to ask for a person named Lunoo."
And that was the end of it, and seeing this smithy now, the warnings make sense. This building was called the 'Rattale Smithy', apparrent by the massive sign on the roof, and this was the place that Ingridt said he go to. It was definitely strange, and he wondered why Ingridt would suggest such a place like this, but then again it was Ingridt who said it, so he supposed he should contain his judgment for the time being.
With a simple inhale, he walked close to the door which had a mouse shaped face at the center of it. It was completely made of metal, with iron bars that were attached to reinforce it. He knocked on it a couple of times but there was no answer. He tried it again but the result was still the same. After a while of knocking Adaceus was starting to think nobody was in here, probably closed, but a few moments later a clink sounded that slightly opened the door ajar.
What?
He looked back and forth, wondering what had happened before returning to the door. He gently pressed on it, a sudden light shining from the handle until it fizzed out of nowhere, and it opened up more. It was light, odd for it being made completely out of metal. He wondered if he should go inside, but a sudden sprite of light went inside him first.
I guess that answers that, I hope I don't get in trouble for this.
He pushed in further, finally going inside.
Inside, was a room. It was medium sized room, dark, barely enough to see save for the little light coming in from outside, he could feel dust floating in the air and as he panned his vision he could see cobwebs strewn everywhere. It was unkept, and Adaceus was seriously started doubting there was something here. That was until something from below caught his attention, noises of metal and steel hitting steel, and as he approached he was met with an interesting sight.
A staircase.
It reached very deep, deep enough that it was completely dark all the way through and the little sunlight from outside could not reach it, but there was something that caught his attention. He walked in closer, the flickering light following his stead, and what he could see, at the very bottom, were dim, yellow colored lights. A sudden warmness came from the staircase, seeming to come from the lights themselves, and suddenly the flickering light blitzed past him. It stopped halfway on the steps, the light waiting for him to come as well.
He walked down.
It had not taken long until he reached the bottom of the steps.
The warm temperature suddenly cranked up in heat, turning into a hotness that made Adaceus feel like he was approaching the sun. He continued going down the steps, and finally made to the bottom of the stairs to see a large room. It was a long hallway type room made completely out of stone, and in each side of the walls were completely covered with furnaces.
What is this place?
The fires form the furnaces suddenly roared out, coloring the room into red and started to assault him in powerful waves, blinding him.
What!??
The fires raged on, and he desperately tried to shield himself from the hotness of it.
Until it abruptly ended.
Adaceus lowered his hands that were on his face that he used to shield him from the fire, settling his eyes unto a cool room in shock. Those fires suddenly disappeared, almost as if it didn't happen. He scanned the room, it was even clearer now that the fires were gone. He panned his vision, and various features suddenly came into view that were not possible from before. The furnaces of each side of him only contained smoldering coals and walls not containing furnaces hung various weapons and tools. Armor stand lined the walls and there was a chandelier at the ceiling.
Suddenly the metal sound came back, even louder now and resounded in the room in a constant rhythm.
Then, at the very center, where the sound came from, a person, banging away on a very large anvil.
"E-excuse me!"
Adaceus said, moving closer to the person.
"Um, what happened in here? Who are you?"
The figure, holding a hammer in one hand and in the other hand holding tongs which grasped some a piece of white hot metal, said nothing.
"I ask again, who are you? The owner of this place? Or, maybe an employee?"
"I'm looking for a person named Lunoo?"
The figure continued pummeling metal, ignoring him further.
No response? Hmmm.. Oh right!
Adaceus stood, until he realized something and went to his pocket to grab something out of it. Ingridt said he should take this with him and show it to the owner. In his pocket he brought out a small badge made out of gold, and engraved with the Blaidhund insignia.
"I am a resident of the Blaidhund estate, I am here because of Ingridt Blaidhund, she told me to come here because your the one that could make the things I need, here, she said I need to show you this."
He was about to show the little badge, but then suddenly the figure disappeared.
What!
Adaceus head turned and turned across the room trying to find where did it go, but before he could do anything the figure appeared before him in a gust of wind, with its wide eyes staring into his.
They were a hazel color and almost resembled that of a cat, with a slit as an iris, and the longer Adaceus stared he seemed to be getting more and more nauseous. The figure turned her head down to look at the insignia.
As she did Adaceus could fully see the figure.
She was a beast person, evident from the feline like ears and the long tail and the black and white patches of fur spread throughout her body.
"So, she actually found a student, I didn't think that was possible."
The women spoke first.
"U-um, ma'am, who are you?"
Adaceus spoke up.
She looked up again at him.
"Ingridt didn't tell you about me?"
"No, I-I don't know who you are."
"Names Lunoo, owner and sole smith here at Rattale, and your the runt Ingirdt took under her wing, aye? Tell me, what's your name."
"My name is Adaceus, so you're the one Ingridt said to look for."
The woman, Lunoo, then ruffled in the apron that she had on and brought out something from its multiple pockets.
"Hold this," she said, lending it to him by dropping it into his hand.
It suddenly lit up, just like the door handle from before and just like before it fizzed out.
"What is it? It fizzled out, what happened to it?"
"That's rod there's got a lock enchantment in it, and you just disabled it."
"What does that mean?"
"Basically the specific enchanted that piece of metal has is a trap spell, and it basically causes a paralytic shock to the core, disabling the person, its a nice protection spell."
"That's quite dangerous, but why didn't it affect me?"
"Its because you always got that aura shell always covering you, right?"
She said this as her hazel eyes glowed, revealing the pure red aura that coated Adaceus throughout his entire body.
Adaceus raised his non-existent brow.
"How did you know about that?"
"Its in of Ingridt's special moves, and looks like she passed the technique down to you, and the fact that you could even learn and use it, she picked a good one, honestly kind of jealous."
"Seems like you're quite familiar with my mentor, hwo do you know Ingridt?"
"Meh, we were part of a adventuring party a few years back, old friends you could say, but enough of that. So, what'd you want, said you need something made, that's the reason your here right? Lets get on with it."
"Ah, yes, here I made a list."
Lunoo took it and began reading the contents within. Adaceus noticed when reading her ears twitched and her tail flailed about.
"Alright, I can do this."
"Ah, bit there is another thing I need made that's not on the list."
"What is it?"
"I'll tell you."