Alex, still in his ghoul form, walked at a calm pace behind the bouncing slimes. It had been a good thirty minutes since they had been hopping tirelessly, but Alex didn't notice the time passing.
The thought of starting to forge made something ancestral shine within him. Impatience, excitement. As if his soul vibrated at the idea of hammering metal.
And then, between two old gnarled oaks… he saw it.
An ancient village, almost swallowed by the forest.
The roofs were full of holes, the walls covered in moss, the beams blackened by time. But the slimes rushed straight toward the ruins, as if they were coming home.
And suddenly… laughter. High-pitched voices. Tiny footsteps.
Children ran to meet the slimes, greeting them with the energy of those who had grown up with them. They knew them. That much was obvious.
Alex approached, intrigued. The closer he got, the more he noticed a troubling detail.
"Wait… These kids are small. But…"
They were too broad-shouldered, too sturdy for human children. Their fingers, though young, were covered in calluses, and some even wore little leather belts filled with miniature tools. They were dwarf children.
One of them stopped running. He looked Alex straight in the eye, frowned, and crossed his arms like an old master craftsman.
He had a white streak running through his fiery red hair, and his gaze was… piercing.
"Who are you? You've got an ugly face. And you smell like fire and death."
Alex raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Am I dreaming, or… are you the boss here?"
"You didn't answer. What do you want in our village?"
Slowly, Alex bent one knee, bringing himself to the boy's height. He gently set down the orb containing the dragon egg beside him.
"What do I want? I want to do what you do. Forge. Create. Build. Like the great dwarves of legend. Like the fabled master craftsmen."
The little dwarf shrugged as if it didn't matter, but his eyes widened slightly. He looked away, trying to hide the emotion in his voice.
"You've got good eyes for a monster…"
He paused for a moment, then proudly declared:
"My name's Asudar! And one day, I'll become the greatest blacksmith the world has ever known. You'd better remember that name."
Alex burst out laughing, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Well, sorry, Asudar, but you might just… be the second. Because I, Alex, fully intend to be the first."
They pressed their foreheads together like two rivals, each trying to push the other back in a contest of will.
Asudar gritted his teeth. So did Alex. Then, with a sly grin, the dwarf proposed:
"Alright. Then let's have a contest! Whoever creates the best sword will be number one!"
Alex displayed a demonic, terrifying smile upon hearing he could finally forge. His ghoul face looked even more frightening.
"Deal, kid."
Alex had found his home. Or rather… his future workshop.