"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
The echo of the knocking still reverberated through the forge.
"Mr. Roland? Are you in there? It's me, Noel!"
The Dwarf's familiar voice called from outside the door, tinged with a subtle note of apprehension.
Roland took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surprise and doubt churning within him, and his gaze swept across the forge.
The furnace fire had dimmed, but its residual warmth lingered. The air was filled with the distinct, slightly sweet smell of quenched metal and the dust of Mithril Shards.
Dawn Light streamed in through the cracks of the high window, casting clear spots of light on the floor and replacing the faint glow of the previous morning.
Lost in his focused forging and the final inscriptions, he had unknowingly spent an entire day and night.
Shaking his head lightly, Roland turned and walked to the door.
He slid the bolt open. Standing outside was none other than the Dwarf, Noel.
