Master Of None

Midnight had watched Gil and Walker leave her behind and she focused her attention on the royal guard. She was very happy to be called lady and miss by the royal guard since she had not been called these fancy titles before. Most others would just call her little dragon or the dragon or just use her name. The new titles gave her pride a boost. 

"I'm unsure if you are able to fully grasp the process, but our blacksmiths have been working on many things, and testing a new form of fire on them would be an incredible boost to learning and forging processes." The royal guard walked toward a staircase that descended toward a very hot area while he spoke. 

Midnight enjoyed the heat that was coming from the space since her dragon blood preferred warm temperatures. The lower they descended the more the heat grew and she began to wonder how the royal guard was not over heating. She had learned that humans and other races did not have the same hot and cold tolerances as she did and that they would become sick. 

Her worry must have shown in her eyes so much that the royal guard began to fish around his neck. "This is an ever cool pendant. We make them from ice jade. It only forms in very cold caves over many many years." The pendant had water runes carved in to it and appeared to be a snowflake shape. Midnight could feel the water elemental mana radiating around it. 

This charm would work wonders for many of the party and Midnight wanted to get some for later, "Miss Midnight, if you require it I can have some retrieved. Would one be enough?" The royal guard understood that her gaze was saying that she was interested in it. He didn't expect a dragon to need such an item but didn't want to offend her. 

Midnight stopped for a moment and scratched six lines in the ground with her claws. "Does-does that mean you would like six pendants?" The royal guard was surprised to see how Midnight went about communicating this. When she nodded her head and gave a huff he knew that this was exactly what she wanted. "Then I will have them prepared for you as soon as possible." 

The two continued the descent and the royal guard pulled an orb from his belt to communicate the needs. Midnight was very pleased with the discovery since she knew it would make her family more comfortable when in the forge. She had seen the many beads of sweat drip from Walker as the two had worked with the wandering blacksmith. 

When the two finally came to the bottom of the steps there were many sounds of shoveling and even a spraying sound. The reaction to these sounds was always one exactly like flames in the wind. There were also large grinding sounds that Midnight related to the gears she had already seen and heard. Other than that she could feel the heat and steam had become much more dense around her. 

The First dwarf she saw rushing around was covered in coal dust. Completely from head to toe looked like they belonged within the shadows themselves. Midnight almost mistook them for someone using the shadow wrapping skill that she had but quickly smelled the coal. She looked further to find that the dwarf was rushing towards a mine car full of coal. 

Looking further she saw that the entire area underneath the high forge was supported by massive stone pillars. The floor was covered in metal tracks that allowed the mine cars the ability to travel unimpeded. Many dwarves were pushing the mine carts here and there to different large furnaces. Some were attached to massive tanks to which water was provided to while others were just fire and exhaust pipes. This was how every forge received the steam, fire, heat, and any other source of energy it needed. 

"Miss Midnight, the furnace we will ask you to assist with is over to this side." The royal guard pointed out a reinforced furnace with much more material and runes carved upon it. "I will leave you in the care of the fire breather in charge of this furnace." The royal guard motioned to a dwarf covered in less coal than the others near the furnace. 

"So you are the dragon hm? Come show me that dragon fire your kind is famous for and I will show you what I can do too." The dwarf smirked in arrogance and it made Midnight want to breathe flames at him at that moment. Instead, she huffed and stood taller, she knew that Walker would not be happy with her if she did something foolish like that. 

The other dwarves that had been feeding the furnace were caught up for a moment looking at her so Midnight flapped her wings a little to show off her scales. It was an action that caught even more attention from those running by and she loved every second of it. She was a dragon and her presence should be known. 

"So, show me what you've got." The fire breather motioned to the open furnace. "No more coal, back away you stokers and make way for the dragon fire! Alert testing for thirty two that there will be a unique flame!" The fire breather gave these orders and any around that were watching instantly fell in to their given tasks. 

Midnight moved toward the flames while building up her own. She could feel the mana she had control of condensing in her so she could use her decaying flames. Chest puffed up with the large intake of air as she breathed in and the sounds around her seemed to lessen. When Midnight paused it was as if the entire furnace area had become silent. 

…..

….