Authors Note:

First i want to apologize for not posting a chapter last week. I had to travel for family business and couldn't upload one. Next i would like to apologize for the length of this chapter. I don't really have the time right now to write. I'm preparing for a trip that'll go though next weekend and i won't be able to upload a chapter then either.

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After parting ways with his friends and his sister Ren made his way over to the blacksmithing workshop. As he got closer he heard the sound of arguing voices. After parting ways with his friends and his sister Ren made his way over to the blacksmithing workshop. As he got closer he heard the sound of Master Yurbek arguing with Master Anurt the engineering instructor.

(Anurt) "Do you think he's back yet?"

(Yurbek) "He ain't coming."

(Anurt) "Oh? Did you already ask him?"

(Yurbek) "Well...no but if I say he ain't coming then he ain't coming."

(Anurt) "Shouldn't you at least ask him? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! The things to learn, the experiences to be had. Do you really want to deprive him of that?"

(Yurbek) "That’s not a place for him.”

(Anurt) "Are you ashamed to have him as you student? Is that it?."

(Yurbek) “Of course not. He’s one of the most talented craftsmen I’ve ever met. He may still have a long way to go before he can be called a master but will definitely become a master. Who know, he may even go further.

(Anurt) “Then why don’t you want him come? You know it would be a great opportunity for him.”

(Yurbek) "Knowing him he’ll definitely get into something way over his head."

(Anurt) “The boy knows his limits do I doubt he’ll do anything rash…unless you talking about participating in that? Based on what you told me I could see him wanting to do it.”

(Yurbek) “That’s the problem.”

(Anurt) “I don’t see a problem.”

(Yurbek) “It could crush his confidence in himself.”

(Anurt) “It could give him the pressure he need to stop just going through the motions and to really improve. Your coddling him is only holding him back. Do you remember what the Headmaster told us he said when asked why he wanted to become a craftsmen?”

(Yurbek) “Aye”

(Anurt) “Does that sound like a something someone who needs to be treated like glass would say? I saw what you put him through during his first month. What were you trying to do? Turn him into a Border Guard?”

At that moment Ren reached the workshop and entered.

"Ah Krono, what a surprise, we were just talking about you." Master Anurt said when he saw Ren.

"Don't you dare." Yurbek said, raising his finger and pointing it at Anurt menacingly

Anurt ignored him and continued

"How would you like to go on an adventure?" He asked Ren.

Between the argument he had overheard and Master Anurt’s question Ren was very confused and didn't know where this was going so he turned around to leave.

"I'll just be going-" Ren started, though he was interrupted by Anurt

"Well of course you'll be going lad. See Yurbek I told you he would want to go. Now lad, do you need to pack anything?" he said

"Well I don't-" Ren started again but again was cut off by Master Anurt.

"You don't? Great! We can get going then. We don't want to be late now do we Yurbek." Anurt said as he got behind Ren and started pushing him towards a trapdoor that had been hidden under one of the workbenches.

"Now just wait a minute-" Ren tried to say but was cut off a third time.

"Nope we can't wait. Got a very limited window to travel." Anurt said as they reached the trap door. He opened it and beckoned to Ren.

Ren tried to turn around and leave the building but Anurt would have none of that.

"Wrong way lad. What, are you afraid of heights or something? It’s not that big a drop. Here, I’ll even help you down." Anurt grabbed onto Ren and, with more strength than Ren felt he should have, picked him up and dropped him through the trap door and into the darkness below. It was only about a ten foot drop so Ren didn't take any damage but he still just laid on his back in shock about being thrown down a hole.

"Watch out below." Anurt called.

Ren barely had enough time to roll out of the way before Master Anurt dropped through the trap door next. After Anurt dropped down Master Yurbek followed suit, closing the trap door as he did so and plunging them into darkness. After a moment Ren thought he heard Master Yurbek mutter something and suddenly a small ball of fire about the size of an apple popped into existence and lit up the room. Ren was a little shocked that Yurbek knew magic, he had never shown that he could use it. Before Ren could ask about it Yurbek nudged past him and grunted something that sounded like ‘follow me’ though Ren wasn't sure. What he was sure about was that master Yurbek wasn't happy about the current situation and he didn't have any time to fix it.

Ren followed Master Yurbek out of the small room underneath the workshop and down a passage. They walked for a few minutes before entering a small, stone room that had a raise dais in the center that was about ten feet across. Master Yurbek lead the way onto the dais where he told Ren to stay put. He dug through is bag for a moment before pulling out what looked like a stone sphere and inserting it into a depression in the middle of the dais. The sphere and the dais started glowing and a domed barrier appeared around them. Then nothing happened.

"We're waiting for our turn." Anurt said, "It shouldn't be long."

Ren was still very confused about what was going on but just sat down and kept quiet since he couldn't do anything right now. A few minutes later the orb in the center of the dais started glowing brighter and floated up into the air.

"Hurry and stand up lab and hold onto the stone." Master Anurt hurriedly said

Ren did as he was told and a few moments later there was a bright flash of light and Ren suddenly felt like he was being squeezed and stretched, pushed and pulled, and moving extremely fast and not moving at all, all at the same time. It was very uncomfortable and it lasted for several minutes before there was another bright flash of light and Ren was suddenly assaulted by a wide variety of sounds and smells. Ren opened his eyes, he didn't relive he had closed them, and looked around. What he saw amazed him. They were in an enormous cavern, bigger than any Ren had ever seen, and all around them was a mass of dwarves with very few other races mixed in. Before Ren could look around more he felt a tug on his arm.

"Come on lad lets go." Mater Yurbek said, obviously still upset about Anurt dragging Ren along, as he started pulling Ren through the crowd, "I'll explain everything once we get somewhere quieter and more private."