Tobias sat at his favorite table in The Golden Tench, enjoying a plate of scrambled eggs, seasoned potatoes and thick, applewood bacon. The food brought back memories of his days here, waiting for the conflict over the starstone to be decided. Nothing but food and wine while we waited for that mess to clear up. I remember playing cards with Josef and Clarence all night, those two were awful at bluffing. He smiled and sipped on his fresh coffee. The governor was sure to send someone over quickly. He continued leisurely reliving his time here, reminiscing about days long past.

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Tobias had set himself to the more artistic side of his profession during his time in Baybreach. He’d done odds and ends for various merchants that he’d come to be friends with, the golden fish mounted above the bar here being one he was more proud of. His masterpiece resided with the governor though.

A long, hand-and-a-half sword, fitted specifically to His Grace’s proportions and balance preferences. The spine of the sword was formed from emerald green dragon stone, and charged with the energy of twenty men. The steel formed along the edges honed to perfect sharpness and enchanted to never blunt. The hilt was immaculate, with intricate carvings of the mountainside of the Spine. A large emerald rested in the pommel and served as the reservoir of the sword’s magical power. Dubbed Lazarus, the sword was renowned for its ability to form earthen walls along its path at will. Legends say the mountains of the Spine themselves were formed by a great mage performing the same magic imbued in the sword, and a sufficiently powerful wielder could manage those same feats.

The sword represented countless hours of work, and was considered one of the treasures of the empire. It was the third sword of its caliber Tobias had created, and was a large part of why he was left to his own devices in Starstone. The sword’s brothers had changed hands numerous times over the years and brought war and destruction anywhere they went. Many wanted to find Tobias and demand swords of their own, but many more were content with him lost to the flows of time. Lazarus was his best, and last, masterpiece.

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Tobias was roused from his memories by the sound of two people entering the tavern. He glanced over and saw Manuel and Oskar approaching, looking sheepish.

“Well boys, didn’t expect to see you two today,” Tobias said, welcoming them to sit down across from him. “How was your night out?”

“Fruitful, but expensive,” Oskar led diplomatically. Tobias raised an eyebrow and continued eating.

“You see, I brought Manie here to The Wall, and, uh, well… one thing led to another…” He continued. “Short version is, we met two absolutely enchanting women who showed us the night of our lives.”

“But may or may not have stolen our money,” Manuel finished.

Tobias just shook his head. “So what will you fools do now?” he asked.

“Well, that’s why we’re here,” replied Manuel. “We could head back home. I’d say we accomplished what we were for, though it was a bit more expensive than anticipated. Or…”

“You could lend us a little coin and we’ll pay you back when we get home tomorrow,” finished Oskar.

Tobias sighed. Children these days. Still, I remember being young. “Tell you what. I won’t lend you any coin, but I will hire you boys. I need you to gather up some tools and some leather for me. I’ve got a meeting with the governor today, and won’t have much time for it after,” Tobias said. “After that, I’ll need a hand carrying it all back. I’m sure you two can handle that. In exchange, I’ll get you a room here and dinner tonight.”

The young men looked at each other and nodded.

“Sounds like a deal,” responded Oskar. “What all do you need?”

Tobias wrote out a list of the supplies he needed. Some of it was expected, the charcoal and leather were standard fare for the smith, but some of it was unusual.

“What’s tungsten?” asked Manuel, looking down at the list.

“It’s a special metal that is extremely resistant to heat, but it’s hard to come by,” Tobias replied. “I think that boy Enzo will take me up on the offer to work in the shop and the first thing we’ll be doing is rebuilding the forge. After that, we’ll be working with much hotter temperatures, so I’m going to make a second pair of tongs for him.”

Oskar shrugged. “Sounds easy enough. Think we’ll grab something to eat first before heading out, if that’s okay with you.”

Tobias nodded, and waved to the bar. The innkeeper came over, and after a small discussion, rooms and food were organized for the boys. Tobias counted out the coin they would likely need, then dropped a couple more in for the nonsense they were sure to stumble into. He handed the pouch to Oskar, then stood and stretched.

“I think it’s about time I got ready for the meeting, I’ll see you two later,” he said as he walked back upstairs to his room. The pair waved and focused back on the food at hand.

Once upstairs, Tobias took inventory of what he’d brought. The scale was still safely tucked away in his pack, along with the rest of his coin. He pulled a small knife from his pack and shaved away the scruff that had begun to grow along his cheeks. After, he washed his face and changed into his best pants and tunic. As he laced his fine leather boots together, someone knocked at his door.

“Sir, there’s a messenger from the governor here to speak with you,” called the innkeeper.

“I’ll be down shortly, thank you,” responded Tobias.

Taking one last glance in the mirror, Tobias straightened his shirt and headed down to meet with the messenger. The young man stood in the lobby, and after confirming Tobias was who he claimed to be, led the smith back through the market and into the inner city. The area bustled with people and, initially, Tobias suspected the messenger would lead him to the long line that had formed near the Governor’s Office. Instead, the man turned the corner and led him to a rear entrance to the building.

Inside, a dark hall lit by torches ensconced on the wall led up to a narrow staircase. Once they’d ascended, Tobias could see the stairs led to a hidden alcove on the second floor balcony that overlooked the main lobby. Beneath him, dozens of clerks ran hectically between offices, trying to keep the traders and noblemen satisfied.

The messenger led Tobias to the center of the second floor and knocked on a large, oak door. When a voice from within the office announced that they were allowed in, the messenger opened the door and ushered Tobias inside. Behind a large, opulent oak desk, sat the governor.

The man was aging gracefully, a full head taller than Tobias and still in fighting shape even as he neared fifty years to his name. He dressed simply, but elegantly, and kept his office in the same manner. A fire roared in the fireplace to the left of the room, and a well stocked bookcase dominated the right side.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Tobias?” began the governor, rising from behind his desk and meeting the smith halfway to shake his hand.

“It’s good to see you again, Regalius,” Tobias said, clasping the man’s hand. “I come with… unpleasant news.”

“My favorite,” Regalius replied. He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat. Would you like a drink to wash down this unpleasantness? It seems to always pop up at the busiest times of the year.”

“Doesn’t it though?” Tobias said, accepting the wine and taking his seat opposite the governor’s. “Hopefully, this isn’t too bad but it requires a bit of investigation.” He reached into this pack and withdrew the scale.

“That’s not what I think it is,” said Regalius, as he reached across the desk. “May I?”

“Of course,” Tobias responded, handing the scale to the governor. “I’ve already confirmed it myself, the scale is legitimate. It comes from a red dragon, likely the Geschmolzen clan. It is virtually impervious to heat. A young man brought it to my attention, he claimed to have found it in a cave near the southernmost coast.”

“That’s quite far south for a dragon,” the governor said, handing back the scale.

“That’s not all either. One of the shepherds reported seeing a dragon days before the discovery of the scale,” Tobias continued. “He claimed the creature attacked his herd and made off with a cow.”

“An adult then. Have you any connections with the clan, my friend?” Regalius asked.

“I don’t, not anymore. I offered the young man an apprenticeship though, to keep an eye on him. I don’t suspect much, but it doesn’t hurt to be sure,” said Tobias.

“Wise decision. Still, this needs follow up. I assume you are here to form a hunting party?” said Regalius.

“I am,” Tobias replied. “Starstone will also be sending some merchants this way soon as well, the hunt has been quite poor this year. They’ll likely look to take advantage of the winter sales and stock up on food and supplies.”

“Unfortunate, that. Few hunters will want to search the mountains if there is little available prey,” said Regalius. “I do have a mercenary ship docked in port at the moment, I could hire them for the task, though they can be a bit unsavory.”

“It will have to do,” replied Tobias.

“I trust you can handle the situation, then? I’ll have the guard secure the payment today, and they can leave with you tomorrow,” Regalius said. “Be sure to let me know if you do find a dragon.”

“Of course, my friend,” Tobias said. He stood and finished the glass of wine. “Thank you for the prompt audience, I know you have plenty on your plate this time of year.”

“Anything for an old friend,” Regalius said, smiling. “Do stop by sometime on less unpleasant business, we have much to catch up on.”

“With pleasure,” responded Tobias as he departed the room. Another aide gathered him from the office and led him through a maze of corridors and out of the building. With that sorted out, I suppose it's time to see what those boys have managed to find.