Post by hobbad on Mar 15, 2015 15:38:53 GMT -7
A small brass bell chimed and shook as the front door to the small shop. The small space was packed with barrels of various weapons. A hand written label painted on the front of each barrel naming the item with price beneath. Along the left wall, close to the counter, were wooden dummies fitted in various types of steel & iron armors.
Felix excused himself as he squeezed through the tight lanes between merchandise, slightly jostling a frail human boy admiring a rather mundane short sword. A sleepy dwarf sitting behind the counter watched Felix make his way to him. Felix gave the dwarf a nod and warm smile. "Well met. As you can imagine, I have had a problem finding armor that fits me and fits me well. I was curious if your shop does custom orders?"
The dwarf grunted and nodded towards a door just past the bar and his eyes drifted back to the rest of the shop. Felix paused but taking no offense nodded once more before heading to the door.
As it opened Felix was met with a blast of heat and the ringing of metal sang in his ears. A stout dwarf hammered tirelessly at a great sword, refining it's edge. Felix cleared his throat and cautiously spoke up. "I'm looking for some custom armor!"
The dwarf set down his hammer and quenched the fiery sword in a deep barrel of water and turned to the large man. He eyeballed Felix for a moment before motioning Felix to the side. “Take off that piss poor mail and we’ll get ye measured and into some proper plating. An’e requests for design?” The dwarf’s graveling voiced boomed above the sound of the bellows, which seemed to pump themselves steadily.
“If it’s not too much trouble, perhaps a songbird.” Felix spoke softly, after a moment of consideration. The dwarf rolled out a stepping ladder and brought it to Felix as he removed his armor. The dwarf wrapped strips of cloth around Felix, marking their size, to be measured later. “...and I would appreciate it if I could move a bit better, the chainmail gets in the way sometimes.”
The dwarf waved a soot covered hand dismissively at Felix. “Aye. Aye. Pay Hammur up front. Attle be done inna few days. Now let me get back ta my work, ya?” The dwarf shoved a hand scrawled ticket in Felix’s hand and moved to get back to the sword he had been working on. Felix slipped his chainmail back on and thanked the dwarf with a smile before returning to the front of the store.
Felix was relieved to be out of the sweltering heat and he glanced about the shop. On the far wall there were displayed a few weapons, nothing special, but rare enough that having a barrel full would be wasteful. Bayonet. Handaxe. Felix’s gaze paused and he raised a hand to lift a weapon from the wall. His fingers ran over the mundane Warhammer slowly and his mind wandered to that dank basement. The shambling mindless horrors. While Vanessa, his glaive, was lovely, she could not help him when cornered. Felix raised the warhammer into the light admiring the work put into it. Someone else may have seen just another hammer, Felix saw a work of art.
“562 gold?” Felix frowned at the price as he looked at the ticket and warhammer on the counter. He had been told this was one of the best smithy’s in the slums but had not expected the price to be so high. He carefully counted out the gold for Hammur, the sleepy dwarf behind the counter. Five lonely gold pieces peered out from Felix’s money pouch as he pulled it close.
Several Days Later…
The bell above the door gave a sharp ring and the blond giant entered, ducking his head to clear the doorway. Hammur was slumped over the desk, lazily reading a book. Felix approached the counter, slipping his ticket onto the counter. He smiled at the dwarf, who had yet to look up from his book. “Hello again. Here to pick up my order.”
After a few moments, Hammur sighed and nodded towards the door leading to the forge. Felix’s smile faded for a second before he chuckled quietly before moving to the door at the back of the shop. He was once again met with a blast of heat, the pounding of iron absent this time. The bellows sat frozen in place and Stahl, the smith, sat at a messy desk scrawling into a notepad.
“Hello, I received a letter letting me know my armor is ready.” Felix called after a few moments of waiting for Stahl to notice him. The dwarf looked up, studying Felix for a moment. He stood and removed a shimmering oversized breastplate from a simple, wooden, abstract mannequin. A debossed songbird imprinted on the chest.
“Take off those bloody chains. I’ll pay you for ‘em, kin probably melt ‘em or somethin’.” Stahl barked as he grabbed his foot stool and wheeled it over to Felix. He hopped up the steps helping Felix into the armor and tightening the straps expertly. Felix rolled his arms, glad to have the extra weight off his arms. He barely even felt the weight of the armor. He nodded and smiled at the dwarven smith.
“It’s beautiful.. thank you.” Felix murmured as he checked the armor, while light it definitely was strong. Stahl cleared his throat, obviously a little uncomfortable. He stepped off the ladder and collected the chainmail from the floor, tucking it on to a workbench to be repaired and resold later.
“Aye, well… take care o’ that armor there.” Stahl muttered as he wrote down another ticket. He passed it to Felix. “Take that to Hammur out front an’ell pay ya for your chain.” Felix nodded to the dwarf, shaking his hand before heading back to the store to collect his coin.
Felix excused himself as he squeezed through the tight lanes between merchandise, slightly jostling a frail human boy admiring a rather mundane short sword. A sleepy dwarf sitting behind the counter watched Felix make his way to him. Felix gave the dwarf a nod and warm smile. "Well met. As you can imagine, I have had a problem finding armor that fits me and fits me well. I was curious if your shop does custom orders?"
The dwarf grunted and nodded towards a door just past the bar and his eyes drifted back to the rest of the shop. Felix paused but taking no offense nodded once more before heading to the door.
As it opened Felix was met with a blast of heat and the ringing of metal sang in his ears. A stout dwarf hammered tirelessly at a great sword, refining it's edge. Felix cleared his throat and cautiously spoke up. "I'm looking for some custom armor!"
The dwarf set down his hammer and quenched the fiery sword in a deep barrel of water and turned to the large man. He eyeballed Felix for a moment before motioning Felix to the side. “Take off that piss poor mail and we’ll get ye measured and into some proper plating. An’e requests for design?” The dwarf’s graveling voiced boomed above the sound of the bellows, which seemed to pump themselves steadily.
“If it’s not too much trouble, perhaps a songbird.” Felix spoke softly, after a moment of consideration. The dwarf rolled out a stepping ladder and brought it to Felix as he removed his armor. The dwarf wrapped strips of cloth around Felix, marking their size, to be measured later. “...and I would appreciate it if I could move a bit better, the chainmail gets in the way sometimes.”
The dwarf waved a soot covered hand dismissively at Felix. “Aye. Aye. Pay Hammur up front. Attle be done inna few days. Now let me get back ta my work, ya?” The dwarf shoved a hand scrawled ticket in Felix’s hand and moved to get back to the sword he had been working on. Felix slipped his chainmail back on and thanked the dwarf with a smile before returning to the front of the store.
Felix was relieved to be out of the sweltering heat and he glanced about the shop. On the far wall there were displayed a few weapons, nothing special, but rare enough that having a barrel full would be wasteful. Bayonet. Handaxe. Felix’s gaze paused and he raised a hand to lift a weapon from the wall. His fingers ran over the mundane Warhammer slowly and his mind wandered to that dank basement. The shambling mindless horrors. While Vanessa, his glaive, was lovely, she could not help him when cornered. Felix raised the warhammer into the light admiring the work put into it. Someone else may have seen just another hammer, Felix saw a work of art.
“562 gold?” Felix frowned at the price as he looked at the ticket and warhammer on the counter. He had been told this was one of the best smithy’s in the slums but had not expected the price to be so high. He carefully counted out the gold for Hammur, the sleepy dwarf behind the counter. Five lonely gold pieces peered out from Felix’s money pouch as he pulled it close.
Several Days Later…
The bell above the door gave a sharp ring and the blond giant entered, ducking his head to clear the doorway. Hammur was slumped over the desk, lazily reading a book. Felix approached the counter, slipping his ticket onto the counter. He smiled at the dwarf, who had yet to look up from his book. “Hello again. Here to pick up my order.”
After a few moments, Hammur sighed and nodded towards the door leading to the forge. Felix’s smile faded for a second before he chuckled quietly before moving to the door at the back of the shop. He was once again met with a blast of heat, the pounding of iron absent this time. The bellows sat frozen in place and Stahl, the smith, sat at a messy desk scrawling into a notepad.
“Hello, I received a letter letting me know my armor is ready.” Felix called after a few moments of waiting for Stahl to notice him. The dwarf looked up, studying Felix for a moment. He stood and removed a shimmering oversized breastplate from a simple, wooden, abstract mannequin. A debossed songbird imprinted on the chest.
“Take off those bloody chains. I’ll pay you for ‘em, kin probably melt ‘em or somethin’.” Stahl barked as he grabbed his foot stool and wheeled it over to Felix. He hopped up the steps helping Felix into the armor and tightening the straps expertly. Felix rolled his arms, glad to have the extra weight off his arms. He barely even felt the weight of the armor. He nodded and smiled at the dwarven smith.
“It’s beautiful.. thank you.” Felix murmured as he checked the armor, while light it definitely was strong. Stahl cleared his throat, obviously a little uncomfortable. He stepped off the ladder and collected the chainmail from the floor, tucking it on to a workbench to be repaired and resold later.
“Aye, well… take care o’ that armor there.” Stahl muttered as he wrote down another ticket. He passed it to Felix. “Take that to Hammur out front an’ell pay ya for your chain.” Felix nodded to the dwarf, shaking his hand before heading back to the store to collect his coin.