Walking through the tunnels that made up a connecting way between the main part of Skid Row to an area further off, Ranma walked side-by-side with the Dragon Devistus... or rather underneath, as the case was. He just hoped the dragon didn’t take a misstep while he was leading them through the crowded tunnel. “So how much longer until we reach this Smithy guy?”
“Not much longer,” Devistus said, his rumbling voice echoing softly. “Hed had built his armory off the beaten path as to keep the rabble and riff-raff away from his place of business. He so despises having to deal with undesirables.”
Ranma raised an eyebrow to that. “Ain’t that what makes up most a Skid Row? Why open his shop here if he feels that way?”
“Autonomy,” the large fire-breather replied. “He doesn’t like to be bothered and Skid Row is as dead as can be without being a graveyard. He’s a word-of-mouth craftsman whom basically is old, cranky, and does most of his work on order. His workmanship is in Skid Row because it’s private, no one bothers you, and its low rent. It’s part of why prices are so cheap here. In the larger cities like that of Dis, Gehenna, Pandemonium, or Tartarus, he would be kept busy and pay high taxes for doing his work.” Devistus explained. “Though don’t expect such for where we’re going. Of all the Trolls I’ve met in my long life, Hed is probably the most gold-hoarding of all... much like a dragon, you could say.”
“I see...” Ranma said softly as he continued to walk along the narrow tunnel. Good thing his imps were creating a lot of gold for him back at his dungeon. He looked back to make sure the girls were keeping up. They had chosen to stay behind Ranma and the large dragon, not that he could blame them for that; bad enough one person risked getting trampled.
Devistus smirked a little at the inexperienced Dungeon Keeper’s tone of voice. “Do not worry. You may be paying prices you could expect to in one of the greater cities of the Underworld, but you can also expect the very same quality. Hed is a master metal-smith, who has specialized in obsidian and numerous enchantments to further enhance the quality of the piece.”
“I see...” Ranma said slowly once again. The only reason he didn’t feel like this was a waste of time was because Devistus seemed so insistent on this being a good idea. He just hoped he could get along with a guy that sounded more like a greedy old hermit. But still... “Hey? Devistus? What is Gehenna? Or Pandemonium?” The Neophyte of a Dungeon Keeper asked curiously.
Rolling his eyes, all the Dragon responded with was, “Ask the Mentor. I’m sure he will take the time to explain it all to you... and at great lengths. He does enjoy hearing the sound of his own voice.”
Considering that explanation, Ranma nodded his head. The Mentor did seem to talk a lot about this and that, but at least it was mostly interesting stuff and things he needed to know... mostly.
Things were quiet as the small troupe continued to make their way towards the smithy’s place. After another four or five minutes of walking through the crowded tunnel, it ended as it opened up into a much larger cavern. Ranma blinked his eyes as he noticed that the tunnel connected onto a wide stone bridge made from thick stones. “What the...”
Leaning over the side, Ranma’s eyes widened as he saw flowing magma below them. “What the heck?”
“Hed is a smithy,” Devistus said, letting his wings spread out as he stretched them. He had kept them close to his body while going through that cavern. “He chose this spot because he could tap the naturally occurring volcanic heat for forging. Says it’s cheaper than using charcoal.”
Nodding his head, Ranma stomped his right foot down on the bridge a few times just to make sure it was sturdy. Nodding his head as he was satisfied with its integrity, Ranma started to walk along the large stone bridge, ignoring the heat he could feel rising; a stark contrast from the dampness of the tunnel they’d just passed through. As he lead the way, he looked behind him. He noticed that the girls had now gone first, and were sticking close towards the center of the bridge. Now making up the rear, Devistus seemed very comfortable with where they were.
As he made his way to the end of the bridge, Ranma saw it. There was a large segment of cliff that stuck out from the wall, with a large, obviously thick steel door right in the rock. The thing looked sturdy enough to take a cannon-ball. There was also a sign off to the right of the door that read, ‘Go Away!’
Of course, if no one listened to that advice, Ranma could see numerous triangles all over the ground. He could remember the knowledge of the design from the purchase he made from Devistus. ‘Sentry Traps’.
Turning back, Ranma called out to Devistus, “The Smith’s?” Seeing the dragon nod his head, the pigtailed Dungeon Keeper took a quicker step. Stepping off of the bridge and onto the flat stone surface, Ranma made his way to the structure that housed the Smithy. Placing his hand on the door, Ranma could feel from the weight as he pushed forward that it was very thick, (not to mention rather rusty). “Hello?” Ranma called out as he opened the door.
From within, Ranma could hear a shout of, “Whadd’ya Want!?”
Ranma blinked his eyes, surprised by such a greeting. It didn’t sound nice.
Reaching the end of the bridge, Devistus moved past the trio of slaves and then craned his neck over so this head was near Ranma by the doorway. “Hed! It’s me! I have a customer for you!”
Silenced reigned for a few moments. “Devistus?” Came the male voice from inside.
“The same!” The dragon shouted out. “I see you’ve still yet to make a doorway large enough for a dragon!”
“I don’t like company, Devistus. And you know that, bubala!” The gruff male voice responded from inside.
Smirking slightly at the response, Devistus shouted out, “Well, you like gold, don’t you? Well, I have a good customer here for you!”
There was another moment of quiet before the sounds of movement from inside the structure could be heard. Ranma had to step back and give room to the large figure wearing a loincloth that stepped out. Standing at least two feet taller than him, the green-skinned figure was a sight to behold. Although pot-bellied, he had wiry-muscled arms and defined pectorals that spoke of upper-body strength. His green skin was pocked with a few splotches of opaque yellow. Although he was bald, his chin was covered in a long white beard, tied into three tassels; the bushy mustached part of the beard was made all the more prominent by the large nose that just seemed to hang out.
Looking up at the large Troll that was staring down at him, Ranma asked, “Are you Hed?”
Staring down at the young human, the large green skin troll sniffled lightly. He then turned his head to the side. “Ah... ah… CHOO!”
Wincing as he watched the large gunk of green that shot from the Troll’s oversized nose and whizzed past the border of the cliff’s edge, going over. Before he could consider what had just happened, Ranma then had to turn away quickly as a small geyser shot up.
“Man...” Ranma said slowly, surprised by what had just happened. He looked up at the large green entity in shock. “Having a cold must be a mess with a nose that big.”
“Meh, what can I say?” The Troll asked. “Air’s free.”
Blinking his eyes at that comment, Ranma wasn’t really sure what to say.
Still, despite the boy’s own hesitance, the Troll was more than ready to get things underway. “Oi, there! Devistus! Is this ragamuffin the one who’s gonna pay up for me work?”
“Yes, Hed,” the large dragon said as he nodded his head. “This is Ranma. Although he’s just starting out, this is a Dungeon Keeper who has considerable promise.”
“Ah...” Hed said as he nodded his head. “So he’s a rich man, huh?” At seeing the older dragon nod his head, the Troll responded, “That’s all I needed to know. C’mon in lad, and we’ll see about getting’ ya squirreled away with what ya need.”
Nodding his head, Ranma said, “All right. So we’ll all just go inside and-”
“Nah!” Hed interrupted Ranma. “I do my work on order. Although thar’s a few things I’ve kept in stock, all my work is between me and the customer. Yare the customer. They ain’t, bubala.”
Blinking his eyes, Ranma looked back to the women and the large dragon whom made up his entourage. “But what about them?”
“They can just wait out here, especially Devistus. Guy always did make me feel a little meshugah...” Hed told Ranma seriously as he used one rough hand to pat the boy on the head. “Now, c’mon in. I ain’t got all day here.”
“But...” Ranma said as he looked back at the trip of women he’d purchased earlier that day. After what happened with the would-be assassins, he really didn’t feel like leaving them alone.
Seeing the look on the young man’s face, Devistus shook his head. The boy had a lot of care. While it was acceptable to have heart, too much just wouldn’t do. “Relax, Keeper. I will stay here with your slaves while you peruse Hed’s workshop. He will get you what you need, and what he doesn’t, he shall make.” He reared his head further and looked the Troll right in the eyes. “Right?”
“Pfft! You know me, Devistus,” the Troll said as he locked gazes with the older Dragon, completely unshaken. “I take pride in my work, and I think the boy here will like what I got in stock. Now ya be a good minion and just watch over the boy’s propertay. We got us work to do...”
(------)
Inside the darkened room that made up the customer’s area of his workshop, the Troll smirked with a bit of pride. “I gotta say there, Keeper...” he took a deep breath, puffing his chest. “Ya look good in that get-up of Obsidian Plate I been keeping. Than again my style of smithing just melds to anyone, giving you that natural look of complex terror.”
Looking down at himself, Ranma had to nod his head. This was a very surprising suit of armor. While he knew that this outfit was obsidian, the whole get-up was overall different red, with some areas that were just so dark one would have thought they were black. The plate armor was definitely made with his defense in mind. Although he had forgone a helmet, the gorget raised up like a collar to protect his neck pauldrons. His arms were protected by two shoulder-guards that while the same shape and curve, had interesting ornamentation: the right arm with two curved spikes and the left with a series of segmented plates. Of nearly the same color as the base shoulder-pads, the rest of his arms were covered in the full assortment vambraces, and each hand adorned with gauntlets, which had hardened black leather added for the fingers so he would not find the metal cumbersome around his hands.
The chest-plate was made with a reinforced a cuirass giving the darkened red a near-black look around the edge. A thick leather belt went over the piece, not only for decoration, but as a usable tool. There were slits and thick rings of leather set into it as to hold daggers. There was a fold added making the chest-place into a series of three pieces around his abdomen so he would be able to bend forward more, yet still protect his abdomen
The bottom portion was equally protected with a fauld and tassets combination to not only protect his thigh but literally ‘cover his ass’, as well. The legs were covered with culet and a cuisses to reinforce the almost black poleyns that cover his legs, which acted like dense and protective pants. And although they didn’t actively keep the poleyns up, there was a thick belt that went around the waist with an ornate buckle.
And finally, on the young Dungeon Keepers feet were dark metal greaves with an even further darkened pair of double-plated sabatons sealed together with a dark red manifold connected the steel-toed foorwear to protect his shins.
Ranma had to nod his head. “This is... very good.”
“Very good?” The Troll snorted. “That all ya gonna say? My obsidian plate-mail does your darkness more justice than those fancy shmancy spellwarror robes ever could! Anybody starin’ yar way will piss ‘isself in complete and utter terror!”
Looking down at himself and back in the mirror, Ranma had to admit that the Troll had a point. While he was sure the robes would allow him more movement to use his art of Anything Goes, this outfit looked far more durable and intimidating.
“Do you think it needs anything?” Ranma asked the Troll.
The large green-skinned being smirked a little. To Hed, sking him to add anything was another way of saying, ‘please take the gold from my pockets’. “Of course, lad. Although ya were adamant about not wanting to wear a helmet, one’s appearance on the battle-field is further defined by the weapons we carry... and I know you’ll be needing a weapon.”
“Yeah, I will...” Ranma said. “What do you have in stock?”
“Sadly, not much...” the Troll admitted. “I don’t like to have stuff just hanging around my place. Clutters up the area and just hangs around gathering ash. It’s why I only make weapons as they’re ordered.”
The pigtailed man nodded his head. “So I’d have to wait awhile to get something?”
“Not necessarily...” the Troll said as he went behind the main counter. “Fortunately for you, I got two pieces on hand that I think will suit you just well...” he bent over, the sounds of metal on metal coming from underneath the large desk as the large green being looked around. “They’re leftovers from a couple of customers who, unfortunately, expired before payment.”
Ranma then watched as the troll first pulled out a nearly pure-black blade, the only coloration being the red of the steel grip, and the runic script imprinted along the blade. It was in that semi-katana style like the blade the human assassin was using.
"Oi, now this obsidian beauty is made in that funky foreign style that’s so popular among the young and fashionable these days. Blade’s forged of my secret obsidian alloy. Notice the faintly glowing red runic engraving. Won’t find that on some half-assed knockoff, believe you me!” He said with pride as he gave the blade a little twirl, causing it to flair up with fire. “She’s perfectly balanced, light as a feather, and sharp enough to shave with, though I don’t recommend it cause the nicks would be killer. This baby’s also enchanted with elemental fire, and will never to dull, a popular one with these babies as with an edge this fine, even Obsidian can dull with regular use.”
The Troll carefully held his hands underneath the blade with flat open palms. He held it out to Ranma. “Try it out, boy. I think you’ll be impressed.”
Reaching out and taking a hold of the hilt, Ranma slowly lifted it up as to not cut the Troll. He then took a step back towards the center of the room. He waved the sharpened blade about, getting a feel for it. Hed was right. It was light-weight, yet as he moved it, he could almost hear a ‘shing’ sound as it literally cut through the air. Followed by a soft ‘whoosh’ as flames danced along the surface, leaving cinders floating on the air where the blade passed through. “Now this is nice... but what kind of style of sword is this?”
Shrugging his shoulder, the Troll explained, “The sword hasn’t really been given a proper definition yet, but most refer to it as a ‘swift blade’.”
Ranma nodded his head to that as he took one more swing with the sword. “I think I’ll use this for now.”
Hed grinned. Ah, he so loved it when he was able to do business. “And now we have the second weapon I’d like to offer ya.” He reached behind one of his workbenches and withdrew a long, full-sized quarter staff, holding it out for review. It was a solid but intricately carved piece of dark wood that seemed to be shod in the same black metal from which the sword was crafted. The caps on the ends and bands that went down the length were all incrusted with gems and the runic carving similar to the script on the sword. The most surprising part though, was that the weapon just seemed to crackle with power, as if someone had electricity running through it and it occasionally discharged. “An obsidian shod ebony wood staff. If this beauty was any shorter, kings would use it as a scepter. I usually don’t do staves, but I took this one as a personal challenge. Trust me, compared to this, all other staves are just poor quality whacking sticks!”
Ranma just stared at the staff with wide-eyes. “Oh... wow...” he was just in awe at the piece. This was definitely more his style. Placing the staff down on the counter, Ranma took the obsidian staff and twirled it about, getting a feel for it. His eyes watched as sparks and little crackles of electricity came from the staff each time he swung it. “Enchanted?”
“That it is,” Hed said. “He wanted it to have the power of lightning and he also wanted to make sure someone felt it when he struck. With that enchantment, this thing hits like a pole-hammer.”
Ranma smirked a bit at that. “I’ll take them both.” As he placed the staff back on the counter, Ranma asked, “I think I’ll be getting more weapons through you, if that’s okay.”
“I’ll never turn down a paying customer!” The Troll said seriously. “Like I told you though, that’ll be a wait.”
“Cool...” Ranma responded. “So what can you make for weapons?”
“Anything, really. If it’s something I can’t outright do on my own, I’ll have to bring in outside help for the project, and you’ll be charged accordingly.” Hed explained. “The materials I prefer are ebony wood and obsidian. And while there are many weapon enchantments, I only have a few of those on hand, but all are popular ones. I can enchant them with the elemental properties of fire and lightning. If you’d like I could make it so a blade will never dull or allow them to all but ignore most form of mundane armor... blunt weapons will be able to hit with such a force, ya’d thing two or three people had swung it at once. I even know a technique that allows me to incorporate blessed silver into the weapon to allow it to harm were-creatures and all but the most stubborn undead gits.”
Ranma nodded. “This could be useful...”
“Of course it will. I am the best smith money can buy!” Hed leaned over, grinning like a maniac as he showed off his darkened yellow teeth. “Now, about my fee, Keeper... I couldn’t let go any piece of obsidian weaponry for less than two thousand gold... while a decent enchantment can run anywhere from several hundred to several thousand, depending on quality and strength... and on top of that you have the set of plate armor which is another ten to twenty grand, not to mention labor fees which add up to a fair ten-percent of total cost once everything’s been added and tabulated...” the Troll was already getting his abacus out.
Ranma chuckled nervously. Although he hadn’t really figured out just how gold figured into true worth in this dimension, he was getting the feeling that this was going to be an insanely expensive venture.
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(Posted Thu, 18 Jan 2007 04:57)
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