The not-immortal Blacksmith

City of Dragon, Snows Provence, Kingdom of Garthia

36th of Anael, the first month of snow.

Afternoon.

Lunch had been served, and Lady Brianna had had a nice chat with the children puling the capstone boulder. She praised their ingenuity, and their attention to detail, gave out hugs when needed, and eventually departed. Grendel, Corporal Chance of the city watch, and lead researcher Kobitz of the Library of Wisdom gave a collective sigh of relief.

Kobitz turned to Grendel, “And you live with that woman?”

“Yup.”

“You have more intestinal fortitude than any man I’ve ever met.” Kobitz nodded to himself.

“Wait until you meet her husband. You think she’s bad…” Grendel paused and smiled. “Well, no, Bri is the scarier of the two. Max will ruin your life then make you explode. Bri will ruin your life, then make you live with it.”

All three twitched at the implications of the statement.

Corporal Chance cleared his throat, “So, Lead Researcher, shall we call off the whole bit about the charges?”

“I thought that would be obvious, but yes, I would like them to never have been made.” Kobitz said, mind returning to the present. “Young Mr. Repute, why were you and your cohort dragging that rock over here?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Grendel raised an eyebrow, “It was the wells capstone.”

The children, a few paces distant from the three, nodded vigorously, and the eldest spoke up, “Ya see mister, grandma said it used to have a big thick rope tied around it, with strips of cloth dangling from the rope. Then some adventurers took the rope.”

Kobitz froze for a few moments, eyes wide, then took a deep breath before running to the well. “Gentlemen! This is a class four hazard! I repeat a Class Four Hazard!”

The two men down in the well all but threw themselves out of it. Those gathered around the well took several steps back.

Kobitz started to pace, “Record Keeper Three!” a man stepped forward. “Take a statement from the children. Treat this seriously, and write down EVERYTHING.” The man nodded, and walked to Grendel and the children and started asking questions that Grendel had to translate.

“Keepers one and two, return to the library and get the appropriate items for this.” Kobitz waived at the well. “Workmen five and six, please set up a thirty-foot cordon, you know the procedure. The rest of you, help me get the capstone over to the well.”

The small crowd broke, everyone to their assigned duties. The children watched in wonder as the people in robes struggled and pulled on the ropes, eventually getting the boulder situated next to the well. Then they went back to telling their new friend everything they could remember about the well. For his part, Grendel felt sorry for the man.

Celestial Realm, The Great Library of Wisdom

Maxwell and Wisdom met a pair of record keepers [Met may not be the right term, perhaps “were run into by”] on their way to a supply closet. “What is going on?” Wisdom asked the two men.

“Master Kobitz has determined that the well is a class four hazard! …Mistress.” The slightly older of the two men said. “We were sent to gather the appropriate supplies.”

Wisdom arched an eyebrow, “Well then, be about it. And get the good stuff, I don’t want to lose the whole team like last time.”

“Last time?” Max asked.

“A cave of darkness just east of the demon lands.” Wisdom waived her hand dismissively, “The researchers didn’t set protections as they were supposed to and died a very painful death.”

“This has happened before?”

“Not like this, no. But we do find a spot or two of trouble every century or so, that the old ones left behind.” Wisdom smiled, “That’s what Tranquility’s heroes are for.”

A soft feminine voice came from behind Max, “Did someone just take my name in vain?”

Maxwell spun in place, revolver at the ready, and stood face to face with Tranquility.

Tranquility paled, then disappeared.

“I think you have actually scared her!” Wisdom beamed. “Well done! Now I believe you need to be heading back to the translation room?”

Max holstered his revolver, and took a few deep breathes. “Yes. I think I do.”

City of Dragon, former slums, the Well

Grendel and the children sat in a semi-circle around the record keeper, and spoke in turn all that they had heard about the well from their parents or grandparents. Grendel kept the children mostly on track, and between stories asked his own questions of the keeper.

“What kind of benefits do you get? Working for Wisdom, I mean?” Grendel asked.

“Let me see, free medical services, that includes dental health. Room and board. A competitive salary. And most importantly, all the books I could ever want to read!”

“What about vacation time and family?” one of the children asked.

“Thanks to Brother [Redacted], family is…not encouraged.” The keeper said with a sigh. “Vacation accrues monthly, and is never allowed to be banked for more than five years. Except for that one guy…but let’s not talk about him and his fishing addiction. Or that stupid bear of his.”

-

In a certain dell, in a certain woods, a certain bear had a sneezing fit, then went back to making tea for a small child who had actually gotten lost in the woods.