The transition from the Blighted Woods to the Iron-Peaks was like stepping out of a furnace and into a tomb. The air was cold, thin, and tasted of ancient copper.
"The Sentinel can't follow us here," Jarin panted, his hand resting against a jagged granite wall. "The canyons are too narrow for its wingspan."
Elara didn't lower her bow. "Perhaps. But we are now in the domain of the Stone-Singers. My people and the Dwarves haven't spoken since the mana dried. Their hospitality was never their strongest trait even in the golden age."
Jarin closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against the cold stone. His Delver Sense vibrated violently. "The mountain is... weeping. I can feel the water pipes bursting deeper in the core. The corruption from the Breach is liquefying the support pillars."
"We need a forge," Elara insisted. "My arrows are useless against the Void-Goliaths, and your pickaxe is just a tool. We need Star-Iron."
They pushed deeper into a natural fissure that gave way to a perfectly carved hexagonal tunnel. The craftsmanship was unmistakable—Dwarven. However, there were no lanterns, no heat, and no sound of hammers. Only the rhythmic drip-drip of mineral-heavy water.
CLANG.
The sound was singular. Heavy. It didn't come from a machine, but from a manual strike.
"That's a hammer," Jarin whispered. "A big one."
They followed the sound to a massive iron door, half-melted by some ancient heat. Inside was a chamber that smelled of coal dust and old sweat. In the center stood a dwarf, his beard braided with iron rings, his soot-stained arms as thick as Jarin's thighs. He wasn't forging a sword; he was frantically hammering a massive, glowing rivet into a steam-pipe that looked ready to explode.
"Don't just stand there, you tall-walking fools!" the dwarf roared without looking back. "Grab the cooling bellows! If this pressure-seal blows, the whole sector becomes a crater!"
Jarin didn't hesitate. He recognized the machinery—a Thermal Stabilizer. He lunged for the bellows, pumping with all his strength, while Elara used her frost-breath arrows to cool the glowing rivet.
With one final, bone-shaking strike, the dwarf secured the seal. The hissing stopped. The chamber fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of the four individuals.
The dwarf wiped his brow with a greasy rag and turned his gaze on them. His eyes were like two pieces of flint. "An Elf and two humans. Either the world is ending, or I've inhaled too much sulfur."
"The world is ending, Master Dwarf," Jarin said, standing his ground. "The Sanctum's Breach has reached the lowlands. The Shadow Stalkers are hunting in packs."
The dwarf's eyes narrowed as they landed on Jarin's pickaxe. "A Delver? I haven't seen your kind in Uton for decades. Most of you turned into common miners or grave robbers."
"I am Jarin. This is Elara of the High Branch. We need Star-Iron, and we need to reach the Sanctum's core."
The dwarf let out a cynical, barking laugh. "Star-Iron? I am Borin, the last smith of the Seventh Tier. The Star-Iron is locked behind the Miser's Gate, and the gate requires the blood of a king, the breath of a sylph, and the strength of a mountain. Since we're short on kings and my mountain is currently dying, I'd say you're out of luck."
"I can feel the gate's mechanism," Jarin said, stepping forward. "It's not just a lock; it's a living circuit. The corruption has bypassed the safety seals. I can help you open it, but you have to forge the weapons we need to survive the trek."
Borin looked at the human, then at the mountain walls that were beginning to weep purple slime. He spat on the floor and picked up a massive, black-iron warhammer.
"If we're going to die, I'd rather die swinging a hammer than waiting for a pipe to burst," Borin grumbled. "Follow me. But keep your hands off the gold—the mountain doesn't like thieves, and neither do I."
Author's Note:
The trio is now a quartet! Borin brings the heavy muscle and technical knowledge of the Dwarven ruins. But the 'Miser's Gate' is more than just a door—it's the first true test of their unity. Can they provide the three elements needed to unlock the Star-Iron? Subscribe to find out!