The Dwarf City of Titaniumforge(part 2)

"Marrie, wake up!" Shadow exclaimed, already prepared for the day ahead.

"Yawm~ Just 5 more minutes~" Marrie mumbled sleepily. "Get up and shower or we'll leave without you," Shadow urged. Marrie hurriedly rose and made her way to the bathroom. "Typical... I bet she only just remembered about our first job adventure," Mistral remarked, already seated and enjoying her breakfast. "That's just Marrie for you..." Luciana chimed in as Shadow joined them at the table. He promptly ordered breakfast and began to eat, unaware of Gulark's arrival with a large sack.

"So, here you all are. I heard it was you lot who took on that job," Gulark announced. "It was Shadow who took it, Uncle, besides, the pay was decent," Marrie explained. "Hahahahahahaha, I've also prepared an additional reward—a trip to Titaniumforge, the city of the Silver Axe Dwarves," Gulark laughed. "I've already informed them, so they're ready," Shadow added. "Titaniumforge? Isn't that quite a secretive city?" Lisa, who had just arrived from work, questioned. "Lisa... do you want to join my group?" Shadow asked. "Not at the moment. The Knight of the Black Dragon is busy searching for rumors about Prince Blackheart, who supposedly survived three years ago," Lisa replied. "Ah... I see. Good luck with the search then," Shadow responded casually. "I still believe Prince Blackheart was completely killed in the final battle of the War of Agrestian. The evidence is quite clear," Lisa asserted. "Whether the rumor is true or not, that's a matter for later. Shadow, here's your commissioned armor," Gulark interrupted, handing over the sack.

"Is it ready? Let me try it on," Shadow said, heading to his room. He returned to the dining area donning the newly crafted armor, stunning Marrie and the others. "Uncle, this armor is incredibly light, even lighter than my previous one," Shadow exclaimed. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~ Of course, who else but Master Smith Gulark," Gulark laughed. "Is everything prepared? If so, let's depart," Marrie said as Shadow changed into his armor. "We're leaving now. Uncle, how long will it take to reach Northwind Mountain?" Shadow inquired. "At most, it'll take two days. I've prepared some hunting gear and bait for the Wargs," Gulark replied. "Alright then, let's depart," Shadow declared.

Shadow and his group headed to the stables, where they rented several horses. They mounted up and rode northward, with Gulark leading the way as he knew the path and what to expect. Shadow, Marrie, Mistral, and Luciana followed behind at the same pace as Gulark. They rode until midday and took a brief rest in a small village named Blue Ridge, where they purchased lunch and additional supplies. Blue Ridge was a peaceful village, as it housed a battalion of soldiers from the Belarus Royal Force. After their break, Shadow and his group continued their journey.

Their path led them into the northern mountains of the Northwind Range, a terrain covered with Spruce and Pine trees. Gulark guided Shadow and the others into the forest, eventually coming to a halt in its midst. "Tomorrow morning, we'll begin hunting and tracking. Tonight, we rest here," Gulark announced. "So, what bait should we use?" Shadow inquired. "Take a look around you. Northwind is known for its White Snow Hares. The Warg pack we're after particularly enjoys preying on them, and one of them..." Gulark tossed a knife behind Shadow. Shadow instinctively tilted his head, avoiding the knife as it embedded into a hare. "We've got one. Need more?" Shadow asked. "That's our dinner. We'll..." Gulark suddenly fell silent as Shadow swiftly threw another knife past him, striking another hare behind him. "We're even," Shadow declared, and Gulark laughed.

"Prince Blackheart indeed possesses abilities beyond his father's, always has been," Gulark chuckled.

"Does Uncle Gulark know who Shadow really is?" Marrie asked. "Hahaha... of course, I used to work for Shadow's father. You can ask Shadow yourself," Gulark replied. "I never mentioned that I've known Uncle Gulark for so long," Shadow admitted. "Typical..." Mistral muttered. "Luciana, Michael, and Cassandra are still active in the Royal Tomb of Heart as the main guardians," Luciana mentioned. "Luciana, you also know Uncle Gulark?" Mistral inquired. "I've known Shadow for a long time, so of course, I know Uncle Gulark too," Luciana replied. "Alright, enough chatter. Shadow, you know which Warg we're hunting, right?" Gulark asked. "Shiro... my old companion?" Shadow confirmed. "Shadow and Shiro, they have three offspring," Gulark added. "I suspected they were still growing... I've been searching for them since then," Shadow remarked. "And they're here, waiting for their master to return," Gulark said as he threw another knife, hitting a hare behind Mistral. Shadow used his fire magic to light a campfire and prepared his sleeping bag, settling in for rest. Mistral and Luciana followed suit, while Gulark prepared the bait. Shadow slept soundly, with Marrie gently stroking his head, a sight that made Gulark chuckle softly. "He's suffered greatly these past three years, yet he never complains," Gulark commented. "Yes, Uncle, even all the members of the Adventure Guild say he's incredibly charismatic. I didn't even know he was Prince Blackheart," Marrie replied. "He knew he was being hunted, so he abandoned the Heart name and became an adventurer. Rest now, Marrie, tomorrow will be a tough day," Gulark advised. Marrie nodded and drifted off to sleep.

The morning came, and Shadow and his companions packed up and prepared breakfast. This time, they were treated to Gulark's homemade stew. Shadow savored the hearty meal while Marrie quickly packed her spellbooks, and Mistral readied her arrows.

"We'll venture deeper into the forest today. Last night, I heard some loud howling coming from the depths of the woods," Gulark informed them.

"In that case, Uncle, you lead the way," Shadow replied. Gulark led Shadow and the group further into the forest, where they came across tracks of wolves larger than the usual size. Gulark examined the tracks while Marrie made notes.

"These tracks are significantly larger than those of ordinary wolves," Marrie observed.

"You've never seen Wargs before, have you? It's understandable since wild Wargs are quite rare, especially those owned by the kingdom," Gulark explained.

"Their fangs would make excellent weapons," Shadow noted, while Marrie continued her observations.

"It seems White Fang is leading his pack well," Shadow remarked.

"Fang, small? He should be quite large by now. The tracks lead deeper into the forest. Let's continue tracking," Gulark suggested.

Shadow and his companions moved deeper into the forest until they reached a clearing. Gulark promptly set up the bait.

"We'll wait in the bushes. Our prey will come to us," Gulark instructed. They all hid in the bushes, waiting patiently. Soon, a pack of Wargs appeared, with a white leader leading the way. They began to devour the bait, and the white leader was the first to feast.

"There's our target. I've prepared the bait..." Gulark began, but Shadow emerged from hiding.

"White, you've grown," Shadow greeted.

"Who are you? Only Prince Blackheart knows that name," the white Warg replied. Shadow then revealed his necklace, calming Shiro.

"Prince, I suspected you were still alive," Shiro acknowledged. Gulark stepped out from hiding.

"White... it's been a long time," Gulark greeted.

"Master Gulark, indeed it has," White Fang replied.

"You can come out now, it's safe," Gulark announced. Marrie and Mistral emerged, while Luciana embraced White Fang.

"Lady Luciana, it's been too long," White Fang greeted.

"Yeah, Whity..." Luciana replied, hugging White Fang.

"Alright... Shadow, Luciana, saddle up the Wargs," Gulark instructed. White Fang commanded the other Wargs to calm down and obey their master. Shadow and Luciana proceeded to saddle up White Fang and the others. Marrie took notes on the Wargs without harming them, while Gulark gave instructions to White Fang. Once the saddles were in place, Shadow mounted White Fang, followed by his companions and Gulark. They exited the forest and headed towards Deep Silver Hill. The journey was swift, as White Fang was familiar with the route.

"Deep Silver Hill? Isn't Titaniumforge located in Black Steel Mountain?" Marrie asked.

"I assigned White Fang to guard the Northwind Forest because it's close to Deep Silver Hill, and also as the guardian of the back entrance to Titaniumforge," Gulark explained.

"So, the reason is to... guard that entrance?" Mistral clarified.

"Exactly, the back entrance to Titaniumforge leads directly to the Core City, The Golden Hangar," Gulark confirmed.

As Shadow and his group approached a cave, Gulark led them inside. Once inside, Shadow saw countless Dwarf Runes inscribed on the cave walls. Gulark chanted a spell in the ancient Dwarf language, and a door opened. They rode their Wargs through the door, with Gulark leading the way. The only source of light was torches fueled by special oil. After a while, they arrived at a large city bustling with Dwarf citizens carrying ingots or pushing carts filled with raw materials to be forged into weapons or armor.

"Welcome to Titaniumforge, the main stronghold of the Silver Axe Dwarves," Gulark announced.