The Flame’s Whereabouts – Part 05

The Dwarves were hard at work, repairing collapsed tents, filling in cracks in the ground, laying planks over wider fissures.

Though the powerful earthquake had caused brief panic, things had settled down. That might’ve been thanks to the Golden Boar clan, who were set up at this camp.

Mud had gotten into the well, so the water couldn’t be used for the time being. Word quickly spread through the Dwarven wives’ network to use the nearby stream instead since it was unaffected.

Just for today, even the male Dwarves stayed away from alcohol and broke a sweat helping with the recovery.

“Hmm.”

Lavia stood with her arms folded, both feet firmly planted. She was outside the relief tent. Injured Dwarves came in one after another, but they were healed just as quickly by healing magic. A Dwarven couple had just finished receiving treatment a moment ago.

“Thanks a bunch, human lass. I’ll bring ya some booze later.”

“Idiot. Do you really think someone from the Church would accept alcohol?”

“Then what am I supposed to give? Jerky, maybe?”

“You blockhead. Folks like her want you to recover and go help others.”

“Ahh, I get it now! Leave it to me.”

Paula laughed awkwardly. Sophie of the Four Eastern Stars was also inside the tent, treating people.

“Oh, hi, Lavia.” Paula waved from inside when she noticed Lavia standing outside the tent.

“Hmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Hmm-mmm.” Lavia shook her head.

“Did something happen with Lord Hikaru?!”

“Hmm-mmm.”

“Then… was it something at Gittan?”

“Hmm-mmm.”

The Gittan Trading Company was where she, Lavia, and the Four Eastern Stars had been staying. It was run by Gilma, Dodorono’s childhood friend.

“The Four Eastern Stars can handle heavy labor and even use magic to fill the cracks. You’re clearly doing your part. But I… have nothing to offer.”

Lavia’s specialty was fire elemental magic. But fire was dangerous in a place like this.

If a powerful enemy showed up, Lavia might have a role to play. But in disaster relief situations, she really couldn’t do anything.

“That’s not true,” Paula said. “Just having you here makes me feel so much stronger.”

“Mm. You’re a good girl.” Lavia was three years younger, yet she spoke like an older sister. “But it’s still true that I can’t do anything here. I’m just a useless mouth to feed.” Lavia slumped.

Paula panicked, wondering if there was something she could ask her to do. “C-Could you go pick up more white cloth from Gittan? We’ve got a lot of bleeding injuries and not enough clean fabric.”

Lavia’s eyes lit up. “I can do that!”

“Thank you.”

“Leave it to me.”

Holding her head high, Lavia marched off toward Gittan Trading. She had no idea Paula was watching her go with a beaming smile. She’s so adorable.

Lavia arrived at Gittan Trading to find the place in a frenzy.

Restoration efforts had begun, and Dwarves were coming to buy tools they lacked. On top of that, merchants from the neighboring Confederacy of Einbiest were preparing to withdraw, shaken by the quake. As they pulled out, they were desperate to sell off their cargo and, if possible, buy new stock before leaving. That meant business was being conducted at a frantic pace.

“Okay, here’s the money. Check it for me.”

“Sure thing! Just a moment.”

“Excuse me, clerk! Do you have any long poles?”

“If you’re looking for poles, they’re lined up out back. Please take a look there.”

“I’ve got a question here.”

“All right. Everyone, please wait your turn!”

Gilma was handling a flood of customers. She didn’t have enough help, so some members from her clan, the Bright Rooster, had come to assist.

“Oh, Lavia! You’re back. If you’re here at the store, does that mean you need something from me?”

“Ah, yes. The aid station said they were short on white cloth.”

“Oh. That’s urgent,” Gilma said. “I’ll step away for a bit.”

“Okay!” the female Dwarves helping her responded in unison.

“Are you sure? It looks so busy.”

“It’s fine. Besides, the aid station takes top priority. Much more important than making money.” Gilma gave a charming wink.

She was childhood friends with Dodorono, so she must’ve been an adult already, but like many female Dwarves, she had a youthful face that made her look far younger than her actual age. Maybe it was her personality, too.

“The cloth’s in the storeroom. Let’s go.”

They left the extremely busy store and headed into a separate room in the building that served as the storage area. It housed items that couldn’t be left outside, products that needed to stay clean. Pricier tableware, spices, medicines, and of course, white cloth.

“How’s the aid station doing?”

“Paula and Sophie are working hard, so it seems fine.”

“That’s a relief. To think we’ve got two Church members in this camp.”

“There aren’t any churches in Ironforge?”

“There are. But they’re small. And since the priests are Dwarves, they tend to be influenced by their clans. They probably wouldn’t come to a camp like this.”

“I see.”

“I shudder to think what it’d be like if Paula and Sophie weren’t here.” Gilma shivered dramatically as she pulled out a wooden box. “The cloth’s in here.”

“Thank you. I’ll carry it over, then.”

“Hmm. I should probably carry it.”

“What? No, that’s fine.”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to lift it.”

Gilma set the wooden box on the floor, and when Lavia tried to lift it, she only managed to get it two centimeters off the ground.

It was heavy. No, Lavia just wasn’t strong enough.

Gilma chuckled. “The right person for the right job,” she said, lifting it with ease.

“S-Sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for? You humans have gone out of your way to help us Dwarves in this time of crisis. We couldn’t be more grateful.”

“Oh, I’ll get the door.”

Lavia stepped ahead to open the door, and the two of them exited out the back of the store.

Traces of the earlier earthquake still remained all around. Fallen tents, cracked ground. Smoke was rising in one area, likely a small fire that hadn’t been handled properly.

Still, the damage was relatively minor. Injured people came to the aid station, but there were no deaths.

Off in the distance, a crowd had gathered, and when Lavia looked closer, she saw Serika using magic to repair a forge. For male Dwarves, the forge was their most precious thing. Cheers and applause erupted as Serika stood proudly with her arms crossed, her nose practically fifteen centimeters longer than usual.

“Maybe I should learn to use other elemental magic besides just fire,” Lavia murmured to herself. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like Gilma heard her.

“I’m worried about Hikaru,” Gilma said. “He went into Ironforge, didn’t he?”

“Ah, yes. To search for Dodorono and Dodonno.”

“Honestly, I wish he’d just leave Dodorono alone. He shows up again out of nowhere and then we have an earthquake? I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d brought misfortune with him.”

Lavia could only offer a strained laugh. Gilma didn’t know that Dodorono had brought the Progenitor’s Shield. In a sense, she wasn’t wrong about him bringing trouble.

“Aren’t you worried about Dodorono? Lavia asked. “Especially after that earthquake.”

“Worried? I think he’ll be fine. Lord Brigid protects the mountains, so he should be safe. Honestly, the camp is in more danger.”

“Really?”

“Of course! Lord Brigid is amazing.”

Gilma spoke fondly about Brigid. Ever since she was little, Gilma had been told stories of the deity. Though she had never seen or heard him, Brigid was a firmly rooted presence in her heart. That likely applied to most Dwarves, not just Gilma.

“Ah, I can see the aid station now. Wow, there’s no line at all.”

Only a few Dwarves stood outside, waiting for friends or family being treated inside. No one was seriously injured. It was clear that Paula and Sophie had done a great job.

“Thank you so much. If I got hurt now, I’d be totally useless.”

“Please rest for today. If there are no issues, you may return to work tomorrow. Take care.”

Sophie had just finished treating a patient and stepped outside.

“Ah, Sophie,” Lavia called. “We brought some more—” She paused mid-sentence, noticing something.

Is the mountain glowing?

Her first thought was the earlier earthquake. Back then too, the mountain had glowed just before the violent shaking began.

But this light was smaller. Faint, barely noticeable unless you looked closely. But there was something else.

“Huh?”

Gilma was glowing golden. No, that wasn’t it. A beam of light was shining down from the sky, illuminating her.

“Um, wh-what’s happening to me?”

“Do you feel weird or anything?” Lavia asked.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in her head. It wasn’t like someone shouting nearby. It felt like someone was speaking directly to her.

“The flame’s master has been chosen.”

It was a clear, unmistakable statement, each word perfectly enunciated. And the moment it faded, flames burst out from the wooden box Gilma held.

“Drop it, Gilma!”

“Ah!”

Gilma quickly let go of the box and stumbled back. Within seconds, the flames engulfed it, smoke rising from the blaze.

“A-Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I-I’m fine. No burns or anything.”

Something felt off. Lavia looked at Gilma’s sleeve. It was scorched black from the flames, but her skin underneath was completely unscathed.

“The flame’s master has been chosen.”

Lavia’s heartbeat quickened. That only meant one thing.

“Lavia, Gilma! This way!” Sophie came running and pointed toward the aid station.

She wanted them to go inside. But why?

“A few others saw the light. You need to hide.”

Sophie had realized it too. That the flame was something special. And that it had something to do with what had happened in the mountains.

“Ah, but my store.”

“Confirming the anomaly comes first.” Sophie reached them and gave Gilma a push toward the aid station. “Sorry, we have an emergency! A firestarter exploded and caught fire. She’s burned, and we need to treat her immediately.” She spoke loud enough for nearby Dwarves to hear.

Lavia had no idea what exactly had just happened to Gilma. But the voice she’d heard in her head had a mean-spirited ring to it.