Dwalin studied the materials Silak presented, his gaze weighing the potential advantages and disadvantages of the deal. Silak, understanding the dwarf was considering his options, waited patiently, arms crossed, a subtle smile playing on his lips. He knew that the value of what he offered is reason enough for him to secure this deal.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for Dwalin to decide. A shrewd gleam entered his eyes. "It's a deal," he announced, his voice gruff but satisfied.
"Would you secure the document to seal our deal, Mister Dwalin?" Silak inquired, his smile widening.
"Certainly, but I'll need some time to prepare it," Dwalin replied, already rising. He nodded towards a heavy, oak door. "Let me get your Fire Spirit Herbs first."
"Of course." Silak also stood, picking up a quill and a fresh parchment from the table. "I'll wait here and make a list of the materials I brought today, just for our records." He returned to his scattered items, beginning to organize them.
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A few hours later, the sturdy wooden door of their home burst open, revealing Silak. His face shows a wide, triumphant smile, and clutched in his arms was a bag, so brimming with fiery red stalks that some spilled out. "Mother! I have the Fire Spirit Herbs!" he cried, his voice echoing with excitement.
Iskra, who had been tending to the crackling hearth, turned, her gaze first on her son, then on the overflowing bag. She walked over, picking up a bundle of the vibrant herbs. "Wait, we only need at least three stalks of Fire Spirit Herbs. This is far more than three," she observed, her brow furrowed in a mix of surprise and confusion.
She paused, inspecting the potency of the verdant leaves, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I think this is also fine," Iskra mused after a moment. "We can't guarantee the strength of Senior Gahumdagat's blood essence, after all. We might need a lot more if it's too strong for you to absorb." Her eyes, warm with maternal concern, met his. "So, how much do we owe the merchant you got this from?"
A triumphant giggle bubbled from Silak's chest. He straightened, a broad grin splitting his face, practically preening under her scrutiny. He knew Senior Gahumdagat deserved much of the credit, but right now, this was his moment. "No, Mother," he announced, puffed with pride, "I already paid for all of it!"
Iskra's eyes widened. She knew Silak had left earlier this morning without a single coin. Her tone firmed, laced with an edge of disbelief. "But how? Stop joking, Silak. You must go back and pay the merchant."
"Relax, Mother, I didn't steal those Fire Spirit Herbs from Mister Dwalin," he quickly clarified, remembering Dwalin's initial suspicion that he might have stolen raw materials he brought to him. He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, a wry smile on his face.
"Mister Dwalin? Is that the name of the merchant we owe these Fire Spirit Herbs from?" she pressed, her arms crossing. Her expression clearly stated she wasn't going to budge until she got the full story.
'Looks like Mother won't believe anything unless I spill everything,' Silak thought, a resigned sigh escaping him. If he couldn't trust his own mother in this world, who could he trust then? "It's like this…"
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Silak spent the next hour recounting the day's extraordinary events, starting from the moment he'd left their home that morning.
He explained how Senior Gahumdagat had summoned him to his cave. The old guardian, in his usual cryptic way, had simply offered him some "unnecessary" items lying around.
Thinking it was just a cleaning task, a way to make the cave more comfortable, he'd readily agreed. He hadn't realized their true value until he showed them to Mister Dwalin, the gruff but fair dwarf merchant from Khaz'Zorak, a descendant of a long line of blacksmiths.
Dwalin, recognizing the immense worth of the materials, had invited him to the inn where he was staying, for a more private space for their deal, keeping the items hidden from prying eyes. Apparently, the items were valuable enough to put both of them in danger from others' greed.
After realizing that a single piece of the material he brought was more than enough for all the Fire Spirit Herbs, he'd decided to strike a deal with Mister Dwalin. It was a deal not just for the herbs, but one that ensured the trade's secrecy while binding the dwarf to him in both trust and mutual benefit.
"Who would've thought so much could happen from a simple trip to the trading district, just to ask about Fire Spirit Herbs stock and price?" Iskra murmured, still processing her son's extraordinary day. Her voice trailed off as the familiar, booming laugh of her husband, Rajah Bayani, filled the air.
"Hahaha!" Rajah bellowed boisterously, pushing open the kitchen door. He carried a sack full of Moonshadow Root, Black Iron Ginseng and Volcanic Ash. His face showed his joy of a successful gathering. "Iskra! Come look!" he called, eager to show off his trophies.
He blinked in bewilderment upon seeing their expressions as he entered the kitchen, the exuberant joy slowly fading from his face. "Hey, did something happen while I was away? Are we still missing some supplementary ingredients?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern, wondering aloud at their subdued demeanor.
Iskra chuckled softly at her son's visibly tired face. "Well, looks like you'll have to start your story from the beginning with your father," she told Silak, a mischievous glint in her eyes, anticipating her husband's shocked reaction.
Silak sighed, a long, drawn-out sound of exhaustion. "Mother, next time we really must wait for Father for these conversations," he grumbled good-naturedly. It wasn't injustice, just simply bad timing for his storytelling.
"Why don't we continue as we eat dinner? Then tomorrow, we can finally begin preparing your bath potion," Iskra suggested, her voice warm and appeasing, sensing the boy's weariness.
And so, the small family of three gathered around their dinner table, enjoying each other's company. It was a scene filled with smiles, laughter, and an undeniable sense of joy—an experience Silak would burn into his heart and soul, forever.
Silak had never experienced such a joyful meal with a family in his past life. He'd grown up with foster parents who had only taken him in for the sake of government benefits he brought to their finances. He hadn't been abused, but he had certainly been far from loved, existing on the periphery of their lives. This new family, this warmth, is refreshing.
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Meanwhile, in a place vastly different from Silak's vibrant tribe and loving family, deep within the heart of an ancient forest, a baby girl was miraculously born.
She lay nestled at the center of a colossal, luminous flower, its petals unfurling to reveal her. While on her tiny wrist, a plain, unadorned bracelet glinted, starkly out of place in her mystical, natural environment.