Menelaus carried Kallen down the dirt road within the strange building. The air was thick with dust and sand, making the place feel stuffy and abandoned.
Kallen sneezed a few times in response.
The interior was relatively empty, with only one visible door at the back. When Menelaus pushed it open, it revealed a hot showroom lined with neatly arranged traditional weapons, each one polished to a gleam.
Kallen's cold eyes mapped the entire space in seconds.
'A smith shop?' he thought.
A counter stood against the wall, manned by a younger teenage orc who greeted Menelaus with a respectful nod—only to glance at Kallen with mild disgust.
Opposite the counter, an open doorway led outside the showroom to a busy street, its architecture reflecting the modernity of Ares.
People seemed to be living their mundane lives, outside, completely ignoring the forge.
