Only God knows how many times Eric awoke from unconsciousness. Eric felt his body was in better straits.
Looking around, he was in the familiar Iron Dragon store with Magdy in the corner wielding his hammer. His technique smooth but the slight pauses as he swung conveyed that it was more difficult than it seemed.
Hammer swing in a figure eight, then a circle, and again up and down. Eric watched quietly.
'What kinda technique is that? I've read that blacksmiths have some of the richest history out of the occupations. This has to be some type of body tempering technique.'
Getting up Eric saw a bookcase and decided to scour a bit. Looking to see if Magdy paid him any mind, he smiled seeing the man busy with his exercise.
'Bet they won't mind if I critique their books a bit.' Reaching for the first book Eric flipped through the pages. Eyes gleaming, Eric mumbled and mumbled until he went through it in entirety.
Picking up the next book, and then the next. The door sized bookshelf was emptied, with books sprawled all over the floor. Comparing, analyzing, and referencing, Eric entered a world of his own.
Hours later, Rudolph tapped his cane on the ground rhythmically and Eric awoke from his thoughts. A type of crazed look as though he had found nirvana.
"Old man, lend me your library…. and your forge, and maybe a month's worth of food."
Eyebrows furrowed the old man sighed.
"You damned egg heads are the bain to my existence. GET THE HELL OUTTA MY BOOKS BOY!!!!!"
Facing the sound wave that caused the skin on his face to pull back, Eric gained his bearings.
"Ahhhem, yes well. I might tone it down and uh just borrow a few books." Rudolph's face turned red and forming a hand sign. He trapped Eric in an invisible box.
Now scrunched up in a small box, Eric roared. "Shitty old man. What else have you done besides study my young virgin body. You were probably trying to take my ass and you won't even give any payment."
"I'm not fucking little boys you ignorant little cunt!!! I've sealed that damn thing in your body and helped you deal with some of the more dangerous matters with your demonic bloodline. Do you know how expensive that shit is?!!!!!'"
The two went back and forth four about 20mins until Magdy finished his exercise. Dripped in sweat, he looked at the two and just shook his head.
Hearing a bell ring, Magdy went upfront. It was only when things went eerily quiet that Rudolph's head turned away from the now almost hand sized Eric, locked in a transparent box.
Disappearing like he had never been there in the first place, Rudolph's voice shook the very air.
"HOW DARE YOU FILTHY MAGHOTS TOUCH MY SON!!!!!!!!!"
Falling to the ground and now regular sized, Eric ran up front to see a frightening seen.
Magdy was chained to a circular piece of wood with runes alight. Three people stood in front of it. They wore strange clothing Eric had never seen.
Rudolph stood before them with space bending around him. The store shook as though groaning under Rudolph's pressure and Eric was no different.
The moment he entered the room, fear seemed to be one of the only emotions he could feel as the old man's face darkened further and further.
One of the individuals wore glasses with an odd hole coming from the top of his head. Two goat like horns branching from the side.
The hole was filled with a shadowy essence that moved about almost like a small spire on the man's head.
"Rudolph Smith the 24th. A pleasure to meet you, the Beruea of Demonology is pleased to meet your acquaintance."
Rudolph damn near looked feral as his son remained chained up in front of him. The second of the trio that was closest to Magdy pulled out a set of tools.
Though struggling under Rudolph's monstrous pressure, Eric saw that those were torture instruments. Fury burned in him, one part his and another part not his.
For a split second the third member of the group looked her eyes onto Eric. The girl wore heavy chest armor, while for the rest of her body light armor was adorned. Her eyes held vertical pupils while on her hand was the brand of a sword stabbing through a demon's head.
The girl's expression hardened with. Hand moving to her long sword but Magdy finally erupted.
"Release my boy now!!!" Space locked all three but the odd looking man used shadows to envelop himself. Breaking out of the locked space, he stood inches from Rudolph.
The two looked at one another face to face.
Rudolph's eyes started to shine brown. "Release him, NOW!!" The odd looking man scoffed before snapping his finger. The second member wearing a crab shell helmet clapped his hands and the chains came free dropping Magdy.
Magdy was sweaty and his eyes slightly unfocused. Rudolph gently pulled him over as before addressing the man before him.
"Jeremy Hithral, why the hell are you in my store?"
"Well we just thought we'd check out a tip given to us, we asked your son to comply but it seemed he wanted to be difficult."
Magda's eyes had just gained focus and a seething anger brewed in him. It was so intense that Eric could feel it without having to even look at the man.
Magda's eyes seemed to be infused with endless flames but a snap of Rudolph's fingers and they went out. Magdy grit his teeth but settled on giving the three antagonists a murderous glare.
"You know Mr.Smith, we are on the hunt for demons and will leave no stone unturned. We caught the faintest of demonic wisps from your store. We would like to——."
Rudolph's face was no longer fiery but cold. "Tell that prick Niot that he will have no more consumables from my store."
Jeremy's face became tense, lines of shadows danced on his face as his pinkish white complexion turned gray.
"You must know that—" Immediately Jeremy stopped talking, Rudolph had raised his head with the gleam in his eyes screaming death.
"Humph, you will reap the consequences dwarf." Turning, the man walked out with the man in a shell helmet following, he grabbed the wheel and put it on his back. The young woman, however stood still, staring into Eric's eyes.
"Lesha, we move." Snapping out of it, she moved to follow her leader with not a glance back.
Door slamming shut, Rudolph's feet touched the floor. The pressure causing the store to groan was gone. Magdy became silent with Rudolph following.
"Uh, what the heck was that about?"