As one might imagine Lys was more than eager to try out the power of the stone and badgered me ruthlessly until I caved. Not that it took her to long since I was already gonna do it anyway, I just liked to frustrate the little half-pint. Besides, I hear you appreciate things more if you have to work for them, so really, I'm doing her a favor. She should be grateful. Lys, unfortunately, didn't agree with my entirely reasonable reasoning for me giving her a hard time. Instead, she insinuated that my parents might have been flubberworms since I was apparently as smart as one.
Demonstratively untrue. I couldn't be stupid considering the many and elaborate ways I'd found to be annoying. Stupid people aren't creative, I'd argued vehemently.
Lys by that point was not listening anymore and had simply grabbed a fistful of my robes and bodily dragged me towards my bedroom. I don't think I could have resisted, not without tearing my robes off. A good reminder about the strength of the dwarves, Lys was likely three times as strong as me despite being only half as tall. She pretty much tossed me into my bedroom and then advanced on the wall where the door to the Room was hidden. She didn't even blink when I made some off-color jokes about that and just activated the door and dragged me inside.
I think she was becoming jaded.
Eeeeeexcellent.
The room had been transformed into Lys preferred Forge construct and the heat of the place slammed into me like a hammer and I felt sweat immediately bead on my forehead. I quickly cast a wandless cooling charm on myself and sighed in relief. I'd never been very good at handling the heat. Anything above 25 degrees Celsius and I was looking for the nearest AC. The downside of growing up in a Nordic country I guess.
Let it not be said that Lys lacked vision because her forge was vast in scope. I was frankly surprised that the room was even capable of manifesting something like it. It had been a real eye-opener. The room was likely a good ten meters in diameter and roughly circular and shaped like the inside of a large tower, meaning it was several stories high or deep in this case. Around the wall of the room giant dwarven faces were carved into the stone and from their open mouths, streams of lava were issuing forth to fall towards the bottom of the room. A great pillar thrust up from this molten lake, which supported a roughly hexagonal platform where the Forge itself rested.
At the center of the platform, on a raised dais rested a great anvil, and just to show that Lys had a flare for the dramatic, both the anvil and the dais it rested on had large balefully orange glowing Nordic runes etched into its surface. Two giant dwarven statues clutching giant warhammers stood in silent vigil on each side of the platform, and at the furthest end was the Forge itself, hewn directly into the furthest wall, a massive arch like a gaping maw filled with fire. Flanking the forge was two large iron door that led to a pair of rooms that I'd never been into, or seen Lys enter for that matter. All along the edge of the platform, there were worktables, barrels, boxes and large chests containing materials ready for use. A great gently sloping staircase connected the entrance to the platform.
It was an impressive if stark setup. Quintessentially dwarven. I was curious if it was based on something, but the look on Lys face the first time she had entered the forge had made me hesitate. It had been a look of sadness mixed with steely determination. Like she was making a solemn promise to herself.
I might be an irreverent little bastard. But even I had some boundaries. That had felt like one of them, so I'd kept my curiosity to myself. Even now I could see an echo of that first look in her eyes so I merely followed Lys up the stairs quietly, as I had every time she had invited me to her forge.
I reached up and touched The Eye of Hades, as I'd come to call it in my mind, where it rested under my robes. "So… who first, Shortstack?"
Lys lowered her head and thought for a moment before deciding. "Alfrigg, son of Dúrnir."
I blinked and had to suppress a startled laugh. I knew that name. I'd actually summoned him earlier in the summer. Alfrigg was the last King under the Mountain, lord, and master of Nidavellir. He also held the title of Master of the Forge, a title that had to be earned, even for one of royal blood. He had been heralded as the greatest smith of his generation. I suppose it was unsurprising that he would be Lys' first pick, not only was he her ancestor, but he was unquestionably a master of his craft. This was, of course, the reason I summoned him myself, well, that and it was one of the few names I'd been able to find.
Apparently, Wizards ain't too big on dwarfish history… who would have guessed?
"Alfrigg, son of Dúrnir." I intoned formally as I activated the Eye.
A stout looking dwarf with reddish-blond hair and beard appeared in front of me. He was appareled in resplendent armor in gold and blue, etched with runes and scrollwork. He had a great golden belt clasped around his waist with a depiction of Jörmungandr, the World Serpent on its belt buckle and a large representation of Thor's hammer hanging beneath it. He was holding a massive and finely crafted double-bladed waraxe that was almost as big as he was. And on his head rested the golden Crown of Reginn like a castle in miniature ringing from his brow. I admit, he was a majestic sight. Even if he was tiny.
The moment Alfrigg caught sight of me he huffed in irritation. "You again." He grunted irritably. "I already told you, thrice, you can't learn! Wizard, you may be, but you ain't got the right kind of magic for the forge."
"So you told me, and I'm still not sure I believe you." I retorted easily.
He gave me a disinterested look. "Makes no difference what you believe, wizard, it is what is. And no amount of bellyaching will change that."
I made to retort but Lys beat me to the punch and injected herself in the conversation. "This it's good that he wasn't the one to summon you here, Great-Grandfather." She said firmly.
Alfrigg turn around and looked over his shoulder where Lys was standing resolutely, her back straight, her head held proudly and her hands fisted by her sides. She looked into the eyes of her ancestor without fear or apprehension. I noted that she was roughly half a head taller than he was.
"Who are you to claim kinship with me, child." Alfrigg challenged.
Lys took two steps forward to stand right in front of the dwarven king and stared down into his eyes. "Who am I? I am Lys Hreidmarsdottir, daughter of Dis who was the daughter of Anarr, son of Bari, son of Galarr, son of Fundinn, son of Frosti, son of Alvíss -" She recited confidently until Alfrigg interrupted her.
"-son of Alfrigg." The dwarven king finished solemnly. He reached up and ran his hand through his beard, looking deep in thought. "I see, do you have proof of this claim?" He asked at length.
In response, Lys reached into the neck of her shirt and pulled out a necklace attachedto a large thick gold medallion with a red cloudy gem in its center. Were those hinges on the side of it? I didn't have a clear enough view to confirm it. Hmmm. I noticed Alfrigg's eyebrow rise minutely when he saw it. There was something in his eyes. I wished I knew what was going on in his head right now.
"Is this acceptable?" Lys asked.
Alfrigg was silent for a moment before reaching out and scooping the medallion up into his hand to inspect it. That was surprising. I didn't know that the shades could directly interact with physical objects; none of my previous summons had indicated that they could or had even attempted it.
"I made this, not long before…" He trailed off and looked pained. He ran a fat thumb over the gem and saw it glow faintly at the touch. "I suppose it doesn't matter now." He said and let the medallion fall back against his descendant's chest.
Lys reached up and grabbed hold of it herself. "My mother told me as much, and that it was enchanted, but she didn't know what it did."
"Unsurprising. I never told anyone its purpose. I gave it as a coronation gift for my son and I was planning to tell him of its use after the ceremony, but…" Alfrigg trailed of again before sighing again.
"So what does it do?" Lys asked.
Alfrigg shook his head. "Nothing. Outside of our home, it is just a bauble with no special abilities I'm sorry to say."
"And inside?" Lys pushed.
Alfrigg made a dismissive gesture. "It hardly matters now, does it? I do not wish to speak of it anymore, my child." He told her, a note of steel entering his voice.
Lys looked momentarily rebellious and the two locked eyes for a long moment before Lys looked away with a huff. "Fine."
Alfrigg nodded before looking around curiously. "Why have you summoned me to this place, to this school no less? What is a dwarf doing at Hogwarts?"
"I'm a student here just like Drew.," Lys told him.
For the first time since arriving, Alfrigg looked truly shocked. "My child, you wield magic? As wizards do? Truly?" He asked incredulously as he advanced on Lys. "How is this possible?"
Lys was taken aback and even took a step back from her ancestor and gave him an uncertain look. "Yeah… what of it?"
Alfrigg rolled his eyes and laughed a tad hysterically. "What of it, she asks! Bloody children! All the same…" The ancient dwarven king exclaimed frustrated. "What of it is that it was something that was thought impossible! That's what is of it!"
Lys frowned in confusion. "I can't have been the first mixed child."
"Indeed you are not. It would surprise no one, I think, that the dwarves coveted the gift of wizardly magic to add to our own. We are hardly alone in this. And as many magical beings have done before us we sought to squire it by copulating with wizards. An easy task as your kind will lay with anything if given the opportunity." He said the last with a sneer directed towards me. I decided not to take any offense and just gave him a thumbs-up, not like it was untrue after all.
Alfrigg snorted, obviously disappointed at my lack of reaction. "It was tried, many a time as it happens, but none of the children ever developed the gift, not even a hint of it. By my time it had been accepted that the gift could not survive the mixing of blood and none sought to try for it anymore." He looked at Lys again. "A foolish decision as it turns out. But what is different with you? Just luck or something more?"
Lys looked thoughtful before speaking. "I wonder if it's because my Pop is half House-Elf."
Dwarf lady say what now!? "Wait, what!? You never told me that?" I called out.
The smirk she flashed in my direction was positively nasty. "You never asked."
"Oh hohoho, it's like that is it? That's cool, two can play that game. You'll see."
We were interrupted by Alfrigg bursting out in a truly epic display of hilarity, he laughed so hard that he first doubled over and then just tipped over and fell on his face and then he just kept going. In between bouts of hysterical laughter I could hear him say "house-elf" over and over again.
"Well…" I said awkwardly. "This is awkward."
Lys just nodded mutely, not able to take her eyes of her ancestor apparently having a breakdown.