The path the guard led them through wound deeper into the heart of the dwarven capital, and with every step, the air seemed to thicken under the weight of heat and industry. Waves of warmth rolled off the endless forges lining both sides of the stone boulevard, each forge glowing like a miniature sun trapped inside a cavern. The heavy clang of hammer against metal reverberated through the ground, humming up their boots and settling faintly in their bones, as if the entire city lived and breathed through its steel.
Dwarves moved about with natural precision—broad-shouldered figures coated in soot, their braided beards tied back so they wouldn't brush too close to the flames. Some paused mid-swing to glance at the outsiders walking by; others leaned subtly toward their companions, murmuring in gravelly tones while pretending not to stare. Sparks burst from anvils in showers of gold, floating momentarily before fading into drifting embers around Luca's group.
