so, he was smiling at both the king and the young dwarf lady who stood next to him. He suspected that his reasons for coming here were not the same as his father’s for sending him, but it didn’t matter. He was away from home, a boy being exposed to an entirely different culture after having been confined to the city of Stormwind for far too long.
“It’s good to be here, Your Majesty,” he said. “Thank you for agreeing to host me.”
“No thanks needed, me lad. I think we needed a wee kick in th’ pants. Place has gotten too stodgy.” Magni clapped him on the back. “Come now, I’ve got yer chambers all ready. Now, I know ye’ve sent ahead a few servants, and they’ve been made most welcome. But I’d like to assign Aerin here,” and he indicated the young dwarf woman, “tae be yer bodyguard, though I doubt the folk o’ Ironforge will be bothering ye much.”
Aerin gave him a cheerful grin. “Great tae meet ya,” she said, bowing politely.
She was a fine specimen of dwarven womanhood, curvaceous and pink-cheeked with a long brown braid running the length of her back. She wore her armor as if it were no more of a hindrance than a frock, and as she stuck out her hand to shake his heartily, Anduin saw that most of her curves were muscle. “Aerin is one of my personal retinue. She’ll take good care o’ ye.”
“Aye, and I’m also an Ironforge native, born an’ bred,” Aerin said with pride. “I’ll be happy to be yer guide while ye’re here as well, Yer Highness.”
“Thank you,” Anduin said. “And please—call me Anduin.” While the dwarves were fiercely devoted to their royal family, there was a pleasant ease in their attitude toward them that Anduin liked.
“All right then,” Aerin agreed, “Anduin it is.”
“Let’s go to yer quarters an’ get ye settled in,” Magni said, turning and striding off at so brisk a pace that Anduin was hard put to keep up with him. “I think ye’ll like what I’ve picked out for ye,” he said, a twinkle in his eye.
“Would you mind if we visit the Great Forge first?” asked Anduin. “I’d like to see it again.”
“O’ course not!” said Magni. “Always proud tae show it off.”
Ironforge was, quite literally, centered around a giant forge. The air was thick and almost stiflingly hot, a contrast to the cold freshness of the snowy environment right outside the dwarven capital’s towering gateway. But the harsh scent was different and not evocative of human cities in any way, and Anduin loved it. As they approached the forge, Anduin winced a little at the oppressive heat rolling off it in waves and removed his jacket. He glanced down at Aerin furtively. He was wearing only a light linen shirt and breeches, carrying the jacket slung over his shoulder, and he was drenched with sweat. Aerin and Magni were in full armor and seemed completely unaffected. Such was the constitution of the dwarves.
The discomfort was quickly forgotten at the powerful sight of the forge, with its streams of molten metal splashing like water and glowing in shades of red and yellow and orange. It was so overwhelmingly vast, the mind almost couldn’t grasp it. At least his had a hard time with it.
“Aye, that’s a grand sight,” Magni said. Anduin agreed. After a while the heat was too much, and he was grateful to continue on through the relative cool of a corridor. Several dwarves and gnomes moved about purposefully, and the guards posted here and there nodded polite greetings to their liege.
Anduin slowed, confused at the direction they were taking. He had assumed that he would be staying in the royal quarters located near the High Seat. He was, after all, a prince, and such would be expected of him. He had wondered if he’d be able to get any sleep, as the High Seat was located right next to the forge. Which, in addition to being incredibly hot, was also active day and night. But it looked as though they were going away from that part of Ironforge.
He opened his mouth to ask about this when he came to a dead stop, mouth still hanging open. Not at the structure that was before him—from the outside it looked like merely another part of Ironforge architecture. There was nothing remarkable about the arched doorways. It was what he glimpsed inside that made Anduin’s heart skip a beat.
It was the skeleton