Chapter 27 - Rufus
Rygar looked at the young dwarf in front of him. The boy still appeared shaken, his face covered in soot, and his gaze hesitant, as if he wasn't sure where he was or who he could trust. Rygar decided to earn his trust first. He crouched down to the boy's level and tried to smile, attempting to appear friendly and harmless, but it ended up looking a bit awkward.
"Hey, it's alright now. You're safe," Rygar's voice was calm but carried an undertone of firmness. "What's your name?"
The boy hesitated, his eyes diverting for a moment before answering, almost in a whisper, "I... I don't have a name yet."
Rygar raised an eyebrow, surprised. "No name? Ah, that's right, dwarves only get names at seven years old..."
The boy nodded nervously.
Rygar slowly nodded. He had heard about dwarven traditions in his lessons with his mentor but had never encountered a young dwarf to confirm it firsthand.
"I see. But tell me, little one, what happened to you? And how did you escape that place?"
The boy took a deep breath, still reluctant, but began to speak. "It... It was with the help of a man who works there. One of the bosses. They called him Twin."
Rygar tilted his head, intrigued. "Twin?"
"Yes..." the boy replied, his eyes filling with a mix of fear and hope. "He wasn't any different from the others, but last night, he came to me and took me to a place... a hidden sewer pipe, behind one of the warehouses. He told me to cross to the other side and find someone with..." he hesitated, looking at Rygar with curiosity. "Animal ears."
Rygar was intrigued, even a little cautious. Did this "Twin" send him to look for them because he knew who they were, or did he think they would help the boy?