A Boring Business Meeting

[Pharlen]

Pharlen walked smartly through the marketplace, discussing the possibilities for a high end furniture manufacturer opening a factory and offices in RhyDin. The dwarven brothers, triplets, marched alongside the governor with their secretaries bringing up the rear, Tommy haplessly trying to keep from running into the dwarve's perfect formation.

Impeccably garbed in expensive business suits, with beards trimmed to a mere few fingerwidths long, bearing high end brief cases, these dwarves had the bearing of board room sharks rather than any ax slinging dwarf of yore.

"Charmingly rustic, but we would like offices in a properly modern building," Boomi Barmsmash noted, frowning heavily as he looked over the buildings.

"As you can see, we have several of those with open occupancy, ranging from the art deco to brutalist styles. As for the factory, there are many empty buildings with potential, and..." Pharlen assured them calmly as they marched along.

"Oh, look at that, Stuu. Elves! Live ones," Geer announced, elbowing his brother. All three peered intently at a young elf man walking his kids to school. All three secretaries crooned loudly. The elf glanced back uncertainly only to hurry the little ones along a bit faster.

"Sirs, do look to your left, there is an actual weaponsmith," one of the secretaries called. The triplets turned to regard the smithy.

"It's just like the programs on the aethernet," Stuu decided, beaming. The brothers muttered and chatted among themselves, chuckling and mentioning arcane terms like 'dungeon master' and 'PS-3'.

Pharlen merely waited, cool and collected in a pale gold business suit with a long skirt and an ecru lace jabot. The dwarves surged towards the weapons shop, even the dainty ladies cooing over the heavy iron and steel pieces on offer. Soon, the males were posing with the weapons and taking photos of each other.

It was a little like taking someone to their first trip to Disneyland, Pharlen decided, amused, as she watched the dwarves get in touch with their earlier, stabbier, selves.

"We're running rather late, gentlemen," Pharlen finally pointed out, "My husband and daughter will be meeting me for lunch, you are welcome to come along. My treat, of course."

"Oh, yes, yes. This is quite a place! We'd heard it was more of a slum falling through its own cracks, but we've had cel phone service everywhere, and this marketplace is simply charming..." Boomi announced, gathering his brothers together for a triplet selfie.

"Mr. Von Tombs and Alice are down the street," Tommy whispered to Pharlen. She turned and looked through the pedestrians, picking out her husband easily. Jack was a tall, thin, sallow drink of water, always in a dark suit, a hat that covered his eyes. A subtle sense of menace clung to him, even though he held his youngest daughter's hand in his, leading her along the sidewalk.

Without warning, a shadow under the weaponsmith's awning unfolded, and a hideous creature snatched up one of the secretaries. She screeched, yanking a hairpin from her blonde bouffant to stab into the mangler's face.

That wasn't the only one of them, however. Several more manglers sprang out of the thin slice of shadow as if they had all been neatly folded up into it. Pharlen muttered, but paused instead of throwing the entire mess into a time stop.

The lady dwarves were quick to use their own belongings for defense. The hair pin, a purse, and a set of keys became effective weapons. They were definitely not damsels in distress. The gentlemen just as quickly snatched up the various weapons around them, axes and a hammer, moving in against the manglers while whooping out battle cries.

"...What should we do?!" Tommy hissed, wide eyed.

"They're fine," Pharlen replied with a shrug.

"I don't think they've ever fought in real life before," Tommy added, urgent, as one of the manglers came up behind Stuu. Pharlen drew her pistol from under her jacket and neatly fired three shots into the beast. A moment later, one of the secretaries brained it with a vicious blow of her purse.

"What's she got in that thing?" Tommy squeaked.

"Don't know, don't wanna know."

Jack's brows quirked as he walked, realizing that from the fleeing people that something was wrong. He suspected the big ugly things swarming around the weaponsmith shop. Shaking his head, he reached down to swing Alice to his back. Then he pulled open his jacket to draw a pair of matched 45 caliber pistols.

Firing quickly and accurately, Jack soon had the rest of the manglers laying in lifeless piles. He quirked a brow at Pharlen, who was never so sexy as when she was holding a firearm. Funnily enough, she thought the same of him. Theirs was a magical relationship.

The Barmsmash triplets roared, brandishing their weapons and swinging the secretaries around in impromptu jigs, the smith and his assistants joining in.

"Alright, if you'll come with me, I know a fantastic tavern where we can get real dwarven ale and the best steaks in town," Pharlen called over the chaos. The Barmsmash triplets stared at her with wide eyed wonder.

"There hasn't been real dwarven ale in Hyllehall Mountains since the catastrophic fires of mid-winter 200 hundred years ago," Stuu whispered, then he shook his newly acquired axe to the sky, grabbing one of the secretaries around the waist, "Come, me lad and lassies!"

"I can't wait to send these pics to Ma and Da. Like real old time warriors!" Geer cheered, marching along after his brothers.

Later, in the local news...

The RhyDin Redevelopment Team is pleased to announce that Ellowy's Fine Furnishings, owned by the Barmsmash Family, will be opening a branch office and factory in RhyDin. They will be hiring upwards of five hundred people for all positions, from management to custodial, and especially craftsmen skilled with CNC and hand jigs for creating the elegant art nouveau furnishing they are best known for. EOE, all benefits, union shop, competitive pay. Contact the RhyDin Employment Agency for interviews.

The Hyllehall Mountain Chamber of Commerce is seeking importers of dwarven ale, porter, beer, and stout for long term trade contracts. Also, proven brewmeisters are sought to re-introduce the art and craft of beer making to Hyllehall Mountain. Pay commensurate with experience and proven quality of the product.