Good evening, my fellows!

  Well, actually, it is already night, but I don't care...nothing is more welcoming than a fresh and charming good afternoon.

  My name is... well, actually, my name is none of your concern, but for now it's better to tell you only that I am someone... mmmh, someone with a beard, short hair, and a very handsome, shiny earring... eheheheh.

  I have been quite bored today, but isn't it a good thing to be bored? Have you ever met people telling you things like: " Oh God, I'm so busy! Oh, not now, I'm in such a rush!?

  When actually, none of them, or almost none of them, is actually using their time for something useful, are they? So aren't you lucky that I'm bored and so willing to spend my time with you? Ahahah

  Even if you would not like to spend time with me, the truth is that any creature with a bit of mind would always listen to someone with a beard! To not mention his outstandingly charming technique of making his earring shine in your eyes! Ahah

  I apologise for the laughs, but when I'm bored, I cannot help it; it is like a pixie always pinching my throat.

  You know what the best part of being bored is? That instead of those constantly busy doing the same routine, chained to their own life...it is boredom that awakens the creativity of mankind...

  That's why I'm talking to you. You're there...with those eyes of a bored creature! It is such a good thing we are both bored. But anyhow, how could you pass by listening to such a wonderful person as I am!

  You know..I was just remembering a beautiful tale of fire and adventure...a memory of my life, and I'm no man to share stories with busy people! So you better keep those eyes blinking and those ears listening, because here comes the magic from boredom...or otherwise...I'll blast some magic in your face!

  Ahahahah

  How much I like to scare people like you! But let's keep going, I might not be bored for too long, maybe I will tell you only half of it!

  Nooo? Then let's begin. So, my name is... mhmh, no, I just don't want to tell you! But our story instead starts far away, in a forest of the south-west, next to the river Outhkaer...

  not so far away from its entrance there was a tree, but not one of those trees you have in your world my friend, it was a tree that only your mind can imagine..bigger than many other trees, with huge roots coming out of the earth here and there, leaves that shine as silver to the sun, but wait..windows and a door too! Carved from the inside.

  “Riuluk! Riuluk! Come in!” said an old voice from the tree, “Riuluk! Damn you, little dwarf, where are you?” no response.

  The tree was a very old tree, a magic tree where age was not comprehended; in fact, the leaves were coming from the branches fresh and full of life, as if it were always the earth season. The wood was grey, with some tendencies towards white... while the round wooden door at its centre was brown. From the branches, you could see the windows, all of different shapes, and wooden stairs climbing up to the door from the ground.

  Before the door, there was enough space to bring a table out during the fire season and on the right of the tree, a small river with fresh water and stones with grey and white shades too. Around the tree-house, only trees and darkness. You could not see more than twenty feet in front of you. Rumours of beasts around, birds singing, and a very odd creak...

  “Ooh! Come on, Riuliuk! Where are you? You think I have so much time to wait?” said the old voice.

  The forest continued its flow, interrupted only by the old man's voice coming out of the tree and that odd creak.

  “Crick Crack, Crick Crack, Crick Crack..”

  The creak grew louder and louder. Suddenly, a sphere (a hot-air balloon in your world) is coming down from the sky in the direction of the tree-house and a fat little dwarf with a dark red beard and hair is manoeuvring it!

  “Oh, Lord Cloud! Where is it, where is it??” said the dwarf.

  “In all these years, I forgot where my old friend's house is! And in such a moment...what for he asked me so urgently to come to his place, couldn't he do at least half of the way? It could have been easier for both!” rumbled the dwarf.

  “Aha! There! Finally, I can see the old man's tree!”

  The dwarf changed his pipes, lowered the steam machine and prepared to land.

  “Crick Crack, Crick Crack,” said the sphere on every trip.

  “Come on, my oldy! Don't make me do another repair service, you know how much it costs nowadays!” rumbled the dwarf.

  The sphere was a common one, mostly used for town movements, but our dwarf couldn't help but travel with it anywhere at his own risk.

  It was quite small, in fact, for even a common one, a very old-fashioned sphere. It was supporting him. Made of wood, he used to sleep in it, sitting on his stool during long trips. The rest of the space was occupied by the steam machine, which pumped hot air into the balloon. Four ropes were tied to the structure to enable the sphere to fly. The dwarves of the air (the most known around these parts), were used to bring inside it what they found most useful; in fact, beneath the “creaky”, the structure of the sphere, there was always a hatch leading to a deposit. Inside this one you could find: cutlery, ropes, nails, some glasses, bottles of Duerth Maonkrum, a pillow, some blankets and a big chunk of smoked ham.

  Our landing dwarf managed to put on a side of the creaky a movable table, to enjoy his meals like on a flying home.

  Behind the steam machine, well tied on that corner, the most important item for any dwarf willing to travel by flying, the escape wings.

  In any moment of trouble, you need to be aware that those wings will accelerate the sphere at such a speed that its own landing could be very dangerous. A risk you can take if you may have goblins firing arrows towards yourself!

  Only the Duonor are well-trained enough to control a sphere like that without breaking it. The most fierce and agile flying warriors you could possibly see around these days...luckily enough, our dwarf never had a chance to use the wings. Kept in a corner since the time he bought the sphere for himself.

  “Crick Crack, Crick Crack, Crick Crack”.

  The Sphere lost enough air pressure in the balloon to decelerate from 30 knots to 20 at 30°. While moving in this direction, the dwarf quickly checked the compass carved on the front of the creaky, then he went quickly to the steam machine and started pulling out some handles. The machine made a noise like a teapot, a stream came out of the other pipes, and the Sphere, shockingly, stopped in midair. The dwarf looked down; he saw the big grey tree, and he smiled and blinked his eyes in celebration after such a wonderful manoeuvre.

  “Eheheheh..aaaah!”

  “How come I'm always the best in this when there is no one to see me!” rumbled a bit angrily.

  “Uhuhuhuuu...every time I compete in the acrobatic championship, I always fail at the first round, but in the open air, then I get the right chance to attract some girls!?”

  “Yes..yeess, in fact this empty sky is full of beautiful girls waiting to see a brave dwarf..”

  “Waaaa..who am I dealing with, I know I could have never passed the second round anyway..but at least the hope, the hope! If I only could get a chance to feel I could have a date with one of the girls from Naerket Restaurant..uuuuh..”

  Said the dwarf by himself while grabbing the rope from the deposit with the anchor, checking the ground, tying the rope on the creaky and searching for a good place to drop it.

  Finally found the place; he checked the wind's power and direction with a strange tool. Nothing to worry about, he just needed to wait for the sphere to direct itself into that position while losing pressure.

  The dwarf sat on his stool with his arms on the side of the creaky while the sphere was gliding to the ground, he put his head on his arms and with a very melancholy face, he said:

  “Ooh, Reanath! Your beautiful eyes, your peachy skin..you will never notice me..”

  “Clank!”

  The dwarf awoke from his dreams, and the sphere landed next to the big grey tree. The dwarf immediately opened the door of the creaky, closed it behind him, and started to run towards the tree.

  “Mmmmmmmh..” mumbled the dwarf.

  He ran back to the sphere, and the door opened by itself.

  “How much I hate this door!”

  “It's already a fortune that it didn't happen while I was sleeping!”

  He closed the door, this time with a fierce punch, then got back to run to the tree. He went up the stairs, and once there, he started to breathe loudly like a dog.

  He couldn't take a bit of sport at all. He lowered himself to his legs, arms on his knees.

  “Riuluk! Is that you?” said the old voice.

  “Y...Yesss..fuuuuu, aaaaah..fuuuuu..yesss, it's..it's me!” replied the dwarf, even more tired than before.

  “Come inside, you lazy one! How long does it take you to come here? I told you this is the most important thing where your own life is depending on it!”

  “Aha..fuuuuuu, you always say like this, Fraethorn..fuuuu”.

  Riuluk took a deep breath and entered the door, pushing it with one hand and closing it on his back.

  It didn't take long for them to talk. After less than ten minutes, Riuluk opened the door with both hands and ran to the sphere!

  Right when he was almost close to the sphere...

  “Riuluk, the door! I know I'm deign, and there is nothing to do about it, but at least close the door!”

  Riuluk ran back to the tree, closed the door and stopped there.

  “I cannot hear you running back! What are you doing there?”

  Riuluk couldn't help it, he started to tear...

  “There is no time for this, go!” said the old voice.

  Riuluk took a deep breath: “I will miss you, my friend!” and ran back to the sphere, took away the anchor while crying, checked the compass and the strange tool for the wind, pumped up the stream from the machine, and flew away.

  A sad voice from the tree: “I'll miss you too, my friend.”