Been on a roll on this one. Up to Chapter 38 written, and it feels like a completely new story. Early release. Will still release another on Saturday.

"First, explain about the salt." Zentha said firmly. "Nuella sent for you, and that is what we must get information on first." Jarbuk nodded slowly.

"Alright, I've had this long to wait, so I can wait a little bit longer." He turned and sat down. "The stranger, Baris, has detection magic. He found the deposit of salt, as well as some copper ore. Near the small mountain in the east. When we took the three barrels to fill, he didn't have a shovel, so he smashed a stone into slabs, and used it. He scooped up the salt, filled all three, then used separation magic on it to remove the impurities. He also used a magic called breeze, a gentle wind that blew off the dust the impurities became when they rose to the top. He filled the one third up again, and reused that magic, and topped up the barrels." Zentha sat down heavily.

"All that new magic? I've only heard of separation magic, but not the breeze, or detection magic." She said softly.

"Shaala also showed him cleanse, and full body cleanse, and he learned them just like that." He snapped his fingers. "He also taught me a magic called Wind Shear. It's a wind blade that is Journeyman level, and can take the heads off of spies."

"He taught you!" She stood up quickly, and blushed at her outburst. "Sorry."

"Yes, he taught me all about wind magic, and explained how a wind shear is a wind that blows across the target, and is strong enough to blow birds off course, or flying people, like fairies. It can also be shaped into a cutting blade, but since his offensive magic was still low, he couldn't use it. I could." He smiled. "My first journeyman leveled magic."

"That would make anyone feel quite good, Jarbuk. Anything else you can explain would be helpful." She said softly, but with a smile.

"Shaala seemed impressed with him, as when he was told that the fairies were vegetarians, he got Neiren some fruit and yams he picked. When he learned that the fairies once came from that area, he got the last basket of yams he harvested from that grove and gave it to her. Said that food that belonged to the fairies should feed the fairies." he smiled a bit. "Something about feeling like a trespasser as the area was so pristine. He didn't want to take too much."

"So that's why Nuella feels like he's a good man." She thought for a moment. "Alright, I made a promise. Shaala was correct. There are stallions, and mares. Stallions are still female, but capable of making the mares pregnant. Elves are an all female race, just like the mermaids, the forest elves, or mountain elves. The reason it's dangerous for a dwarf to marry a stallion is because of this simple fact." He waited quietly and was rewarded, but not the way he expected.

"Shaala loved you, but because you two can't have sex like she could with a mare, her other appetite would come out. Raging ravenous hunger, coupled with the desire to fight aggressively. We only have three truly great needs, Jarbuk. To feed. To fight. And to Fuck. If she couldn't have you the way she needed to, on your wedding night, she would have attacked and eaten you." He went limp.

"I see. So that's what happens."

"It's rare, but it does happen. A mare can be fucked by a dwarf, so it doesn't happen between them, which is why you still see dwarf elf couples that are quite happy." She said with a gentle smile.

"Why couldn't she tell me?" He asked.

"For the same reason I couldn't, even when I wanted to. Not only is it illegal for us to reveal this secret, it would put our race at risk. Right now, the humans do not know about stallions and mares. If they found out, they would begin to hunt our stallions down, one at a time, no matter the cost." She watched him grit his teeth.

"He said that no matter what, humans are like us. We have our own prejudices. I'm a forest dwarf, did you know that?" He asked quietly. She frowned.

"Forest? But you're referred to as a wood...oh. Fuck me."

"Yeah, it's an insult that started with the stone dwarves, and the stone dwarves aren't stone dwarves. They are Earth Dwarves. The Mastersmith Dwarves disdain everyone who isn't one of them, and slowly, this trickled down." He looked at her carefully. "It's even there in the elvish world. The same thing for humans, but because we are so different from them, they tolerate each other, but have abject hatred for anyone who is a non human." Zentha lowered her eyes and put her head on the table.

"Not all humans, but some. I do know what you mean." She sighed sadly. "Is that why I've felt a bit of darkness lately?"

"Funny that you mention that. Shaala, and Aleda have said the same thing."

* * *

"So much to do, while still finding targets to level up on!" Baris groaned, then sat up straight. "I need more powerful magic, and some that is offensive in nature. I already have Arc, and static is a novice level version. What is between Arc, and static?" He thought for a moment.

"Hm. Shock. No, that's not it. What do I see when things arc? I see 'sparks'." He blinked. Baris held out his hand. "Spark." A quick set of static sparks flew from his hand to the ground. A small smile lit his lips.

"Beginner magic. It is a start. So what is next? Breeze is now labeled as a light breeze, so maybe? 'Wind'. Yosh, that was it! Flame. Nope. That's not it. Coals. Nope, that was a long shot. 'Smolder'." He grinned. He was beginning to feel magic pull at his manna when he was close to a word, or an image in his mind.

After half an hour, he formed the four basic elemental attack spells in the beginner range. Wind. Spark. Smolder. Bite. Each had the requirement of ten manna points per cast, but now the levels increased at one hundred points each time.

"Hm. That makes sense. Now I understand. The apprentice skill Arc has a requirement of five hundred points to level up, but requires fifty points while I'm in the beginner knowledge range. Each level of spell allows me to solidify my knowledge of the spell, and how it should be used." He thought for a moment. "I wonder if there is a limitation that once I get to apprentice, I have to level up all the spells to get to a Journeyman status. That would make more sense as if I skilled up too quickly, how will I learn what it should be used for as I'll have no experience."

"Well, time to get working." Baris quickly moved on from consideration of the things he would have to do, right onto the activity itself.

"What do I really need to do? I need weapons, and ways to protect myself. That means spears until I can smelt metal together. That also means I need metal to smelt. Leave the day to practice, and the night to crafting. It would be stupid to use the light for something I can do in low light."

Baris wandered away from his camp, and looked around. Held out his hand.

"Material scan." Baris spent a hundred points, ten scans worth, to find the materials he wanted. When he got to some bushes, he frowned.

"Material scan. Nothing. Alchemical scan. Oh? Is it a herb?" He walked over to the bush. "No, its Aronia? Isn't this a chokeberry? I guess this world still has some familiar things. I wonder if I can find something to make into tea." he sighed a bit.

"Tea would be nice. Maybe I can buy it." He sat down, but quickly got back up. He almost allowed nostalgia to weigh him down, and keep him down. It was a familiar feeling, and one that stopped him in his tracks more than once back on Earth.

"Got time to bitch, got time to work. Got a scan done, got material scans done. I need to work on metal and spears."  He had to keep moving as he was quite aware of the old saying 'An object at rest tends to stay at rest.'

There was a reason he was so fat when he first got to this world, and another reason why he had lost over fifty pounds of fat since that day.  He refused to stay at rest.