Peng woke up before the sun, before the roosters began crowing, and before the rest of the town of Valekshire; just as he had done every day since coming to the human town many years ago. His original plan had been to start a truly dwarven pub in a mostly human place. Peng’s idea was that traveling dwarves would have a place to feel comfortable, but his public house would also entice humans who wanted to see how the shorter and stouter race truly did business. It was a great idea and a solid business plan. Too bad it never worked out for the good dwarf.

Peng hadn’t counted on the ignorance of the Valekshire Town Council, you see. When he had gone before them to purchase a plot for his pub, they turned him down on the spot; no discussion needed.

"A dwarf will never own a business in this town. It would just attract more dwarves, and that we don’t want. Too much drinking, too much fighting. We have enough taverns in town, little one."

It broke Peng’s heart, but he was not the type of dwarf to give up easily. He went to work for a human named Vick, who owned the most popular tavern in town, The Fat Sausage. Vick had jumped at the opportunity to have a dwarf in the tavern. It was good for business! When humans thought of dwarves, they thought of dwarven ales.

Humans could craft excellent whisky, but were not well known for brewing good ale. In fact, human ale tasted like "orc shite," according to dwarves. Even humans didn’t like human brewed ale. As such, they tended to buy in bulk from the Royal Brewery in Kelgrond Central, which just so happened to be Peng’s hometown.

The problem was, Peng had never brewed ale in his life. He had a great business mind, though. He loved speaking with people and interacting with patrons. Peng had been the bartender at the Royal Gladiator Arena in Kelgrond Central. He had years of experience running the front of house and getting people drunk. But when Vick found out he would still have to order in bulk from the dwarven brewers under the mountain, he asked Peng what he could do for The Fat Sausage.

"How can you help me, dwarf? If you can’t brew, what can you do? How can you make my business better?"

Peng pondered on that for a few moments, then explained what he thought would be a temporary solution. "Me Ma’ was a baker, Vick. She taught me how ta make the finest breads in Kelgrond; the Queen herself once came to our family shop and ate our baked goods! She praised me Ma, told her it was the best bread her royal highness had ever eaten. I can make that bread right here in The Fat Sausage. It may seem a small thing to ye, now. But when yer patrons taste me Ma’s recipe, they’ll be bangin’ down the door ta get more of it!"

Vick had shrugged his shoulders and said, "Okay, little one. I hope you’re right."

And Peng had been right. His bread was the most sought after in all of Valekshire. He had made Vick a good deal of money, but barely any for himself. Peng visited the Town Council once a month, as often was allowed, and tried to pitch them on his pub. They always said no. But they also always gushed over the dwarf’s amazing baked goods.

And so, Peng altered his business plan. Tired of seeing his hard work go towards making a human rich, the dwarf asked for something else at his next meeting with the council.

"I want ta make a bake shop. Imagine if I were ta have me own space for a moment... I could make even better products, and more of it, than I do now," he said, pushing a basket of his new muffins towards them. This was the first time he had made those, and the members of the Town Council devoured them in seconds. And seconds after that, his request for the purchase of a plot was granted, and at a much lower price than originally listed. These humans were voracious in their need for the sweet indulgence this dwarf could craft. They wanted him to be up and running in a month.

"It’ll be tough, but I will no’ let ye down. Thank ye, one and all," he had said before leaving to get started.

One month later, he had opened his shop, Peng’s Buns. And business was fantastic. Even six years later, as he woke to begin making the days goods, the townsfolk poured into his shop all day long to gorge themselves on his creations.

On this particular day, he had a plan for some special miniature cakes filled with berries. The recipe his mother had created on the day the Queen had come to her shop. "The Queen, may she be protected by the ancestors and the Gods that keep them, had liked these, so I reckon they’ll be good enough for the damned humans."

The Town Council may not have let him build a pub, but that didn’t stop Peng from running his shop like one. The inside looked identical to any number of public houses in Kelgrond Central. Dark wood, low light, and communal tables. The humans loved it.

"It’s like we’re visiting the dwarven homeland, but in our own town!" the patrons often said on their first visit. It always made Peng smile.

He worked the front of house just like he had as the bartender at the public house inside the Royal Gladiator Arena. Everyone loved talking to Peng. He told stories of the fighters he had met, the heroes he had served, and the ales he had drunk. People who had finished their cakes, muffins, crusty loaves, and more would often order more baked goods if Peng was in the middle of an intriguing tale, as they couldn’t tear themselves away, even if it meant being late to work!

As Peng put the finishing touches on those berry filled mini cakes, the first customers of the day started to pour in. All his customary goods were already on the racks, ready to be purchased and devoured by hungry humans. He was serving the folk of Valekshire and telling them about the day the Queen of Kelgrond had eaten these same cakes at his mother’s shop. Everyone was spellbound by the tale, crumbs tumbling from their mouths and berries smeared on their cheeks.

The door to the shop opened and two dwarves stepped inside. Peng continued his story but turned to take in the newcomers. His jaw hit the floor and the retelling of his brush with royalty was halted as Peng saw who had just walked in.

The female dwarf was rather plain, and Peng did not recognize her. She had big hips, small breasts, brown eyes, and freckled shoulders. But the male dwarf... Peng could never forget the handsome face of one of the greatest Royal Gladiators in Kelgrond Central’s history.

"Yer Taen the Terror," Peng said to the sturdy young dwarf, his voice full of awe. "I’ve seen ye defeat ten dwarfs at once. I’ve seen ye slay an entire group of 30 goblins, all by yerself, lad. What in the bloody hell are ye doin’ in Valekshire?"

The humans, as one, turned to witness one of the gladiators they had heard about numerous times in Peng’s stories. The fellow had on leather armor and had a beautiful axe and shield strapped to his back. Incredible dwarven craftsmanship, and it was evident to anyone that knew much about weaponsmithing that these no ordinary weapons. In fact, they were worth more than all the swords in Valekshire put together.

"Nay, yer mistaken," Taen said to Peng. Then he turned to his female companion and said, "C’mon, then. We’ll eat elsewhere, Fern."

"Like hell, we are," she replied. "A gladiator, did ye say, baker? Please, do go on."

"NAY. No’ right now, please," Taen said. "Sir, what be yer name?"

"I am Peng, and this is my shop. Ye may remember me as the bartender at the public house in the arena. Me Ma’ were a baker, and I use her recipes to make all o’ this. In fact, I was just tellin’ these humans about the time the Queen..."

"That’s enough, for now, Peng. Yer a good dwarf, I can tell. Please let us have a chat in yer private quarters when business dies down."

"Certainly," the exuberant baker responded. "Ye two can go on back, and I’ll join ye soon enough. Right through this door, then," he said indicating an entryway behind the counter.

"Ye have me thanks, then," Taen said, placing his hand on the baker’s shoulder.

"It is me honor, lad. A true honor. Here take these. As I recall, yer mother quite loved them," Peng said as he handed Taen a plate filled with the berry filled mini cakes.

Taen nodded in appreciation and opened the door for Fern to go through first, then followed behind and shut the door. Peng turned back his human patrons and said, "Sorry about that, all o’ ye. But know that ye’ve just been in the presence of a legend. Now, who wants more food? I’ll tell ye about the time Taen fought the leader of an Orc tribe in the arena. The orc had never been defeated in battle, ye see. It took twenty-five soldiers of the Royal Army to capture the orc chieftain, whose name I could no’ pronounce if I tried. Ye know their shite language is mostly garbled nonsense, anyway."

This drew a round of laughter from the enthralled patrons, who were once again listening intently with crumbs falling from their mouths, and berries smeared on their cheeks. And Peng loved every second of it. Soon, he would go and talk to the bastard son of the Queen of Kelgrond, who sat in Peng’s very own sitting room. The ancestors and the Gods that keep them are glorious to bestow this honor on me, Peng thought to himself.

Next Chapter: Not My Son