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Ironheart Written by Leo_Todrius Commissioned by Beardbear

Heavy resounding booms echoed through the heavens as the colorful fireworks exploded above the vast city, the combination of ancient science and modern magic. The entire spectrum of light was represented in puff-balls, star shapes and even fireworks that formed fluttering dragons before dissipating. Hundreds of fireworks went off every few seconds, stretching all the way from the ocean shore past the isle of Truce and off to the cobalt river on the horizon. The explosions even sparkled off of the downtown sky scrapers made of glass and steel, to which the older gargoyles clung, watching the festivities avidly... for it was the one month celebration of peace after so many hundreds of years.

The war between the orcs and the elves had started during the infancy of the human race, and as the humans grew, so did the war. The dwarves were brought in, then the dragons, then races from all over the realm... but somehow, despite centuries of bloodshed, peace had finally been obtained after pain staking efforts. The celebration had hardly stopped, part because of how liberating peace was, and half because of how nervous everyone was about what might happen when the party stopped, but down below the exploding lights sat a young boy, wondering what his future might hold.

Keef sat on his front lawn, gazing upwards at the light show, his caramel brown eyes gazing up with wonder, his hair feathered into a slight crest down the middle. Keef was twelve years old, four foot seven... and very human. His father had been one of the peace makers and had moved to the island of Truce to keep that peace, even though he knew it wouldn't be easy for Keef... But it was a sacrifice that had to be made for the greater good. Keef's father stood on the porch, looking at his son daydreaming beneath the fireworks, smiling softly. He wished Keef's mother could have seen how big and strong he had grown. Now he just hoped she'd look after him as he grew up in such a controversial place.

Other than the bursting fireworks, the night was oddly quiet, making the phone ringing even louder. Keef glanced back just in time to see his father disappear inside. Keef looked back skyward, looking at the fireworks, imagining that they were spells he was casting, waving his hands in the air, even though the cold was starting to chill him deeper to the bone. Still, the cold was nothing. Keef wanted to remember the celebration for the rest of his life, even if he had to stay up all night... and he'd already made a fairly good start. The minute trickled by, the quiet of the night Keef's only companion... until there was giggling in the distance.

The human boy sat up gently, noticing movement in the darkness, highlighted by the occasional bust of a firework closer to them. Two small figures were moving along the street, taking their sweet time as if they owned the place. Keef followed them as best he could in the darkness, guessing at first that they were only six or seven based on their height, but as one of them turned and reached up to stroke his short goatee, he had to seriously reconsider his perceptions. Noticing the movement in the dark, the taller of the figures turned, spotting Keef.

"Hello there neighbor." Came out a young voice, close in pitch to Keef. Keef was once more startled and confused.

"Hello there." He said earnestly. The figure looked the human over again.

"You're a human, aren't you? Ambassador Reed's son?" the other boy asked.

"I am... You can see me from all the way over there?" Keef asked. The boy chuckled.

"Of course I can! I'm a dwarf; we have to be able to see in the dark." The boy replied. Keef sighed with relief. At last everything made sense...

"How old are you?" Keef asked curiously.

"You're going to ask me that before you ask my name?" the dwarf boy asked. Keef blushed.

"Sorry, what's your name?" Keef asked.

"I am Cole Blackstone, and this is my brother Ingot."

"Iggie!" the younger dwarf demanded. The older rolled his eyes.

"I'm Keef, but you knew that." The human smiled. Cole smirked and crossed the street, having Ingot follow him. As they got closer, Keef could make both out better. Despite being shorter, Cole appeared to be a boy very much his age. He had the same amount of baby fat, the same build... but for being a boy around Keef's age, Cole already had a mustache that covered his upper lip and a tuft of black hair hanging down from his chin. Ingot only looked to be ten, but he had long bushy sideburns all the way down to his jaw and a few inches forward like the start of mutton chops. When Cole got close enough, he offered his hand.

"A pleasure to meet you Keef." Cole said. Keef moved forward to quickly shake Cole's hand, though he gasped as he felt how strong Cole's hand was. Cole blushed, feeling Keef's softness, "Sorry, I guess I don't know my own strength." He apologized.

"No, it's neat... You're so cool." Keef whispered. Cole chuckled.

"Never thought I'd hear a human say that... Most of them seem to be too far above dwarves." Cole said. Keef shook his head.

"If all humans though that way, we wouldn't be here... But I believe just like my dad. If we work together, there's nothing we can't do" Keef said. Cole nodded with a grin.

"I like you Keef. Can we join you?" Cole asked. Keef looked surprised.

"Sure, I mean it's just a lawn and watching the fireworks." Keef said.

"Yeah, but all good friendships have to start somewhere." Cole said, plopping himself down next to Keef. Ingot sat down next to his brother, saying little, though he seldom did. Keef grinned, looking back to the fireworks, eager to have new friends. Cole and Ingot watched for a few minutes in silence before Cole reached into his shirt and drew out a long, curved, wooden pope. He opened another pocket and pulled out some leaf of some sort and put it into the bowl before he withdrew a lighter. The presence of flame startled Keef and he looked over in shock as Cole puffed away on the pipe before expelling some smoke from his lips. Cole turned, seeing Keef's wide shocked eyes before he blushed. "Sorry, I should have offered you the first draw." Cole said.

"I can't smoke until I'm eighteen..." Keef said. Cole looked puzzled before he started laughing out loud.

"This isn't tobacco..." he explained, "Its cinnaleaf; it just tastes sort of sweet and spicy." Cole said. Keef grinned in relief.

"So it's okay for kids?" Keef asked.

"I should hope so; we gotta learn how to smoke somehow." Cole grinned, offering Keef the pipe. Keef blushed a bit but reached out and accepted it, bringing it to his lips. Cole and Ingot watched eagerly as they helped Keef get the lighter going. Keef drew on the stem gently before his mouth filled with a rich, warm burst of vanilla and cinnamon. Keef held it for a moment before he let it go, the cloud moving off into the cool night air... and then Keef realized he felt warmer already. He grinned, handing the pipe back.

"Thanks..." Keef said softly.

"It's just a pipe, I mean we could even get you your own." Cole said, handing it to Ingot.

"No, I mean... for sitting with me and talking with me. You're the first neighbors to do that." Keef said. Cole smirked.

"There are a lot of people with old feuds here... but if anyone's going to work past 'em, it'll be our generation... so it's best to make friends now." Cole said. Keef grinned at that.

"I like the way you think." Keef grinned, offering the dwarf boy his hand. Cole smirked, giving it a shake in turn.

****

[Six Years Later]

A long night came to a slow end as the sun hinted at its arrival, turning the skies from midnight blue to brown, to faintly yellow, to green and then a soft icy blue. The glowing disk rose up from the horizon slowly, sending light outward, reaching toward the homes of Truce, dancing across the windows. The sunlight slipped through the curtains of most homes, dancing across floors in neat little lines... but when it came to Keef's window, the light was stopped as always by the heavy black blanket screwed into the wall over the inside of the window. No light could enter from the outside, and that was just how Keef liked it.

The inside of the bedroom was as dark as a cave, by design. The bed was low to the ground and the mattress was firm. The furniture seemed to be half wood and stone. A fountain sat on his dresser, adding the constant sound of water trickling down rocks. It was the closest any human could get to living like a Dwarf, and Keef had tried his best. The eighteen year old snored gently in bed, slumbering deeply... but the sun wasn't the only thing trying to reach Keef. The morning had arrived, and with it school was approaching.

The alarm clock by Keef's head reached its appointed hour. The crystals inside began to resonate, releasing pent up magic to open up a tiny pinprick hole through space. On the other side, the banshees awoke for their day as well, testing out their vocal chords. The first terrifying streak awoke Keef without fail. His hand reached over, pushing the crystals back down into their default position, closing the portal. He let out a gruff grunt, only one eye half open. He hated mornings... but he did love seeing his friends. Keef slipped out of bed, stumbling over to his dresser, opening it up. Rather than the typical tunics or robes that humans wore, Keef's wardrobe was a bit more... resilient.

The human pulled on tight brown leather pants that emphasized his muscled legs and ass, but the leather was from the thick hide of an antlered Snipe, impervious to almost any weapon. Keef ran his hand across his slightly hairy, scarred chest before he slipped on a plate male and leather vest, his arms slipping easily through the holes. His biceps and triceps were bulged with muscle and there was a tattoo of thick dwarvish girders running around one bicep. He wiggled his toes next before slipping them into the thick, spike toed dwarf boots Cole had gotten him. They were the most comfortable things he'd ever worn... then again he hadn't worn much else.

With his clothes on, Keef left his room and stumbled into the bathroom, feeling rather groggy. His shaggy brown hair had been worked into a fair bit of bed head during the night, but he still had the single braid hanging down in front of the left side of his ear, and two smaller ones on the right side of his head. He grabbed a rubber band and worked his hair up into a short ponytail behind his head, yawning a bit more. He reached up and ran his fingers over his cheeks, sighing a bit in disappointment. He had a patchy beard going, but it was still baby fluff compared to the beards most twelve year old dwarves could grow... and it was his biggest disappointment with himself. Still, Keef couldn't moan forever.

Keef turned and left the bathroom, stopping in the kitchen long enough to root through the fridge and find the fried potato and steak sandwich he'd made the night before. He tore into it ravenously, flipping the television on. He paused, grinning as the news was talking about 'Bonecrusher', his favorite Orc heavy metal band. There were recent allegations that they had been converting some of their roadies and breaking the cross-species taboo, but so far no one was pressing charges... not that there were any laws regarding such a thing. It was uncharted waters, but fascinating to Keef... which made the switch on news stories to the elf musician Junas Eavier's new pop album particularly distasteful. Keef flipped the television off, reached down to adjust his groin and stood up, stretching. He had to get going if he was going to catch up with Cole.

****

Morning chatter filled the hallways of Truce High school like the roaring of an ocean. The school had been built with the best of modern architecture and ancient know how, using styles and substances from many different cultures. It had been built to be a symbol of unity, though... unity was something the school often lacked. While no major fights had broken out since the school's inception, it had certainly stratified. Orcs and minotaurs dominated the sports, except for basketball and swimming. Fairies had found their agility useful for basketball, and the mermen were so at home in the pool that they never wanted to leave. The elves and upper class humans had formed the social elite, while the lower class humans stuck to their own kind and drifted amongst all the others... save for Keef.

The front doors to the school opened as Keef arrived with his usual clan of Dwarves. Keef had only grown to be five foot four, but it was enough to stand above all his dwarf friends by at least a few inches. It had the disadvantage of putting him just as much below his other classmates. The other students watched as Cole moved in behind Keef, practically strutting. While Keef struggled to grow his own beard, Cole's was six years old and down to the soft belly he had developed from the over-indulgence typical of his people. Cole's arms were bare, showing off his bulging muscle and the many dwarvish tattoos he had. The other dwarves were much like Cole. They boasted beards of several years and strength from working in the mines after school. They moved together out of habit, and they moved with Keef as if he was one of the clan. It had simply been the way it always was, at least for Keef... but it was not something any of the other students liked, particularly the humans.

While Keef associated with the dwarves as much as possible and took most of the same classes, the morning was always a let down. Keef had been enrolled in intermediate enchantment by his father, a class that dwarves lacked the magical prerequisites to take. While Keef hated starting out every day with such an annoying class, it was still good to get over with and move on from. As they approached the south end of the school, Keef clapped Cole around his buff, muscled shoulder. Cole gave Keef a grim pat on the back in exchange for solidarity, though as their eyes glanced to one another's, there was something more exchanged... a look of intense affection, perhaps even more.

Keef broke off from the group and moved into the classroom, making his way to the back left corner. It was the most 'defensible' position and tended to be one that pointed out to the instructors that he wasn't particularly keen on answering questions. Keef set his black dragon hide backpack down and sunk into the chair, waiting form the classroom to fill up as it always did... but to his surprise, a shadow fell across him. He turned, seeing a black haired elf with violet eyes and a blond human with green eyes lower into the seats in front of and beside him, spots that had always been left vacant before. Elium and Sven... Two of the social elite. Keef shifted a bit uncomfortably, particularly as they turned around.

"Keef, how are you doing?" Sven asked. Keef's thick eyebrows furrowed a bit.

"Fine, I guess... Why?" Keef asked.

"We simply wanted to touch bases with you, get to know your plans for the rest of the school year, senior prom, perhaps what university you might be attending." Elium said, gazing into Keef's eyes.

"Uh... My plan... Graduate high school, go to work in the mines." Keef replied. Sven and Elium both looked disgusted.

"The mines? But your grades are far better than such a posting." Elium said.

"Uh, yeah, but no one can beat the pay." Keef replied.

"If you can stand working in the ground with sweaty, hairy-" Sven paused, realizing that Keef had started to heavily scowl. Sven bit his lip.

"Keef, we are simply... concerned about you, and only want the best for you. If you would like, we would gladly help you create a portfolio for university application, even make sure you are suitably garbed... and have a fine consort to the prom." Elium smiled. Keef's jaw dropped.

"You want to clean me up, get me into a good school, and get me a date to the prom? What in the hell is going on?" Keef asked.

"Don't worry; we know that you prefer those of a male persuasion... And even those that may be less... refined than some. I'm sure Shan would be more than happy to accompany you... if we told him of the opportunity." Elium said. Keef was shocked by everything that was happening, though his eyes immediately moved to Shan, or Shick as he liked to be called. The elf sat in the corner with headphones stuck into his pointed, pierced ears, his red hair worked up into a tall, proud Mohawk. He had a short goatee and pierced lips, but still wore the robes of an elf. Keef had always considered him the most approachable pointy ear, but he was still an elf and didn't understand the plight of the dwarves. Keef shook his head out of the thoughts and got back to the strange set of circumstances.

"Why are you wanting to do all this? Why are you giving me the time of day?" Keef asked. Sven and Elium looked at each other briefly.

"Well, we are a bit concerned that this rebellious phase of yours isn't coming to an end... and I thought while my father is still in the local council-" Elium was interrupted.

"My father put you up to this... and your father took it a step further because the school is going to be reviewed before he gets his promotion..." Keef leaned back in his chair, shaking his head as he slouched, "You guys can't stand anything liberal... Your father needs a school that's vanilla white with no spice at all, so you have to hammer down all the nails sticking up." Keef said in disgust, "You DO know that this place is about bringing our cultures together." Keef said.

"Which is precisely what I was offering with Shan." Elium said.

"You do know he hates his real name, he goes by Shick just to buck tradition... You don't even understand him, how can you HOPE to get close to me?" Keef asked.

"Good morning class." The instructor said as she moved up to the front of the class, setting out her things, "I must inform you that today we'll be starting the examinations of our stunning spells." She said. Most of the class groaned, but the three students in the corner were still pent up in their own discussion.

"Keef, just consider it... Your father is an ambassador. What will they think if his son disappears down the mines?" Sven asked.

"I guess they'll be stunned, which is what you're about to be." Keef said, bringing his hands together before pulling them apart. A swirling, teal vortex of flame formed in his hands before it swept out, striking Elium and Sven. Both students had their eyes roll into the back of their head before they passed out. Keef stood up and grabbed his bag, looking to the teacher.

"Ask them how I did when they wake up." He said before striding out of the classroom.

****

Keef's feet sunk into the dirt as he strode along the edge of campus, putting the ocean to his back as he moved for the tree line. He was so sick of the class bullshit the other students put him through, but to think his own father was even remotely involved... It made him sick. Humans made him sick... At least with dwarves, they were always honest. Positive, negative, polite or blunt, they were never deceptive... and if a person explained their view, they were respected for having resolve. It was a lot better than the alternative, and Keef was thankful every day he'd made such friends with Cole those many years ago...

The thoughts were all starting to help Keef calm down and consider returning to the school before second block, though movement at the tree line caught his eyes. He spotted the familiar glinting of metal and the sheen of leather and realized that Cole was standing by the edge of campus, talking with someone in a wizard's cloak. Keef tilted his head, saw a bag of coins exchanged for a satchel of something else and the two parted ways. Cole turned and spotted Keef before he looked nervous and then grinned. Keef started walking over curiously, keeping his eyes open for campus security.

"What are you doing out of class?" Cole called over.

"Nice deflection. I had to blow off some steam, what are you doing? What did you get? Is it Cobalt Chronic?" Keef joked.

"It's a surprise for later... What were you blowing steam off for?" Cole asked. Keef sobered a bit.

"This elf and human tried to set me up with an elf for prom, and to figure out how to get me into a good university... and out of this phase I'm going through." Keef grumbled.

"Some boobless chick?" Cole chuckled.

"No, a punk elf... which was surprisingly on the ball of them, but... I should just tell them about us, then maybe they wouldn't try so hard." Keef said. Cole shook his head.

"You wouldn't be safe... As long as you're human, they won't understand." Cole said.

"It always comes back to that, doesn't it? I should go to a Bonecrusher concert, give another species a try." Keef smirked. Cole looked shocked.

"You want to be an orc?" Cole asked. Keef looked surprised.

"No, it's just... there aren't a lot of ways to change out there." Keef replied. Cole shifted a bit before he paused.

"What if there were?" Cole asked. Keef's eyes widened.

"What are you talking about?" Keef asked. Cole shook his head.

"Not here." Cole replied, putting his hand around Keef's waist, leading him off toward the parking lot.

****

Keef shut the door to Cole's truck and rolled up the tinted windows. Cole had already pulled out his pipe and loaded the bowl before lighting it. He drew in a bit, holding the smoke before he expelled it. Keef drew out his own pipe and lit it, puffing away. He had twelve pipes so far, but he always was happy to add more to his collection. The two relaxed a bit as they sat and smoked in silence before Cole eventually spoke.

"Eight hundred years ago... during the last truce between the elves and the dwarves, one of my ancestors and an elf were very good acquaintances... They'd trade outside their realms with each other; get the best of both worlds..." Cole said, reaching up to stroke his fingers through his long, fine beard. Keef listened with great interest, though he had to adjust his legs a bit. The truck had been designed for dwarves and his knees often wound up against the dash board.

"I'm glad that alliances aren't a new concept." Keef said. Cole nodded.

"Well, they eventually grew so close that Darig, my ancestor, converted the elf... into a dwarf. It was a manipulation of ancient magic, sort of like using the fine print to effect real change... but it worked. He became part of our clan. I went to talk with the elders about... how good you've been to our clan, to see if there was any way to..." Cole trailed off. Keef gasped softly.

"To make me a dwarf?" Keef whispered. Cole turned to his friend.

"Don't you want that? To be one of us?" Cole asked, reaching up to trace his fingers along Keef's scruff. Keef's heart skipped a beat.

"I do, every day... I want to be as handsome and strong as you are." Keef said. Cole smirked.

"You're already handsome." Cole replied.

"I guess that's why we're such good kissers." Keef said before he leaned in, his lips plunging through Cole's mustache to reach his mouth. The two kissed, their tongues tangling before at last they broke their embrace.

"That we are." Cole sighed in relief, sitting back slowly, taking another puff from his pipe.

"What was in the bag?" Keef asked.

"An enchanted talisman. It's part of the rite... The magic my ancestors used has been lost and forgotten, but there are still ways to do it... But... it could make trouble. How is your father going to feel about his son becoming a dwarf?" Cole asked. Keef shook his head.

"No, if it comes down to that... there won't be trouble." Keef paused, "Well, there will be... but a good kind. I'll make a video; I know it'll go viral... If this peace is going to work, we can't be afraid of each other. We can't build walls between our kinds of people. I'll cross that border; I'll become a Dwarf... Oh gods this is going to be great." Keef grinned.

"It isn't time yet, there's still a lot to do. You better get back to class... We don't want anyone worrying before we're ready." Cole said. Keef sighed and took one more puff from his pipe before he let it go out.

"I guess you're right. I'll see you for computer repair class." Keef said.

"Just wait until Iggy presents his steam punk case mod. The kid loves metal." Cole smirked. Keef chuckled to himself and climbed out of the truck, looping around the school building, heading for the nearest entrance. He glanced around for security before he opened the door and stepped in, but he could feel as he crossed the threshold that he was stepping through the barrier of a magical field. He stumbled along for a few steps before he looked at his head, realizing he was in a conjured glade. A waterfall fell in a perfect sheet that acted as a reflecting surface, and the flowers all around were in bloom. Keef looked down, seeing that he was appearing different in the magic spell. His body was lithe and clean. His cheeks were smooth, his hair was trimmed. He was wearing the finest green and brown tunic money could buy and pointed elfin shoes.

"What the fuck?" Keef whispered, looking at his reflection. He looked like a human prince.

"I forgive you for what you pulled back there." Elium's voice came. Keef turned, looking up to see him standing atop of a rocky cliff.

"Elium, end this spell right now." Keef demanded.

"How long has it been since you've been so clean? Don't you like your own face?" Elium asked.

"This is just an illusion." Keef replied.

"Not all of it." Elium replied, gesturing. From the crevices of rock, Shick stumbled out, panting softly. He looked hazy but he'd been cleaned up too. His Mohawk was pristine, the earrings in his ears were uniform and his red goatee was braided. He was wearing a fine black and green tunic, but when he looked up, the faint discoloration of his eyes proved that he had been enchanted. Shick stumbled towards Keef, pressing him to the rock wall, kissing him deeply, rubbing his body against him. Keef struggled, overwhelmed by the elf for a moment before he all but hurled him away. Shick landed on all fours, looking back up at Keef, licking his lips.

"What IS this?" Keef asked in shock.

"An example of what a fun time you could have while still behaving." Elium grinned.

"You'd do this to your own kind? You'd rob him of his mind?" Keef asked in shock. Elium snorted.

"Please... He offered it up freely when he heard it could get him a date with you." Elium replied. Keef rubbed his hands together before he held out his palm, sending a bolt of lightning at Elium. Elium caught it and deflected, but it robbed him of his concentration. The illusion fell, revealing the elf standing on a higher balcony while Shick and Keef were on the main level of the cafeteria. Keef reached over and brought his hand down over Shick's eyes, clearing them of the spell before he turned and left the way he had come in, leaving Elium to his treachery and plotting.

****

Keef moved along the city streets, his face stuck in a look of seething anger. He couldn't believe that Elium had gone so far. The flagrant use of magic, the plotting... Keef couldn't believe they were offering him a boyfriend if he'd just play the part... a very disgusting part. The thing that had scared Keef most about his illusory reflection was that he looked just like anyone else. There was no him left... Short hair, clean cheeks. It removed the individuality of humans... But a Dwarf, with every hair on their faces it was a bit different... Keef needed a place to calm down, a place to think, and his feet had taken him on auto pilot right there.

When Keef looked up, he did not see his house, but Cole's. Dwarf houses were rather different than human homes. Generally on the ground level there was little more than a garage and a front door, both leading down to subterranean dwellings. Keef moved up to the front door and knocked on it, glancing over his shoulder. He wasn't supposed to be off school grounds and was still a bit afraid of getting caught. After a few moments the door opened, revealing Cole's older brother Gold. The twenty nine year old had streaks of blond running through his light brown hair and his beard was unbraided, a free and wild mane.

"Keef?" he asked in surprise.

"I need a place to lay low, school's gone crazy." Keef said. Gold smirked before he nodded, gesturing for Keef to follow. Keef stepped in and shut the door behind him before he ducked down and moved down the steps almost a full story, emerging out into the main dwelling. While the walls and floors were carved from earth and reinforced by stone and mortar, there were still the comforts of home. An entertainment center, a kitchen with recessed lighting, a den and a family room and bedrooms for all of the boys.

Gold moved into the kitchen and pulled out two iron steins and began pouring beer into them, thick foam bubbling up to the top. Keef smirked.

"I'm not allowed to drink yet." Keef said. Gold shot him a shocked look before he blushed.

"I guess you only better have one of these then." Gold said. Keef chuckled, realizing he'd almost been given two steins. Gold got himself a second one and then clutched all three between the fat, strong fingers of his right hand as he moved out to the living room, dropping down into the recliner, setting the drinks on the table between. Keef moved to sit down as well, leaning back a bit. He eagerly accepted his stein and lifted it up to his lips, tipping it back a bit. The foam clung to his mustache hairs, making it look more robust than it was for a moment before it faded away. After a moment, Keef realized Gold was staring at him, expecting him to talk.

"Oh, uh... My dad and one of his coworkers are trying to get me in line... The coworker is taking it a lot further though, he thinks me being so into dwarfs is going to cost him a promotion. They were doing everything they could to make me socially acceptable, even offering me a replacement boyfriend." Keef said. Gold chuckled.

"I'm glad you're here." Gold said. Keef tilted his head.

"Why?" Keef asked gently. Gold sipped at his beer.

"It shows you have an iron heart. Even at your most troubled, you are loyal to your friends and your lover." Gold said. Keef blushed at that and grinned.

"He said that there's a way to make me a dwarf." Keef admitted after a moment.

"Hell, there are a lot of ways. Some are just more powerful than others. I mean, besides, it's already started." Gold said. Keef looked up in shock.

"What?" he squeaked. Gold chuckled.

"Well, you're not exactly the tallest human in the school, are you? All that dwarf leaf has stunted your growth." Gold said. Keef paused, thinking of the hours and hours he'd spent smoking with Cole and his brothers. He'd never have wanted to give up those memories. He smiled a bit. Gold nodded, "And you transformed your wardrobe and eating habits on your own, no magic needed to do that." Gold added.

"That's true." Keef smiled.

"Plus there's the way you chew Cole's beard." Gold added.

"Is that magic?" Keef asked in shock, blushing. Gold's brows lowered.

"Of course not... It's just a public display of affection I'd rather not see unless I got some pretty on my lap to do it too." Gold said. Keef laughed out loud at that before he sighed.

"Why can't life always be this easy?" Keef whispered. Gold shook his head.

"Life isn't ever easy, that's why having an iron heart is important. It keeps you who you are through all adversity." Gold said. Keef smiled a bit at that.

"Thanks." He said. Gold shrugged and drunk more of his beer.

****

Cole moved through the house at a faster pace than normal, having found out from his brother that Keef was there. He burst into his bedroom and skidded to a stop, finding Keef fast asleep on his bed in the pile of laundry he'd forgotten to put in the hamper. Keef was curled up with a pillow of pants with a blanket of shirts over him, though his hand had curled around a pair of boxer shorts as well. The way his chest rose and fell, it was like having a cat. Cole was perplexed for a long moment before he set his things down and crawled onto the bed, moving to straddle Keef. Keef yawned a bit as he was rolled onto his back, opening his eyes just long enough to be kissed.

Their tongues tangled, their lips worked and Cole began to gently rub against Keef, grinding softly, reaching up to caress his boyfriend's cheek. Keef moaned, rubbing back gently. The two embraced before Cole reached up Keef's shirt, moving under the plate armor. Keef felt something cool rub against his nipples before he suddenly gasped. There was a moment of stinging, and then nothing. Cole broke the kiss and moved to pull Keef's shirt off. Keef let the fabric slip past his head before he looked down, seeing two metal rings hanging from his nipples, emblazoned with runes... runes that were glowing.

Keef started to moan gently before soft bushy brown hair began pushing out of his chest, curling around. It started in the crevice between his pectorals, but it spread out like a flood, surrounding his nipples and thickening into a forest, more strands growing in well after the spread of the flood, his flesh becoming less apparent by the moment. The soft dusting of hair beneath his arms was thickening as well, becoming small forests of dense bushy hair. Keef looked at Cole with a startled gesture.

"I have everything I need..." Cole whispered, "I figured... even if you changed your mind, nothing bad with some hairy nips." Cole said.

"It's so fucking hot." Keef groaned before he looked into Cole's eyes, "So you have everything?" Keef asked gently.

"Yeah, I skipped final block to get the last of it when I found out you were here. Did you nap the whole time?" Cole asked. Keef shook his head.

"I made the video and wrote a letter to my dad about all this." Keef said.

"Were you polite?" Cole asked. Keef shook his head.

"Sort of but not really. I guilt tripped him about how he didn't understand me and tried to mold me in his image and then totally dished on everything his coworker did, so that'll stir things up..." Keef said.

"You human, stirring the cauldron." Cole smirked.

"Well, it'll be the last time I'm human from the sounds of it." Keef said. Cole grinned at that.

****

Cole moved through the narrow passages of the caves behind his house, heading to the far back corner. Veins of orange crystals grew through the tunnels, illuminating their path... Keef and Cole had snuck down to the caves a few times to make out, but given that it was considered to be a dwarvish back yard, it was never all that significant... before now. Once they were at the very back of the cave, Cole set down the satchel of things before he turned and started to undress. Keef murmured, moving over to help his boyfriend.

Cole's hairy, muscled torso was revealed, covered in tattoos and scars. Most of the tatts were almost invisible beneath the layer of fur like hair, but they were still present. Cole reached down and unbelted his pants, letting the metal weave in them take them to the floor. His boots were the last to come off, revealing his thick toes with hairy knuckles, his wide feet, his powerful legs. Cole took a few steps, his cock swaying between his legs. Even it had been covered with tattooed runes... Runes Keef loved to make disappear in his lips, but today... today was going to be very different.

Keef had already removed his shirt, but his leather pants came off next. His semi-hard cock sprung up, wobbling around as blood gushed into it. The pants got caught around his ankles before he took his own boots off, realizing his mistake on not having a looser fit. Once he was naked, he looked back at Cole with a bit of embarrassment. Keef felt ashamed about himself not being wider waisted or thicker bellied... but Cole only saw handsomeness. He moved over and leaned in to suck and lick at Keef's newly pierced nipples. Keef gasped at how sensitive they were and grabbed his boyfriend's head. Cole tugged on them with his teeth a bit, growling before he finally released. Keef panted.

"So what do we do?" Keef asked.

"I have a series of enchanted relics to put on you, like the nipple rings... That'll start the process. To complete it, you must be a true dwarf at heart, and not waiver." Cole said.

"Sounds easy enough." Keef said.

"Well, hopefully." Cole replied with a grin. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a pendant of a pick-axe hanging almost like an anchor. It was an ancient metal, carefully engraved. Cole moved to rest it around Keef's neck. Keef felt the metal come down, then was surprised by how warm it was. It almost felt hot against his skin... and it was slowly growing tighter. As the pendant came to rest on his chest, his neck widened as new muscle crept up the sides, his shoulders expanded and his pecs filled out a bit more... but that wasn't all that was happening.

Keef looked light headed as his vertebrae started to contract, tightening up, moving closer together. His neck shrunk almost as much as it had widened, then his back did as well. His arms hung lower at his sides, almost like a gorilla... and then his legs started to ache. As the moments passed, Cole and Keef gazed into each others' eyes, eyes no longer separated by so many inches of difference. As the sensations ebbed, Keef realized he was only an inch taller than Cole... he had shrunk to dwarf height.

"Wow, this is amaz-" Keef was cut off, his eyes clenching shut. Soft hairs began sprouting between his eyebrows, but that was nothing compared to the eyebrows thickening themselves. Keef's cheek bones hardened a bit and his jaw widened just a little... and then it started, the change Keef had wanted all his life. The soft, patchy mustache above his lip began to push out all at once, thick strands of brown hair growing out and down, curving over his upper lip, then his lower lip as well before it slowed. His patch beard started to come in thicker, the holes filling in across his cheeks before the stubble pushed out an inch, then two, then four. Cole growled happily, unable to resist.

The dwarf moved toward his boyfriend, plunging his fingers into Keef's growing beard, combing them through. He could feel Keef's beard growing. He tugged on the hair a bit, trying to guide it longer. Keef wobbled gently in growing lust, his cock getting so hard it was aching as his beard reached six inches, then eight, then ten. He gazed into Cole's eyes, seeing a faint reflection of himself, turned on beyond measure... but his beard wasn't the only thing growing. His arm hair thickened, his legs hair became denser. A coating of fuzz covered his ass and even spread across the backs of his shoulder blades.

"Fuck yes." Keef moaned, though his voice had deepened a bit. Keef moved to kiss Cole deeply, their beards meshing, Cole still tugging on it to make it as long as possible. Keef kissed Cole with all his might, though in the back of his mind he thought back to the night they had first met, beneath the fireworks... a human twelve year old and his dwarf counterpart. They had been fast friends, but Keef had never expected them to become so perfect together. It was like something out of a fairy tale. The two continued to embrace, but their dynamic had shifted a bit. Before Cole had been stronger and Keef taller, but now they were almost the same height... and it was starting to seem that Keef was stronger.

The magic kept spreading through Keef, turning him into the dwarf he would have been if he had lived among them his whole life. His biceps inflated, his triceps thickened, his ass cheeks firmed... but his stomach started to soften, developing a fine layer of fat over the surface. It was just a little, but the hairy belly distended an inch or two and Cole growled in lust at that. Keef writhed more and more before he gave up any pretense and began lewdly grinding against Cole as his body changed. Cole humped back groaning, moving to look down, trying to see what he felt was happening.

Keef's cock ached and throbbed, becoming harder than ever before... and bigger than ever before. Despite being shorter, dwarves were generally just as well endowed as humans, and the spell seemed to be taking that into effect. Keef grunted and moaned as his cock pushed out longer to eight inches, nine, ten, then eleven... and it was growing wider too, expanding to three inches across, then four, then larger. His shaft throbbed in time with his heart beat... a heart that was beating faster than ever.

Keef was panting hard, writhing in bliss; his rolled up into the back of his head. Cole reached down to grab one last enchanted relic from the ground, pulling the metal back before he slid it up Keef's nose. Keef's eyes shot wide before the metal sealed, piercing his septum, the heavy ring hanging across his mustache. As the metal pierced the flesh, his nostrils flared, his nose toughened and Keef nearly stumbled backwards. Hot breaths left his nose as his shoulders hunched forward, his muscles bulging much more. His knuckles grew hairy, his beard stretched down toward his belly button and his hair grew longer and wilder. His skin toughened, calluses formed and his lungs grew heartier than ever, but so did his addiction to smoking.

The former human's balls throbbed and tingled before they swelled, growing steadily larger from the size of golf balls to eggs, then to plums. His sack hung low, full and filled. His toes grew longer, his knuckles popping before he flexed. Keef lifted his head upwards and let out a mighty bellow of lust, his cock springing upwards to full attention at a foot in length. Keef turned, looking at Cole. Cole shuddered in bliss, amazed at how divine Keef looked. That one last ring had really pushed him over the edge, and it was time for his reward. Cole turned, hoisting his ass up, grabbing his cheeks and pulling them apart.

Keef stumbled forward like a charging bull, but he brought his cock to Cole's ass and thrust in before grabbing Cole's hips like he was rock climbing. Every muscle in Keef's dwarf body worked at once as he started thrusting in and out. Without lube, the friction was intense, but dwarf bodies were used to intense. Flesh ground against flesh, precum leaked freely, they sweat and moaned and growled, working up harder and faster. Keef and Cole were two beastly dwarves covered in muscle and hair, ravenous for pleasure, unrelenting in its pursuit.

Cole braced himself against the wall, holding himself up before his prostate was struck by a huge dwarf cock... and then all strength was lost. Cole collapsed against the wall, held up only by Keef's thrusting. Keef fucked Cole with all his might, replaying every happy memory they had and imagining all the new ones they would have. Keef knew it was done, he was a dwarf. Strong, masculine, true and proud... He was blissful in it all, and he had Cole to thank. Keef leaned in and buried his face in Cole's hair, sniffing the scent in it before he tipped back his head and roared.

Keef's manhood pulsed and throbbed before thick gushes of cum rushed out into Cole's asses, but his own shaft was spraying like a fire hose too, all over the cave wall. The two eighteen year olds came hard, knowing that they were starting a brand new phase of their life, and nothing was going to hold them back now... Both came for minutes before Cole's flow ended, and then Keef's. Keef slowly lowered onto his knees, leaning back. Cole fell against Keef's chest, limp in ecstasy. The truth of the matter was that he had always been the aggressor in their relationship, but it was clear now that he'd been a slut all along... and now Keef was the beast to pleasure him all the times he wanted. Cole closed his eyes, relaxing as Keef kissed his head, the two quite in love.

****

Normally the Pinnacle Pub on 31st street was a place of revelry and laughter. It took much to shake the patrons, but as the news continued to play, they were still quiet. The newscasters had been talking about the video that had gone viral on youCast, of the ambassador's son that had stated he would become a dwarf, and then did, appearing on camera both before and after. He'd taken the name Keef Ironheart, and had accepted membership into the dwarf clan of the Cobalt River. It was a moment that had shaken the world to the new possibilities, and youths of all ages were starting to clamber for changes. Humans wanted to me orcs and lycans and elves, dwarves wanted to be humans, elves wanted to be orcs... The elders were stressed, the younger generations confused... and the silence was supreme until the door opened and laughter echoed in.

Keef and Cole strode in, their arms around each other's shoulders, their pants groaning tightly with their constant arousal. Iggy came in behind along with Gold and two of their buddies. The six bearded dwarves didn't even come up to the bar, but they made their way over to their usual spot... at least, the usual spot for five of them. Keef had never been in a bar before, he'd never been of age... But as a dwarf, he was three years late for his first drink. The other patrons looked over at the dwarves laughing and talking as usual and realized that it wasn't some movement to change the world... and slowly the bar relaxed, going back to their usual... mostly.

A few eyes fell across Keef, recognizing him from the video. There were whispers and murmurs, but it was the bartender that moved over first. The young man was six foot four with tan skin, pointed ears and tusks sticking out of his lower lip. His arms were strong but his torso was lithe. Cole guessed his parents were orc and elf, a very rare union. Keef looked up with a smile as the barkeep approached.

"Give me the strongest thing you have." Keef said.

"And the tab's on us." Gold said with a grin. The barkeep shook his head.

"Your drinks are on the house tonight..." The barkeep said. Keef tilted his head.

"Who is paying?" he asked.

"I am." The barkeep replied. Cole's eyes widened, as did the other dwarves.

"Why?" Cole asked. The barkeep smiled gently.

"It's a long and drawn out story... but you gave hope to my little brother when he didn't have any, and I've wanted to see a smile on his face for years. I'd spent a month's checks just in ales for that first smile. It's the least I can do, but... if I could be so bold, is there any advice I can pass on to him? Anything you learned since you made the video?" the barkeep asked. Keef looked at Cole and his brothers before looking back at the man.

"No matter what we are born as in this life, the most important thing is to be true to ourselves. As long as your brother listens to his heart, and behaves as he feels is right, he'll have the strength to be whatever kind of person he wants to be." Keef said. The barkeep grinned gently, taking a deep breath.

"Thank you so much..." he said with glee, "I'll get your first round." He added before scurrying off. Keef turned to Cole.

"Did I do okay?" Keef asked. Cole grabbed Keef's head and leaned in to give him ad deep kiss. Their mustaches meshed, their beards rubbed and the two dwarf men made out eagerly, rubbing against one another. Keef felt like for the first time in six years... he truly WAS home.