Entering Forge-del

Homer Brazengold prince of the dwarven kingdom of Geminshire, was the first of his party of four to arrive at the entrance of Forge-del, a city located within the base of Mount Derden.
Thick blankets of snow covered much of his ring mail boots while blistering winds swept through his red-orange beard, slightly numbing the lower part of his cheeks and jaw.
Tightening his thick snow-jacket over the steel plate armor that covered his four-and-a-half foot muscular body, Homer's blue eyes looked back to see his three companions, who he had been friends with since childhood, approaching.
In the front of the group was Homer's fiance Hilde Ironkegar, a robust blond haired female who was managing to keep herself warm with an enchanted fur coat she wore over her plain clothes.
Behind Hilde was her twin brother Madistel, who was the fame four-foot height as his sister, but his head of curly hair and beard were a shade darker. He also wore studded black leather armor over a layer of clothes. Three days before, he had recently returned to Geminshire after a two-year journey in the west.
Six inches behind the twins was Olaf Fikkleleaf, Homer's advisor and oldest friend. He was an inch taller than the prince and had pale skin, much of which was hidden underneath the chain mail suit and steel helmet that was molded in the shape of a wolf's face. Despite having three battle axes strapped over his backpack, Olaf moved past the twins and made his way up to Homer and asked in his soft voice. "Do you think it was wise not to come with banners showing we are from Geminshire?"
Homer shook his head. "We might have alerted any of Geminshire's enemies with those banners," answered the prince in a calm voice. "Besides, this will be like old times."'
"Except we won't be finding treasure," Madistel commented as he and his sister walked up to Homer. "So why are we here your majesty?"
Homer noticed the goosebumps and hair rise on Madistel's skin while Hilde walked past him and spoke with Olaf about opening the large door that led into the city.
"My father-King Yarl, has been concern with the lack of contact established by Firege-del. They have been trading with us for many years, but recently their emissaries have stopped contacting us. Furthermore, merchants, tradesmen, and people who are residing in Geminshire, who are orginally from Forge-del have not heard from their loved ones in a long time." The prince stopped and turned to look at the door that resembled a drawbridge.
Madistel crossed his arms, then looked at the door. "I see. And so your highness, do we just knock on the door?"
Hilde, knowing when her twin was getting smart mouthed with her betrothed, walked over to her brother and punched him in the shoulder. "Why don't we just use your thick skull to break it down?"
Madistel rubbed his shoulder for a moment, then reflected on his sister's words as he walked over to the door.
The prince quietly walked behind Madistel and patted him on the now bruised shoulder. "So what does our locksmith think about this door?"
Madistel smiled as he touched the door's wooden surface, feeling a bit of frost that had build up for who knows how long. He continued to search the door, finding no sign of a lock or trigger. Whe he knocked four times, he noticed the door was hollow.
Wasting not time, Madistle grabbed Homer by the threads of his snow coat and monkey flipped him into the air.
The prince of Geminshire let out a scream as he unceremoniously crashed through Forge-del's wooden door.
Hilde charged her twin and pinned him to the ground. "Madistel, ever since you came back. If I had my axe-" she stopped as Olaf rushed past her and disappeared through the hole in the door.
"I'm sure your beloved is fine Hilde," Madistel replied, pushing his sister off of him. "I know that Homer is here to find whatever happened to the missing people, but there is something else in Forge-del that I have been wanting to see since I was a child. You remember the Beer Gardens of Forge-del that father spoke of?"
Hilde raised a blond eyebrow. "Beer gardens?" She shook her head, trying to remember her father's stories as she followed her twin through the hole.

*
"An interesting way to enter," Olaf remarked as he helped the prince to his feet.
"Yes it is," Homer said, brushing the splinters and chips of broken wood off of his armor. He sighed, knowing that Madistel still held some hostile feelings towards him, despite having been engaged to Hilde for so long.
At least he didn't break my jaw like he did last time the prince said to himself, remembering the day he announced to everyone that he and Hilde were going to get married. After expressing what he felt were appropriate feelings, Madistel had left home. Apparently three days is not long enough to heal old wounds, the prince continued as the twins made their way to him. He turned and stared into the darkness that engulfed Forge-del. "We're going to need some light to find our ways around this place."
Olaf quickly struck a torch that made a light that glowed several feet around them. With the help of the torch, they saw a dusty stone road , with buildings on both sides that almost reached the ceiling. He took a few steps down the road and saw that no light came from any of the windows.
Hilde and Homer began lighting lanterns in an effort to create more light. "My father told me that the people of Forge-del set up traps around the city."
"But isn't that why we brought Madistel?" asked Hilde as her twin approached them.
Madistel shrugged as he grabbed one of the lit lanterns. "With all the money I've taken over the years, I probably deserve getting burned by a trap or two. You know, I'm wondering if something caused the people of Forge-del to evacuate."
Hilde questioned her brother's words. "What could have been big enough to drive these people from their homes."
The three males exchanged glances with each other as their own ideas came to mind.
"An army of invading morlocs," Olaf suggested.
"A sickness or a plague?" answered Homer.
"A malevolent dragon," Madistel said.
Hilde rolled her eyes at what she thought were wild guesses. "If there were an invading army or a dragon in Forge-del, wouldn't we have spotted it? Or if there was a plague or a sickness, wouldn't we have found the bodies?"
Madistel shrugged his shoulders and took a scroll from his pocket and placed it on his belt. One second later, a blue glow emitted from the scroll, glowing in a radius twice the distance of the lanterns.
"Something I picked up from a wizard friend of mine back west," Madistel said with a smile.
"Yes I'm sure he knows you have it," Olaf remarked before throwing his torch backwards.
Hilde let out a snort. "You can create light in your own way and we will stick to ours." That said, she took a look at Homer, then walked forward. Shaking his head, Madistel followed his sister.
Prince Homer looked at Olaf and said," We should follow her before they cross paths with some monster."
"I'd be more worried for any monster that got in their way" Olaf said before taking off after the twins.
"As would I, old friend."