The rest of the afternoon passed peacefully as we crossed the forest. When we were about to exit, we decided to camp right on the outskirts, thinking it would be a safe place to spend the night. We had a quick snack without much to say, and then prepared to rest.

As I settled down, I thought about the adventure we’d had. I definitely expected some action, but not at the level we just went through.

The next morning, Eldrek woke me up early. I still felt the fatigue from the previous day, and the sun had barely started to rise over the horizon. I stretched slowly, trying to shake off the laziness, and tossed a joke at Eldrek.

“Don’t you ever sleep more hours? It’s barely dawn.”

Eldrek gave a slight smile. “We giants are early risers by nature. We make better use of the day,” he replied.

“Ah, I see,” I added, mumbling to myself so he wouldn’t hear, “…but I’m not a giant,” scratching my head as I got up and tested my shoulder. I pulled my clothes aside to check the wound and was surprised to see it had almost completely healed. The herb the spirit had given me worked wonders.

“How’s that wound doing?” Eldrek asked as he gathered his things. “Pretty good, actually. I’m surprised at how fast it healed,” I murmured, grateful the arrow hadn’t hit any vital organs. We started packing up, and soon we were back on the road.

As we walked, I said to Eldrek, “Next time, you should get something to help you move faster. Keeping up with your long strides isn’t easy.” Eldrek nodded, considering the idea. “In the village, I could build a sturdy cart to support my weight. I’d just need a creature to pull it.”

I laughed, imagining what kind of creature could even manage pulling a giant like Eldrek.

“I wonder what kind of beast would be strong enough,” I said, still laughing. Eldrek, in his usual serious tone, replied, “There are several that could do it.”

“Not surprised at all by your answer,” I said, still smiling.

We spent the whole day walking, with brief breaks to eat and forage. This time, we didn’t run into any thieves or dangerous creatures, which was a relief for both Eldrek and me. We were both still dragging the fatigue from yesterday’s fights and the long walk.

When night began to fall, Eldrek suggested we keep walking until we reached the village. “We’re not too far,” he said, pointing toward the horizon. Though I was tired, I agreed. Knowing we would get there gave me a sense of accomplishment, of having fulfilled our purpose.

With the full moon in the sky, we finally reached the village. In the distance, I could see the houses, much larger than I expected, built to giant scale. As we approached, I noticed there was no formal entrance; everything was open, without fences or walls.

I commented on this to Eldrek, and he explained, “These lands are very peaceful; there’s no need to close off the village. It’s safe here.”

I was pleasantly surprised. We walked among the houses, huge wooden structures, all quite similar but with small details that made each unique. I didn’t see anyone around; it was probably late, and everyone was inside. Eldrek pointed to one of the houses.

“That one’s mine,” he said. The house, made of solid wood, was simple, like the others.

“Each giant builds their own house when they’re ready to live on their own,” he explained, but before he could say more, a deep voice interrupted him. In front of the neighboring house, a giant was sitting. He was the same size as Eldrek, but noticeably older, with deep wrinkles and a white beard that gave him an air of wisdom and severity. Still, his serious expression was intimidating.

“What’s a human doing here at this hour?” he said, not bothering with a greeting. “You know we don’t allow that, Eldrek.” The cold reception took me by surprise, and the tone made the situation feel uncomfortable. Eldrek, standing in front of his house, responded calmly. “This is Darius. He helped me gather minerals to forge weapons.”

The other giant let out a disgruntled growl. “You’re still going on with that nonsense of wanting to forge differently?” he muttered, as he brought a pipe to his mouth.

The smell of tobacco mixed with the night air, adding an even gloomier tone to the scene. I preferred to stay quiet, letting Eldrek handle the situation, though I felt uneasy.

Eldrek looked at me and gestured for me to enter the house. Without responding to the other giant, we both went inside. The interior was modest, with the essentials for comfortable living, but no luxuries. The first thing Eldrek did was heat water and prepare some herbs for tea.

“Some welcome,” I said, with a sarcastic tone.

“It was to be expected,” he replied. “And tomorrow probably won’t be any different.” I let out a resigned sigh, imagining my stay in the village wouldn’t be particularly pleasant.

Before I could say more, Eldrek changed the subject.

“We should rest after the tea. Tomorrow we’ll start working right away. It won’t be easy; we have enough mineral to allow for some mistakes, but we still have to take it seriously. If we run out quickly, we’ll have trouble getting more, and I don’t want to go back to those mountains. Worst case, we’d have to look somewhere farther away, which would mean going by boat.”

“I understand,” I replied, feeling the weight of the responsibility ahead. Everything had to go well. If I succeeded, I’d have a magical sword, and Eldrek could be a pioneer in his craft, supplying forged weapons to other villages that needed them.

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As we drank tea, the conversation relaxed. Eldrek told me about the other giants, their customs, and traditions. It was interesting, but exhaustion soon caught up with us.

Finally, we prepared for sleep. Eldrek went to his room, and I settled on the floor, but I quickly fell asleep. The fatigue was stronger than any discomfort.

As expected, Eldrek woke me up at dawn, long before the sun began to rise. I struggled to open my eyes, feeling like I could’ve slept all day without a problem. But this time, I didn’t make any comment about it. I had committed to helping and taking it seriously, so I’d already accepted that every day would start the same way.

Eldrek pointed me to a room where I could wash up before heading out. I went in and found a small room, even for Eldrek’s size. There was a large bucket filled with water and some cloths on a cut log. As I washed my face, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as if I’d been through something similar before, but the thought quickly faded.

Before I could get too distracted, Eldrek hurried me along. I left the room feeling a bit more awake, and just before stepping outside, I took a deep breath, anticipating the stares I’d likely get.

Eldrek was the first to step out. He already had the minerals stored in a bag, and as he opened the door, he called me. “Come on, Darius, we’re going straight to the forge.” I nodded determinedly, following him without hesitation.

Eldrek led the way, walking along the same path we had taken the night before, but this time the village was more alive. There was more activity; I saw giant women of imposing stature, broad and almost as tall as Eldrek. Their presence was impressive, very different from the typical female figure one might expect.

Alongside them, I also saw children. At first glance, they seemed younger, but they already stood over six feet tall. I wondered how old the youngest ones must be.

I walked with a certain shyness, glancing around while trying not to lose sight of Eldrek. I felt the giants’ gazes on me, some with curiosity, others with disapproval. The younger ones whispered questions to their mothers, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Eldrek, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to it all, focused on our destination.

Nervously, I asked him how much farther we had to go. “Just a few more steps,” he replied, pointing to a structure much larger than the surrounding houses. From there, I could hear hammering and the metallic sound of tools at work.

When we reached the entrance, I saw that the door was wide open. Eldrek entered without stopping, and I followed closely. Inside, several giants were working, focused on their tasks, hammering, welding, lifting massive pieces.

As they noticed me, I immediately felt their serious, disapproving stares. For a moment, I felt like an insect, small and insignificant, in front of these imposing figures.

I quickened my pace, trying to make it obvious I was with Eldrek, but before I could reach him, one of the giants stepped into my path. I was looking around, distracted, and bumped into his leg, landing on the ground, sitting right in front of him. As I looked up, I found myself facing a true beast of a giant.

This one was a bit taller than Eldrek, his body more muscular, and he had a rough appearance. His skin was covered in scars, and he wore a long braid that reached down his back. He didn’t have a beard, but his serious expression was as intimidating as the others. A huge hammer rested on his shoulder, held effortlessly, as if it were an extension of his body.

From my spot on the ground, nervously, I tried to apologize.

“Sorry, I was distracted,” I said, raising my hands in a gesture of peace.

But before I could get up, the giant crouched down in front of me, moving the hammer in his hand as if weighing the idea of using it. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, leaning in a bit closer.

“And who do you think you are, walking in here like it’s nothing?” he asked, his deep, direct voice full of challenge. His gaze pierced through me, and for a moment, I thought the worst.

My hands trembled a bit, and I stammered as I responded. “I-I’m with Eldrek,” I managed to say, trying not to sound too nervous. Still, the situation was anything but comfortable.

I had barely finished stammering my explanation when I sensed Eldrek’s presence approaching from behind the giant blocking my way. His tone was firm and serious: “What do you think you’re doing, Gronn?”

Gronn, without taking his eyes off me, replied with a mischievous grin. “Nothing, I just came across some kind of rat and thought about squashing it, that’s all.”

I opened my eyes, alarmed, as silence fell heavy around us. Suddenly, Gronn let out a deep laugh, extending a hand to me. I hesitated for a moment, but eventually took it. Still laughing, Gronn lifted me off the ground in one smooth movement, as if I weighed nothing. I was standing again, not fully understanding what had just happened.

He patted me on the shoulder, which I’m sure felt gentle to him, but to me, it felt like hammer blows, echoing inside me.

“Relax, human, I’m just messing with you,” he said, with a wide grin. Then he raised his voice so that everyone watching us with disapproval could hear. “Don’t mind these grumpy giants.”

In the distance, I heard critical murmurs, but Gronn paid them no attention. “What’s your name, little guy?” he asked, still with his relaxed attitude. “Darius,” I replied, still somewhat confused. This giant was nothing like the others; he had a more “normal” attitude, almost human-like, which was quite a contrast to the seriousness of the rest.

Gronn laughed again, this time looking at Eldrek. “I think I scared your little friend, Eldrek.”

Eldrek sighed and replied, “What did you expect after confronting him like that?”

“Well… you know me, dear Eldrek, I’m a special giant,” Gronn said, with a mischievous grin. I watched them interact and realized they were probably close, almost like brothers.

Eldrek looked at me and confirmed my suspicions. “This idiot is my friend. We grew up together. He’s one of the few who supports my ideas of forging with new techniques.”

“I see,” I replied, feeling my tension start to ease. “For a moment, I thought he was going to squash me with that hammer,” I said with a sarcastic tone, though my heart was still pounding.

Gronn burst into laughter again and gave me another round of shoulder pats, making me wobble. “As if!” he exclaimed, laughing. I joined in the laughter, though nervously, rubbing my shoulder to mask the pain.

“Well, I’m off. Gotta get back to work,” Gronn said, waving and heading back to his station.

Eldrek motioned for me to follow him. Despite the awkward moment, I was wide awake. I decided not to mention it to Eldrek and focused on what was coming next. We walked over to a table near an unused furnace, and Eldrek started explaining what we’d be doing.

“You’ll be my assistant,” he said, pointing to the tools on the table. “First, we’ll finish forging the sword. When that’s done, we’ll start working on the mineral; that’ll be the second stage of the process. The third and final stage will be infusing the sword with your mana.”

I nodded, feeling more excitement than I expected. Despite everything that had happened, I shared Eldrek’s enthusiasm. There was something fascinating about the whole process, and I wanted to see how far we’d get.

We spent the rest of the day working in the workshop, focused, alongside the other giants who, though not as open as Gronn, were just as engrossed in their tasks. It was an atmosphere filled with noise, fire, and metal, but also with dedication and a sense of creating something important.

I felt like I was part of something bigger.