As the day wound down, Luka grilled the last two burgers of the evening. It had been long and hectic, but from the smiling, giggling children and Emberwood’s ever-pleasant weather, Luka didn’t think he’d change a thing about it. Meeting most, if not all, of the villagers was a plus, too, especially surrounding the carousel and burgers.

It was like Tram said a few days ago—people find World Walkers interesting. Earth is as alien of a world to them as the one Luka currently stood on to him. Stories, marvels, culture, technology, everyone wanted to hear a piece of a truly “fantastical” place, even if Luka felt the term to be lacking about Earth.

“Sorry I can’t make them doubles,” Luka said to the recepients of the last two burgers. “I can add some grilled sausage to the top, if you want.”

Forge Apprentice Cam stood beside his teacher, Forgemaster Adam. Both were shirtless, and both glistened with sweat. Both had padded coats tied around their waists, and both stood with their arms crossed, eyeing the grease-soaked griddle.

Cam, while chiseled like a lean Olympian, didn’t compare to that of his master. Adam stood out among all the other orcs, his deep red skin tightly covering his massive muscles. Compared to Franky—a barkeeper— Forgemaster Adam’s muscles were two, maybe three, times larger. And yet, he moved with the dexterity of a ballerina, swatting at mosquitoes or scratching his sweat-drenched skin.

“Sounds good, bossman,” Cam said, nudging his master in the ribs. “He’s the World Walker I told you about.”

Luka couldn’t help but feel small as he stuck out his fist in greeting. Adam studied him, eyeing him up and down. At some point through the evening, one of the villagers brought Luka an apron—one that was now stained with grease and melted cheese strands.

“So this is the conman.” Adam lifted his chin as he said it, glaring.

Both Cam and Luka recoiled—but for different reasons.

“Bossman?”

Adam crossed his arms. “Your secrets hold no value here, conman. The metals you speak of are useless.”

Luka held up his hands, surrendering. “Can we restart this conversation? I think there’s something I’m missing here.”

“Me too, bossman,” Cam added.

“We’re talking about aluminum, right?”

Adam grunted. “Aye, ’Ale-u-inium,’ dainty iron, weak steel, fool’s metal—whatever you want to call it, it’s useless, conman. You’d need dozens of enchantments to make the stuff worth using.”

Luka raised an eyebrow. “I think we’re talking about different metals. Aluminum is one of my home’s most utilized metals. It’s literally everywhere.”

“Bossman, you never told me about this metal,” Cam said.

Adam glanced at his apprentice. “It’s worthless.”

“No, it's not,” challenged Luka. “Sure, some alloys are far less practical than others, but aluminum is—”

Adam raised a hand, silencing the World Walker. “You know the alloys?”

Luka hesitated, a haze flooding his mind. “It’d take some tinkering, but I think I remember the formulas for a few alloys. yes.”

“You some kind of smithy?”

“Engineer, actually. I can’t remember all of the details from my life on Earth, but I do remember talking to several manufacturers about aluminum—weight, density, tensile strength, that sort of thing.”

Adam subtly smirked. “None of those help with alloy formulas.”

“Not implicitly, no. But part of my job was finding the cheapest material that fit…” Again, Luka hesitated. He could feel the memory wanting to come out. It banged against his mind, like a rowdy dog clawing at the door, “certain parameters. And some materials were more expensive than others—”

Adam interrupted, “Thus the tinkering. You know the approximate materials used in your ‘special’ aluminum based on how much each alloy costs.”

“Exactly. But what you’ve got to remember is that my world had billions of people in it. Aluminum wasn’t created in small forges like yours—aluminum was created in massive foundries, produced at speeds that far surpass what any person could.”

Luka slid the burgers onto the buns, sliced sausages included. He tapped the “off button” glyph, depowering the griddle. With a lazy gesture to follow, Luka led the smiths to the condiment table.

“Pick of the litter for toppings,” he said.

“Litter?” Cam asked. “Bossman, I don’t want any litter on—”

“It’s just a phrase,” Luka interrupted. “Everything here was brought over by other villagers and cut up by Ren and Nicole.” He pointed toward the carousel, specifically the two kids.

On the other side of the yard, kids and adults alike lounged in the grass, quietly talking or playing amongst themselves. Mayor Tram and Judge Ben stood at the carousel’s control box with Eve and Franky, timing ride intervals down to the second.

The previous timing schedule of “burgers” wasn’t working out so hot. Designed by the kids, a timer was worked out for as long as Luka cooked a burger. Once the burger was done and a new one was put on the griddle, another four got to ride.

As Cam and Adam ate their burgers, Luka continued talking, “I understand if you don’t want to work out a deal with me. But like I told your apprentice, I can pay for my two fence posts, and we can have a normal business relationship. Thought…” He took a breath before saying, “I’m going to need a lot of metal soon.”

Adam quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Luka nodded at the carousel. “There’s a lot of stuff I could build, but not all of them can be made out of wood. Tram’s already asked me to take up residence here in Emberwood, and I’m edging toward that. But I’ll need to make money, and I want to help revitalize the village if I can.”

“Bossman?” Cam asked. “You want to what?”

“Goddess Tippy placed me in Emberwood for a reason. What better than to create something here—something that all the villagers can take pride in.”

Forgemaster Adam frowned despite the good food in his belly. “You are an outsider here, World Walker or not.”

Luka nodded. He knew that more than anyone. “And yet, I think I’ve fallen in love with Emberwood already.”

Adam scoffed. “Something a conman would say.”

He grit his teeth. “It hurts to admit, especially with my memories the way they are, but I don’t think I was a good person on Earth—my home. Either I hurt people, or I made things that hurt people. Regardless, from the moment I took my first step into this world, my chest felt wrong. There’s this dull ache right here.” Luka thumped his heart. “And I just know it’s cause of my past.”

Neither Adam nor Cam spoke, they just waited.

“But here, tonight?” Luka threw out his arms wide, gesturing all around, “I didn’t feel it. This evening’s been tiring. The kids have been hellish, and some of the adults. My feet hurt, I smell like grease, and I think I have a sunburn.” He chuckled a little at that last bit. “But I wouldn’t change it. Today’s been perfect. Look at all the smiling faces.”

Cam and Adam did—nearly the whole village was here, each and everyone smiling, laughing, and talking. Something that hasn’t happened since before the mine collapsed.

“I’ve created happiness here,” Luka said quietly. “And as much as I hate saying that—mainly cause it sounds so egotistical—but I did. And that’s exactly what Goddess Tippy wanted me to do. She resurrected and reincarnated me on this planet to create days like today—days everyone will remember, even the two sullen smiths that showed up late.”

“I’m not sullen, bossman!” Cam snapped. Luka just smiled at him.

For a long moment, Adam stared. Then, he relented. “Come by the forge in a week. I’ll have to order materials from the city in special.”

With that, the smithy duo departed, both licking the burger fat from their fingers. Luka packed up the topping bar and went to find his friends.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Eve and Franky were arguing with one of the villagers about carousel ride time and how the villagers thought Tram and Ben were rigging it so that the kids had longer rides than the adults.

The argument came to a head when Tram grunted at the villager and said, “Of course, I’m giving the kids a longer ride. What’s wrong with you?” The villager growled something obscene and stepped away.

Luka chuckled. “Making friends, I see,” he said to Tram.

“Everyone wants a fair piece, but the kids deserve a larger slice,” she replied.

“I can’t agree more.” A glance to the far end of the yard reminded Luka of his ‘payments.’ Materials, all kinds, and states of repair, sat in a large pile. He’d have to sort it later and collect the heavy stuff people couldn’t carry, but from a cursory estimate, there was enough to build another special something for the kids… and villagers, for that matter.

A meaty hand clapped Luka on the shoulder. Franky grinned at the World Walker, thick bags under his eyes. “Luka, friend, please, if you make something else for the kids, add automation to it.”

Luka quirked an eyebrow. “Automation?”

“A ride timer. Please hard inscribe it into the ride. I can’t keep arguing with people about what’s been a complete ride or not.”

Eve stepped up beside her brother and handed Luka a slip of paper. “Here. I sketched a timer glyph out. Essentially, it cuts power after a certain amount of time.”

Luka studied the paper. “And this would be added directly into the main on/off glyph?”

She nodded. “I have it set to a minute and a half before cutting out. Should work fine, my aunt checked it for me.”

Looking around, he asked, “Sol’s here? I’ll cook her a burger if—”

Eve held up a hand. “She’s indisposed at her cottage. We talked via raven.”

A terrible frown slipped across Franky’s lips. “Indisposed doing what?”

“Something no one asked for and something no one particularly needs—her specialty.”

Tram scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Your aunt does more for this village than either of you two know. And if you must know, she’s working on a project for me.”

“Speaking of projects,” Luka said before the siblings could respond, “I—”

“Eve! Franky! Hello! Anyone here, Eve and/or Franky!?”

Everyone turned, finding a human approaching from the outlying section of the village. She wore leather belts and hiking boots, both worn thin and cracked from age. A thick, long-sleeve shirt was pulled up past her elbows, showing off multiple thick rope burns across her arms. Her hair was tied back, but she swayed like a drunkard only a few drinks into the night.

“Whose that?” Luka asked.

“Caravanner,” Tram answered, waving the middle-aged woman over. “Must be staying at Todd’s.”

The statement made both Eve and Franky flinch. “Uh oh,” they said in tandem.

“Hi there,” the woman said. “I’m looking for Eve and or Franky. I’ve got a message from a ‘Mr. Todd.’”

“That’s us,” Eve flatly said.

She cleared her throat and said, “The bar’s full, and your boss needs you.”

“That was the message?” Franky asked.

“I simplified the colorful language for the kids. But there was something about a new sign…” The woman trailed off, only now seeing the carousel. It pulsed with colorful lights, the evening sun causing the thing to sparkle. “What’s that thing?”

“Something for the kids,” Franky said with a sigh. “I guess we’ve got to work, Eve.”

Together, the siblings walked off, both with their heads hung.

“Sorry!” Luka yelled, calling after them. “If I knew the sign would’ve trouble, I’d have made it smaller!”

Eve spun, walking backward and yelling, “Don’t worry about it! The extra tip money’s going to be good!”

“Mind bringing Sebby and Olive over when you come in for the night?” Franky asked. “They look like they’re having fun!”

Luka turned, finding the mounts. All three sat around with the other mounts brought in by various villagers “talking” in beast-tongue. There was a giant toad, some sort of cat-thing, and even a lion with snow for a mane.

“Will do!” Luka yelled. The quieter, he asked Tram, “Can the beasts understand each other?”

“Dire-beasts, sure,” Tram answered curtly as she eyed the intruder in the village—the caravanner. “You need something else?”

The woman startled at the question, tearing her eyes from the spinning carousel. “I can… can I try the spinney thing?”

Luka only now recognized the woman as human. Well, obviously, he recognized her as human, but he only now realized the oddity. She was the first human he’d met in this world. He’d seen some from the window of his inn but never interacted. And luckily for his peace of mind, humans here didn’t have gills or scales or anything crazy. They looked just like Earth’s humans.

“Suuuure,” Tram said, elongating the word and smiling like a cat. “You’ll have to pay and wait in line like everyone else.”

Luka gave the Mayor a strange look. She only grinned at him.

The woman didn’t need to be told twice. She fished through her pocket, grabbing hold of some loose coins. “How much?” she asked.

“Five copper pieces.”

The price was a mystery to Luka. “Five pieces” didn’t seem like a lot, but at the same time, how much was a copper even worth? Regardless, the woman had enough money on her and gladly paid, slapping the money in Tram’s open hand. The woman then joined the back of the line.

Tram quietly said, “This may be the best night this village has had in years. Thank you, Luka.” She jostled the coins in her hand, tossing them to the World Walker. “When you head in for the night, buy something cold from Todd with those. Should be worth two drinks.”

“Five copper pieces are worth two drinks,” Luka echoed, “good to know. And don’t thank me. Anyone would have done this if they had my magic.”

Tram snorted. “No, they wouldn’t have. You have a good heart, even if you smell like beef.”

Luka sniffed himself, frowning. “How much does a shower cost at Todd’s?”

“Todd only has baths—four copper for one. However, you could easily magic yourself a temporary shower somewhere with a water glyph. Or you could jump in the lake.”

He hadn’t considered using magic to clean himself. What an interesting world, he thought.

“Anyway,” Tram continued, “with tonight being such a success, I’d like to sponsor your next creation.”

“Sponsor?”

“As Mayor of Emberwood Village, I oversee the treasurey—little as it holds. And I’ll pay you to build something else here.”

Luka shook his head. “I’m not taking payment. I’d build something here anyways.” He sighed loudly. “I want to preface this by saying I may change my mind later, okay?”

Tram nodded vigorously.

“I think I’m going to take you up on your residency offer.”

Ben, standing a few steps away at the carousel's control panel, gasped, obviously listening.

“You’d be free to leave whenever you want, World Walker,” Tram said. “No way we’d try to trap you here.”

Luka took a deep breath. “Good, and thank you.”

Tram patted him on the back with a wrinkled hand. “Enough sappy stuff, let’s get back to business: the village is nearly bankrupt and is slowly declining.”

“I thought it was only stagnated?”

She shook her head softly. “That’s what we tell people. Can’t have people worrying, you know?” Tram nodded toward the human woman waiting in line for the carousel. “But that’s something special.”

“Five copper for a single ride,” Luka said, seeing where the conversation was going.

“Exactly. What we need is a way to make some money—something the whole village can be a part of. So, the sponsorship. Any material you need, within reason, we’ll get for you. Just whatever you decide to build, it needs to be in the outlying section of the village—by Todd’s and his new sign.”

Luka got thinking. “Something big, something that’ll draw crowds.”

“That woman is going to go back to her friends and tell them about the carousel. They’re going to all come over here and each pay five copper. Then, most likely, they will inquire about food—get’s hungry after an evening of drinking, after all. And they’re not going to want crappy bar food. They are going to want—”

“Burger,” Luka said, finishing her thought. “And they are going to pay for them. Which is also going to prompt me to buy more ingredients from the villagers.”

Tram nodded along. “A trickle of money, all stemming from your creations here. Tomorrow, you are going to create something new, something made for paying customers—not something sweet and nice for the kids—but something to rekindle Emberwood.”

“We’d need to make a food stand out there,” Luka added. “And drinks, bathrooms, extra space for wagons and stuff.” He paused. “Wait. Maybe we should build it here, not in the outlying village. That way, people come in and have access to the—”

“The village shops,” Tram said, finishing his sentence. “They’re old, and most haven’t been touched in years, but besides ore, Emberwood used to be known for trinkets and handmade woodcraft.”

“Emberwood orange is beautiful.” Luka pondered for only a second more before conceding. Tram was right. “I’m sold. I’ll make another attraction.”

She smirked. “’Attraction,’ I like it. ‘World Walker Attractions.’” She chuckled. “I’d definitely cover the cost of a sign that says that!”

It took a while, but everything the Mayor predicted came true. The woman rode the carousel, wandered off back toward the bar, then promptly returned with nearly twelve other patrons, each eager and willing to pay five copper for a ride. By this point, most of the kids had their fill of riding, which caused the line to shorten significantly. Some of the new patrons rode twice.

From there, with alcohol swirling in their bellies, hunger stuck, and the call for food echoed around the courtyard. All eyes fell on Luka. With Hern and Gern restocking the beef, Luka got to cooking. Ren suggested six copper pieces for a double smash burger, something every villager, including Tram and Ben, thought was outrageous.

But the drunk patrons paid for the price with smiles.

“They should be more expensive,” Ren whispered to Luka. “But a lack of seasoning—”

Luka glared at him until he quieted down and sat with Nicole.

And where there was food, drinks also needed to be served. Tram exited the courthouse with a few corked bottles of mead—which she promptly sold to the group of outsiders. Another dozen or so copper found her hand with that.

Eventually, the group left and went back to Mr. Todd’s, but not before a few paid for another ride on the carousel. Ultimately, Luka and Tram couldn't wipe their smiles off their faces.

And neither could Ren—though that was only because Luka let him grill the burgers.

And it was a few hours later, as Luka laid in bed staring at the ceiling after half a prismpuff joint, he thought of what to build next: a Feris wheel.

He dreamt of fighter jets and flames.