Location: Kell Village
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The sun had reached its apex and bathed everything in its light. Kids ran through the streets as youthful laughter filled the air, while the adults went about their daily responsibilities. Sweat drew from their temples as they worked through the summer heat.
Behind a cluster of weathered wooden homes stood a blacksmith station. A sturdy, open-sided workshop built in a less-occupied part of the village. The area was a patchwork of practicality and soot-stained chaos that somehow felt welcoming.
A well-worn anvil sat near the forge, its surface scarred from years of hammer strikes. Tools hung neatly on the back wall while half-finished iron pieces and scrap metal lay sorted in wooden crates. The air always carried the sharp tang of hot metal and smoke.
Sam and Nicolas worked side by side here most days, hammering out tools and the occasional weapon. Twice a month, they loaded a sturdy cart with their wares and made the half-day trip to the nearby town, returning a few days later with coins, new materials, and the latest gossip.
Hammering echoed from the workshop as Sam worked to shape a stubborn piece of iron. Nicolas was polishing a dagger when he heard someone's voice call out from the front.
"Hello! Is anyone here?"
Nicolas put down the dagger and moved to the front. A man leaned against the countertop and waved a hand.
"Henry!" Nicolas waved back. "What brings you here? We just sold you a hoe back in Newstead."
"Well," Henry scratched his cheek. "My son wanted me to teach him swordsmanship, so I went to find you guys and buy a sword, but you already left. That's why I'm here."
"Well, we already made our monthly trip to Newstead, so we needed to restock," Sam called from the back, still hammering the iron.
"Alright, what kind of sword you looking for?" Nicolas said, making his way to the back of the workshop.
Henry stood there for a moment, lost in thought. "I think a shortsword would be perfect for him, considering he's just starting."
Nicolas grabbed a leather glove and walked over to a crate filled with shortswords. He grabbed one and brought it to Henry.
"Here you go, one shortsword," he said, handing it over.
Henry took it with a smile and began inspecting it. Sunlight reflected off the blade as he examined its polished surface. "What a high-quality sword."
"For a great price, of course!" Sam exclaimed from the back of the workshop.
Henry chuckled and rummaged through his coin pouch. "How much will it cost?"
"10 Silver Links"
Henry pulled out five silver coins. Each had a linked chain design on them. He handed them to Nicolas. "I hope this helps you keep your business running. It would be a shame if a great store like this went out of business. Where would I get farming equipment from?"
Nicolas shrugged. "You could always make them yourself, but they would never come close to being as good as ours."
They both laughed as their voices mixed with the constant hammering coming from the back of the workshop. A cool breeze blew through the open-sided workshop, carrying away some of the heat that had built up inside.
Henry smiled as he looked around and saw children running through the small dirt streets of the village. He looked back at Nicolas and raised a brow.
"So, where is your son?" he asked.
"He's in Kell Forest, taking his trial," Nicolas said while polishing a dagger.
Henry raised his other brow. "Oh yeah! I guess it is that time of year. My son took his trial around the same time last year."
Sam stood up from his chair, hot metal in one hand, and put it in a tankard of water. "Did your son have anyone to go with on his trial?"
"Yep. Luckily there were others his age who could join him. It's a pretty rough experience having to take the trial alone."
There was a rule shared among all the villages and towns that resided in and around Kell Forest. Every child aged seven had to partake in the Kell Forest Trials. The trials were used to determine whether a child was developing properly and had learned the necessary skills to survive on their own.
Communities were often encouraged to coordinate births so there would always be multiple children the same age, ensuring no child would be forced to take the trial alone. If such an event did occur, the child had two options: either wait for the younger children to turn seven and take the trial with them, or train to take the trial alone. If the second option was chosen, the child must be given another six months to prepare.
Henry crossed his arms and wore a proud smirk. "My son's group managed to kill a Burrowfang! I was so proud of him that day."
Sam and Nicolas looked at each other knowingly, smirks tugging at their lips.
Kell Village was located a fair bit inside of the Kell Forest. Because of how dangerous the forest became the deeper you went, no one dared to settle too far inside the forest. Kell Village was the furthest settlement inside the forest, which meant they regularly encountered more dangerous creatures than towns and villages like Newstead, settled in the forest's outer ring.
Both Men knew that the Burrowfang that Henry's son had killed was nothing compared to the ones their children had killed before for fun.
Sam crossed his arms and looked at Henry. "How long was it?"
Henry thought for a moment, then smirked. "One-and-a-half meters. It was one of the biggest Burrowfangs I've ever laid my eyes on. They usually grow up to 1.2 meters, and the largest one we have ever recorded was 2.5 meters." He wore a proud smile, as if those measurements were meant to impress Sam and Nicolas.
Nicolas reached out an open palm. "What a great accomplishment for your son. He'll definitely grow up to be a strong man, along with the group that helped him kill it." He said with sarcasm so faint only Sam caught it.
"Well, it was nice chatting with ya, Henry, but I have to get back to work. Merchandise ain't gonna make itself." Sam said as he walked to the back of the workshop.
"I should also start making my way back. My son is probably dying to see what kind of sword I'll bring home," Henry said as he turned and began walking. "One day I'll bring someone from another town to buy your wares. I'll be doing you a huge favour."
Nicolas smiled as he waved him off. "You know no one wants to come anywhere near our village, despite all the work we do to keep the area relatively safe."
Henry chuckled as he walked further away. "Maybe that's a good thing. It'll keep the prices down. Hahaha!"
Nicolas turned and made his way to his workstation. He grabbed a knife and a whetstone and began sharpening it, the sound echoing through the quiet part of the village. As he worked on the blade, a few thoughts went through his head.
'I hope the boys are doing okay. And I really hope Savien can teach Omari to be less lazy.'
He was broken from thought when he heard someone call out from the front. He put down the knife and walked over, only to see Henry standing there.
"I thought you were going home. Why are you still here?" he asked.
Henry rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually, I wanted to warn you about something."
This caught Sam's attention. He stood up from his station and walked to the front. Henry's expression shifted to something more serious, showing the gravity of the words he wanted to say.
He cleared his throat and straightened up. "It's something important about what's lurking in the forest. We planned on informing the other settlements about it in a few days, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to tell you about it."
Sam and Nicolas stared at each other for a moment, then turned to Henry. "We're listening," They said simultaneously.
He looked at them both and opened his mouth to speak.
"There's a demonic creature lurking in the Kell forest."