“HEY COURSER!” The shout was sudden and loud, cutting through the heat like a jagged blade. Arrow's ear twitched in annoyance, his gaze snapping away from the forge towards the source. But before he could even make out who had called, more voices joined in, a cacophony of insults, each one sharper than the last. “Hey, you rusty hammer! Haven't forged a real sword in ages, have ya?” “Who taught you to smith? Your grandma?...

The path away from the Earthen Furnace was a narrow one, winding through rocky tunnels and cooled lava flows. Arrow walked with a new sense of purpose, each hoofstep more confident than the last. He had stayed with the golden mare longer than he had intended, learning from her, not just about the forge, but about himself. She had shown him that the fire within him was not something to be feared but something to be harnessed. Now, with the memory of the forge’s heat still warm in his ...

The heat of the Earthen Furnace wrapped around Arrow like an old, suffocating cloak. He squinted through the shimmering air, watching the rivers of lava flow sluggishly beneath the narrow stone bridge. The sound of bubbling magma was almost soothing, a constant companion on his many journeys here. But this time, something else cut through the oppressive heat. A muffled clanging echoed faintly off the jagged walls, barely audible over the rumble of the molten rock. Arrow's ears twitched...