"Barras Berend.." Eteri said out loud as she glanced over the quest. She wasn't familiar with all the locals in Magnolia yet, but from what she was reading, it sounded this guy was a big deal. Wiping a drop of sweat off her forehead, the young elf stretched out her arms and legs in anticipation. The job today sounded a lot like physical labor and while she was strong, it was lean instead of bulky muscle.

The weather in Magnolia was different than Hargeon. She had gotten accustom to the soft, salty breeze and cooler nights. The sun bared down on Eteri as her light brown skin relished in the rays. Pulling her hair up into a high ponytail, the young elf started down the streets of Magnolia towards the blacksmith. Upon arrival, Eteri could hear the sounds of metal banging and the grunting of men hard away at work. Spotting the man who fit the description in the ad, she jogged over and introduced herself. "Hey Barras, I'm Eteri! I'll be helping you today!"

The smith took a glance at her and looked at her uncertainly. "You sure you are up for the job? It's long and repetitive work." Barras didn't want to rope her into something she couldn't handle.

Eteri nodded vigorously and reassurance him she would complete the job without fail. Then Barras explained the task at hand. He was getting orders faster than he could complete on his own, so her task is to flatten and hammer out a soft piece of metal. Barras called over his assistant who came over and placed the soft metal in front of Eteri.

Grabbed a hammer, the young woman began to hammer out the metal. Through her first hour, the assistant stayed nearby and gave advice on how to make the metal straight, proper hammering technique, and how to reheat the metal. Continuing to strike the metal, the young elf's arm started to burn. She managed to keep steady strikes for the first few hours, but the burning was becoming stronger. It had been a long time since she had done physical training such as this. This was a healthy reminder that there were always new limits to be reached. She cannot settle for her current physique,

With renewed, fierce determination, Eteri increased her pace and intensity of the strikes. The pounding eventually got easier as the burning in her arms began to subside as it turned into a dull tolerance. She knew she would be sore tomorrow, but it was the cost of hard work.

Letting out a heavy sigh, the sorcerer stretched out her neck and put the hammer down. She stood above the metal and admired her handiwork. The metal had been straightened. Straining her eyes, she glanced out at the sun and saw it had started to fall. Barras walked over and checked out her work. "Well done Eteri. I doubted you, but you've proved me wrong. Let me fetch your reward." The smith patted Eteri on the head and she smiled brightly up at him.

WC: 520