Ode Louis accompanied his old friend today, one of the fifteen from the Giant Race's Engineering Academy, Korda Highridge, to Lublin.
It wasn't anything new, just that there had been rumors of a half-blood giant who had made a breakthrough, leaping straight from a skilled craftsman to a master.
The leap was too great, and the Giant King's Court was uneasy, fearing that a runaway half-blood giant child might have played some trick—if true, the giants would certainly welcome a half-giant becoming a master craftsman.
If false, Giant craftsmen really couldn't afford to lose face, and the court's orders to Korda were simple: if it was a sham, then don't blame a giant for being ruthless.
"I've heard, the one who recommended this kid is none other than Durin. This kid, his skills outshine even yours and mine. I've heard he's even filed a patent this time, something called hard alloy, with several different levels of hardness. Have you heard of it, Rick Leish, the Demon Hunter?"
