By morning, the chaotic sounds of Eldoria's streets greeted him back. Stretching himself up, he was getting ready for the day with great curiosity.
He made his way through the village to the center, finding Aiko and Demian talking by the village fountain. Approaching the two, a beam in his smile, he said, "Morning, you two. What's up?"
She beamed and turned to him. "Morning, Luca! We were just talking about the up-coming festival celebration for the symbiotes. It's going to be huge this year!"
Demian nodded. "Yeah, they're planning all sorts of games and competitions. I was thinking of signing up for a few. How about you?"
Luca shrugged, catching the vibe in the air. "Might just give it a shot. Sounds like it could be a blast. What kind of competitions are we talking about, anyway?"
Aiko's eyes sparkled with amusement. "There's archery, a test of strength, and even a cooking competition. I'm definitely going to try the cooking one."
Demian burst out laughing. "I'd pay to see that. You're always messing around with food.
Aiko playfully slapped his arm. "Hey, my experiments are delicious! Most of the time."
Luca chuckled over their banter. "I probably will join the strength test. I could use a good challenge."
They kept talking about it as they walked through the village, the energy around them feeding into their enthusiasm. As they approached the training grounds, he saw a small circle of villagers peering at some sort of sparring match.
"Guess something's already going on," Luca said, nodding toward the crowd.
Demian lit up. "Let's check it out. Maybe we can pick up a few tips."
They joined the crowd and watched as two talented fighters exchanged blows with smooth, powerful motions. The fight was intense, and the crowd cheered at every hit.
Aiko leaned forward a bit more toward Luca, her voice low. "Think you could take them?"
Luca grinned. "Maybe. It would be a good test of my skills."
As the match was finished, they shook hands and the crowd dispersed. Luca and Aiko joined Demian once more on his walk down the street as they discussed the techniques used.
Back in the forge, he resumed his work, stroking down into the metal with focused precision.
The afternoon lasted until it was evening, and then everybody started coming into the great central square where everybody shared dinner together. The air was filled with the smell of all kinds of foods.
Luca joined Aiko, Demian, and other friends to take part in dinner and vivid conversation. In a very short time, the subject switched to the upcoming festival.
"I heard they're bringing in some performers from the neighboring village," said one of their friends. "Should be a great show."
Aiko nodded. "I just can't wait. It's going to be so much fun."
Luca leaned back in his chair, content. "I'm looking forward to it too. It's nice to have something to celebrate."
During the evening, when stories and jokes were shared, the comradeship grew so strong that evening became a lot more fun. Luca felt that amongst all those people, he was a wanted person.