The hissing of molten steel being poured into a large mold fought with the constant droning and banging of pipes over making the most noise in the small room. Despite there being no windows, the molten metal provided light that rivaled that of the sun's, being painful to look at and bathing everything nearby in waves of discomforting heat. It was here where one man plied his craft, creating many inventions and devices from steel and wood that served the tiny mountain community well. He reached for a hammer, and waited for the steel to cool before striking it repeatedly, letting the harsh cries echo out inside the building. The loud crashing of steel against steel hid the footsteps of a child, who slipped in from one of the winding corridors and watched the man go about his work.
When he was finished, the man turned around and noticed his new visitor, pulling up the iron mask that covered his face.
"What are you doing here? This place is too dangerous for a kid like you to be wandering around unsupervised."
The kid shifted somewhat under the man's gaze, maintaining a neutral expression. "I heard that you were working with metal. Making things with it. I wanted to see that for myself."
"Really?"
The child licked his lips. "I like metal. It's... elegant. Beautiful in its form and structure. Much more than the stuff you see in nature."
The man set his hammer down and crossed his arms. "Who are you, anyway? I don't think I've seen you around here before."
A flicker of unease quickly crossed the kid's face before he responded. "I - my family just moved here. We had... troubles. My name is Karras."
"Karras, huh? Well, it was nice meeting you, but you really shouldn't stick around here. Your parents wouldn't like it if they knew you were hanging around in places like this."
Karras stayed quiet for a few moments, before turning and walking away. When he was nearly at the door leading to the hallway outside, he stopped and turned back to the man.
"You'll teach me, won't you?" Karras blurted out.
The man frowned. "Teach you what?"
"Metalworking. Smithing. Inventing. I need - I want to learn."
The man paused, stroking his chin. "Well, I suppose when you're older... if you have an aptitude for the job, then maybe... well, we'll see. For now, you should definitely go back to your parents. We can talk about this later."
Karras frowned, but nodded and left without speaking further.