The forge, as it turned out, was not a single workshop but many, spread across different levels of the city.
I had only one question, the abrasive I needed was produced in the Factorio, so I had to learn at least where to look for it.
Walking through the streets of Omashu, I noticed how the city changed as I descended.
The upper levels were bright, bustling with merchants and citizens going about their daily lives.
The lower I went, the darker and more industrial it became.
The architecture shifted from elegant stonework to functional, utilitarian structures designed for production rather than beauty.
I found the forge district eventually.
It was a massive complex carved into the bedrock, with multiple entrances leading to different workshops.
The air grew hotter with each step, thick with the smell of burning coal and hot metal.
A giant of a man approached me at the entrance.
He was easily two meters tall, built like a boulder, with skin so dark it seemed almost black.
But it wasn’t natural.
Up close, I could see the grime embedded deep into his pores.
Coal dust.
It had stained him permanently.
His eyes were hard.
His stare unflinching.
He looked at me like I was a stray dog that wandered into his territory.
“Who are you?” His voice rumbled like grinding stone.
“An Earthbender,” I replied evenly.
“I’m looking for work.”
He stared at me for a long moment.
Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.
Just like that.
“Don’t mind Kret,” a voice said from my side.
I turned to see a bearded man in a leather apron, wiping coal dust from his hands with a rag.
He had a knowing smile, the kind that said he’d seen everything this forge had to offer.
“He handles our orders.
You’re new around here?”
“Temporary work,” I replied.
“Temporary?” His eyebrows shot up.
“Most folks come here looking to settle down.
Find something steady.
You’re just passing through?”
His tone had shifted.
There was suspicion now.
He studied me like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve.
I didn’t flinch.
I didn’t look away.
After a few seconds, his suspicion melted into something else.
Approval.
“You’ll do.” He grinned, clapping me on the shoulder with a hand that was cleaner than it looked.
“We don’t keep cowards here.
They get sent to push dung in the sewers.
Figuratively speaking.”
Laughter rippled through the forge.
I still couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.
But I knew one thing.
These men respected backbone.
They respected someone who didn’t back down.
“I run this place.
We process wood, craft parts for the Factorio.
Need to get you sorted first.”
He led me to a small office.
It was spartan, just a wooden desk and a stone chair.
He asked the usual questions, name, origin, what I could do.
My answer was simple.
“Fine control,” I said.
“And speed.
I can accelerate small objects quickly.”
“Speed, huh?” Coal squinted.
“Not every Earthbender can boast that.
Let’s see what you’ve got.
Maybe I won’t have to put you on cleaning duty.”
“…Wouldn’t a bender clean dust with a single gesture?” I asked.
“Tell that to our coal boy.” He nodded toward Kret, who was now standing near Afka, scratching her behind the ears.
The little fox had already made a friend.
“Kid made himself armor out of coal dust, pressed it so tight against his skin it fused in.
Won’t come off.
So don’t mess with coal.”
That explained the unnatural darkness of his skin.
I felt a pang of sympathy for the guy.
He looked gentle despite the intimidating frame.
And that stare, that was just bad luck.
“I actually came here to ask something,” I said, finally getting to the point.