The rolling hills of the Thraghurn region stretched into the horizon like waves frozen in time, gentle and vast, colored in hues of dry gold and dusky brown. Faint wisps of smoke curled from distant cooking fires, barely visible in the thick afternoon air. The party had marched under the sun for hours, crossing uneven terrain marked by low stone outcroppings and sparse grass patches, until finally, the ogre village came into view: a cluster of thick, mud-brick buildings surrounded by tall wooden pikes. Wide dirt paths crisscrossed through the village, and towering figures, ogres, some double the height of the elf children, moved with surprising ease among the buildings.
"Woah… this place is huge," Kyle muttered, his voice hushed as he stared at an ogre casually lifting a boulder to clear a training yard.
"Not just huge," Gabyola noted, her calm tone tinged with admiration. "They've developed better than I expected."
Compared to the goblin hamlets they'd passed weeks earlier, this ogre village felt almost like a small town. There was a sense of order here, patrols of ogre warriors kept watch over the borders, and despite the rough appearance of the buildings, they were well-maintained. The villagers greeted each other with deep grunts and thuds of fists to chests, a greeting style that made Yetsan flinch every time it happened nearby.
As the party made their way through the main street, the air filled with scents, roasted meat, scorched earth, and something faintly metallic. Children ogres played in the dust, while smiths hammered bones into blades, and traders bartered over barrels of monster hide and stones that glittered faintly under the sun.
Fuhiken approached a tall ogre guard stationed near the largest hut.
"We seek the chief," he said respectfully, standing a little straighter.
The guard blinked slowly. "Chief out. Huntin' griffon." His voice was gravel wrapped in thunder.
Yetsan's eyes lit up. "A griffon?! What kind of feathers does it have? Silver-tipped? Hollow shafts? That'd make a perfect dust wand, "
"Maybe also pillow," Fahleena chimed, already fantasizing. "A divine pillow of destiny, plucked from the wind-shearing wings of a sky beast!"
Jessica glanced at her, barely suppressing a laugh. "...Stop naming your future pillows."
With the chief unavailable, the party split up. There was no formal inn here, so Fuhiken set up a temporary camp at the village edge while the others explored. Word spread quickly, a group of elf children traveling alone was unusual. Yet the ogres didn't seem hostile. Curious, mostly. A few watched from afar. One tried to poke Kyle's hair.
There was only one shop in the village, half hut, half open stall. The sign read simply: "Tukta's Things."
---
Tukta's shop was a strange blend of charm and raw practicality. Set beneath a domed canopy of stitched hide, it was open to the breeze, with walls made from woven reed and bone frames. Sunlight filtered through colored glass shards hanging like wind chimes, casting flickers of red, blue, and green across the rough rugs laid out across the ground.
The moment the girls stepped inside, the energy shifted like a sudden festival.
"Ooooooh," Fahleena gasped, her twin tails bouncing as she rushed toward a table covered in rings and pendants. "Shiny trinkets of ancient power... treasures lost to time and now rediscovered by destiny!"
Jessica leaned to Gabyola. "That just means she likes sparkles."
Gaby smiled and nodded, stepping forward with her usual poise. "Excuse me," she said to the ogre clerk. "We'd like to browse, if you don't mind."
Tukta was massive even sitting cross-legged, with her braided hair thick enough to use as rope and skin a dusty gray hue. "Elf girls are welcome. Pretty ones with soft hands always buy too much."
Orchid's eyes went wide. "Ohhh, look at these bangles! This one has little fangs on it. Think it'll boost my holy powers?"
"No," Yuuna said without even looking up from the obsidian ring she was inspecting under the sunlight. "That's probably just decorative. Likely made from bone, low-grade, no enchantment."
"That's what they want you to think," Orchid whispered. "But it could awaken under moonlight."
Jessica pinched her nose and sighed.
Sakura, meanwhile, was digging through her magic food bag with both arms. "Do you take pudding?" she asked brightly, pulling out a wrapped bowl. "It's the good kind. Fuhiken made it."
Tukta's eyes lit up. "Pudding?! Sweet slime food? Very rare here."
Fahleena popped up next to her. "Trade the pudding for this red pendant! It has the color of flame! It must be the Eye of Ifrit or something!"
"You just made that name up," Jessica muttered.
"Maybe," Fahleena said, "but it feels real."
Tukta examined the pudding like it was a sacred relic, giving a low approving grunt. "Two puddings for the flame-eye pendant."
Sakura looked torn. "But… I kinda wanted to eat it."
Yuuna plucked another pudding from the bag and handed it silently to Sakura before returning to her browsing.
On another display board, brooches shaped like thunder lizards, bird claws, and coiling vines glittered under afternoon light. Gabyola picked one shaped like a blooming mineral flower, turning it over gently. "What stone is this?"
"Desert bloom quartz," Tukta answered. "Found only near screaming cliffs. Looks fragile. Doesn't break."
"It's lovely." Gaby offered two small gems and a pair of decorative arrows for trade. The ogre clerk nodded in agreement, then presented a complimentary wooden box lined with dried herbs for safe keeping.
Nearby, Jessica fingered a sleek wristband carved from dark bone. It was plain, no adornments, no runes, just clean design and solid make.
"Try it on," Yuuna said, suddenly beside her. "It matches your grip."
Jessica slid the band on. It fit perfectly. "It's got weight," she muttered, then smiled faintly. "I like it."
"How much for this?" Gaby asked, pointing to a polished horn comb inlaid with silver wires.
Tukta scratched her chin, examining Gabyola with a squint. "You. Fancy. I want… flower perfume. You elf girls always smell good. You have flower thing?"
Sakura eagerly held up a tiny cloth pouch from her daily bag. "Flower tea sachets! They smell amazing!"
Tukta sniffed, gave a deep grunt of approval, and handed over the comb.
Meanwhile, Fahleena had somehow acquired four rings and a crown-shaped hair clip. "These are my destiny gear! Look, I'm now the Crimson Moon Princess of Wind Flame and, "
"You have five fingers," Yuuna said flatly. "Why do you need six rings?"
"One for the toe."
Gabyola turned her eyes to the ceiling. "We're never making it through this village in one piece."
Sakura, now wearing three necklaces, smiled. "I think this one makes my healing stronger. Probably. Maybe. Definitely."
Yuuna raised a brow. "That's a polished shell."
"But it's very shiny," Sakura said proudly.
Jessica picked up a pair of engraved earrings shaped like tiny spears. "You think I could wear these in battle?"
Tukta leaned closer, squinting. "Good for stabbing small spiders if thrown. Not magical."
"Good enough," Jessica replied, satisfied.
As the girls haggled and tried on more accessories, most of which were more aesthetic than useful, Tukta seemed genuinely amused. She rarely got elf customers, especially ones this chaotic and enthusiastic.
Yuuna eventually bartered for a tiny crystal orb embedded in a thin band, the only item in the store that pulsed faintly with mana. "This one's the real deal," she murmured to herself, sliding it into her sleeve for further study.
By the time they left the shop, arms and bags heavier than before, the sun had dipped low. The girls were grinning, Sakura still munching dried fruit, Fahleena now balancing three bracelets on one arm and a necklace like a ceremonial badge.
Jessica whispered, "So... how many pudding rations did we trade away again?"
"Seven," Yuuna answered without looking.
"Fuhiken's gonna flip."
"Probably."
But for now, the group walked through the village alleys laughing, weighed down not by battle fatigue but by charm bracelets, carved beads, and ridiculous fashion accessories. And for once, that was enough.
---
Outside, the boys had gathered at the edge of a practice ground. A few young ogres were sparring, massive fists slamming against wooden practice swords, dust clouds flying into the air.
Adiw watched closely. "They've got power… but poor footwork."
Then a young ogre, larger than the others and wearing a headband fashioned from monster hide, grunted and approached. "You fight?" he asked Adiw, tapping his own chest. "Big swing, little swing?"
Adiw cracked his knuckles. "Sure. But I don't go easy."
Within minutes, a ring formed. Several ogres gathered to watch as Adiw stepped into the dirt arena. He faced the young challenger, who roared and charged first. The elf sidestepped the opening blow with practiced ease. With two deft swings of his greatsword, clean, controlled, precise, Adiw knocked the ogre down flat. Dust rose. Silence.
Then cheers exploded from the ogres.
"Strong elf!" someone shouted. "Good bones!"
---
By sunset, the group regrouped at the edge of the village, near the makeshift camp. There was no inn, no warm hearth or tavern laughter, only the low hum of insect wings and distant ogre drums. A cold breeze rolled over the plains, rustling the edges of tents and blankets.
Jessica stood apart from the group, katana drawn, moving through her sword forms under the fading light. She watched the ogre patrols from the corner of her eye, mimicking their stances between her own routines. Her breath came in steady patterns, syncing with the tempo of her blade.
"They fight heavy," she murmured to herself. "Lots of power. But too slow."
Nearby, Sakura sat curled in a blanket with Gabyola, eating dried fruit and giggling over their new accessories. Fahleena posed dramatically atop a rock, declaring her anklet was now a "Seal of Blazing Wind." Orchid was still arguing whether her new necklace glowed because it had holy energy or because she'd spilled some leftover pudding on it.
The campfire crackled. Stars blinked into the sky above. Tomorrow, they would play. But tonight was still, calm, even among giants.
---