The Celestial Forge

By: Schin Ka'Tharos

Chapter 25

(Part 2)

Possibly the most important change for me as I walked out of the tower was the weapons that I now carried. In my left hand I held a staff that I had crafted of realmwood, the fruits of five days of obsessive labor. I had painstakingly whittled down the realmwood using the small hooked blade tool I had found within my grandfather's workroom. The blade, which could easily cut into every other substance I tried it on, could just barely cut into the realmwood. Slowly but steadily I had carved and shaped the scrap post I had found into a simple staff. The dark wood felt warm and comforting in my hands. I had absently checked my robes where I had hidden the hooked blade while memories of my time spent in Jaspen and the countless hours holding a spear flickered to mind.

“Now that's a brilliant upgrade," Ciara said when first appraising the staff. “Did you figure out how to add anything special to it?”

“I’m working on it. Not quite there yet.” I said. “Unfortunately time ran out.”

“It feels like we raided one of the great clans' treasure houses,” Ciara said, glancing back into the tower longing. “or one of the vaults of the Empress herself. But for the most part we have little to show for it and we’re stuck just looking at everything from afar and struggling to get basic things like food.”

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“True wealth is having what you need, when you need it.” I said. ““Let’s hope this run out there is peaceful enough not to warrant trying out the staff’s forging function.”

“You’re the one that’s been hyper cautious about heading out there.” She said.

“Do you remember the state I was in when you first found me?” I said. “I’m trying to avoid that.”

“Well, we’ve done all that we could have given the time we had.” She said and I noticed essence rolling between her fingers as her eyes began to smolder white. “I'm confident in our preparation. Believe me when I say that is significant coming from me.”

The bond between Ciara and I had continued to grow and I believed she did truly trust my judgment and careful approach to exiting the tower, albeit with some differing opinions. My past mistake with the jackals cast a dark shadow in my mind. Yet, I am a student of life. Failures don't lead to better future outcomes unless you actually heed their lessons.

I stoked my natural flame and with my will formed the anvil and hammer within me. I began to gather my celestial essence, readying it to push into a flowline. I didn’t know any enforcing technique patterns so I had to resort to simply filling my third flowline with essence to increase my strength and speed. I looked forward to when all five of my flowlines would be opened so that I could use more than one flowline at a time. The essence hit my system and I gripped my staff with forging enhanced strength.

Ciara stared up at the massive dark red doors waiting for me to open our exit. Her celestial essence had expanded and already wove between her fingers in preparation for our plan. She wore her silversteel chestplate again over her tattered robes. Her dark hair hung loose from her head and partially covered her burning eyes and resolute face.

“Well, let’s get to it then.” I said while walking toward the doors. They parted before me as I willed it. “Let’s walk so that there is no place for death to enter.”

Next Chapter...

Chapter 25 (Part 3)