Chapter 84: False Dawn 8
Yolani wiped her brow with her forearm, the heat of the artifice forges filling the air.
She stared at the yellow-white metal held in her tongs, turning it over and scrutinizing it. Reaching over to a wide dish filled with crushed mana shard powder, she took a generous pinch and scattered it over the metal before sliding it under the mechanical hammer.
With the press of her foot on the pedal, the hammer began to strike rhythmically. She adjusted the angle and location of each hit by deftly maneuvering the bar with her tongs.
Ember, sulking in the corner, glanced over at Yolani’s work. “You have 0.18% crystallite in there. You should increase it to 0.28%,” she remarked.
Yolani’s concentration faltered for a moment, nearly causing her to mis-align a hammer strike.
A surge of anger coursed through her. Ember had been a constant source of annoyance throughout the process of crafting Elania’s next [Regalia] piece.
She’d decided to use the City Works instead of her workshop on the estate because of the advanced tools and facilities, but she hadn’t anticipated the Red Tower’s presence to be such a hindrance. Or rather, annoyance.
Yolani wasn’t going to let Ember slow her down.
Pulling the glowing metal bar from under the hammer, Yolani placed it back into the forge.
She turned to Ember, her eyes narrowing in frustration. “The crystallite content is correct as is,” she asserted firmly. “At 0.18%, it will provide better resistance against elemental attacks.”
Ember stood up, meeting Yolani’s gaze with a questioning look. “I don’t understand why you’re making a helmet anyway,” she challenged. “Elania lacks a proper melee weapon. You should be crafting a sword or something more suitable for combat.”
Yolani frowned, turning away from Ember to focus on the metal heating in the forge. She watched the vibrant glow intensify, her mind racing with thoughts of the [Regalia]’s design and purpose.
A bracer for the primary defense, a revolver for ranged attacks, and a melee weapon for close combat. That made sense. Maybe the fact that Ember was partially right added unjustly to her anger at the woman.
But…
But a deep-rooted instinct told her that Elania didn’t require a sword. She couldn’t explain why but listening to her gut felt right—so increasing the [Regalia]’s defense it was.
Given the limited materials available, a helmet seemed the most practical choice, especially considering the chaotic brawl she had witnessed the previous day.
Normally, Yolani would have considered casting the helmet, but her Priestess of Artifice abilities would handle most of the final work.
She just needed to get the alloy perfect.
While relying on that didn’t sit well with her, both Ember and Arlois had confirmed that the quality of secondary [Regalia] pieces didn’t need to be as flawless as the first.
It would be beneficial but not crucial.
She refused to compromise, and turning the process entirely magical felt wrong. Thus the manual labor and effort. Something told her putting that into it would help the result.
“Ember, if you’re just going to bother me, be quiet,” Yolani said, her patience wearing thin.
Ember approached, her expression serious. “I mean it, Yolani. You should increase the crystallite content. Listen to me.”
Yolani’s frustration mounted. “You’ve been pestering me this entire time. Why should I listen to you now?”
“I’ve done this before, for Elysia and Lyra,” Ember replied. “I’m familiar with the alloy you’re using. Increasing the crystallite won’t reduce the resistance, but it will improve the strength, and the metal will remain morphable.”
Yolani took a deep breath, weighing Ember’s words. “Fine,” she conceded. “But if you’re wrong, you’re paying for a reforge.”
Ember raised her chin, a confident smirk playing on her lips. “I’m not wrong.”
Yolani reached over to the dishes of various powders and picked up some of the crystallite with her gloved hand.
Pulling the bar out of the forge, still glowing white-hot, she sprinkled the crystallite onto the surface. Grabbing another pinch, she added it before placing the bar back under the hammer.
She worked the billet repeatedly, ensuring the added crystallite was fully integrated into the metal.
Once satisfied, she pulled up her [Artifice Analysis], revealing a 1.2% increase in quality.
Yolani grunted, acknowledging the improvement.
Ember chuckled, a smug grin on her face. “You should listen to your elders.”
Yolani glanced at Ember from behind the glowing billet. “You act more like a brat than a grandma.”
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Ember placed her hand on her chest, feigning a hurt expression. “I can’t believe you would say that.”
Yolani shook her head as she began to reheat the metal.
“I have another trick that will improve the metal,” Ember said, her tone turning serious, “although it’s tough to pull off.”
Yolani eyed her warily.
Ember held up a bottle, the liquid inside shimmering with a faint golden hue. “I have some fresh ambrosia,” she revealed, “and it would be the perfect additive.”
Yolani raised an eyebrow, immediately feeling on guard. “You’re telling me it has uses other than drinking?”
Ember laughed. “Of course! It’s bottled [Divine Essence], so naturally, it improves everything.”
Yolani regarded Ember with skepticism. “What kind of side effects would the ambrosia have on the metal?”
Ember waved her hand dismissively. “None at all,” she assured, a confident smile playing on her lips. “In fact, it would increase the compatibility with Elania’s [Regalia] a considerable amount, not to mention strengthening the metal itself.”
Yolani bit her lip. If the ambrosia truly possessed such potent properties, it could revolutionize their artifice processes.
“If it’s that good, why don’t we pour it on everything?” she asked.
Ember let out a scoff, shaking her head. “If we used it like that, the effect would be diluted,” she explained with a more serious note. “The more ambrosia created, the weaker the effects become, based on the strength of the demi-divine.”
Yolani narrowed her eyes at Ember. “You’ve been giving Elania and me ambrosia constantly, like it’s going out of style.”
Ember smiled. “Of course I have,” she admitted. “I like you both.”
Yolani rolled her eyes, not buying into Ember’s charm. “Again, what’s the catch?”
Ember’s smile widened. “Using ambrosia during artificing has one quirk,” she said. “The smith—or artificer—has to drink some.”
Yolani scoffed, her mind flashing back to the memories of Ember’s manipulation and harassment. She recalled how Elania had to stand up for her, defending her against Ember’s advances.
Anger boiled off of her and she fixed Ember with a fierce glare. “I’m not your rabbit,” she spat. “Fuck off. If you don’t leave me alone, I’ll make yesterday’s brawl look like a carnival act.”
Ember quickly stepped back and held up her hands, the bottle still clutched in one. “It isn’t like that,” she assured. “Yes, you’ll experience the ambrosia effects, but you don’t have to drink all of it—that would defeat the purpose. You just need to take a sip, and that will be enough to attune to the essence of it. Then, you can work it into the metal using your abilities. A normal artificer wouldn’t even be able to attempt it.”
Yolani studied Ember’s face, searching for any signs of deception or ulterior motives. Who was she kidding? The woman was a walking, breathing, ulterior motive.
But…
Making the metal stronger for Elania was a clever bait.
“I’m not trying to take advantage of you, Yolani,” Ember said. “I genuinely want to help you create the best [Regalia] possible for Elania.”
Yolani considered Ember’s words, her mind torn between refusal and the desire to craft an even more powerful [Regalia]. The idea of settling for anything less than perfection haunted her, making her earlier excuses feel hollow and inadequate.
Despite the effects she knew would come, Yolani wanted the ambrosia. If it was just a sip, she would be able to handle it.
The metal in the forge glowed a brilliant white, demanding her attention.
Yolani brought it back to the hammer, the rhythmic strikes filling the air.
She couldn’t stop the process now to consult with Elania; the metal had a strict time limit before she needed to infuse it with her Priestess of Artifice ability or risk ruining the entire piece.
Yolani’s gaze flickered between the glowing metal and the bottle of ambrosia in Ember’s hand.
“Fine,” Yolani relented. “I’ll take a sip of the ambrosia. But if you try anything, Ember, I swear...”
Ember smiled, her eyes glinting. “I won’t, I promise. This is purely for the sake of the [Regalia].”
Yolani reached out, her hand trembling slightly as she took the bottle from Ember. She uncorked it, the faint golden glow of the liquid within casting a soft light on her face.
With a deep breath, Yolani brought the bottle to her lips, the ambrosia’s sweet scent filling her senses. She took a small sip, the liquid flowing smoothly down her throat and leaving a trail of warmth in its wake.
Almost instantly, Yolani felt a surge of energy coursing through her veins, her body tingling. She gasped, her cheeks flushing as the ambrosia’s effects took hold.
Ember watched, a knowing grin playing on her lips. “Now, let’s see what you can do with that metal,” she purred. “Just splash the metal and don’t worry about spilling any—it’s the essence transfer that’s important.”
Yolani swallowed hard, her focus shifting back to the task at hand.
She had to concentrate, to channel the ambrosia’s [Divine Essence] into her artifice and create a [Regalia] worthy of Elania.
Yolani’s brow furrowed, her mind struggling to focus through the haze. “What about the steam?”
Ember waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about that,” she assured.
Yolani nodded, her grip tightening on the bottle.
She tipped it over the glowing metal, the ambrosia cascading onto the surface.
Instead of erupting into a cloud of steam as expected, the liquid seemed to disappear, absorbed into the metal itself. A faint red hue emanated from it now, a sign of the ambrosia’s influence.
Ember moved closer, her presence sending a shiver down Yolani’s spine.
Yolani tensed, her body hyper-aware of every movement, every breath. Ember’s hand brushed against her side, a gentle touch that sent a jolt through Yolani’s body.
Yolani inhaled sharply, her knees threatening to buckle under the intense sensations coursing through her. Even with a sip, the ambrosia’s effects were overwhelming.
“Ember,” Yolani said in warning.
Ember leaned in, her lips brushing against Yolani’s ear. “You are so special,” she whispered. “Now make her the best [Regalia] the world has ever seen.”
Yolani’s breath caught in her throat, the sensation of Ember’s breath on her neck sending a jolt through her body.
Ember lingered for a moment before finally moving away.
Left alone, Yolani panted, the overflowing sensation of pure energy coursing through her veins.
The metal was ready, demanding her attention.
She felt a connection with the billet click into place, something like she had with Elania. She poured all of herself into it. The metal changed hues from red to white to finally settle with a divine gold that mimicked Elania’s feathers.
There wasn’t a need to hammer it anymore, because whatever she’d done had purified the metal of anything she didn’t want. There was no more scale to pound away.
Gripping it with a pair of tongs, she took the glowing metal over to her workbench, setting it down on a heated rock.
It was time.
Whether or not Ember was there, it didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered except the [Regalia].
Yolani put down her tools and sat, raising her hands. The world washed away, fading into the background as she focused. A flood of power rushed through her [Divine Power] conduit to join the roiling energy already present.
In her mind, she could see it: a perfect helmet shaped for Elania’s head and face.
An open front, with a nose and chin guard to protect her from unwanted headbutts.
A pair of wings over her ears, a pretty ornament that matched Elania’s own wings.
A band around the crown, reinforcing and protecting from blows, a symbol of Elania’s leadership.
With a surge of [Divine Power], Yolani poured her essence into the metal, her entire body feeling empty as the energy flowed from her.
When she opened her eyes, the [Regalia] was there, glowing on the stone, perfectly formed and ready.