The morning sun was just grazing the crest of the mountain as Isamu made his way into the forest. It was still dark beneath the thick canopy, but the rhythmic ringing of a hammer at work lead him deeper into the woods. As he approached the clearing for the third time he marveled at how it had changed once again. The kera flow that had covered a large portion of it previously was now broken up, stacked, and sorted off to one side. In the center of the clearing there was an anvil, he had no idea how it got here as it hadn't been present during his previous visits.
Lin Liqiu loomed over the anvil. Her hammer strikes falling in time with her breathing, just as her father had taught her. The first thing Isamu noticed was the small crystalline hammer she was using. The next thing he noticed was that the piece she was working was glowing red hot, but there wasn't a forge in sight. The hammer came down once again and the metal glowed even more brightly as a cold breeze swept across the clearing.
Despite wearing multiple layers of winter clothes the cold was piercing and biting into Isamu's bones. Lin Liqiu had noticed him before he'd entered the clearing and now that he was standing in full view she could tell he was shivering. Pointing with her chin she drew his attention to a small fire near her tent. Isamu sat next to the fire, added another log from a nearby pile, and even grabbed a blanket from the tent to wrap around himself before he finally felt warm again. Watching Lin Liqiu work in simple linen clothes with a leather apron, her well sculpted and bronzed arms on full display, he couldn't help but wonder how she was keeping the cold at bay until he noticed the same faint aura that had protected her from the fire and heat previously.
For the next couple hours Lin Liqiu continued to work in silence. When the sound of the hammering came to a halt Isamu looked up from the fire in time to see the small red hammer disappear. As Lin Liqiu approached the fire and took a seat across from him he couldn't help but ask, “I've heard some rich and powerful figures own ki forged artifacts. Is your hammer one of them?”
“See for yourself,” Lin Liqiu smirked as she summoned the hammer once again and passed it to the boy. She was amused to see him tentatively holding it as if it were some fragile treasure he might break.
Isamu was surprised by the weight of it, “It's heavier than I expected given its size. I noticed your metal was staying hot without a furnace, is that a feature of the hammer?”
Lin Liqiu shook her head, “I was the one keeping the metal hot using a chi technique I learned recently. It strips the heat from the surrounding and focuses it in one location, that's why you felt so cold when you arrived. Some ki forged items can create elemental effects, but that's not something my hammer can do.”
“But this is a ki forged hammer? Why would you hand over something so precious? What if I damaged it or tried to run off with it?”
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With a simple turn of Lin Liqiu's wrist the hammer appeared in her hand. “It is bound to me, no one can take it from me. As for damaging it, that is difficult to do, but if you had, given enough time I could restore it using my ki.”
“You said yours can't effect the elements, so what can it do?”
Lin Liqiu smiled as the hammer grew in size until it was as tall as her. It now looked less like a blacksmith's hammer and more like a war hammer. “The abilities of the ki forged item are heavily influenced by the ki crystals it is made from. My hammer is made from red ki crystals, which have the ability to expand and contract.”
Isamu continued to admire her hammer while Lin Liqiu was letting her piece cool. The two quietly enjoyed the fire for a time until Lin Liqiu went to check her work. Tagging along, Isamu noticed the metal piece was in the shape of a long rod. “What are your plans for this piece?” he asked, full of his usual curiosity.
“I plan to split this rod in two. They will serve as the handles for the two kamas I will be making.” Motioning to the stacks of kera, Lin Liqiu continued, “The kera produced less tamahagane[1] steel than I was expecting. There should be just enough to make two short blades.”
Having a little bit of experience from spending time with Old Man Ken'ichi Isamu moved to inspect the kera. The largest stack was slag steel and would most likely be discarded. The next stack was low quality steel. This was what Lin Liqiu had used for the handle. Being unable to hold an edge made it unusable for crafting blades, but it's durability and shock absorption made it ideal for a hand grip. The third stack was medium quality steel, it could make a passable blade. After that was a small stack of tamahagane steel. Lastly, there was an equally small stack of a shiny metal that Isamu didn't recognize.
After looking the stacks over Isamu commented, “There hardly seems to be enough tamahagane here for even one blade. Are you sure you want to make two? And what is this last stack here?”
A brief look of hesitation flashed across Lin Liqiu's face before she nodded resolutely. “I admit it will be difficult. However, my father once told me of a way to structure the blade that uses less tamahagane, known as honsanmai[2]. Though I have never attempted it, I came here to try new things, and I hope that even the attempt might impress Old Man Ken'ichi. As for that last stack, there must have been some impurities in the iron sand I used to smelt the kera. I think it may be nickle. Whatever it is, there was a vein of it running through the flow.”
“So, will you be starting on the blades next?”
“Yes and no. The blades will require a decent amount of folded steel. It will take me at least a day to produce enough. Why don't you head on down? No need for you to hang around getting cold and bored. I'm sure your parents wonder where you've been running off to lately.”
Isamu sighed, “Fine. I've got some chores I've been putting off that I need to get done. I'll come back in a few days to see the final product and lead you to Old Man Ken'ichi's place.”
“Look forward to it,” said Lin Liqiu as she waved goodbye to Isamu. Once he'd left the clearing her look turned serious. She moved to the stacks of kera and began sifting through them looking for the best pieces.
Author's Notes:
[1] The steel produced in a kera flow can have a wide range of purities. The portion the ideal amount of carbon content for creating blades is called tamahagane steal
[2] Honsanmai is a way of structuring the blade with the hardest steel at the edge, folded steel on the sides, and a soft flexible steel core