The blizzard didn’t end until noon the next day, and while we waited, I told everyone about the sword I forged with Shimal. Once the blizzard finally ended, we packed our things and quickly exited our cabin, more than ready to hit the road and get out of town with the package. But we didn’t get far as we heard someone yelling behind us.

I turned and saw the giant form of Shimal barreling toward us, “WAIT!” she yelled as she chased us down with a long object wrapped in a thick brown cloth in one hand.

Haze groaned and turned, “What do you want?!”

Shimal soon caught up to us and leaned on her knees, panting, “I need you … to follow me … please.”

“Why?” Haze asked, very annoyed.

“Please, just come with me,” Shimal said, walking back up the hill and waving for us to follow. Haze groaned and grumbled but begrudgingly began walking back up the hill. Shimal led us to the massive building in the center of town and waited for us to catch up to her before she pushed open the doors.

The hall was filled with almost the entire village. People of all ages towered over us and waited patiently as we walked into the hall behind Shimal. At the end of the hall sat Master Lii Huwei, adorned in the finest silk robe with the most intricate design I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t even describe it.

As Shimal walked down the hall, the rest of the Goliaths began to walk closer in anticipation of what was to come. On that note, what was to come? Is this some special occasion or something— OOOHH! Shimal’s going to present the sword to her grandfather! I want to see this. I took a few steps closer and walked to the right to better see in front of Shimal.

She soon stopped a few paces before her grandfather and knelt, bowing her head and presenting the wrapped sword to her grandfather. “I have done it, Master Huwei. I have made a blade well enough to show my worth to the people,” Shimal said.

“I will determine that Shimal,” the old Goliath said and rose from his chair. He stood perfectly straight, as though his age meant nothing, and gingerly took the proffered blade. He unwrapped the cloth around the blade, revealing the sheathed blade. The sheath Shimal made for the sword was carved from a tree and polished with lacker giving it a soft sheen, and the blade’s hilt was made of similar wood and wrapped in leather with a circular crossguard.

Lii examined the sheath and hilt with a keen eye, which was odd cause he was blind. But that didn’t stop the old man from looking at the sheath with his eyes. Then he clasped the hilt of the blade and slowly pulled it out of the sheath. The blade glowed with blue and red power as it left its sheath, and the gathered crowd gasped in shock. Even I took in a sharp breath cause the blade wasn’t glowing several hours before.

Still examining the blade with his eyes, Lii asked, “You forged this?”

“Yes,” Shimal answered.

“By yourself?” Lii asked pointedly.

“Ye— No, master Huwei,” Shimal answered, disappointed.

Lii slammed the sword into the sheath and barked, “Who helped you!?”

Shimal flinched and stammered, “I-It was—”

“Who!?!” Lii yelled, looming over her.

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“It was me!” I blurted out, stepping forward, “I helped her.”

“How did you help her?!” Lii barked.

“I worked the bellows and helped with the smelting and quenching processes, and that’s all. Shimal still did all of the work,” I answered quickly.

The old Goliath straightened and stepped back from Shimal before pulling the shining blade slightly out of the sheath and examining it again. “What ore did you use for this?” He asked.

“I used the elemental iron ore, master,” Shimal answered quickly.

Putting the blade back in its sheath, Master Lii Huwei said, “You have spent the last ten years as a disappointment,” Shimal winced at his words but said nothing as the old Goliath continued, “You’ve ruined more ore and materials than every blacksmith in this village combined all because you wanted to forge a single blade that could prove you deserve the right for the title of Keeper. For years you wallowed in your failers for what? For a simple blade that a child could make in their sleep!” the old Goliath took a deep breath before continuing, “I should’ve stopped you years ago when you were bringing disgrace to our family.”

“Hey! There I no need to be that mean!” I yelled, my anger boiling over, and the hair on my tail stood on end. Even Yuki puffed up and growled at the old Goliath.

Lii pointedly ignored me and continued, “Your years of failure have finally produced one single blade … and I couldn’t be happier with the result.”

Shimal looked up in shock, “Wh-what?”

Lii held out the blade and continued, “This blade was forged using a combination of Ice and Fire chakra. Two chakras that, to most, are complete opposites. But to a skilled blacksmith, who knows what they’re doing. Ice and fire are the keys to a strong blade. You may have stumbled upon them by accident, but it will be a lesson you will not soon forget, unlike the quenching process.”

Shimal blushed and looked away, “Yeah, let’s not talk about that.”

Returning the blade to Shimal, Lii said, “Rise, my granddaughter. Rise, Keeper.”

Shimal rose with pride, saying, “Thank you, grandfather.”

“Ah, there is one last thing to do.”

“What’s left? Oh right, the test.”

“No, no. You’ve already passed that,” Lii said, then gestured around the hall, “Look around, my granddaughter. This chair you carved for me, these pillars you made for the hall, this very silk robe. All of it is your hard work. No, the last thing to do is present the sword to its rightful owner.”

Shimal looked confused, “What do you mean, rightful owner?”

“A sword made of elemental ore can only be appropriately forged with chakra, and the one who provides the chakra can be the only one to wield the blade. The one who provided the chakra is that little one there,” Lii pointed at me.

“Wait, me?!” I asked, astonished.

Then a loud smack resonated through the hall as Haze slapped her forehead and grumbled, “Of course, you’d get a fucking magical sword.”

“Yes, you child,” Lii confirmed.

Looking between her grandfather, the sword, and me. Then she steeled herself and knelt before me, presenting the sword, “Zeana, I present you with a sword forged in ice and fire and worthy of myths and legends.”

I smiled at her choice of words and took the sword, which looks like a katana, now that I think of it, and said, “I happily and graciously accept this sword worthy of myths and legends.”

Taking the sword with both hands, I slid it into the left side of my belt, and before I could say anything else, Haze grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me out of the hall, “Great, cool sword. Let’s get the fuck out of here, then admire it later. Seven is waiting for us a few kilometers away, and she’s not keen on waiting.”

“Wait, Seven’s here? When did she get here?” I asked as Haze dragged me along, and Cami and Xiao apologized to everyone before leaving.

“The same day we arrived, but the blizzard kept us from leaving, so now she’s stuck at the rendezvous spot waiting for us, and I am not walking back to Nexus for the next two weeks!” Haze yelled as she continued dragging me out of town before throwing me down the road at mach speed. I grew my wings and began to glide out of town. Now I was the one waiting for Haze. HA! Sucket land-locked losers! I was ready for the next round of the Hollow Throne tournament and the challenges that may be ahead of me.