Chapter 53

“And here I thought you weren’t going to show,” Echo grinned at us as we stepped towards his forge. The other blacksmiths were all gone, and the glow had all but died down in the coal. He leaned lazily against his anvil, tossing his hammer up into the air, watching it spin head over end, before deftly catching it.

“I think Ash here would rather face down the Den Mother again, than wait till tomorrow for his new daggers.” Ryker went to push me forward, but I was already in the forge, making my way towards Echo. He caught the hammer once more and gently laid it down atop his anvil.

“You act like you weren’t the same way when I was crafting up your latest batch of gear.” Echo laughed and looked at me. “Don’t let Ryker give you a hard time. Your excitement towards new gear is admirable. And it warms my heart to know you’ll appreciate what it is I’ve made for you.”

Echo held out his hands, and a leather belt appeared. On either side of the belt, white wood peaked out of leather sheaths. He handed them to me, as he smiled past me to Ryker. “Had a spare set laying around, figured he’d appreciate it.”

I took the leather belt, noting it had no sign of wear or tear on it. I immediately felt a rush of red as a realization hit me. My other weapons, the ones provided to me for the Reaping, and then the ones rented from Climber’s Rest, had come with their own belts, sheaths, and the likes. But had Echo not given me this, I would have had nowhere to put my daggers when I wasn’t wielding them.

“I’m sure you did,” Ryker said from behind me. He placed his hands on my shoulders as he looked down at the weapons. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate not having to mentally equip and unequip them every time.”

“If I remember correctly,” Echo said to my mentor, “you had that exact problem early on, didn’t you?”

“And there goes your tip.” Ryker said with a chuckle. He squeezed my shoulders gently. “Go on Ash, put on the belt, and draw your new blades. Don’t keep us waiting.”

I strapped the belt around my waist, cinching it snugly just above my hips. The way the sheaths were positioned, the handles of the daggers tipped slightly forward, just enough that I could easily grab them if needed, or rest my hands atop their smooth, wooden surface lazily.

Without wanting to wait any longer, I pulled the first dagger, the one on my left hip, from the sheath, holding it up to my eyes, taking in the weapon. For the first time, I truly got to lay eyes on my first ever piece of gear from the Tower. As I focused on it, my mind tingled, and I instantly knew this was Claw, meaning the blade on my right hip, was fang.

The handle of Claw was carved expertly, the white aspen looking almost like bone. Looking it over, it was carved to resemble a wolf’s head, the very base the open mouth. The wood was cool to touch, and smooth, with just the faintest feel of texture to it, the wolf’s fur accented in slightly raised bumps. I squeezed my hand around the wood, feeling instantly comfortable with it. It felt right.

Down either side of the handle, the metal of the blade itself was visible. A dark grey speckled with dark black spots, giving it a grainy appearance.

“It’s a full tang,” Echo explained as I took it in, “the wood blanks were carved on either side, and then we attached it here, and here with pins I made from the iron itself.” He pointed to two circular silver points on the handle, which seemed to run through both sides of the wood. They were mushroomed slightly and pushed into the wood. “It’s a nice mechanical hold, that will ensure the blade doesn’t move or wiggle free on you. Sturdy, effective, and simple.”

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I nodded and took in the rest of the blade. Even while sheathed, I could roughly tell the shape of the blades. Each curved with a faint angle, almost naturally, like that of a tooth, or claw. In my hands, as I turned Claw back and forth, I noticed only one side of the blade had an edge. The foot long blade, which curved towards me, was sharpened on the portion of the blade that faced away from me. Holding it in my right hand, upright, it would serve perfectly for slashing and swiping strikes.

I sheathed it and took out Fang. The handle scales were carved to mirror those of Claw, a fact that was more than a little impressive. It drove home the fact they were a pair. The speckled, grainy iron reflected the Tower’s light duly as I looked it over. The only difference in Fang, from Claw, was the fact that both sides of the blade had a sharpened edge.

“I see you noticed the difference in the two,” Echo said, taking in my expression. “A keen eye, this one has.” His voice was warm, like he was praising me.

“He’s gear obsessed,” Ryker said with a laugh, “I would have been disappointed if he hadn’t noticed it.”

“Claw and Fang are two peas in a pod.” Echo explained. “Claw is meant for slashing, and from the understanding granted to me of the weapon through the Tower, is meant be used in the dominant hand.”

I looked at Echo, hanging on something he’d said.

“What was that about the Tower? The Tower grants you understandings of the weapon?”

Echo chuckled. “A smith is no good if he doesn’t understand the purpose, the function, of what he’s making. When I begin a project, preparing to forge a weapon, or amor, or whatever it may be, I’m given wisdom related to its purpose, its ideal use and function, from the Tower. My mind can envision, in the case of Claw and Fang, how the weapons are meant to be wielded, and how they are expected to be handled. This knowledge guides me, and allows me to give the proper focus and treatment to the weapons, to ensure they can perform at their peak efficiency for their wielder.”

“Is it the same for all blacksmiths?” I asked, fascinated.

“They wish,” Echo said. “Smiths strengthen their bond with the Tower by progressing in our trade. We first have to learn the basics, how to handle a hammer, how to work the forge, and so forth. As we get accustomed to that knowledge, and progress from apprentice to journeyman, we start to understand more about the metal we work with. We learn how different treatments and temperatures will effect the materials, and so on. Progressing past that, is when the true gifts begin. By the time you reach the top, that is, you become a true Master Blacksmith, its as if the Tower speaks directly to us.”

“Is Master Blacksmith the highest ranking?” I asked.

“In the City, for now, yes.” He said. “Technically there’s a level past that. Our guild has records of a few becoming Enlightened Blacksmith’s, though the last one was over a hundred years ago. Those, according to what we know, are capable of forging completely unique weapons and designs without the need of any recipe, or guidance, from the Tower itself.” He shook his head, “I can’t imagine the skill and effort that would lead to such a thing.”

He pointed back towards Fang in my hand. “Any way, back to your weapons. Claw is for your main hand, and is meant for deft, lightning-fast slashing strikes. Fang, on the other hand, is meant for your offhand. In my mind, the Tower showed it being wielded in a reverse grip. The purpose for both sides holding an edge, are its purpose as not just a tool to slash with, but for piercing into foes, pulling them in and holding them tight while you let Claw do its work.”

He air-mimed holding the two weapons. With his left hand he struck out and downwards, and I imagined the curved blade, its point facing me, stabbing into the opponent. He pulled towards him as he did, and I imagined the weapon’s curved edge biting as it pulled the foe towards Echo, cutting deeper into them, causing more internal damage. He then made a flurry of strikes, left, right, left right, up, down, up down, with Claw, before finishing with two diagonal strikes that seemed to draw an ‘X’ in the air. The whole time, he didn’t look at any of us. Instead, it was like he was replaying an image in his mind.

“That’s what I was shown, at least,” he said as he finished, looking back at us. “That’s the guidance the Tower gifted me, regarding the weapon’s use.”

“Were you able to elevate it any?” Ryker asked as I sheathed Fang back on my right hip. If I were wielding them like Echo implied, it meant I’d have to cross draw the weapons, and then deftly switch Fang to a reverse grip. I’d have to keep that in mind.

“I was,” he said with a smile, drawing me back into the conversation. “Since it’s only an uncommon weapon, I could only elevate it to Fine, mind you, but still, it should do Ash there some good.”

“Elevate? Fine?” I asked, glancing from Ryker to Echo. “What does that mean?”

“Focus on the blades Ash,” Ryker said mysteriously, “and you’ll see exactly what I mean.”