I stared at him for a moment before breaking out in laughter. He seemed taken aback, though he recovered quickly. He started to say something, but apparently thought better of it and closed his jaw with a clack.
Eventually, I managed to stop my laughing fit due to not being able to breathe. Still gasping, I wiped my eyes and replied.
“Oh, that is rich. I didn't expect you, as a guildmaster, to be such a comedian. Steal it? I know that [Relic] tier items are near-impossible to find, but is it really that hard of a thing to believe that I, a beastkin with the [Master Blacksmith] class, made one?”
He nodded.
“Yes, it is. [Relic] tier items have never, never been crafted before. Not since one of the artisan gods vanished, nearly seven hundred thousand years ago. I would need more than the say-so of a blacksmith and a non-guild member.”
I sigh, already knowing where this is going.
“So let me guess. You want me to prove to you that I'm the one who made Solis?”
He nods.
“I need some form of proof before allowing you to join.”
“So, what would count as proof?”
“Well, the easiest thing to prove would be to have you make another blade, however that would be near impo-”
I cut him off with a short statement.
“Alright. I'll make a second blade. I wanted to make another anyway, as I plan to dual-wield.”
He stared for a moment before standing up abruptly and snapping, the barriers falling from the door and windows. We left the office, with him leading me back through the maze of hallways and outside, at the back of the guildhall. There lay the greatest forge I had ever seen.
Chiseled, perfect stone made up the courtyard, completely level. A massive rack of tools sat to one side, next to an absolutely beautiful furnace, the stone perfectly even and laid straight, a wooden awning protecting the area from the weather.
Off to the side, out of the way, sat a large storage shed that I was willing to bet had all the materials that I could ever want. By this time it was late afternoon, but the yard was well lit. The others were probably wondering where I was by now. I could tell that the guild took its art seriously. 1I turned to the guildmaster, a question popping to mind.
“So, any limitations on what materials, or no? Solis was made from a single bar of steel and a length of antler, so it doesn't really matter.”
He thought for a moment, before shaking his head.
“No lim 'll mpts, other than not using any of the mimic materials. Those are too hard to get used on something like this.”
I nod, walking over to the shed. As I threw the doors open, I drew a sharp breath. Within were shelves upon shelves of materials, everything from wood, to steel, to dragon bone and blood. I even saw a few flickering fires in jars scattered around, whatever those were. I began slowly picking my way through the materials, carefully observing them and searching for the perfect materials.
The guildmaster watched me like a hawk, paying close attention to what I checked. I eventually settled on a bar of what [Forge Sight] told me was an adamantite-mythril alloy, and a bone from a frost dragon.
I could tell from his pained expression that he really, really did not want me to use these materials, but also knew that he was the one who said 'no limits’. I bring the metal bar over to the forge, setting it inside the roaring blaze with my bare hand. My [Fire Resistance] prevented any burns, and I funneled a bit of wind magic into the flame to stoke it. I had to wait a while, but eventually the metal was ready. I pulled out the white-hot bar, setting it on the anvil and readying a hammer from a nearby rack. I began to shape the alloy, keeping a steady rhythm as I brought the hammer down.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
I hadn't had a chance to check what [Domain: Forge] did, but the moment my hammer struck, I knew. The metal was part of me, my awareness stretching throughout the entire area. I could feel every spark, every lick of flame, every imperfection within the metal. I fell into a trance, the bar warping and bending to my will, creating another khopesh, identical to Solis. With each clang of hammer on metal, I could see my vision forming.
The guildmaster watched with wide eyes as I worked, not even flinching as the occasional spark hit him. I began humming as I worked, the music of the forge calming to my mind. I began to sing a few minutes later, a song I didn't recognize in a language I didn't know.
The lyrics flowed with the rhythmic clash of metal on metal, keeping a steady tempo as the hiss of the nearby fire formed a backdrop to my song. I wasn't sure what the song meant, nor the language I spoke, but I could feel that it was just right.
Da treth va rem pah do ra,
Ven doe reth veir ta rem a,
Ha dra ter ra lor va den,
Ca ro faan ta cer de ve,
Gah tro vin deth cor he ta,
Ma denth dor rem fas to ro,
Meir de ram a tor de shuull,
Tem ere dar con ves te roth,
Tarn dek ves ton ru meh,
Tra tu rom de ver ta ro,
Cra ve reth vem meir,
Vah, tu, rah!
As I completed the song, I quenched the blade. The alloy shone, gleaming silver in the moonlight that was now overhead. I could feel the rhythm of the song pulsing through my blood, and I knew that this would be another relic. I repeated what I did with Solis, carving the handle from the dragon bone. I decided to use Norse runes this time, carving the symbols of ice, the moon, and strength into the bone.
I work the handle onto the tang, making sure to put all of the dragon bone shards into a pouch for later. I looked at my work, holding it up to the light to see the perfect blade I had forged. There were only two things left to do.
I began to weave my magic around the blade, feeling the alloy change slightly as my magic attached itself to the very core of the blade. By now, the guildmaster was openmouthed in total shock, watching the cool silver-blue glow gather around my sword. One thing left.
I could feel the blade, and it was almost complete, but not quite. It was missing something, and I already knew what. I raised a thumb to my mouth, biting down and drawing a tiny trickle of blood. The sight of my blood jolted the guildmaster out of his shock, and he immediately paled when I began dripping blood down the length of the blade.
My blood, rather than simply splattering on the blade, sank into it. After a moment I could feel the relic complete, and was hit with another barrage of notifications. I dismissed them, waiting to see them later. I already had a name for the sword as I used [Forge Sight] on the blade.
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Skofnung
Relic
A khopesh sickle-sword made from an unknown metal and extreme skill, it is a masterpiece from an unknown ascendant blacksmith. It can rip through flesh, bone, and steel alike with its indestructible blade, and call upon the haunting light of the rising moon's frost to seal foes.
Once drawn, the blade will grow stronger with the blood of its victims. Note that it may not be sheathed without tasting at least one drop of blood. This relic is a shadow of its true form, with limited potential unleashed.
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I smiled, satisfied with my work and the result. I willed the blade to use its power, and felt the connection form.
“[Wrath].” I intoned, and the single word rolled across the forge like a thunderclap. Skofnung's blade gleamed with an ethereal light, and a freezing mist formed around it. I stepped over to a nearby dummy meant for testing weapons, and slashed.
The instant the blade connected, it slid through with zero resistance, trailing frost behind it. The instant the swing completed, a burst of ice cracked from the gash and encased the dummy.
The guildmaster walked towards me, still utterly shocked, holding out a hand.
“Alright, that settles it. You have successfully forged not one, but two relics. May I see this one?” He asked in a polite tone, shooting nervous glances at the dummy.
I chuckle softly before handing Skofnung to him. The instant he identified it, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He nervously handed it back to me before clearing his throat, regaining his composure.
“Well, it is certainly powerful. Do you require a sheath for it?” I shake my head in response, walking to the shed and grabbing a piece of leather. I quickly crafted the sheath and dripped a single drop of blood on the blade so I could sheath it.
The same thing that happened to Solis's sheath happened to this one, with bands of the metal wrapping the sheath. I tossed Skofnung into my Vault before following the guildmaster inside.
Time to finally join the artisans guild.