“Snow?” Ruby asked no one in particular as the white puffs of smoke crawled out of his mouth.
All, even the makeshift camp covered by the cave’s entrance was engulfed in the shining white.
“It has been Spring for a while now…”
The man scratched the back of his head.
“Nature itself is celebrating my unsealment. I’m truly touched.”
The floating blade spun through the air.
Blowing on his hands, Ruben opened a large sack hidden inside a tree.
“There it is.”
He picked out a small wooden plank and placed it deeper inside the cave. If you could even call it that. The entrance didn’t lead inside a mountain or a hill but rather went straight underground with only the small covering mound on top — Brockur’s signature design.
“Ignite!” Ruben yelled as he stabbed the material caught on fire.
Leaving the shortsword inside, with a sigh of relief, he sat next to the stone wall, hidden from the wind.
“The leg doesn't hurt anymore, nor does the arm.”
With the approval of the black blade, Ruby inserted the skill he got from the blue troll that automatically slowly healed wounds while underground. Took the blacksmith about an hour and a half to start walking comfortably again. If he was to stay here until the morning, maybe he would be cured completely.
“Rest it is then.” The black blade landed nearby and closed its glass-eye-like innate skill. Looks like it has multiple purposes.
“Could I really…”
Young smith wasn’t sure what got the better of him down there.
“The adrenaline, the weapon, the built-up frustration?”
Ruby wrapped his hands around his legs. He felt regret above all.
“I am no swordsman even if I picked up a few tricks by spectating others. No foundation, no training, I am an amateur.”
Ruby began pulling on his hair covered in dirt and dust.
“That man was dangerous. He could have killed me.”
“Boy, do you… need someone to talk with before we start the attunement?” The blade asked, feeling the inner turmoil.
“No.”
“Then tell me when you are ready.”
They’ve already had a discussion while underground.
***
“Master Brockur watches through the eyes of his weapons. He will soon learn about your bet and will do his best to be a great prize.”
The sword positioned itself in such a way as to make the skill pseudo-eye watch right into Ruben’s.
“So I won’t find him until I win? Argh.”
The regeneration kept reminding about itself with quick bursts of sharp pain.
“Precisely,” the floating weapon simply confirmed.
“Well, this isn’t going to happen, so I will seek out someone to bestow you upon.”
Ruby tilted his head to the left.
“Nonsense, your talent is close to his. I will guide you to victory, boy.”
The sword flew to adjust to his sight accordingly.
“I understand, but… I don’t want to. It’s not really who I am.”
“Your goal will be unchanged, just the means slightly different. What is the issue?” The blade kept pushing.
“I’m just going to lose. Better melt away someone else’s weapon than Master’s.”
“Those are not the conditions. My existence would be forfeit in either case. I cannot allow that.”
“I could tell him you got stolen or make up something else.”
“Or you can win and teach a fool a lesson. That’s the only way for you to meet Brockur. It’s not only yours but his honor at stake.”
“I don’t deserve fighting with you. I cheated, I wasn’t supposed to know the password. I looked at the father’s notes and simply copied it.”
“That only means that your starting point differs from others. Your destiny is, however, still leading you somewhere.”
The sword’s tone became as serious as it could be. Usually, the blade was squeaking with annoyance or mumbling, but not now.
“You must be kidding…”
***
“I’m ready!” Ruby said suddenly.
“I’m not ready,” he thought, “But… I need to do this.”
“Very well.”
The blade arose and wiggled its green handle inside the young blacksmith’s palm. Then everything came to a stop.
[???, ???]
[Hand-and-a-half handed single-edged legendary sword]
[Skills: Innate (Eye of Mischief), Tunnel-dweller.]
[???]
[Attunement began]
The dizziness Ruben felt was reminiscent of the duel hours prior, but not quite the same. What was most certainly different was the environment. A white expense in every direction clued Ruben into what was going on.
“This sword already belongs to someone,” he figured.
The blade in his palm buzzed with a quiet vibration.
“You will need to sever the master Brockur’s connection before a bond with me can be made.”
“I thought I’d at least get to know something about you before that part.”
“The stronger the blade, the harder setting up a link is. You may not even learn much but my name by the end of this ritual.”
The figure that stood in front of Ruben was a white marble statue of a short bald man with a luscious beard. He was dressed in a chainmail, holding the handle of the same black sword. The man was holding it upside down, stabbing it into the transparent floor.
“So what should I do?” Ruben was confused and his wounds still hurt.
“The attunement system was instituted by one of the prior gods, it doesn’t heal you or reduce the pain,” the sword said, as if he read the blacksmith's thoughts.
“You can hear me?” Ruben asked inside his head to make sure.
“In this realm, yes. Our minds are linked. If the attunement is successful, this will become possible to achieve in the real world too,” it responded without ushering a word.
“If the setup is the same as with duels, should I just…” Ruben grabbed the sword tightly with both hands and walked towards the statue.
“I am not allowed to help any more than I’ve already done. Good luck, boy.”
“Huzzah,” Ruby shouted uncharacteristically while making an aloof mockery of a strike. Not that the unmoving target was difficult to hit.
Making a sound similar to a stone getting pushed, the statue weaved out of the way instantly. With a mechanical and precise movement, the opponent’s black blade cut upwards, except…
“I’m too far for that-”
The opponent’s right hand let go of the handle and grabbed a notch on the dull side made specifically for this.
“What-” Ruby’s neck exploded with pain as he obviously heard shattering bone.
[00:01]
The countdown echoed within the mind.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Uweough,” the blacksmith made a screeching bellowing sound. That flash of pain, it went away immediately, but…
“I died.”
Ruben grabbed his neck tightly. It clearly got broken through just now.
With terror, he looked at the unmoving white statue.
“Death or pain cannot be prevented within the space, but you will get reset if you cannot continue,” the black blade buzzed.
“I just died…”
Ruby still breathed heavily.
It took him a few minutes to mentally recover. He decided never to experience that again.
With a sigh, Ruby approached the statue once again.
“I didn’t even notice how it killed me. I need to be more careful.”
With the weight still taken care of by the floating sword, the blacksmith could choose whichever stand he liked. He stopped holding it with both hands, taking a one-handed dueling position he’d seen in fencing competitions. This would allow him to be most agile.
Taking as much distance between the statue and himself, Ruby tapped the statue on its forehead with the tip and hopped backward.
The statue, as it seems, accepted the challenge, as it mimicked the one-handed hold, also turning sideways. The only difference was that the sword it held was turned edge up. With the same stone-pushing sound, it began stabbing the air while approaching.
Trying to keep his distance, Ruby decided to parry one of the attached and respond with his own, retaking the initiative.
“Stop. Never spend energy on blocking attacks meant to wear you down.”
“What should I do then?”
The sword did not respond this time.
*Swoosh*
Ruben’s face would get punctured if he didn’t sidestep this one. Each time the blacksmith tried to move back, the statue’s barrage only sped up.
“Screw it.”
The blacksmith hit the sword back, now his attack neared the statue’s head.
*Grull - ooh*
The opponent’s black blade, not pushed away nearly enough, dug into the man’s armpit, making its way to his neck.
“Again?!”
[00:16]
The number shined before the blacksmith’s eyes.
Then, back alive, with heavy breathing, Ruby grabbed his shaking right hand, glancing at the expressionless white statue.
He held a sword tighter and walked towards it.
*Grrr- ouh*
The last breath left his punctured lungs.
“Again?”
[00:08]
*Crack*
The ribcage gave in with a sting from the opponent’s black blade, shattering.
“Again?!”
[00:05]
*Clank*
The attack was deflected, and a slit was made through the blacksmith’s neck.
“Again…”
[00:12]
Scowling, Ruby fell towards the floor, never getting to feel its impact.
“Again.”
[00:05]
“Let me go!!!” He wanted to yell, covered in spit, red like a tomato, but couldn’t. The white unwavering palm finally strangled the young man to unconsciousness.
[00:20]
“I… can’t,” he was forced to admit.
“You-” The sword was about to say something.
“No.”
“No?” The weapon uttered in confusion.
“I don’t need more hints. That’s not the problem.”
The man stood up, walking towards the statue once again.
***
“So what’s next? We just get up and start training?”
“There are four ways for a duelist to become stronger. Number one: To get a stronger weapon. As a legendary I already stand on top of most blades in terms of power and durability. We won’t get much if we spend the whole month looking for gleam to strengthen me further. Are you making notes?”
“Well yeah, sounds important, no?” The young man was already writing it all down.
“Of course, of course! Number two: Enhance body. But! There is no way to make you strong enough for this to be impactful before the tournament. No offense.”
“I will remember this.”
Ruby pouted.
“Number three: To work on the toolkit. Mostly through clever skills. I’ll get to that part.”
“Okay?”
“And four! The swordsman’s skill! His agility, technique, and care!”
“Uhum, uhum.”
Ruby nodded with understanding.
“There exists a group of duelists of the highest caliber. They are the greatest warriors of this world, to the point that only sparring with each other brings them any joy. All of them use sentient weapons, as that is the only way to truly reach the top. “Weapon tamers” they call themselves.”
“I’ve never heard of them.”
“Obviously!” The serious tone evaporated, “Think what would happen if everyone knew that. Thieves would keep bugging them to take the weapons! On public, they use something more commonplace.”
“Got it. Made a note. Are we on the part about skills or? Should I make one more column in the chart? You said there were only four ways…”
“Uhem. By becoming my owner you would join that system. We will go to one of their special training grounds. At least that’s where Master Brockur said I should take the one who finds me. And there we’ll get rewarded with good skills.”
“Teacher! Teacher!”
“Yes?”
“But why do I need to attune to you? If you can provide the skill access I can use the attunement for another weapon to maximize my arsenal.”
“Hmm, you don’t get it, do you? This bond is special,” the sword paused, trying to pick the best words to continue with, “The one that unites two into one.”
It tried to sound as thoughtful as an inanimate object could. No doubt the blade would have put its hand up to the chin at this moment if it had either of those.
“This is your only chance to achieve the top…”
***
“I understand what all of this means.”
The statue readied its blade upon being tapped on the head.
“Ha!”
Ruby parried but used the opportunity to step back rather than closer.
“Innate!” He yelled, triggering the skill for both the blades.
“Ruby, Ruby, Ruby. You are so impatient,” memory echoed through the white space.
“But look, my technique.”
“You can’t make a technique before even getting the basics; smithing is not about ideas; it’s about mastery! Only by practicing can you achieve the top!”
Ruby spat on the ground.
“It’s all just a setup for me to start “feeling” the blade. To learn what it wants. What the intention of its design is,” Ruben began assembling his conclusion so far.
The two unnaturally wobbly blades looked almost like whips, but their true sizes stayed the same. Spark after spark, the black blades danced in their own odd way.
“The speed and strength of our hits are the same. I was just not careful enough,” Ruby confirmed his fears.
“This is nothing more than a long-winded manual! And to beat it I need to understand the weapon better, to make it a part of myself, and to survive a fight long enough to see an opening, but…”
Ruby punctured the air a few times and yelled, “Keep attacking!” before grabbing the arm of the man of marble with his hands.
“This sword is designed to set up a trick. To wait out an opportunity. If you think about it, we should be a terrible team. All I always did before was go for the most lethal blow as soon as possible, but”
The blade, upon figuring out its mission, began repeating the same puncturing action again and again against the statue, clunking against its hard surface.
“Perfect time to teach me something, but… I’ve been following manuals my entire life.”
Pieces of the long luscious white beard started crumbling off, revealing a huge smiling face. Ruby kept pulling on the arm using all his mass, blocking the mechanical movement of the limb.
“And yet the only time I felt alive in my life was today, in the duel where I wasn’t bound by what I should and shouldn’t be doing.”
The marble man grabbed the edge of his opponent’s sword and caused it to fly meters away.
The next thing Ruben felt was a wild strike to the back of his head from the stone fist.
“...And most important of all. I realized why I’ve never seen talking weapons before.”
*Bang*
Another forceful bash got into the young blacksmith’s cranium.
No longer able to hold the sword, Ruben realized what was going to happen next.
“I’m about to get beheaded.”
“I revoke the attunement attempt!” The young man yelled.
And then…
It all came back like nothing ever happened.
“Arghh!”
The same wounds were there but became noticeably better. The phantom pain from the non-existing ones, however, made Ruby scatter on the cold stone floor, rolling from one side to the other.
The sword simply levitated close by, astounded by this turn of events.
“You aren’t allowed to speak once attuned, right?!”
“What?”
“After the attunement, you become just property. You can only speak inside the owner’s head and move only after they command you to. Is that correct?” Ruby talked while still wriggling from pain.
“What?? Of c-”
“Then I don’t want that! You must also be able to choose!”
“I had my choice already, no? Freedom until I find a master to serve.”
The sword had no idea what to think.
“Nonsense, you must choose again!” Ruby finally gathered the strength to stand up.
“The only way we are doing this is if both of us are doing it our way. You can reveal your name or title whenever YOU want! Understood?”
The young man pulled his hand towards the green hilt.
“I don’t-”
“As partners.”
***
“Hoh, what a twist!”
A short bearded man sat at the metal chair and enthusiastically noted something down. Brass-colored armor covered his body. Despite its size, no one familiar with the man would ever disrespect him.
“But Loki was dead wrong on one thing.”
The bald man stroked his bushy beard. It was difficult to notice in this near pitch-black room, but his eyes were burning with excitement.
“This kid’s potential is way greater than Fox’s. The time constraints, the clashing views, the arrogance, the innovation!!! Oh, I already know this one will make it to the top 5!”