Chapter 18,Master Mervin

(Reskeme)

Reskeme And Micheal pushed through the lunchtime bustle of the city. People eyed his long Oakwood staff, giving him a respectable arm length of space to walk freely up the street. At a quick pace, it took nearly twenty minutes before they arrived at another smithy. Dark smoke rose into the sky from several chimneys.

Reskeme smiled, the city muffled with the wonders of cotton balls he had in his ears. He was going to take them out, but decided he would need them when he arrived at Master Mervins' forge. They approached the large forge. Two buildings linked, with only one producing smoke. They went towards the building with smoke and no one entering. The clang of steel soft from the streets.

" They have two forges?" asked Reskeme.

" No, they have a shop and the forge." replied Micheal.

" Does your family have a shop?" asked Reskeme.

"My dad has been saving up to buy a shop, but for now we just do bulk orders for the army and custom orders." replied Micheal.

" Why would you even want a shop?" asked Reskeme.

" So we can make items for people to come and see and impulsively buy. Many people are looking for something that is convenient." said Micheal.

Reskeme shook his head, wondering who had enough money to randomly buy a weapon or piece of armour? Reskeme entered the shop after Micheal stopping at the sight of three men working on a large flat piece of metal.

Reskeme watched as the metal was shaped. One of the muscular med held the metal with tongs while the other two beat the metal with hammers. The steel was molded and over the minutes they watched what resembled a red hot breastplate form. The man with the tongs lifted it from the anvil and placed it into the forge before immediately pumping on the bellows.

The other two set down their hammers and one of them, the older judging by the grey at his temples, addressed Micheal.

" Ahh Micheal, great to see you!" shouted the older man above noise of the forge.

" Master Mervin, nice to see you again." replied Micheal bobbing his head respectfully.

" How have you been, lad? Did you start your apprenticeship yet?" asked Master Mervin.

" That is what I came for. If I pass the test, I will start my apprenticeship." replied Micheal excitedly.

" What can you I do for you?" asked Master Mervin.

" I need two bands of titanium, one for each end of this oak wood staff." said Micheal.

" Oh, you 're making a runed spear or a steel capped staff?" asked Master Mervin.

" We are making a spear with his weird fire magic." replied Micheal eying Reskeme dubiously.

Mervin eyed him and furrowed his brows, but smiled at the apron.

" Its just a unique fire magic." replied Reskeme, laughing uneasily. Master Mervin took the tall Oakwood. He eyed the wood from top to bottom, taking out a piece of fabric from an inner pocket of his apron.

" An inch wide? Does it matter the thickness?" asked Master Mervin.

" Enough to hold up to an engraving? So maybe three eights of an inch?" said Micheal questioningly.

" Ahh, you remembered? That's good. An inch wide and three eights of an inch thick. With two bands to wrap around the wood of the spear." said Mervin pondering. He walked over to a wall lined with boxes and reached down, unlocking one of the many wooden boxes. Reskeme watched as the man hefted a small bar of a silvery grey metal.

" Micheal, get us some coal and start pumping on the forge. Titanium has a twenty-five percent higher heat required to regular steel." ordered Mervin.

Reskeme walked over, leaning the wooden stave on a wall. As the sound of steel being pounded filled the forge again. Micheal gestured to the bellows. Reskeme placed his hands on the handle and pressed down. The small gust of air and the small sputter of flame in the forge made him flush. Micheal winked at him and casually pressed the other of the two bellows, one on each side. Micheal pressed three times, the coals in the forges whooshing to life, flaring to a bright red.

Reskeme's arms burned, but for what felt like twenty minutes. He gasped with every whoosh of air, but felt like he was getting the hang of it. Reskeme jumped, letting all of his weight force the air and stoke the flame. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Mervin grasped the small bar of metal in tongs before placing it in the now white-hot coals.

The Metal turned red around the edges. Reskeme gripped the handle of his bellow and pumped, his fingers slick with sweat. He felt sweat trickle down his chest, but the apron was shielding his body. It was mostly his head that he had to turn from the flames and the sweat poured down his neck.

The clanging died down again, and Mervin came back to check on the metal. The man took his tongs and reached in, turning the metal.

" What are you waiting for?" asked Reskeme, gasping for breath.

" The right shade of red, the perfect shade for the easiest and best results." replied Mervin.

" Master, what runes do you suggest we put on each to protect the staff?" asked Micheal. The young man was pumping his bellow like it was just a normal day.

" Add, one rune each that mirror the resonating runes. Surrounded by a nullification rune on each." said Mervin. Mervin pulled the white hot metal from the forge with tongs and took it to the anvil with the two men.

Reskeme watched the two men hit the bar expertly as Mervin turned the metal in the tongs. Every strike lengthened and flattens the metal, creating a long thin strip. Mervin used many tools to measure as they continued hammering the titanium. Mervin placed the metal on the edge of the spike of the anvil. And they hammered it into a circle before they used a wedge and a hammer to cut off the first ring.

They repeated the process, creating a second ring with the rest of the Titanium. The three men pounded holes into each of the rings of metal. Reskeme snapped his head to one man who was standing next to Mervin, his stomach clenching as he felt mana being channeled.

Reskeme looked down at both small bands, noticing the twisting lines on each forming an engraved circle. That must me the nullification rune Mervin was talking about.

" Its time, come here." said Micheal. Reskeme walked closer next to the anvil. He grasped Micheal's shoulder and felt the familiar pull of mana. A rune formed on the first ring of white hot metal inside the twisting pattern of the nullification rune. Reskeme followed Micheal's lead, creating a flame rune next to the Inverted triangle of Michael's soul magic. The runes both formed inside the nullification rune.

Reskeme wiped the sweat from his neck, his body feeling weak. Reskeme used Micheal to prop himself up as they prepared for the next rune. Reskeme sighed in relief as Micheal stopped taking his mana, the last rune forming inside the nullification rune on the second titanium band.

" Not bad, Lets dunk them and see if they shatter." said Mervin cheerily. Reskeme grimaced. Wait, they could shatter? that didn't sound good. He backed away. But all that happened was bubbling and hissing from the barrels in the corner.

As Mervin dunked the two finished titanium bands in barrels lining the far edge of the forge. Reskeme admired their speed and skill. These men didn't waste time. In under an hour they created the rings of metal. With Reskeme and Micheal placing their runes on each.

"Well, lets fit them to the weapon so you can be on your way lad." said Mervin as he grasped the wooden staff from the wall. Hefting the wood and staring down the long shaft.

"Its Oakwood master, it should hold up well I think." said Micheal sheepishly.

" Not a bad staff for the base. It will work." said Mervin as he slid a ring over first one end of the staff and then another. He held the first end on the anvil as one of the two burly men used a steel spike and pounded it in the pre-made holes. He repeated the process with three small spikes per ring and passed the staff back to Micheal. Reskeme smiled as Micheal bowed his head, tears welling in his eyes.

" What do I owe you, master? If this works... I'm not sure how I can repay you right now." Micheal stammered.

" If it works, you will sell that spear. Judging by the amount of mana you two used. The spear will fetch a hefty price. Return when you have passed and pay me back then lad." replied master Mervin. The runesmith turned back to the anvil as one of the two burly men pulled the breastplate out of the fire once more.

"Thank you, master." mumbled Micheal as he led Reskeme towards the door, both young men stumbling with exhaustion down the front stairs. Reskeme admired the staff getting exited at what the spear could do.

They returned to the shop after nearly thirty minutes later, entering the loud shop and passing Michael's parents as they two were hard at work. A barrel hissed as just in time they cooled off what they were working on.

Micheal held up the wooden stave with the two titanium rings on it to his parent. He then handed it to Reskeme and took a step back from him. Ned used his tongs to clean out the tube of the spearhead. Ned then held the spear head while Reskeme placed the wooden shaft into its slot. The metal tube slid down, covering over a hand span of the wood, stopping just before the top ring.

Ned flinched back, eying the weapon. Reskeme waited for the wood to start on fire but was rewarded by nothing happening. He sighed in relief, grinning ear to ear. Reskeme lay the spear back on the anvil cautiously as Ned offered him a hammer and three spikes.

" Here you are, I'm not getting anywhere near that death trap." said Ned.

All three of the blacksmiths stood back as Reskeme approached the spear, the hammer in one hand and spikes in the other. He placed the first spike and pounded it once, then twice. The heavy weight of the hammer drilling the spike into the hole until the rounded end stopped him from pounding more. Reskeme proceeded with barely a breath and pounded in the second. On the third spike, he was just finishing when he screamed in pain, grasping his thumb.

" Whats wrong! Did it do something to you?" asked Clair.

" No, I just hit myself with the hammer. Sorry I'm just so nervous I cannot swing straight." said Reskeme, shaking out his throbbing thumb and admiring the finished spear.