Forging

Thankfully he woke up today without a hangover. After yesterday's war and training, Will, the six other dwarves, Okdrotir Goldbringer, and Ralgar Gemmolder, went back to the Royal Ingot Pub.

As Will rested in his bed, his mind wondered. Will pondered over how dwarfs could tell day from night under the mountains. Will knew to wake in the morning and sleep at night.

Yet, in the mountains, it was always dark.

As Will's mind questioned something trivial, there came a knock on his door.

"Good morning," Okdrotir Goldbringer and Ralgar Gemmolder greeted Will.

"How do you know it's morning?" Will said groggily.

Okdrotir Goldbringer looked at Ralgar Gemmolder quizzically. It was clear, this question caught them off guard.

"It's morning because the sun is up?" Okdrotir Goldbringer said.

"But, you can't see the sun underground," Will said.

Immediately, Okdrotir Goldbringer and Ralgar Gemmolder understood what Will was asking.

"The sun's light reflects into the caves through skylights and a series of mirrors in the tunnel. Outside, atop the cavern's ceiling is a large prism that directs the sunlight to various places throughout the cave. Hurry up and I'll show you!" Ralgar Gemmolder said.

Will followed Okdrotir Goldbringer and Ralgar Gemmolder outside the inn. Above him was a large four-meter tall, two-meter wide, and one-meter deep crystal prism that reflected sunlight light inside the large dome and to different mirrors that transported the light throughout the dome.

Will marveled at the crystal, and the rainbow light that bathed the dome in warm reds, oranges, and yellow; cool blues and greens; vivid purples and indigos. The multicolor light illuminated the dwarfish architecture in a way Will had never noticed before.

To Will, the dwarf city looked mystical just for a second. A few minutes later, when they run higher, the rainbow colors were gone and only bright sunlight pierced through the Dwarven capital.

"Beautiful, right!" Ralgar Gemmolder said smiling through her beard.

"Indeed!" Will replied.

"We need to hurry," Okdrotir Goldbringer said ushering Will to the gondolas.

Minutes, later Will was back on the hot volcanic floor where toured two days ago. Thousands of blacksmiths' hammers clicked on the hot metal.

Master Duncan approached him after he got off the gondola.

"C'mon lad, your with me today. First, I want to check out your skills. I taught you how to craft iron and Dwarven Steele weapons. If your skills are not rusty, I'll teach you how to craft an ebony and silver long sword. Now show me what you learned," Master Duncan said in his thick Scottish accent.

"You're lucky to learn under such a famous Master Smith. You'll be the envy of many young Dwarven smiths," Okdrotir Goldbringer said.

Master Duncan led Will to an unoccupied forge. Will took an ingot of iron and throw it in the fire. Will check on the heated iron repeatedly before hammering, shaping the ingot into a short sword, quenching in oil, reheating the short sword, and re-quenching. Then Will began to sharpen and decorate the sword. After the sword was made, Will made the hilt and scabbard.

"Well done, lad," Master Duncan congratulated.

Will repeated the steps to make a Dwarven Steele short sword.

"It's good to see you still practice smithing. I was afraid that the forge, I built next to your mansion would go to waste," Master Duncan said.

Then Master Duncan began teaching Will how to heat ebony and silver.

"Ebony and silver are the most conductive metals. It's because their inductive, they naturally boast enchantments, better than any other metals.

Silver is the inherent weakness of the undead and demons. Silver best reflects heaves of light, one slice from a silver blade can kill a demon.

On the other hand, ebony is the easiest to enchant," Master Duncan lectured.

"Think boy, you coated the bottom of the ship in copper because they what works well in the ocean. But…"

"But, if I coated the ship in ebony. Or built a ship in ebony, I might increase the ship's efficiency!" Will said excitedly interrupting Master Duncan.

"Aye, lad!" As a Terramancer, you have special relationships with rocks, dirt, sand, plants, and metal. Think through, your decisions more on what metal to use, and how best to use that metal," advised Master Duncan.

Then Will watched as Master Duncan heated silver and ebony. Will noted the temperature and duration the metal stayed in the force's fire.

Will watched as the heated and cooled the silver. He listened to Master Duncan describe how silver and ebony can burn at higher a temperature and can crack after cooling.

Unlike iron and Steele required much higher temperatures to craft.

Making silver and ebony were incredibly time-consuming, Will learned to go slow as he went.

When it was Will's turn he grabbed an ingot of silver and thought it into the fire, burning the first, second, and third ingots. By the fourth and fifth ingots, Will was able to reduce the heat and warm the ingot to the correct temperature.

Finally, after hours, Will made two small crude silver daggers.

Master Duncan approved and gave Will ingots of ebony.

Again, after an even longer period, Will learned to craft crude ebony daggers.

Then Will was covered him sweat, charcoal, and metal shavings from working so closely at the forge.

"Alright lad, I know it's getting late. It's already past the 15th bell. This time, I want you to combine all your knowledge of iron, Dwarven Steele, silver, and ebony to make a king sword.

Your guardians Okdrotir Goldbringer and Ralgar Gemmolder, have offered to lend you their expertise. Okdrotir is a Master Runesmith and Ralgar, is a Master Jewel Engraver," he said informing Will.

Will immediately began heating, hammering, and crafting a king's long sword made with a Dwarven Steele exterior, and sliver and ebony layers interior. Tricky parts were making sure the metal didn't crack. Will used his magic, especially his lesson on transfiguration to continuously monitor the mineral structure of all the metals. Will could identify the slightest crack.

Will worked until the second bell to finish the long sword. It was an intensely time-consuming process. When he finished he saw a screen in his eye blink.

For a non-magical human blacksmith, this would have taken weeks or months to get this far.

"Thank you for waiting," Will said to Okdrotir Goldbringer, Ralgar Gemmolder, and Master Duncan.

"Well done lad, I was impressed that you were able to heat inside the silver so it adheres to the ebony but doesn't cause it to split," Master Duncan said.

With inlays of ebony and silver-finished, Okdrotir Goldbringer inscribed rune requiring only those with Royal blood to be able to wield the sword. He also inscribed anti-rust, self-sharpen, and increased slash speed.

Master Duncan wielded the sword together, and the silver and ebony disappeared between the sheets of Dwarven Steel exterior.

Then Ralgar Gemmolder engraved the sword with rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. Ralgar engraved the sword's name [Blood Throne] on the sword's fuller. She named the sword after the rune Okdrotir used [Sanguine Bond].

Once the Ralgar finished the engraving, Will marveled at the imperial and majestic sword. Will could feel the sword's magic. The sword's magic was palpable.

Will held the finished long sword it practically danced in his hands, he'd never seen steel as finely crafted. The sword's intricate carvings filled in magical runes, connecting them and making them more powerful.

The sword needs an initial sample to unlock the royal bloodline restriction. Until the restriction was in place, anyone could hold the blade. Briefly, Will thought about keeping the sword for himself. But, his sword had an earth elemental affinity, that this sword didn't have. Still, a bonded blade that was rendered immune to fractures or chips, and self-sharpening was a mystic sword.

Will planned to present this sword to Crown Prince Roland Godwin vont Whitby. Once the crown prince pressed his blood on the sword, only blood relatives of the royal family may wield the Blood, Thorne.

Holding the sword, Will's desire for greed rose. He wanted everything. He wanted Dwarven engravers, rune crafters, technology, gems, and goods. His eyes lit up with greed and his heart filled with madness. He could feel himself slipping away into aversive when a thought occurred.

He was not here to learn Dwarven customs and culture, the Dwarven Rite of Passage did not exist. This was all a facade, a marketing strategy meant to drum up the final negotiations tomorrow. How many times had he done the same, to trick nobles into purchasing items at higher prices?

Now the king was using the same trick on him. Will laughed at himself for falling for such a simple ploy.

Quickly he summoned the guards, Will demanded, "I wish to his visit majesty."

The king's strategy had failed, now it was his turn to press his advantage.

As the guards led him to the King's office, he looked over his stats.

Race: Human

Rank: 1 (Baron)/ Lord of Games/ Gaia's Champion

Class: Merchant

Sub Class: Spellsword

Attributes:

Constitution—55

Strength—54

Dexterity—48

Intellect—66

Charisma—15

Ranks Skills: Management (60), Diplomacy (40), Accounting (52)

Class Skills: Appraisal (15, 100), [Radar]

Abilities: Journeyman Swordsmanship (15, 50), Journeyman Terramancer (39, 50), Gaia's Blessing (multiplies your spell strength x2), Journeyman Blacksmith (2, 50).