James stood alone in the open forge, hammer in hand, sweat clinging to his shirt like a second skin. His eyes were locked on the warped blade in front of him.
The first of many failures.
He'd aimed for a simple one-handed longsword. Instead, he got a crooked piece of steel better suited for decoration—or humiliation.
The blade curved awkwardly near the tip. The edge was uneven. It hadn't even cooled properly before he realized it was useless.
He stared at it a second longer before sighing and tossing it into the scrap pile beside the anvil.
Starting over.
The forge wasn't much yet—just a roof, some stone walls, and equipment Jared had lent him to get started. His proper workshop was still being built near the armory, but Jared didn't want to waste time. Ten swords, Jared said. Standard, usable, clean.
That was the job.
James figured it would be simple. Turns out, nothing was simple here.