“Whoa,” Reya said. “That’s one nasty dagger. Who’d make something ?” “I can think of a lot of people,” Rodrick muttered, looking over Arwin’s shoulder at the bone dagger. “Still, that’s a magical weapon. Not the prettiest, but magic is magic. Could probably sell for around a hundred gold, maybe more. If it wasn’t limited uses, it would go for a lot more.” “Anyone want this?” Arwin asked. “I have a possible use for it, but I don’t know how it’ll turn out.” “Not me,” Reya said hurriedly. “I want my dagger back, not this one.” Arwin wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or feel flattered by how much Reya liked the dagger he’d given her. It had definitely been quite the weapon, but he was pretty sure he could always make another one. Not sure if she wants another one, though. I suppose I’ll have to hope the magic was enough to keep it safe in the Wyrm. With any luck, we’ll be able to get it back after the Wyrm leaves – or dies. “Daggers aren’t of any use to me,” Rodrick said. “I don’t know how to use them. Anna?” “I prefer to heal, not kill.” Anna’s lips pressed thin in distaste as she shook her head. “And this dagger is meant for killing people. Not for me.” “Can’t cook with it. It’ll get bone in the food,” Lillia said with a shrug. “All yours.” Lillia paled and nodded. “Yeah, good point. I’ll get on that.” “I’ll come with you,” Reya volunteered. “I’ve got a little gold, so some shopping would be fun.” The three all headed out of the tavern, splitting off in their respective directions. Arwin checked the door of the smithy when he got to it. It was locked, but he could hear clangs coming from within it. Arwin slid the key into the lock and stepped inside, letting the door swing shut behind him. Zeke stood at the anvil, hammering away at a rough sword. The hearth flickered with faint light behind him, not nearly as hot as it should have been. “Having fun there?” Arwin asked with a wry smile. Zeke glanced up at him, his cheeks coloring. “I’m not using your metal. It’s just scrap I found on the streets.” “Don’t worry about it,” Arwin said, walking over to join Zeke and depositing his bag in a corner of the room. He studied the sword, tilting his head to the side. Even though it was still rough, it was surprisingly decent looking. Better than his first few attempts at a sword had been. Beyond that, there were waves in the metal where it looked like two different pieces had been layered over each other. It was far from perfect, and the metal was separating at the seams instead of melding together. “What were you going for with the kinds of metal you used?” Arwin asked. “Was it just that you couldn’t find enough of the same kind?” “No. I was trying to layer them,” Zeke said wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of a hand. “My dad would always say layering metal was the best way to make a sword. You use metals of different kinds so you get the best bits of each one, you know? Cuz some metal is springy and other metal is really stiff. So, if you mix them, you can get a balance.” “Huh,” Arwin said. “Interesting. I’ve seen smiths fold metal together, but I just thought folding it was a way to work it into shape, not to mix different metals to get a better result. I guess it’s almost like cooking.” Zeke stared at Arwin with doubt in his eyes. “I don’t really think it is.” Arwin burst into laughter and slapped Zeke on the shoulder. “Perhaps not. I’m flying by the seat of my pants here. You’re doing great, though. I haven’t had a chance to really figure out how to be a proper smith yet. I’ve been overly reliant on my class, as the Mesh has been helping guide me to keep my work from being complete trash. Without that, you might be better at this than I am right now.” “I’m not doing that great,” Zeke grumbled, sending a glance over his shoulder at the hearth. “That’s not hot enough, and we don’t have any oil to quench the stuff we make.” Oil… not anymore. I kinda torched up my barrel. I’d tell him about my little hole next to the ditch, but I think that might just make things look even worse. Better keep that as a surprise. For a first weapon, water will be fine. I don’t want to mistakenly break another barrel and pour flaming oil onto Zeke. “Resources have also been tight up until recently,” Arwin said with a sheepish grin. “That will come in time. And getting the hearth hotter is a pretty simple task.” “I already used the bellows,” Zeke said, crossing his arms. “But it’s way too windy, even with all the repairs. Also, your wood supply is almost entirely gone. How was that thing hot enough to do anything?” “If you can keep a secret, I’ll show you.” Zeke’s eyes widened and he nodded without missing a beat. “Lillia says thank you for all the work you put into the tavern, by the way,” Arwin said as he approached the forge. “It wasn’t much,” Zeke said, glancing away as his cheeks reddened. “I just wanted to help out a little more. I didn’t have anything better to do with my day anyway.” “Well, we’ll get that changed soon enough,” Arwin promised. He held his hand up and summoned a ball of [Soul Flame] to it, tossing it into the hearth. The fire roared up, instantly tripling in size. Zeke’s eyes widened and he rushed forward – though he made sure to keep enough space between himself and the crackling flame to avoid getting burnt. “Whoa,” Zeke breathed. “You can throw fire?” “It’s one of the abilities my class got,” Arwin said. “No sharing that, though. I don’t think it’s a big deal, but I don’t want the extra attention, you know?” “Oh, yeah. I won’t say a word,” Zeke promised. He fidgeted in place, and Arwin could tell he was resisting the urge to look back at his sword. “Go on,” Arwin said with a chuckle. “Get your sword. Let’s finish it, shall we?” Zeke didn’t need to be told twice. He grabbed the blade, then carefully edged forward and stuck the first half of the blade into the fire. Arwin took the unfinished piece between two fingers and lifted it into the fire, ignoring Zeke’s yelp of warning. “It’s my fire,” Arwin said. “It won’t burn me. You’re a different case, though.” Zeke, who had been moments from sticking his hand into the fire, quickly yanked it back and cleared his throat. “Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. I’ll work the bellows.” He ran over to the other side of the forge and started to pump air into the fire, causing it to roar even higher. It wasn’t long before the sword had turned a mixture of bright orange and cherry red. “Go ahead and grab the hammer,” Arwin said. “I trust you can swing it considering you’ve already got this much of the sword made. Just be careful. It’s kind of… vibrate-y.” Zeke picked up the black hammer and hoisted it over his shoulder with a grunt, giving Arwin a sharp nod. “I can hold it.” “Good. Don’t hit my fingers,” Arwin said, bringing the heated sword over to the anvil. “I’ll hold it in place. Get to swinging.” Zeke grinned, and then the two of them got to work.