22nd Ymiden, 718
"Just one, I have the cobalt here" the human man smiled politely, a fairly regular customer in the forge. His eyes were a deep, piercing blue and his hair black and messy. Every time he came in, he bought a new type of sword. First, a few iron ones, each time requesting a specific Smith for the task. Then a newer metal, Adamantite it had been called, that he requested the boss make and paid a lot of money for. Now, Cobalt, and he asked for Varlum specifically. Or, more specifically, the tall one.
"As you wish" Varlum said in his usual, low tone, taking the cobalt ingots out of his hand. Truth be told, the Ithecal was nervous, having never worked with cobalt before. After the human left, he would be sure to talk to the boss and ask if there were any unique tricks to it. Sometimes it felt like the smaller, older Ithecal had worked every metal that Idalos had to offer. If anyone would know what to do, it would be him. That was why he was the Master Smith, after all.
With one last friendly smile, the man walked out, leaving behind the pouch of gold for the purchase. If the sword was not done properly, Varlum would have to return the gold to him, meaning none of it would go in to the organisation. He would also, from his own coin, have to pay for the metal that had been wasted. Varlum had no idea how much Cobalt cost, but he was almost certain his twenty gold nel wouldn't be able to afford it, and ifi t did it would leave him fairly broke for a few trials.
Taking the ingots in his hand, and placing the coin purse somewhere safe by the counter, the Ithecal made his way to the back of the forge where the boss and some other smiths were at work. It was a moderately sized establishment, with around five other people working at a time, but today had been especially quiet - so only Varlum and three others were around. Of those three, hammering away at a personal project, was the boss. Varlum approached, holding the black ingot in his hands as the boss eyed him up, knowing that questions would be coming next.
"Sorry to disturb ya, boss" the big ithecal started, a small smirk spreading across Marcius' face. Having trained Varlum for so long, he'd grown used to the constant apologies for asking questions, as if it was some kind of bad thing. It wasn't incompetent, Marcius knew that much, but more a desire to learn. That, the boss thought, was respectable if nothing else.
"Lemme guess, you're wondering how to go about that Cobalt. Guy wanted another sword?" he asked, Varlum nodding a small nod. With a hand gesture to follow him, the boss made his way to a separate furnace, lighting it with a tinderbox and handing a spare pair of heavy gloves to the Thiussum, before placing the metal down on the anvil for both to look at.
"I won't be sayin' this again, so listen close" he started, though it was a phrase Varlum had grown familiar with. Marcius was never gonna be 'sayin' this again'. With a small smirk at the remark, Varlum kept listening intently. "Cobalt, luckily for you, is like iron - but with a few differences. Firstly, people prefer the look. Makes for a fashion statement, y'know? Then, you'll be pleased to hear, it's easier to shape and forge than iron is. So you'll be just fine" he reassured.
Varlum nodded, though was still somewhat uncertain. It wasn't like he was a bad Blacksmith, but he was in no way a good one. A lot of what he did was still done through learning, and would be for a while he imagined. Although, the lack of bounty hunters after him recently had meant he could focus more on the forge and work towards learning and growing more as a Blacksmith, which was an idea that excited him to no end. One day, he knew, he would be the best Smith in Ivorian. One day.
Sighing, the man put the two ingots in the furnace, smelting them down as he sorted out as many tools as possible needed. This wouldn't be an easy task, Varlum knew, but it was one he could do. He was sure of it, it would just take some patience. Carefully, the man used some tongs to move the metal on to the anvil. Placing the tongs down, he grabbed the hammer instead and started to work the metal, following the lighter movements his boss had taught him some trials before. Without his knowledge, the boss watched from behind with interest.
Cautious of the blade, the man made light adjustments, trying to make it as sharp as possible. It took some careful and steady movements to do so, some that a man of his size wouldn't normally be capable of. But the man had some level of experience, so his movements were delicate enough, if not a little clumsy. At least, the metal was becoming blade shaped. That was better than the last time he'd tried to make a sword from a more complex metal.
Varlum had to admit, however, that this metal felt a lot smoother to shape than iron did. It wasn't often that a metal was so delicate, moving exactly as he wanted it to. It was no surprise, he thought, that the boss seemed to like it so much. Cobalt would have to be something he worked with more often, if he had a say in it. Easier metals would make his work look a little better than it was, and there was no denying that the metallic black blade on the anvil was beautiful to look at. As breaks went on, the blade slowly gained more of a shine to it, before the boss finally approached.
"Looks good, a little rough - but good" the boss smiled, coming up behind Varlum and looking at the blade. "If you don't mind, I'll give it some finishing touches. Makes it nicer for the customer. But you did good, well done. Perhaps when it's done you can go and take it to the guy, where we normally drop it off."
Varlum nodded, before taking off the gloves and walking over to the counter. He quickly dusted himself off and took off the apron he was wearing, hanging it up on the wall. Realistically, though, the man still looked fairly messy from the forge. He always did after work. But perhaps that would add to the meeting with the man, somewhat. He had time to clean up, however, while the finishing touches were made.
Somehow, in what would have taken Varlum many breaks, the boss finished the blade in what felt like just a break while Varlum cleaned up outside, washing off soot and ash from himself. Despite his love of the forge, the time it took to clean himself up afterwards did prove difficult, though the man had to admit to enjoying it. Something was appealing about the rough, difficult time in the forge.
Once the blade was made and finished, Marcius came outside, holding it in a wrap. Varlum stood up, drying himself off in the back of the forge, before taking the wrapped blade and nodding to Marcius. He had been to this mans house once before for a delivery, when the actual Smith of the sword couldn't take it, so it was a familiar path for him. Leaving the forge, the tall Ithecal made his way up the street to the mans house. When he arrived, the man knocked lightly on the door.
"Oh, hello" the man smiled as he opened the door, clearly pleased to see Varlum. Varlum met him with a small nod and a smile, the sword clear in his hands in the wrap. Offering the sword to the man, Varlum watched as he took it and unwrapped it, both men seeing the finished blade for the first time - and it was beautiful.
Down the blade, the boss had added a small pattern, one making the black sword unique with its own touch. Eyes wide, the customers smile lit up. "Wow, this is beautiful. Thank you, sir. You've outdone yourself" he smiled honestly, reaching in to his pocket and pulling out ten gold nels, handing it to Varlum. "Please, take this as a small thank you. And you can expect me to come back again soon!"
Varlum chuckled and took the gold. "Thank you, a lot. I'm glad you like it" he smiled, before offering his scaled hand to the man. With a glowing expression, the man shook Varlum's hand, before the two said a farewell and Varlum made his way back to the forge. As he made the way back, he couldn't help but smile with pride. As much as the entire blade was not him, a lot of it was him. This was more than he had done before.
As the man entered the forge, he went over to the counter where the boss waited, soon to be shut. As he walked to the counter, he placed ten gold nel on the counter. "He gave a tip, figure the man that made the sword better keep it" he smiled, causing a small chuckle from the boss. With scaled hands, the man took five of the coins, sliding the others to Varlum. "Seems fair, seeing as we split the task equally, wouldn't you say? Most of the blade was you, after all."
If he had learned anything at the time working for the boss, Varlum had learned that there was no point arguing over things. What Marcius says goes. So, with a small chuckle, Varlum took the five nels and put them in his pocket, before turning to walk towards the door. "You did good today, Varlum. Keep it up. Alright?"
With a small smile, Varlum glanced back to Marcius. "Thanks, boss."
"Just one, I have the cobalt here" the human man smiled politely, a fairly regular customer in the forge. His eyes were a deep, piercing blue and his hair black and messy. Every time he came in, he bought a new type of sword. First, a few iron ones, each time requesting a specific Smith for the task. Then a newer metal, Adamantite it had been called, that he requested the boss make and paid a lot of money for. Now, Cobalt, and he asked for Varlum specifically. Or, more specifically, the tall one.
"As you wish" Varlum said in his usual, low tone, taking the cobalt ingots out of his hand. Truth be told, the Ithecal was nervous, having never worked with cobalt before. After the human left, he would be sure to talk to the boss and ask if there were any unique tricks to it. Sometimes it felt like the smaller, older Ithecal had worked every metal that Idalos had to offer. If anyone would know what to do, it would be him. That was why he was the Master Smith, after all.
With one last friendly smile, the man walked out, leaving behind the pouch of gold for the purchase. If the sword was not done properly, Varlum would have to return the gold to him, meaning none of it would go in to the organisation. He would also, from his own coin, have to pay for the metal that had been wasted. Varlum had no idea how much Cobalt cost, but he was almost certain his twenty gold nel wouldn't be able to afford it, and ifi t did it would leave him fairly broke for a few trials.
Taking the ingots in his hand, and placing the coin purse somewhere safe by the counter, the Ithecal made his way to the back of the forge where the boss and some other smiths were at work. It was a moderately sized establishment, with around five other people working at a time, but today had been especially quiet - so only Varlum and three others were around. Of those three, hammering away at a personal project, was the boss. Varlum approached, holding the black ingot in his hands as the boss eyed him up, knowing that questions would be coming next.
"Sorry to disturb ya, boss" the big ithecal started, a small smirk spreading across Marcius' face. Having trained Varlum for so long, he'd grown used to the constant apologies for asking questions, as if it was some kind of bad thing. It wasn't incompetent, Marcius knew that much, but more a desire to learn. That, the boss thought, was respectable if nothing else.
"Lemme guess, you're wondering how to go about that Cobalt. Guy wanted another sword?" he asked, Varlum nodding a small nod. With a hand gesture to follow him, the boss made his way to a separate furnace, lighting it with a tinderbox and handing a spare pair of heavy gloves to the Thiussum, before placing the metal down on the anvil for both to look at.
"I won't be sayin' this again, so listen close" he started, though it was a phrase Varlum had grown familiar with. Marcius was never gonna be 'sayin' this again'. With a small smirk at the remark, Varlum kept listening intently. "Cobalt, luckily for you, is like iron - but with a few differences. Firstly, people prefer the look. Makes for a fashion statement, y'know? Then, you'll be pleased to hear, it's easier to shape and forge than iron is. So you'll be just fine" he reassured.
Varlum nodded, though was still somewhat uncertain. It wasn't like he was a bad Blacksmith, but he was in no way a good one. A lot of what he did was still done through learning, and would be for a while he imagined. Although, the lack of bounty hunters after him recently had meant he could focus more on the forge and work towards learning and growing more as a Blacksmith, which was an idea that excited him to no end. One day, he knew, he would be the best Smith in Ivorian. One day.
Sighing, the man put the two ingots in the furnace, smelting them down as he sorted out as many tools as possible needed. This wouldn't be an easy task, Varlum knew, but it was one he could do. He was sure of it, it would just take some patience. Carefully, the man used some tongs to move the metal on to the anvil. Placing the tongs down, he grabbed the hammer instead and started to work the metal, following the lighter movements his boss had taught him some trials before. Without his knowledge, the boss watched from behind with interest.
Cautious of the blade, the man made light adjustments, trying to make it as sharp as possible. It took some careful and steady movements to do so, some that a man of his size wouldn't normally be capable of. But the man had some level of experience, so his movements were delicate enough, if not a little clumsy. At least, the metal was becoming blade shaped. That was better than the last time he'd tried to make a sword from a more complex metal.
Varlum had to admit, however, that this metal felt a lot smoother to shape than iron did. It wasn't often that a metal was so delicate, moving exactly as he wanted it to. It was no surprise, he thought, that the boss seemed to like it so much. Cobalt would have to be something he worked with more often, if he had a say in it. Easier metals would make his work look a little better than it was, and there was no denying that the metallic black blade on the anvil was beautiful to look at. As breaks went on, the blade slowly gained more of a shine to it, before the boss finally approached.
"Looks good, a little rough - but good" the boss smiled, coming up behind Varlum and looking at the blade. "If you don't mind, I'll give it some finishing touches. Makes it nicer for the customer. But you did good, well done. Perhaps when it's done you can go and take it to the guy, where we normally drop it off."
Varlum nodded, before taking off the gloves and walking over to the counter. He quickly dusted himself off and took off the apron he was wearing, hanging it up on the wall. Realistically, though, the man still looked fairly messy from the forge. He always did after work. But perhaps that would add to the meeting with the man, somewhat. He had time to clean up, however, while the finishing touches were made.
Somehow, in what would have taken Varlum many breaks, the boss finished the blade in what felt like just a break while Varlum cleaned up outside, washing off soot and ash from himself. Despite his love of the forge, the time it took to clean himself up afterwards did prove difficult, though the man had to admit to enjoying it. Something was appealing about the rough, difficult time in the forge.
Once the blade was made and finished, Marcius came outside, holding it in a wrap. Varlum stood up, drying himself off in the back of the forge, before taking the wrapped blade and nodding to Marcius. He had been to this mans house once before for a delivery, when the actual Smith of the sword couldn't take it, so it was a familiar path for him. Leaving the forge, the tall Ithecal made his way up the street to the mans house. When he arrived, the man knocked lightly on the door.
"Oh, hello" the man smiled as he opened the door, clearly pleased to see Varlum. Varlum met him with a small nod and a smile, the sword clear in his hands in the wrap. Offering the sword to the man, Varlum watched as he took it and unwrapped it, both men seeing the finished blade for the first time - and it was beautiful.
Down the blade, the boss had added a small pattern, one making the black sword unique with its own touch. Eyes wide, the customers smile lit up. "Wow, this is beautiful. Thank you, sir. You've outdone yourself" he smiled honestly, reaching in to his pocket and pulling out ten gold nels, handing it to Varlum. "Please, take this as a small thank you. And you can expect me to come back again soon!"
Varlum chuckled and took the gold. "Thank you, a lot. I'm glad you like it" he smiled, before offering his scaled hand to the man. With a glowing expression, the man shook Varlum's hand, before the two said a farewell and Varlum made his way back to the forge. As he made the way back, he couldn't help but smile with pride. As much as the entire blade was not him, a lot of it was him. This was more than he had done before.
As the man entered the forge, he went over to the counter where the boss waited, soon to be shut. As he walked to the counter, he placed ten gold nel on the counter. "He gave a tip, figure the man that made the sword better keep it" he smiled, causing a small chuckle from the boss. With scaled hands, the man took five of the coins, sliding the others to Varlum. "Seems fair, seeing as we split the task equally, wouldn't you say? Most of the blade was you, after all."
If he had learned anything at the time working for the boss, Varlum had learned that there was no point arguing over things. What Marcius says goes. So, with a small chuckle, Varlum took the five nels and put them in his pocket, before turning to walk towards the door. "You did good today, Varlum. Keep it up. Alright?"
With a small smile, Varlum glanced back to Marcius. "Thanks, boss."
