The Sinner

by K. Trap Jones

  He stopped preparing the wagon and

  I braced for an onslaught of verbal abuse.

  I often times thought how useful

  He would be as a diplomat in battle.

  A kingdom could send him to their opposing enemy

  To dampen their spirits with his stories.

  The enemy would have no choice

  But to surrender to the terms constructed by the opposition.

  Then I imagined that his own kingdom

  Would not request for his safe return.

  I usually felt remorse after reliving the idea,

  But I could foresee it happening.

  I was so used to blocking him out and

  Daydreaming about something else as he spoke

  That I did not hear the first few sentences he had to say.

  I was nodding uncontrollably at regular intervals and

  Had no idea as to what I was agreeing to.

  He ended his one-sided conversation and

  Must have felt that I understood him

  As he loaded up his wagon and headed towards the mountain

  To retrieve another batch of ore.

  I honestly could not recite one word

  That exited his mouth if my life depended on it.

  I was never the one to feel pity

  Regarding the problems of other people.

  I always lived by the concept

  That I should not have to hear your issues

  If I was not going to share mine.

  Two days went by and Levi returned

  With the sound of the brilliant, heavy squeaking wheels.

  Anxious to see the quality of the ore,

  I met him in front of the shop.

  After a few of his standard solo conversations,

  We began to unload the cargo.

  I was eager to sort the ore

  As I was beginning a massive battleaxe

  For a local warrior prior to him heading into battle.

  The design required a large amount of high quality ore

  And carbon if I was going to complete it in time.

  As I sifted through the ore,

  I noticed that there was not a lot of high grade in the wagon.

  The ore was light in weight and slightly dull in color.

  I asked Levi about the cargo.

  He explained that he had told me

  During his last stay that the mine was running low.

  He said he asked if he should mine the common ore and

  That I nodded in agreement.

  I immediately felt that vomiting feeling once again,

  Instead of a mine wall, I was about to spew on

  The batch of low grade ore.

  I persuaded him to tell me his story again

  Without him thinking that I ignored him the first time.

  I listened to him intently

  As he told me that the mine was emptying of high ore,

  All that was left was the low quality.

  My sigh at his words

  Translated as frustration to him.

  He followed up with an idea that I quickly took offense to.

  He stated that the previous mine

  He worked in prior to starting with me

  Was filled to capacity with high grade ore of

  Even better quality.

  I knew what he was thinking,

  I wanted no part of thievery against a fellow blacksmith.

  He continued to say that he was aware

  Of the new striker’s schedule,

  That he could easily acquire the ore if requested.

  I gave no such order and sent him back

  To my mines to gather ore as usual.

  To be honest, I did contemplate the special ore

  Later that night as I looked to the useless pile I had acquired,

  But the thought of stealing did not rest well with me.

  Levi arrived earlier than usual for the next delivery.

  The sounds of the wheels were a little lower than normal,

  But the amount was of no concern to me

  I was more interested to see if the quality of the cargo

  Had improved from our previous encounter.

  As always, Levi immediately started in mid-conversation

  As if I had been traveling alongside him.

  Lately, I had been trying to pay more attention

  To what he was saying, but it was challenging

  And I entered into the fold the fourth sentence in.

  He never restated anything he said,

  So I did not bother to ask.

  His thoughts and topics were so rapid,

  So random that I doubted he could remember

  Any of his previous remarks.

  I could tell he was excited about something

  Through his mannerisms.

  I was sure that he was explaining it to me,

  But he had lost me the moment he approached.

  It was very difficult for me to pay attention

  To such long-winded stories,

  Let alone several combined into one.

  I sifted through the coal and was somewhat disappointed

  In the quality as I was hoping that it would have improved.

  I needed better ore in order to finish the barbarian’s axe.

  I was never going to get it done in time with cargo like that.

  Levi saw my frustration and assured me

  That he had something that would challenge

  My current emotional state.

  From the back corner of the wagon,

  Buried deep beneath the ore,

  He extracted a bundle of black cloth.

  He slowly revealed a piece of ore

  That was perfect in all aspects

  From underneath the cloth.

  It was as if the relic had come

  From Mother Nature’s secret haven.

  I had seen many variations of ore in my lifetime, but

  None matched the perfection of what I saw that day.

  Levi walked over and handed me the piece of ore.

  I carefully grabbed it like it was a fragile child in need of shelter.

  The ore felt at home in my hands.

  My hardened fingertips felt around the edges and

  I found no imperfections.

  I am sure that Levi told me where he found it,

  But I did not hear him.

  Holding the ore allowed my creativity to soar like a black bird

  Over a snow-capped mountain range.

  Visions of new creations and possibilities

  Tattooed my mind and gifted me with inspiration.

  I soon came down from my cloud when I

  Realized that I was only holding one piece of it.

  I would only be able to make a fine goblet

  From such a small portion.

  My dreams of exquisite shields and swords

  Vanished as quickly as they appeared.

  Levi lifted up my spirits again

  By stating that there was more.

  I knew what he was talking about,

  At that time I was only concerned

  With rejuvenating my creative visions again.

  I wanted my mind to flow freely like

  A flooded stream seeking a new path.

  My silence and lack of denial prompted him to continue.

  He said the very piece I was holding

  Came from the neighboring mine where

  The abundance of it were not like anything

  He had experienced in his striker existence.

  He spoke of burrows with walls

  That were speckled with the ore

  Like a blossoming apple tree.

  He said that the soil in the walls

  Was so loose that the ore

  Could easily be extracted from its core.

  I felt my mind salivating over his description

  As if he spoke of roasted boar ribs over an open fire.


  I knew what he wanted me to say.

  I knew he wanted my blessing to retrieve the ore,

  But I did not have claim to the mine.

  He continued to say that the owner of the mine

  Was a trinket creator in the next town.

  I flinched at the comment.

  I was disgusted that such high quality ore

  Was being used for trinkets.

  It was a waste of earth’s most perfect resources.

  Levi paused in his words to allow me to speak,

  I offered him nothing in return.

  My mind was tunneling through emotions

  Both positive and negative.

  The pressure to make a choice

  In such an elegant situation was overwhelming.

  His last words regarding trinket creation

  Weighed heavy on my thoughts and

  Brought about jealously towards the other blacksmith.

  My envy was strong towards someone I had never met,

  However, knowing that he was receiving

  Large cargo of that precious ore clouded my judgment.

  I could do wonders with the ore;

  I could create weapons the world had never seen before.

  The element deserved better than to be made into useless goblets.

  The other blacksmith did not deserve the ore

  As he did nothing to preserve its greatness.

  I deserved it more than him,

  I would respect it more than him.

  Does that not make it right?

  I wanted what he had.

  Levi had given me the opportunity to acquire it.

  I offered no words to justify my answer,

  We communicated with only a smile.

  I did not want to know the details

  Of how he would obtain the ore;

  I just wanted him to bring it to me.

  We unloaded the lesser ore in the wagon.

  Once completed, Levi took off towards the mountain.

  I knew that once he was down the path,

  I could not change my mind,

  My desire for the substance was too intense to stop him.

  The idea of his return with a full wagon

  Interrupted my sleep that night.

  My thoughts were comprised of perfectly created shields

  That would defend their owners

  From the most savage attacks and

  Swords that could slice through solid stone.

  The visions that raced within my mind

  Tired me as if I was physically running the race myself.

  The next day proved long and tedious

  As I awaited the arrival of my striker.

  I was unsure as to when to expect him back

  Since he needed to mine the ore

  Around the schedule of the other striker.

  I caught myself staring down the path

  In hopes to see the wagon approaching.

  At times I even forged the sound of the wind

  To reflect the squeaking of the wheels.

  The excitement always prompted me to go outside

  Where I was delivered the cruelty of denial.

  I was growing impatient and

  Had thoughts of Levi not being able to mine the ore.

  Knowing that the other blacksmith

  Would be the only one to have access to the ore

  Churned my anger and brought it to the surface.

  I pounded the molten metal hard that night

  To release my frustrations

  Until the faint whistling sound of the wagon penetrated my ears.

  I was hesitant at first as

  I was unsure whether or not the wind was playing with me again.

  The whistling continued and pulled me outside

  Where I saw the distant vision of a striker and wagon

  Approaching from the path.

  All my hatred for the blacksmith subsided as

  I was about to receive my first delivery of his ore.

  The wagon came to a halt.

  Levi had a large smile on his face.

  He knew I was excited about the cargo,

  He could see it in my eyes as I stared at the mound.

  The ore was beautiful sitting in the wagon

  With the moonlight glistening on the smooth surfaces.

  That was not high quality,

  Rather excellence that Levi had delivered to me.

  My mouth salivated

  Prompting me to swallow excessively

  As we began to unload the wagon.

  The ore was treated with the utmost respect

  And not dumped to the ground like other deliveries.

  Instead, we hand placed each piece on the ground

  Like they would leak the plague if dropped.

  After the wagon was empty,

  Levi looked to me and asked if I desired more.

  I laughed under my breath and said that I wanted it all.

  My response pleased him as

  He was anxious to return to the mountain.

  I wanted that mine emptied of the ore

  So that the other blacksmith did not have access to it.

  I could not handle knowing that the blacksmith

  Was creating trinkets from it.

  The resource deserved better and

  I was going to unleash its inner greatness.

  Over the next few days,

  Levi continued to deliver the high quality ore and

  I smelted it as fast as it came in.

  The new ore allowed me to finish

  The barbarian’s axe prior to his arrival.

  The axe was my first creation with the new ingredient.

  The power that I was able to harness

  Within the core illuminated the blade to perfection.

  I imagined that nothing would stop that blade

  In battle as it would easily cut through

  All in its way including wood, stone, bone and other blades.

  My next conquest was a large circular shield

  With a serpent dragon etched on the front.

  Any other time, I would not have been able to bend

  The metal in such a way,

  But the creative juices that seeped from me now

  Easily processed the product.

  Levi continued to deliver loaded wagons

  Of the ore on a regular basis,

  It allowed me to create some of the most wonderful items

  My mind had ever conjured.

  My increased creativity spread throughout the lands.

  I envisioned every battle that was taken place

  Involved at least one of my creations.

  I often desired to watch my relics in action

  Whether it was seeing an arrow

  Bouncing off of my shields or

  Observing the steel forged blades of my swords and axes

  Crushing an enemy skull with a mighty swing.

  The experience had to be beautiful to behold.

  I imagined a successful warrior holding up my sword

  As a sign of triumph on the battlefield

  Prompting his army to follow suit.

  I knew I would never witness those spectacles,

  Regardless the visions were soothing to my creative soul.

  With my stock running low,

  I was on the lookout for the arrival of Levi.

  My ears were always on attention

  For the wagon wheels during that time and

  The anticipation often forced me into a realm of panic.

  My stress about cargo always subsided

  With the first initial encounter of

  The faint squeaking sound of the wagon.

  I stopped working on my current project and

  Headed outside to greet my striker.

  By the time I exited the shop,

  Levi had already traveled up the path.

  His characteristics were different than usua
l as

  He rushed around the cart nervously looking down the path.

  He was not his talkative self and offered

  None of his long-winded stories.

  Instead he frantically paced about

  While rubbing his hands together.

  I asked him what had happened.

  He mumbled a few words, but I could not understand.

  I asked him to speak again,

  He began to stutter and slur his speech.

  Something had frightened him.

  Deciphering it proved to be a challenging feat.

  I decided to let him calm down first before

  I pried him for information.

  It seemed to work as he started to speak clearer.

  He kept saying that they knew over and over.

  I asked him who he was talking about.

  His response rattled my emotions like a trapped snake.

  He replied that the other striker knew;

  That they had crossed paths as Levi was exiting the mine.

  The fear and hesitation that I originally felt

  When Levi offered the first piece of ore

  All came back to me at that moment.

  Any normal person would have felt

  Remorse at the situation,

  But I only felt envy towards the other blacksmith.

  I took control of the situation and

  Told Levi that he should alter his mining schedule

  To avoid the other striker.

  Up to this point, no other striker was utilizing the mine.

  We had to be more cautious in our timing.

  I reassured him that we could continue mining the ore and

  He agreed with only a smile.

  My words calmed his nerves and I could read from his face

  That he was pleased with my reaction.

  He said that he could mine at night if I allowed it.

  At that point,

  All I wanted was to deny the other blacksmith of the ore.

  The new scheduling worked for quite a few days as

  My stock continued to increase

  Allowing me to construct more weapons.