by Ross Buzzell
Konner hesitates a moment. He looks at the metal, then at the hammer in his hand. Quickly the young soldier holds the hammer up to his chest and notes that from hammer head to tip of handle his chest width is two thirds the full length of the hammer. Konner holds the forging weapon forward. He measures out exactly how wide his chest is compared to Windfall and with two swift strikes he cuts the metal to width with the axe end of the hammer. Quickly Konner repeats the process with the height of the breastplate. Konner pays no mind to the sound of the trough as it Ti’Zellor scoots it across the cavern floor. Konner stares at the glowing red metal for a brief moment in silence. Gradually a vague shape begins to form, a white outline of two hexagonal shapes connected in the middle by a slightly narrow bridge. Konner looks over at Ti’Zellor.
“Do you see this?”
Ti’Zellor looks over at the metal. A smile forms on his face as he shakes his head.
“I do not. It is the metal telling you how it wants you to forge it. Follow its direction.”
A new vigor wells within Konner. He spins the hammer around and holds it blade side out. With twelve powerful swings, he cuts the breastplate into the shape shown to him. Konner stares, impressed with his work, but realizes that Ti’Zellor’s breastplate has a slight curve to it, unlike his. Konner slides the thin blade beneath the edge of his newly formed breastplate and turns it over. Unsure as to how he would achieve the curve, Konner winds up and slams the hammer into the center of the breastplate. As he swings the hammer down, a blanket of air forms in front of the hammer’s head and explodes outward as contact is made. The explosion of the wind mixed with the force of the hammer causes the breastplate to jump and curve perfectly at the edges. The forging fire flickers with the gust of wind but shortly after restores itself. Konner looks at Ti’Zellor inquisitively.
“Am I done with the breastplate?”
Ti’Zellor crosses his arms. He shrugs.
“Do you think you’re done?”
Konner finds this mildly frustrating. The concept of physically being unable to help was not lost on him. The breastplate is finished. All the young prince seeks is advice. If it’s good or needs more work; he young prince takes a deep breath as he quells the rising frustration within him and without another word he slides the breastplate into the water. Upon contact the water jumps to life as bubbles of hot air boil from the surface of the rapidly cooling metal and violently charge to the top of the water shattering its serene stillness. Without a word Ti’Zellor removes his shoulder guards and sets them down near Konner before he picks up his breastplate.
“I don’t suppose you will tell me when I should start working on armor for my back.”
Konner’s voice is laced with frustrated sarcasm; he reaches out with the hammer and pulls in the other half of what was now a breastplate.
“You’ll see, just work on the shoulders for now.”
Another wave of frustration washes over Konner as he looks at the remaining Energynium. Without information he does not know how much to allow for each piece. If he uses too much, his armor will be incomplete for the rest of his life, if he uses to little, his armor will be weak which could result in the rest of his life not being very long. So many words Konner’s tongue wishes to unleash upon the ‘teacher’ who is not teaching; Konner turns his back to the general and cleaves the third before him in half. He decides to error on the side of caution. It is better to have some left over than not enough. Konner channels his frustrations into each swing amplifying the power in which they contact the Energynium; this flattens both sets of raw material in only two swings each. Konner focuses his frustration on the forging process and as he does the white outlined picture becomes clearer to him.
Konner sets the hammer down briefly. He reaches out and grasps the flattened metal. A slight sizzle lifts into the air but Konner feels no pain. Using all his strength Konner dispenses his will into the metal which gives under his might and begins to bend. As it does the prince sets the newly forming shoulder armor down. Quickly he repeats the process with the second before he lifts the hammer once again and begins to work on forming the metal. Unlike the breastplate where he incurred his will by force; Konner focuses closely on the gradually forming metal and accompanies it with smaller precise taps. After what feels like hours of moving from one shoulder piece to the other and correcting for small anomalies; Konner takes a look at his armor. The symmetry is perfect making one the flawless mirror image of the other. Ti’Zellor quietly moves behind Konner and picks up his shoulder armor, without looking up Konner slides the newly forged pieces into the trough which explodes with steam and bubbles as it did with the breastplate.
Konner leans over the fire and hooks the hammer on the far side of the middle third of Energynium. He drags the metal over the dancing flames, which encourages sparks to leap in all directions until the solid, glowing red rectangle sits before the concentrating prince. Konner stands before the near molten metal. He holds the hammer gently against his chest as he stares downward into the forging pit. He ignores the soft babble of the creek not ten meters away and the dying sizzle from the trough. Even the steady breathing of Ti’Zellor at his back is paid no mind. Konner rotates the hammer. He has the length. As the hammer becomes horizontal against the top of his belly Konner gradually drops the hammer to his waist. The width is now in his mind. Konner plants his feet. He draws Windfall back and drills it into the surface of the red Energynium. The hammer flattens the metal where it contacts and causes the malleable element to congeal outward in a gradual fashion. With a number of heavy slams into the metal Konner is able to get the Energynium to his desired thickness and as it arrives the young prince sees white etching forming against the now flattened element. The metal guides Konner to shave off the sides to cause the bottom to be narrower than the top. He obliges. Konner places the bladed end of the hammer against the Energynium and with a heavy draw he cuts the metal like a hot knife through butter as he shapes one edge. Quickly he moves to the other side and shapes it as well; Konner brushes the scraps to the side as he turns the abdominal armor around. Six rectangles, growing in length are visible to the young soldier with the first set being longer and thinner than the second, while the third set of rectangles are vertical rather than horizontal.
Konner, once again, uses the bladed end of the hammer and cleaves the metal in two. Right down the middle. He rotates each piece and slices them into thirds. As his cleaving is finished he takes a look at the rogue pieces, “Those will do no good to protect me,” he thinks to himself. Reaching out Konner grabs each piece; he turns them over and layers them so the base of each overlaps the top of the next. Ever so gingerly Konner taps at the ‘seams’ of his abdominal armor which creates a powerful yet moveable connection between the metal. He proceeds to tap down the center of the two halves which binds them together as well. As he finishes, he lifts the abdominal armor and gives it a shake to test its mobility. It does not disappoint. With a quick pivot Konner drops the abdominal armor into the trough. It quickly sinks to the bottom with the other pieces sizzling the whole way down.
The young prince looks at the remaining Energynium. A sensation of woe overtakes him. One did not need to be a seasoned forger to understand that there would not be enough to protect him in battle. He turns and looks at Ti’Zellor who stands leaning against a naturally forming pillar. With a steady voice laced in concern, Konner keeps his emotions in check as he addresses the clear flaw in his forging technique.
“This is not enough to finish what is needed for a proper suit of armor. I waited, I forged and now I see there will not be enough to protect me when I go into battle. Is this a cruel joke that I am yet to understand?”
Ti’Zellor, in silence, leans forward and removes the grieves on his shins. Slowly he approaches Konner and sets them on the forging table before he lifts his shoulder armor and places it back on himself.
“You are doing well Konner. Have faith that I know what I am doing. I would not let you go into battle if your armor
would not protect you. Remember, the armor is in a sense, alive. It will not allow you to come to harm easily either. Finish your grieves then you will be done. Now, take that last piece and cleave it in two.”
Without another word Konner obeys. He cuts the metal in two. He draws one of the halves toward himself and prepares to begin forging a grieve when the general’s voice echoes softly from behind him.
“Again.”
Konner sighs; he nods, then proceeds to cut the portion in front of him in half. The young prince separates the halves and begins to hammer away at one of them. He uses the ‘voice’ of the metal to guide him in the process and in a few minutes he has finished one of the shin-guards. Konner then turns his attention to the other half and immediately gets to work hammering away and shaving pieces off to shape the grieve. Within another few minutes the second grieve is completed. He slides both of them into the trough only to be overtaken with a sense of exhaustion. He had been working so hard that Konner did not realize how tired his body had become or how sore his arm is from swinging Windfall. Konner sets Windfall on the forging table and releases the hammer from his grip. He looks down at his hands, which at this point should be blistered, burned and a gash on one of the palms, but they show nothing. His hands, while sore, are undamaged in comparison to the work they had just done. Konner looks up at Ti’Zellor and he holds his hands out to the general.
“How is this possible?”
“In all honesty? I do not know. The Emissaries are far more knowledgeable. You should enquire of them.”
Ti’Zellor walks to the edge of the forging pit. He picks up Windfall and uses it to slide the scraps of Energynium that Konner had shaved into a pile. Curiosity strikes Konner as he watches inquisitively at the general’s motions.
“What are you doing general?”
Konner asks quietly. Ti’Zellor grins and holds out his empty hand.
“Your belt Konner, give it to me.”
Konner removes his belt, more out of curiosity as to what Ti’Zellor was up to rather than because he was told to. Konner swiftly sets the belt in Ti’Zellor’s hands. Who ever so gently lays it down atop the scraps of Energynium. Ti’Zellor turns to Konner and holds the hammer to him once more.
“One more swing, my prince, and your armor will be complete.”
Slowly Konner reaches out; he wraps his fingers around the leathery handle of Windfall as its weight is fully passed from Ti’Zellor to him. Konner looks at his belt, no white lines; the Energynium is silent about his action. The prince takes a deep breath before he obliges his general and swings the hammer. No wind gust sweeps Konner’s hair, no loud ‘CLANG’ echoes through the chamber, nothing, as if he had struck rubber on rubber, Konner pauses in confusion for a second. He tries to lift the hammer but is unable to. It is now far too heavy for him to even budge. He attempts to release the grip of the forging weapon but his hand is locked shut against the handle. Konner throws his whole body weight backward only for him to be held in place, captive, by this hammer. A weakness begins to snake its way through Konner and into his right arm. The sensation of being drained fills almost every fiber of the young soldier’s being as his right arm begins to grow in heat. Blue waves of light begin to dance from Konner’s right forearm and arch into the hammer. Konner ceases his attempts to escape and stops, mesmerized at the action taking place before him. The young prince watches as energy leaves his body and travels into the hammer. Small blue sparks jump from the hammer’s head and into the belt. This liquefies the Energynium around the belt and slowly begins to pull the gradually liquefying metal onto the belt. Konner watches in awe as his belt is completely consumed by the Energynium that hardens as soon as it finds its place. The weakness begins to dissipate as the last of the energy leaps from Konner to the hammer. Ti allows Konner to release Windfall. He looks at his belt as the last of the Energynium forms his family crest with an azure blue edge for the buckle.
Ti’Zellor walks over to the trough. He peers within to see all the pieces of Konner’s armor. He nods. Impressed at Konner’s work, Konner takes a deep breath as Ti’Zellor motions him over to the trough. Konner slowly walks over to the general, his mind, admittedly still on the belt which he had just left at the forging station. As Konner approaches, Ti’Zellor nods down into the water.
“It is ready for you Konner. Put on the breastplate and see what follows.”
Konner nods. Without a word he reaches into the icy water and grasps the surprisingly warm breastplate. Konner liberates the piece of armor from its aquatic holding cell and places it against his chest. The young soldier expected to just hold the armor up for size and is taken by surprise when it pulls itself to him like a magnet. Small sparks cascade from the breastplate, and then climb around his sides and over his shoulders. Konner feels the sparking turn into metal as it forms around him. Konner smiles and looks up at Ti’Zellor, invigorated at the experience that his armor just formed around him.
“This is what you meant by alive?”
Konner asks in wonder; Ti’Zellor smiles and nods.
“You made it part of you with your blood. This is more than just metal now.”
Konner smiles and looks down at the breast plate. He feels a slight tug begin to pull at the rest of his body. This catches him by surprise and he takes a step back and plants his feet. The pull becomes slightly stronger before a burst of water shoots from the trough and into the air. Konner feels a punch in the shoulder and is spun around by the force. He catches himself as he looks at his right shoulder to see it is covered by his shoulder armor. Konner looks inside the trough; he sees the other pieces shake and move slightly toward him. The young soldier takes a step back as the rest of his armor flies from the water and collides onto him. The abdominal armor slams into his stomach and immediately begins to extend as the breastplate did. It encompasses the entirety of Konner’s core in feather light armor that is easily flexible. The young prince looks down at his feet just in time to see the grieves finish expanding into full-fledged boots around his feet. Konner looks up at Ti’Zellor, laughing in both shock and glee that his forging had been pulled off. A shove hits Konner in his lower back like a whip as the belt slams itself around his waist and clasps in the front. As the belt clicks together Konner’s family crest flairs an azure blue glow. Konner feels warmth in his chest. He looks down to see his family crest begin to glow on the surface of his breastplate similar to the others of his species. Ti’Zellor looks at Konner with pride. He slightly nods to the prince.
“Congratulations Konner. You have officially completed your armor forge successfully.”
Ti’Zellor slowly walks over to Konner. He places a hand on Konner’s shoulder.
“I could not have forged better armor myself. Take the last of your Energynium to your father. He will help you finish your forge. I will take Windfall to its resting place.”
Ti’Zellor walks past Konner; he approaches Windfall and lifts it from the forging table. Konner, still in shock, awestruck by his armor tests it by moving his body. The young prince is shocked at how light the armor is and how his range of movement is not impeded at all. Completely lost in ‘playing’ with his new armor, Konner hardly hears Ti’Zellor call his name.
“Konner!”
Konner snaps out of his state of childlike focus and looks up at Ti’Zellor who is half way down the tunnel from which Konner had so recently re-emerged.
“You cannot be in here without one of the council members. Take your Energynium and go home.”
Konner looks back over at his Energynium. He reaches out and grasps the metal before pulling it close to himself, Ti’Zellor presses a glyph on his bracer; a soft ‘whoosh’ fills the air as a portal opens up revealing a beautiful marble corridor. Konner looks over at Ti’Zellor. He makes a fist and places it on his chest as a salute to the general.
“Thank you sir.”
Ti’Zellor salutes back and bows slightly.
“You’re welcome Konner.”
Ti’Zellor turns and b
egins to walk away from Konner and disappears into the dark. Konner begins to walk toward the portal into his home. As he approaches the doorway, he does not leap through, he does not sprint through but rather steps through the doorway. As Konner passes from room to room the nothingness in between grasps him, no light nor sound; he could neither see where he had come from nor where he was going. The young prince stops moving as he looks around, this is a new experience for him, the void between two places. The young prince quickly surmises that the void is only visible to him now because of his armor and its interaction with the portal. A burning in Konner’s lungs quickly brings his attention back that he is no longer moving. He tries to take a breath but is unable to. The void has no atmosphere. Quickly Konner puts his eyes forward and leaps into the darkness only to be welcomed by a blindingly white hallway as he exits the other side.
Konner lands on the white marble floor as the wormhole behind him snaps shut in a winded silence. The Energynium is pressed to his bosom. The young prince catches himself and secures his footing. His eyes rise to see the tips of two spears mere inches from his face, Konner’s eyes trail the length of the weapons to two guards dawned in grey armor head to toe with accents of yellow along the ridges. Konner looks up where their eyes would be. There are no eyes for the narrow slits in their helmets are covered by a dark protective glass which heightens their sense of sight. A smirk forms on Konner’s face. Quickly the young soldier uses the Energynium to knock one of the spear heads to the side before he grips the other with his free hand. He spins as he uses his body as a fulcrum. He yanks on the spearhead which pushes the guard at the far end into a wall of white marble. By this time the second guard has righted himself and gives another jab at Konner who deflects it with the base of his stolen weapon. With a rapid spin, Konner places the dull end of the spear into the soldier’s shoulder which knocks him to the ground. With a cocky smile, Konner stands before the two and sets the spea’rs base on the ground with the head pointing straight up.