Magic_Smithing
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Ch: 60
🕑 Added 2020-10-30 05:07:18 +0000 UTC"Staring at everything isn't going to magically attach them,” master jokes behind me.
“I know, I know,” I wave my left arm in dismissal in master’s direction, without taking my eyes off of the individual parts of the arrow in front of me.
A beautifully black dellinium arrowhead, the smooth tannish kaglese shaft, and three fechin feathers all lay next to one another.
When I woke up this morning, I was excited at the prospect of finishing the arrow, but now that I'm ready to assemble everything, my stomach feels like it's twisted into a dozen different ways.
"The forge is almost hot enough. Are you ready?" I hear master ask.
I want to shout 'no,' but I can't waste any more time. I still need to weld the arrowhead on to the shaft, attach the fletching, and spend a good deal of time sharpening the arrowhead.
No more procrastination!
I bring both hands up and slap my cheeks.
Too bad, I forgot I've become used to unconsciously adjusting Mana Skin when I need to touch a part of my body, so my 135 points in Strength do more damage to my unguarded face than what I was expecting.
The sound of me slapping my face is louder than I could have ever expected. I channel the sensation of pain into a war cry while I tell myself it doesn’t hurt that much. It never helps when you try to lie to yourself.
Raising my hands above my head in a victory pose, I turn towards the forge masking the tears in my eyes with a look of excitement.
Master just looks at me like I’m an idiot but thankfully doesn’t say anything about my debacle. Embarrassed, I hastily grab the arrowhead and shaft and move next to master, avoiding eye contact with him.
Ignoring the looks of concern master is secretly sending me, I move the dellinium arrowhead to the hottest part of the forge. I take the arrow shaft and also place it in the forge, but I put the end I'm going to weld next to the arrowhead in the hottest part of the forge.
"Master, can you help me attach the pieces?" I wouldn't need to ask master for help if I was working with ordinary metals, but the dellinium cools too rapidly for me to do this without an extra pair of hands.
"Sure, what do you want me to do?" Master, of course, agrees to help me while reminding me I’m in charge.
“I need you to pull the arrowhead out on my mark and hold it in place. I’ll line up the arrow shaft and connect them after I match their internal mana structures.”
“Ok,” Master Del nods in understanding.
It's essential I fuse these two components correctly. I've worked both the arrowhead and the shaft to optimize their internal mana structures best when they're combined. Unlike the arrows I made for the army, which have detachable tips, this arrow will be one solid piece and won't lose as much mana as long as I properly align everything.
"Wait until I say pull," I give master a severe look.
The two of us take up positions. I only have one chance to get this right.
First, I pull the arrow shaft out of the forge. I don’t instruct master to remove the arrowhead yet and instead use Sense Mana on the arrow shaft. I make sure to sear the internal structure into my mind.
“Pull!” I tell master.
Del expertly removes the small arrowhead from the forge and moves it over to the anvil, moving across the ground like a steady phantom.
I focus all my senses on the arrowhead master is holding in his tongs. I take special note of the dellinium's structure around the part I intend to slide the arrow shaft. I twist the tongs in my hand, trying to match everything up.
I reach into a small pot nearby and grab a handful of flux. I sprinkle the alchemical composite on the arrow shafts tip to better help the forge weld take. Using Steady Hands, I guide the rod's end into the arrowhead.
With master's Strength holding his component in place, I'm able to force the two pieces together with brute strength.
“That’s good, release,” I instruct master.
He lets go of the arrow, and I shift it back into the forge. Combining the arrowhead to the shaft only took two minutes, but it felt like a lifetime to me.
I wait with weighted breath for everything to heat back up. Master has moved back off to the side, content to watch me finish the arrow by myself.
Once everything is hot enough, I remove the arrow from the forge and go right into using my skills. Weighted Strike, Precise Strike, Double Strike, all together with Steady Hands, I don't hesitate to use four skills at once to weld the two arrow pieces together correctly.
I'm forced to use the skill combination three times before confirming I have a good weld with Sense Mana.
Though I want to heat everything and mana quench the arrow now, my low Stamina forces me to take a break first. Master doesn’t say anything as I move over to one of the benches and enter a meditative state.
I need to recover quickly, so I focus only on my breathing. It takes maybe twenty or so minutes before my Stamina is recharged enough to continue.
I move back over to my work station and place my arrow back in the forge. When the whole thing is glowing hot, I pull it out of the flames. I hold the arrow with a pair of tongs in my left hand and channel a large chunk of my mana into my right hand.
I reach out and hover my right hand over the dellinium arrowhead. I take a deep breath and grab the arrowhead with my Mana Skin covered hand. The heat from the arrow immediately starts to eat away at my skills barriers at an astonishing rate, so I start pumping my mana into the material as fast as I can.
I force nearly 200 mana into the arrow in a few seconds, and I realize I've underestimated the materials I picked. Both the dellinium and the kaglese are absorbing my mana like a dried sponge.
300, 400, 500. Shit, I still need a part of my mana for the next part of the build!
Thankfully I purge the last of the fire mana from the arrow when I near 700 mana.
The arrow may be quenched but expending almost 70% of my mana pool in a few seconds is an enormous strain on my mana network. If I wasn't used to using large chunks of my mana pool at once, I don’t think I would have been able to quench the arrow.
“Are you ok?” Master asks, concerned. “Even I was able to feel the amount of mana you released there.”
So even master was able to sense the pulse of mana I released. Considering master told me he could only feel mana in areas where its concentration is high, like the bottom of our mine where all the magicite is, I need to be careful if I try something similar around other people. I might poison someone by accident if I release that much mana around a low leveled person.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I tell master. “It took a lot of mana to quench the arrow properly.”
“Do you need some more time to rest?”
"No, I should be fine. I only need to use magic for the next part, and then it's all sharpening." I move over to our nearby workbench and prep the tools I'll need to fletch the arrow.
Usually, I mold molten chameleon spider carapace to make the fletching for the army's arrows, but this time I'm working with traditional feathers.
Well, traditional feathers from a magic beast that is.
First, I need to mark where I'll be attaching the feathers on the back end of the arrow. I use a bit of twine to measure the circumference of my arrow. Again, using the string, I can evenly mark where the three feathers will be attached, so their spacing is perfect.
I measure the fechin feathers and decide where I'm going to trim them. When using a feather for your fletching, you can't just stick the whole feather up against the arrow and call it complete. A feather has more components than one would think.
I start at the quill, the area the feather was plucked from the bird, and start to scrape away the outer part of its structure gently. I need to expose the white pith that makes up the frame of the feather. Usually, I would split the feather in half to create two fins, but I'm only using the best sides of each of the feathers to create my fletching.
Using my knife, I start removing the feather's extra vanes, which are the feather's outer parts. I have to move slow and steady because the feathers I'm working with are from an earth attuned magic beast. Even the softest parts of the feathers are hard for me to cut through with my knife.
Eventually, I'm left with the part of the vane I'm going to use. Next, I grab a pair of metal shears we use to cut thin sheets of metal and trim the remaining part of the vane to resemble your common fletching.
Now I can take the fletching and place them up against the arrow shaft. I mark the length of the fletching on the shaft and grab my engraving pen I brought from home. I could simply attach the fletching as they are, but that would make them stick out of the shaft and produce extra drag.
I pour a bit of my mana into the engraving pen and use it to create a small groove in the shaft deep enough so that the fletching is flush with the surface.
Finally, I grab the last of the supplies I need and move back over to the forge. I place the back end of the arrow in the flames but don’t keep it there for long. I only need the end of the arrow to be hot enough for the next part.
I pull the end of the arrow out of the forge and rub a thin wire of tin across the grooves I carved into the arrow. The tin quickly melts, and I place the fletching on top of the melted metal, soldering the fletching to the arrow. That should hold the fletching in place better than any adhesive we have on hand.
I hold the arrow up and marvel at how it looks.
Now I need to sharpen the arrowhead, and I'm done.
I gather the sharpening stones and move over to a bench to get comfortable. I watch master take up his favorite spot nearby and lay down for the first time in days.
I start by sanding away the rough spots where the shaft and arrowhead were melded together. Then I use a finer grit to smooth the arrow shaft to reduce as much drag as possible. Once the arrow is smoother than glass, I focus solely on the arrowhead.
Because the dellinium is so hard, the edges are already quite sharp, so I start at an already high grit of sanding stone to work on the edges.
I have to go over the arrowhead hundreds of times to sharpen it to the best of my abilities.
“I’m finally done,” I say out loud to no one in particular.
“Are you now?” Master says from his bench.
I turn towards Master Del and give him the biggest smile I can manage. “It’s ready for Kervin.”
"How do you know that?" Master's question gives me pause. He's right; how do I know it's ready for the general?
“I need someone to test it,” master nods at me. “I’ll be back in a little bit!” I leap to my feet and run towards the village.
I know just who I need.
Thankfully, I regained most of my Stamina while I was sharpening the arrow. Activating Double Step, I rush towards the headman's house.
A few villagers call out to me as I make my way through the village, but everyone leaves me alone when they notice I'm running towards Camden's house like someone is chasing me.
When I make it to the headman's front door, I don't bother knocking and let myself in. People are always coming and going from Camden's house, and he told me I'm always welcome.
“Hello,” I call out.
"Is that Aaliyah, I hear?” I hear Sarette’s voice coming from the drawing-room down the hall.
I start walking towards the voice in time to see Sarette herself flinging the drawing-room door open and greeting me with a warm smile. “I thought it was you, I heard! Come in, come in. I was just having afternoon tea with your mother.”
I don’t have time to react as Sandra’s mother pulls me through the doorway.
“Aaliyah, I thought you were working today?” Mother questions me as I’m guided to an open seat.
"I am; that's why I'm here. I'm looking for Ronald, and I didn't want to run all over the village looking for him. I figured Camden would know where he is, so I came here," I explain to my mother and Sarette.
“My husband is in his office. I can grab him for you, but I’m curious, why do you need Ronald? Does it have something to do with the arrow you're making?" Sarette asks me with excitement in her eyes.
I’m shocked she knows about my work.
“Oh, don’t look surprised, sweety,” Sarette gives me a reassuring look. “What do you think your mom and I talk about all day?”
I glance at mom, and she smiles, sipping at her tea.
Well, if she already knows, "I'm looking for Ronald because I want him to test out my arrow." I tell the two gossiping ladies.
Both mother and Sarette look excited at the news.
“You’re done?” Mother questions me while setting her teacup down.
“Almost; as I said, I want Ronald to test it out,” I once again tell them the reason why I’m here.
"This is so exciting!" Mother's friend is practically shaking in enthusiasm. "Let me go grab my husband; I'll be right back." Mother and I watch our host dash out of the room.
I look at mom and give her a questionable look.
“What?” She shrugs. “We talk about our children. Was I not supposed to tell her why you left the village? Bragging about her daughter is a mother’s job.”
I'm about to retort mother when we hear a set of footsteps running down the nearby hall. I catch a quick glimpse of Nicolas as he passes by the open door. He doesn't stop to say hello, and soon I hear the front door opening and closing in quick succession.
Mother and I exchange curious looks when we hear more footsteps coming down the hall.
Camden walks into the room, followed closely by Sarette. "It's nice to have you in our home again, Aaliyah," Camden smiles at me. "Sarette already told me why you stopped by, and I sent Nicolas to find Ronald for you."
“Thanks,” I hesitantly respond. Camden has the same fervent look as his wife.
"No problem at all; we can't wait to see the arrow you made," Camden exclaims in a booming voice.
“Excuse me?” I deadpan.
"It's the only thing the three of us have talked about for weeks; I'm sure you can show us your work." Camden's eyes all but insist that I agree.
I narrow my eyes at my mother, but she pretends not to see my look of frustration. I hope Del doesn’t mind a little company, “Sure, I guess.” I say with little enthusiasm.
I don’t know if they noticed my lack of excitement or if they just don't care, but both of Sandra's parents continue to prattle on about how excited they are to see my work.
"I haven't seen you since you came back to the village. Did you like Drey? You aren't thinking about moving there, are you?" Camden gives me a good-natured smile, but I can see a bit of sweat forming on his face.
"I don't plan on leaving... yet," I say the last part so quietly no one notices. I haven't had a chance to talk to my parents about my future goals. I told them about how Mr. Grey asked me about my future, but I didn't tell them the specifics of my answer.
I don't plan to move to Drey, but I do want to leave the village in the future. There's a whole world full of magic out there, and I want to see it all.
I continue to dodge his questions, and our back and forth chatter stops only when we all hear the front door open again.
Nicolas escorts Ronald into the drawing-room, and I watch Braddon follow in after them. I guess that's one more person who wants to see the arrow I made. A part of me is excited to see everyone's reaction to my work, but I know how master detests visitors.
“Aaliyah, why don’t you lead everyone.” Mother smoothly directs me to lead everyone to Del’s clearing. I nod my head and make my way out of the headman’s house.
A lot of the villagers stare at us as we make our way through the village. Some even come up to Camden and ask if everything is ok, and why the seven of us are walking together. Camden waves them all off, telling them he has business to discuss with Master Del.
As we make our way through the forest to Del's clearing, I think about the last time somebody other than master and myself came out here. Dad is the only person who regularly brings us materials, and Ronald stopped by to convey a few messages, but that's all I can think of. As a matter of fact, since master had me take over the villager’s requests, people had always found me before I entered the forest to order whatever they need.
When we all make it to master's house, I notice everyone, but Ronald is glancing around at everything in the clearing.
Master is still lying on his bench with his eyes closed. The group of people stays close to me as I approach his prone form. I cough loudly into my hand, trying announcing my presence.
“Took you long enough to find him,” Master grumbles out loud without opening his eyes.
Everyone here knows master can talk normally, so I’m not worried about his speech, but I’m just about to warn master about the other people when mother steps forward. "Is this what you do while my daughter works?" Mother's ominous voice sends a shiver up everyone's spines.
Master springs up from his bench, obviously not expecting to hear my mothers' voice. His eyes only widen larger when he notices everyone else.
“No, I was just,” Master stumbles over what to say.
After an awkward silence, I come to master's rescue. "Master is tired from helping me so much. The only reason I made it home at a decent time the last few days was that he cleaned up everything after sending me home."
"Is that so?" Mother doesn't sound entirely convinced, but she backs down anyway.
"Sorry, I wasn't aware I had company," master sends me a murderous glare.
I walk next to master and whisper, “neither did I,” in his ear. Master lets out a soft sigh before giving his full attention to his guests. Master moves to the side, allowing the woman to take his spot on the bench.
“So, where’s the arrow?” It’s Braddon who says what everyone is thinking.
I move over to my work station and pick up the completed arrow. Braddon runs up to me to get a better look, but I dodge him and walk over to Ronald. I hold out the finished arrow, and Ronald takes it and holds it like it's a newborn infant.
Ronald's usually expressionless face has been transformed into a look of pure amazement. His hands run along the shaft as he brings the fletching up to his eyes. "Heavy" is the only thing he says as he shifts his focus to the arrowhead.
As a fellow archer, Braddon can't wait any longer and moves next to Ronald to get a better look at the arrow.
“Can you test it out for me?” Ronald’s head snaps up at my question.
Ronald nods his head so quickly and fiercely that you would think you were looking at a bubblehead.
Ronald unslings the familiar bow I made for him from his back. With only a single glance, he chases away Braddon, who's complaining about not being the first to test the arrow.
Ronald picks a tree in the distance and takes his stance. He nocks the arrow and draws back on his string until his hand rests up against his chin. Ronald makes a few adjustments to his aim, accounting for the soft breeze blowing through the clearing, before releasing the arrow.
The sound of Ronald releasing his bowstring reverberates through my chest, and my heart almost explodes when I hear the loud *thunk* of the arrow piercing the tree Ronald was aiming for, or at least I think that was the tree he was aiming for.
A round of clapping from the spectators reminds me I can breathe now. I have to keep myself from activating Flash Step as I run towards the tree the arrow struck.
When I get close to the arrow sticking out of the tree, every negative thought rushes through my mind at once.
What if something broke?
What if the arrow didn't perform like it was supposed to?
I carefully twist the arrow until the arrowhead lines up with its wound-tract, pulling it free from the tree. I look over every inch of the arrow for any cracks or dings and only relax when Sense Mana confirms nothing has changed since Ronald fired it. Not even the arrowhead itself has even the slightest bit of wear and tear on it; the arrowhead looks precisely as it did when I finished sharpening it.
When I make it back to the group of onlookers, I'm assaulted with questions that slowly fade away as every one notices me grinning at the arrow like an idiot.
It takes me a minute to remember I need Ronald’s input. “What did you think?” I ask the best archer in our village.
"Good first shot, now with skills," Ronald holds his hand out to me, and my excitement disappears.
“That wasn’t with your skills?” I try to confirm the sinking feeling in my gut.
“No, first shot without skills,” He tells me like it isn’t a big deal. I don’t know if my heart can take another shot.
I hesitantly hand the arrow back to Ronald; it's supposed to be used by someone over double his level; there's no way he can damage it… is there?
Everyone watches Ronald take up his stance again, and I feel the need to clarify something with him. "This is supposed to be used by someone over level 100. Can you use as many of your skills as you can at once?" It kills me inside to ask Ronald to use every skill in his arsenal, but this is the only way to test the arrow correctly.
"Ok," Ronald agrees to my request, and I can feel his presence change as he starts to activate different skills.
I jump back and give him room to fire.
If Ronald's first shot were a gun, it would be a little .22; when Ronald releases his bow the second time, it was like he fired an RPG. A physical shockwave passes through us as Ronald’s bow launches my arrow at speeds I can’t even imagine.
There's no clapping after Ronald's second shot, only a dead silence that hangs over each of us.
This time I don't hesitate to use Flash Step to run towards the tree Ronald was aiming for.
When I arrive at the tree I previously pulled the arrow from, I only find a three-inch hole through the entirety of the tree trunk.
My heart beats like crazy as I look behind the tree, trying to find where the arrow went.
The tree a few feet behind Ronald’s target is sporting a smaller hole than its predecessor. It isn't until I track the arrow's trajectory before I find it halfway embedded into another tree ten feet away.
My hands shake as I carefully dislodge the arrow from the tree. When I see the shiny black dellinium arrowhead pulled out of the bark, I feel like I’m about to cry. I sink to my knees and scan every micron of the arrow.
My hands tremble as it becomes apparent the arrow is still in perfect condition.
Fired from an archer above level 50, using multiple skills…
Passed through multiple trees…
And it doesn’t have so much as a scratch on it.
I can’t help but laugh at the arrow in my hands.
I did it!
This arrow is by far the best thing I've ever forged in my career! I laugh even harder on the forest floor.
And that's how everyone found me, laughing on the floor, hugging my arrow.
Of course, Mother was upset when she found me but offered me congratulations like everybody else when I told her the results of the test. Braddon insisted on trying the arrow for himself and even manages to pierce the tree he was aiming for. I found the arrow stuck in the tree behind his target.
We all converge around the benches while I answer people’s questions.
“What’s it made from?” Camden asks.
“The fletching is fechin feathers, which is an earth attuned magic beast. The shaft is kaglese and mithril while the arrowhead is also mixed with mithril and dellinium.” I explain to everybody.
"Dellinium?" Mother asks me before looking at Master Del. All eyes turn to master, and I can see him starting to blush as he takes a step back.
"It's an unnamed metal pulled from a high magic region. It was annoying to call it 'that black rock,' so I named it Dellinium," I explain to everyone, which quickly turns into everyone laughing other than master.
“How much?” Ronald asks me while holding the arrow to his chest, refusing to put it down.
“Yeah, how much for you to make me one too?” Braddon also pressures me for a price.
I cough into my hand, trying to do some quick math in my head. "We're selling the first arrow to the army for ten gold coins." Everyone here is almost like family, so I decide to tell them the price.
Both Ronald and Braddon pale at the fist number I tell them; too bad I'm not finished. "But that is only to get their attention, all the ones we sell after the first one costs more."
“How much did you spend on the arrow?” Mother knows most of the specifics of the arrow but asks for the crowd’s sake.
"Let's see," I raise my finger to my chin and start listing the prices I paid. "The feathers were 15 silver, the kaglese was 7 gold, the mithril I used cost around 50 silver, and the dellinium as a whole was valued at over 50 gold coins. If you factor in the time I spent making the thing, I’d say the arrow is worth at least 25 gold coins, probably more.”
By the time I finish pricing everything out, everyone is staring at the arrow in Ronald's arms. The poor guy looks like he's about to cry. The only people in the village that could pay that kind of price are the headman's family, and it would equivalate to over a year of income for the entire village.
All the arrows I make are already promised to Silver Herd, but I don't mention that out loud.
“I can’t make you an arrow like that one, but I might be able to make you a cheaper version in the future,” I sympathize with Ronald.
“Really?” The usually unexpressive archer asks me with tears in his eyes.
“Sure,” I reassure him. I already planned to try to make kaglese steel arrows in the future, and I'm sure Ronald would appreciate my test samples even if they don't perform like the arrow in his arms.
Ronald and Braddon brighten up at the news, and everyone starts talking about what I can make with the new materials I have access to.
I look at everybody and see happy smiles all around.
Well, all for except one.
Master may have a smile on his face, but I can tell he doesn't like being in such a big group. He rarely talks when he visits my house, and his smile right now is only a polite façade. He’s standing just outside the circle that’s naturally formed around me.
I should think of a reason to ask everyone to politely leave.
But everyone knows the arrow is completed; there's nothing to add to it.
Wait! There is one thing I can add to the arrow.
I politely cough into my hand to gather everybody's attention. "I want to thank everyone for coming and showing their support," I offer some lip service before I kick them out of master's clearing. "But, I just remembered I need to add one final thing to my arrow."
“What is that?” Camden asks for the group.
"I need to put my makers mark on it," I tell everyone. "I normally don't put it on the arrows I make, but I remembered I should probably do it for this one. And then we need to clean up the clearing.” I try to sound upset that everybody needs to leave.
"That's disappointing," Sarette pouts. "I know! You'll just have to come over and have tea with your mother and me so we can talk some more."
The intensity in her eyes leads me to believe I have no choice but to agree. “I was planning to take a few days off after Kervin picks up the delivery tomorrow, so I’m sure I can find some time to stop by your house soon.”
“Perfect!” Sarette claps her hands together in excitement. “We’ll make a whole day of it. We’ll leave you to finish your work.” Sarette ushers her boys and husband to follow her out of master’s clearing.
I walk over to mom and give her a quick hug. “I’ll finish up here and come home early today,” I tell her.
"That sounds wonderful," mother tells me, then looks at Del. "I apologize for coming unannounced; thank you for looking after my daughter."
Master nods his head, earning a smile from mother. "See you when you get home," Mother says to me and makes her way over to the path leading back to the village.
“Ronald, can you escort my mother back to the village, please?” I ask the hunter who’s still standing close by.
“Sure,” Ronald retally agrees and moves to walk mother back home.
“Ronald!” I call out to him as he walks away. He turns back to me with a surprised look on his face, not understanding why I called out to him. “I need my arrow back, please,” I hold my hand out in his direction.
The usually straight-faced huntsman looks down and realizes he's still hugging my arrow to his chest. He quickly runs over to me and hands me the arrow before turning around to hide his look of embarrassment. Ronald quickly moves in front of mother and starts walking her home. I see mother raise her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh.
Once everyone has left the clearing, I turn to master and give him an apologetic smile. "I only went to Camden's to find out where Ronald was. I didn't think everyone would want to see the arrow I made," I quickly apologize to master.
Del waves his hand and shakes his head. "It wasn't your fault; it just caught me off guard, is all. Are you really going to put your maker's mark on the arrow, or did you just say that to get everybody to leave?"
“I think I will put it on. My best work deserves my signature,” I give master a toothy smile.
“That it does,” Master Del agrees with me.
I move over to my work station and pick up my engraving pen. With this, I’ll be able to make a much more detailed maker’s mark. I'll be getting close to my safety limit with my mana, but it should be fine.
While I carve a hammer inlaid with beautiful flowers on it near the arrow's fletching, I can't help but think about tomorrow and when Kervin arrives.
Once I hand off the arrow to Kervin, I'll be able to finally rest, knowing the job is complete.
I might spend a whole day in bed.
I laugh to myself, knowing that would never happen.
I position the arrow, so my maker's mark shimmers in the sun's rays. "Kervin is going to flip when he sees you," I say out loud to myself.
**********
Kervin’s Point of View:
We’re almost to the village.
I move my sleeve across my face to wipe the nervous sweat from my forehead. I pray one of the gods listened to my prayers, and Aaliyah made the arrow on time.
"Do you need to take a break? You look like you're about to melt." Reel points and laughs at me from the side. I steer my cart, hoping to hit him with one of the wheels, but he easily dodges. "Someone is grumpy,' Reel only laughs harder after my miss.
"And why aren't you not nervous?" I hiss at Reel in displeasure. "What if the bandit attack traumatized her, and she doesn't have the arrow ready yet? We don't have much time before we're supposed to be in Teeburn."
“I told you, I handled most of the bandits. Besides, the girl wouldn’t let something small as a few bandits stop her from doing her job.” Reel confidently puts his hands behind his head and walks like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
“And suddenly you think you know her better than I do,” I challenge Reel.
"Definitely." Reel's playful smile disappears, and he glances at me with a dark look of confidence that causes me to flinch back. "She'll have the arrow ready," he calmly tells me before looking forward. "See what I mean," Reel points ahead of us as we round the bend, giving us a clear view of the village.
I look to where Reel is pointing and see a familiar cart parked in our campsite, and sitting next to a warm fire is Aaliyah, waiting for our arrival. Reel was right; she wouldn't be here waiting for us if she wasn't ready.
As we near the campsite, I see the young redhead stand up and wave at us. "Took you guys long enough," her confident voice echoes through the nearby trees, and her smile dispels most of my worries.
"The road is starting to muddy. We got here as soon as we could. Were you waiting long?" I ask as I pull my cart to a stop.
“Na, I woke up early and packed everything with master.” She dismissively points at her cart. “I figured if I was waiting for you, we could get our business over with before the villagers swarm you." She sends me a cheeky grin.
"I take it you finished the order," I ask.
“Of course, was there any doubt?” She puffs out her chest and raises her chin.
A silence falls between us.
"Wait! You didn't actually think I would fail, did you!?" Aaliyah's boastful posture falls away, and she squints her eyes accusingly at me.
“I would never…”
“He sure did,” Reel cuts me off, strutting over to Aaliyah. “You should’ve seen him sweating. Said you might’ve been traumatized by the bandits, were you?” He stops a foot away from Aaliyah and leans forward in an intimidating fashion.
We all wait for Aaliyah to take a swing at the cocky ass, but instead, her smile only widens. She opens her arms, trying to catch Reel, but he slips away from her before she can close her arms around him.
"Why did you dodge?" Aaliyah asks in a singsong voice. "I missed you and wanted to give you a hug; Reel is my best friend after all.”
Reel’s face drops like he just tasted something awful. “I’m going to check the perimeter,” he tells us before vanishing into the trees.
Aaliyah raises her hands to her mouth and shouts into the woods, “Hurry back, I’ll be waiting!”
Lurte, Ryiba, and I are all dumbfounded by what just happened. What could’ve changed their dynamic so drastically?! I thought she hated him?
"He's playing hard to get," Aaliyah laughs at her joke while the rest of us look at her like she's crazy.
Aaliyah walks over to me, and I watch as her mirth falls away, revealing her merchant side as she stops in front of me. "Now that the troublesome person is gone, we can do business." Her quick change in personality reminds me of who I’m dealing with.
“Can I see the arrow?” I ask.
“Sure, one second,” Aaliyah walks over to her cart and reaches in. “Here it is,” she says as she holds up the tannish arrow with a black tip.
I want to cry out when I realize she wasn’t keeping it in anything. I catch myself before I raise my voice, but still use an accusing tone, “Why isn’t it in a container?”
The young girl looks down at the arrow before answering my question. “Honestly, I didn’t think about that,” she freely admits to me.
I reach out, and Aaliyah allows me to take the beautiful piece of work from her hands. "This arrow is worth over 20 gold; you should store it as such. What if you scratched it up against something?"
Aaliyah just laughs at my panicked look. “And what’s funny about what I said?” I ask the young blacksmith.
“I had Ronald and Braddon, two of our best archers, test it. You see how nice it looks?” She points to the flawless arrowhead and the perfectly straight shaft.
“What about it?” I ask, wondering if I’m missing something.
"That's what it looks like after going through three trees. I don't think rubbing up against a crate will do anything to it." She proudly boasts.
“Through a tree?” I ask slack-jawed.
“Yep, three of them.” Aaliyah holds up three fingers as if I wouldn't believe her without the visual cue. "I'm sure you could put it in a box if you wanted to; I bet you have an extra one in your home somewhere." The monster that looks like a girl pokes fun at me.
"I'll probably do just that," I tell her. "We can't argue over price, but can you give me an idea of how much it costs for you to make one of these?"
Her smile fades slightly. "The materials I used cost around 7.55 gold, but that isn't factoring in the material I used for the arrowhead, and the cost of kaglese will be higher without me picking the samples. If I’d have to guess, the next arrow should be sold for over 25 gold coins.”
I have to swallow my saliva after hearing her explanation. “Is there any way to reduce the cost?” I try to ask.
“That’s one of the things I needed to talk to you about,” Aaliyah gives me a serious look. “I need more kaglese ore, like a lot more, a cartload," she clarifies. "Can you try to get me a bulk deal from Mr. Grey?"
“I’ll stop by and talk to him when we pass by Drey. I’m sure he’ll help you out,” I reassure her.
I look at her cart and see a few crates thrown about. If I remember correctly, she mentioned she had already made more arrows for the army before I told her about the general’s order.
“Can you tell me again how many arrows you made for the army?” I motion to her cart.
“I already made four hundred arrows with detachable tips before you escorted me to Drey.” She says, not really sounding like they interest her anymore.
Even if she isn’t as excited as I am, that’s still excellent to hear. We won’t be making much money with the first specialty arrow, and I know how much Aaliyah hates to be in debt. Selling everything should take care of most of what she owes to Mr. Grey and get more kaglese.
"Ready to haggle?" I say in an over the top manner, trying to bring her earlier smile back to her face. Dealing with happy Aaliyah is much more profitable than dealing with serious Aaliyah.
"No, thanks," her answer causes me to stumble.
“But why not?” I question her.
Aaliyah scratches one of her cheeks, "There's not much point in us haggling," she tells me. "You're going to try and get the best deal you can from the army and use my share to pay back Mr. Grey. Find out how much my arrows are worth, and then we can have fun haggling. Until then, I trust you to have my best interests in heart.”
I’m shocked by how much faith she has in me. To trust me unconditionally with her money shows me how deep our bond has grown. I think I might tear up.
“And Kervin,” Aaliyah’s voice reminds me she was still speaking.
“Yes,” I answer with hope in my eyes.
“If you screw me, I’ll have Mr. Grey replace you,” Aaliyah tells me with a smile.
And like that, I'm reminded my fate is tied to this little monster. “Gods forbid,” I answer in a professional tone.
“Now that the heavy stuff is out of the way,” Aaliyah seems to brighten up. “Do you have a special gift for me?” Her eyes practically sparkle with anticipation.
What does she? Aww, yes. “Silver Herd did manage to find the information you were after, but they only entrusted it to Reel, so you’ll have to wait until he returns.”
“Reel has it?” She asks again to clarify.
"He does," I inform her. "He should be back soon; until then, we can…"
Aaliyah turns towards the forest and shouts, “Hey Reel, stop spying and come out!”
A few seconds later, a grumpy Reel appears from the trees, directing his anger at the girl who just summoned him like a trained puppy. Was he watching us the whole time?
Reel storms over to Aaliyah, fishes a sealed letter out of his pocket and holds it towards her. Aaliyah grabs the note with a big smile on her face, but Reel refuses to let go just yet. "You never got this from us," Reel says in a menacing tone.
"I'll burn it after I memorize the contents," Aaliyah responds, holding his gaze. It's incredible how she can stand in front of him when he's intimidating like that.
“See that you do,” Reel lets go of the letter and walks past Aaliyah, taking a seat next to the fire.
“Lurte, Ryiba, can the two of you move the arrows into the cart." Both nod their heads in my direction and move to transfer the goods from Aaliyah's cart to ours. I send Reel a dissatisfied grimace, "You should help too."
"Sorry, I'm on lookout, protecting, and stuff." Again, Reel refuses to follow my orders unless we're in front of someone important.
“That’s right,” Aaliyah chimes in. She walks over to the log Reel is on and sits really close to him. “Reel is an important person. Brave, strong, always on the lookout for danger.”
“Fine, I’ll help!” Reel jumps up and practically runs away from Aaliyah.
“You have to tell me how you do that.” I watch Reel start helping to move the boxes with the others.
"Trade secret," Aaliyah remains tight-lipped. "Are you heading to Teeburn as soon as you're finished here?" She asks.
"We'll stop briefly in Drey to order your ore, but then we'll head straight for Teeburn. Is there something else you need?"
“I need some information from you,” she leans forward.
I’m curious what she could possibly need now, “If it’s within my ability, I’ll get you any information you need.” I proudly proclaim.
“That’s what I wanted to hear,” Aaliyah looks excited. “I need you to find out whether the general is right or left-handed and what her draw length is.”
“Her what?” I ask.
“It’s how far back she pulls her bowstring. Knowing that, I can make the next arrows even better.” I can’t help but smile at the passion she shows when she talks about blacksmithing.
“I’ll ask for the general’s specifications when I make it to Teeburn, and I'll try to return with more kaglese as fast as possible," I reassure Aaliyah.
“Thanks, Kervin,” Aaliyah stands up and stretches her arms.
“No problem, but if I may ask, what are you going to do until I arrive with more kaglese?”
"I'm taking the next few days off, and after that, I plan on looking for any more chameleon spiders in the area. Their carapace is needed to forge the arrows, and I'm starting to run out," She tells me with a downtrodden expression.
“I’m sure Silver Herd can get you an alchemical solution to help with your problem,” I offer.
"If we can't find any more spiders that that might be my only choice. I still have enough materials to work with for now, but I'll let you know next time you're back if that changes. Now, if you don't mind, I need to talk to my family now that I have some free time. I'll see you in a few weeks," Aaliyah stands up and offers me her hand.
“I’ll be back with materials and information before you know it,” I firmly shake her hand.
“Ok, have fun with the villagers,” Aaliyah tells me as she walks over to her now empty cart. I look over my shoulder and see the first of many villagers coming over to greet me.
It’s a good thing I stocked up on more dried goods before I left Drey.
I watch as Aaliyah pushes her cart past the oncoming villagers and take note of how almost all of them greet her as she passes.
I’m reminded of how innocent she was when we first started doing business, asking the price of each of my goods and arguing over every copper coin.
Now I’m helping her sell an arrow worth dozens of gold coins.
Will I remember this day in the future as fondly as I remember the past now?
I shake my head and put on my merchant smile as the first group of villagers comes up to me. “No need to push,” I tell them. “I have plenty of food. Biscuits 2 copper apiece and a quarter pound of jerky for 1 large copper."
I wonder if I’ll still be selling biscuits and jerky in the future as well?
I hope not.
**********
Author’s Notes:
7,950 words.
Oh, gods, what did I just do? Big chapter, same schedule.
Let me know what you think below; I'm going to bed.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as always, stay safe.
Comments
Joey McGowan
Big chapters best chapters ☺
Shadowsmage
another brilliant chapter :)
Lorraine V
Very much enjoying your story
Dave_S
Great chapter again! 👍🏻
Erriballon
When do you post your chapters
Dikfor
Got milk?
Derrick McDowell
So excited for the next chapter
Melting Sky
We have already been given plenty of price touch points in this world. Hell, this chapter even ends with several of them concerning the cost of everyday food stuffs like biscuits and a quarter lb of jerky. We know that even a small gold coin is a significant sum of money with most day to day trade being done in coppers for consumables and silvers for run of the mill non perishable goods.
Lesley Douglas
This is a good chapter, I have been on the edge of my seat with waiting for the General to see the arrow. After all that arrow might be the only thing to save the nation from the upcoming attack. I must say I am surprised the General did not think that since the enemies higher ups are so noticeable the chances of them seeking them in would be higher. Hell they are behaving like they are hiding Something, and I guessed it before we were introduced to the character. If you choose to give the readers a better understanding of the Money system in that world I would suggesting using MC's mother. And generally a comparison between villages and the towns and cities would cover her future travels. This brings me to Her upcoming troubles I think Master Del and her Mother have the best idea of what is to come and they need to have that conversation with MC and her Dad or things will head south really quickly on the day it arrives. Also, they need to get in touch with the Brother and his wife, information control will be necessary to keep all of them safe, no bragging or answering questions about MC or village. They need to start saving money, building a network and find real backing that can be trusted and counted on. Time standstill for no one so they need to get moving in determining what and who they will work with.
Imspinnennetz
One thing to keep in mind is the presence of more valuable magical metals (that do not corrode easily). Therefore, gold coin can be a little bit lower in value for the world.
Carl Mason
I agree, though cannon is probably too much. I expected something like just a larger caliber or something, step it up from a measly 22 to a 50 or change it to a grenade launcher or, I don't know, something else.
Comiak
I feel like the author needs to have a value for the gold in the world. right now it just feels like it's valueable because it said to be valuable which leads to all sorts of problems when your start dealing in tens of gold all of a sudden everything has to cost gold so money is still an issue. the way to fix this is to make the gold in the fictional setting have a direct correlation to the real world like a gold coin being equal to 1000 USD or whatever. BTW the saying is "an ounce of silver buys a good meal and a ounce of gold buys a tailor made suit." this hold true throught history as gold value is rareity based and that doesn't change vary much so the value of gold will always remain the same unless theres is a huge influx or loss of elemental gold. right now an ounce of gold should be around 20$ give or take and that will indeed buy a meal at a restaurant. and ounce of gold costs around 400$ give or take and that does in fact buy a tailor made suit. so putting these values in the fictional setting could help tremendously in keeping a consistent value of money even if you want or multiply or divide the value of gold you still have a base to work off of. If gold is to be about a year wage for a villager or farmer or whatever the poorest country makes 400$ a year the value of an ounce of gold but if you want the kingdom to be a richer country and still have that to be true I'd make the value of gold be about 1000$ a bit over double. A small history lesson of money. Coins were not pure elemental gold or silver. They were intentionally mixed with other things so the gold coin was actually worth a lot less and the value of the coin as backed by the government or royal minters who stamped their coins to ensure that people know the value of that money, this also meant some kingdoms had more valuable money than others because of the purity of their coins. I don't recommend going into detail on that this is not a trading based story and having pure coins is good enough and you already has the small/large variants of coins which suggest very pure coins as the only way to make the coin more valuable if to make it bigger at that point.
meatybyte
Your comment that the arrow acted like an RPG when fired feels a little off. I assume you wanted to emphasise a dramatic increase in noise and a pressure wave when loosed. If so a cannon would be a more apt comparison as an RPG is comparatively anaemic as it accelerates over time while in flight as opposed to having all the energy imparted to the projectile at once.
Chemnerd263
That. Was. AWESOME! I'm super sleepy, so this is going to be short, but Ranulf cradling the arrow like a baby was hilarious to me, and Reel being skittish made me giggle. The idea that the arrow could go through three trees without a scratch is also pretty epic.
David Brims
I'm happy with how the released chapters are getting ever longer lol!
Dikfor
Seriously. I'm hoping it's in the next chapter.
Robmart
I feel your pain.
Robmart
I really look forward to the generals reaction.
Dantalia
I really Like this book and wish you would release chapters more often.
Dikfor
And crap...now I need to wait for the next chapter.
Dikfor
Woot, new chapter!
tibbish
Maaaybe...but filling it in with wax would solve that potential issue easily.
Håvard
Flux https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flux_(metallurgy)
Sebastian Osterbrink
Maybe a stupid question but would that makers mark not affect the flight properties of the arrow because it introduces drag on one side?
Toni Pampliega
Nice shapter! I like all of it! Considerations: 1.- What is a flux? I looked it in google and the definition of the word don't match the explanation. Should it be a compound? What is made of? Adding a component without explaining it felt bad. EDITED: Yep, flux is a material to, between other uses, help as "Solvents - added to facilitate processing and deposition to the joint. Solvents are typically dried out during preheating before the soldering operation; incomplete solvent removal may lead to boiling off and spattering of solder paste particles or molten solder.", Thx Havard for the correction! 2.- Expert. Finally the trade company will evaluate Aaliyah work? An expert enchanter (or mage) will determine the quality of the arrow in Drey? The propieties? The range in wich it can be enchanted? Tier 4- low 5? They will compare it to the dwarfs products? And the other arrows? We have seen the reaction of the General, but an assessment for the merchants should be done to calculate the value. XD 3.- Packaging. Finally! Furthermore, to keep Aaliyah in secret Kervin and the trade company should create an alias for Aaliyah. I proposed in another comment "BlackRose" Smith or similar. Already waiting fr the next one!
RanaSuilep
Her entire personality is a doormat. You have to remember she is not ~16, but in reality more like 20/21, since the length of years are different. I am honestly surprised she doesn't want her own space with how overbearing her mother is. I mean seriously, yelling at Del in front of other people. It gets to the point she should tell her mother to STFU and just move out. She can afford it. Heck, I am sure the Silver Hand would love to support her, maybe move her to a different city each year as a traveling forge master. Gets to travel a bit while having it paid for. That is the main problem with this story, all the thinking 'outside the box' is about crafting and amazing, but everything else is like poorly written romance novel. I guess the System is a bit in the middle, but even there the level of research she could be doing and stuff she could be figuring out about it appears to be minimal.
Guessed
God she's such a doormat to her mom and the other villagers, if someone brought a bunch of people over to my house when I wasn't expecting them because they didn't have the spine to say "you're not expected, maybe later" I'd kick the whole lot of them out.
Alteron
Wonder what will be in next chapter, enchanting, spider combat, Emily? ..... I want it all :-) But whatever it will be, i am looking forward to it.
Brad
I was figuring that the General was going to just get the arrow in time for the attack and use it to hurt/kill that dude. Then the other kingdom(?) would be like who made this arrow with such a unique makers mark.
mmarkgraf212
I enjoyed the chapter, keep it up. Some corrections below. after Ronald's second (sot) -shot mother and (stats) walking her home -starts "And why aren't you not nervous?" - Double negative, its a bit confusing
Endoria
Give me more!!! 😅
D
Ah well, had to read it today during midbreak, made for a very nice read, thx! :) If you know there is a big time differential, waiting becomes less agonizing. ^^ Realy liked the chapter, cant wait to see the reaction from emily. Will also become interesting to see if the 'big fight' will be told in a future pov. I just hope kosnik dosnt write a slice of live chapter to keep us in suspense. x))
Jack Stiles
I think the general's skill is going to destroy the arrow so that won't happen. I think the trouble is going to come from it not standing up to her skill and causing a loss or it will and she wants the blacksmith. The latter is more likely, and it doesn't seem like she is one to be told no.
Todd Kloos
Does anyone else think that putting her maker's mark on this arrow will cause Scholl to find out about her, and possibly try to kill her since she is an important defense contractor of the country that they are at war with?
Julkur
I hope she can raid the enemy's camp to pull it out of the feather-bearded head 😏
Jonathan Seah
That arrow better be worth mad exp. It's so far her best work and probably a whole tier above her sword.
Ungrave
At the very least I don't expect much trading exp to come out of this transaction.
ShadeByTheSea
I know, I'm not a huge fan of POV chapters, but i'm looking forward towards this one.
roflundso
shouldnt the price for the shaft be at 21 gold by itself already? she pulled out the best pieces of ore and said herself that those 100 pounds contain the same amount of the metal as 300 would. whats silver herd gonna do with the rest? sell faulty goods to unsuspecting blacksmiths? honestly i find the price for the arrow too low, if you consider that its possible that she fails etc and then look at price for materials i wouldnt sell it for below 50-80 gold, which is not including kervins services.
thkiw
Hahahaha ronald's reaction is adorable
Worldknower
Would be a pretty great plot-twist if during Kervin's travel, the general gets killed by that "feathered" dude we got a POV from a few chapters back. Then the arrow is pretty much useless.
Michael Kosarick
Thanks for tbe chapter
Milandaanza
Could be on the route, I think drey was the largest city before the fort, Aaliyah might be in the wrong direction from the general so to speak from drey
Mr Ove
Why is he going back to Drey? Before going to the general I thought the whole point was to get to the general order as soon as possible? Like he could just get Reel to phone in about the order and pick it up after the general.... just seems weird that he came from Drey to get a arrow and then going back to Drey for something before going to the general..
Bonobo
Thanks for the chapter, loved it!
Rallaster
Amazing as always, can't wait to see how the general likes the arrow.
Andrew
Thank you!
TemporalMite
I really enjoyed the extra research that was done for the arrow fetching.
Seth
Loved the chapter, as always I can’t wait for more.
Milandaanza
It’s mentioned early on most people aim for 100 vitality as it generally doubles their lifespan if I remember right. I assume there’s another major leap at 200 or 250 (another doubling I’d guess), but I doubt most people care to pursue that. I doubt eternal youth is a thing tho, probably just longer and longer every 100 or so vitality.
Mark Bird
great chapter
Milandaanza
I can not wait for the generals reaction and absolutely loved the swarm of people watching the arrow be tested Edit; I also want to put after binging another craftsman story on scribble hub how much I adore your focus and descriptions on crafting. So many authors half ass it, the characters ‘get bored’ of intricate work, or skip steps via cheat. I really can FEEL Aaliyahs passion in your chapters and it makes it so SO much better to read
ZCochraine!%
Good chapter, the general’s pov is being awaited, and next time we see Aaliyah’s stat and skill board will be interesting. Also something that she has yet ti ask with any real certainty, what is the correlation between vitality and rate of ageing. Cause on top of how young she is anyway, what vitality would she need to stop or even slowly revers her ageing process and be eternally youthful.
Alteron
Thanks for a fantastic chapter, all the characters comes to life beautifully.
Viva01
really nice chapter that showed a lot. Looking forward to the next few chapters avidly
Dylan Coles
Thx for the chapter, and don't burn yourself out! It's alright if a chapter is a little late, especially if its a big one like this
Bunny Waffles
I loved it. Honestly one of my favorite bits of any crafting type story is not just the act of crafting, the stress and how the author conveys the effort of the crafter as they make something greater than they ever have before, but also the reactions of others when they get to see their masterpiece. Also, when it comes to length, I adore that you give us such nice large meaty chapters. More to chew on while waiting for the next hit.
JB Rhorst
What I think is I want the next chapter.
Solarwind
Thanks for the chapter My anticipation for the general's chapter is at an all time high.
tj oram
All around a really good chapter thanks
Tim Maguire
Thanks for the chapter.
Kosnik4
Corrections
