"Blacksmith I'm back from my trip to the surface… Blacksmith? Brother?"
"I'm here in the back of the forge. What did you get this time?"
Harnio walked through the silent forge and stood at the entrance to the small room in the back. "I found a few things, from metal scraps to weapons that I'm sure you'll like."
Harnio pulled out a long sword, small daggers and metal scraps placing them on the table for the blacksmith to look at."
"Hmm that long sword looks interesting… Does it have a wind nature as well?"
Harnio nodded. "Yes, everything has a wind nature added to it already… It's strange, the only things that weren't destroyed on the surface. Are we able to use some of these things in our work?"
"Yes… I'll need your help to put things together… Also, there was some news while you were up there training. I thought you would want to know about it."
"Allow me to tell him, since he's my apprentice and all…"
Harnio turned and looked at the items he had put on the table, then looked down at his feet.
"Hello professor."
"It seems you've been to the top again… But I can't blame you since that accident, you seem able to survive up there. Can you tell me what it's like?"
"Ahh… professor it's better to see for yourself… Words can't describe the surface, especially if you look at the tower… It's amazing."
"Hahaha… My student has convinced me to go have a look… Blacksmith… Since you're also his teacher will you come as well?"
"As long as we aren't climbing the tower, I'm happy to walk around on the surface… Lad, did you make the improvements to the armor?"
Harnio nodded. "Yes, I did…What about the news you mentioned?"
"Ahh that… You're going to be popular soon my student… The Supreme has called for the ritual of the guard… Which means there'll be people coming to find you and ask you to be in their team."
Harnio's felt the blood leave his face. "Pppeople… I ccccan'tt. Nooottttmeee… Blacksmithhhfamousss, nottttmeee."
"The tower is too small for you apprentice." Harnio looked at the ground and scratched his arm. Then he looked at the ceiling shaking his head. "No… No… No!"
He turned and ran out of the forge with his eyes closed. When he opened then his mouth fell open in surprise. "How did I get here?"
He looked around him and touched the walls. "I was just in the forge a moment ago. How did I move so fast to be in the tunnel?"
He sat in thought shaking his head. "No one knows I make the armor or weapons… The blacksmith will be the one they want to chase… If he goes, I can help him, but me no…"
He stood up and took a step and found himself standing at the ladder. He turned and took another step finding himself at another ladder. He looked up and saw the face of the blacksmith looking down at him. He looked away from the blacksmith scratching his arm.
"Lad are you alright? The professor gave you a bit of a fright it seems. It's okay he has left but will be back later to go to the surface."
Harnio nodded and sat against the wall of the tunnel.
"Can I come down?"
Harnio nodded and looked at the floor of the tunnel. He frowned. "Blacksmith… Do you think people will come and look for me to be on their team?"
"Lad… Look at all the things you've helped build. Your skills at the forge are a masterpiece… I've never seen anyone not only learn but master forging skills at your speed. We can say that I'm the one who does it all, but when they see my work they'll know straight away."
Harnio put his head in his hands feeling tears form and fall onto the ground. "I can't handle that… What should I do?"
"For those who come calling for you… Why don't you do some test, to prove that they have the strength and the ability to be a guard…"
Harnio looked up at the tunnel ceiling in thought and wiped the tears from his face. "A test… That sounds interesting… Turn it all into an experiment."
"Also you can tell them, that you wish to stay in the capital after the ritual and not leave the city or the forge… Plus you'll have me there telling people what to do."
Harnio looked at the blacksmith's belt buckle and smiled. "You'd come with me, if they pass the test?"
"Of course… How could I let my little brother go to a strange city, and deal with strangers. If I did that, I wouldn't be a good brother at all."
"Thank you…" Harnio stood up and wiped his robes down. "When will he return?"
"He said later… Not sure what that means… How did you move so fast by the way? Was it because of the accident?"
Harnio shrugged, "Not sure, but I'll figure it out…" Harnio looked at the end of the tunnel. "A test… Seems fair… If they want me in their team, and armed by me, they have to be the best." He looked at the blacksmith's beard. "What sort of test do you think we should do?"
"Send them to the surface. Since you like it up there so much… See if they can survive or get them to collect something… Those that are afraid or are weak won't even try… Only the strong and brave will be able to do it."
Harnio smiled. "That's a good idea blacksmith… How about climbing the tower?"
"No. No. No… Not that again. You know how the tower swings, and if they try, then none of them will want to try. How about marking the ground of the tower with a weapon?"
Harnio walked around in thought. "Yes… That could work too, the only weapon that'll leave a mark is one with wind nature, nothing else could."
"Hahahaha… My brother seems to be a little devious as well."
Harnio smiled and sat at the table looking over his notes. "What do we need to get this time from the surface?"
"That long sword you brought back is interesting. If we can find more weapons like that. If we can we'll pull them apart and learn how they made them back then. It looks like it's able to break any other sword that it strikes against."
Harnio looked up with a smile. "If we can make them, we can call them sword breakers…"
"Hahahahahaha… Good name. Finally, you're learning."
"Blacksmith… There is a weapon I saw up there you'll find interesting, but I'm also not sure it is a weapon… It's rather strange. I'll draw it."
Harnio picked up a pen and started drawing. "The blade is small and is curved, but the handle is quite long and very thick. Like that"
Harnio stood up and took steps backwards letting the blacksmith look at his drawing. "That there is what a farmer would call a scythe. It's used to cut wheat, however in a battle it can remove the heads of opponents very quickly… Did it have wind nature in the blade?"
Harnio nodded. "Not only that… Its nature was very high, and also sharp. One slash of that blade would cause more a very sharp blade of wind to form, just like that dagger I made last year, but a lot more powerful."
"We need that weapon to study…" Harnio's eyes opened wide. "Yes… We need to get that weapon. I'll take us to where I saw it. I just hope that it doesn't cause too much trouble here when we bring it back."
"Don't worry about that. I'm sure we'll work it out. We always do. Now come back to the forge… We have a lot of work to do before we go."
Harnio nodded and followed the blacksmith up the ladder and into the forge.
"Let's get started. Heat the forge and check the orders."
Harnio put his apron on and checked the orders written on leather to the side. "Looks like lots of armor pieces today with the glass gem spaces."
"Okay. I'll do the armor, and you put the glass gems together."
Harnio nodded and walked to the side of the forge and pulled out small clear glass gems. "This won't take me long." He put them on the table and pulled out several different batteries.
He turned and looked at the blacksmith in front of the forge heating metal inside it and pushing on the bellows.
"What happened to the apprentices you hired?"
"They couldn't keep up with our workload and quit… I'm sure they were just looking for our secrets, so they could also sell what we make. Hahahaha. Pity they never saw the things you did."
Harnio nodded and looked at the clear gems and the requests next to him. "Easy… Fire and wind gems and an earth gem."
Harnio stood in front of the table and started drawing in the air with his finger. He smiled as the fire battery glowed and watched as the energy moved from the battery to the clear glass gem. "Easy… Maybe the accident was worth it."
He stopped writing in the air as the crystal started glowing red and put the fire battery away. "Fire gems are done… Now on to the wind ones… Maybe they're trying to go to the surface."
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter… I'll still make it to the best of my ability no matter who asks for it."
He started writing again in the air and watched as the wind energy moved from the battery into the gem causing it to start glowing.
"That's beautiful…" He stopped writing and sat staring at the glow of the glass gems in front of him.
"I've always wondered about the type of batterys that are in the world. I'm sure these ones are not the only type… I would do anything to get my hands on a battery that's different." He scratched his head. "Maybe I can make my own battery…"
He pulled out a piece of parchment and started drawing and calculating. He blinked and looked around the forge smiling watching as the world around him started to slow down. "I'm getting better at controlling this… Back to work."
He let out a sigh and leaned back from the table with a smile on his face. "It's possible. I can do it… But I need to see one to confirm my idea."
"Hey Harnio, have you finished yet? We'll be leaving soon."
"Almost. I just got to finish one more… The earth gem, and I'll be finished here."
"Good. Now hurry. I'm sure the professor will be here soon."
Harnio nodded and started writing in the air sending the earth energy into a large glass gem and stopped when it started to glow.
He smiled. "I'm finished. They're ready for their armor pieces."
"Hello Blacksmith…"
Harnio stopped moving and sat quietly. "Ahh. Yes, hello there. Were you able to create a cloth with the material we gave you?"
"It took us some time to process the material, but we were able to make the cloth. It's rather strange and moves around when there is no breeze. Where did you get the material from?"
"Hahaha… A supplier. He delivered them here a while ago, and I took them to you."
"Well if you have any more, I'll buy it all from you."
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for your help."
"Harnio… it's here finally. They made a lot of cloth that we can use for that order the professor gave us."
Harnio stood up and eyed the material in the blacksmith's hands with a smile. "Yes. That's perfect… Now how do we change the nature of it?"
"Change the nature? What do you mean?"
"Sorry to interrupt in your work. Is now an appropriate time for us to head out?"
Harnio turned and saw the professor and stared at the large bag that the professor was carrying on his back.
"What are you planning to do up there?"
"It's a researcher's dream to go to the surface. I want to take many samples and notes. Pity that all my equipment is rather large. Will this be a problem?"
Harnio looked at the bag frowning. "No. It won't be a problem."
"Then why are you frowning?"
"Harnio smiled. "Maybe that bag will catch the wind and you'll fly away… Interesting experiment I think."
He smiled. "Let's get the both of you in the armor, and let's go. There's a few things I want to do up there as well."