Now that she was able to handle the materials without destroying them immediately, Mira decided her first creation would be a dagger. It was a simple enough project for a beginner, yet it would give her the perfect amount of difficulty she could learn from once she failed.
She started by selecting a suitable piece of iron ore. With the ore in hand, Mira heated it in the forge until it glowed a bright orange-red, the heat from the lava river providing a consistent and intense source of warmth.
Using tongs, she placed the heated metal on the anvil and picked up a hammer. Her first few strikes were tentative as she gauged the right amount of force to use. Gradually, she found a rhythm, the hammer falling in steady, controlled beats. The metal began to take shape, elongating and flattening under her careful blows.
