Niris had been at the forge of the gods for several weeks. His daily routine had become so he had no time for himself. No matter how much he reminded himself of his master's words, for the time being he was unable to free up any time to contact Seiran except in the evening, a few minutes before bedtime. He wasn't satisfied, but he had to get used to it. For the moment, he wasn't trained enough to speed up his exercises. Most of all, he felt that the whole thing was dragging on, even though he felt that his training was bearing fruit. So far, he hadn't found a single material that would enable him to forge a quality weapon, and worse still, he didn't know how to look, given that he had no precise instructions from the blacksmith.
He was sitting on the edge of the stone path that ran around the forge's staff quarters. His feet dangled over the grass that grew wildly in the unkempt garden. He was taking a break between the morning's ore extraction work and the smelting work that would produce the best possible alloys. He worked directly under Inimyar, who was as strict as she was attentive. She was an excellent teacher.
His gaze wandered over the beautiful array of plants left in total freedom in the garden before settling on two large statues guarding the forge like two sentinels. With their lion bodies, dog heads and dragon wings, they were reminiscent of chimeras, and the sight of them intrigued Niris. Siti had explained to him what they were: it was these immobile statues that had attacked him on his arrival at the forge of the gods.
What they called the Rubicon was the defense system they had been created for, based on the use of the natural energy of the place. They sent arrows of natural energy at the first intruder they detected, and you had to be a natural energy user yourself to get past their defense system. However, a second safeguard had been put in place: a protective net of natural energy stretched between the two statues and closing around the entrance.
This was why it was said that only masters and their apprentices could enter this place, as they also had to pass through the mesh of this net, which immediately detected the link with the master spirits. Niris still didn't understand how he himself had been able to pass through this net when he wasn't officially an apprentice master of blades, but he was saving the question for the end of his apprenticeship at the forge at the risk of offending the blacksmith.
In any case, these two statues were a feat of energetic architecture, created by an outstanding manipulator. He hoped to be able to ask more questions of the forge masters, but Siti's knowledge was limited and Inimyar clearly had other fish to fry. He would ask his master when he returned. He was about to resume work when Inimyar's voice made him turn around.
-I see you've adapted quickly, more easily than I thought you would," she agreed, approaching him.
The angel thanked her with a nod.
-I had a communication with the master of blades, and she explained to me your complicated circumstances," she said, moving to stand next to him, her gaze lost in the flora of the wild garden. Here at the forge of the gods, we follow the same precepts as the masters and stay out of politics. We have little interest in intergalactic life, and consider the intrigues of conscious species to be futile and harmful. But we serve the masters. And if the way of the masters is obscure even to the masters themselves, it is also obscure to us.
She paused and turned to the angel who was listening attentively.
-I'm a member of the En Feris clan, a clan of half-giants who live in the mountains of Moldard, on a distant planet. I may have chosen impartiality and withdrawal from worldly life, but deep down I remain and always will be attached to my roots, in one way or another. This is what my short existence has always reminded me of, and what your master has once again shown me. There's no point in living in a world that wants to destroy us or itself.
She uncrossed her arms and clenched her fists. Very solemn, she stood up straight before the angel, who was even more impressed by the blacksmith.
-The master of blades has informed me of his wish to make you his full heir, and therefore his official apprentice. Our world needs you, and you need us for your fight. I hate war and politics more than anything, but I can't escape the inevitable. So you can count on me to help you in your fight, and I'll do it by helping you forge the blade that will make you a worthy heir, Niris d'Egea.
Niris swallowed hard. The blacksmith's sudden declaration had moved him. Touched by her determination, he replied with equal fervor and respect.
-Thank you, Inimyar of Moldard. Your teaching will be invaluable to me, and I'll do my utmost to live up to it.
The blacksmith nodded.
-All right, then. Let's get started then, we've no time to lose.
She turned back, and Niris followed without asking. He was happy to finally be able to tackle what he'd come for, now that he'd understood the basics of blacksmithing.
-Did you find the materials you needed, or are you still looking?
-No, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure what alloy to use," he admitted simply.
Inimyar sighed.
-It's normal, forging a master weapon usually takes the whole apprenticeship, so several decades...
-Several decades??? couldn't hold back the angel.
-Forging a weapon is the culmination of an apprenticeship, young angel, something that ends when the apprentice becomes a master. It's normal for it to take so long - it's a very long job. But in our case, we don't have the leisure to take all that time. We'll have to take a shortcut," explained Inimyar with a serious look on his face.
While they were talking, they came to a huge, iron-clad, handleless door. Niris examined it with interest. It was the first time he'd seen such work. Inimyar placed his hand on one side of the door and uttered a formula in ancient Moldvic. Suddenly, the door swung open and, thanks to a complex mechanism, slowly let the two visitors in.
-Welcome to the secret storeroom of the forge of the gods," said the blacksmith as she operated the reverse mechanism to close the door behind them.
Niris looked around in amazement. On the walls of the room hung all manner of weapons. Swords, katana, but also spears, scythes, short blades and knives, scimitars... There was everything you could want in this room. And even a casual glance would reveal that they were of the highest quality. To tell the truth, Niris had never seen weapons as beautiful as those in his father's armory, and there were very few of them. Here, there were dozens, if not hundreds! The walls were filled with legendary weapons.
-The Forge of the Gods is so called because it not only forged all the weapons of the dragonriders and masters in their time, but also collected all these weapons after the death of their owners. The role of the forge is to forge, of course, but also to preserve the weapons of intergalactic heroes and their enemies too," explained Inimyar, who was amused by the angel's impressed look at the collection.
She gave him time to observe these weapons, which had once had a legendary reputation. The angel moved slowly through the immense room, observing each weapon with fascination. He felt like a child in a large playroom. All these incredible weapons aroused his love of combat, and he shuddered with anticipation at the thought of one day holding such a weapon in his hands.
-Generally speaking, to forge a master weapon, one uses a raw material called Gilast, which is alloyed with Ceydron. These are then worked over several years with natural energy to give them a unique originality. These materials resonate with natural energy and their mineral structure evolves with it. That's why every weapon here has its own unrivalled craftsmanship.
Niris drank in his words.
-But we don't have the time to go through all this long process, so we're going to break the rule," she continued, frowning.
-What do you mean?" asked Niris, her curiosity piqued.
-We're going to use one or more weapons, melt them down to recover their alloys and then forge them again," explained the blacksmith.
-Can we do that?" exclaimed the angel.
-Technically yes, even if it poses a few complications in terms of the history of weapons, which often resist fusion because they are imbued with a different natural energy that has shaped them throughout their use. But normally not, it's totally forbidden. Every weapon must be preserved to honor the memory of its bearers, to recall their good deeds and their misdeeds, and thus to remind conscious species of the errors of the past and the baseness of their condition.
Niris respected the blacksmith's silence and waited for what was to come.
But prohibitions are no match for the imperatives of securing our hard-won peace," continued Inimyar. We have a war to win, and we'll forge the weapon that will give you that victory.
Niris nodded vigorously. The blacksmith's speech had galvanized him! Inimyar smiled indulgently. The angel reminded him of the days of the masters, when apprentices came here to forge their weapons. Back then, the forge was alive, and they didn't just make tools to sell in town for a pittance! The forge was in its heyday, a popular place for all the greatest metal craftsmen. Now, those days were but a distant memory, and the disappearance of the masters had turned the forge into a ghostly place where Inimyar lived alone with her memories and the ghosts of the past, for everyone around her had forgotten those distant times that most of them had never even known.
She moved towards a beautifully crafted long katana, the blade of which was covered with inscriptions. The handle was also forged and surrounded by a band of precious red leather. At the end hung a pompom of the same color, a continuation of the strap. A golden edge adorned the leather, which looked as if it had never aged despite its age.
-This blade...It's that of Lycanthe d'Ensra, the last dragoness," explained Inimyar, who looked at the sword with deep respect.
-The weapon of Lycanthe d'Ensra? repeated Niris, a little bewildered.
Stupidly, he hadn't thought that the sword of the first dragoness would be preserved in this place. The blacksmith nodded.
-The master of blades suggested we use it to forge your weapon. In this way, you'll be able to use Niyari's power more easily, using her as a vector and catalyst.
-An excellent idea!
He thanked his master's genius for having thought of such a thing.
-And then..." said Inimyar, moving towards a mage's staff fixed to an adjacent wall. We'll use this stick to complete the alloy.
Niris looked up at the weapon with intrigued eyes. It was a mage's weapon such as he had seen before, but there was something peculiar about it. Intense energy radiated from this seemingly simple weapon, but it was not. Its construction revealed a powerful energy at work, and a precious, finely crafted assembly. This was no simple mage's staff. The yellow-orange stone at the top was proof of this. This jewel harbored an intense energy just waiting to come out.
-Was this the weapon of a master? he asked, completely fascinated.
-You can't use a master weapon to forge another master weapon, it's impossible," replied Inimyar, shaking his head. Otherwise, we'd have used your master's three blades to forge you a new one, which would have been the simplest solution.
She paused to observe the weapon, then continued gravely.
-It's not a master's weapon, but it was forged here by a master, then given to someone who was very close to your master.
Niris turned inquisitive eyes on her.
-It was forged by the former shadow master, Serim Youahv Ben Yamar. He was a contemporary of your master, and his traveling companion as well. They were very close. He made this weapon for the person who was certainly the most precious to your master at the time.
-An apprentice? asked Niris, who couldn't contain his curiosity.
Inimyar laughed. His remark was obviously absurd.
-Your master never had an apprentice before you," she remarked. Didn't you know?
Niris nodded gently. He didn't know at all.
-Aaah, how can you know so little about your own master?" continued the blacksmith with a hint of disappointment in her voice. Well, the last master of blades was a very secretive person, so I'm not surprised. I'll let her explain, it's not my place to tell this story, but you should know that your master had a companion at one time, and this weapon belonged to him. His name was Elizkor An Ebi seida.
Niris was speechless. It was silly, but he'd never thought his master could have shared his life with anyone. In fact, her premature and voluntary "death" seemed to indicate that she had lived alone all her life. But this was obviously untrue, and made her sacrifice and her life all the more tragic. Niris looked at the stick without saying a word. Words simply failed him.
-He was an outstanding mage, one of the most powerful in his time. Even today, in fact. We're going to use the stone to infuse it directly into the blade of your future weapon, and we'll use the wood to make a protective scabbard that will permanently nourish the blade.
-Is this...Lou's idea?" asked Niris, who was beginning to put together all the information he'd just received.
Inimyar nodded.
-She didn't give me the details, but she thinks it could be useful in your future battles. I don't know what she's got in mind, but she's got a hunch that this weapon could be of use to you.
-Great! When do we start?" said Niris, turning to his mentor.
-Oh dear, not so fast, young man! said the blacksmith, stepping back and laughing. Ah, youth is beautiful! But I'm sorry to disappoint you, even if we're going to go a lot faster than before, we still have some preparations to make.
-What kind of preparations?" asked Niris, excitedly.
The blacksmith sighed.
-Follow me," she said.
She stepped back and opened the door. They exited, and she closed it behind them before heading for the garden.
-Forging a master weapon requires more than just materials and experience," she resumed seriously. You need a key element without which you won't be able to forge anything.
-What's that?" asked the angel, impatient.
-A Szifia.
-A what?
-A Szifia," repeated Inimyar. It's a kind of spirit, if you like... In any case, it's one of the few things that link master spirits to this world.
Niris opened his eyes wide in astonishment. Inimyar immediately noticed the angel's interest. She led him further into the garden, around the forge and into a cavern hidden by vegetation.
-You don't know that spirits are mysterious entities whose masters are the only witnesses and vectors in this world?
Niris nodded, attentive.
-Each master makes contact with a master spirit during his apprenticeship, then acquires the master's knowledge when he becomes a master himself. This is what's known as passing on, an ancestral and secret ritual known only to the masters themselves. All this well-kept mystery makes it impossible to define the true nature of master spirits, since they are totally unattainable by mere mortals. No one would believe in their existence were it not for the knowledge that characterizes masters and makes them granters of requests - the famous requests that can be addressed to master spirits, but no one knows how they work.
As they made their way into the cavern, Inimyar picked up a torch lying on the floor and lit it with a wave of his hand and his creative energy.
-Sometimes, master spirits have even spoken through masters, although this is extremely rare. All this to say that this explains why master spirits are often regarded by the population as gods, beinfaiteurs or malfaisants, as the case may be.
They advanced a little further, and little by little, the cave became covered in crystals. Niris looked around in wonder. He seemed to be moving from wonder to wonder.
-But there's another form of entity that manifests the existence of master spirits, the Szifia, Inimyar continued. In the past, they could be found in the wild, in remote and abundant places, but with time and the development of conscious species, they retreated to places highly charged with natural energy and protected from those species who often sought to dominate or harm them.
Niris listened attentively. He was captivated. He was unaware of all this and was discovering a world that was far more complex than it appeared. It was a delight for him, who loved nature and all the beautiful things it had to offer. He was in this wonderful cave like a fish in water. Soon, they reached a cavity whose walls were completely covered with crystals.
-Today, this is the only known Szifia retreat.
-And...I have to summon one, right? suggested Niris, who was beginning to see where this story was taking them.
-Szifia are the masters' most faithful companions. They are both guides and instructors, sometimes even friends. To forge their master weapon, masters need Szifias to infuse the energy of their master spirit into their weapon. This marks the end of the apprenticeship and the first step towards knowledge.
Niris looked around him. He could see nothing but crystals in the cave, not the slightest spirit or other froliquet that could act as vectors for the spirits of the masters.
-Szifia don't necessarily have a physical form; they only take one when they need to communicate with the masters," explained the blacksmith, who could see the angel peering around him. Once you've managed to summon a Szifia, you need to convince it to forge a weapon with you, and again, that can take years. Today, you'll have to convince one to trust you quickly so you can have your weapon.
Niris frowned. There was no end to it. This road he was on seemed simply endless. He took a deep breath. He had to hold on. He'd make it. His master trusted him, so he would trust him.
-When you have succeeded, the Szifia will infiltrate your energy channels and guide you in the forging of your weapon. This is how it works. You forge for several days until your weapon is perfect. Then the Szifia will withdraw, leaving a mark in your mind so you can summon it easily whenever you need to repair your weapon.
-All right, then. I'll get down to summoning a Szifia right away. In the meantime, you can start melting the two weapons to prepare the mixture I'll use to forge my weapon...
Niris stopped when he saw Inimyar shake his head sternly.
-Niris, there's another danger you need to prepare for," she warned him. Legendary weapons are kept at the Forge of the Gods to preserve the memory of their bearers and their own stories, but also to protect them from misuse. The forge staff have collected all these weapons over the years after the death of each of their owners, to ensure that such powerful weapons don't fall into the wrong hands.
-You mean that..." asked Niris, beginning to understand.
-The weapons never leave the storeroom, and the door is a highly sophisticated energetic protection that prevents anyone from locating them. But once they're out of this protection, they're vulnerable and anyone can locate them. This planet is admittedly very difficult to access, but powerful and determined personalities could manage to get here in spite of everything, and if their level of use is high enough, they'll pass the rubicon without too many problems.
Niris clenched his fists. And then there were the people who would come for the bounty on his head. A whole flock of enemies would come to settle his account and collect the weapons from the storeroom the moment they stepped through the door.
-Well," he said decisively. I'll take care of summoning a Szifia, then we'll hitch up the forge without delay, and hope the rubicon holds while I finish my weapon.
Inimyar smiled. She loved this young man. He was determined, and knew how to show the strength he needed to accomplish what he had to.
-Niris, we'll protect you. The forge has been here for centuries, and today I'm its guardian. I've seen a lot of thieves come and go, and I've had to send them back to their mothers' beds because they thought it was their right to have a weapon forged here. You're not alone in this fight, we won't let you down, even if Zorkiel shows up.
-Zokiel?" asked a surprised Niris.
Inimyar remained closed-mouthed for a moment before answering.
-Your master thinks Zorkiel himself will come, so we have to prepare for the worst.
-If Zorkiel comes...
-Don't worry, young angel, I'll call my friends to help us defend ourselves, and your master will surely be back by then. In the meantime, leave the security issues to me, and concentrate on your Szifia," she ordered him. However, I hope you'll allow me to send your friend back to Kampalera? He won't be safe here.
-Yes, of course, Viknard doesn't know how to defend himself," agreed the angel, who now understood why her master had ordered her to send him to the city.
-Well, now that we've got all the technicalities sorted out, let's get to work!