39 Chapter 38
Next day
Auron had his breakfast after a full night of passion with Aidana. He made sure that he was in condition to forge a weapon as he wore the ring of Advanced Smith and Master Sculptor in his fingers.
All knowledge on how to reforge a Valyrian steel embedded into his mind, as well as the intricate technique to carve. He startled to know that his task requires a blood sacrifice. As for how, he didn't know because it's a different set skill involving magic.
At noon, Budger Mott came to inform him that the forge is ready for him.
With Auron's group, they made their way into the Steel Hold which is a colossal monolith of dark stone and metal protected by concentric rings of high walls. It was manned with guards in exquisite armors. The closer they are, the more they felt the heat from the never-ceasing forge.
They went through a lot of checks going inside. When they finally came in, they found hundreds of forges inside with blacksmiths currently working on their anvil.
Aidana and the guards were stopped at a distance and only Auron was allowed to go further. Auron gave Aidana a reassuring smile before going in to his designated forge.
Budger came along with him with another old woman donned in a black robe.
When Auron reached his forge, his aura changed merged with his work station as if he was working here for a long time.
Budger and the old woman felt the change and look at Auron with astonishment.
Without wasting time, Auron disembled the arakh and prepare his materials.
He grabbed the dragon bone he bought in Volantis for carving working on the hilt first. He decided that the hilt should be made of dragon bone for his sword. Contrary to a normal bone, dragon bones were black in color since dragons in this world bleed black. It took a long time for him to shape the handguard into a head of the dragon. After that, he moved towards the pommel sculpting another head of the dragon.
Once he finished the hilt, he move on the next step which is to temper and reform the blade.
He looked at Budger beside him and signalled that it is time.
"Go, bloodmage. Tell him the requirement." Budger said to the old woman beside him.
The old woman nodded and went towards Auron.
"I assume you know what needs to be done since you decided to reforge a Valyrian steel. A blood sacrifice is is a must so that the blade can be melted and shaped."
"Yes, I know. What do you require?"
"Any living being that has blood you own." Right after she this, the old woman looked at Aidana in the distance indicating the best candidate.
Understanding what the old lady was saying, his pupils constricted. He didn't want to and he isn't willing to do it. He'd rather not forge the sword than to kill someone he hold dear like Azor Ahai who thrust his sword into her lover's heart just to create Lightbringer.
No matter what, he made up his decision.
"You said that any living being I own that has blood right? Is my horse enough?"
The old woman was surprised. She had seen a lot of men who was willing to sacrifice everything for power yet the young man in front him was different.
Eventually, she nodded and said, "It will but it won't be as effective and sharp as your lovers blood from the heart."
"No matter! Weapon is just a tool. The most important to a warrior is his own strength."
"If you insist. I'll inform Budger to bring your horse."
Not long after, his horse was brought to him in the forge. The old woman was still beside her as she holds the dagger. Before they begin the blood sacrifice, he warg into his horse mind and apologized for what he was about to do. He cannot bear the conscience to just kill the poor animal without saying anything. After all, it's still a life. He thank him for his service patting the horse neck to calm him down. The horse understood and neighed in protest but it soon calm down when he saw Auron's sincere eyes. He seem to accept his fate and licking Auron's face giving his last service with its life. Auron had the urge to stop this madness but he gritted his teeth.
When Auron nodded at the old woman, she unhesitatingly plunged the dagger in her hand to horse torso. Then she inserted her hand inside to the get the heart that was still beating.
He placed the arakh in the open firepit while he readied his tweezers to transfer it to the anvil. Despite it being submerged in the fire for so long, the heat didn't seem to do anything to blade like it wasn't in the fire. It didn't glow like the normal iron would.
The old woman mutters some incantation that Auron couldn't understand as she made a cut into the heart and drenched the blade with its blood while the blade was still in the fire. Strangely, the blood didn't evaporate right away. Instead it finally made the blade glow in heat as she continued her incantation.
Auron quickly took out the blade out of the fire placing it on top of the anvil. He then hammered the steel to fold and reshape it to a new blade. As the blade gradually formed into a short sword, the incantation didn't stop and the heart was squeezed dry to supply the blood. Auron felt there's still something missing.
He followed his instincts, grabbed the dagger and made a cut in his arm. He let his blood flow down the scorching blade as he continued to hammer it down.
After he bleed a certain amount of blood, it took a lot of time to finish the sword given the exquisite design Auron wanted to make. The process made his face pale as he continue to supply blood during the process.
When the old woman finished her incantation, the blade has already formed. He sharpened the blade and assembled the parts to form it into a new sword. He then melted a silver and coated the pommel with it.
Auron's knees shook and he fell to the ground exhausted. He did it! He finally finished making his own iconic sword. He looked at the old woman, secretly extracting a skill from her while he dropped the sword to ground with its tip pointed down. It inserted itself like knife to butter as the surface almost reached the handguard.
Auron was escorted back to his room outside the steel hold together with Aidana and the guards. He fell asleep right after he felt the bed under him.
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He woke up next day fresh and starving.
He ate his lunch with Aidana grabbing a lot of meat from the table making everyone astounded by the amount of food he devoured.
In the afternoon, Budger Mott came to visit him with a lot of assistants holding some things.
"Good afternoon, Storyteller. I hope I didn't disturb your rest. I assumed that you will be excited to see your sword so I came as soon as I can."
"You have no idea, Budger and please drop the honorifics. You guys treated me with respect and kindness so I will do the same. I consider you guys friends so let's be at ease."
"Ha! Finally, I'm glad you said that and I will treat you as a friend as well. I won't be polite anymore. It doesn't really suit my style, you know." Budger laughed as he became relaxed.
"Hahaha, I know. Your face while speaking the honorifics sells you out."
"Hahahaha, that obvious huh? Well, it doesn't change the fact that I feel good having you here."
"That's good to know. I guess you won't be kicking me out of Qohor anytime soon."
"I won't, I promise. Anyway, I'm here to present you the sword you made." Budger said as he nodded to his assistant bringing a lengthy object fully wrapped in cloth.
Budger took it from his assistant and presenting it in front of Auron with both hands.
He unwrapped the cloth revealing medium sized sword glistening in black. The blade was dark with pattern but it still shine through. The handguard was carved like a head of the black dragon spitting out the blade. The grip has several rings on it whole the pommel formed another dragon head in silver.
As they marvel at the sword, Budger spoke.
"This sword is extraordinary. In the history of Qohor as we reforged a number of Valyrian steel swords, I can certainly say this is the sharpest sword ever created. I thought the blood of your horse wouldn't do much since its breed was quite ordinary. How did you do it really?"
"Well, I won't hide it from you since I just followed my instinct. I also let my blood flow through the blade while the bloodmage's incantation is in progress. It might be the reason why this sword was different from the rest."
"Hmmmm.. Imbued with the blood of the creator? That's interesting. All this time, we use blood of others. Really interesting." Budger muttered.
"I hope it helps."
"It certainly do! It opened another channel of improving our skills so thank you for sharing this with me. By the way, an exquisite sword like this needs to be named. Do you have any idea."
"I do."
Auron grabbed the hilt, testing its balance only to find it extremely matched to his preferred weight.
A/N: Foreshadow Sword Image
Auron turned to Budger and said, "From now on, this sword will be named, Foreshadow."
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