Highs and Lows

Duw woke up the next day very sore, her muscles ached and her hands throbbed, a little magic cured all that and she got up, the suns had already risen high in the sky and the clock shoed it was half two in the afternoon!

She came bolting out of her room panicked about being late for school only for Deln to calm her and say he had sorted school for the day, she glanced around wondering where her mum was and he laughed,

"She's waiting at the workshop door, you know what she's like she cannot wait for whatever surprise you want to show us, but here eat and wash up first," he presented a plate full of light fluffy pancakes with silver syrup and a cup of purple fruit juice,

after she finished he smiled, "come on if we make your mother wait any longer she may explode from tension,"

they went to the back where Alana was waiting, well, more like pacing like a soon to be parent outside the delivery room, she'd be chain smoking if she smoked, when she saw them she tried to look as if she wasn't sugar filled kid level excited but failed, Duw walked to the door and opened it leading them inside.

The workshop was quiet, and the forge had dropped to a smolder, sat on the anvil were two notebooks and a strange looking sword, it had a long handle so it could be gripped with two hands, the blade had one sharp edge that came to a slightly curved point, it was to Duw a classic Kitana design, but to her parents it was a new design, he father picked it up carefully the blade was thin to his eyes and with only one cutting edge he was a little disappointed he began to say it was an interesting design but Duw stopped him and asked him to follow her out the back.

Behind the workshop enclosed in a tall wall was the testing area where Deln had several targets set up for testing blades, Duw asked,

"which is the thickest you think this sword can cut? be honest,"

Deln took a breath and pointed to a medium sized one, Duw made a go ahead gesture and he walked up and took a slash at the target, to his surprise he felt no resistance at all the blade passed through the wood as if it wasn't there and the cut was clean, he stood there shocked, Due took the blade and went up to the thickest one and also cut it but it wasn't as easy she had to put some force into the blow but the cut was still clean and this was very impressive considering how much stronger he father was than her,

"Now you've seen it's normal power let me show you why I wanted you here mum,"

Duw smiled and walked up to a small stone statue that she didn't really like, it looked kinda like a person but it wasn't done very well, Duw took up the blade to her Father's alarm and then blew on it when she did the blade glowed with a faint green light and Duws hair began to move as the sword made it's own gentle breeze, she slashed down and across and to the side reducing the statue to a pile of stones.

Duw spent the rest of the afternoon explaining just what she had done to her excited parents, how she had 'come up' with the idea of repeatedly folding metal and adding charcoal she hadn't come up with it of course it was something she had learned on earth, how she had noticed the residual magic in the metal and had tried an experiment after thinking that if liquids could hold an enchantment maybe enchanting a weapon or armor as it was forged would yield results, how she had experimented ect. and how the sword proved that the method she created was capable of permanently enchanting a weapon.

She handed them each a notebook that she had written one contains the forging method for 'Crystal Steel' and the other for 'Forge Enchantment' suggesting that they should work together to make these and sell them, but she also told them to be careful after all no-one else could do this and there would be many who would want to learn these methods.

There came a knock at the door and Duw went to answer it, it was Yelina and she looked upset, she asked Duw if they could talk she needed to confide in someone, Duw concerned about her nodded, she ducked in and told her now distracted parents where she was going.

Yelina wanted to talk away from town she said that she needed to tell her something, Duw was a little suspicious but Yelina had been a friend for years so went with her, what could be so important and private she would go to this length to not be overheard?

After about half an hour they came to a small patch of trees, they were fairly dense and it was hard to see far, Duw waited as yelina seemed to collect herself she was looking around and a small smile crossed her face, it made Duw nervous,

"You seemed so shy at first Duw, this little wallflower," Yelina started,

"but now your a big shot in town, everyone loves you," a new voice sounded, Duw looked over and from behind a tree Yelina's mother Dils walked out, and alarm bells began to sound in Duw's head from Deils tone,

Yelina continued, "but soon everyone will comfort me after my escape from the slavers" and she smiled, Duw turned to run but there was a man there,

*I got careless* she thought before

WHACK

blackness.