Blade Tempering Novels & Stories

"What do you require from the forge today?" "I need lightweight obsidian blades," I said, walking over to the metal racks and pointing directly to a sheet of dark, refined glass-metal resting near the back. "Forge two light daggers tailored specifically for a human fighter's smaller hand. Design them for maximum speed, sharp leverage, and close-quarters defense." "Obsidian is a dangerously brittle and difficult material to balance for a non-shifter, my Lord," the blacksmith noted, examining the dark sheet carefully. "However, if I temper it with silver alloy, I can make them absolute perfection for her."

The vehicles were parked in a tight circle under a canopy of pine trees, and the supplies were laid out on tarps across the forest floor like the inventory of a war nobody wanted to fight. I spent the first hour sharpening weapons. Silver alloy blades, reinforced tips, the edges honed to a thinness that caught the firelight and threw it back in razor thin lines. My hands moved automatically, following a rhythm I had learned years ago, while my mind sat somewhere else entirely.