The thing that changed was that I adjusted to the new work. In but a few weeks I could do all the new tasks, no sweat, and that, apparently, was a problem for Vegter. Also as time passed by it became increasingly apparent that I was nearing the end of my time with Vegter. Soon I would have to start making decisions independently. One of those decisions being whether or not I should try to get permanent work here in Vegter’s shop. So one day, As we go to pick up Caden, Vegter says “soon your time with me will be up, and whether or not we remain together is undecided. I have noticed how abnormally quickly you learn and adapt to all the tasks that I throw at you, and have decided that I will give you a shot at forging some nails. This is a lot earlier than most would start but considering the circumstances, we’ll go through with it”. My reaction to this is extreme excitement, and who would blame me, after all the only reason I keep busting my butt in the forge is for the chance to actually forge something, and here, finally, I have an opportunity. Of course I also try to make sure that my excitement doesn’t show on my face.

Vegter looks over at me and laughs saying “rein it in laddie. We still need to get Caden”. With the mention of Caden I wonder what exactly Caden was doing before the accident. Whether he was forging things yet or not. The curiosity getting to me as the silence of the pre-dawn village echoes out all around us. I decide to just ask Vegter. “Vegter, is Caden forging things yet” I say, the curiosity visible in my voice.

“well boyo, Caden is well ahead of you in terms of that. Already got his first ceremonial creation made” Vegter says. “ceremonial hammer?” I ask. “oh yes, for got you don’t know about stuff like this. In terms of blacksmithing, there are sort of multiple ‘ranks’.” Vegter says his tone putting air quotes on the word ranks. “although really, they are quite flexible, with there being multiple factors involved in the proficiency of a blacksmith such as experience, and talent, but in general the skill of a blacksmith, especially around here, is judged by his ceremonial creation. A ceremonial creation is just a purview of what you can do. If you specialise in engraving and dazzle then that should be all over you ceremonial creation. If you specialise in perfectly weighted weapons, that should be you ceremonial creation. So one, and so forth” Vegter explains.

“wait then what’s your ceremonial creation Vegter” I ask. “don’t worry about mine lad” Vegter says, dismissively. We continue walking down to Caden’s house, in absolute silence. When we get there Vegter informs Caden of what’ll be happening for today, telling him about the fact that he’s going to get me to make nails today. Caden get’s this look on his face, as if he wants to say something, before eventually dropping it and shrugging. As of then, I had a gigantic, beaming smile on my face, and was absolutely eager to start actually forging.

We eventually get to Vegter’s workshop, with me starting eagerly on my tasks in the forge up-back, and Caden spending his time organising the shop up-front. Time passes by like molasses, with it feeling like ages of pumping the bellows, a task that is now so easy I could probably do it in my sleep, before Vegter finally calls for a lunch break. Vegter passes me and Caden some food, namely a bunch of stuff that looks like nuts, and something that looks like a hard-boiled egg. I gobble up my food as quickly as possible, just trying to get to forging already, while Caden and Vegter sit and talk next to me, Eating at a leisurely pace. After what feels like an hour, Vegter finally says that it’s time to start working again.

I rush up to my spot at the Petram smashing station, smashing quickly and wildly. Vegter goes back over to the forge, forging without me by pumping the bellows with what looks like wind magic. Caden saunters over to me wishing me good luck before going over to the front of the shop. Again time passes like molasses, with me getting somewhat lost in smashing the Petram and making the Pulveris, before Vegter calls me over to the forge.

“alright now boy, here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. Now for this to happen, I need you to obey my commands to the word, because so help me, if you burn this shop down I will have your scalp” Vegter says. “Now I am going to show you how to make a nail so pay attention.” Vegter instructs, as he takes a small piece of iron and starts the cycle of putting it in the forge to burn for a bit before grabbing it with some tongs and hammering away at it. He continues this for a while, with me observing and committing to memory every single motion that Vegter does. After a while of this, Vegter finally stops pulling out a single perfect nail. “It’s your turn this time boy. I hope you at least don’t burn the house down” Vegter mutters the last bit under his breath.

I take a deep breath to steady my nerves, willing my all into focusing on this one moment. I take a small piece of metal form the stack next to the forge, praying that this will work, before using some tongs to insert the metal into the forge. I try to as precisely mimic all that I have seen from Vegter, observing the metal as it starts to burn a shimmering red. I watch it burn some more before grabbing the tongs and pulling the metal out. I then hammer exactly as Vegter did, hitting, shaping, and generally forging the piece of metal as like Vegter as possible. I do this a couple more times, eventually falling into a bit of a trance where I inserted the metal into the forge, waiting a bit before using the tongs to pull out the metal, then hammering and shaping the metal as closely in ways that seem intuitive, and instinctual. I even start deviating slightly from what I remember Vegter doing, choosing to follow my gut, instead of my memory. After what feels like forever I finally snap out of my trance and see a nearly perfect nail. I look around me to see Vegter with an extremely stunned look on his face.

“how. in the hell. Did you do that” Vegter nearly shouts. He then proceeds to shout a crap ton of expletives and obscenities loud enough to get Caden running into here. After a couple minutes Vegter finally calms down a little. “kid, how did you do that. Do you have some sort of prior training, or dwarf blood, or do you come from a long line of master blacksmiths, or what” Vegter says. “um, no actually, to any and all of that. I have no prior training, or special lineage or blood to my knowledge” I say, startled by all the excitement that Vegter generated. “well this changes everything” Vegter mumbles. “this was just supposed to be a little taste of what actual blacksmithing takes. Nobody has ever actually made something on there first try, especially not something as well made as this. Not to say that this nail is perfect or anything, it’s actually quite standard, but still. Damn. Just Daaaayyymn.” Vegter says. “well, I’m going to have to change your schedule again, since we now know that you can forge” Vegter says. “As of right now though I want to see if you can make more nails, and if so that’s mostly what you’re going to do for the rest of your stay with me” he says.

He then motions for me to start working on another nail, and so I do. Feeling giddy the entire time because I finally know that having faster learning is definitely paying off. As I go about the motions, this time expecting, instead of praying, for it to work. The actual task of forging has a certain rhyme and rhythm, a rhyme and rhythm that I start to feel in my bones as I let my body handle everything, relying on muscle memory that isn’t really there but is helpful none the less. I start feeling more and more enthralled in the rhythm as my arms blow into the metal, eventually falling into a trance so heavy that the only thing that gets me out of it is Vegter yelling in my face about how it’s time to clean up the room. I startle awake, as if in deep slumber, and start muttering immediately about how it’s unfair that I’m still expected to clean up the work shop. As I go about my task I start feeling each of my limbs tingle one by one. Not really expecting anything bad to happen do to this, I continue cleaning the work shop. After a couple minutes of polishing a hammer though, I start feeling as if I am going to collapse. Using my last vestiges of consciousness and energy, I call out for Vegter. The last thing I hear before collapsing are some yelled curses.