The rhythmic clanging of hammer against metal filled the halls of the Blacksmith's Guild's forge before scattering out into the ears of passerbys in Brikston's busy streets. A group of children with disheveled hair clung to the windows, eagerly peeking in to see the equipment makers and their apprentices hard at work.

In one corner of the building, a short, athletic woman was carefully pulling something out of the furnace with a pair of metal tongs. Anna Beckett plunged the fiery mass of steel into the tub of water beside her, causing clouds of steam to rise and hiss out like angry spirits. Under guild master Alister Azul's tutelage, she had been working on a longsword for several days and it was finally beginning to take on a satisfactory shape. After wiping sweat off her forehead and parting her green locks to the side, Anna looked at the weapon-to-be with gleaming eyes.

Master will be proud of this. I can't wait to show it to him!

Anna turned toward the ornate door inside the forge that opened into Alister's private workshop. She took a few steps, then suddenly stopped.

Ah, that's right. He left yesterday.

Anna had met Alister for the first time when she arrived in Brikston several months ago. Of course, she knew who he was even before they had met--Alister was a famed figure in Aumulon and possibly all of the Known World. Not only had he founded the Blacksmith's Guild in his youth, but he was also a talented mage who had developed a unique approach to the craft by infusing magic into his creations during the forging process. Anna had came to Brikston specifically in order to study under the legendary figure. His skills had attracted the attention of many Aumulons as well as strange travellers from outside the country. During her time at the smithy, Anna had seen him exchange long conversations with untamed tribesmen, elegant cavaliers, and even mysterious sages who wore exotic clothes.

In the past few weeks, however, these visits became less and less frequent. At the same time, Alister started to carry a solemn look on his face. This was why Anna felt nervous when he called her into his workshop last evening. Alister had sat her down and told her with sad eyes that he was about to set off on a long journey, and to take care of herself in his absence. He embraced Anna as she got up, which was unusually affectionate of him. Anna partly suspected that the man was leaving for good, but those thoughts were dismissed when she realized the next day that almost all of Alister's belongings were untouched.

I'll have to try my best to cheer him up when he comes back.

With newfound resolve, Anna began to temper the sword.

***

"Alister Azul! By order of her Royal Majesty, your presence is requested."

Over a dozen eloquently armored knights had arrived outside the Blacksmith Guild's building. Their squires soon followed, trailing a heavy cartload of wooden chests. Villagers were gathered around them, eager to hear the reason behind their arrival. The entrance soon opened, and a group of senior blacksmiths from the guild came out to greet the knights with a bow.

"Our deepest apologies, but Master Azul is away on an expedition at the moment. Please come in, and we'll try our best to assist you all in his absence."

A handsome, blonde-haired knight that appeared to be leading the group got off his horse. He didn't look particularly happy to hear the news, but waved at the others to follow him into the lobby. Anna, having just finished her work on the longsword, watched the knights enter the building with unease. Although the armor they wore was largely ceremonial in nature, the spears they held certainly were not. She quickly realized that these royal visitors would likely resort to intimidation or even violence if their requests were not met.

One of the knights had a particularly sinister look on his square-jawed face as he hungrily eyed the armaments lying around the workshop. His spear seemed to be stained with blood. The blonde captain grabbed his arm and hissed into his ear.

"Behave yourself, I won't tolerate another repeat of earlier today."

It was enough of a threat for Square Jaw to forget about whatever he was scheming.

The meeting started off innocently enough, with the knights requesting a tour of the smithy. Anna noticed one of the squires taking inventory of the tools and equipment in the forge. A few of the blacksmiths felt at ease when they saw this, thinking that the knights were just looking to impose a higher tax on the guild. However, these hopes were dashed when the knight captain bluntly told the guild members that they would have to relocate to the capital.

"Th-that's certainly not a decision we can make without Master Azul present!"

"This is a royal order. Your guild has no choice but to accept. Rest assured, the costs of the relocation and any additional tools needed will be provided by the royal treasury."

The guild members were shocked by the sudden statement, but none dared speak in front of the armed knights. Anna in particular was fuming. She knew that Alister was very fond of Brikston, having been raised here since he was a kid. The guild was also the impetus behind most of the economic activity in the surrounding region--moving the forge would no doubt ruin many merchants in the vicinity. She felt especially frustrated that none of her seniors were speaking up, so decided to take matters into her own hands.

"This is preposterous! You can't just come in here and--"

Before she could finish, Anna realized that everyone's attention had been directed towards the entrance of the building. A lone figure was limping through the doorway, slouching and caked in blood. His tattered clothes were covered in grime and his organs were nearly falling out through a large opening in his chest. In contrast to the hopeless state of his body, his eyes were razer sharp. They glared at the group of knights, towards Square Jaw in particular. He raised the short sword he was holding.

"Impossible. For him to survive…"

"D-demon!"

The knights, suddenly frightened, clumsily brandished their spears in the narrow confines of the building's hallway. Square Jaw made his way to the front of the group, then shouted at the top of his lungs as he charged at the bloody figure with his spear. The tip of the spear ran straight through the blood-soaked body, which convulsed in pain and spewed out even more crimson liquid like a cursed fountain. Square Jaw sneered in triumph, then kicked the newcomer's body down as he pulled his spear back out. He stabbed at the corpse a few more times for good measure.

Silence filled the room.

Then, inch by inch, the bloody body began to rise back up again.