Chapter 80

Year 163 – Winter – Septimus Mensis – 23rd day

Avem, town of House Kalator, land of the Vale

The blizzard that followed the wedding ravaged the town for three days, but the commotions that had been caused lasted 18 days. Those who had been hit by the flu gave it to their friends, who then passed it on further. Being rationed and lacking strength, a total of 46 men and eight women died. With the snow piling up each day, one of the many southern houses had been turned into a large crematory to avoid the proliferation of diseases. The frostbitten were healed, and the forge was restored.

That day, Vatra finished her blade. She had managed to get her hand on the remains of a few broken scabbards made from thick leather. Cutting and attaching them back together, she built a scabbard that could fit her dull blade, but she now needed two hilts and guards. She had brought more broken arrows and vinegar, and built both her wootz steel hilts and guards. By the early afternoon, her main hilt had a guard, a grip, and a pommel, ready to be assembled as well as an upper hilt, grip and guard, smaller than the main ones.

Using a steel pump drill, Vatra slowly ground three holes in the bottom of her blade. She then added the guard and aligned the three holes with the grip to pierce the same holes through the light and thin grip. She added softer iron nails inside the three holes and hammered them into the hilt until it was locked with the blade. Carefully using the steel nail and her hammer, she carved a circular line at the bottom of the hilt until it had the early shape of a screw.

Using the grindstone, she polished the line at the tip of the hilt. Once it was done, she carved the inside of her pommel using the steel pump drill. She tried to screw the pommel into the hilt: failing, adjusting, and carving the pommel slightly more before trying again. It was a hard and steady process, but eventually, she managed to screw the pommel into the blade and lock the hilt.

She then placed the nearly finished sword into the forge to temper the steel. Once it was glowing with a bluish tone, Vatra pulled it away and sunk it into the snow, which released steam. She then placed it back into the forge and tempered it three more times to reduce any remaining stress applied to the steel during the forging.

Using a chisel and a hammer, she cut the remains of the many broken scabbards into small lines of thick leather and attached them together in a braid around the grip of her sword and four inches above its guard. Using the same tools, she etched a few words onto the side of her blade.

Reborn from the Lachrymal of those left behind. May the chant of the Vale resound for Eternity.

Then, she carved the blade’s name onto the other side.

Rekvijem.

The night was about to fall, but she was nearly done. Using the grindstone, she slowly sharpened the blade until it was worthy of its name. She then walked outside and thrust her blade high while looking at the sky. The mild moonlight was reflecting on its edge.

This blade is for you, Ethen! And for the Vale! I hope you can see it. I called it Rekvijem! I haven’t forgotten our pledge, but I’m still in this world and I don’t want to live this whole life alone. I’ll come find you once this life meets its end, but for now, I’ll live it fully!

Vatra walked back to her new home. Most of the band was already asleep, but Nelis was still awake, looking at a book whose cover was dyed of a crimson red.

Vatra – “Still not sleeping?”

As he heard her speak, Nelis closed his book and looked at her with a smile.

Nelis – “I was waiting for you to come home.”

Vatra – “It’s done!”

Nelis – “What is? The blade?”

Vatra – “Yes! It’s done, and it’s beautiful!”

Nelis – “Can I take a look?”

Vatra – “I was about to show it to you, but I have to say that . . . Well . . . I’ve never seen that book before. So, I was thinking that . . .”

Nelis – “No.”

Vatra – “Why!?”

Nelis – “Lower, the others are sleeping.”

Vatra – “Sorry.”

She then walked up to him quietly while hiding her blade behind her back. She sat on a chair next to his and whispered.

Vatra – “Why?”

Nelis – “It’s incomplete and too dangerous.”

Vatra – “You do realize with an answer like that, you’re just piquing my curiosity?”

Nelis – “You’d rather that I lied?”

Vatra – “Maybe you did. Maybe you really want me to take a look at that book.”

Nelis – “No. I really don’t.”

Vatra – “Then I won’t show you my blade.”

Nelis – “You seem disappointed.”

Vatra – “I am! But I need a few cards up my sleeve to force you to show me that book. So, you’re not seeing it!”

Nelis – “It is a tome of runic evocation.”

Vatra – “What’s that?”

Nelis – “Sorcery bestowed upon us by ancient spirits.”

Vatra – “I thought you said only your mother was an actual witch.”

Nelis – “Her book got drenched in sea salt a long time ago. I’ve been trying to rewrite these runes properly for years, but my memory is not good enough and many details are missing.”

Vatra – “Mind showing them to me?”

Nelis – “You must not read them out loud.”

Vatra – “I don’t know how to read runes.”

Nelis – “I suppose you’re correct, but still. If you think you can read a word, don’t.”

Vatra – “I promise I won’t try. So, you’ll show me?”

Nelis – “I’ve told you a lot already. Show that blade first.”

Vatra – “Fine!”

She pulled the blade off her scabbard and gently laid it on the table.

Nelis – “Now that’s really astonishing. I have to admit . . . I . . . You’re an amazing blacksmith!”

Vatra – “I? I what?”

Nelis – “What, I what?”

Vatra – “You said I, and then you didn’t finish your sentence. What were you about to say?”

Nelis – “Eh . . .”

Vatra – “Don’t be shy; I won’t judge.”

Nelis – “Alright . . . I was about to say that I didn’t think you could do it, but–”

Vatra – “Really? Cause I’m a girl, isn’t it?”

Nelis – “Well, that and the fact that this wootz steel is something I’ve only seen in the hand of a noble. I didn’t expect it to be made by a blacksmith from the middle of nowhere. Don’t get me wrong, that nowhere is a great nowhere, but it’s still nowhere.”

Vatra – “I think I like you.”

Nelis – “What? Have I heard that correctly?”

Vatra – “No. It was in your head. I said I think alike as you.”

Nelis – “I’m not sure about that . . . Why would you know what I heard?”

Vatra smiled and kiss him on the cheek. Surprised, yet excited, Nelis attempted to pass his arm behind her shoulder, but she placed her finger above his mouth while smirking.

Vatra – “The book.”

Nelis – “Eh . . . Yeah . . . The book.”

Vatra was trying her best not to laugh while looking him in the eyes.

Vatra – “The book.”

Nelis – “But what after the book, though?”

Vatra – “Then we could go to the forge. It’s still quite warm.”

Nelis – ‘’So the book first?’’

Vatra – ‘’Let’s look at those sketchy runes!’’

Nelis opened his book and showed tens of pages filled with runes displayed in some sorts of glyph formations.

Vatra – “What do you mean when you say they are incomplete?”

Nelis – “Let’s take this one, for instance. It is meant to turn people asleep. Now, the problem is, it is supposed to turn them asleep right away. But when I tried it in the past, it just gave drowsiness, and instead of giving it to the person I’m looking at, it gave it to everyone who heard it, me included. Therefore, I know it’s incomplete because it doesn’t work as intended.”

Vatra – “Am I supposed to believe you?”

Nelis – “I’m not going to use it. Not tonight.”

Vatra – “Mind if I turn a few pages?”

Nelis – “Not really at this point.”

Vatra then turned four pages backward.

Vatra – “Isn’t that the rune for fire?”

Nelis – “I’m only testing this one in a river.”

Vatra – “What about the snow?”

Nelis – “No.”

Vatra – “If you can’t use any, I won’t believe you.”

Nelis – “There’s one I could use, but I wanted to keep it for a potential wedding.”

Vatra – “Let’s do it at the forge.”

Nelis – “Do what?”

Vatra – “I don’t care about Aya and Zelja, and I don’t intend to have that priest even attend my wedding, in the event that I do have one. So, why not just do it in front of Ignis?”

Nelis – “I mean. A wedding is a wedding. I’ll take what I get!”

Vatra – “We’ll only do it if you can do something with those runes.”

Nelis – “Let’s get to the forge!”

A quarter-hour later, the two of them arrived at the forge. The fire was nowhere near what it was earlier that day, but it was still fiercely burning in the furnace. Nelis placed his bag on the table and pulled the two rings made of twisted linen and hellebore.

Nelis then opened his book, turned a few pages, and cleared his throat before reading the inscription.

Nelis – “Flawe ov aup. Bikan ov lait. Frum yor ruts mei di mornin raiz. Gebo. Jera. Kenaz.”

Upon saying those words, the hellebore petal glowed a pale red. Nelis grabbed one of the two rings and kneeled before Vatra.

Nelis – “Vatra, will you marry me?”

Vatra smiled and stood still for a short moment.

This will be a good memory.

Vatra – “Under Ignis, I say yes!”

Unsure of the path ahead, yet determined to face it together, they shared their heart beneath the flames of the forge.

End of Tome 1.