Path of the Pioneers

Cairbre’s laughter roared through the room as he kept working the metal. “Lass, this puts every other forgin’ process t’shame!” His tone contained the barest hint of envy, but it was mostly amusement. “I won’t waste this precious opportunity ye’ve given me.” The dwarf cracked his knuckles, staring down at the mithril with a renewed vigor. “This’ll be the best piece I’ve made. Hate t’say it, at that. Magic really is cheatin’.”

I think I understood what he meant. I was certain the dwarves spent centuries, or more, perfecting the art of forging metals into their sturdiest shapes. Now, he was kneading away at an incredibly softened metal that would harden right back up in only a few more minutes. But I hadn’t ever thought about using [Transmutation] in this way. Cairbre was a Pioneer for a reason, a creative man who knew how to use every single thing he was given to its fullest potential. It may have been cheating to Cairbre, but I preferred to see it as a clever shortcut.

He pointed over at a table near the anvil, “Lass, get me that mold, would ye?” I ran over, searching for it as he clarified a few more details, “Made o’ wood, same shape as a bla- Oh, there ye go! Quickly now, lass.” I grabbed the mold, which was a few planks of wood glued together. If something were to fill its center, it would indeed look like the blade of a longsword, including the tang.

Rushing back to Cairbre’s side, I set the mold onto the anvil. “Much obliged.” He scooped up the soft metal, setting it into the mold carefully. Then, with the keen eye of an expert craftsman, the dwarf began to carefully level off the metal, making sure that it was even across the entirety of the mold. “Now we wait, I s’pose.”

For about another minute, Cairbre prodded at the metal gently in order to assess its hardness. It didn’t take much longer for the skill to wear off. With a satisfied grunt, he popped it out of the mold, setting the still white-hot blade into one of the oil basins to quench it.

“Right, lass. Got one more in ye?”

Cairbre stood over the two basins of oil, a look of pride writ plain on his face. “These blades’ll be stronger than steel, light as cedar, and durable enough t’survive that monstrous aura. I’m certain.”

He walked back over to the anvil, looking down at the final bar of mithril. It was heated, and primed to go. I was curious to see what he had in store next, considering the longswords were complete. “One more time, lass, if ye’d be so kind.” I put a hand on the mithril once again, casting [Transmutation] for a third time. The metal, as per usual, shifted and fell as it changed into a different material.

[Congratulations! Skill “Transmutation” has leveled up! Rank F -> E]

Seriously? I stared at the panel for a moment, before quickly dismissing it. “Alright, lass. Go on out with the girl and wait fer a while.” I did as he asked, leaving the room. I was more than happy for the opportunity to sit down, after all. Casting [Transmutation] three times within an hour drained a good chunk of my mana, something that was rather exhausting for a mage.

Adeline looked up from her chair in the front room at the sound of the back door creaking open. I closed it carefully behind me, and then walked around the counter, heading to Adeline. She was now rather insistently patting the chair next to her, where I took a seat. She looked over at me excitedly, “So, what’d you two get up to back there? Making something crazy?”

I smiled just a little, glancing back over at her, “S-sorry, Cairbre told me that I shouldn’t say.”

Adeline clicked her tongue, and then put an arm over my shoulder, leaning against me as she did. “Keeping secrets already, Sybil? Tsk tsk. Fine, I’ll wait.”

I opened my status window once more, taking a quick look at the [Transmutation] skill in order to see what had come from its rank increase.

Transmutation [1 mana/0.001m³]

Temporarily shifts the properties of most solid, inorganic materials. Affects elasticity, plasticity, strength, ductility, and hardness.

(10%)

I squinted at the text that was now written for the skill. The description of its effects remained the same, save for the elaboration on its cost. Instead, the mana cost was now displayed plainly next to the name, just like all of my other skills.

“Plainly” was perhaps an inapt word.

Never had I seen a skill display a measurement like this. And unfortunately, I was woefully unprepared for parsing it. ‘A thousandth of a meter’ I understood just fine, but the simple, elevated three placed next to that is what puzzled me. My master had spent a great deal of time teaching me the importance of certain principles of magic, alchemy, and other miscellanies that would be vital for my life as an awakened. This oddity was a weakness in that education plan.

I would simply have to tinker with the skill until I discovered exactly what it meant. On top of asking around, as painful a process as that may be.

After all, a foolish mage is of no value.

The two of us sat together for another hour. I spent the time conversing with Adeline while trying my very hardest to not go beet red from having her head on my shoulder. It was interrupted by the sound of the back door creaking once again. Adeline stood up in excitement, quickly striding over to the counter.

I followed suit, standing at her side as Cairbre reached over the counter. He set two objects wrapped in cloth on the top. “These’re yer replacements. Try not to break ‘em.” He smirked, “Don’t think I’ll be able to do better ‘n these fer a while. Y’might have wrinkles ‘fore I best myself again.”

Adeline swallowed nervously, her hands trembling the slightest bit as she reached out towards the cloth, unveiling Cairbre’s work.

A pair of longswords, still neatly in their scabbards. They were dark crimson, ornamented with an intricate pattern of gold. Adeline reached out with her nervous hands, picking up one of the swords and drawing it partially.

The blades had a blue-gray sheen, with subtle glints of orange scattered near perfectly throughout the metal. Their hilts were made of finely carved willow, with a grip made of neatly wrapped leather. The guard seemed to be fashioned from some kind of steel. But that was simply their appearance. There was something else to these swords, a certain energy that exuded from them.

My status window opened very suddenly.

[Congratulations! You have aided in the creation of a masterpiece: “Teinegi’s Fangs”]

[Congratulations! You have acquired the title “Artisan”]

Artisan

Your creations have a slight chance to increase in rank upon completion.

I just stared, bewildered at the description. I cast [Transmutation] three times and received something of this level? I helped one of the greatest smiths to ever live, yes. But nonetheless..

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Cairbre clearing his throat. “There’s one more. It’s yers, lass.” He looked at me, and then presented something else: a dagger.

It was still in its sheath, made of leather covered in carved patterns. The hilt, and its guard, were made of the same mithril alloy. The hilt was, of course, wrapped in fine leather just the same as Adeline’s swords. The metal lacked that orange luster, however. But something else took that luster’s place, a purple gem socketed into the front of the guard. It was the shadow amethyst, the one that I received after my first dungeon.

“Pick ‘em up, the both of ye.”

The two of us scrambled, Adeline grabbing her swords while I gingerly plucked my dagger off of the table. I was amazed to see Adeline like this. She held those swords in her arms like one might a newborn child, as if she were afraid of breaking them.

Right. She was afraid.

Cairbre nodded, “Yer hands, then.” I stuck out one of my hands, and Adeline stuck out one of hers. As soon as my hand met Cairbre’s, my status window opened.

Tanascáil (S)

A dagger veiled in dark energy. Its wielder can disappear without a trace.

Active Skill: Stealth (A) [5]

You become difficult to detect through all means of perception.

Active Skill: Cloak of Shadows (S) [30]

You cloak yourself in shadows, disappearing completely for a short duration.

Cairbre Gobha

This was the kind of item a crafting Pioneer produced. I was in awe.

Beside me, Adeline still had her eyes locked onto the invisible text in front of her. “Cairbre.. This..” She looked down at him, with an expression of concern. “You could sell these for enough coin to purchase a village!”

Cairbre scoffed, “If it’s gold I wanted, pup, I’d still be in those wretched dungeons.” He took his hands away from us, “But it ain’t treasure or wealth I’m after, it’s this. If those blades can handle ye, then I’ve done it. Another trial fer the books.”

“Thank you for this.. Cairbre.” I gestured with the still-sheathed dagger he had gifted me, “It’s perfect.”

The dwarf smiled, “Lass, I owe yer master Morgan a great debt. That trinket there only hardly repays what ye’ve done fer me on yer own.”

He really did seem to have some kind of history with my master. Why hadn’t she ever mentioned him, then? I had no choice but to ask the man himself, then. As daunting as it sounded to ask a favor of a Pioneer..

“Cairbre.. What could you tell me about your time with her..?”

The dwarf took a deep breath, and then with an exhale said, “Right, lass. Come sit down.”