[Gift] CRAFTING: Divine Armor - Khal/Zanril

Back another year, with all kinds of knowledge under their belts, the group of aspiring blacksmiths- as well as Khal and Zanril- flock to Dhaoragan’s forge. Some of the students have been practicing the entire year, honing their skills on iron and steel, while some are here mostly out of curiosity and fun— like Zanril.

“Welcome back everyone,” Dhaoragan greeted, soot still clinging to his fur from tending the forges early in the morning. Now the work area was warm and the smelter billowing once more. To Dhaoragan’s side, sat new ingots. Gold and some kind of black metal Zanril couldn’t recognize off the top of her head. It glistened with intent, as much an an inanimate object could, but there was no mistaking this for common iron. 

“Today, we’ll be tackling something more advanced, that will require some delicate tempering with the hammer. A stubborn metal,” Dhaoragan explained as he lifted an ingot, turning it in the light, “but strong once tempered right.” 

Khal and Zanril watched intently as Dhaoragan explained about the metal. It was magical, according to the blacksmith. When worn, it will bond to a Reosean, adapting to their magic. A fickle metal, but once bonded, it will ward off just about anything. Zanril had to wonder how easily such metal is to come by. This class was funded by the city, but it must have been some special occasion for them to bring out such materials.

“You’ll work in pairs on the same piece this time. Make sure you share the work and each get to try out hammering the metal. It’ll be different in feel this time, you’ll see.”

Khal and Zanril paired up again, the young Haedian following the old puller along as he picked his tools, set up his workplace, and picked his metals. The gold was softer, easy to melt, while the blackmetal required work put into it. They’d have to balance out the work, and connect the metal to make the armor piece, which was sure to be difficult. 

“How are we supposed to heat one but not completely liquify the other?” Zanril muttered as she looked at her ingots. “One first?” She looked to Khal, who was setting his tongs on a piece of the black metal. 

“That one,” Khal nodded to the gold, “Goes in the smelter for moulding. It’s this metal you worry about for the forge.” 

“Mm,” the Haedian hummed, looking at the few Vayrons gathered at the smelter with Dhaoragan guiding them along. 

Putting on her gloves, it was time to get to work. Heating the metal took work and a lot of billowing air through the forge, but it slowly began to glow. It was a red hue that didn’t want to turn any brighter, but according to Dhaoragan, that’s how it was supposed to be. Khal hammered first, putting some shape into the ingot in considerable dents. He inspected the metal curiously as it flaked and moulded from the hammering, taking better to the strikes. This was a blessing and a curse, if you swing too hard and dent the metal out of shape or chip it. 

Zanril’s turn came, and she meticulously swung the hammer in rhythm. At first her hand was too delicate and Dhaoragan told them to reheat the metal and for her to swing on it a bit harder, but she got the hang of it towards the end. A few reheats later, their ingot was battered into shape and ready for the gold piece to be moulded and attached on. Zanril and Khal waited their turn to the smelter and brought their gold ingots and placed their molds on. The pieces would be thin and long, so that they could be shaped to fit the armor piece.

Chucking in some coals and letting the metal melt, Zanril and Khal prepared the armor piece on the hot forge, warming the placement for the gold, before using tongs to lift the warm overlay to it’s place. With some hinges and gentle hammering, the pieces were fitte dtogether, and the whole design was beginning to come to life. 

Zanril smiled, satisfied with their handiwork. Khal studied the piece with a more criticizing eye, but he wasn’t entirely disappointed. Some better hammerwork could be done on the metal, the gold was dented… Zanril paid him no mind as she fitted the armor to herself for fun. She’d never worn armor before, and likely never will anyways, but it was something to imagine being clad from her head to her tail in this stuff. Heavy and clunky, but sh’d suppose the master stuff was lighter and more… comfortable to wear anyway. Either way, it was an experience. But it wasn’t what Zanril looked forward to this year, no. It was the staff they were making next.