Ambere Chronicles Volume One: Kaurine Dawn [UNABRIDGED EDITION]

Chapter Nine: Inauguration of a New Dawn

[Bladeforge of Fort Kaur'Ainda, Halsion Reach Region, Haldios IV, 5th of Emberspark, 5011 TE]

[Cewa]

I hefted the massive amethystine Kaurus crystal onto the Forge slab, then gestured to the various chiselling tools nearby. They were originally designed with carving rock in mind, but they were equally as effective for carefully chiselling away at Kaurus crystal without shattering it in the process. I rested a hand on the crystal, and then said,

"To begin the process of Carving your Blade, you must first liberate it from the crystal in which the future Blade formed" Boltz nodded. I gestured to the tools, and he picked up a small scoring knife, to which I gave an approving nod, and stepped back.

Over the course of a few agonising minutes, Boltz succeeded in creating the outline of a blade within the purple crystal, each on a different face of the crystalline block, creating a plate of the thickness of the future Kaurine Blade. As I watched, he carefully tapped his way across on one end, and began to inch his way along the length of the crystal, stopping to blow crystalline dust out of the way as he went.

All told, it took my friend a full hour to carve away the sheet that would eventually become his Kaurine Blade. I helped him to lift the sheet up and set it aside, then helped him lift the remaining Kaurus crystal over the side, to stand upright as it had in the Caverns below us. Then we carefully laid the sheet back on the Forge slab, and I gestured to the slightly shiny plate of pure crystal.

"Now comes the hard part... You have to visualise the Blade, and carve it out of this sheet." I said. Boltz looked at the sheet, then at me, and I shook my head.

"I can't help with this part... You must design your own Blade."

[A Few Hours Later...]

[Boltz]

I wiped the sweat from my brow as I neared the end of my soon-to-be Blade's length, dragging the plasma knife in towards the tip I had marked out with a candle, providing a small black spot that indicated the tip location, along with where the straight blade would end. Cewa stood nearby, still watching as I carved away the crystal. Soon enough, the sound of the plasma knife changed as the crystal below my hand shifted. I turned off the knife's blade, and Cewa stepped forwards. He put a hand on my shoulder, and solemnly said,

"Congratulations, Jakob Zerrekhul. You have just Carved your first Kaurine Blade." I felt my shoulders sag slightly with unexpected relief. However, it was shortlived, as he continued.

"Now you have to create the hilt for your Blade to slot into." I gulped, and he simply gripped my shoulder, gesturing to the entry to the Forge.

"Come on though; Rest for this Lunwatch, and we will begin to construct your hilt upon Solahra's next Watch." He said, and I gratefully nodded, before following him out of the Forge.

[The Next Lunrise...]

[Cewa]

I stepped up to the workshop station where Boltz was carefully putting the last section of the casing into place on the hilt of his soon-to-be Blade. He had spent the entire Solwatch in here, tinkering with various parts to create his own hilt. I placed a plate of still-hot food on the plate, a pair of cheese-melt sandwiches, and he gratefully grabbed one, taking a large bite out of it. As the flavours touched his tongue, he lowered slightly, as if his knees had grown weak from the sudden pleasure of the taste. I felt a smirk etch itself on my face as I said,

"Courtesy of Aerrin." He gave me a sideways look, one of his familiar lopsided grins showing as he replied, his mouth still full,

"I know. Only she makes them this way." I chuckled, and stepped around him to inspect the hilt. The construction was rather simple, and I realised that he focused on ensuring it would work with as few moving parts and other elements to keep track of as possible.