A Spark of Discord by Antoni Krupski

Author:Antoni Krupski [Krupski, Antoni]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781070752310
Published: 2020-04-11T22:00:00+00:00

FLETCHER IV

-Onus-

It was change he wanted, and it was change he received; the excess of snow had near all melted, imports of fresh food from Aquamare left a much-needed diversion from fish, and Fletcher Centaur felt like his relationship with everyone was stronger than ever. He would quite often visit the tavern in the lower bailey in the evening, conversing and jesting with the people and knights who would visit, and some nights even invite them for games and drinking in the higher fort. He was more outspoken generally, and becoming increasingly happier because of it. It felt like he had finally found himself again.

He had been spending his afternoon with Stig Wynd in his forge, using the help of the Blackfist to aid him in his craft. The day was chilled and cloudy, a hesitant rain saturating the frozen orange grass of the huge courtyard. “That’s one thing I would work with if I ever could.” Blackfist was saying. “Magic. Anything you envisage, made quicker than a thought appearing.”

“I guess,” Fletcher agreed, dipping another molten arrowhead he had shaped into cold water. “I imagine it’d be boring after a while, though. If everything is just made with your mind, there’d be no art to it; no fault.”

“Yeah, probably. We’d have to ask a magician to know for sure,” he jested, taking Fletcher’s zircon bow in his hands. “So, anyway, do you give up? I’ll tell you if you have.”

Fletcher took another glance at the bow, believing he had guessed every element in Austellus. “Go on, then.”

“Well you were half right with tin,” he smiled, stroking the bow. “It’s of an alloy made with tin from the Red Sierra, and a little standard steel. And, of course, the zircon. But the secret ingredient is something called solar flux; that’s what makes it so priceless.”

“Solar flux?” Fletcher grimaced. “Never heard of it.”

Stig chuckled. “Neither had I. This was the first time I used it. Only the best smiths in Lunarpass can even touch the thing.”

“Why? What’s it made of?”

“Apparently, it’s that magic essence stuff inside the solar throne. Solar flux must just be the fancy name those high smiths called it. Your lord father had a batch of it brought here.”

Fletcher admired the bow in a new light, not quite believing the whimsical substance was part of the weapon. “Do you still have some?”

“Only of the alloy I made with it. I had to use it as soon as it arrived; the king said it has a life span.”

“Really?” Fletcher asked excitedly. “An element that can die?”

Stig nodded, grinning with his bashed teeth. “I reacted the same, my lord. But yes, it has age like us. Some say it also has consciousness.”

“Wow,” Fletcher sighed with an inspired smile, almost forgetting about his arrowheads, “may I see the alloy?”

“Of course,” Blackfist said, placing his hammer down as he searched for the material. He brought out a semi-translucent ingot of a silver sheen, placing it in Fletcher’s dirty hands.

“Do you know what you’re going to do with it?”

He shrugged.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.