Mythblade (The Department of Dangerous Things Book 1) by Austin J Bailey

Author:Austin J Bailey [Bailey, Austin J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AB Publishing, LLC
Published: 2024-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

26

The university was a sprawling metropolis of marble floors, dusty books, and nervous faces. Sam followed Lorelei through ancient libraries, vast pillared halls, and one cacophonous dining room. An enormous atrium held a giant, pendulating ball of fire, twenty feet wide, that swung through the air with the sound of perpetual thunder. As they made their way deeper into the university, windows were left behind for torchlight, marble floors for worn stone, grand spaces for cramped hallways, and people for paintings.

They descended a series of staircases into a soaring stone chamber. The rush of distant fire, the clang of hammers, and the relentless whine of grinding wheels rose like an oncoming army. “My little corner of the university,” Lorelei said. “We need to make a quick stop and pick something up for Efrym. He’ll be at our meeting.”

“Efrym?”

“The sixth sword. He has commissioned a piece.”

Sam stared. “You mean one of the Six Swords is a part of your team trying to forge a new mythblade?”

“Shh,” Lorelei said. “Not my team, Sam. Our team.”

She swept her hands to take in the grand space as they crossed it. Sam guessed their steps would have echoed loudly in the high chamber if there had not been so much noise from the nearby rooms. “This is the Great Forge Hall.” The walls were lined with three tiers of statues, each holding up the next and interspersed here and there with arched doorways. “The first story statues are the ancient historical figures. The first smiths who worked here and built the forges. The second row is of the great warriors who used our weapons and the great architects and builders who wielded our tools.” Sam eyed the third story, which had by far the fewest statues; there were as many empty places there as statues. “The final level holds the greatest artisans. Those few who, because of their uncommon skills and contributions to the world, have been awarded by history the title of Master Maker. Magic is almost forgotten in this world, Sam. The last wizards, long dead. All that remains are the tools and technology that they gave us.”

“Are you going to have a statue up there one day?” Sam said.

“We’ll see.” She highlighted a few other things for him in the space, including an archway in the center on one side that opened to a ramp. “That ramp gives direct access to the exterior of the University for bringing supplies in or finished pieces out.” She pointed to the other side of the room, directly across from the ramp, where the largest statue stretched the entire three levels from floor to ceiling, dominating the space. It depicted a smith in a leather apron, hammer poised to strike a huge iron anvil the size of a small house. A woman embraced him, and he held her close, as though protecting her from his own work.

“Tanjeel,” Lorelei said. “The first and greatest of our Master Makers. That depicts the great tragedy of his life, when, while forging the mythblades, he trapped his wife Yllan’s soul inside his forge hammer.

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