The early morning day seemed tranquil, the stars shone bright but slowly dwindled out as the sun lay hidden beyond the horizon to the east making the early hours of this day seem nightly while the horizon burned with a fire. The clouds lingered high above not daring to summit the mountains and celestials flew about the farmland spying rodents or infections amongst the tall wheat fields as farmers or delivering messages and letters as couriers from the capital.

The streets were scarcely occupied at this time with a few children sneaking away to engage in some early day antics before the work hours set in at the rise of a full sun and bright clear skied day. Some colts and fillies went to play in the wheat fields pretending to get lost until one of the wary celestials spied them or run around in the streets with the farm dogs they playfully chased around.

But among the early risen who were excited and frantic in their play time there was one particular unicorn that wasn’t so. Namely Igneous who followed Alastoria through darkened streets of the early morning. Igneous held the belief that if it was still dark then one should sleep until it becomes light. Although waking up early to receive a new sword seemed tempting enough Igneous personally held the mentality that sleep came first.

Still he didn’t need another alchemist water dumping from Alastoria to convince him to wake so he listened with a nod, suited up and parted ways with Raillay and Dramier as they went to the local healer to get a wing examination and find out if anything could be done this late in time to his wing. If it mended correctly they could fuse his wing today but if hadn’t some extensive procedures would be needed. One not so painless as they say.

However while they did that Igneous was due for a new sword and hearing that a certain forger was in town, one he met previously, he was rather fine with it all. However he constantly spied the little ones, if at his age he could even justify calling them so, looking to him earnestly as if the wanted to speak to him but were too nervous or a bit shy. Perhaps it was because he was a falconer dressed in armor… it was because he was a falconer dressed in armor young as he was and the places and things they inferred him to have seen.

Alastoria didn’t talk much on their short travel down six convenient streets. At least not until she led Igneous through the door of a sturdy brick building and into the hall of the forgers keep. “Frawl,” she called out. “I’m back again!”

“Come to haunt?” he asked as he withdrew from his task of hammering rivets into farm tools in favor of his new company.

Drawing up the broken blade she stored on her back she dropped it before Frawl on the counter atop other assorted projects and rivets. “More like reprise,” she said as she stood back for his evaluation. “It was a poor job. Couldn’t withstand one mortal blow.”

“At least only one was needed,” Frawl said as handled the broken blade with care as he eyed the point of breakage and the intense stress it had undergone. “Can see young Igneous here still stands in the flesh so it did its job alright.”

“Yes, lucky buck.” She gently pat Igneous’s head.

Frawl seemed dissatisfied with the results, as one humble forger could imagine, and set the blade down. “Should say this wasn't my work. Just something I could scuffle together before your departure. The master of the forge who left the place in my keep left a pile of discarded material, I did my best to touch and polish it up but I didn’t expect you to take this young colt to combat straight away,” he politely criticized. “Thought you were more proficient than that Alastoria.”

She shook her head, “we were ambushed...”

“Ambushed! This far North?”

“...by cows.”

A moment of thought and the statement finally broke through. After a short pause he put two and two together. “We had herders from here running cattle to the capital before the winter set in. They lose control of a few?”

“All,” she answered. “But that's a story to settle over a drink, now.” She tapped a hoof on the counter. “About that blade.”

Meanwhile Igneous sat by the window idly looking out to the children as they played.

Taking the hilt in his magical grasp he began to unscrew the pommel as he made his proposition. “I can replace the blade with another lying around but this is at my own expense.” The pummel came free and Frawl held the hilt upside down letting the base of the blade slip free falling to its broken counterpart on the table. “The master of this forge expects no loss in revenue on his return and as a friend I obliged to uphold that.”

Withdrawing two metal prisms from her side bag Alastoria dispensed them on the table and said, “Then it's a good thing I saved you the material.”

“Iron?”

Alastoria nodded.

Looking over the two bricks Frawl said, “well this is more than enough for a standard longsword. Could even make two short swords with it if you wished.”

“That's up to Igneous then.” Turning to the colt who now looked their way at the mention of his name she said, “over here buck. What's your preference.”

“See his shields’ still fine,” Frawl observed as he approached. Reaching beneath the table Frawl withdrew five ordinary rocks and placed them side by side.

“What's this,” Igneous asked as he hopped up on two as he leaned against the table to see.

“How many entities can you carry?”

“He told me it was only two,” Alastoria said.

Looking to Igneous Frawl asked, “You plan to exercise that?”

“Hopefully,” he said as he gave it his best shot. First, the far left stone lifted. “Last I tried,” he began as the second stone lifted. “I simply couldn’t.”

“Well…” he began but trailed at the anticipation of the third stone lifting but after a short moment and Igneous staring him blankly in the face he concluded, “perhaps you’ll just grow into lifting another entity.” The stones dropped and Frawl stored them away. “Definitely not unlike Alastoria or I.”

“How many can she lift?” Igneous asked earnestly.

“Ask her,” he gestured before throwing the broken blade into the smelter but preserving the hilt for later repurposing.

Looking to the larger mare she assured him with, “five.”

“Four for me,” Frawl said returning to the table. “Now about time and design.”

“I’m listening,” Alastoria assured.

“Right now I got projects that need done.” The items that cluttered the table top were a clear sign of that. “The farmers need tools and rivets for their farming needs and fences. Luckily the master left me with his assistant while on vacation so he can tend to those matters.” Alastoria nodded in approval. “But design… It's a personal thing Igneous and something that… in a sense… represents you as a character and falconer.”

“Then will you be needing Igneous for a time?”

“If you don’t have anything else planned,” he answered. “I’d simply like to spend a short while with him and see if we can come up with some simplistic practical sword.”

“Forging blades takes a day, two I take?”

“I reckon two for quality,” he answered. “Especially after our failure.” He gestured to the smelter and the broken blade within.

Alastoria looked down at herself in thought. “Anything could happen,” she muttered half to herself and the others before withdrawing her short-most blade. “Hand over the goudge.”

With a nod Frawl transferred over a spoon like tool that laid on the shelf of tools behind him.

Applying the open end of it to the area of the binding stone she, with one gentle thrust of the spoon, popped the red bounded stone out onto the floor before picking it up and placing it on the table. “Store that for me,” she requested. Then taking the hilt of the broken sword she did the same thing and with the red gem now freed she placed it within the void of the previous gem that occupied her sword. “Here you go Igneous,” she said holding it before him. It was the lighter one of her three blades and the one she actually had him practice holding up his first ten minutes after meeting her.

Only now when he took it by the hilt did it seem even lighter than the blade he wielded previously. This was due in part that it was practically a very long knife more so than an actual sword but anything that swipes, jabs and stabs could very well be one.

“Thanks Alastoria,” he said just as she handed him the scabbard along with.

“Now, you work with Frawl,” she spoke to Igneous. “And when you're done meet me at the tavern and then I can take you to train.” With that she left leaving the door to swing shut after her.

“Well Igneous...” Frawl began as he cleared the table top. “What should we start with?” With a modest space cleared of clutter Frawl filled it again with a piece of parchment pinned to the table by the corners he weighted down with stones. “Hilt or blade?”

Leaning up to the table Igneous thought for a moment before shrugging. “Which one matters more?”

“Some would argue the blade of a sword it's what defines it design however experienced forgers and wielders of swords that actually work, they know everything, every aspect of the sword, relies within the hilt.” For a brief moment Frawl left Igneous for the back room only to return a short moment later with a leather bound book in store. With the slightest of grins on his face Frawl set the book down, turned it to Igneous and said, “have a look Igneous, tell me how you feel about these particular designs.“

Taking the book in his magical grip Igneous leaned away and sat on the floor. “Mythical swords, second issue,” he read aloud. Frawl only gave an even wider grin as if the book itself was a novelty or the punchline to a joke not yet spoke which it may very well have been.

However when he opened it he thought if anything it was quite the opposite. These blades illustrated were exotic to say the least. Huge and black and full of spiny thorns with blades that curved in and about. Some were even said to be made of glass others were read to be made of volcanic extract while others were forged from the marrow of dragons. As he slowly flipped through the pages he found some blades were illustrated to be bigger than their wielder and heavier too.

Near the back of the book were techniques and instructions on how to use them which were also illustrated with posses showing guard breaks, guards, attacks and parries but only stances were shown the rest was in text.

While Igneous took his time to read Frawl waited patently in subtle glee. It was only when Igneous looked up after turning to his favorite page saying, “this book is amazing,” did he burst out with three short laughs.

This colt was so naive as to actually believe in these weapons like it was gospel. “Igneous, little colt,” he began shaking his head with somewhat of a disappointed sympathetic smile on his face. “These weapons are taffing mad!”

Igneous folded up the book, tilted his head and asked, “what? What do you mean?”

Taking the book from his magical grip Frawl turned to a particular page that illustrated the size difference between blade and wielder. “You actually think something of this magnitude is wieldable?” If one could make a rough estimate of the weight of the blade one would say the it held about thirty percent more mass than that of its wielder and if it were measured in volume about half the size of said wielder. “These things, these abominations are a joke! Exotic blades forged from…” A moment to read. “...From ‘volcanic extract?’ Igneous, you ever seen a sword made of Igneous?”

Of course he was referring to the actual rock and Igneous knew some renditions, or the purest form of it to be black if not a slight hint at purple, but if he were to answer Igneous would have said no.

He shook his head instead.

“That because a blade like that is brittle and won't last a single lethal blow. It’d be worse than ol’ failure over there.” The blade within the smelter, of course. “But instead would have broken at the swing of its own weight. Glass swords,” he listed. “Never heard of glass stronger than hycrome. Dragon bone: strong but not when compared to hycrome tipped iron. And a…” he squinted as he flipped through the pages. “Ah, pure hycrome blades. Ahha... ahahaha!”

“What?” Igneous began in defence. “Isn’t hycrome a metal?”

With a big grin Frawl shook his head. “No Igneous, hycrome is an acid.” He placed the book down and began to explain. “Hycrome is a mixture of three different elements and chemicals, grace to the unicorns who figured that out before the days of Aminus. Anyways when a sword is due for its final touch up after having undergone all the processes including cooling and finishing it is then dipped in hycrome. The effects it has on the very edges of the blade is seen and felt more than anywhere else, broadside or other.

“Hycrome, in a sense…” He took a moment to find an explanation suited for the young colts mind. “Reforms the metal into somewhat of a crystal down to the very shape of the molecule which is pointed outwardly. This is true science Igneous and not this book full of taff and yewlary.”

“Why’d you tell me all this then?” Igneous questioned. “I just needed a sword.”

Leaning over the counter he relaxed himself and answered, “because I have all~ morning colt and I like to talk. But let's not delay any longer, for as passionate as I am in my work, this is what you really want.” A book slid from nowhere only to catch in Frawl’s hoof were as he pushed it forward off the table and into Igneous’s magical grip. “None of that hyper fantasy shath writers thrust into their fictions, this is the true work of forgers. Simple, concise, practical and very effective.” A leather bound book that read in painted, imprinted words, ‘Blazoned: The Forge.’ “Have a look Igneous, tell me what you like and in the meantime,” he fell back from the table and pulled a stone cup from the smelter with the liquid remains of his failed weapon. “I have some reforging to do.” Frawl began to take the remains away but before he could involve himself in work he paused for a moment and looked to Igneous. One question pressed his mind, one rather important to Igneous’s ability to be well of with the very book he lent him. “Colt, you do know how to read don’t you?”

He was asking this now because the last one was practically a picture book and although this one was almost no different there may have been a few explanations given that Igneous may not have been able to decipher if he haddn’t the education. Last Frawl heard Igneous was homeless and an unjustified before Alastoria picked him up. Statistics and common observations reveal most unjustified and orphans to be unruly educated and in Igneous’s case he was suspicious of it being no different.

“Oh uh,” he stuttered at the unexpected question. “Of course.”

“Hmm.” Seemed a bit odd to the stallion but he didn’t plan on dwelling at the thought for too long. “Good then. Well, be reading then and tell me what you like once you found it. I’ll be…” He took a deep somewhat tired breath. “I’ll be here colt. Like I always am.”

As hammering began to fill the hall Igneous thought it would be best to take a seat outside beneath the light of the doorside torch as well as the brightening sun-absent sky. If Frawl did begin to wonder where he was all he had to do was poke his head out so there wasn’t much harm in Igneous taking his leave.

Taking said leave, Igneous did just that leaning against the stone masonry that was the foundation of the uplifted building. On his left was the stares and door and on his right a simple bush while above was the aforementioned torch, still burning just as the alchemy associated with it intended. No doubt soon whoever lit them would be out to extinguish them but it was no mater, Igneous was here to read this book.

Opening to the first page Igneous immediately skipped it seeing as it was just a bunch of information and light history. Second page didn’t reveal all that much either but the third… this one had a picture! It was an illustration of a blade that came off as very standard and average. It had measurements, tapering details, thickness, weight, balance and a thing about vibrations and how it carries into the hilt in a certain way to mitigate breakage at the point of the imprinted blood gem.

Seemed interesting but there was a distinct lack of eye candy compared to the mythical sword book. This single blade seemed so boring so he flipped the page revealing another blade. This time slightly curved. Had a lot of math algorithms and more mind numbing information as well as weight and superior cutting power where the curve strikes the opponent but if anything a curved blade seemed more interesting than a simple straight blade.

Another few pages later talking left and right about blades and forging methods and he came to the crossguard section. Apparently its primary purpose was prevent blades from slipping and striking the wielders in the face or other bodily parts.

The first one was admittedly boring. It was a simple straight guard from one end to the other. It listed advantages and disadvantages but Igneous didn’t care he wanted something that looked pleasing. Another flip and he found whole diagrams of crossguards lined above and below and across the page. Some curved upwards into the blade others down to the hilt. Some were symmetrical, others were asymmetrical with one going up the blade while the other bent down to the hilt; generally, if it was curved, the crossguard pointed up would follow along the edge of the blade that faced the enemy. Some slightly jutted out to the sides in case of a broadside strike but they didn’t look as neat as the formerly listed. Almost like a welt if he could be honest.

So many more options than the blades admittedly but he didn’t want to dwell on it for long, he still had the hilts to read over.

A few more pages, a lot more math and measurements; was this supposed to be a book for forgers? Perhaps Frawl didn’t carry around a consumer’s copy.

‘Ah,’ he thought to himself as he flipped another page. ‘Hilts!’

If he recalled Frawl said the worth of a blade lays within the hilt and if Igneous had his opinion he would definitely agree. Although crossguards and the actual hilt were one and the same the bearing where the binding stone would be kept were considered to be separate.

They were all uniquely designed from simple metal emblems and straight hilts, to some curving around. One particular hilt curved around the gemstone holding it in place much like a snake holds its prey. Some widen near the pommel and crossguard only to thin out near the center.

If anything Igneous seemed far more interested in these than anything else even going as far as to read some of the descriptions given. They were complexe, some talked about the first to forge it while others spoke simply of its design.

Igneous couldn’t help himself, he was already running through his head the countless combinations of blades, crossguards and hilts in his endeavor to find something that suited him. It fascinated him more then anything, almost more than falconering but he was getting ahead of himself; there was still five more pages.

One flip: Guff about hilts.

The second: Some sort of introduction, one Igneous didn’t bother reading but the third revealed a hilt so remarkable that he forgot everything and every possible blade he might recommend to the forger immediately. Illustrated at the very top was a hilt named Kalth. It was rather simple with on binding stone within. It also showed the inner part were the hilt would have held a promel but instead it was empty and hollowed out with detailed marks and grooves within. Three tiny hooks stuck out from the opening that were equally spaced around the circumference and were even sourced to another section of the book.

Below it was the second hilt, slightly longer, looked somewhat the same but was remarkably different. It was named Vaulth. It wasn’t bulkier as it retained much of the former in ways of looks and style. It had one gem within the center like the other but within, instead of a empty opening it instead held another gem. It was concealed within a cylinder that was said to slid… no spin into place. It was supposed to connect with Kalth and with it they made one hilt with two blades.

With that information the page ended and so Igneous was forced to flip anew. What he found amazed him even more then the hilt itself. Here he found full illustrations of techniques on how to wield it with ponies drawn in position poised and fighting. One was shown to be using nothing more than the hilt armed with short blades. It’s opponent was another pony fighting with a longsword and shield.

The technique was a direct parry into offense, said to be instant in unavoidable without a shield. It was said to drive the opposing blade away while also striking the opponent directly. If anything it could even disarm and steal away the blade entirely.

It illustrated dual short sword V.S., longsword V.S., Hammers, Maces, Claws and Monsters V.S. this hilt of a sword.

He began reading instructions the executions and applications. Its strengths and fallbacks, its guards and guard breaks, its repost and parrys, everything.

However before Igneous could forget where he was the door to the forge suddenly opened startling Igneous from his wonder, turning his attention to Frawl who poked his head out in search of him. “Igneous where ya gone?” He called but soon found him regardless in his peripherals sitting aside with the book he gave him. “Oh, thought I lost you for a moment. It’s been a while.”

“Oh.” Igneous blinked in the sudden sunlight and time of day it was. How long had he taken just to read this thing? It seemed an hour had passed judging by the daylight that now shown. “Sorry,” he apologised. “The hammering was…”

“Eh, I see,” Frawl nodded in understanding before Igneous could finish. “The work of a forger ain't silent.” Looking down to the colt he found him opened to a page. Out of mild curiosity Fawl picked it up from his magical grip saying, “so what you go here colt? Have you decided yet? Oh...” he blinked at the illustrations of the pony wielding the peculiar hilt and short blades along with. He flipped back one page to find the schematics of the design and really went aback. “Oh, Igneous what have you found here?”

“Um, Kalth and Vaulth,” he answered with a shrug. “It was a… a hilt I found.”

“Oh yes I see you found it,” he said as he sat in the doorway in bewilderment of the design as he read through the instructions. “What… bearings? Spindles? Igneous… what is this?”

He did just asked that. “A… hilt?”

“Yes I see it's a hilt but… what is it?”

At this time Igneous began to worry that this hilt of a sword and the making there of was in jeopardy. “Can you make it?”

“Make it?!” he questioned suddenly. He seemed stumped out of mind by its very design almost as if it was something he’d never seen before which… was something he’d never seen before. “Colt I’ve never even known of it let alone seen it.” He read over the schematics. “Three gems!? This thing totals to a greatsword!”

“Can you make it?” Igneous questioned earnestly. “I mean it was in the book you recommended.”

“Colt, I only gave it a quick read. It's not mine, it's the master of the forge but I don’t even think he ever made it.” Frawl then closed the book, turned it about and eyed the spine of it. He was checking the production number that signified how many copies there were in existence. One meaning there was only one in existence and ten meaning there was ten but looking to it Frawl found there was only two. “This thing must have cost a fortune,” he muttered to himself refuring to the quality of the sketches and writing. “The second copy must lie in the library of the capital itself.”

“Can you make it?!” He pleaded. “I can’t carry more than two stones. It said that the stone that lays within mitigates the need to take it by two stones meaning, if I had it, I could also carry my shield.”

“It leaves a lot of room for variety colt,” he admitted. Frawl then sighed, opened the book to the illustration and schematics of the hilt and sighed again. “Colt,” he began as he leaned against the doorway. “I consider myself an expert in my field. So much so I traveled all over just to prove all Noriphmy of my craft. Never had I had this kind of request or even seen such a thing. I never dreamed of it and I probably would never have thought to make such a thing.” He looked to the colt, book folded raised in his magical grip. “This is what you want, right?” Igneous nodded. Frawl took in a deep breath and looked to the horizon. “I wouldn’t call myself an expert if I were a failure to a colt. Falconer, you get your wish. Two bars of iron are worth two short blades, maybe a little extra. However this hilt… this hilt will take some time. Go to Alastoria,” he commanded as he stood. Stepping back beyond the threshold he stored the book away and the door began to swivel in his magical grip. “Tell her the blade she lent will be need for far longer than she intended.”

And with that the door shut leaving Igneous to his secondary task: Find Alastoria.

Looking to the streets beginning to pool with farmers merchants and simpleton civilians he thought, ‘how hard could it be?’ In a town he knew nothing about other than a few streets and the entrance, probably harder than he expected.

At least he’d get his hilt and the short blades along with.

Author's Note

Updated this chapter because for SOME reason I forgot that the sun rose in the east and not the fucking NORTH! Me ez dummi, its updated so no its simply early in the morning negating the reconcile Igneous gave himself for not having to wake up earlier in the first version. Now he actually has something to complain about.