Chapter 5: Fanning the Flame

Daniel was also moved to tears at the 8

touching scene, but couldn't help but feel out of place.

After the emotional display, cooler heads returned.

Daniel explained in greater detail the specifics of what would happen.

After getting Umber settled, he'd be helping around the Jewelry forges, and blacksmiths, to earn a living, while also attending lessons with the Great Daragore Bitwin. Room and board are provided, as well as meals.

After 5 years as an apprentice, he'd work for the guild for 2 years, then he can either renew his contract or move on.

Umber would be away from home for at least 7 years. That was, literally, as long as he'd been alive at this point. While the prospect scared him, excitement flared up even more.

Going somewhere new, experiencing a new way of life, exploring a new place, the idea was almost intoxicating.

Umber himself had never realized exactly how much he wanted to see more of the world.

He had always imagined he'd inherit the smithy and he'd always be in the Village, the idea of leaving had never occurred to him, but now he couldn't do that.

He realized it now. He didn't like the village. It was nice, the people are friendly, but they are not like him. Regardless of who he talked to he never felt like he belonged. Maybe that's because the place he does belong is out there.

While his dad and Mr . Daniel were discussing the final details, Umber was in a daydream of adventure.

He thought of himself exploring not only the city he'd be going to but beyond that. The days in the far future, where, he would go and see for himself how accurate that map he was shown was. Oddly or perhaps not he still couldn't get that mechanical bird out of his mind. He decided then and there that the first place he would go after his apprenticeship was over was to Dandrimad.

By the time he was back to his senses, and his daydream ended the two men had wrapped up their conversation.

Mr. Daniel stayed for tea before heading off to talk with the merchants.

Eric took Umber aside after he left.

"Lad, we have our work cut out for us. I was gonna slowly teach you the family smiting technique, but I'm not gonna let you go until you've learned it. Come on."

Umber followed his dad swiftly as he led him to the Smithie.

"I'll only show you once today since it's late, but remember this son, our family motto, 'let the fire in your heart burn hotter than the flames of your forge.' You can figure out what that means to you in time, but to me, it means in all things give your all!."

He quickly grabbed his hammer and threw a chunk of iron into the forge. Without skipping a beat he opened his mouth and let out a burst of brilliant light as he unleashed his radiant breath.

It's a known fact that dragonkin can breathe the breath of their ancestors, it's extremely rare. Umber had never seen this before.

The metal in the forge was glowing more than naturally, as he grabbed it with his tongs and started shaping the iron under his hammer.

He repeated the steps again and again until he was satisfied with the outline.

He was making a shortsword. But even after it cooled down it was slightly glowing.

"Umber this is as far as I could go with this technique. It was something your great-grandfather tried, he told me and my father before me of how he used this technique to create a blessed blade, that was used by a paladin of Vehafor to strike down the forces of evil. He never shared how to improve upon it since neither your grandfather nor I were strong enough to do it, but would have been bullheaded enough to try."

He handed Umber the cooled blade.

"It's no better than a fancy torch, but it's yours. You finish it."

Umber knew how to sharpen and fix a hilt. The only thing he was allowed to make unaided was nails. He liked it the most because he had full freedom. That this was for him made it all the better. No restrictions outside of what was in the shop. He already knew what he wanted was merely a matter of making it.

"Yes Sir," He exclaimed as a bright smile he'd not made before blossomed on his face, as he rushed to his dad for a hug.

Eric hugged him and watched as Umber set to work.

The first thing Umber did was grab a smaller chunk of iron and set about making a guard. After letting it get hot enough he got it on the anvil and started to shape it. He made it a simple guard, being just enough to safely cover his hands. He centered it on his sword tang, the un-bladed end of the sword, and hammer a hole into it using the tang and a hammer.

Next, he grabbed one of the Oak chunks from the stack and took it to a saw making it the general shape.

Then he heated an iron rod of similar width and shape to the tang and burned a hole in the wood, to attach it properly later. After that, he started shaving it down until it would rest comfortably in his hand.

He grabbed the ball for his sword, often called a nut. It was a small half-circle made of iron.

He finally assembled it all. It was rough but he could polish it tomorrow. Wrap the handle, sharpen the blade, all the smaller details he loved doing. When he put everything down though he almost fell over, but Eric caught him.

"Easy lad, you've been at that for well over 5 hours without a single rest," Eric explained.

"I have!"

Umber didn't even notice the flow of time as he was working. He finally noticed how empty his stomach was and got carried to his bed by his dad.

"Rest up Lad, you're not used to straining yourself like that. I know cause I went through it myself before," He said with a smile.

"Umber are you feeling alright dear," Lilly asked with a worried glance as she walked into the room.

She was carrying a tray with tea and a bowl of piping hot chicken soup.

"I'm just fine… better than fine, I can't really find the words for it," Umber answered with glee.

Both Eric and Lilly watched Umber dig into his meal.

But after a moment Lilly asked, "Umber dear, do you want to learn how to fight?"

Umber was caught off guard and nearly choked on his soup. He wasn't so much surprised by the offer but more by who it came from.

His mother was always the gentle one and by far the kindest and sweetest person he knew, why would she be the one to ask.

"I mean I would, but why do you ask?" His confusion was palpable.

Lilly chuckled and Eric gave a strained laugh.

"Well, dear back in our younger days your father and I as well as Mr. Daniel and his wife Sonia were an adventuring party. We were called the Flowing River group."

The nostalgia had, clearly set in for both her and his dad.

"... wait, you guys like, fought monsters and stuff? How?!"

" Well lad as a blacksmith I've always been good with a hammer," he explained proudly

"He made me my sword, silver light. I was very different in those days though."

Her face became a bit red when she spoke about this.

"I once crushed a Basilisk's head with a single swing of my hammer, but your mother was a far fiercer warrior than me lad. She was unmatched in our heyday," Eric said boastfully.

"Now honey what are you saying the only reason I shined so bright is that you were by my side and the others had our backs."

"I suppose, but I still think you shined the brightest of us, then and now." He took her hand and kissed it.

"Can you not," Umber interjected hurriedly.

With a playful laugh, Lilly explained, " I was a swordsman, your father was a master with a maul, Mr.Daniel was an ace Ranger, and his wife Sonia is a powerful sorceress. "

"Might be selling yourself short there, king of the ring, starlight maiden, dragoness of doo-" Lilly very swiftly covered his mouth with a red face and fierce eyes.

"That's quite enough of that! Umber tomorrow until you leave I'll teach you how to fight."

"Yes, mam!" Umber was exhausted and excited all at once.

"But can I hear some of your adventures?" Umber was very curious how the two nicest people he knew were ex-adventures.

Adventurers were usually brutish, oafs who went where the coin was good, but Mom was a talented accountant and his dad a successful fourth-generation blacksmith.

"Well, lad, I guess I'll tell you the story about how I slew a basilisk in one swing of, Bone Breaker-"

"With help," Lilly amended.

Umber was regaled with wild stories of triumph, glory, and gold until he drifted off to sleep. Living his, own adventure in peaceful dreams… at least on the outside.