Chapter 16

When Ven had been told Aaron was a blacksmith, he had expected to see something he was used to, which was a furnace, an anvil, hammers, and tongs. All of these were missing, instead he had walked into a room full of computers, bottles, vials, and several contraptions he had never seen before.

In the center of the room stood a single man, Ven presumed this was Aaron. Aaron had not noticed Ven and was absent mindedly looking at a computer screen as he scratched his chin. Aaron at least looked like what Ven had expected, he was a tall broad-shouldered man with huge arms. Surprisingly, Aaron had blonde hair but brown skin, something Ven had not seen before. Upon getting closer, Ven loudly cleared his throat to announce his presence.

“Oh? Ah yes, you’re the young new knight I was told to expect,” said Aaron as he turned around and looked at Ven.

“My name is Ven, nice to meet you,” said Ven politely.

“I am Aaron, as you have probably been told. So, I am told you need a sword and body armor, is there anything you already had in mind?” asked Aaron has he opened a series of windows on the closest computer.

“I usually use a one-handed sword which is a little shorter than a longsword, if that makes any sense,” said Ven.

“It does, what kind of hilt and pommel would you like to have?” asked Aaron.

“A pommel long enough that I could hold the sword two-handed if I wanted to, I am not particular about the hilt,” said Ven.

“Hmm… I can work with that; would you like it double edged or single edged?” asked Aaron.

“Double sounds like something that would come in handy,” said Ven.

“You could have saved both of us some time if you had just said you wanted a replica of the King’s sword, I supposed it’s to be expected of you when your name is Ven,” laughed Aaron as he showed the model he had created.

Ven looked at Aaron with a puzzled look, King’s sword? He had met Ravendra, the man didn’t carry a sword, in fact Rendall was the only person he had seen with a sword since he had gotten here. But lo and behold, there on the screen was the sword he had used his whole life.

“I didn’t know His Majesty still used a sword,” said Ven as he tried to dig for some information.

“Oh, not anymore, you and Rendall are the only two swordsman I personally know of. But this sword, it’s a legend, they say he killed over a thousand men with this blade, but no, he hasn’t used it again since the day he defeated King Rayleigh all those years ago,” said Aaron, “Well then, while we wait for this to be printed out, let’s get you some armor.”

“Printed out?” asked Ven.

“Oh yes, everything I make in this room is 3D printed, mind you these 3D printers aren’t the generic models you’ll find everywhere, I’ve designed them myself,” said Aaron with pride, “But as I was saying, body armor, we have a few options, you can have the old-fashioned armor that Rendall uses, it’s harder to move in but gives the most protection or would you prefer lighter armor which makes movement easier?”

“I’ll be up against people with gifts, so protection should be the priority, but if it affects my mobility and I end up like a turtle, that’s not useful,” said Ven.

“Yes, that makes sense, so maybe we can mix and match a little to give you something in the middle. Although, we could try something completely different, it’s an idea I have been wanting to try out for a while now. I’ve asked Rendall several times to help me, but that man is not willing to try out anything new! Do you dare, young man?” asked Aaron.

“What exactly are you offering?” asked Ven.

“Imagine a material which is lighter than steel but stronger at the same time, wouldn’t it be the ideal armor?” asked Aaron.

“Yeah, but if it’s that straightforward, you would have made it already,” said Ven.

“I would say it’s biggest flaw is that it is too stiff, so all the joints would have to be made of regular steel. Other than that, production wise, it is not a project I dare take on lightly, as it is not a material I can 3D print! It requires to be made using both my hands, the good old-fashioned way,” said Aaron.

“If this stuff is so great, all the knights and UTF members would be using it, what aren’t you telling me?” asked Ven suspiciously.

“Its biggest flaw is it is made by someone like me,” said Aaron.

“I don’t understand what you mean,” said Ven.

“Knight Captain Rendall is a great man; he managed to rise the ranks and get to the position he is at right now through hard work and determination. What many people don’t know about him is that he is not a pure blooded Nari, his father was a Nari, while his mother was a Gaard, it’s the reason he has a Gaard name and the reason his skin tone isn’t as dark as ours. But of course, there are Gaard who are darker than others, so he goes unnoticed most of the time. I too am half Nari and half Gaard, but unlike Knight Captain Rendall I was born with blonde hair and dark skin, an unusual combination to say the least, I always stood out like a sore thumb,” said Aaron.

“I was never really accepted into either group while I was growing up. I won’t say I never made any friends, because I did meet some wonderful people who looked beyond what I looked like. Much like you, I too am giftless, but that didn’t mean I was without talent, while no one could deny my skills as a smith, no one was willing to give me a job after I was done with university. That was until one of my university professors somehow managed to set up a meeting with Knight Captain Rendall, he was thoroughly impressed with my work and immediately took me on as his personal blacksmith. Since then, the funding which came with working for him meant I could pursue almost anything I wanted, but alas what I didn’t expect was Knight Captain Rendall’s inflexibility, the man is stuck in his ways!”

“Now you might be wondering why I couldn’t get someone else to help me with my experiments. Well, you see that is a direct result of Knight Captain Rendall’s inflexibility and the stigma of what I look like. As, Knight Captain Rendall’s equipment has not gone through any major changes over the years, people believe I am not a talented man but rather someone who is enjoying the benefits of getting an easy job. Essentially, I have been labelled a fraud. Combined with how I am shunned for being how I look; it is very difficult to convince anyone to test my creations for me. Which is why you are a blessing my friend, I can finally show off my genius through you! If my equipment can help a gifltess knight hold his own against a gifted, people will have no choice to accept that I am a genius, my reputation will be restored!”

“So, you need me to test if this material is good enough or not?” asked Ven.

“Oh no, I’ve run all the tests already, I know it works for sure. What I need is someone to display my work to the world,” said Aaron.

“If this stuff is as good as you say, I would be a fool to say no,” said Ven.

“Excellent! Now, as I said it will take some time for me to make one that fits you, so I’ll need to take your measurements before you leave,” said Aaron with excitement in his voice.

“Yeah, sure, no problem. Say, are you the one I should ask about getting a gun? Or is that someone else?” asked Ven.

“Why do you need a gun?” asked Aaron.

“Knight Captain Rendall thought that it might be a good idea to have a smaller firearm on me at all times, you know to give me more options if things get sticky,” said Ven.

“Yes, that does sound like a good idea. I’ll have some pistols and revolvers for you to choose from the next time you’re here. Will there be anything else?” asked Aaron.

“I don’t think so, but could you help me get back to the Knight Captain’s office, I have no idea how to get there,” said Ven with an embarrassed look.

“Of course, it will also give me an opportunity to stretch my legs a bit. By the way let’s exchange numbers, it will make it easier to contact you in the future,” said Aaron.

“Thanks, and yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” said Ven as he pulled out his phone.

So, for the first time in a long time I've planned my week out properly so I can release this chapter day a earlier instead of a day later than the plan!

Hope you guys liked the chapter :)

As always, stay safe out there.

Anderoth