Into the Fire: CIII
The armory rang with the sound of metal against metal. Vestus swung his hammer down, beating it over this piece of steel armor. Despite the fact that he had his own technique of folding metals, Avni still put him in charge of making a simple steel plate mail. He grunted with frustration, their fires were using an improper fuel source making it vastly harder to heat the material to his liking. Especially with such high carbon steel. He wondered how they got anything done. 'Perhaps Tantalus had some good notes at this moment.' He nearly chuckled in thought, knowing that was going way too far.
"Are you.. Already shaping the metal?" Vestus kept slamming his hammer over and over. "Uh.. hello?" With each clank of the iron he thought more and more about what he would do to those nobles.. Those who had taken Asher, how could he be so foolish..? Hadn't he taught his boy better?
*Clang*
He couldn't get it out of his head, it was like the images of his son whatever he remembered were playing on loop-
*Clang*
"Vestus?"
"Huh?" He finally snapped from his daze standing in front of the anvil was Avni holding a concerned and rather confused look on his face. "I'm sorry did you ask something?" He raised a cloth rag and wiped the sweat from his brow studying the armor plate he was nearly finished making. He wanted distractions, and this seemed like a very good one.
"Yeah, I was curious if you were already shaping the metal into the plate.. Are you done with the cuts already-" Avni began running a hand down the product. 'Hermes does not admire speed.' He thought jovially.
"Yes." Vestus replied simply. "Well, the cuts are easier when you lay it out at an angle, mirroring becomes much simpler." Avni seemed to have no idea what he was talking about. He looked back down and returned to shaping the steel periodically moving it into the furnace for a reheat. He was careful though, too much cooling while being pounded and the metal might crack. He'd made armor before.. Lots of times, for Estral.. For Blazor, Grey, Heatem, Flare.
"Avni!" Embric roared from the other side of the forgery. With its half hot half cold aesthetic design he couldn't help but sometimes be confused on what side meant what. Though Vestus preferred being in the colder section. Not because he couldn't handle the heat, but because it was the middle of summer and extra heat sucked. "Give me a hand with this!" Avni turned away from Vestus jogging over to his lover in an attempt to help him.. Make something.
He wasn't really paying attention, afterall even though he'd just started a few hours ago he was nearly completed with the forged armor. Vestus raised the curved metal and poured it into the quenching oil. Some of the highest quality oil he'd seen in a while but it still garnered a rather odd silvery look to it, rather than the black he was used to. Hades, he'd never seen that color, but he knew the consistency. Pulling the plate out he went to work with its final design, rivets were placed into the sides while he initialized its interior.
"Crap crap-" Avni was panting over near the fiery hammer station on the other side. Vestus set the metal plate down and rushed over. The two of them were fiddling with some part of a spear's head. The spear shaft looked to be metal and wood mixed together with rather ornate designs similar to the.. Vestus rather into his pocket pulling out one of the many cultists daggers he'd found. He almost forgot about seeing them make this the other day.
"Hmm.." He set it aside. "Do you need help?" He pushed his way in before Embric or Avni could reply, they were currently attempting to lock the spear head into the spears shaft. "Use full bridging!" He snapped, pushing Avni away he shoved his hands into the mix carefully pulling the spear head closer and trying to place wood shards inside he was unsuccessful.
"Yeah we tried that earlier.. The issue is the design. We're trying to keep it pretty looking, also the spear has to be light enough. But the head needs a larger attach.." Embric explained. Vestus rubbed his chin flipping his hammer in his hands. "I'm thinking we can use resin and bolts.. But it'll look less nice in that situation." He understood the predicament, if the two of them used bolts how would anyone cover that up?
"I'm sorry, I can't really help you. I've never cared for how things looked in metal work until everything was done. Once it's nice and sharp then I worry about design." Vestus responded. Avni and embric looked a little bit defeated. "Say.." Vestus inquired leaning over the metal. "Are you planning to have that silvered?" He spotted aluminum lines across the metal, a good marker and easy to melt away material when silvering.
"Er.. We were considering it, but similarly we are not sure how well that will hold.." Embric admitted.
"Well, here." Vestus leaned forward grabbing a new pot he observed the wall grabbing bits of silver and other metals. "I can aid you in finishing this creation, we can silver the tip using an old foil method." He shrugged, holding out his arms.
"Well.. foiling is really.. Delicate and-" Embric started, but the fire genasi quickly smiled. He knew the fan boy in that man couldn't miss the opportunity. Vestus got the work, carefully folding the silver over itself while Avni crafted a small steel frame. He was impressed by the spears' careful metal work; he didn't want to ruin it. Asher. This was all for Asher. He knew that deep down. Part of him wanted to appease these two new smiths, but the vast majority of him knew this spear was for his group. Based on what they had fought, they needed it to be perfect. He was going to protect what Asher had shown him, by all the powers he had.
"Alright we only get one proper shot at this." He grumbled. Embric was working on a table settling the spear head carefully into the saft using a bone aluminum. "Melting?" Vestus wanted to laugh. He quickly grabbed a bit of their molten steel, knowing it would need to be used last. The shaft was filled with the animal bone forged aluminum before the head was shoved in. "Careful!" He roared, it felt like talking to the newbie smiths at Exitium house, each of them needing to be reminded they were not fireproof- wait.. The Genasi was fireproof. He sanded droplets of iron which were dropped around the edge, avoiding the use of bolts or resin. "You're mad, you know that right?" He chuckled at Embric.
"I.. got the technique from you." Embric snapped playfully. He had? Shit.. he needed the memory of Apollo. "Ok, your turn. Avni dear."
He and Avni fitted a cage around the head of the spear carefully pouring the folded silver into pockets before tweezing them around. He grafted foils of silver onto the blade before sealing them with a heated hammer. "Good, good.." He grumbled, the process was delicate and difficult, "Hold it, son." He ordered embric, who was turning the shaft in his hands. "There!" The two of them jumped back, while Embric shoved the spear into the furnace knocking the cage off. He wretched it back and plunged it into the oil mixture, quenching the spear. "Diáole nai, epitychía!"
"Goodness.. We actually did it." Embric laughed leaning back. "We'll.. Wrap it, and give it over today." the three of them basked in their accomplishment. Silvering something was extremely difficult. Embric set the spear down on a table nearby. "Could we look at the plate you finished?" Vestus frowned, wanting to laugh, didn't they just work enough? He guessed the fanboy needed to see. He waved a hand to his right offering to move. The three of them inspected the plate steel with embric oohing and awing over every part of the craft.
"This.. is incredible.." Avni gasped. "This is master quality work.. On par with ours, if not a little better." Avni looked up to Vestus, he gave him a fatherly grin. He had just helped them finish a project.. So this shouldn't have been surprising. He wished Blazor was there to see it.
"Thank you.. It's not my first time around the rodeo." He flipped the hammer in his grasp before sliding it into a holster at his side. "While I was working I noticed the metal seemed to not be getting nearly as hot as I expected, perhaps we should automate your bellows in a more efficient manner." Vestus curled a finger inviting them over to the table nearby. "While working I took the liberty to forge a broadsword since I saw your inventory was rather empty in that department, on top of that.-" The more he talked the more Avni seemed to become awestruck. "A.. compatriot designed this.. Believe it or not my cultist is surprisingly knowledgeable about mechanical things.. So he helped show me a new mechanism and I repurposed it." He unfurled parchment paper and set it on the table running his fingers along the design of the new bellows.
"I uh.." Embric stutterted. "I'm not sure we want a renovation but.. We'll keep it in mind?" Vestus nearly scoffed. That's what people said when they had no intentions of keeping a product in mind. Shrugging he folded the paper back up and tucked it away.
*ring*
Vestus nearly grabbed for his hammer when the bell from the door went off, brass bells were godly annoying you didn't need one to know when a customer had come in! He tucked his design away and moved to the front desk with Embric and Avni. "Hello, how can I help you?!" Avni seemed to be the one to greet customers.
"Hello." There were two figures behind the counter: a small half-elven boy, and a taller elf woman. "I'm looking to buy a pendant? About.. Two dragons big made of silver?" Vestus nodded looking over his shoulder. "This is the design I wanted.." She slipped forth a piece of parchment along with numerous gold dragons, like she was swimming in them.
"Bah! Cmon mommy play!" The boy on the ground was beating against his mothers leg, he looked around six or so.. Not very old. Vestus gave the kid a smile. "Aheee.." The kid made a small squeaking sound when he looked up at Vestus in fear. He understood, he had a hideous complexion and a twisted face, it was pretty standard for children to dislike him based on appearances. He sighed trying to give the child a bigger smile. It didn't help.
"After that I-"
*Ring*
The bell went again as another customer moved into the room, or should he have said customers. The bunch moving in were three in total, dressed in black cloaks. "Oh hi!" The half-elven boy chanted happily at the figures. The newcomers paid him no attention, perhaps even rolling their eyes at the boy. Vestus crossed his arms, he didn't trust people who didn't like kids.
"I need a rod of silver, and a rod of iron. Immediately." One of the figures barked, she had a feminie voice but it was rather deep like she'd been breathing in coal dust. She shoved her way past the elven woman already ordering and slammed a sack of coins onto the table. He was starting to like these people less and less.
"Hey!" The elf cried. A second man on the left turned to her menacingly. Vestus drifted his hand down towards his hammer.
"Ma'am." Embric spoke in a careful tone, Vestus however was ready to clobber these people. "There was someone in front of you, it would be better if you waited your turn."
"Listen." The third figure put a fist on the counter, under his hood Vestus could spot the upturned nose and skin tone of a deep gnome. The hell was one doing up here? "We'll make this fast. I apologize for my friends here.. Just give us a rod of Iron and a rod of silver. About a foot long..."
"Heyy!" The kid cried again as the first man pushed him aside.
"I don't think your hearing is right." Vestus declared. "We told you to wait in line.." He got closer to the counter looking at the elven boy on the ground. "Son, you alright?" The kid didn't reply, he looked shocked being pushed onto the floor. They were being rude for no reason.
"Fucking half-" The first man started.
"Don't be fucking racist." Vestus barked. "It's bad enough you're pushing a kid, no one wants to hear that shit." The first figure reached to his side but Vestus was faster; he pulled his great axe from his back with lightning speed and swung it into the table. The glowing red axe sparked with fire recently receiving a blessing from Hephaestus himself! That new enchantment which he was (not) warned about also made him piss himself and throw the thing at an unsuspecting Markos a while ago. He snatched the man's arm and pulled him in holding what looked to be a pale hand against the blade of his axe. The long sword at the figure's side was still not drawn. "Long swords.. In this close of quarters? Bad idea.." He spat, reaching out now he felt Emrbic slowly disarm the man. He smelled something in the air... Sulfur. "I train twelve year olds faster on the draw than you." He growled. He began to step around the corner. Holding his axe the entire time, Vestus picked up the elven boy and set him back on his feet.
"Let go of my arm." The figure growled. Vestus grit his teeth, on the inside of his cloak he spotted what could only be red trim. At the man's side was another weapon, a mace.
"Whatta ya say to the child here?" He gestured to the half-elven boy. He was fairly sure he saw elven eyes narrow under that hood. Vestus caught a glimpse of Avni who seemed frightened, but Embric was holding the elven intruder's long sword out in a threatening manner. Vestus twisted the elf's arm. "I said, what do you say?" He spoke slower like he would one of his kids, Reya always needed special treatment as well, he treated him like her.
"Agh!" The elf whimpered in pain. 'Pathetic mother fucker.' Vestus thought. "I'm.. sorry," he groaned.
"Fantastic." Vestus released the man's arm. "Now get the fuck out." He raged slowly stepping behind the counter this time with the kid clutching to his leg. Normally if anyone threatened one of his kids he was ready to let the child defend themselves, as was the nature of Exitium house. But this boy was not very strong by the looks of it.
"Just give us the rods." The woman finally grunted through grit teeth by the sounds of it. Vestus looked over to Avni and Embric who were shaking their heads. He reached under the counter and grabbed an aluminum rod, and then a tungsten one, similar in color if you weren't paying too much attention. They were both worth a fraction of the gold they had set down. He snatched up the coin and physically threw the rods at the trio. "Thanks." The first lady finally gagged out. She turned around and headed out the door. That was the cult of Asmodeous Vestus thought, whatever they needed those rods for he was happy to give them knockoffs. The deep gnome turned around and gave Vestus an apologetic look, he merely grinned and waved his axe in the air.
"Apologies madam.." Avni started reaching out to comfort the lady who had been scorned. "We didn't expect such cowards to try and interrupt your process.. Can we.. still assist you?" The lady looked pretty shaken but stood back up and finished her order. Vestus all the while handed over small wooden carved soldiers to the child. He hoped he could at least make their days a bit brighter after that.
"Thank you." Embric remarked. Vestus returned to the forge once the boy had left, thoroughly happy with his new small birch carved army. He began pulling up a list of creations they were supposed to be working on.
"For what?" Vestus pondered. He laid out a new piece of raw iron and coal ready to try and make a new steel alloy for the forgery. He was careful to always use a medium carbon content.
"For helping us.. Defuse that.."
Vestus nearly laughed. "Defuse? I threatened one of those punks.. I hardly defused anything. If at all I escalated the situation. Now it's getting late Embric, grab me some leather." he barked orders like he was running the smithery. Yet Embric followed them as if to confirm this new assertion. He wondered what Asher would have done in that situation, probably would've just started stabbing or grabbed the men with an echo. Son of a bitch he wished he could find his boy. That cult may have been a lead, but he couldn't simply attack them then and there. If anything, those fake metals will keep them at bay until he could bring the force of Mount Olympus itself to their skulls.
He poured in his coal dust into the kiln weighing the grams as precisely as their equipment would allow him, damn he was doing a good job despite the crappy furnace and bellows. Now if only he could get something better to use when wrapping handles he could start an assembly line of swords in minutes.
"Vestus?" Avni set a hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, yeah?" he wondered, couldn't anyone see he was working! If children interrupted him, he would understand they were dumb as fuck kids. But come on now!
"Sir, it's nearly nine at night.. Vestus go home, thank you for everything." What? Vestus looked up out the window seeing the dark air out the door. Well shit it was in fact night fall.
"Well I'll be damned.." He murmured, setting down the supplies he picked up his backpack and tossed it over his shoulder. "I didn't even notice. Thank you." He set a hand on Avni's shoulder and moved past the counter right out the door.
The nighttime air was nice and smooth, it wasn't very dark yet as it was summer time the sun was only starting to set. He enjoined the position of being a little past across the street from TrollSkull manor, it was good and helped him avoid any long commutes. He made his way towards TrollSkull, that's when a figure caught his eye. It was a man sprinting at full speed towards the house, he had pale skin, long dirty blonde hair down to his shoulders. He was dressed in a mix of green and white. Vestus jogged over before the man could reach the door. "Sir, what exactly are you doing?" He bellowed in a deep voice trying to ensure this wasn't an intruder. The man spun on his heels and gave Vestus a terrified look.
"Got to- I've- I've go to-" Vestus raised a hand like he was going to slab the bard who was sputtering. "Get the K-keepers-" The bard's brown eyes looked terrified.
"Spit it out, the keepers, the what?" He criticized trying to get a straight answer from the man.
"I've got to get Andraste.. The Keepers of Chaos, th- they're needed." He pointed at the door. Vestus reached over and yanked the door open to see Adleth and a few others sitting down stairs. The elven girl was the closest to the bar itself however. "Everyone!" Vestus looked down and realized the bard had escaped his grasp.
"Hey three strings." Adleth shot. But the bard looked like he was in no particular laughing mood.
"I- Mattrim.. I didn't expect to see you again so soon.. What..?" Andraste speculated from a nearby table. Her expression was wrapped in confusion.
"There's.. There's an attack on the trade ward! We.. Renear sent me, said there were flying demons and-" That word filled his gut with fire. Vestus reached around, grabbing Mattrim.
"Take us there." Vestus growled, tossing his bag onto the ground of the manor from the outside. He was not letting whatever fuckers who had nabbed his son go any further. Shit, he should've prepared, knowing he's just seen a cult of Asmodeus.
Herod leapt off a stool. "Everyone!" The warlock shouted inside the building with a smile. "C'mon, let's go! It's time to kick some ass!"