The Blacksmith

A short story by Brandon Montes-Nguyen

The sun had just begun to peak over the crest of Mount Targon when Kol’s eyes opened. He exhaled a cloud of hot air in the cold room. He sat up in the darkness, the cold stone meeting the soles of his feet. The light grew on the walls of his room as Kol prepared himself for the day. Breakfast first, then he fitted his robes still covered in soot and grime, finally he grabbed his hammer resting aside the door jamb and stepped outside.   

The forge was underground, utilizing the natural resources from the active volcano. There, Kol would labor, shaping the finest Solari steel for battle ready warriors. For the past week, Kol had been preparing a shield for his best friend and the rising prodigy of the Solari: Leona. 

Kol and Leona grew up in the same Rakkor tribes that inhabited Mount Targon, and although their paths deviated from each other once they came of age to join the Solari, their time together did not dwindle. Kol’s interest in craftsmanship was quickly heralded by the elders and he was assigned to the blacksmiths whereas Leona’s astuteness kept her in the classroom where her wits trumped even the wisest masters. 

After each day of work, Kol would find Leona on her walk back from school where the two would catch up with gossip of the day. 

‘Your mind seems to wander today, Leo.’

‘The orphan, Diana, has piqued my interest.’

‘Oh? Is this the one who challenges the masters?’

‘Yes, but I do not see her curiosity as a challenge to the Solari way as the masters do. She is a lost soul, yearning for answers…She does not deserve the alienation that she receives from my peers.’

‘And what do you seek from Diana?’

‘Our debates are heard throughout the halls, I have not met such fierce opposition. But her passion for knowledge is…inspiring…Even though we have opposite views, I feel our friendship growing.’

‘I have always admired your ability to see both sides, Leo. But I fear that following this path will lead to more conflict.’ 

‘All conflict is worth finding a solution, Kol. We are Solari, it is what we do.

–

Weeks passed and Leona and Diana’s debates continued. While the two never saw eye to eye, the mental sparring allowed them to respect each other, and eventually a friendship developed. One night, Diana confided a secret to Leona. Against the ordinance of the high priests, Diana had ascended Mount Targon and discovered a hidden alcove full of ancient symbols of forgotten times.

‘You must join me, Leona. The masters are wrong: the Solari are keeping secrets from us, you must see what I have seen!’

‘It does not matter. If the high priests discover that you have been disobeying them, they will banish you from Tar–’

‘Then I will live happily knowing that my pursuit for knowledge did not suffer at the cost of rules and regulations.’

‘Diana, I plead with you. Do not follow your curiosity down this path. I only wish to protect you from the high priests’ frustration. If you could just understand–’

‘How can you preach understanding when you will not trust your friend? You are all I have here. You are the only one whom I can trust. Leona, I beg you. Join me please. I am certain your mind will be swayed if you could only see what I saw.’

‘I WILL NOT jeopardize your place with the Solari. That risk is one I will not gamble…

Promise me that you will not speak of this further.’

‘But I–’

‘Promise me!’

‘Very well.’

– 

Unbeknownst to Diana and Leona, Kol was hammering steel in the forge nearby…

Kol’s hammer rose and fell on the hot Solari steel. The sound echoed throughout the forge matched only by the roar of the flowing lava. He approached every piece of work with the most intricate care, but crafting what would be protection for his best friend carried even more weight in his meticulousness. The weeks of hard work that went into preparing the shield would conclude tonight. He lifted the red hot shield from the anvil and plunged it into the barrel of water. The seam hissed as the shield’s temperature dropped, cooling to a blue steel. Kol removed it from the water and held it up, the light from the red lava shining against it. His labor was finished. He smiled behind his cloth mask.

–

The corners of Kol’s lips curled to the ends of his face when he saw Leona the next morning. She immediately knew what he was thinking.

‘Is it done!? Finally?’

‘It is done, Leo. I must say I am proud of my efforts on this one. It is my finest piece of work.’

‘Kol, you say that every time you finish a project.’

‘And I mean it every time. But this one will be difficult to beat. It’s not every day I get to shape a shield for the future leader of the Ra’Horak, let alone my friend.’

Leona’s excited face turned pensive. 

‘Do you think Diana will be by my side when I join the holy warriors?’
‘I’m not sure, I don’t think the high priests’ view of her will earn her a place next to you…

You should go to her tonight, it’s been a few weeks since your disagreement. She hasn’t mentioned anything of the summit since, has she?’

‘No. You’re right. Maybe she’s come around. We should be celebrating, not bickering on a day such as this.’

–

Leona sat in her quarters across the room from her shield. She stared long and hard, admiring its beauty. The light reflected off the shield and onto the walls almost as a silver sun. She approached it and smiled softly, running her hand over the edge. Looking out the window, a full moon rose over the mountains. With the shield slung over her back, she left and set out to find Diana.

‘Hello, Diana. I’ve come to show you my shield…

No no.

Greetings Diana, how has this week fared?

…’

Then, right outside Diana’s door. Leona paused.

‘Diana, I am struggling to find the words to express my emotions, but I miss your company. I miss our debates that end in laughter, and most importantly I miss having you by my side. I know that we have our disagreements, but can we go back to the way things were?’

Leona nods approvingly to herself before taking a deep breath. As she knocks on the door, it opens slightly. She hesitates before poking her head in.

‘Di…Diana?’

Across the room, Leona sees an open window, curtains flowing with the gentle breeze. She hurries over to it and looks out. Far off in the distance, a silhouette against the bright full moon, is scaling Mount Targon. Leona’s face flushes with rage now knowing that the silence between the two friends was not due to finding a common ground, but Diana’s broken promise.

Leona jumps out of the window in pursuit of her friend, concern and fear on her face.

–

Leona’s ascent was the most enduring feat she had ever attempted. Every muscle was pushed to its limit. Only her training, preparation, and love for her friend kept her drive going. Corpses lined the face of the mountain–the only witnesses to Leona’s climb, but even their failed attempts at conquering the summit of Mount Targon could not hinder Leona’s determination to find her friend.

Finally, she reached the peak, body aching with fatigue, mind exhausted from mental fortitude. She gasped for breath as she looked around the unfamiliar summit. There she saw an ancient temple built into the mountain. Its walls made of smooth stone in an otherwise jagged terrain. An enormous doorway leading to darkness stood before her. Then she heard a familiar voice cry out in pain. 

‘Diana!’

Leona raced into the darkness of the temple. What she saw sent an icy shock down her spine: Diana engulfed in a cylinder of silver sparkling light shining down from the heavens, body suspended in the air, twisting with agony and pain. Terrified, Leona ran to Diana’s aid, when a golden column of radiance cast down from the sky, enveloping her.

Leona screamed with pain as she was lifted off of the ground. The burning sensation took over her body. But rather than incinerate her, the golden ray flowed through her very being, illuminating her body with immense power. Leona felt a godly presence in her head. Flashes of ancient times filled her mind: two Rakkor tribes at war with each other, one guided by the moon, the other, the sun. She realized this presence, filling her mind of past events, was one of the legendary Aspects and it had chosen Leona to be its host. With this knowledge came understanding, Leona’s duty was to protect the Solari no matter the cost. 

When the visions and pain faded, Leona was laid gently back on the temple floor. She was clad in red and golden war armor and equipped with a matching sword. The shield that Kol had made for her, now a radiant gold eclipsed with the symbol of the sun at its head. She looked for Diana across the temple floor. 

What she saw was barely recognizable: Diana stood her opposite, her dark hair now as silver as the moon, eyes glowing like stars in the night sky, a steel war-plate fitted her body, in her hand, a crescent blade. 

‘Now that you have seen what I have, do you understand, Leona? I have found the end of the Solari’s knowledge, no longer can they hide information from us. There were two Rokkor tribes, the Solari have been lying all along!’

‘Enough! Diana, this is heresy. It is not too late. Come back with me to the high priests, beg for their forgiveness, I will vouch for you.’ 

‘Heresy? Do you hear yourself? Leona, the answers are out there, the Solari wiped out a rival tribe to preach their own beliefs. The Aspects have chosen us; together we can make peace, together we can restore balance. I will not let the Solari keep me in the dark any longer, I will find the answers I seek. No one can stand in my way.’

‘If you leave now, you will face certain death! They will hunt you down as an outcast!’

‘I have always been an outcast here, Leona. Do not pretend you were not aware of that.’

‘I will not let you throw your life away. The Solari found you in the mountains, they took you in, raised you as their own, educated you–’

‘--Educated me with LIES!

…

I must seek out the answers that the Solari are keeping from us. If you stand in my way you are no better than they are.’

Leona felt the weight of her weapons in her hands. Her eyes fell to the ground as she pondered.’

‘So be it.’

Their fight was legendary, a clash of sun and moon. Diana’s speed was matched by Leona’s strength. The two fought under the full moon, sparks flying with each collision of steel. The two were evenly matched, it seemed there would be no victor. But then Diana’s crescent blade found Leona’s throat. She stared down the sword into her lifelong friend’s eyes…She could not bring herself to deliver the killing blow. She fled, leaving Leona defeated on the temple floor.

Time passed and Leona finally gathered her strength. Devastated, she rose to her feet. Fearing what had come of Diana, she descended Mount Targon in search of the elders’ council. 

When Leona arrived at the base of Mount Targon, she was horrified. Solari priests and their guardians lay slain, seemingly at the hand of Aspect of the Moon. Survivors cowered in awe of the presence of the second Aspect now standing in front of them. Leona did what she could to help, but the injured numbers were too great. She feared for her people, but mostly she feared for what had become of Diana. It was then that she saw, amongst the rubble, her friend, Kol.

Leona hurried to his side, caressing his head in her lap. She saw Kol’s wounds and began to cry. Her voice was faint as she tried to be reassuring.

‘Easy now, easy. I have you.’

‘Leona, thank the heavens you’re safe. *cough*’

‘Do not speak, Kol. I am here. I’m here.’

‘It wasn’t her fault, Leo. You have to understand…

It was the Aspect–its power–she is not yet able to control it…

I was there, in the temple when she forced her way past the guards…

When they saw her, they called her traitor, but she pleaded for their ear. They would not listen and the high priests called for her head…

When the guards pressed on, she urged them to stay back, but they did not heed her warning…

Then *cough* there was a bright flash of light. There is no doubt it was the power of the Moon’s Aspect, but you must understand, Leo…it was not Diana that did this. She was merely chosen to be the Aspect’s host as you have. I could see it in her eyes, she was afraid…she did not want this. *cough cough*’

‘Kol you must not labor, I need to find a healer–Someone HELP ME PLEASE!’

‘It is too late, my friend. My time has come. Please…please promise me that you will not seek vengeance…

Find her, help her. For she is lost.’

‘We will find her together, Kol, you and me. Please…don’t go. I cannot afford to lose you too.’
‘You are now the protector of the Solari, Leo. Diana needs you, the Solari need you…

I will always be there…the shield to keep you from harm. Promise me, Leo.’

And as he shared his dying wish, Kol drew his last breath. 

–

And so Leona’s oath began: as the sworn protector of the Solari, host of the Sun Aspect’s power, she seeks to restore the Solari to their former reign and save her friend, Diana before the Moon Aspect consumes her.