The Excalibur Blacksmith

The vultures hovered over the corpses of Heasean soldiers in circles; it was more of a celebration dance before they enjoyed their feast. Knights, archers, spearmen, swordsmen, militia all lay dead on the ground. Heasean standard-bearers and those alive could be seen at a distance fleeing the battleground. Some on horses, some on foot. 

Heasea and Nazodour, the two neighboring kingdoms, had been at war for as long as the stars twinkled in the sky, and it was the umpteenth time we mighty Nazodourians had crushed our neighbors. 

"Arlotto!, Hey, Arlotto!"

"Huh!" I turned to look at the shabby blacksmith who walked beside me, on an uphill climb towards his forge, in a discolored cloak fiddling with his long white beard. People chuckled when he claimed he forged the Excalibur. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Whatever the case, I saw no point in ridiculing a guy who meant no harm to anyone, always had words full of encouragement and an ear-to-ear smile to offer.

"What are you thinking, my friend?"

"Nah! It's nothing ... Larkin," I lied. 

In reality, I just couldn't stop thinking of our past battles with Heasea. We managed to rout them in every freaking battle, like always, until the most recent ones.

They ... they've changed somehow ... they are now different. Scary, bulkier ... and ... and that darkness in those eyes, as if they were being controlled by something or someone. The way they tore apart our spearmen with sheer muscle power is just appalling. Some of the close witnesses to the horror say the devil is now on their side; Heaseans had traded their souls for mysterious powers. 

Well, whatever they are now, they've butchered most of our men. Not much is left of us, and soon, they'll come to wipe Nazodour off the map.

Despite having the best soldiers and the blacksmiths in the entire realm, here we stand...

I look at Larkin crestfallen, and as always, he stands smiling right at the door of his forge. 

"Arlotto! Just so you know, I'll always be indebted to you for hiring me. You have a big heart."

"Oh! Don't mention it, Larkin!" I said, looking at his humble forge. 

"No, No, I must say. You've always been kind to me, unlike the other Nazodourians." Larkin then gazes onto the distant land, contemplating. 

"Um ... Anyway,"—he smiles and then looks at me—"I believe I have a gift for you, Arlotto. Consider it as a token of thanks for being kind to me."

Larkin then hastens inside his forge, gesturing to me to follow along. He takes a few steps before he ceases turning towards me with a spark in his eyes. "I think it's time I hand you the gift over. I've been working nights on this for a couple of months. Do you want to have a look at it, Arlotto yes? Are you excited?" 

I roll my eyes, thinking, what does it matter now. For me, everything felt hopeless. Still, for his sake, I enter the forge. "Sure, show me. What do you have?"

Larkin moves over to his table, picking up a seemingly long double-edged sword. And as he pulls it out of its scabbard, his eyes light up. He chuckles, "Presenting ... the Atomblade. Ta-da!" He raises his arms, holding his new creation with both hands with his eyes stretched as wide as they can be due to sheer excitement. 

"You know Arlotto, this weapon summons ignis from heaven; you just point it towards your enemy, marking them, and then, bam, the ignis strikes from heaven, taking care of the rest." 

I look at Larkin trying hard to put on a good face, slightly nodding, who appeared rather high-spirited as he explained his weapon. He spoke with such enthusiasm as if he had forged his most incredible creation ever and was contented with the result. 

"... also, you can literally slice anything with this, even the darkness. So, what do you think? Huh?" Larkin nodded his head, looking at me, waiting for my reaction. And I stood there staring at him, blank-faced, thinking to myself. Oh, dear! After all, people were right about him. He is crazy. 

As I turn to walk out, he interrupts. "Why don't you try this blade, my friend? Huh! I would be delighted to see you take a swing."

"Just so you know, Larkin, to test it, if it really works, as you say. I need to mark someone to summon the strike from heaven, don't I? Who do I mark exactly? You? myself?" I say in a frustrated tone with my teeth clenched. If it was some other time, I would have let this jest slide, but certainly not in these grim times when Nazodourians were on the verge of extinction.

Hearing this, Larkin dashed towards the back of his forge. I shook my head in disbelief and was left with no option but to follow him. 

"Larkin! ... Where do you think you are going?" 

As I slouched to the back of his forge, my eyes widened with disbelief. I looked at Larkin with my mouth a tad open. 

Larkin said, "Well, I was testing my weapon deep in the forest, slashing rocks and by good fortune, this creature or"—He bows down before the Heasean giving him a warm smile, who lay in shackles smothered with cut marks with dried blood, and dust—"... Heasean, as I should call him with all due respect, attacked me. Bad timing, eh? Well, ... I then escorted his highness here."

"Arlotto, don't you think this mucky creature would be a perfect one to test your blade on?"

I, still in disbelief, without wasting a moment any further, raised my arms to point the blade towards the Haesean. As I was about to try Larkin's weapon, he interrupted me. 

"My friend, you would want to take a few steps back; keep your distance, please ... I am sure you don't want to kill yourself in the process."

I move a few steps back and finally point my blade towards the Heasean, whose eyes were as dark as night, and continually let out a low groan. I close my eyes, and the next moment, I hear a low rumbling in the sky with a sudden loud crack. 

Jolted by the sudden strike, I open my eyes and see the Heasean ripped apart into pieces by a bolt of fire discharged from heaven, just like Larkin had described. The land was littered with burning bits and pieces of what remained of the Heasean's corpse. The rest was up in smoke. 

I see Larkin jumping and clapping with joy like a kid relishing those enthralling fireballs and the falling stars in the night sky.

Tears rolled down my eyes, and I yelled, "Yes, yes, ... this is our way out, finally. We can defeat them."—I raise my arms with the sword drawn like a world conqueror—"It's possible; we can defeat them. After all, we are the mighty Nazodourians who are the best soldiers and blacksmiths in the entire realm." 

I walk over to my friend, nodding my head in acknowledgment. "You really did forge the Excalibur, after all. Larkin, my friend, ... Every Nazodourian who will ever tread this land will be indebted to you for as long as the sun shines in the sky. Thank you, my friend. Thank you for this gift."

Larkin responded with a warm smile, "Arlotto, the blade has chosen you as its wielder. Not everyone can summon the ignis, but only those with the purest of heart. I believe it's time to lead your men one more time."