-CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!-
As I entered the courtyard, I heard my uncle working on another piece of armor behind the house, having all his tools there together with an old-style furnace made of stone and bricks, but one that worked on gas and coal. After I dropped my backpack in my room, I would occasionally stop by his workshop and look at his work, watching him hammer the metal and molding it, just like a blacksmith from the middle ages. Simply ignoring me, my uncle would continuously smash the metal into shape again and again, then put it back into the furnace, then hammer it again, going at it for hours to even all day. He would wear no shirt as the sparks would risk setting them aflame, but neither would he use any protective gear except some gloves, even those not at all times. His skin was tough and as if used to the strong heat and occasional sparks that landed on him, toughing it up. His muscles were also extremely evident and strong-looking, making one wonder if he got them really only from hammering the metal. In his hands he would have thick leather gloves, on his face he would occasionally wear some thick glasses for protection, while as pants he would use a pair of ragged and ripped jeans, once blue, now being gray to black. His hair was also tied to the back so it won’t get in his sight. I couldn’t help but look rather dazed at his repeated motion, as if it had something that dragged me in, making me wish to do the same.
Another day passed with nothing changing, and my uncle was able to finish the shoulder guards, quickly putting them together into a box, then post them on a website and wait for someone to buy them for around 120 Euros. Although it was quite expensive, it seems that my uncle’s craftsmanship was acknowledged as he would get many requests from many collectors to craft weapons and armors.
“Finally done with this thing… Now it’s time for a break.”
He then left to his room without even showering and started drinking for the following two whole days, not minding anything else.
“…”
I looked at him leaving then at his workshop. I thought of something and simply shrugged my shoulders. I went to my room and changed into a simple pair of old green safari pants with no shirt on, just like him. After doing Karate for around four years, I could say that my body wasn’t that inferior to an athlete’s, having a rather strong body. However, no matter how tough my muscles were, my skin felt as if set aflame after only getting within two meters close to my uncle’s seat beside the furnace.
Guh! It’s burning!
I tried my best to resist the burning feeling while beside the furnace and looked around. Beside the furnace, there was an iron bucket with more steel bars, probably from construction sites. I took a thicker one-meter-long bar, then just like how my uncle did, I used the clippers he used and placed the bar into the furnace. I waited until the metal was bright red then took it out, placing it then on the large anvil right beside it. The heat alone made my whole body sweat and for my skin to feel like burning. But for some reason, the excitement of working with fire and metal made me not even feel the burning pain, feeling as if hypnotized by the deadly red yet beautiful bright color. I looked at another bucket beside the anvil where more and different types of tools were placed together, taking the hammer my uncle used just now.
-PANG!-
I slammed once with the heavy hammer and I felt my arm feel a slight shock go through it, surely because my grip wasn’t strong enough. After I gripped better, I slammed once again with more power and-
-FSSST~!-
Sparks flew all around and struck me in full, making me hiss in pain while my face palled.
W-wow…!
It was… simply amazing. The pain and heat were really annoying to deal with, but the beauty of having sparks fly, together with the yellow glow of the metal, the way it took the form I wanted, everything was just so mesmerizing. I was slowly getting used to the pain from the flying sparks and continued hammering, observing how black impurities were forming on top of the red bar, later to fall from the next few smashes.
This is… quite fun.
I felt like all the pain and despair I felt all this time was slowly disappearing, there being only me, the fire, the metal, and the sound of metal hitting metal.
-CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!-
The sound resounded repeatedly and I seemed as if in a trance, continuing to beat the metal, turn it, beat it again into a shape, put it in the furnace, then repeat, just like how my uncle was doing all this time.
Harder, tougher… get rid of the impurities and keep the clean metal, then beat it hard and harder into shape, so after suffering and going through all this process, it would be able to take the desired shape… Harder, stronger, tougher, purer…
I continued and continued, for a whole hour only hammering the metal, turning it into a flat and pointy surface, looking like a metallic spear of only 1m long.
Beside the furnace, there was another bucket of oil, and after I dipped the red metal inside of it, the oil started to boil and smoke, drops of it falling on my pants and even my skin, making me hiss in pain but not let go of the metal bar. After I took it out, the shiny surface of my spearhead resurfaced, looking like an actual spearhead.
“What a shitty product.”
“?!”
From behind me, my uncle was sitting on the chair near the entrance that I initially sat on, seemingly observing my every move. After he saw the end of my work, he couldn’t help scoffing amused. Even so, I could tell that he wasn’t only sneering at it, but also admiring it.
“I see you got some talent in you, not gonna lie. Although this… what is that, a spearhead? Anyway, this thing ended up being quite shitty, but at the end of it all, it’s still great for a beginner.”
I looked confused at the spear and looked back at my uncle,
“Why do you say it’s shitty? Isn’t it just like any other spearhead?”
“Bahahahaha~!”
He walked closer to me and grabbed the hammer in my hands. He took the bar without gloves as if not even feeling the burning sensation in his palm, and then he hammered the spear once with power, smashing it the next moment.
-CRASH!-
I looked baffled at how easily he actually destroyed a spearhead I hammered for a whole hour. Then he took a spearhead he crafted.
“Here, to say that there’s no trick to it. This is what I crafted a few months ago.”
He placed the spearhead into the forge and after it was red, he dipped it into the oil. It seems that the moment the metal is being hardened by being dipped in a liquid, it’s also the moment the metal it’s at its weakest, just how my spear was smashed right after I did so.
After the metal was no longer red inside the oil, my uncle grabs the spearhead and places it on the anvil, smashing it just as hard with the hammer.
-CLANG!-
To my shock the spear didn’t even bent, having been struck in the edge, just like my spear.
“B-but… how?”
“Hah, finally showing some emotion on that dead-face of yours, eh?”
My uncle laughed at my expression then he threw the spearhead back inside the bucked of spears and halberd-heads then sat down on his seat. He looked intently at me and smiled,
“Kid, wanna work for me? I’ll be sure to help you gain some nice money.”
“… Will I get to hammer the metal?”
“All day long. But blacksmithing is not only about smashing metal with a hammer. Are you up to this?”
“Yes. But I only want to make weapons.”
“What kind?”
“Spears, halberds, swords, knives, daggers, and all from the Middle Ages.”
“So basically only blades made from iron or steel, right?”
“Yes… So, can you tell me how you destroyed my spear so easily?”
“Easy there, kid. For now, just go and take a break.”
“huh? But I’m still able to work.”
“Oh yeah? Then lift the hammer again.”
He offered me the hammer and I grabbed it, then when he let go I was shocked to feel like it was suddenly weighing a few times more than before.
“Bahahaha~! You’re not aware just how much you forced your body to work more than it was used to. You think just because you had to punch in empty air three times a week would suddenly gain you the necessary muscles to work as a blacksmith? We’re the ones who bend metal, brat! We forge metal, purify it, and give it shape with nothing but our body, burning fire, and a few tools.”
“B-but I work out almost all the time-“
“As if that’s enough, dumbass! Your elbow must be buzzing from the strained tendons. Bah, you’re not even worth my time yet. Wait till you gain more experience.”
He berated me back and he then grabbed the hammer that I was barely able to hold.
“See this hammer? I made it, just like almost all the tools inside that bucket. And you, you shall make your own hammer in the future as well. Don’t expect me to be the one to pay for materials. You either get them or pay for them. Nothing is free in this world, kid.”
“… I understand.”
“Now that you do, be ready to do a lot of manual work starting from tomorrow. Whenever you finish school, until 10 at night, be sure to work your ass off.”
“Eh? What about homework?”
“Should I care? That’s your problem.”
He chugged down another round of wine, making me wonder if this guy has ever tasted the water, then went back into his room. I also went to shower and after looking into the mirror, I was baffled to see how my upper body was almost completely red. Because of how I had to turn from one side to the other to either melt the metal or beat it on the anvil, almost my entire upper body was now red, making me wonder just how much it would hurt the next day at school.
“I better go and buy some ointment for burns…”
.
One week, one month, then a whole year passed with me doing the same thing over and over again, learning from my uncle how to craft the medieval weapons and sell them for enough to at least pay back the materials I was using. It seems I had a great talent for blacksmithing as I was able to learn and absorb everything he taught me with incredible speed, understanding everything he said and also why he was able to break the first spearhead I made back then.
I must make sure there are no weak spots on the metal while hammering it. On one side, the other side, up, front, down, back, all sides must be equally beaten at first so all the impurities could be hammered out and leave no spot for gas to enter once hardened in oil.
-CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG-
Same rhythm, same power, same sound. After learning how hammering should be done, it was much easier for me now to create a weapon that would actually resist my uncle’s strikes.
A whole year passed and I was now tanned all over, my skin tough as no oil or spark would be able to harm me anymore. My arms, shoulders, and chest especially became tougher and larger; my hands turned rough with thick skin and scars all over from different mistakes while working. My frame changed as now my back was wider and bigger, forcing me to work out on my legs or else I would’ve got chicken legs, turning overall bigger. My eyes were now also sharper and as if always with a fire burning in them. I was able to observe details in the world around me that I didn’t see before, while the dead-stare from before was no more. My hair was also no longer as bright-blonde, turning with a shade darker and having it cut short on sides while my bangs were set backward, showing my forehead with a few strands still falling from sides. From the first glance, I appeared quite domineering, but my tranquil and indifferent gaze made everyone understand that I wasn’t one to start trouble, but neither one to let it happen for long.
-STZZZZ~-
“Hmph. It should be a fine work for cutting down logs I guess.”
I took out a blade from inside the oil bucket and a proud and confident sneer appeared on my face as I looked at the shiny blade that was ready to be sharpened.
Not only had my appearance changed, but my character as well. I felt more confident in myself and also much calmer in front of any harm or obstacles. I was completely detached about all kinds of rumors and I wasn’t really minding other’s attention either.
Most importantly, I learned to live hopelessly.
My life was still as empty, with no family but my drunkard uncle that always tried to use me better, with no home to call my own but that one small minimalistic room, with no friends, with no lover, no one to care for me or to care for, and with no one to be able to have a friendly talk with. However, unlike before, I was no longer affected by it as I had almost all the time a confident smile on my face. When it came to bullying at school, I was still not fighting back, but still made a few things so others would have a hard time picking on me.
“Alright. Finished with this as well.”
I sewed my school shirt and covered the little blade that was hidden under the sewing. My school clothes, especially around my collar, my wrists, my arms, and shoulders, it was filled with little hidden sharp blades that would cut anyone who tried to grab me, sometimes using it even as a weapon, grabbing the punch or kick of anyone who tried to strike me and swiftly move my sleeves around them, cutting them the moment they pulled their fists back.
Because of that, nobody was really into picking fights with me, but they would still try now and then some tricks like throwing things my way. Even so, they would soon lose interest as they had no chance of making me react, my mocking gaze being the only thing they’d receive. Because of what happened with my father, my school was rather tense when it came to me, so they were ready to kick me out the moment I would make any offense. Many tried to report my blades, but as I made them detachable, getting rid of them was just a breeze, the teachers or anyone else having no proof of me having weapons on me and such having no proof. Whoever tried to report me by using their own injuries, I would simply say that they harmed themselves to blame me, my unshaken confidence making the teachers unable to do anything to me.
It rained and poured, but under the hammering of the rain-drops, I was able to shape into someone able to handle this type of lifestyle. Loneliness’s no longer a burden. Other’s ignorance and contempt no longer affect me. Being one against the world no longer makes it feel like such a big deal anymore. Heh, I just don’t care anymore, and it feels the best.
