( Amanda's POV, An old blacksmith forge )
The forge was a world of itself, a realm where fire and metal danced under the watchful eyes of those who knew how to command them.
Within its fiery embrace, Amanda stood, the heat painting her face with the glow of creation, her hands steady despite the inferno that raged before her as they tried to smash the steel she was forging into as thin of a sheet as possible.
*CLANK*
*CLANK*
*CLANK*
Beside her, a figure bent with age, yet imbued with an aura of indomitable will, observed with eyes that had seen the shaping of countless legendary weapons.
"Watch the metal, Amanda," Edna's voice was a rasp, a whisper almost lost amidst the roar of the flames. "It speaks, if you listen."
Amanda nodded, her gaze fixed on the glowing piece of iron clasped within the tongs.
Edna, known across the lands in her prime as the Master Forger, had taken Amanda under her wing. It was a decision that surprised many, for Edna had been a recluse, her brilliance dimmed by the shadows of amnesia that clouded her later years.
Yet, in moments like this, when the fire seemed to rekindle something within her, Edna's expertise shone through, undimmed by time or ailment.
"The tong if you hold it too tight the metal won't spread thin and if you hold it too loose, the impact of your strike will dissipate with the metal moving-" Edna continued, stepping closer. The flickering flames of the forge dancing in her eyes, igniting a spark of the legendary forger who had once commanded the respect of the Emperor himself.
Amanda adjusted her grip, reducing the tension of the tongs, not too much but just enough that it did not hinder her deshaping efforts and almost instantly she could feel a subtle change when she struck the metal.
*CLANK*
*CLANK*
*CLANK*
She continued with a steady pace until the tongs were no longer necessary and the iron had been tempered into a thin paper like sheet that covered a large area.
" Time to fold…" Amanda said as she folded that sheet of metal into several uniformly shaped folds, creating a long iron rod in the process.
As she picked it up and tried to quench the metal in water, she heard her master speak, which made her pause.
"I remember a secret," Edna began, her voice gaining strength, "a technique unknown to many... a technique that made my forgings last much longer than the average blacksmith"
Amanda looked towards her master with hopeful eyes when she said this, as it was rare that she remembered her true techniques these days.
Opening a barrel of stinky oil, she pointed towards it and said " Remember Amanda, the cooling process is as crucial as the forging itself. Quench the blade not in water, but in the oil of the dusk rose. It tempers the steel, making it unbreakable. This knowledge... it was my edge, the secret behind my creations."
Nodding. Amanda plunged the heated blade into the barrel of dusk rose oil instead of water, as immediately she could hear the oil sizzling and bubbling, when it came in contact with the hot blade.
As it came out of the oil, Amanda could see how the blade had very little bubble damage and how it looked extremely smooth and uniform.
The difference between this cooling method and that of using water was like heaven and Earth as Amanda felt like she had just opened a new dimension.
" Too crude, reshape again" Edna complained upon inspecting the unfinished blade as Amanda winced and put it back into the forge to re-heat.
"Your mistake," Edna's voice dipped, a shadow crossing her features, "is not in the power with which you strike, but that butterflies are hungry in December "
The moment of clarity faded, and Amanda saw the confusion clouding her mentor's eyes. It was a sight that wrenched her heart, a reminder of the relentless march of time that no skill could shape nor fire could purge.
Edna was on the cusp of pointing out Amanda's mistake, however, her amnesia began acting up as she completely forgot the train of thought that she was on, feeling completely confused as to where she was and what she was doing once the amnesia hit.
"It's alright," Amanda said softly, placing a gentle hand on Edna's shoulder. "I'm here. We're forging a blade together."
Edna looked at her, and for a moment, the fog in her eyes cleared, replaced by a depth of gratitude that words could not capture.
"Yes," Edna whispered, "together."
They turned back to the forge, to the rhythm of hammer on anvil, a melody of creation that transcended the barriers of memory and time.
Amanda felt each strike guided by more than her own hand; it was as if the essence of Edna flowed through her, a shared dance of fire and will.
Although Edna could not guide her as best as she wanted to, Amanda was a genius that picked up on a majority of her mistakes herself as she kept improving with every subsequent attempt that she made, making her life as a master much simpler.
As the day waned and the forge's glow dimmed, Amanda placed the finished piece on the cooling rack. It was a simple blade, but with its grade coming out as [ Rare ], it was a testament to Amanda's improving skill as she could now forge pieces beyond the common grade.
Edna stood beside her, a smile touching her lips, a rare moment of lucidity piercing the veil of forgetfulness.
"You have the hands of a true forger," she said, pride evident in her voice. "And the heart."
Amanda looked at her, seeing not the frailties of age, but the strength of a legacy that would endure. In that moment she could see the image of her own dead grandmother in Edna, as for a second she tried to believe that she was with her family once again.
***********
( Real world, Leo's POV )
Leo was the first one to logout of the game for the day, or so he believed when he logged out and saw no one else in the common hall.
*Sob*
*Sob*
Leo heard soft sobbing noises coming from down the hall and while he thought that he might be hallucinating for the first couple of times when he heard it, when he continued to hear sobs for an extended period of time, he became certain that someone was crying.
Standing in front of Luke's room first, Leo put an ear to the door to discern if it was him who was crying, however, the room seemed deadly silent as Leo understood that it was probably Amanda who was crying.
This was a tricky situation for Leo, as on one hand he was not extremely close to Amanda to interrupt a moment like this, however, on the other hand he did not feel morally correct to let her cry either.
" Fuck it… I'll just go check on her" he murmured to himself as since Luke had not yet logged out of the game, Leo decided to tackle this situation by himself.
*Knock* *Knock*
Leo knocked, hoping for Amanda to stop crying and put on a brave face, however, what happened next was something Leo could never have anticipated.
Instead of stopping, Amanda opened the door and gave Leo a tight hug as she began weeping on his shoulder.
"I miss my granny…." she said in the cutest voice possible, as for a moment Leo was taken aback, but then he placed his hands behind her back, providing her with the warmth that she was seeking in this moment of vulnerability.
Minutes passed, and Amanda did not pull away, continuing to sob quietly on Leo's shoulders as Leo too did not push her away, patiently waiting for her outburst to end.
*Creek*
Soon, Luke came out of his room, yawning, as he was shocked to see Leo and Amanda hugging each other so tightly in the common hall.
" Woah-" he said, prompting the two to break up their hug, however one look at Amanda's red eyes and Luke understood that this was not a romantic link-up.
" You okay?" He asked Amanda who smiled looking towards Leo and said " Yes, I'm better now"
" Well, I'm going to use the bathroom first" Leo said, as he tried to walk away from this situation as coolly as possible, however, his flush red face betrayed his calmness.
He was a virgin….. such sudden action from the opposite gender had absolutely taken him by surprise.
—-------
/// A/N - Chapter 100! We have reached our first milestone! ///