[Closed/Solo RP/Kin Sheel] "Ya can't forge what ya don't understand, lad"

[Linwelin]

Chapter 1

Kin had always adored metalwork, and was even more keen toward weaponry. So as soon as he'd come of age to decide what he would train in as a profession, it was obvious what his choice would be. Hell, he was on the doorstep of the local blacksmith as quickly as he could sprint to it from his fourteenth birthday. And thanks to his passion, he learned quite quickly, even innovating to the point where his master declared him a journeyman after only a year, and fully trained in two years total. However, though Kin could smith common items and even armors to near perfection, there was one category of smithing that truly escaped him and remained mediocre. Sadly for him, it was the category he was most passionate about: weapons. He could get the materials well proportioned, but would either end up with a blade that was never truly sharp, or a blade that did not flex enough, thus decaying easily. They looked great, but were lacking practicality, and this annoyed him to no end. Finally, during his twentieth year, he stopped stubbornly denying that me MAY need more training. That he was lacking something.

And so, the young halfling left his home in the plains and traveled south toward the mountains to look for new teacher, specifically a weaponsmith. As for why the mountains, though a bit stereotypical, his young mind told him the best in metalwork would be dwaven. Well, for what he was looking for, Kin wasn't exactly wrong. It was an awe-inspiring experience for him when he first entered the cavernous halls of the city, especially as a craftsman. Though he did not work stone, the intricacy of every home, wall, decorum, and art was not lost to him. It was an immediate respect, which soon grew into a fervid love for foreign crafts and arts. The reason for the memorable impact was that it seemed the entire city was a single stone, carved away into its current form. Without a doubt, it had taken centuries to complete.

But Kin soon regained his focus; he had come here to find a master of weaponsmithing, and would not allow any delay. And so deeper into the city he went, looked at with some interest by the general populace. Though cordial, they certainly didn't welcome Kin into town with open arms. Why is he here? What has made such a young halfling leave his home? Who is this strange young man? Those were probably the common thoughts of those he passed. And rightly so, as he certainly stood out. He'd noticed it only moments after entering the city; it was very rare for anyone other than dwarves to live here. Even gnomes, which were nearly beloved as kinsmen to the dwarven race, were an uncommon sight. While desperately trying to shake off this discomfort and alienation, he finally found the place he desired. Though he'd expected more, after the grandeur of the rest of the city. It was essentially a hole in the wall, slightly in the back alley from the main thoroughfare. A small, two-room shop, quaint and overlooked. But it was the place, as far as Kin could tell. He had neither the patience to search more, nor the option to choose otherwise. And so, the young halfling stepped through the doorway.

?...What's a boy like ye doin' away from yer mum, lad?? Spoke the old man from behind the counter. He sat at small table in the corner, papers sprawled out before him, with a pipe dangling from his mouth. Not that he could see more than the dwarf's lower lip, his braided beard and thick mustache masked most of the lower portion of his face. ?More so among dwaves and in a weapon shop. With this kind o' upbringin', do ye even HAVE parents? Someone screwed the pooch raisin' ya. What are ye, 19? 20? Come on, lad, speak up an' explain yerself.? Kin knew the dwarves to be terse, but this gruff attitude was an entirely different experience.

?I'm a smith, sir. I've mastered most of the basic craft, but was lacking when it came to smithing weapons. I've a love of weaponry, personally, so it frustrated me to no end to be unable to make useable ones myself. So I left my home in search of a teacher to show me what I lacked-?

?And ye thought I migh' show ya?? the man interrupted.

?Well...yes.? Kin tried to stand as confidently as possible, but from what was said, he'd been caught offguard and unnerved a bit. Thus it was a hesitant stance.

?...? The dwarf sighed. ?By Moradin's great forge, lad! Ye think I have th' time an' will to teach! Let alone a complete stranger tha' jus' WALKED in me door. In the evenin', no less. I'm tired, lad. So give it a rest.? He finished speaking by talking a relaxing few puffs from his pipe.

?It's not like it would be for long!? Kin began pleading. He would not be turned away like this. Not that easily. ?I'm no novice. In fact, I'm beyond journeyman in my craft. Certified as such. Sure, not well known, but I've never had a complaint.? This time Kin was confident in his statement.

The dwarf chortled in disbelief. Kin's confidence didn't even last a few seconds. ?Ye be a journeyman? Sure, ye may have the skill of it, I'll give ya that. But if ye think skill is all ye need ta be a respected craftsman, with good product, ye've got another thing comin'. Ye lack presence as a craftsman, lad. Yer still too green.?

?But I-?

?The answer's no. Now move along, if that's all ye wanted. I've got work to wrap up before supper.? the dwarf said while turning back to the work before him, paying Kin no more mind.

?I'm not giving up. I will have you teach me, one way or another, old man!'

The dwarf smirked, though didn't turn to address the halfling, ?Try all ya like, greenhorn.?

Downtrodden and belittled, Kin left the shop with the slam of the door. ?If he won't teach me, I'll simply observe! I'll visit and study his wares, watch him work, and try to gain access to a forge to practice. I haven't given up yet! I'll show him how green I am!? However, wih that final, morale-boosting cheer, the unexpected happened.

*prolonged growl*

...Well, maybe I should get a room at a nearby inn first. He told himself sheepishly, glad no one was around to have heard that. Thus, Kin quickly ran off to sate his hunger and rest.
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The following morning, Kin immediately headed to the weapon shop, this time entering without a moment's hesitation. The dwarf was astonished at Kin's quick return, but was even more surprised when the young halfling didn't even acknowledge him, instead heading straight to the shop walls to examine the weaponry displayed.

?...Lad, what're ya doin'? We both know you're not here to buy anything.?[/b] The dwarf said with a slight bit of impatience.

?I've got a name, old man, it's Kin. Kin Sheel. I'll be around for a while, so you may as well get used to that. And is that any way to treat a potential customer?? Kin turns from his examination at his last statement to show the dwarf a wry grin before goig back to examining a set of daggers.

?Heh.? The dwarf was surprised once more, though halflings WERE known for their wit. ?I'll only call ya by yer name if ya quit the 'old man' talk. We ALL have names, boy. It's Elros. Elros Ironhouse. And yer in me shop, so I've a right to ask when someone show up with ulterior motives.?

?Ulterior motives? I'm just looking over a fellow smith's work! Where's the wrong in that?? Kin announced plainly. The dwarf's suspicion remained, but the conversation ended and Kin was left to wander the shop. Honestly, Kin was happy. There were plenty of technique's he'd only heard of from his former master that he could actually see before him now. And, though geometrically simple, the dwarven style of weaponcrafting was a very intricate and beautiful sight to behold. The smith here was a veteran to the craft, no doubt about it.

Elros, had been right, though. Kin did have something else in mind, a second goal to his visit, and the opportunity rose a short while later. Someone walked in with a work order for the dwarf, an off-duty guard it seemed. From the looks of it, his warhammer was in need of repair. ?Good day, Elros. Was wonderin' if ye could take a look at me hammer. I notice it had some cracks in it, an' was wonderin' if it was still able to be repaired.? The guard handed it off to Elros.

?Ye really did a number on it this time, Beldak. Do ye even attempt maintaining it, wonder?? Elros gave him an accusing glare, then laughed when Beldak  began to fidget. ?Jus' yankin' yer beard! An' it's repairable, I can have it ready in an day or so. Will that do??

?More than fast enough! I can use a stand-in from the barracks until it's done. I'll come back around then. Ye've my thanks, Elros.? The guard, Beldak, said gratefully.

?Nothin' to it, jus' try ta take better care of yer gear from now on, or they'll get too brittle from the repairs.? The guard grimaced at the jabbing statement as he stepped out the door, and Elros stepped to the back of the shop to start the repairs. This was the moment Kin had been waiting for, the chance to watch him at work.

Kin snuck around and waited until the dwarf was focused before peeking in the door. First was the heating, for which Elros was furiously working the bellows to get the forge to a high heat. Once it was a proper temperature, he plunged the entire hammerhead into the coals of the forge, waiting until the metal glowed a light orange. Kin knew at least this much. The following procedure involved dipping the hammer into a barrel of powdered coke, or baked coal, which kept the air from causing surface faults while the cracks were hammered together for welding. Before hammering together, Elros made sure to constantly place the hammer in the neutral part of the forge's fire to keep the hammer well heated without overheating it. Kin knew all of this, and even the following hammer process, where he carefully welded the cracks together, cooled, then reheated the metal for the next set of cracks. It was all completely normal, even he did that. But there was something about Elros' motion and technique that Kin could tell he wasn't grasping. Kin then understood that it wasn't practice, nor forge knowledge that he lacked, but some sort of wisdom or understanding of the metal. Elros knew. And that's why he called Kin green.

?I really am still green...? Kin said aloud, which caused Elros to look Kin's direction. Kin seized, realizing he'd alerted his target of his presence, but the dwarf did nothing but look back at his work. He'd known he was there all along. Kin had no more reason to stay at the shop for the day, so he left, his mind furiously digging for answers. Halfway home, all he muttered was, ?It's going to be a long night.?
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Kin didn't show up at the shop up at the shop for a few days, but when he did, Elros was certainly in for a surprise. ?So the greenhorn returns...wha' in the nine hells happened to ye?? This reaction was not because the halfling went missing, but because of his current condition. Slumped over, weary, with large bags under his eyes. He was nearly a zombie by most counts.

?I couldn't sleep.? He yawned, nearly losing his balance. ?At all.? He sat down in one of the guest chairs near the door. ?Couldn't figure out what it was that I lacked and you knew. I see it but don't get it.?

Elros' eyes widened a bit. ?Wha'd'ya mean 'see it'? I know ye watched me a few days ago...wait, ye haven't slept in DAYS!? Moradin's beard, lad, wha's wrong wit'cha!? The dwarf was flabbergasted, to which Kin only returned a fatigued smile. ?...Well, ye certainly dun have a craftsman's presence, but ye do have a presence, I'll give ye that. Fine, I'll talk wit ye. So, what'd ye 'see'??

Kin was overjoyed that he made progress with the dwarf, but was much too tired to react. So he just tiredly explained himself. ?You do have more skill than I, but that's mostly through having more experience. I use the exact same methods, and understood everything you did, but there was something. Something else. The feel you gave off while working different than just 'making a weapon'. It was beyond forge knowledge and practical skill. I...I don't know what it was.?

?...I've changed ma opinion of ya, Kin. Ye've got quite the good insight. Ye'll make a fine smith once ye get more experience. But ye're right, I believe ye are missing somethin' rather important for this craft. And it's not somethin' I can teach ye. Let's find out, follow me.?

Elros leads Kin back to his forge, digs around and hands the halfling a couple iron ingots he gathered from his supplies. ?I want ye to make a sword, Kin. Ye can use whatever's here. Well, none o' the expensive stuff. The dwarf chuckles. ?Show me what ye think a sword should be! I'll be minding the shop, lemme know when ye're done.? And with that, Elros walked out, leaving Kin in front of the forge, a bit surprised.

But regardless of his feeling and doubts, Kin got to work. He got the fire to a workable temperature, heated the iron, removed the first iron ingot once it glowed a golden yellow and immediately began hammering out the form of the blade. After multiple reheats, folds, and draws, the form of a longsword blade finally took shape. Next was the pommel, for which he only needed half an ingot, if that. The other half would make the guard. Thus he heated the ingot slightly hotter than to ?forging heat?, then took his time to carefully separate the metal into two workable portions. After cooling one of them, he began forming the pommel, pounding it into a disk shape and fitting it around the end of the now-cold tang of the sword blade. Similarly he measured and worked the metal for the crossguard, drawing and punching it so that it fix around the tang and tightly held the base of the blade. For the next day, taking a few breaks to either eat, rest or allow Elros to work the grinder, Kin spent his time grinding all parts of the sword. Then, finally wrapping the exposed tang in leather and a small amount of wire to form a completed hilt, it was completed. By then it was already evening of the following day, around 36 hours had passed.

?Haaaa...complete.? Kin took a moment to look over the sword. Simple, yet well formed. It would do.

Having heard the grinding and brushing stop, Elros stepped into the back. ?Ah, ye're finally done, eh? Well, let's see it.? The dwarf steps up to take a look, examining it thoroughly and testing its composition. ?Hmm...certainly as a nice form and good finish...but it's no good for combat. Best as a decoration.? Kin's heart dropped at the news. Though he'd expected it, to hear it after all that work was a large blow. Elros, seeing the expression, decided it was best to explain. ?You certainly know your weapons, Kin. It's fantastically designed. But the problem lies in the fact that it needs to be used. It has the form of a sword, but not the practicality of one. You could say the spirit, I guess. There's too much carbon in the blade from forging, so though it looks great, it's somewhat brittle, meaning it won't last long. You might have used too much coal dust flux, increasing the carbon content. Though that's not the biggest problem, if anything that's a slight error that could be fixed with reforging. Overall, you designed it to look like a sword, not be one. It doesn't look like it is made for taking blows, it's not flexible enough when struck on the edge, and too flexible when struck on its broad side. It'd work as a practice blade, but not a real one. Tell me, Kin, have you ever been in a fight and actually used a sword??

Kin had heard all of this critique before, but it had never helped. But with Elros' last question, it hit him. ?No...I've never been in combat.?

?Ah...I thought as much. Kin, how are ye supposed to make a great weapon if ye don't know what its use is like first hand? That's what ye're missing.?

Kin was speechless. It's not like he'd never thought about fighting before, and not like he didn't know how combat worked. But was being in a fight really that different than not when it comes to understanding a weapon? Elros saw his response, and followed up with a recommendation.

?Kin, take a break from smithing. Join the town's vanguard, I'll recommend you, and let them know why. Learn to use a sword and patrol around outside the city with the guard. I can't teach you what you want to know, but that can and will.?

Kin stared at him a moment before replying. ?A break from smithing? Learn to fight? You really think that's going to make me better?? Kin was VERY suspicious of the advice. ?This isn't some plan to get me to leave you alone, is it??

The dwarf roared with laughter, ?A few days ago, it would have been. But now, no. I do think it will help. And when ye've done that. I want ye to come back and reforge yer sword. I'll keep it until then.?

Kin sighed a long sigh, ?...Combat, huh? Risking my life to improve my craft...I suppose there are worse reason to endanger myself.? He looked up at the dwarf, putting his hand out in front of him, which Elros took immediately in a handshake. ?Elros...thank you.?

?Don't thank me yet, Kin. Ye need to come back alive, first!? He said with a challenging grin.

Kin returned a grin of his own, ?Ha. I guess you're right.? And so, with a wave, Kin walked out the door once more, heading to a different kind of battle.

[Linwelin]

Chapter 2

"So let me get this straight." The dwarven guard standing before Kin clarified before continuing. "Ye've neither been in a fight, nor have any sort of weapon expertise. And ye want ta join the VANGUARD of all things." The dwarf scoffed at the end of the statement. "Well Ol' El did request you be allowed ta join, so I respect that. We owe that old man quite a bit by now. But takin' a look at ye, I can say this. Ye've a deathwish, lad."

It'd taken a lot of courage for Kin to actually follow through with what Elros had proposed, and even more to actually end up at the barracks and make the request. Of course he's right! Kin shouted in his mind, somewhat squirming under the dwarf's gaze, but still holding eye contact. I'm bound to die! What am I doing!? I may have strength, but I'm no fighter! The young halfling was about to step down as all his negative thoughts were being confirmed. The fear had to show on my face by now, there's no way he thinks any more of me than Elros did!

Then suddenly, Kin stopped squirming, and his demeanor softened. The guard raised an eyebrow in surprise at the strange change in expression. No. That single, spiteful word resounded in his mind. No one's ever expected much of what I said, and I've proved them all wrong so far. This is just another of those times. His face now brimmed with a defiant confidence. "It's worth the risk."

The dwarf simply sighed. "Yer nuts. Nuts, or plain stupid. I dun get it. Alright, shrimp, follw me, I'll get ya squared away."[/color] The dwarf motioned as he heading into the barracks. "First we'll need to get ya trained up. No way ye're ready for the vanguard as ya are."

The following months at the barracks were, frankly, hell. Kin had considered himself fairly conditioned due to the forge. But he soon found out exactly how many muscles he'd never used before. And they now screamed at him for his ignorance of their existence. Yes, there were many days he was left unable to stand. But slowly he made progress, and the jeering from the dwarves around him lessened. He soon gained respect as a comrade in arms, and was finally considered trained enough to go out on patrol.

"Wha', they're actually letting you out on patrols now, shrimp?" The comment came from a now-familiar dwarf, the same one he'd met while on guard duty, named Ruran. He'd actually ended up being Kin's sparring partner in the beginning due to his comrades calling him his "guardian". It wasn't easy for him that first month, but they ended up becoming decent friends. In the time Kin was training, Ruran also made it onto the Vanguard. Of course, he was much more qualified.

"Aye, no thanks to you! They had to retrain me after all your shoddy sparring instructions. Kin retorted with a grin. Both broke out into hardy laughter.

"Muradin's beard, I never thought I'd say this. I missed yer wit, Kin. Glad to have ya with us." Ruran confessed after the laughter died down. Kin could only nod at the compliment from his friend. However, the time for their jolly reunion was cut short when the vanguard captain took to the front of the group.

"A'right, ye muscleheads, quiet down!" He called out amongst the ranks. "We've got our route for the day. Seems there were some reports of goblin an' hobgoblin movement out west, an' we've been called to scout it out, suppressin' any forces we come across. That's all. Git packin', an' meet outside the main gate in 20 minutes. Dismissed."

And with that, everyone began running around in a frenzy, gearing up, doing last minute maintenance, even grabbing emergency provisions. Kin would've stared in awe for longer were it not for a firm clap on the back. He turned to see Ruran. "Come on, shrimp, git a move on, or ye'll be left behind." Ruran then quickly rushed off, with Kin on his heels.

The march was easy enough, only a few miles until they reached the edge of their search area. The captain turned to address them all. "Split into 4-man squads an' start searching. Don't engage, only scout. We've no idea what's out here, the reports were vague.' Terse as always, the captain signalled for them to move out.

Kin, Ruran, and two others took to the southern edge of the region, moving along the walls of the mountain that housed their home. Their group consisted of a crossbowman, a shield and dwarven waraxe wielder, and Ruran with his greatsword. Kin couldn't wield a dwarven waraxe properly, and thus had a regular waraxe and shield to match the other. This gave them a decent wall to repel with, while still having plenty of offensive power. It was a fairly standard setup for the vanguard squads.

The patrol went without incedent for a while, until the crossbowman picked up tracks of some sort. "Oi, we've got something over here! He called out, crouching. They were definitely goblinoid, but there seemed to be some sort of cart as well.

"Suspicious...what would they be carting around?" Kin asked the rest.

"It's our job to find out." Ruran responded. "Tholi, any idea which way they lead?" He asked the crossbowman, who stared at the tracks carefully a moment before looking back. "Due north. They're pretty fresh. We could probably catch up easy enough." Ruran returned a nod, and all four began following the trail.

It was a good hour until wooden creaking could be heard in the distance. All four immediately became more cautious of their steps and surroundings, proceeding carefully until it was in view. There were six creatures total; Five hobgoblins with a single goblin on the cart. In all honesty, they could probably take them, but orders were orders. They were only to observe while sending message of their location. The full force would collapse, leading to fewer loses. It was sound planning, given there was no time constraint.

"Niar" Ruran whispered to the axe-wielder. "Go circle around and head for command. Alert the captain and get ready for the strike. We'll keep an eye on them." The dwarf nodded quickly and headed off.

The group moved slowly thanks to the cart, making it easy to follow them. Kin wouldn't have known, but Ruran noted that the setup was strange. It was rare that a lone goblin was escorted by hobgoblins. Whatever was in the cart had to be fairly special to them. And that goblin might not be the usual kind. Unfortunately, they would be finding out sooner than expected.

As Kin trips and causes a ruckus in the brush.

Everyone, including his companions, seizes up in heightened awareness, as rough growls could be heard from around the cart. They were approaching!

"Damn it, Kin!" They both tensely whispered. After that, it was all hand motions. They at least intended to get the surprise attack. Kin would lead with the shield, further being a distraction. Then Ruran was to leap out and finish the hobgoblin scout. Tholi would then use his crossbow from the brush to pick off the goblin. They would be taking no chances. After that, it would be guerilla tactics.

Kin charged out upon the hobgoblin stepping near the bushes, bashing with his shield, then swing his axe into the creature's thigh. Ruran followed up with a mighty slash of his greatsword, decapitating the surprised foe. One down. Kin thought to himself. Then the mechanical twang of a crossbow could be heard, and a hiss came from the goblin as Tholi found his mark. The small fiend collapsed on the cart. Two down...! But there were still four to go, all of which were charging in to flank. So the trio proceeded to the next plan. They withdrew into the treeline.

In this case, their height was a superb advantage, as they could crouch below the brush in waiting. The hobgoblins didn't catch onto that soon enough as they crept through the bushes. Almost immediately, there was a yelp in surprise as one of their tendons were cut, and they collapsed to the ground, only to have an axe plummet into their neck. Already, half of the group was culled. But hobgoblins weren't idiots, and they quickly retreated back to the cart, keeping a watchful eye while they prepared something.

"Whatever it is they're preparing, we've got to stop them. They didn't hesitate, so it has to be a fall-back plan. Quick, rush. Tholi, try to down one during the surprise again!" Both Kin and Ruran dove out of the bushes at a full sprint, complete with battlecry. And half way there, yet another crossbow bolt struck true. Though it didn't take it out, it was certainly weakened. They decided that was the place to start. Ruran rushed in and cleaved through its stomach, leaving it to collapse. Just then, both hobgoblins went for his back in a flank. But Kin jumped in with his shield to intervene, catching both of their morningstars on its surface before lunging forward and swiping horizontally with his axe, giving one of them a deep wound in the thigh.

Ruran took advantage of Kin's deflection to jump out from behind him and cleaving the wounded one, bisecting it diagonally across the chest. The final one began to run away, trying to dodge behind the cart for safety in his retreat, but sudden a quarrel appeared on the back of his; Tholi had found his mark once more.

All the two in the melee were panting hard as Tholi crept from the woods. "Hah...hah...Kin...yer a horrible scout." Kin looked back at his friend, who grimaced in return. It was a half joke, and they were smiling, but it certainly was true in this case. Kin was about to respond, but the cover on the cart behind them started to rise. The cart was creaking, and started to shatter under the weight. Something big was moving.

"Ruran...what in the nine hells...!" Kin started to say.

"Muradin protect us...regroup!"

The goblin hadn't died, and it was certainly not normal. Instead it had taken the time in combat to make preparations of its own. And what rose from the cart was a skeleton. A giant troll skeleton. The goblin was a necromancer.

Upon retreating, Ruran gave a quick tactics speech. "Kin and I'll keep the skeleton busy. Tholi, work on taking out that goblin! For good this time!" All nodded and got into position. Kin and Ruran charged forward once more while Tholi moved around to flank. The goblin saw, however, and was quick to unleash a spell in his direction. This time, Tholi was the one unable to evade, taking the brunt of the attack full on. Twin rays of fire spewed from the goblin's hands, dropping the dwarf to his knees. Tholi managed to return fire, however, launching a Bolt once more into the goblin. It fell from view once more, but they had no chance to check its condition. After all, the skeleton still stood.

Ruran charged in, cleaving through multiple ribs in two quick strikes, but the troll hardly seemed fazed. Instead it went to return the hit, clawing at the dwarf and sending him reeling. With a roar, Kin lunged forward, cleaving vertically. But the most his axe could do was sheer off some of the bone. This isn't going to work. I'm better as the shield, letting Ruran run wild.

"Ruran, go for the spine! I'll try to throw it off! Kin shouted as he got the abomination's attention with another strike. This one did a bit more, leading to another claw swipe in Kin's direction. Kin caught it on his shield, but managed to turn and let the giant's claw slide across the surface. Of course, Kin was still thrown. But the troll skeleton went a little off balance, its claw swinging too far. Ruran took this chance and dove in from the side, bringing his greatsword down right through the spine at its lower back, successfully cleaving it in two.

"Hah..! How's that, freak!?" Ruran shouted proudly as the creature's movement slowed to a halt. "Quick let's go make sure Tholi is-"

Ruran's statement was cut short as a blast of force hit his back, tearing through his armor and causing him to collapse. Behind his collapsed figure was the goblin, on its last legs, its hand outstretched. It wore a wicked grimace on its face, staring directly at Kin as it began to weave another spell. Kin acted fast, casting aside his shield and springing forward while putting all his force behid his axe. The goblins grimace slowly changed into an expression of fear as it realized it could not cast fast enough, but before it could change plans, Kin's axe buried itself within the creature's skull. This time, it was certainly dead.

"...Ruran...!" Was all Kin muttered before turning around quickly to check on his friend. He was face-down in the dirt, with a hole leading to his back opened wide through his armor. The back itself was impacted and bent. It was not a pretty sight, but there was still hope...right? Kin turned his comrade over, and his heart immeditely sunk. Ruran's eyes were wide open, an there was neither breathing nor pulse. He was dead. He looked over to Tholi, and it looked to be the same, which he confirmed as well. All around him, death. Death and failure on his part. He was silent for a long moment, until he finally broke, wailing uncontrollably in both anger and sorrow.

It wasn't long before the rest of the vanguard showed up, expecting a fight. They soon realized their erred assumption and rushed forward to survey the damage and result. Kin was still on his knees, beside his friend, in a now silent shock. It took a while before he snapped out of it and recognized the presence of the others, and wordlessly they gathered the remains and returned to camp. The halfling explained the turn of events following Niar's departure, and then expressed his intent to leave the vanguard. With him, he took the greatsword of his passed friend. It was nothing special, just s stock vanguard weapon. But Kin planned to make it special.

He returned to Elros' shop a few days after. Of course, the dwarf knew the news, but he was surprised to see a look of determination behind the sorrow when his eyes met Kin. They quickly went to the forge, completely melting down the sword Ruran had wielded that day. He added more material, working the steel endlessly, making sure it was perfect. The halfling put everything into the blade, his fervor fueled by his recent experience.

So that was combat.

He brought his hammer down.

Fast. Furious. Desperate...and yet fragile. That is a battle.

He cooled the new blade, water boiling and steaming with a powerful hiss.

...And that was considered a victory?...No...it was not good enough...not right...

He fitted the guard, then the grip, wrapping it securely before fitting the pommel.

I will be stronger. I will be more nimble. I will be more aware. And I will be true to myself.

Kin held up the sword he had just made, a look of solemn sincerity on his face.

I swear it on my life, and this blade. For those who can no longer carry it.

"...Looks good. I recommend naming that one." Elros said from the side, keeping a steady tone to his voice.

Kin closed his eyes thoughtfully. A name? Yes, a name...well it's in his memory. Nine hells, like he'd be this depressing. He'd be wild. Angry! And most of all, bright! He opened his eyes, wearing a new smile.

"Azure Fury."
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That wasn't the last battle for the halfling, not by a long shot. He did his best to live up to his sword-oath, There was travel, romance, camaraderie, rivalry, war, and much more; all of these things formed him into who he is today.

But those are all stories for another time.