Chapter 36：Sam the Swordsmith (2/2)
In this process the blade is made by folding the metal layer by layer and hammering it as it get heated again and again.
Sam right now, is applying heat with one hand and hammered it with the other hand and he folded it in the middle. The layers are no where to be seen as he hammered it with brute force and technique. In the wide room of the mansion at the quite riverside only the sounds of metal hitting metal can be heard as the floor tremored.
Jack just saw as Sam using all his strength to beat the metal into shape, with a new found respect in his eyes. He understood why Sam is proud of himself. He also understood why Sam got an edge over others, his techniques are unconventional, his way of doing things are different. Generally, many Artisans will handover the overly physical labour to other apprentices or assistance when they make weapons for others. Even if they did do it, they will think of the easiest and efficient way to do it. After all, with their status who will question that their method is wrong other than the higher rank artisan who can but chose to stay silent as they felt that it is beneath them to interact with the lower rank ones.
But Sam is not behaving like that. His seriousness made him think of the request he made. 'I want you make the best sword you can.' And judging from the scenario, Sam is indeed doing it. Jack looked at Sam thinking that his intuition was right.
Jack was right. Sam is trying to make the best sword he can as he made the final two folds and the blade finally took the shape. Sam hammered the unevenness as he made the blade endure the beating of its life. After an hour of hammering the blade in various frequencies. Sam lifted the blade. He took out a big glass bottle which is full of beast blood he collected in the testing grounds and then poured all over the blade evenly. The Blood evaporated with a bloody smell and red vapours as soon as it hit the blade. Sam is using the blood in order to maintain reduce the heat slowly instead of doing it directly with water because he was afraid it might crack and that is why he used the blood which also contains a certain amount of spiritual energy. After the vapour is gone, Jack finally got to take a clear look at the blade. The sword has a straight edge one side and the other edge is also parallel to it except that when it reached the end, it converged into a curve as it created a point of the sword.
The Black colour was giving of slight glint under the illuminating device in the room. Sam looked at the blood with a satisfied smile. He then placed the blade carefully on the anvil and went back to the mould he made earlier at the start of the process. He collapsed the mould and took out a black metallic object. This is the handle. He cleared the dirt off of the handle and went to the grind stone as he started. The handle is circular cross section which gradually decreased from the bottom. At the junction there is a complex shape Sam came up in random to make it look better on one side and on the other side there is the double S symbol.
Sam finished grinding the handle and then heated the slit. He took the blade into his hands and then heated the pointed protrusion on the bottom of the blade which should go into the handle. He heated the protrusion into the red-hot condition where the fusion of the metals is possible.
After joining the handle, he started grinding the blade slowly and smoothly, with a faint smile on his face. Jack observed the scene and he felt dazed. Sam didn't look like he is grinding a sword instead he was like a parent grooming a child. He sharpened the blade with utmost precision and care as the blade slowly became sharper while leaving behind the metal powder.
Slowly, the night became deeper and deeper and Sam didn't seem to notice at all. If any other Artisan of same rank was in his place, he would have already fainted. But Sam didn't seem to know the fatigue at all as he worked on the sword. When he was finally done, the dawn is only an hour away.
Jack looked at the blade which is giving of a sharp aura, just as he was about to reach out Sam gestured him to stop. Under his puzzled gaze, Sam took the sword and picked up the threads he left to cool down. Then only Jack remembered the threads which are dipped inside the molten metal. The threads are now in complete black colour and just as Jack thought that they became solid wires, he saw them falling like an actual thread when Sam picked them up. Jack was puzzled but Sam was not.
Because, he used a technique that was widely used in the Indian traditional textiles. In India, particularly in Kancheepuram of Tamilnadu of south India is quite famous for the traditional Indian saree. They use a technique in which gold is used along with the traditional silk to make gold threads from which they make sarees which are valuable and they generally make them for custom orders or for the offering for the goddess.
Sam used the same technique to make these threads and of course he is not going to explain it to Jack. He took the threads and then sat down as he placed the sword in his lap. Then he took one thread and then started rolling it over the handle and by the time the whole handle was done, there is only small amount of thread. Sam stood up as he felt the sword all over with a satisfied smile. He then infused his spiritual energy and then swung the sword over the anvil. The sword keened as it tore through the air and directly passed through the anvil. After a few seconds of silence, the upper part of the anvil slid over and fell down. The sword gleamed as the sun rose and a ray of light hit the blade. The blade shone as if showing its magnificence as he lifted the sword high in the air.
Sam smiled and slowly fainted on the spot. Jack quickly reacted as he caught him and took the sword from his hand. He felt a weird sensation as he held the sword. The sword looked like it was a ruler that was above all the other weapons. When he tried to move it, he felt a faint resistance from it.
He looked at Sam with a deep admiration and only saw a satisfied smile on his face as he fell asleep.