Chapter 38: The Flammifer

The dwarves had promised to reforge the best sword for Kael, and they were not ones to make empty promises. To enhance the sword's quality and power, they even took a portion of their treasured Mithril and added it to the ancient blade during forging. Mithril was an extremely rare and precious magical metal, as light as silver yet harder than steel. Adding even a small amount to ordinary steel could forge a sword capable of cutting through iron like butter. Even Narya, the Ring of Fire, one of the three Elven Rings, had its band crafted from Mithril. The only known source of Mithril ore was the Mines of Moria, but since the Balrog's awakening and subsequent occupation of Moria, Mithril had lost its source and become even more precious and scarce. The fact that it could now be used to forge Kael's sword was a testament to the Dwarves' sincerity and their desperate eagerness to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. Through continuous forging and tempering, Thorin and two Dwarf craftsmen spent three full days painstakingly reshaping the ancient sword. Just before the final quenching, Kael intervened. Under the bewildered gazes of the three dwarves, he approached the glowing red sword. He drew his magic wand and, using it as a pen, waved it in the air against the sword. Mysterious runes began to appear on the blade's surface. As magic power infused them, the runes emitted a faint glow, like flowing symbols, becoming even more mysterious and extraordinary. "What kind of script is this?" Thorin and the two craftsmen had never seen such writing and were very surprised and curious. They could feel that these characters contained magic power, no less potent than Elvish or Dwarvish script. Kael replied, "These are runes." He had, besides monitoring the sword-forging progress, been diligently studying the Dictionary of Runes. Although he couldn't claim to be proficient, he had learned a few basic runes and was now engraving them onto the sword. Hearing Kael's reply, the dwarves exchanged glances. "Runes? Are we ignorant? How do we not remember these symbols in Runes?" Kael slapped his forehead. He had forgotten that the Dwarves' script was also called Runes, but Dwarven Runes and the Runes of his world were not the same thing. To be precise, the Dwarven Runes originated from the script invented by the Sindar Elves and could be considered a variation of Elvish script, also known as Cirth. The Runes in his Dictionary of Runes, however, were an ancient magical script from the Harry Potter world. Their inventor was said to be Odin, the King of Gods—though in his world, Odin was merely a powerful wizard from Norse mythology. These Runes formed the very foundation of ancient Magic and Alchemy. So he immediately explained, "These are not your Dwarven Runes, but Wizard Runes, which can also be called Magic Script." The dwarves understood, but their curiosity and surprise only deepened. As far as they knew, there were only a few wizards in all of Middle-earth, and even those few had their own script? But no matter how curious they were, their most important task at hand was still to complete the forging of the ancient sword. So, another round of quenching, hammering, and polishing followed. Finally, a golden longsword, over a meter long, exquisitely crafted, elegantly designed, with natural curves, thickness, and patterns, and no particularly ornate decorations, quietly emerged from the forge. The ancient sword, originally cast from bronze, now had a portion of Mithril added by the dwarves, giving it an overall golden hue with a silvery-white luster, and faint silver patterns covering it, making it look like a blade forged from solid gold. Kael gripped the sword in surprise. The reforged blade was much smaller and lighter than before, but it suited him perfectly. He tried to infuse magic power into the sword, and instantly, several mysterious runes appeared on the blade. The runes glowed, and the blade ignited with intense red flames, radiating high heat that distorted the surrounding air. This was the power of the runes Kael had engraved on the sword. While reading the Dictionary of Runes, he had considered combining Dwarven forging with the power of magic script to allow the sword to unleash greater power. He had specifically chosen the Runic symbols representing fire, combined them in the simplest way, and engraved them onto the blade. The result was exactly as Kael had expected, even exceeding his expectations. He excitedly gripped the flaming sword in his hand and slashed at a nearby wooden stake. The stake was instantly split in half, and the flames from the blade quickly climbed onto the stake, rapidly consuming it. Thorin, as one of the blacksmiths, also narrowed his pupils at this sight, startled by the power of the sword he had forged. If used against enemies, even if they weren't cut down by the sword, they would be burned to death by its eerie flames! As for the other two Dwarf craftsmen, after their initial shock, they were extremely excited. To be able to forge such a powerful sword meant that when the sword's reputation spread in the future, they, as its creators, would also be remembered in history. This was an achievement many craftsmen dreamed of. After regaining some composure, Thorin asked Kael, "What do you plan to name this sword?" Kael put down the sword, and the flames on the blade disappeared, the runes also receding. "The Flame Sword, it shall be called the Flammifer!" Kael said, his eyes bright, caressing the sword as if it were a treasure. Thorin recalled how the sword had emitted flames earlier and nodded. "The name suits the sword, indeed. I hope this sword will shine brightly in your hands in the future." "It will!" With the sword forged, Thorin and the two craftsmen spent another day helping to craft a scabbard. The scabbard was beautiful and sturdy, made of ivory wrapped in gold, exquisitely carved, and inlaid with magnificent gems. With the Flammifer inserted into its scabbard and strapped to his waist with a leather belt, Kael now looked quite like a Knight if he were to put on a suit of armor. Thorin looked at Kael and tried to persuade him to stay. "Won't you stay here a few more days? I've already sent word via raven to my distant cousins; once they arrive, the expeditionary force will be complete." It wasn't because he and Kael had developed a deep bond over these days, but rather he wanted to draw Kael to his side, so he could gain a dominant position in the expeditionary force alongside Gandalf. Kael naturally guessed Thorin's intentions and secretly shook his head. After spending these days together, he had also realized that Thorin Oakenshield was a very stubborn and arrogant person, prone to suspicion and mistrust, and likely trusted no one outside of the Dwarf race. Although it wasn't obvious yet, once the "Dragon-sickness" was triggered by the Lonely Mountain's treasure, these traits would be amplified, making him even more paranoid. Even though their relationship seemed to have grown closer these past few days, it remained a transactional one between Kael and Thorin, with no real change in their dynamic. So Kael declined Thorin's invitation, shaking his head and saying, "I'll be going ahead. I still have matters to attend to. I'll meet up with you in the Shire then." Then, under Thorin's silent gaze, Kael, with his newly acquired sword, drove his carriage and left the dwarf town. In fact, Kael wasn't lying. These past two days, he had noticed that the two Mandrake plants in his carriage were becoming somewhat restless, and the pimples on their faces had disappeared, indicating they were clearly maturing. He didn't want to handle the Mandrake plants in Dwarf territory, so he planned to return to the Shire for further processing. It took approximately seven days to travel from the Dwarf town to the Shire. Halfway through the journey, both Mandrake plants had matured and produced a small flower bud. Mature Mandrake plants are very dangerous; their screams can be lethal. Therefore, Kael needed to regularly apply Petrificus Totalus to them to prevent them from suddenly emerging from the soil and emitting their deadly cries. Carefully tending to the two Mandrake plants, Kael finally returned to the Shire, arriving in Hobbiton on the afternoon of the seventh day. (End of Chapter) *** [Check Out My Patreon For More Chapters On All Of My Fanfics!!] [www. 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