Renewed Be The Blade (Shin/Rin/OPEN)

[Kato Shin]

I closed my eyes, breathed deep. I didn't do much work on swords - surprising, considering that Chalybs was the most warlike nation on Allorum, or used to be. I found that calm place deep within, the one where the fire I worked with didn't touch me, then opened them again and thrust the broken blade into the flames.

I needed it to heat to the point where I could rejoin the pieces at the molten edge. Then I needed to strengthen the joined spot, so it wouldn't break there again, and reshape it back into a sword, witha sharp edge, so that it could be used as a weapon again, even if it probably would just continue to hang on the wall of the nobleman who'd commissioned it from me.

The fire's heat didn't even bother me, instead feeling like a pleasant warmth and not the raging destruction it could be; a chill passed up my spine as I was forcefully reminded of that aspect of it. I could see it, rising up, engulfing the shed, surrounding me, consuming me until there was...

I stomped down, hard, on the panic, and thrust my hand into the fire to remind myself that this fire, at least, couldn't hurt me. I retrieved the metal, pulled the sword out of the flame, and set to work.

I didn't realize that someone had entered the shop until I turned around to reach for another tool, and saw someone watching me...

[Rin Tezuka]

I'm not too sure why I was in here to begin with... I think... I had looked in the window. The red-orange of the fire drew me in. I had stared at him as he put his hand in the fire. And had come out unharmed. It was... beautiful, actually. Something in me decided to save the image, for a painting.

And then he turned around to see me. His look was... I don't know. I'm not good at reading people.
"....Hello."

[Kato Shin]

I took a deep breath.

"Nice to see you, Rin," I said, returning to work. "Got a new project. Just another hour or so, maybe."

Maybe, if I was lucky, she hadn't seen my stick my hand in the fire. It tends to unnerve people when I do that. Myself included.

[Rin Tezuka]

"...Hey, Shinny." I reply flatly. Right. Shinny worked here. "I haven't seen you in a while..." I'm not commenting on the fire. I'd seen weirder. I decide to look around. "I'm... not sure why I'm here." I give him the blank look of confusion. "Can I look at your swords?"

[Kato Shin]

"Sure. I just finished two." I waved absently at the two hanging neatly in the provided rack as I pounded away, shaping and folding, folding and shaping, returning strength to the broken area.

[Rin Tezuka]

"Hm." I reply, going to the rack. "These are pretty okay." I comment. "I could craft better." I grin lightly. "Step up your game, Shinny."

[Kato Shin]

"I didn't make them," I said. "I just fixed them. THey're supposed to be decorative." It was true. I pounded another fold into the steel, wishing that I were as good with it as Rin. Better than the fire that itched to make its way out of me, lay everywhere, laced through the city.

I loved it and I hated it; it loved and hated me back. Things had been much simpler before I'd learned about its dark side.

I pounded the steel again. Just a few more times now and it would be ready.

[Rin Tezuka]

"...You make dumb blades for dumb people, Shinny." I sigh and shake my head. "Why do you do it anyway?" I turn from the blades, offering once again the gaze, but this time out of curiosity. "You do other things better..."

[Kato Shin]

"Dumb people offer me lots of money to ix dumb blades they broke doing dumb things," I replied. "If I get enough dumb people to pay me, it means I can quit my dumb day job dealing with even dumber people and get smarter people to pay me to make things I actually enjoy crafting."

I pounded away, just another fifteen folds.... fourteen.... thirteen...

[Rin Tezuka]

"Huh... Good point, I guess..." I sigh and look away. What a boring answer that was...

"Oh. Yeah. I should tell you. I'm some kind of sorcerer mage thing, so I'm leaving Chalybs with a couple guys I just met. So you probably won't see me for a while."

[Kato Shin]

I paused, turning.

"You're leaving?"

THen I blinked.

"Wait, what? You're what?"

I thrust the sword back into the forge to reheat it.

"Since when?"

[Rin Tezuka]

I blink twice in response. "Since when what? Am I leaving?"

[Kato Shin]

"Since when are you," he pointed at her, "a 'sorcerer-mage-thingy' special enough to be being taken somewhere by two guys you don't even know?"

Okay, blunt, but I'm not a social person.

[Rin Tezuka]

"Oh. Apparently since I was born. I guess..." I say so casually. "I can make metal stuff, I guess. And some blondie and flower-head are taking me to Roccia."

[Kato Shin]

"Roccia, huh?"

I was aware of Rin's friend.

"You sure they're legit?" I asked, eyeing the heating sword.