An unexpected turn of events[mirage]

[Osd]

16th of winter 513 Osd woke up the same time as usual. The all familiar heat and loud hammering of the forge not bothering him so much anymore. Time had a strange way to make you used to almost everything. He stretched his sore muscles and got of the bedroll filled with a bit of straw. Neatly adjusting it so there weren't any wrinkles in the worn fabric anymore. He pulled on his protective gear and walked towards his assigned station. The tiredness and sleepyness already having dulled to the ever familiar ache in his bones and muscles. He picked up the small note that was hanging on the order bin. Carefully reading it through to see what he was going to have to start the day with today. He raised an eyebrow for a few short moments. He looked back towards the order bin. Just like the note said, there was another basket next to it, containing strange alloy's and materials he hadn't seen before. He just had to forge those bars into the forms. A strange request. But sahova was a strange place and he had seen stranger requests these days. He grabbed the first bar, it looked like regular steel to his trained eyes and put it in the forge. Letting it heat up till it was a nice white hot color. Then pulled it out of the fire and put it on the anvil. He was supposed to forge this bar into a cube. He put the bar vertically on the anvil and hammered on the end. Slowly shortening the bar. Turning the bar around every few hits so to keep both ends the same thickness. When reduced to the required length. He put the material back in the forge for a few moments before taking it out and smoothing out the sides of the cube. Then he took his chisel and made a single indent every side of the cube, except the top and bottom. He grabbed the cube and cooled the hot metal off in the bath and then deposited in the order bin. Grabbing the next block of material and repeating the process.

[Mirage]

The heat of the fires, the clang of metal, such things were common in the Forge. People worked at all hours of they day, of the knight. There was no time to rest, no time to stop. Work was endless, it never ceased or slowed. It was a perpetual cycle of heat and clanging, heat and clanging.

To the side a man watched Osd as he worked, his own left hand molding white hot metal into a shape of his own design. His work seemed almost absent, and then at length he tossed the rounded bit of metal into the water bin, sending up a his of steam as he mopped his brow with a clot around his neck. Walking closer the man watched Osd work a bit closer, eyes following each hammer swing, every motion made. As Osd began to reach for another bar the man would shake his head, his voice deep as he spoke, "You hammer like a slave. Your work has no passion to it." The Isur took the bar from Osd's hands, and with all the authority of a Wizard moved the Slave out of the way, preparing to show him how it was done.

"This metal is a creation of Sahova, called Isidium. It is used for plating on golems that have to undergo large amounts of pressure without bending. It does, however, have a flaw in its creation. Even the slightest vibration through its core can cause rapid heating from within, making it all but useless. That is why it is often shaped as a cube, to limit the points at which vibrations can occur." Taking the bar in his black left hand, the Isur rapt the edge of the metal bar on the anvil. It gave off a ringing sound, vibrating far more harshly than it should have. Before Osd's eyes it began to glow, heating up to cherry red without the use of a forge, "This flaw can be vary useful to us though."

Slamming the metal bar on the anvil to increase the vibrations, the man took up his own hammer, slamming it twice on the top before flipping it and doing the same to the bottom. Then he hit it on the edge of the anvil once more, letting it heat up before he started bounding out the shape of a cube. Before he hammered each side he would cause the metal to vibrate, to reheat before he continued its shaping. Finally he finished the work, a perfect cube sitting in the palm of his left hand, "In this shape there is only one way to cause vibrations, and that is to hit the corner at just the right angle. When working with this metal you must compact it as much as possible. The tighter you compact it, the less the vibrations can disrupt its stability."

With a casual flick of his wrist the finished cube was sent into the water bucket, steam hissing out once more as he replaced the hammer at his belt. The man was shirtless as always, hair cut short, only the barest of facial hair present on his chin. He extended his right hand to Osd, The names Goron Silverheart. What can I call you?"

[Osd]

Osd was slightly bewildered as somebody took the bar of strange metal out of his hands. Then made a comment about hammering like a slave. That would make sense, he was a slave afteral. He turned around and his blood went cold for a moment as he recognized the man. He was the isur who saved him from that insane woman and the goloms yesterday. Then it suddenly didn't seem that odd why he acted as if he was a wizard and above him. The way he was able to shut down the goloms. He had to be a master or higher to be able to do that. He dutifully stepped out of the way and kept his mouth shut as the isur began explaining the properties of the strange metal. his jaded heart actually feeling a bit of wonder at the fact that vibrations alone heated up the metal enough to make it possible to forge it. He commited the properties of the metal to memory. Together with the shine and color of it. Then the isur finished up the cube and offered him a hand and introduced himself. Osd accepted the man's handshake. "You can call me Osd Messer sir." the man looked and acted friendly enough, but he doubted he would allow a slave to adress him without some kind of title. "You were the one who called of the golom's yesterday weren't you?" He was sure he was, there weren't many isur around. Even less with a black arm like him.

[Mirage]

The Isur grunted, something of a smile touching his lips as he grasped the man's hand, "Osd Messer... Strong name. It suits you I think."

Releasing the hand Goron once more toweled off his forehead, "Aye that was me. Saw you were having a bit of trouble with an arrogant apprentice. Give em a ring and suddenly they think they are entitled. You needn't worry of her any longer, rest assured I will see to her myself." His words were ominous, full of meaning as he leveled a firm gaze into the fires of the forge. Grunting again he picked up the next bar, handing it to Osd and stepping back to let him return to his work.

"I have seen you here for many seasons now Osd. You work tirelessly, with dedication but little heart. Your a slave I take it, a pity to have one with your talent wasted in such a way." Standing off to the side the Isur crossed his arms over his chest, once more watching Osd's work, "I can see you share no love of Wizards, as is to be expected. You are submissive, but I do not think you are broken yet..."

The entire forge rumbled, steam rising from heat vents all around, but no one stopped their work. This was a common occurrence, and all were used to the sudden vibrations as the lava far below ground bubbled and settled once more. Once it was all over Goron continued, "Though it makes me wonder. If you were given the chance, would you give up this life to become apprenticed to a Wizard yourself? Learn that magic which you despise, to further the cause of your oppressors?"f He look intently at Osd for his answer.

[Osd]

This was strange, he hadn't had a real conversation with another person that didn't end up in an order for a long time. Not since he had was brought into sahova he thought. Then the isur told him not to worry about her anymore. He would take care of her. He felt a bit of relief go through him as he heard that. “thanks for that. I was thinking I would have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life.” which probably would have been dramatically shortened. Either from the added stress or her shooting rocks at him. He accepted the bar and began to work once more. Using the trick Goron had shown him as he worked and hammered the material in the smallest and most compact cube he could manage. Listening carefully as Goron was talking, revealing he had seen him working in this place for seasons. That he saw a spark of talent in his forging that was wasted. He didn't know what to think honestly. For years he had been just a slave, just a cog in the massive machine that was overlooked as long as he got his quota, any attention from higher up usually was bad news. Osd didn't stop working, just adjusting his footing slightly to compensate for the rumbeling ground as steam was shooting out of the lavavents deep below them. The lave bubbling and spewing up. When the man asked if he would consider being an apprentice he stopped working. Was he teasing him? Or was he honestly planning to make him an apprentice. If so, what was the intention? Was he honestly thinking he had talent? Or did he just want an expendable pawn... In the end, what did it matter? He was a slave now, climbing up to apprentice position would be a good step up. There was only one problem, the magic thing. He didn't fancy losing his mind and going insane. “Well, I never really thought about it till you brought it up. Never thought I would get the chance for that.” he honestly replied after a short pause. “I guess it would depend a lot on which magic the wizard I would be the apprentice of would use. I don't want anything to do with twisting your own body or throwing fireballs around. It makes you insane. Insane and having such power usually ends badly. Yesterday was a good example for that. A life like that would be short and painfull I think. I rather be a slave then that. But if it was a magic that had more to do with building and creating thing's that'll last. Then it focuses on breaking it down I think I would take the offer.” He replied. Goron might claim he had no passion for his work, he was right on the dot with that. But that didn't mean he loved to create or build things. It just was hard to put any kind of passion in something you didn't know what it would do or what it would be used for. Most of the time it was a mass produced part “As for furthering the cause of my oppressors. I'm doing that now as well aren't I? Everybody who lives or works in sahova gets oppressed by the island. Else they wouldn't be alive any more. This island doesn't have a place for people who don't advance it's goals. I rather like being alive so I don't really have much of a choice.”

[Mirage]

Goron stroked his chin, "Hmmm, that is a rather safe answer. In one breath you say so much, but nothing is really said at all. You talk like a Wizard, even if you don't want to be one." He smiled and scratched his cheek, "Well as for what you would be doing, you would work directly under me doing much the same as what you do now, but with a new purpose and drive. You will still work here in the forge most days, but times will come when you will work in my lab in the fields of magic. I am a Magecrafter. I build and create powerful items of a magical nature, creating weapons of such quality that they are sought after by many on this island. I have created a decent name for myself with my craft in the end."

Walking to the bin he picked up one of the finished cubes Osd had created, turning it over before his practiced eye, "You are wrong. You always have a choice, but often that choice is to live by your own creed or to die by it. If you give up that humanity, that morality and drive to be what you want to be, you will become just like the undead here. A walking corpse who creates simply to create, not because it is what you truly wish to do. Items crafted without heart and soul are pathetic and weak, and so I hold firm the belief that it is the living that will surpass the undead. You see, you need life, soul, to create the greatest wonders of all."

Setting the cube back down the man walked to the other side of the anvil to look Osd in the eye, folding his arms over his thick chest, "So stop acting like the deadies and tell me your answer in straight common. Do you, or do you not, want to apprentice under me and learn my art of creation? Either way you will continue to do as you have, but with me there is the slimmest chance of something more. Are you willing to risk your life for that possibility Osd Messer?"

[Osd]

Osd let out a small chuckle as he said that he talked like a wizard with his safe answers. “Were I came from we never agreed to something unless we knew exactly what the other one was asking.” Otherwise you could end up on the operating table of doc petrius and not always as a patient either. He quickly kicked the idea of that monstrous doctor back into the depths of his mind. No matter who was around, nobody would ever be as scary as that person. Not even the head honcho of this dead place. Then Goron began to talk about what he did and what he would be doing. His field of magic was magecrafting. It didn't really ring a bell by the name. But when he told that it was the act of building and creating items. Item with a touch of magic in them, weapons and other things of such quality that would never be reached by a mere blacksmith or weaponsmith. The old dreams he had long forgotten came back to him. Him working with his master back in sunberth, jokingly warning him that he would have to watch out, one day he would become such a good blacksmith that he would be employing him. Not the other way around. How he would feel accomplished when he created something that he knew would be put to good use by a client. Not like how it was here, where he didn't know what, who or why his creations would be used. If they were used at all, if he even knew what they were used or? That was a feeling he thought he would never feel again. But here a man was, offering him a way out of this mindless drudgery, not a way out of the unfeeling machine that was sahova, but at least to not be an insignificant cog in it. “A chance to build something that I know the point off not this mindless toil? To learn how to build worthwhile creations? How could I even think of refusing that.” osd was grinning. “So yes, I'll risk my life for that possibility.” Then again, he wasn't really putting himself into to much more danger. He was risking his life already just by being here.

[Mirage]

The Isur nodded once, a half grin painting his lips as he walked passed Osd back to his own anvil, "Alright, then gather your things. Just leave that order where it is. I will see that someone else finishes it up for you." He picked up his own hammer from the anvil, placing it in his belt and draped the towel over his neck.

Returning to Osd's side he looked over the apron and gloves the slave wore, "Leave those behind. You will not need them any longer. Only take personal belongings. Everything else I will replace. Now come." He motioned with his head, moving toward the entrance to the forge. Just before they reached it, however, Silverheart would stop. Turning he would suddenly extend his left hand to Osd, "Ah, before I forget. Show me your arms, wrist up." When Osd did this, Goron would run the finger of his left hand over the bare skin there, murmuring softly under his breath. Suddenly writing began to appear, bubbling up like ink beneath Osd's skin, "Sahova does not use regular chains and manacles to keep their slaves in check. They place an enchantment on them on the first day they arrive, magically binding them to the island so that they can never escape. I doubt you even noticed it when they placed this spell upon you."

Taking the slaves wrists in his hands, the Isur brought them closer to his eyes. Then, whispering softly once more he yanked the wrists farther apart. At the sudden motion the black letters raced across Osd's skin, entwining around his wrists and leaping across the gap to link together in a wiggling black rope. WIth his left hand Silverheart grasped this physical binding, crushing it and ripping it free from Osd's body where it quickly disolved in the black, gem like hand.

"There now Osd Messer. You are free." The Wizard smiled and nodded, turning to walk out of the Forge.

[Osd]

Osd nodded in response, the grin still on his face, he couldn't believe what was happening right at the moment. Six years he had spent in slavery and now there was a man who was offering him a release from it. Probably not from any kind of responsibility, but at least he now was moving up from the life of a slave and into something that at least afforded him a few freedoms. Like where to go and to leave the heat of the forge. Though he did hope that he wouldn't ever run into that anna person, she didn't fall of the cliff of insanity. She took a running start and launched herself over it. “Yes Silverheart.” He didn't know how to address his now teacher. But he wasn't going to call him master unless he was going to insist on hit. The same sunberthian stubbornness that was beaten into him from birth just didn't care much for it. “Don't really got anything.” He said with a shrug as he took of his gloves and apron and neatly deposited them on the rack. After he was ready he followed towards the exit of the forge. It felt strange really, for six long years this forge had been his home, never having set a foot outside it the entire time. Never did the forge stop, nor did it cool down. This loud, clanging hot place had been his harsh home for that time and he shouldn't be regretting that he was leaving. Still one small part of him was slightly sad that he would leave it It was a magnificent working area after all. He quickly shrugged that feeling off as he offered his arms towards his new teacher. He watched in amazement and a bit of unease as he removed the magical enchantment. “I didn't.” He sad, rubbing the spots were the glyphs had been. “So how did they do that? I didn't see them paint anything on. Or cast some kind of spell on me.” He was honestly curious as for how they did it. “You called yourself a magecrafter, is this also something you made? or designed? Or have anything to do with magecrafting?” after quickly having gotten over the entire, you have been locked up with magic he was taking it rahter well. Wasn't too differen't from normal chains. Just better. At the mention he was now free his grin came back, even wider then ever. “And for that I'm forever grateful.” He followed his teacher again. “So do we start immediately?” He hoped they did, otherwise he quite honestly wouldn't know what to do with the newfound freedom he had.

[Mirage]

"The first day you arrived you were put under a deep trance, but often when slaves come they are already so beaten and delirious from hunger that it wouldn't really matter if they were put under or not." He motioned for Osd to follow him, heading out of the Forge and into the tunnels beyond, "Some slaves never awaken from the trance, and these are made into food for the other slaves who are not sent to the forge." It was as if Goron made especially certain to insert this last little bit of information into the story, letting Osd know how lucky he might have been despite how it may have seemed.

"This method of magical bindings existed long before I came to Sahova, though I admit I have had my own hand in adjusting its execution. Because of this I am also privy to how it can be undone." He smiled over his shoulder at Osd, a meaningful look in his eyes, "Perhaps I will teach you one of these days." Laughing in a good natured way Goron shook his head, "We will begin your apprenticeship soon enough. Before that, however, there are some legal matters I must attend to. The deadies love their paper work, and they will have my skin if I don't follow the proper channels. For now we will find you a place to rest, and I will come for you when all is in order. Now come my Apprentice. Let us begin your new life."

The stepped out of the dark tunnels then, heading up past the cages in the dungeon and there Silerheart threw open the doors to the courtyard, taking in a deep breath and sighing, "Enjoy your first breath as a free man, and then use that breath to elevate yourself higher. Work hard under me Osd, and anything you want or desire will be yours. This I promise you."