` "So, Hephaestus sir." Atalanta says as she is dragged by the overenthusiastic smith god. Why he is like this, she has no clue.
"Oh, I thought you knew." he absentmindedly responds as the door leading to what she assumes is his workshop. Well, seeing as there are cogs and large smokestacks with steam billowing all over the building. "I want to see your ability in much better detail."
"But sir." she nervously asks as she absently wonders if this is like what being stuck with a Sealing Designation as a Third-Rate Magus will feel like. At least this should be ironically more humane. Looking at the god, Atalanta doubts that he rarely actually have people enter his workshop, seeing as he is always looking nervously at her before he strides into the workshop. Atalanta follows the burly god and looks around.
Her Structural Analysis is already working overtime. Breaking apart and analyzing every wondrous piece of technology or weaponry laid within this edifice. "Wow." Atalanta barely musters as her random swords, complete and incomplete are suddenly added to the Reality Marble.
"Yep." Hephaestus proudly crosses his arms as he watches Atalanta survey the spacious room with a well-practiced gaze akin to something that he sees in his own children. "So, does your Tracing allow you to picture swords? I can't see how else your ability will be able to replenish itself in quick succession, especially as you refer to them as fakes."
"Yeah." Atalanta answers, "I don't actually have the sword in my soul, truly, but it's really a blueprint of the actual weapon that my soul then reproduces.'
"Hoh!" The god of fire releases a swift chortle at that explanation, "Then you have something similar to me! I always, and I do mean always, remember the weapons that I create! Are you sure that you don't have some of my blood in you?"
"Yes." she responds, "It was a unique situation for me. My Element got changed to Sword, allowing me to sympathize with swords because my Origin is also that of a sword, forged by the flames of the Fuyuki Fire."
Hephaestus picks up a hammer and tosses it at Atalanta. She caught it, the hammer almost ripping her arm off if she hadn't already reinforced her arm beforehand.
"What do you want me to do with this?" Atalanta incredulously asks with a concerned expression on her face.
"Make something." The smith god blandly replies as he walks back to the corner and points his finger at the forge. "I want to see if your Tracing allows you to also fabricate items."
"I never tried." Atalanta truthfully replies before she thought of something. Hopefully, Gan Jiang wouldn't be angry with her from beyond the grave. Summoning up her internal blueprint of Kanshou and Bakuya, she easily sympathized with the twin blades and conjured up the Chinese blacksmith's legendary blacksmithing skills. Even if he is only a mortal, there is no denying the hidden beauty of the twin paos, so Atalanta will draw upon those memories and fashion a blade.
Hephaestus just stood there as Atalanta starts to confidently move about the forge. She picks up some Celestial Bronze and starts to heat them in the everlasting flame. The girl is interesting. Despite her previous nervousness, she starts to gain momentum after a short pause. And what's interesting is that he cannot identify what kind of weapon she is making, just that it has a blade. Interesting.
With a fervor, Atalanta continues to forge onward. Ironically, there is something that she feels that she can do. With a swift tracing, she cuts her palm upon a traced knife, dripping blood into the metal. After all, if a Blacksmith forges their very being into their weapon and Gan Jiang used his own body as a sacrifice, then why can't her blood be used to bind it. There is, after all, mana can become saturated in the blood. And then, Atalanta touches the metal, her blood boiling on top of it, and alters it. Weaving and washing the unshaped weapon with prana, Atalanta watches as it starts to take on a silver sheen. Completely different from its previously bronze appearance. And with that, the forging process continues.
Hephaestus just watches as a 12-year-old girl craft a masterpiece. Something that he will find breathtaking for a first craft. It's as if the weapons within her soul have information of how they're forged inscribed into them. Maybe they're memories. A smile graces his gruff face. She is an interesting gal.
After two hours of considerable usage of magic, she has the blade. Only the blade. Holding it in her hand, she admires the blade. It was quite an exquisite masterpiece for only her first creation. Hephaestus grabs the blade and starts to inspect it keenly.
"Hmmm, not bad." he says, "This surpasses the skill of mortal blacksmiths and definitely a beginner. So tell me, how did you create this, even if you were using magic."
Atalanta pauses, realizing that she never actually discussed how she can actually sympathize with the weapon with any of the gods. Well then. That might make a difference in opinions for the gods. Crud.
"I can..." she twiddles her fingers together as she nervously gazes at Hephaestus' expectant gaze. "I can sympathize with any weapon's history at a glance."
"Intriguing." Hephaestus holds up a blade that was in his toolbelt, "Whose was this?"
It was the nameless blade of Perseus. Used to decapitate the vile beast, the Gorgon. It is a gladius with a sickle-like protrusion to one side. Beautiful design, like a khopesh. Zeus had gifted it to Perseus and demanded Hephaestus to create a weapon sharp enough to deal with Medusa. An alternative to a weapon found within Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon- Harpe, the immortal slaying scythe. The weapon finds itself within Atalanta's Reality Marble, right next to its dimensional counterpart.
"It was Perseus' weapon for when he decapitated Medusa, the Gorgon," Atalanta says with a slight wince. She had always felt bad for Medusa's mythology, but here, the Gorgon is spiteful and will most likely kill her. "You forged it when Zeus asked you for it."
Hephaestus winces as the workshop sheens a bit. "Correct. But do try not to mention any mythological names. After all, there is power in one's name."
"Okay," Atalanta replies as Hephaestus hands her back the blade.
"Do you want me to furnish the handle or do you want to do it yourself later?" Hephaestus says as he looks toward the door, "Because your mother is calling."
"Can I do it later?" Atalanta asks as an angry shout came from behind the door.
"If you're defiling my little moon because Aphrodite refuses you, I'll fucking turn you into a porcupine!"
"Yes." Hephaestus nervously looks at the door, "Your mother is terrifying. Also, I have standards."
Atalanta can't tell whether she is being insulted or not. But, she wants to work on her sword with only her hand, nobody else.
"Well….." Hephaestus takes the blade and hangs it on a shelf and puts a label on it "Atalanta's". He then turns back and holds his hand out. "I want to give you my blessing, you seem to be a capable blacksmith."
Atalanta's mind flashes back to Hades's advice/warning. "I'm sorry sir, but Hades told me that if I gained a blessing, then I may actually become a goddess."
"Ohhh." Hephaestus strokes his beard in thought. "That does make sense I suppose. You have enough Divine Constructs within your soul probably leeching their own influence into you. Then I guess that you want to wait."
"No.'' Atalanta adamantly refuses, "I'll only do it in extreme circumstances."
Hephaestus looks at the little girl with a certain expression, pondering. "You know. You shouldn't refuse a god's good graces. But I think that there is a good reason. Have a nice day."
He waves her away and then the door opens, showing Artemis rushing in to hug Atalanta. After shooting a quick glare at the sheepish Hephaestus, Artemis picks up Atalanta easily and smiles like a proud mother.
"Atalanta dear." Artemis states, "We're going to meet your foster sisters!" She says before the two disappear from the workshop in a flash of silver.
Okay. Put down the pitchforks. I managed to update. Sheesh. Summer has finally started for me so that's cool. Anyway, here! I posted. Have at thee! Now, Imma gonna see if I can work on a different story idea. Have a nice day!
Tata!
