Chapter 12
Sparks fly as Kagrenac hammers out the imperfections of the material used to make Wraithguard. Only the best material is handpicked by him as well as the forging and shaping. Since the very beginning, he has not allowed anyone else to touch, or even look at his plans. The only constant companion he's had is the voice inside his head that's guided him all this way.
There are still imperfections. The voice states. You must work harder to eliminate them. The Heart will not accept anything other than perfection.
"I have worked on these Tools for days at a time," Kagrenac counters. "I will not be able to eliminate anymore imperfections without compromising the integrity of the material itself. The material itself is imperfect. It cannot be 'perfected.'"
Maybe not, but without perfection the Heart will not react properly. Without perfection, it will backfire.
"I am the High Tonal Architect of the Dwemer people. You are just a voice that will not leave me be. I know how to work metal, and you do not."
Hours of hard work later produces the unenchanted Wraithguard gauntlet and Sunder hammer. The majority of Keening is also complete, however without the shaped stone, it is useless. Kagrenac wipes sweat off of his brow as he puts the fine details into the Tools. The voice that's been bothering him since he started this project has finally seemed to fade and his thoughts are once again his own.
The High Tonal Craftlord collapses into a nearby chair and sighs deeply. His tense and sore muscles twitch slightly from the work. He rubs the muscle between his neck and shoulders and sighs again. His eyes fall onto the Tools and a smile forms. He has always taken pride in his work, and these three recent creations are some of his best.
"Now, what enchantments should I use on these?"
They are not perfect. They will not work properly.
"Be silent. I'm trying to think. Should Keening and Sunder be used as they are? No, anyone will be able to wield them if that's how it is." He leans forward in his chair and moves some hair out of his face. "I would have to include Wraithguard somehow. What if I can use Keening with Wraithguard, but Sunder… no that won't work either."
Kagrenac runs his fingers through his hair and walks over to the desk on the other side of the room. His finger traces the Dwemer writing as he silently reads the details of each Tool to himself. Nothing comes to mind as he reads it over and over. Eventually, he goes over to the Tools themselves and stares down at them.
"What will I do with you? Wraithguard, Sunder, and Keening. Without the stone, you are not complete, Keening. When you are, how will you work with your brothers? What enchantments will I place upon you?"
Bind them all as one.
"How would I do that? All three must be bound together, or none will work?"
No. Consult your plans.
Kagrenac sighs and moves the Tools out of the way to give himself room to read his plans. He notices the scribbles about immediate death if the Tools are not used without Wraithguard and scratches his head. He did not write this, or at least he doesn't remember writing it. Regardless, this only helps him a little as it provides yet another obstacle for him to overcome.
He gets to his feet and paces around his room, looking at each of the plans before returning to his desk. He opens his door and leaves his room, ignoring all of the guards staring and makes his way to the Heart Chamber. Staring up and the gargantuan Anumidium gives him a strange comfort and the rhythmic sound of the workers makes him smile. Eventually, he leaves the Heart Chamber and makes his way back to his room where he lies down to sleep for the night.
He awakes several hours later in a daze and walks back over to his desk. Still half-asleep, he grabs a quill and ink well and writes down a few notes in his journal. The journal is slipped back into his desk once he finishes and he returns to bed, only to awaken another couple hours later, this time by the voice in his head. Kagrenac, in his still half-asleep state, takes Wraithguard and Sunder and places them on an enchanting table and goes to grab Keening when something out of the corner of his eye catches his attention.
A crystal –too small to fit inside Keening- dimly shines underneath one of the broken magical lights. The Craftlord picks it up and examines it and brings it over to the table, setting it down next to the incomplete Tools. He yawns as he writes down a couple notes before finally heading back to bed.
