Chapter 326: Applicable
Arwin’s hammer rang against the metal, sending sparks dancing away from the anvil as he struck the glowing metal in a steady cadence. Four presences thrummed within his chest, each competing to be heard.
The more he practiced Dwarven Smithing, the more Arwin understood why Wallace referred to them as singing. It wasn’t like there were actual songs. The materials weren’t all speaking to him when he worked. What he felt was more akin to a presence. It was the underlying truth of what one what they were.
But now, as his own song overlaid with that of the metal, Wyrmhunger, and Reya, he quickly became aware that there was far more to it than he’d ever previously seen. He could have sworn he could hear distant notes of music with every step he took toward finishing the bracer.
Arwin didn’t let himself get too distracted by the semantics. Dwarven Smithing had never been about outlining ironclad guidelines and following them to the T. It was not a science. It was an art, and one that focused on feeling.
He let the songs mix within his body, tweaking and adjusting the item as he attempted to bring it closer and closer to a true harmony. Each dissonant note prickled within him like a needle being driven into his muscles.
They came fewer and farther in between the longer he worked.
Wyrmhunger was in perfect synchronization with Reya already. Their songs complemented each other with practiced ease, but they left no room for a new one to fully integrate. After all, it wasn’t the dagger’s soul that Arwin was trying to bring into the bracer.
He did his best to fit everything together, but the four pieces simply all refused to go together. There were too many insurmountable differences. And still Arwin tried. He could finally hear Reya’s soul. He refused to give up until he didn’t have a single scrap of energy left to try.
And then something strange happened.