Chapter 144 – Drakk Miracle Claws – III
It was night in Atlas.
The soft flames of a small square forge crackled at the center of an improvised campsite near a clearing. The sound was constant, rhythmic, comforting. The greenish ore inside slowly melted, its edges vibrating from the intense heat, and the vivid glow of the molten metal lit the surroundings with emerald reflections.
In front of the forge, Skaryss the calm-faced orc with a firm body—hammered the glowing metal with uncommon grace. Her skin dripped with sweat, her armor removed and folded beside her, revealing green skin flushed by the heat of the fire.
Her black hair was tied in a simple bun, yet strands still clung to her neck from the perspiration.
The sound of metal echoed, interrupted only by the distant song of nocturnal birds. The stars were alive in the sky, and three silver moons cast a dreamlike glow over the camp. The breeze was cold, in contrast to the forge’s heat a magical, almost spiritual atmosphere.
Drakk, on the other hand, was lying a few meters away, sprawled out on an improvised mattress barely large enough to hold his colossal frame. He looked like a bronze statue tossed onto a cushion of leaves and hastily stitched fabrics. His black marble case, still and imposing, lay beside him untouched, resting on the ground like a legendary tombstone.
Everything could have been a perfect painting... if it weren’t for Skaryss’s irritated voice.
"Do you have any idea what you did, Master?! That ship was a high-end vessel from the Church! Reinforced hull, sacred shields, protective runes, double-layered spiritual oak, and a keel forged from metal alloy!" Her voice was sharp and clear, in sync with her hammer strikes, as if venting her frustration was part of the forging ritual.
Drakk yawned, lazily turning over on the mattress.
"It was just a boat," he replied with a half-smile. "People are worth more than wood, don’t you think?"
"They are, yes!" she grumbled, turning the half-molded axe for another strike. "But now... because of you, no one wants to ferry us downriver anymore. Do you have any idea how many gold coins that ship cost? Tens of thousands! And the Church’s mages are saying you attract those underwater abominations."