The workshop vanished beneath a sea of blue fire.
Not ordinary flames.
Not the scorching blaze of burning timber.
The fire that erupted from Gareth Ashford’s forge carried no smoke.
It spread across the walls like flowing water, racing over ancient runes that had remained hidden beneath layers of soot for centuries.
Every symbol ignited.
The floor glowed.
The rafters hummed.
Even the rain that poured through the shattered roof seemed to freeze in midair before evaporating into countless blue sparks.
Drake stood motionless.
His grandfather remained beside the old anvil, one weathered hand resting upon the worn hammer that had served him for decades.
The old blacksmith looked impossibly small.
His shoulders were bent.
His breathing had become shallow.
Blood continued to stain the corner of his mouth.
Yet at that moment…
No one in the workshop dared move.
Captain Veller’s sword remained raised, but uncertainty had replaced the confidence that had filled his eyes only moments before.
The guild fighters instinctively stepped backward.
Even the beasts—freed from their control collars only moments ago—stared toward Gareth with something resembling reverence.
Granite lowered himself onto one knee.
The two-headed wolf tucked both heads close to its body.
The crystal-feathered bird folded its wings.
None of them understood why.
Neither did Drake.
But they all felt it.
It was the same feeling Drake had experienced the first time he stood before the Origin Forge.
Not power.
Authority.
The authority of a craftsman standing before his life’s work.
Captain Veller finally broke the silence.
“What…
have you done?” Gareth smiled faintly.
“I merely reminded an old forge who built it.” Drake’s eyes widened.
The old forge?
He had worked beside this furnace since childhood.
It had always been ordinary.
Rusty.
Old.
Too small for large commissions.
How could it possibly be connected to the Origin Forge beneath the mountain?
Gareth slowly lifted his hammer.
Its surface, once dull and worn, now shimmered beneath the blue flames.
Ancient runes surfaced one after another along the handle.
The metal head emitted a low, resonant hum.
Drake felt the mark upon his hand grow warm.
Ember climbed onto his shoulder and stared silently at Gareth.
Through their bond, Drake sensed wonder.
The hatchling wasn’t looking at an old man.
It was looking at another blacksmith.
One worthy of respect.
Captain Veller recovered first.
“Enough tricks.” He pointed his glowing sword toward Gareth.
“Seize the old man.” None of the guild fighters moved.
Veller frowned.
“I gave an order.” One of the handlers swallowed nervously.
“Captain…” “The beasts won’t advance.” Veller looked toward the freed creatures.
Granite remained kneeling.
The wolf refused to look at its former handler.
The horned boar had quietly moved several steps away from the guild soldiers.
Captain Veller’s expression darkened.
“They’ve recognized him.” Drake looked toward Gareth.
Recognized?
As what?
His grandfather slowly turned toward Drake.
“You’ve awakened the Forge.” Drake nodded.
“I did.” “You forged your first beast.” Another nod.
Gareth’s tired eyes shifted toward Ember.
“And completed its Heart Rune.” “Yes.” A faint smile touched the old man’s face.
“Then there is no longer any reason to hide.” Before Drake could ask what he meant…
Gareth struck the anvil.
CLANG!
The sound rolled across the workshop like distant thunder.
It wasn’t loud.
Yet every person present heard it clearly.
The blue flames surrounding the forge suddenly condensed.
Instead of spreading outward…
They gathered.
The fire spiraled around Gareth’s hammer before shooting upward through the chimney.
A pillar of blue light pierced the storm clouds.
Far above Blackstone Village…
The clouds split apart.
Moonlight poured through the opening.
Captain Veller stared upward in horror.
“No…” One of the guild soldiers whispered, “The Signal Flame…” Drake looked between them.
“What signal?” Veller slowly lowered his sword.
His face had become unnaturally pale.
“We’re too late.” A deep vibration echoed from beneath the mountain.
Not from the Origin Forge.
From somewhere much deeper.
The ground trembled.
The blue pillar continued burning against the sky.
Miles away…
Ancient mechanisms awakened.
Hidden shrines buried beneath forests.
Forgotten towers swallowed by deserts.
Ruined temples beneath the sea.
Across the continent, relics that had remained silent for centuries began responding.
None of those present knew it.
But history itself had just stirred.
…
Inside the workshop, Gareth staggered.
The blue pillar vanished.
The old man nearly collapsed.
Drake caught him before he struck the floor.
“Grandfather!” Gareth smiled weakly.
“Old bones…” “They’re not what they used to be.” Drake lowered him carefully against the wall.
His breathing had become frighteningly shallow.
Ember climbed from Drake’s shoulder onto Gareth’s lap.
The hatchling gently rubbed its head against the old man’s hand.
Gareth chuckled softly.
“So…” “This is your first child.” Drake blinked.
“My what?” “A Beast Blacksmith doesn’t forge servants.” “He creates family.” Drake froze.
Those exact words.
The mural beneath the Origin Forge.
The First Law.
His grandfather knew it.
Not as a legend.
As truth.
Before Drake could speak again…
Captain Veller suddenly laughed.
It wasn’t mocking.
It sounded relieved.
“I understand now.” Everyone turned toward him.
The captain slowly sheathed his sword.
“I was wondering why the Royal Guild personally dispatched me to investigate a mana anomaly in a forgotten mountain village.” He looked directly at Gareth.
“You weren’t hiding a relic.” “You were the relic.” Silence settled across the workshop.
Veller continued.
“For years…” “We searched for surviving Forge Wardens.” “We believed every bloodline had vanished.” His gaze shifted toward Drake.
“Instead…” “The last one was raising his successor beneath our noses.” Drake’s heart skipped a beat.
Successor.
Not grandson.
Not blacksmith.
Successor.
He looked toward Gareth.
The old man closed his eyes.
“He’s right.” Drake felt the words strike harder than any weapon.
“You knew.” “Yes.” “You knew all along.” “Yes.” “Then why let me believe we were ordinary?” Gareth slowly opened his eyes.
“Because ordinary people live longer.” Drake couldn’t answer.
Part of him understood.
Another part felt betrayed.
Every story Gareth had told.
Every lesson.
Every warning.
All of it had been only part of the truth.
Ember sensed the conflict within Drake.
The hatchling gently rested one tiny paw against his arm.
A feeling passed through their bond.
Not words.
Comfort.
Drake smiled faintly despite everything.
“You really do know exactly when I need you.” Ember chirped proudly.
Captain Veller interrupted.
“Touching.” He stepped toward them.
“But sentiment won’t change reality.” “The signal has already been seen.” Drake looked up.
“What signal?” “The blue pillar.” Veller glanced toward the shattered roof.
“It wasn’t meant for us.” “It was a beacon.” “A declaration.” “A challenge.” Drake frowned.
“To who?” The captain’s answer came quietly.
“To every surviving enemy of the Beast Blacksmiths.” Those words chilled the room.
Even Gareth’s expression hardened.
“They’ll come.” Veller nodded.
“They’ve spent centuries waiting.” Granite suddenly growled.
Not at the guild.
At the mountain itself.
A second tremor passed beneath the village.
This one stronger.
Outside…
Dogs began barking.
Villagers shouted in confusion.
Church bells rang somewhere beyond the market square.
The mountain wasn’t merely awakening.
Something inside it…
Was moving.
Ember stiffened upon Drake’s shoulder.
Fear entered their bond.
Not fear of the guild.
Fear of whatever lay beneath the Forge.
Drake looked toward the broken floor leading to the hidden staircase.
Vulcan’s warning echoed through his mind.
Containment seals.
Failed creations.
Had they truly been sealed?
Or merely delayed?
A distant roar answered the question.
The sound came from deep beneath the mountain.
Older than memory.
Powerful enough to shake dust from every beam inside the workshop.
Captain Veller slowly looked toward the floor.
“That…” “…wasn’t one of your beasts, was it?” Drake didn’t answer.
Because he genuinely didn’t know.
And for the first time since discovering the Origin Forge…
That frightened him more than any enemy standing before him.
To be continued…