Myself (smegger_29) and Kita would like to thank all our loyal readers for being so committed to our other stories. I would like to introduce you to our newest project and my baby, Spirit of the Sword. May it be as successful as its brethren.
The wind stirred in the dawn air as the workers in the pit before Professor Hartlen slaved in the hot sun. It was better on most counts to hire native Kapsion labour instead of bringing his own, the two most prominent reasons being that it pleased the local government and more importantly, was much cheaper. The only downside was that they weren't the most careful of people, while the rest of the world was building business empires and furthering the knowledge of science with particle colliders, these people were still picking rice out of flooded fields.
He smirked as one of the nearest workers collapsed from heat exhaustion. Such worthless pests. He turned to his assistant Kate and raised an eyebrow in question. She knew the look all too well. He was getting impatient. "The crypt will be excavated within the hour, sir. I have transport ready for its immediate removal and placement in the central museum of the high lord."
He nodded and looked back at his site, soon the item he had been search for so long would be in his possession, an ancient artifact of unfathomable value and beauty...
At the thought of beauty, his mind drifted to thoughts of his research assistant, back at the museum. Oh how he would enjoy bending her over his desk and....
He was cut short mid-fantasy as one of the workers shouted from the pit. The professor's eyes lit up. Finally, they had found it!
***6 weeks later -- Central Museum of the High Lord***
Professor Hartlen rubbed his hands together. He watched the truck containing his prize slowly back into the service entrance of the building. He couldn't wait for it to be on display. He had left his assistant Serafina in charge of its inventory processing and placement. It was always so nice to see those firm round buttocks bending over the delivery crates.
As if summoned by his thoughts, Serafina Carna appeared, dark brown hair pulled back in a bun, framing a face with high cheekbones and dark brown eyes. Her milk chocolate kissed skin distinguished her from the rest of the staff who had rather pale complexions. Nervously she pushed her too small glasses up her nose as she hurried over to Professor Hartlen. "Professor, sir, I finished inventory in the east wing. Where would you like me to go next?"
"You are just in time to take in the most important delivery of the night. It is the last, but most definitely the most valuable. It is what we have been looking forward to for some time, my dear." He slowly stood up, his arms trembling from the effort of rising alone before he grasped his cane.
He carefully walked over to the balcony, pointing to the floor below them at the crate that was being unloaded with slowness and extreme care. "I have instructed your colleagues to be extremely delicate with this item. If it is damaged in any way, my heart would be broken."
As would their legs, he thought to himself. "I want you to take the lead in not only processing this item, but placing it in our most prominent gallery, the Grand Arches." He carefully pulled the keys from his pocket and held them out for her to take. "I trust you are ready for such responsibility, my dear? I hope my faith in you taking care of such a prominent item in such a restricted gallery is not misplaced?"
She blushed and reverently accepted the keys. "No, sir, it's not misplaced. I will be careful," she squeaked in her excitement.
"Not only careful my dear, you will be explicitly delicate. Now off you run, and remember, I have my greatest faith in you." He turned away from her, heading back towards his desk, taking careful steps so he did not lose his balance.
Serafina bobbed her head up and down vigorously before scurrying from the room. Finally, she was being given a huge break. One that could make or break her career. Professor Hartlen was the leading expert in his field and many had fought hard for the chance to work with him. Out of thousands of applications, she and Danyell Rockson had been chosen. Danyell had quit two months ago to run away with her musician boyfriend, leaving Serafina behind to do twice the work. Not that she minded. It just gave her more opportunity to prove to Professor Hartlen her worth. "Quit daydreaming, Sera, keep your mind on the task at hand," she muttered as she rounded the corner and stopped to look as the crate was maneuvered into place on the dolly.
"You three please come this way with the crate. The Professor wants it in the Grand Arches Gallery. Do not touch anything in the room once we get there, do you understand?"
They smirked for a moment and nodded. "Of course Miss, this ain't our first time in there."
They began wheeling the crate with painfully slow progress across the floor. They knew better than to take any chances with this artifact.
Satisfied that they would be careful, she led the way, excitement still running through her at such a great honor. Finally they arrived, and with care she picked the correct key and unlocked the door, opening it wide so the men could wheel in the crate. She herself did not go in.
The crate was wheeled in a few feet before they stopped, looking back at her expectantly with sly grins on their faces. "Well? Just gonna have us leave it here in the hall where everyone can trip over it?"
"Oh! I don't know. He said to make sure you got it here." Nervously she chewed on her bottom lip. She scurried by the three men and started up the marble path that stretched out for at least 100 meters. It was a spacious path, fifteen feet wide with tall arches 40 feet tall and 15 feet wide that stretched the length of the hall. As she passed each arch, inside could be seen a pedestal with an artifact nestled inside, protected by invisible shielding.
Serafina was awed. Professor Hartlen only allowed royalty and fellow scholars inside. The gallery was named Grand Arches because of the way the light shone down onto the black gold marble (black marble with gold embedded in the veins of it) that each pillar was comprised of. It ran along the length of the huge glass dome high above them that protected the path. As far as she knew, no one had ever attempted to burglarize the gallery because the entire military would hunt the thief down and publicly execute them. Of course there were also the rumors that dark and terrible things would hunt you down and disembowel you if you stole from the gallery.
The crate slowly trundled after her, the workers focusing on nothing but the path in front of them and making sure the crate did not stray from it.
Serafina had begun to sweat. I'll have to get them to take a look at the air conditioning unit. It is supposed to be cool in here, not hot, she thought as she resisted the urge to fan herself. As they neared the end, a flash of orange to her left made her whip around and stare at a large vase. Frowning she glanced around for a moment but when she didn't see anything, she resumed walking. The vase didn't even have orange in it. Maybe I should lay off the sugar sweets, she thought.
"Here we are." She gestured at the only unused pedestal. "Please place it here."
"You sure you don't want us to balance it on the Wingtou Vase?" The sarcastic comment came from the closest man who was thumbing towards the large non-orange vase she had been looking at a moment ago.
The three men painstakingly opened the crate one nail at a time, gradually revealing the straw encased contents within.
From his office above the main entrance hall, Hartlen watched the scene through the security system. Slowly his hands petted the gnarled beast like face head of his cane. It appeared to wear a contented look while he stroked it. "That's right boy, slowly and carefully. One scratch and no one will know you were ever alive..."
The men paused a moment, shivers running down their spines. With extreme care they slowly lifted the artifact from its crate. To the untrained eye it simply looked like a long, very old sword in a highly decorated sheath. But to the eyes of an archaeologist, the weight of history burned out from it like a flame. Its hilt was 1237PD (Pre-Dynasty) woven steel wrapped around a core of solid Anthreal tusk. The blade itself was 1350PD folded steel. Its forging marks of sharp flowing flames were an indication that the number of folds in this blade exceeded over five thousand times. It had taken 13 years to craft this blade. Made by the finest sword smith for the greatest swordsman the world had ever seen.
This sword had seen countless battles and slain every enemy that stood in its path. If one were to look closely they would see that the very blade itself had a hint of deep red to it, the very life blood of it's enemies soaking into the steel.
The reason for this sword's worth, however, was not its age or its accomplishments. It was because of the materials it had been made from. The Anthreal tusk alone would be enough to buy every other artifact in the room. They had become extinct in 1025PD, and now the year being 3584AD (After Dynasty), this made it extremely rare to find. The steel itself was a marvel as well, selected from a vein of Korodine Iron from the mountains of Ghantoul. Such a quantity would have taken decades to mine and decades more to refine. This sword was beyond priceless. There was not enough wealth in the entire world to buy even half the materials that were involved in its construction.
The sheath too, was made from equally rare materials, leather from the backs of the extraordinary Yakul Mammoth, not extinct but impossible to kill by conventional means, even with today's technologies. It would have taken an entire army just to subdue it, never mind kill it. It was sought after by many during that age because of its ability to never deteriorate, only to harden more over time. So after nearly five thousand years passing, it was quite possibly the toughest material on the planet. Finally, embedded along the length were gems from all corners of the world, that leaders would have slain entire civilisations for. Berubian Diamonds, found only in the deepest seas. Arketoin Emeralds, found only in a small river on the highest peak of the Juntang region. And finally, Turillian Rubies, their origins shrouded in such mysteries that there existed only fifty in all of history, five set on this very sheath.
With extraordinary effort and with tensed muscles, the sword was finally on its pedestal, glittering in the bright light of day that shone from above. The Grand Arches Gallery was finally complete.
Serafina couldn't take her eyes off it. "Beautiful," she breathed, her eyes wide as she took in each and every detail. She might only be an undergraduate but she knew enough about artifacts from class and from working in the museum with Professor Hartlen, that this sword was truly, priceless. None of the other pieces even came close in value.
The men carefully packed up their tools and quietly rolled the dolly out of the gallery and back to the bay, leaving her alone in the huge warm room. As the sun's rays glinted off the sword and reflected to the other pieces, the gallery took on an enchanted look it lacked before. One that took the breath away and warmed the soul of those who viewed it. But there was something else as well...something hidden beneath the glamour cast by the jewels and polished stone. Something not even history dared to record.
Suddenly light-headed, she stepped away from the sword. Her head was aching and she decided that all the excitement had gotten to her. "I think I'll call it a day," she said to no one as she walked down the path toward the door.
As the doors closed behind her, the air stirred, there was new blood in the gallery and the other artifacts were eager to meet him....
