The workshop was a symphony of controlled chaos. Hammers rang against anvils in steady rhythm, fires roared in dozens of forges, and the air shimmered with heat that made sweat bead instantly on anyone who entered. Dwarven smiths worked with intense focus, each one bent over their projects with the dedication of artists creating masterpieces.

But at the forefront, standing beside his personal forge—the largest and most elaborate in the entire workshop—stood the chief blacksmith.

Jerry's eyes gleamed the moment he spotted Akhil entering. "Ahh, that was fast!" he called out, his weathered face breaking into a grin.

"We were already on our way when we met your messenger," Akhil explained, gesturing to the small dwarf who'd fetched them.

Jerry waved a hand dismissively, soot-stained fingers leaving marks in the air. "No matter, no matter. Let's not waste time on pleasantries. You came for your weapon, yes? Well then..." He turned toward a cloth-covered object resting on a specially prepared stand. "Let's get to the important thing."

The chief blacksmith grabbed the cloth with both hands and pulled.

Everyone's breath caught.

The weapon revealed was unlike anything any of them had ever seen.

It was a double-bladed glaive—but calling it just a glaive felt inadequate, like calling a dragon a large lizard. The weapon was a work of art and terror combined into perfect harmony.

The central handle was black as midnight, wrapped in what looked like treated leather for grip, designed for two-handed use with perfect balance. But it was the blades that commanded attention—twin curved blades extending from either end of the staff, each one wickedly sharp and gleaming with an inner crimson light.

The blades themselves were dark metal, almost black, but veins of red ran through them like rivers of blood frozen in steel. Along each blade's outer edge were circular indentations—red gems or cores embedded into the metal, four on each blade, pulsing with barely contained power. The Serpent's core had been distributed throughout the weapon, its essence woven into every inch.

The blades curved elegantly, creating a perfect symmetry that was both beautiful and deadly. At the weapon's center, where the handle connected to the twin blades, was an intricate design—overlapping patterns that looked almost organic, like bat wings frozen in metal. The craftsmanship was extraordinary, each detail precise and purposeful.

Green light emanated from the core of the design—not the soft glow of nature, but something more ominous. Like poison given physical form. The entire weapon seemed to pulse with a living presence, as if the River Serpent's essence still breathed within it.

"By the gods," Seth breathed, unable to look away.

"That's..." Aria started, then stopped, words failing her.

Nyla's eyes were wide, taking in every detail. "That's not a normal weapon."

"No," Jerry agreed proudly. "It most certainly is not."

He stepped forward, gesturing to the weapon with the reverence usually reserved for holy relics. "Creating this nearly killed me—and I mean that literally. The Serpent's core you provided... it fought back during the forging process. Wanted to corrupt the metal, poison it, make the weapon unusable."

He pointed to the red veins running through the blades. "Took me six hours just to convince it to cooperate. Had to channel my own life force into the forge to stabilize it. Even then, the weapon kept trying to become something else—something alive and malevolent."

"But you succeeded," Akhil said, his eyes fixed on the weapon.

"Barely." Jerry moved his hand along the blade's length without touching it. "Let me explain how this works, because this isn't a weapon you can just pick up and swing around."

He pointed to the circular indentations along each blade. "These are blood cores—fragments of the Serpent's essence. When you channel your blood manipulation through them, they activate. Each swing, each movement, can release circular blood projectiles." He mimed a slashing motion. "Fast, sharp, capable of cutting through armor at range."

"Range attacks from a melee weapon," Ryan observed, impressed despite himself.

"Exactly. But that's not all." Jerry gripped the handle—carefully, Akhil noticed—and demonstrated a twisting motion. "The blade's center is detachable. See this?" He indicated a nearly invisible seam at the weapon's core where the bat-wing design met the handle. "There's a chain mechanism built inside. You can separate the two blade sections and use them independently."

He mimed the motion—throwing one blade forward while holding the other. "Long-range attacks without losing your defense. The chain extends up to thirty feet, controlled by blood manipulation. You can recall the blade instantly, use it to grapple, entangle enemies, or attack from unexpected angles."

"Versatility," Akhil murmured, understanding dawning. That's what he'd asked for. A weapon that could adapt, that didn't lock him into one fighting style.

"But there are flaws," Jerry continued, his expression becoming serious. "Critical ones you need to understand before you even touch this thing."

He pointed to the green glow at the weapon's center. "The Serpent's poison essence couldn't be fully contained. The entire weapon is toxic—not to you, since you're the one who killed the beast and your blood is attuned to it. But anyone else who touches these blades..." He shook his head. "Paralysis within seconds. Death within minutes if the cut is deep enough."

"Which means I can't let my friends borrow it," Akhil concluded.

"Which means you need to be extremely careful not to cut yourself," Jerry corrected sharply. "Your attunement protects you from holding it, from channeling power through it. But if those blades pierce your skin deeply? The poison will still affect you. Maybe not as severely as others, but you'll feel it."

Nyla frowned. "That seems dangerous."

"It IS dangerous," Jerry agreed. "This is the most dangerous weapon I've ever forged. It's powerful, versatile, and absolutely lethal—to your enemies and potentially to you if you're careless."

He gestured to the complex chain mechanism. "The detachment system is also tricky. If you lose focus while the blades are separated, they won't respond properly. The chain could tangle, the recall could fail, and you'd be left with half a weapon at a critical moment."

"And the blood projectiles?" Akhil asked.

"Drain your blood essence rapidly if you're not careful. Each shot requires channeling power through the cores. Use them too frequently and you'll exhaust yourself." Jerry met Akhil's eyes seriously. "This weapon amplifies your abilities, but it also amplifies the costs. It demands more from you than a normal blade would."

The workshop fell silent except for the background sounds of other smiths working. Everyone stared at the weapon—beautiful, deadly, deeply imperfect.

"So," Jerry said quietly, "knowing all that, knowing the risks and the flaws and the difficulty of mastering such an unusual design... are you satisfied?"

Akhil hesitated for a moment, it wasn't exactly what he expected.

'I wanted a weapon to reduce my dependency on blood essence not to increase it... But it's not so bad either, if it uses more blood essence that can only mean every attack becomes more powerful and fatal'

At the end he was the one who asked that the weapon be made despite the odd chances.

A smile spread across his face—genuine, excited, the expression of someone who'd just been given exactly what they needed.

"I'm more than satisfied," he said. "It's perfect."

"Perfect?" Seth echoed incredulously. "He just listed half a dozen ways it could kill you!"

"And it can do everything I need it to," Akhil countered. "Long range, short range, melee, projectiles, versatility, adaptability. This is exactly what I asked for."

He stepped forward, reaching toward the weapon. Jerry didn't stop him, just watched carefully as Akhil's fingers closed around the handle.

The moment he touched it, everything changed.

{DING!}

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