The walk to the shop was always a long one, but he didn't mind. Shinja watched as the townsfolk walked out of her way as they saw the swords attached to her side. Being one of the Swordsage clan really did have its perks. While other mages required much training in arcane lore and the subtleties of words and motions, a swordsage possessed all the magic they needed in their weapons. Through a hidden technique that has been passed down from generation to generation, magic is literally folded into the blade itself as it is crafted.
This meant that a swordsage was very close to their weapons, and daily training with them was routine. However, because of the complexity of folding magic, only a few swordsages are ever alive at a time. This made them very recognizable when they appeared, and many believed them to be nothing more than a superstitious myth. However, in the cities where they frequented, they were quite well known, and, depending on how they treated the citizens, were either loved or feared.
Sometimes they were just always feared, which is why Shinja couldn't help but snicker as the people gave her plenty of space. She wasn't actually too pushy when it came to interacting with people, but people always feared what was more powerful then them. Only a few people were close enough to Shinja to know that she was all bark and no bite when it came to negotiations. She would never pruposefully harm an innocent.
As she neared the shop's door, she sighed. A world class swordsage, and yet she must still work as a blacksmith in order to pay for the necessities of life. Oh well, today she was actually excited to be here. She smiled as she remembered the plans for a weapon she had recently acquired from one of her previous excursions.
She could hear the sounds of metal striking metal as she stepped through the doorway. "Hey, Ringo," she waved as her mentor raised a hand in greeting as he stayed focused on his work. "I'm just going to be in the back room." Ringo nodded to signal that he heard her.
She pushed aside the doors that led into the room in question, and shut them behind her. Pulling out her katana, she walked over to a chest and grabbed a ring that she recognized by instinct. This ring was very important. She placed the ring over the hilt of her katana, closed her eyes, and quietly muttered the incantation she had learned so long ago. Then came the familiar rush of wind, which was quickly followed by the usual intense heat.
She had just traveled several thousand miles to the secret forge of the swordsages. Here, all the elements of the earth could be found. She was several hundred feet underground, but light magically shone here as bright as day. Trees were growing but just a few hundred feet away, and lava slowly oozed out of a small hole in the rocks above to table that had the top carved out so a small pool of lava was always there. A fresh stream of water also came from a nearby rock. It was the perfect location to harness magic, as all the natural elements were nearby. Shinja had always enjoyed practicing her sword technique down here where it was quiet, save for the sound of rushing water, and oozing lava.
She quickly unfolded her plans and placed them on a nearby desk. Nothing like this had ever been done before. The dwarves were attempting to create this weapon, but had failed multiple times. And she could see why, now. While they definitely weren't far from completing their original idea, Shinja saw a way to make it even better, then again, she could always make any type of weapon better.
After grabbing some ores from a nearby crate, she swiftly smelted them down and started making the frame for the weapon. Seeing as it was a new type, she had to make the correct shapes and forms using new methods.
After what felt like days, Shinja pulled a small tube out of the water where it had stayed for the past several minutes, allowing it to cool. She held it in her hand, and allowed a smile to creep over her lips. She then put the tube in her bag, placed the ring back on the hilt of her sword, and recited the ancient incantation. Again, the breeze blew past, and the coolness of night was around her. She quickly put the ring back in the chest and exited the back room. Just before she left the building through an open window, she held her katana close, and recited a different incantation, but one with which she was similarly familiar. She was now invisible to the world as she walked through the streets. Not that it was weird for her to be walking the streets at night, but she didn't want to bring about any extra attention upon herself.
She repeated this process for the next couple of days, and each time she worked until one more piece of the weapon was finished. Finally, after several weeks of banging, clanging, and magic folding, she had all the pieces to this magnificent beast. She took great care in putting the machine together. That's the way it always was with swordsages, they always loved their weapons. Before too long she put in the final piece, and click, went the hammer as she pulled the trigger. Another smile crossed her lips.
She wiped the sweat from her brow, and went to make the ammunition. Fortunately, the ammunition that was made for slings would work well for this weapon as well. However, she was going to put more magic into these bullets, for that was the way she enjoyed to fight, with the magic stored in a weapon, not just with the weapon itself. Again, after hours of work, she pulled out the first six bullets. One had the element of water, another fire, another still had earth; one had the element of nature, while the one next to it had surprise, and the last had air.
She put each of these into one of the six slots she had made on a piece that was made to revolve around the middle of her new weapon. Shinja spun this piece around, and stuck it into its leather holder that she made previously and was now wearing on her side. Finally, after what again felt like days, and a hundred rounds of ammunition, Shinja left the sacred smithy, and walked home in the night. She practiced day and night at her personal training grounds in her home, and quite quickly became proficient with this new weapon.
It was a beautiful weapon, indeed. Not only could it shoot bullets of immense magical power, but it contained, in and of itself, a magical state that no one else had been able to make in a weapon. It could also hold up to six shots of ammunition, leaving the other hand free to wield another weapon or cast a spell at the same time instead of using it to fire or reload the weapon.
Shinja quickly became the most powerful swordsage known in the world. However, some saw her as dishonorable, a cheater, even, for using such a powerful weapon. "Is using a sword more powerful than yours seen as cheating, or being dishonorable?" was her constant question. Unfortunately, the others could not see the merit in her words, and were quick to oust her from the swordsage clan.
And thus, she started the gunsage clan. And taught the carefully guarded secret of gunsmithing to only a select few. Ever since its creation, it has been the rival of the swordsage clan, and while the powers of each clan are constantly clashing, there is never one that towers over the other in power level. Back and forth, back and forth they go. Which is why it is important that you youngsters choose the correct clan to apply to. Each clan only selects those who are worthy, and while one clan might hold the power now, tomorrow is a new day, and with the new day, a new change is always possible.
(blargh, I had to stop this one part way through, to finish cleaning the house for which we were house-sitting, and didn't get to continue until after midnight. Sorry again for the late release. OH! I do have good news, though. It looks like a couple of people are interested in writing their own short stories and posting them on here. One of them is my lovely wife, and hopefully she'll be done here pretty soon, and the other is a co-worker, who also enjoys writing and is always looking for an opportunity to improve. Anyway, I'll try to get another story out tomorrow before work, since I close. Hopefully this week'll be awesome for you guys :) )
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