Page 6

Chapter six

A ntony smiled as the miniature mechanical chariot whirred across his workbench; the tiny bronze driver waved his spear, barely bigger than a toothpick. As the chariot approached the edge, Antony reached out a hand to catch it, but it pulled a turn to head back in the other direction. His smile turned into a grin at the success. He couldn’t actually give the small horses and their little driver intelligence, but he had used the Light to give them enough sense to not drive off massive cliffs.

Of course, giving children’s toys the ability to reason was not strictly necessary, but Antony had wanted to know if he could. Besides, some of the younger trainees in the Eteria barracks were sure to be amused by it.

A knock on the workshop door caused Antony to look up from the chariot racing laps around his bench. He was greeted by the familiar sight of the Commander in the doorway. He was glad she had taken to knocking, for Antony never heard her approach, and it was unnerving to glance up and see her towering figure, not knowing how long she had been there.

Now she glided into the room without invitation, knowing from habit that she didn’t need one. Antony, also from habit, cleared the scraps and gears from a nearby stool, despite knowing that she wouldn’t sit. The Commander stopped near the workbench to observe Antony’s creation. Her lips turned up. Antony always tallied a mental victory when one of his inventions managed to coax a rare smile from the Commander, but this time, the expression seemed sad.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Commander?” he asked, hoping to distract her from her melancholy mood.

“I come to ask a favor.”

“A favor?” Antony asked, “You are my superior. Your will is my command.”

To Antony’s surprise, the Commander did take a seat. Although her posture remained impeccable, she might as well have slumped for how tired her eyes looked.

“This isn’t going to be an order, Antony,” she clarified. “I know how important what you do is, and I won’t ask you to abandon it unless you agree with my reasoning.”

“Abandon my work?” Antony was taken aback. He never thought he would hesitate to do anything the Commander suggested, but this already sounded dubious.

“Not as a Smith. I was hoping you would consider making weapons,” she clarified. “We need them to intensify our fight against the Shadow.”

Antony looked around at his numerous creations; some beautiful, some useful. All made with care.

“What about keeping the Shadow at bay by encouraging hope? With the jug that purifies water that saved a town from a tainted river? Or the vessels that make food last longer, pulling entire civilizations through times of a ruined harvest?” Antony named just a few of his recent contributions.

The Commander sighed heavily. “I believe in your work Antony, truly. But some Warriors and Defenders have suffered massive losses recently, making do with insufficient numbers and inadequate weaponry. If they lose hope… what hope have the rest of us? But if we put weapons in their hands that remind them of the greatness of the Eteria and the power of the Light, their morale would be restored. ”

Antony drummed his fingers on his workbench, mind weighing the Commander’s words. Perhaps if he bolstered the Eteria’s fighting forces, they could push the Shadow back, and allow his other creations to do more good. Besides, it would only be temporary. The Shadow would advance and retreat like the tides, as was the way of nature. The Light would rise again, and Antony would return to doing what he loved.

“How do you know I will be any good at making weapons? I was never any good at using them after all,” Antony pointed out.

This time, the Commander’s answering smile was genuine. “When has anything you made been less than wonderful? As much as you lack in the ability to destroy things, you make up for it in your ability to create.”

Antony smiled despite himself and nodded. “Very well, weapons you shall have. You know I will deny you nothing, Commander.”

“Maybe you should,” she remarked as she stood, “To share the burden of decision making might be refreshing.”

As she left, Antony considered her words, and concluded that he still trusted her judgement implicitly. After all, he was a Smith because she had seen the potential in him, and he would be eternally grateful.