After the final departure from the coral reef, young Matthias began to learn from the greatest blacksmith in the south. For the first few years, everything went perfectly. The young man learned as quickly as ever even as a blacksmith's apprentice. However, when he turned eighteen, the world completely darkened before his eyes. He no longer saw any bright spots, the colorful spots that he had learned to live with, so to speak.
His master at the time, feeling sorry for the boy, took him to every famous healer, but no one could do anything. Matthias became permanently blind and felt that his life was over with his blindness. His master could not continue teaching him like this and left him alone in a strange city. However, young Matthias finally pulled himself together and decided that he would remain a master blacksmith even though he was blind. Even if his fingers burned when he checkes the condition of the metal, he would not give up on his dream.
Fortunately, before he could begin this plan, a traveler arrived in town in need of new weapons. The townspeople, of course, immediately sent the gentleman to Matthias, who received his guest as cordially as he always did. Even if a lump grew in his throat with concern when the stranger told him that his weapons needed to be repaired. Young Matthias's hands trembled as he took the weapon and turned toward the forge.
"I don't want to interfere, but I'm not sure it's a good thing for a blacksmith's hands to tremble." Came the melodious voice, which sounded as if its owner had sung. "They say you're the best blacksmith in town." Matthias pressed the weapon against him and bowed his head at this statement.
"I was." He finally said softly and placed the sword on the anvil.
"What do you mean, was?" The stranger asked.
"I knew I couldn't escape it. I knew it would happen, there were signs. Everything was getting dimmer and dimmer, but I foolishly hoped that a miracle would happen." The young blacksmith buried his face in one hand.
"What happened?" He heard the next question.
"I've slowly gone blind over the years." The blacksmith sighed.
"And why does that stop you from working?" The stranger asked another question, which made Matthias turn towards him with an angry face.
"Because I can't forge blindly!" Anger exploded from the blacksmith boy.
"Just return to a younger form of yours and the problem is solved." Although Matthias couldn't see the man, he could imagine the shrug that followed this sentence.
"You're crazy, aren't you? You can't do that." The blacksmith grimaced and shook his head.
"I always forget that I'm in the south." The stranger sighed. "Of course it can't be done young master and you have the strength to do it." The voice came from right in front of Matthias, which managed to surprise the blacksmith so much that he flinched back. "You just have to release your soul magic." The stranger announced.
"And how do I do that?" He added the question to the stranger.
"Like this." The answer came accompanied by a chuckle. The next thing Matthias felt was the man poking his forehead. The young blacksmith's body was filled with warmth, like when he stands in front of a fire. "From now on, you have to do it yourself, blacksmith master. It's not difficult, concentrate, what was it like when you saw? What did it look like? Imagine that it's the same now as it was then." The stranger gave the order.
"And that will help?" Matthias was incredulous.
"Just try." The stranger chuckled, but since Matthias was driven by curiosity, he closed his eyes and imagined the world as it was when everything around him first turned black, when only the bright outlines remained. "You're doing better than I thought. The shaman would think you had already used soul magic." The stranger laughed.
"I have no idea what soul magic you're talking about, but..." Matthias's eyes widened when he looked at the stranger and saw the colorful outlines again. "How is this possible?" He raised his hand to his eyes.
"This is the power of soul magic, Lord Blacksmith. So, what do you say, can you repair my sword now?" The stranger tilted his head to the side.
"Give me time until evening and I'll make you a weapon that the whole world will envy." Matthias announced and when the stranger laughed he just smiled.
"I'll be back in the evening, Lord Blacksmith." The stranger waved and left the forge, where Matthias could throw himself back into his work.
The young blacksmith's enthusiasm was rekindled. Life seemed bright again. It wasn't all over afterall. The metal was shaped under his hands like never before, he felt he had found what would make his weapons different from anyone else's. He doesn't shape the weapon into what the buyer wants, but into what he needs. The lights that surrounded the stranger shone before his eyes, and Matthias did everything he could to surround the sword with such lights.
"Try it!" He held out the sword to the stranger when he returned at the end of the day. The blacksmith was satisfied to see that the two lights were almost exactly the same.
"Oh, my weapon never been like this before. It's perfect!" He heard the happy reaction from the stranger. "May I know the name of the maker of my sword?" The stranger asked.
"Matthias Mullen." The young blacksmith introduced himself. "May I know your name? I would like to know to whom I owe my gratitude." He pulled himself out.
"I am Airotkiv. Here is your payment!" He started rummaging in his purse.
"It's a gift. What you have done for me is priceless, Lord Airotkiv." The blacksmith stopped him.
"In that case, I hope the east wind blows us together again, Matthias. The skies be with you." The man said goodbye and left the city behind him.
And young Matthias followed his example barely a month later and, gathering his most important tools, set off again to find himself a new master teacher. His plan was to travel the world until he found someone who could teach him how to imbue metals with that certain soul magic. He felt that although the pinnacle of his life had been the weapon he had made for Airotkiv, he could do better.
So he set off across the world, across seas and distant lands. Sometimes he would stop in a city and forge for the locals for a few years, then move on again. Then he finally found a suitable master, who enthusiastically took him under his patronage. Thanks to this, a new chapter in young Matthias's life began. His life was happy, and it couldn't have been better. At least that's what he thought at the time. Little did he know that in three fleeting decades everything would collapse around him again.