The curved sword
A short silly story to go alongside the wooden sword I made.
The sword of the great s** amurai **** is **** a **** well **** known **** and **** legendary **** weapon **** now. **** Fabled **** with **** unmatch ***ed* abilities, unlike any other blade in history. The perfect curved cutting edge** , **** displaying **** the **** mastery **** of **** the **** artisan **** who **** shaped **** this **** famous **** weapon and the soul o ***f the warrior that wielded it,* but... When d** id **** it **** start, **** and **** how? **** In **** the **** ancient **** times **** the **** blades **** were **** s *traight* . **** What **** event **** caused **** such **** a **** change? **** What **** force could have **** bent **** a **** steel **** blade? **** There **** can **** be **** many **** theories, **** or **** maybe **** but **** one... **** I **** say, **** it **** happened *l* ike **** this...**
The curved sword by VVuffy
The land far to the East, as everyone thought and knew, was full of mystical, magical creatures living besides the human kind, sharing and shaping each other's fate. Guided by powerful deities, the life there was indeed like a river, with many rocks trying to hinder its path, tall waterfalls to drag many to the very bottom, but also being just a water to bring new life, to quench the thirst, or just to flow peacefully in its way.
Unfortunately, this river was often crimson from the bloodshed caused by the few on their way to power. On this way of crimson rivers, some did not hesitate to strike even the deities themselves to gain even more strength and influence, never concerned with the consequences.
But one day, without a warning, to the surprise and fear of all, the rivers stopped flowing and all water vanished from the land. Some said, that it was a punishment for the endless wars that plagued the country, others, that it was the work of the dragon, the water deity. Be it as may, no creature, human or beast, could survive without water for too long, so a decision was done. Following each and every riverbank upstream, the best the land had to offer were sent to find the water deity and request for the water's returnal; and if the matter demanded it, then challenge the dragon itself!
One day was passing another, but the land still remained dry. With the situation dire, all the warlords, priests, noblemen and commoners alike have gathered on the cliffs of the, once majestic, now hopelessly dry sea to pray. Desperateand devout, as their prayers could only be, seemed helpless. They were praying even as the darkness of the storm spread above their heads. Wind and thunder, but no rain. Fear and hopelessness began to spread amongst their ranks, when...
Something glistered in the distance, in the rising sun. Slowly, the glistering was coming closer and becoming more visible. It seemed, that this dawn was bringing more than just a new day.
A female, an otter, clothed in nothing but her beauty, was walking the dry bottom of the sea, slowly closing the distance to the shore. In her hand a glistering blade, one unlike any other, shining in the fiery sunlight. A beautiful curve, a moist edge, and a dripping tip. Water, clean and cold as it could only be, was dripping from the blade, leaving a small river behind.
A marvelous sight for those, whose neck was clenched by the thirst. Most were waiting at the cliff, others rushed to the shore, while few headed off towards her. These were the warlords, which dragged the country into the war and caused this torment in the very beginning. Now, each of them wanted to claim this wondrous blade for himself to gain rule over the precious water. One grabbed hold of the hand with the blade, other took the female by her long black hair, while the last was already drawing his sword to dispatch his opponents.
In the following struggle, the female slipped free. On her knees, she called upon the blade's power and thrust it into the dry sea with force. That instant, the water poured from the hole like a blood from a wound. In few short moments, the dry sea filled with water again and drowned the fighting warlords in its depths.
As through a wonder or divine protection, the female stayed unharmed by the raging sea. The waves carried her exhausted body towards the shore. From all who were watching, only one found enough heart and courage within himself to step into the sea and help the female out of the water. When again the female stood tall on the cliffs above the sea, still holding the blade, everyone bend their backs before her. Not one knew, or understood, how this unusual, curved blade could posses such tremendous powers. All they knew was, that it could bring the water back and that was all that mattered. Then, the female spoke to them. She presented the blade "Water's Edge" to them, the sword gifted by the water deity itself and revealed the tale behind it...
...It was the day, when all water disappeared. That morning, she, a young priestess, a river otter, was cleaning her body in the pond under the large waterfall, when an orb, as beautiful and smooth as a pearl, rolled from the waterfall towards her and onto her lap. The orb was sizable, easily filling both of her palms. In water, it was nearly invisible; only the sunlight revealed its pearly surface.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the waterfall and a shadow rose behind it. Through the falling water, the creature stepped forth, demanding the orb's returnal. The priestess immediately stood up and bowed, greeting the deity, as the water dragon stood tall in all its might in front of her. As the dragon voiced its demand once more, she handed over the orb with obedience and begged the dragon to regain its calmness. In that moment, as the dragon took the orb, all water withdrew from the land. Only the large pond with the waterfall remained for the dragon's comfort.
The otter could not express the horrors of the scenery she witnessed! The majestic creature, a water deity, reduced to nothing but a crippled beast. The dragon was in anguish, yet its tormented body had no more strength to rage; and as it laid on its side, the pond filled with blood! What evil could have caused this, the priestess had no idea. Only as she stepped closer, the reason for all this was revealed to her. A long straight blade was struck in the dragon's side! This was a man's doing, no doubt. The sword's hilt was already broken off, as the beast tried to remove the sword with no success. The blade was well crafted and very sharp and with each motion it caused even more harm to the dragon. Rubbing against the hard scales, the blade was glowing hot from the friction, it almost looked like a ray of sunlight punishing the water deity.
Against the dragon's warnings and her sworn obedience as a priestess, she braved herself closer to the beast. The water deity must be helped, there was no other way! A hissing sound and a painful scream spread across the area, as the priestess held the glowing blade with her bare paws. With enormous effort and devout mind, she tried to remove the blade.
Inflicting great pain to the beast in her attempt, the body twitched in response and powerful claws lashed against the priestess. She was warned by the deity, now she paid the price! Her lifeless body remained laying on the water's surface, as the waves slowly blend her blood with that of the dragon. The water deity remained still, starring at the lifeless otter. The beast's mind clear, body rid of all pain as she, the priestess, still held the blade firm in her paws.
A lot of blood dried on the blade from the intense heat, until the water finally cooled the blade's glow and the dragon's rage. A curve, as formidable, as the ones on the fair otter's body, occurred on the steel blade. Whether it was from the quenching, or the priestess's immense effort matter little for the beast. The sacrifice and the good will of this poor soul were not to stay without a reward...
Using the power of the orb, the water deity returned the priestess's blood spilled in the water back into her body and with a single touch, she returned to the living. Bestowing its powers upon the blade, the blessed sword "Water's Edge" was created and granted as a gift to the young priestess. Swearing her priesthood to the water deity, the otter gained its blessing and protection. The water shall drown in its depths anyone, who would intend harm upon her; just like it happened with the warlords before. Only the young man, who stepped into the raging sea to help her stayed unharmed, as there was no ill will within his doing.
This was all the priestess hoped for, as she remembered the dragon's words well...
"...and the water __s shall return no_ t_ sooner, than th __ou fin_ d_st least a single human worthy of my gift of water!"
Thanks to the young man, a blacksmith's son, the priestess could return the sweet waters to the land and all life could finally quench its thirst.
As a gratitude and a reminder, a temple was erected on the cliffs above the sea, where now the precious curved sword resides. Since that time, the clay the blacksmiths apply to the blade represents the dragon's blood, heating the blade represents its torment and the torment of others, and quenching symbolize the relieve that has been brought upon all; emerging stronger than before...just like the blade.
A symbol of mastery of the artisan, and honor of the warrior...