The Choosing Read Online Free

of his arms.  It clanked like steel on steel as it unraveled and came to a stop just as it reached his palms.  Upon the leather lay two exquisite swords, and a pair of twin daggers.  The first sword was long and broad.  Made from the finest steel it gleamed in the light of the fire as if it too were ablaze.  Its surfaces so polished it reflected everyone’s faces back at them.  To balance the enormous blade was a huge two handed hilt at the butt of which a large ball of gleaming steel held in place by a  dragons claw with each of the talons facing down away from the blade, making even the hilt end of the sword deadly.  The second sword lay beside the first.  It was nearly as long as the two handed broad sword, but it was narrower, much narrower.  The blade tapered starting at the hilt and working ever narrower all the way to the tip.  Made of polished blackened steel, the blade looked menacing as if it were forged out of darkness itself.  The hilt was a hand and a half allowing the wielder to use one or two hands.  Slithering down and around the handle was a serpent polished silver.  At the butt of the handle the serpent was coiled around and around itself with it tail sticking straight out the end and sharpened to a point.  At the other end of the handle the serpent split into two long necks ending at wide toothed grins, these making up the hand guards.  The daggers, lying end to end just above the swords looked as if they were a mirror image of each other.  Both had blades polished to a mirror surface like the larger sword, and both had blackened steel handles wrapped in leather dyed black to match the steel.  All four of the weapons were both beautiful and threatening. 
    Both Seth and Garret smiled at Jack.  These were by far the most amazing pieces they have ever seen, above and beyond anything else they had seen him craft over the years.  It was obvious whose sword was whose.  Garret would be more easily able to wield the broadsword as he was the bulkier, more massively built of the twins.  Seth being thinner, perhaps even a bit lanky instinctively picked up the dark black blade.  The brother’s both held and appraised their new weapons.
    “These are amazing Jack, you have really outdone yourself.”  Seth said eyeing the intricately detailed serpent.
    “They’re made of Dwarven steel.” Jack proclaimed obviously proud of his creations. “They should hold an edge a long time and shouldn’t rust if I've tempered them correctly.  I hope you like them.”
    Both the twins nodded in response unable to speak, still in awe of their spectacular gifts.
    “Well I should guess that makes us next.  Samuel said gesturing to Emily “We have been working together on these projects so everything will fit and look just right.” Samuel continued.
    He reached down beneath the chair he had been seated in and slid from under it a large wooden case.  He undid the clasp holding the lid in place, and grasping either side of the lid flipped it effortlessly over the box where it rested on its hinges, against the back of the case.
    Laying in the case was a jumble of objects, the top most of which was a long slender black leather scabbard.  Dyed black to match the blade it was created to fit, and stitched with leather dyed silver, it was an amazing piece.  As he stood to give the scabbard to Seth, Samuel flipped the scabbard over revealing a silver serpent embroidered down the side.  Knowing the work, Seth flashed a smile at Emily, and as was her custom she nodded in response.  Samuel held the scabbard out to Seth who readily accepted it, and slid his new blade into it to admire the two together.  The blade slid effortlessly, silently in.  A perfect fit.  Garret shifted his weight impatiently eyeing the next item in Samuel's case on the floor.  It too was a scabbard wide and long, dyed a midnight blue and trimmed in the same silver as Seth’s scabbard.  On its face was embroidered a sky blue dragon,