---
The morning sun painted the Tetsurou compound in molten gold as Kaito, Ren, and Aiko approached the wrought iron gates. The scent of burning coal and hot metal grew stronger with each step, mingling with the sharp tang of quenching oil. Kaito rubbed sleep from his eyes, his new katana's weight unfamiliar at his hip.
"Took you long enough," came Jiro Tetsurou's gravelly voice before they'd even crossed the threshold. The master smith stood silhouetted against the forge's glow, his massive arms folded across his leather apron. "I was beginning to think you'd changed your minds about those fancy weapons."
Aiko snorted. "And miss seeing what passes for craftsmanship outside the Hakutake forges?"
Jiro's laughter boomed through the courtyard. "Cheeky brat. Your father said the same thing when he first came here." He turned, beckoning them deeper into the compound. "Come. Let's see if you're worthy of what we've made."
---
The forge was a symphony of clanging metal and hissing steam. Apprentices moved like shadows between the fires, their faces streaked with soot. Kaito's fingers trailed along a rack of freshly polished blades, each one bearing the Tetsurou crest - a snarling wolf's head.
"Iron Wolves," he mused. "Fitting for a clan that sharpens the empire's teeth."
Mei Tetsurou emerged from behind a stack of armor plates, wiping grease-stained hands on her trousers. "Well if it isn't the spoiled princeling and his entourage," she said, flashing a sharp-toothed grin. "Here to collect your toys?"
Ren ignored the jab, his eyes scanning the workshop. "Our commissions?"
"Patience, Your Highness," Mei drawled. She snapped her fingers and three apprentices scurried forward, each carrying a wrapped bundle.
The first was presented to Aiko - a guandao with a blade that shimmered like liquid moonlight. As she took it in hand, the weapon seemed to come alive, its balance perfect as she spun it through a testing arc.
"Sky-iron alloy," Jiro said proudly. "Light as a feather, sharp as betrayal."
Kaito's package contained a katana sheathed in plain black lacquer. When he drew it, the blade revealed a subtle wave pattern in the steel. The moment it settled in his grip, he understood - this was no decorative piece. The weight was substantial, demanding respect with every movement.
"Too heavy for you, Kurogane?" Mei taunted.
Kaito smirked and executed a perfect overhead strike, stopping the blade a hair's breadth from her nose. "Feels just right."
Ren's bundle held a combat knife and his unfinished staff. The wood was dark and smooth, with empty sockets where crystals would eventually be set.
"The Quán clan will handle the enchantments," Jiro said. "But the foundation is sound."
From the shadows, a new voice cut through the forge's clamor: "Indeed they will."
Lady Lin Quán emerged like smoke given form, her midnight-blue robes whispering against the stone floor. The Quán Clan's emblem - an eye within a lotus - glimmered at her throat.
Ren bowed slightly. "Aunt."
Kaito's eyebrows shot up. Aunt?
Lady Lin's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Nephew. Still playing at being a warrior, I see." Her long fingers brushed the unfinished staff. "This is... ambitious. The Quán will complete it, of course." She turned her gaze to the group. "But first, you should understand the order you serve."
With a snap of her fingers, a servant unfurled a scroll depicting the Eastern Empire's feudal hierarchy in intricate detail.
"Five High Clans uphold the Liang Dynasty," Lady Lin began, her nail tapping the top of the scroll. "Each with their own domain, each vital to the empire's survival."
She pointed to the first emblem - a lotus cradling a sword. "The Kurogane. Frontline warriors. Your family, boy," she said to Kaito. "The empire's sword and shield."
Next came a spear piercing a mountain. "The Hakutake. Cavalry and border defense. Your people," she nodded to Aiko, "keep our lands from being overrun."
Her finger moved to a bow drawn against a rising sun. "The Hwasal. Scouts and archers. Eyes that see threats before they arrive."
Then the snarling wolf head. "The Tetsurou. Smiths and armorers. Without you," she glanced at Jiro, "the others would fight naked."
Finally, she tapped the eye-and-lotus symbol. "And the Quán. Advisors, mages, keepers of knowledge. We are the mind that guides the empire's hand."
Kaito studied the scroll. "So who decides which clan outranks who?"
Lady Lin's laugh was like ice cracking. "Power isn't given, boy. It's proven. Every generation, the clans are tested."
"Tested how?" Aiko asked.
"On the battlefield," Jiro rumbled. "In the forges. At the imperial court. The Liang emperors know strength when they see it."
Ren's voice was quiet but firm. "And the Low Clans?"
Lady Lin's smile turned sharp. "Those who cannot prove their worth become the foundation upon which the strong stand." She rolled the scroll with a flick of her wrist. "Tomorrow at dawn, nephew. My estate. Bring the staff. Don't be late."
As she swept away, Jiro cleared his throat. "Now that you know where you stand," he nodded to the training yard where several burly apprentices had gathered, "let's see if you can stand at all."
Aiko was already moving, her guandao flashing in the sunlight. "Thought you'd never ask."
---
What followed was less a sparring session and more a statement. Aiko danced through defenses like water through stone, her weapon an extension of her will. Ren dispatched his opponent with surgical precision, with his new combat knife, barely disturbing the dust at his feet. And Kaito...
Kaito fought like a lazy storm - all deceptive calm until the moment he struck. His new katana, though heavy, moved as if it had always been part of him.
When it was over, Jiro nodded approvingly. "Not bad. For nobles."
As they left the compound, the weight of their new weapons felt different somehow - less like tools and more like promises.
Aiko twirled her guandao with a grin. "Think those Quán crystals will make you any less boring, Ren?"
Ren's fingers tightened around his staff. "We'll see tomorrow."
Behind them, the forge fires burned into the night, their glow painting the path ahead in shades of blood and gold.
---
End chapter 6